Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter.
Hey, and thanks for the reviews!
To my one reviewer, the reason why they put Harry in the chained chair? Well, Fudge thinks Harrys crazy! Of course I think it's a stupid thing to do, but Cornelius Fudge is an idiot! What else can I say?
As to people knowing Harry can cast the Patronus Charm, remember the Quidditch match in PoA where Draco and some other Slytherins dressed up as Dementors? The whole school saw him do it, and I was actually surprised when more people didn't know about it in canon. In my fic, the students at the school told their parents and relatives, so that's how it got back to Amelia Bones.
As for your other questions, remember that I will answer them in due time, like the question you had about why the dementors were sent to Hogsmeade.
To my other reviewer, I'm glad I'm not the only one who had sympathy for Cho in canon. She's a trauma survivor, and deserves our sympathy.
And to my other reviewer, no, Harry and Ginny aren't dating yet. They're just really close friends.
Okay, here's the next chapter!
Chapter 48: Not a Promising Start
On the night before Harry was to go back to Hogwarts, he, Sirius, and Remus were sitting in their living room. The two men had told Harry there were a couple of things they needed to talk to him about.
"So, what's up, guys?" Harry asked as he made himself comfortable on the couch.
"First of all," Sirius said, "we need to tell you about your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year." It didn't sound promising, because Sirius had an angry look on his face.
"Who's it going to be?" Harry asked, curious nonetheless.
"Dumbledore couldn't find anyone himself," said Remus, "so the Ministry had to pick someone. I'm afraid it's going to be Dolores Umbridge."
"You mean, the woman who was at my hearing?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Yeah," said Sirius, sighing. "And we need to stress to you that she doesn't believe Voldemort's back. She's the kind of person that'll do anything possible to provoke you. You mustn't lose your temper; that'll only make the situation worse. You have to keep your cool at all times. Just know that we believe you, all right?"
Harry let out an unhappy sigh. "Yeah, I guess," he said. His guardians put comforting arms around him.
"Right, that's settled," said Remus. "The second thing we need to tell you is that the school governors won't let me come to the school full-time, but I will be there a few hours a day to counsel people who need to talk after the tragic events of last year. I think it's important that after such an occurrence, people let their feelings out. I will also be continuing to do sessions with you once a week, with Sirius coming along with me. We will also continue with your Occlumency training, and teach you other spells you will need to know for what's to come."
"Okay," Harry said. "That's good. But isn't Umbridge against werewolves?"
"Yes," Remus said quietly. "But Dumbledore's still Headmaster. As long as he runs the school, I'll be able to come."
"Good," Harry replied.
"And one more thing," Sirius said. "Don't let Horace Slughorn get to you. As we told you before, he's obsessed with famous people, and he'll try to hound stories out of you, especially last year's events. Just try to keep your distance from him, and if he harasses you during Potions, please tell one of us. You still have the mirror, right?"
"Yeah, I do," Harry replied.
"Good, good," said Remus. "All right, it's time you went to bed. You've got a busy day tomorrow."
xxx
The next day, they apparated to King's Cross station, and went through the barrier to platform nine and three-quarters. Harry saw the Weasleys and Hermione waiting for him. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hugged him and said hello, and the twins bowed to him and said, "Hello, O Humble Sir!" causing a small smile to break out on Harry's face. Hermione and Ginny hugged him as well, and Ron did his usual pounding on the back.
"See ya, kiddo," said Sirius, holding his godson close. "We'll see you next week, okay?"
"Look after yourself, Harry," said Remus, joining the embrace. "Remember what we said, okay? Promise us."
"I promise," said Harry.
"Good," his guardians said, and the train whistle blew. Harry jumped on, and he, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny found a compartment while Fred and George went to search for Lee Jordan.
Until the train rounded the corner, Harry and his friends waved to the remaining Weasleys, Sirius, and Remus. Sirius had turned into the black dog again, just like last year, and was barking playfully. Everyone laughed, and then the train was past the corner.
A few minutes later, Neville and Cho found the compartment they were sitting in, and came to join them. Neville was holding a plant in his hands, and he said it was called a Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Cho was staring out the window; it was obvious that she was still depressed over Cedric. The fact that he wouldn't be here this year, and never would be again, hung over the compartment like a wreath of gloom. Everyone tried to make conversation to try to cheer her up.
