Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or much else of anything for that matter. Though I do have a rotten cat that likes to make things spill on my notes.

Chapter 88

Severus grabbed his robes before heading up to the Great Hall for breakfast. This was going to be an annoying year and if he successfully managed to refrain from doing something nasty to Umbridge, it would be a miracle. All during the opening feast the prior evening, he had watched her watch Harry with her beady eyes. It was almost as if she was looking for him to do something that she could punish him for already.

The little speech she gave during dinner made her motives for being here perfectly clear. So clear, that he had even seen his son catch onto what she was saying. Hopefully this meant that he would stay out of her way.

Knowing his luck, that would not be the case.

Severus sighed and glanced in the mirror. There were still circles under his eyes. Ever since he had been forced to kill that woman this past summer, he had not slept well. Dreamless sleep was not an option because it had quit working for him years ago. He did have a stronger dose that would work, but figured it was part of his penance if he didn't sleep. Sliding his wand into his hand, he cast a glamour to hide the circles.

The last thing he needed was Albus nagging him as well.

Grabbing the Slytherin schedules from the desk in his study, he headed up to the Great Hall to pass them out.

"A whole weekend before classes start," said Ron on Saturday as they headed down to breakfast. Schedules were still going to be handed out but for once they didn't have to rush back to the dorm to get the right books.

"I say we go flying," said Harry.

"You two should start studying. Our O.W.L. year is supposed to be the hardest yet," said Hermione.

"What are we supposed to study?" asked Ron horrified. "We don't even have any homework yet."

"Honestly Ron. The O.W.L.'s are going to cover everything we've ever learned."

"All the more reason to start off nice and relaxed," he replied.

Harry just shook his head at the two's bickering. As luck would have it, he got to the Great Hall entrance the same time Gabriella did.

It was a natural reaction to smile at her. She had a growth spurt over the summer and her hair seemed longer. She had been pretty last year, but now she was even prettier.

The look in her eyes said that she was sorry before she abruptly turned and walked away.

Naturally that made everyone start whispering again.

As they were walking past the Ravenclaw table he heard, "Did they break up?"

"Wonder why?" asked a girl Harry didn't know.

"Most people don't continue dating over the summer," replied a boy next to the girl.

"Maybe she didn't want to date a liar," replied someone else.

Harry just shook his head.

The newest minister that took over after Overwhelm had been murdered, some guy named Scrimgeour, had declared that 'You-Know-Who was not back - that it was just a ploy to cause panic'.

It seemed that some people had actually believed him.

This was going to be a long year.

After breakfast was over, Harry got his schedule from McGonagall.

"I'm not taking Divination anymore," said Harry before he took the piece of paper from his Head of House.

"It's not on there, Mr. Potter."

Harry nodded as he reached for his schedule.

Monday: HoM (Ra), Potions (S), Potions (S), Free Period, DADA (H), DADA (H)

Tuesday: CoMC (S), Herbology (H), Ancient Runes (Ra), Astronomy (G), Transfig. (G), Transfig (G)

Wednesday: Free Period, Herbology (H), DADA (H), Charms (Ra), Charms (Ra), Free Period

Thursday: HoM (Ra), Free Period, Ancient Runes (Ra), Astronomy (G), Transfig (G), Transfig (G)

Friday: Charms (Ra), Herbology (H), DADA (H), CoMC (S), Potions (S), Potions (S)

Harry liked the look of Wednesday. It started off and ended with a free period.

After breakfast, both boys headed out to the pitch to fly. Hermione, however, grabbed a book to read in the stands while they flew.

September 3, 1995

I returned the occlumency books earlier tonight. I was told that I couldn't take any more books out for a while, that maybe toward November I would be allowed to. They also seemed concerned that I should be focusing on my O.W.L. year.

I did ask ... if he would put out the books that Riddle had read when he had been a student that way I could see what I was up against. He said he would.

Classes start tomorrow. I really hope that this year isn't going to be as bad as they are making it out to be.

I did talk to Sirius using the two-way mirror tonight. He says he misses me. I miss him.

It's nice having a family that actually cares about me.

-Harry

Harry stowed his journal away in his trunk and after casting a silencing spell on himself, fell asleep.

Snape walked around the class room, eyeing everyone as they made the Draught of Peace.