After talking about the rest of their summers for awhile, Harry thought it was prudent to mention the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. In a low voice, he told his friends what Sirius and Remus had said, and everyone looked angry, especially Cho.
"She sounds like a real bitch," said Ron at once, clenching and unclenching his fists. "She'd better not give you a hard time."
Ginny reached out and squeezed Harry's hand comfortingly. "I think Sirius and Remus told you the right thing," she said softly. "Just try to ignore her."
"Ronald, don't swear," said Hermione promptly. "But yes, she doesn't sound like a nice person at all."
"At least Snape'll be gone this year," said Ron. Harry and Neville exchanged a quick look.
"Yeah," said Neville. "Thank Merlin."
"You should watch out for Slughorn, though, like your guardians said," added Cho, still staring out the window. "I've heard of him before. He was the Potions Master when my mum was at Hogwarts."
"Really?" asked Ginny. "What did your mum think of him?"
"She said he's very annoying," Cho replied.
"Oh, that's not good," said Ron.
The lady with the trolley came by, and everyone bought some candy. Ron started to grumble, because Mrs. Weasley had packed corned beef sandwiches for him, Hermione, and Ginny. "When will Mum learn I DESPISE corned beef?" he groaned.
"Ron, you know she means well," said Hermione crossly. "You should be grateful."
"Hmmph," said Ron. "I still hate it."
"Here, have a chocolate frog," Cho offered, handing it to Ron, who gave her a grateful look.
"Hey, I got Grindelwald," he said, holding the card in his hand. "It says that he was the old Dark Lord who was defeated by Dumbledore in 1945."
"That's right," declared Harry. "I remember that."
The six friends enjoyed their food, but Cedric's absence still hung in the air. Harry missed his smile, his kind spirit, and his friendship. But it was good to know that the others were still there, and that Ginny was still around. Harry was still having nightmares about what would have happened if she'd been kissed by one of the dementors on his birthday.
A very unpleasant scene occurred, though, when the compartment door flew open, and Draco Malfoy stood there, Crabbe and Goyle at his side. Harry let out a groan of annoyance.
"So," said Malfoy, smirking at the six. "Enjoying your last moments together, before the Dark Lord finishes you off as well, just like he did Diggory?"
"Shut the hell up, Malfoy," Ron snarled. "Go back to your own Death Eater scum compartment."
Malfoy let out a peal of laughter. "Do you think I'll obey your wishes, Weasel?" he sneered. "And I hear Weaslette was almost kissed by a dementor."
"How do you know that, ferret face?" said Ginny angrily. "Did your daddy tell you? How did he find out?"
Malfoy just smiled. "Never you mind that," he said. "I just thought I'd let you know that you, Granger, will probably be first to die. Filthy little mudbloods don't deserve to live."
Harry, Ron, and Ginny sprang to their feet. Hermione just gave Malfoy an exasperated look, with Cho and Neville bearing looks of fury.
"Please, Harry, Ron, Ginny, it's just Malfoy!" yelled Hermione. "Don't let him provoke you!"
"I'm just telling the honest to God truth, mudblood," sneered Malfoy. "And hey, Chang! Missing your lover boy? Missing Diggory, are you? Sad that you'll have to live without your boyfriend?"
Cho couldn't help the tears that sprang to her eyes. She tried her hardest not to let them show, because she knew Malfoy liked nothing better than to taunt people. But Malfoy saw them, and snickered.
"Oh, you're such a little crybaby," he drawled. "You're so immature and stupid. You'll learn sooner rather than later that the Dark Lord is the most powerful wizard in the world."
"Leave her alone, Malfoy!" Harry shouted furiously, raising his wand even higher. "She's been through enough already!"
Malfoy sidled closer to Harry, Crabbe and Goyle following his every move. "Defending the little baby, Potter?" he whispered maliciously.
"Get out, you scum!" Ron roared. "You have no business here!"
"Don't worry, Weasel, we're leaving," said Malfoy. "I just figured I'd pop by to let you know the cold, hard facts. Bye, losers!" With that, he, Crabbe, and Goyle walked out of the compartment. Harry shot a jelly-legs jinx at him, but they were already out the door.
Ginny put an arm around Cho, who was sobbing into her shoulder. "Come on," she said quietly. "Let's go for a walk." Reluctantly, Cho got out of her seat, and the two girls walked out.
"What a bastard," growled Ron, breathing heavily and sitting down in his seat. Looks of anger were still on everyone's faces.
Neville was shaking with rage, his face white. "How dare he speak to us like that!" he snarled.
Harry gazed at his friends, his temper also close to the breaking point. "I hate him," he shouted. "He had no right to upset Cho like that!"
"How many times do I have to tell you, just ignore him," soothed Hermione. "He's all talk and no action."
"That's easier said than done," grumbled Harry. "I'm going to the bathroom." With that, he also left the compartment.
In the bathroom, he took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. Malfoy was the most obnoxious creature on the entire planet. Every word that came out of his mouth was vicious and snide. Harry hoped with every fiber of his being that he learned his lesson one day. Anger bubbled up inside him when he thought of his father, behind that mask, in the graveyard, watching as Voldemort murdered one of his best friends.
On the way back to the compartment, he saw a man standing in the hallway, talking to a very interesting-looking girl. The girl had radish earrings, and had her wand behind her ear. Harry swore he'd seen her before; he thought he'd seen her sitting at the Ravenclaw table. The man was extremely fat, and not a speck of hair was on his head.
The man heard Harry's footsteps and turned to face him. He gazed at him with reverence, almost as if worshipping the ground he walked on. "Are you who I think you are?" he boomed, frightening Harry out of his wits. "Are you ... HARRY POTTER?"
"Uh, yeah," said Harry uncomfortably. "Who are you?"
"Oh, I'm just Horace Slughorn," cried the man joyously. He pounded Harry on the shoulder. "So delighted to make your acquaintance! I've heard so much about you from old Dumbledore! This here's Luna Lovegood, her mother was one of the most famous spell inventors in history. How would you like to come and have a spot of tea with us in my compartment?"
"Uh, no thanks," said Harry, his cheeks flushing. No wonder Sirius and Remus had warned him; Slughorn was already unbearable.
"Oh, come on, Harry!" bellowed Slughorn. "It'll be fun!"
"No, I'm really not feeling well, professor," said Harry. "I need to go and rest before we get to Hogwarts."
"Oh, what a shame, what a shame! Well, I'll catch up with you later. Come on, Miss Lovegood!" With that, he and Luna walked away.
Harry let out a great sigh of relief, and walked back to his compartment. When he sat down, he told the others what had happened. Ginny and Cho were back by now; Cho had recovered from her crying episode, but her face was still red and puffy.
"I don't like the sound of that at all," said Ginny, giving Harry a sympathetic look. "I'm glad you got away."
"Yeah," said Harry. "Cho, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, I guess," Cho said sadly. "But why does Malfoy always have to be like that?"
"He gets his kicks from making fun of people," said Neville stonily. "Just ignore him though, Cho. Don't let him get to you."
"I'll try," said Cho.
The rest of the ride went by with no more incidents. When they arrived at Hogwarts, Harry looked for the familiar face of Hagrid as they disembarked from the train. But he was nowhere in sight.
"First years! First years, over here, please!" said a woman's voice. Harry had never seen her before. "Who's that?" he wondered out loud.
"I don't know," said Neville. "I've never seen her before either. I wonder where Hagrid is."
"I've had her before," said Cho. "She substituted for Professor Kettleburn when he was the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Her name's Professor Grubbly-Plank."
"Grubbly-Plank?" snickered Ron. "What kind of name is that?"
"Ronald!" said Hermione. "That's not nice!"
"Oh, come on!" laughed Ron. "You've got to admit it's funny!" Hermione just glared at him.
The thestrals brought them to the castle, and Harry couldn't help but think of Cedric again. He kept his head down so he wouldn't have to look at the strange-looking animals.
As everyone made their way into the Great Hall, Hagrid was still on Harry's mind. He kept looking for him, but he was still nowhere to be seen.
A few minutes later, Professor McGonnagall walked in with the usual scared crowd of first-years, with the stool and the sorting hat. But something very unusual happened; when the hat began to sing, it didn't sing its usual chipper song. This one was somber; it talked of hard times to come, and that all houses should band together. Harry thought of S.A.N.E, and wholeheartedly agreed with the lyrics. He was more than happy to continue talking with the Slytherins once a week with his friends.