"Very good, Mr. Malfoy."

He watched the blonde stand up straighter.

"Longbottom. What is that?"

The boy jumped which caused him to knock half of his ingredients to the floor.

"Clean it up Longbottom!"

Ten minutes later saw Potter finishing up a perfect Draught of Peace potion, which made Severus hate himself even more for what he was about to do. However, he had appearances to keep up, especially now.

While Harry had turned around to write something down in his notes as the potion cooled off, Severus wordlessly and wandlessly transferred a liquid from one of the jars on the shelf into his potion.

"Potter, what in Merlin's name is that?"

"The Draught of -" Harry stopped mid-sentence and frowned down at the chuck of semi-liquid in his cauldron.

"The Draught of what Potter? Because that is most certainly not the Draught of Peace."

"I ... uh ... I don't know what happened sir. It was fine a second ago." Harry's eyes automatically went to the Slytherin side of the room.

Severus couldn't blame him for that. Merlin knows it wouldn't have been the first time they had sabotaged one of his potions.

"Don't blame the Slytherin's for your ineptitude. Write an essay to be handed to me tomorrow during breakfast on how you failed this potion so miserably. Now clean up your station."

Severus saw Harry's eyes darken as he nodded.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"I don't understand it," muttered Harry. "It was a good potion before I turned around."

"Professor Snape was right Harry," said Hermione. "The Slytherin's really didn't sabotage you this time."

Harry sighed. All during lunch and his free period he tried to figure out what he had done wrong. It was driving him insane.

He met up with Ron outside of defense. "How was divination?"

"She was upset you weren't there. Threw a tantrum in fact." Ron snickered at the memory.

Harry rolled his eyes. "What did she expect? She gave me the Dreadful."

Ron snickered again before asking, "You get Snape's essay done?"

"No. I don't even know where to begin," Harry said as he sat down at a table.

"Good afternoon class," said Professor Umbridge in a sickeningly sweet voice as she entered the room.

"Afternoon," replied some of the class.

"Oh that won't do at all! Good afternoon class," she repeated.

"Good afternoon," everyone replied.

"Much better. Now. I am Professor Umbridge and we will be studying the theory of defensive spells this year. Everyone take out your parchment and quills and copy down what's on the board."

Harry's eyes widened. There were at least 40 things written up there.

As he reached for a piece of parchment, Hermione's hand shot up in the air.

"Yes, Ms -"

"Granger, Professor. I don't see anything up there about using defensive spells."

"Using defensive spells? Why on earth would you need to use defensive spells?"

Everyone's head jerked up at that.

"To protect ourselves," pointed out Harry.

"Raise your hand before you speak," scolded Umbridge.

Susan Bones' hand went up.

"Yes Ms. Bones?"

"It's like Harry said. To protect ourselves."

"And what would you need to protect yourselves from?"

Harry raised his hand.

"Yes Mr. Potter?"

"Voldemort."

The entire room jumped.

Umbridge quickly recovered though. "I know that a lot of you were told that You-Know-Who has returned but let me reassure you that that was a lie."

"It's not a lie. I saw it with my own eyes," protested Harry.

"Raise your hand before speaking," she scolded again. "Our brilliant minister has decreed that what happened last year was done by Pettigrew, not You-Know-Who."

"Pettigrew was there but Voldemort is back. The sooner we admit that, the better protected we can be."

"Detention for telling lies, Mr. Potter. It starts immediately after class."

Hermione raised her hand again.

"Yes, Ms. Granger?"

"Professor, our O.W.L.'s have a practical portion to them. We need to practice."

"With a sound theory of the spells, you will be able to perform each spell come time for the O.W.L exams. Now. No more questions and no talking. Start copying down what's written this instant."

Harry scowled but done so. It was clear why Umbridge was here. She was nothing more than a ministry puppet.

'This is going to be a long year,' he thought again.

After class let out, Harry stayed in his seat.

Umbridge locked the door and pulled out five single foot long pieces of parchment from her desk along with a special quill. She then placed it in front of him. "You will write 'I must not tell lies' until all five pages are filled, front and back."

Harry bit the retort on his tongue. He then fished in his bag for his jar of ink.

"No, Mr. Potter. You won't need any ink."