Everyone looked surprised once the hat had finished its song. Slow, hesitant applause followed, and then the sorting began. Ron grumbled the whole time about how he was famished, and Hermione kicked him under the table, giving him a cross look. "Ow!" he cried.
Finally, it was over, and the food materialized on all the tables. Nearly Headless Nick showed himself, and Harry asked how his summer had been.
"Oh, same as usual," Nick laughed. "Peeves caused trouble, as always."
"Remember last year?" snorted Ron, "when he was chucking water balloons around all over the place?"
"How could I forget?" said Neville. "I got soaked!"
After dinner, Dumbledore got up to speak. He made his usual introductions, welcoming everyone back to Hogwarts and telling the first-years that the Forbidden Forest was called that for a reason. Then he spoke of the things no one was allowed to have at the school. Fred and George gave each other their usual cheeky grins, winking at the Headmaster.
"I am pleased to announce that Professor Grubbly-Plank will be taking over Care of Magical Creatures for a little while," Dumbledore continued. Harry frowned; what on Earth was the matter with Hagrid? "I am also delighted to introduce Dolores Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Harry looked at the staff table, and sure enough, the squat, toadlike woman was sitting in one of the seats, her frilly pink cardigan in place and the bows still in her hair. Unenthusiastic applause greeted this statement. Then he added, "I am also happy to announce that we have a new Potions master. Taking this position will be Horace Slughorn." Whoops and applause followed this statement; it was plain to see that everyone was happy that Snape was no longer here. "Slughorn will also be taking the post of head of Slytherin house," said Dumbledore. "Also, tryouts for the Quidditch teams will be ..."
But then, he suddenly stopped. Harry wondered what was going on, but then he saw that Umbridge had gotten to her feet. "Hem, hem," she said.
Everyone gave her surprised looks; no one had ever interrupted Dumbledore's speech before. But Dumbledore just sat down, giving Umbridge his full attention.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome," she simpered. "How lovely it is to be back at Hogwarts, with your happy little faces smiling back at me!"
"Merlin, how old does she think we are, five?" Ron whispered. "Shhh!" Hermione told him.
"I'm very much looking forward to getting to know you all," continued Umbridge in her high-pitched, little-girly voice, "and I'm sure we're all going to be great friends!"
Harry glanced around the Great Hall; everyone looked taken aback by how she was addressing them, even the teachers.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance," she went on. The gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down through the generations, lest we lose them forever." ...
The rest of her speech was very hard to understand; it was made up of nothing but difficult words. Ron looked as though he were about to fall asleep, but Hermione was staring at Umbridge and listening with rapt attention. Harry just looked extremely confused.
After she had finally stopped speaking, there was slow applause from everyone. Harry looked again at the staff table, and noticed that some of the teachers only brought their hands together once or twice.
Dumbledore then got back up, explaining when Quidditch tryouts would be held. Then he sent everyone to bed, a twinkle in his eye and a soft smile on his face.
As Harry and his friends left the Great Hall, Ron said, "What was all that waffle about, then?"
"I'll tell you what it was all about," said Hermione, frowning deeply. "It means that the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts."
"So you're telling me, all that stuff she was saying means that?" asked Ron, gazing at Hermione in wide-eyed wonder. "How on Earth could you understand that?"
"Oh, you could also see it by the look on her face," said Hermione. "This year's not off to a promising start."
"No, it doesn't look like it is," said Neville miserably. "I wonder what our first lesson with her will be like."
"I don't think I want to know," said Harry as they arrived at the portrait hole. Ron and Hermione had become prefects this year; they had told everyone that on the train. "Mimbulus mimbletonia!" said Hermione, and the Fat Lady let everyone into the common room.
As Harry lay in bed that night, he thought about what Hermione had said. Umbridge had looked especially smug when she was talking, and he knew that this year would be a difficult one. He took some deep breaths, closing his eyes and hoping with everything he had in him that he could do as Sirius and Remus said, and keep his cool around Umbridge. Honest to Merlin, he would try. But it was going to be extremely hard.