Harry shrugged and then picked up the quill. The faster he got finished, the sooner he could go eat.

I must not tell lies.

To his horror, not only did the words appear on the paper, they also scratched into the back of his hand.

He dropped the quill in surprise.

It was then he realized that the words were written in his blood.

"Something wrong, Mr. Potter?" asked Umbridge with a feral gleam in her eyes.

Harry scowled as he shook his head. He would not give her the satisfaction of complaining.

"I can't hear you."

"No ma'am," he gritted.

"That's right, Mr. Potter. Nothing is wrong. By the time you're finished, I'm sure you'll realize that deep down, you deserve to be punished. After all, if not for you, others' would be alive today."

Harry stared at her in horror. Surely she wasn't implying that he was responsible for Cedric's death. However, judging by the gleam in her eyes ... she was.

Fuming, he picked up the quill and started to write again. She was wrong about that. He wasn't responsible. Everyone had told him that he wasn't.

He wasn't ... was he?

Harry walked into the common room at 10:30 that night.

"Where have you been, Harry?" asked Ron.

"Detention."

"All this time?"

Harry nodded. "I got it tomorrow too."

"Why?" exclaimed Hermione.

"Because I didn't get finished until after 5th year curfew. I'm going to bed."

"Have you ate anything since lunch?" asked Neville.

"No but I'm not hungry anymore. I'll see you in the morning."

Harry rubbed his eyes as he marched to the staff table the next morning at breakfast. He had gotten up at 4am to do his homework.

"My essay you asked for Professor."

After Harry handed the rolled up parchment to Snape, McGonagall pulled him off to the side of the Great Hall.

"Mr. Potter, I saw where you already have two detentions and it's only the second day of classes."

"Yes ma'am."

"Why?"

"Because I told the truth about Voldemort being back yesterday in defense."

"She's here to run interference on that Potter."

"Yeah. I figured that out in class professor," replied Harry as he yawned.

"Why did you get the second one?"

"Because she had me serving detention until after 5th year curfew so I got another one for being out after curfew."

McGonagall frowned. "Try to keep your head down Potter and stay out of her way. If you have to agree with her, then do it."

"Professor, I don't like agreeing with stuff that I don't believe in," said Harry surprised.

She sighed. "It was wrong of me to ask you to do so. Just keep your head down in her class. I don't want to see any more detentions from you. Now go eat breakfast."

Harry nodded and went and joined his friends.

A/N: I'm an aunt! I fully intend to spoil that kid senseless lol. My poor brother and his girlfriend won't see it coming. bwahaha

Anywho, who thinks Snape is gonna flip out if he finds out what Umbridge is doing? hehe Yet again, I apologize for the schedule layout. FF is evil about tables. And I want my own line break's back! *flail*

This chapter, is sadly, the same length as the previous one. The next one isn't much longer, but I may actually be able to combine it with the one after. I'll need to fiddle with some stuff. My writing of the future chapter's is going well, but I'm still not comfortable with how much cushion space I've gotten between what I'm posting and where I'm writing at. Thus, my next update will be posted on Friday (barring anything catastrophic happening of course). Hopefully after that one, I'll be able to go back to the twice a week posting, at least for a little while. =)

For those curious about Gabriella, she'll be making a few appearances. She's not completely gone. I liked her too much to just stuff her in the closet. hehe

I had a couple reader's that were curious about how I was going to handle Umbridge. Let's just say this is only the tip of a very large iceberg. I thought about adding my own version of her speech in, but whenever I sat down to write it, the words just wouldn't come. And as I found out not to long ago, forcing my muse to work is not a good idea. If one does eventually come to me, I'll come back and write it in.

Witchsbroom: The ministry won't use veritaserum on Auror O'Bannen. First, the new minister is trying to prove that Pettigrew is responsible, plus they prefer to catch them in the act. It's bureaucracy. Actually, the new minister has pretty much dismissed Auror O'Bannen from his memory. He's already at Azkaban. Why bring him back and give him Veritaserum? That's just more paperwork, and well ... no one likes more paperwork. Especially politicians. *grins*

Jade and She-Who-Has-A-Very-Long-Name: Look behind you! There's a big pile of chocolate and ice cream! *ninja's the sharp objects and hides them* There ... all better now! =) lol But yes, the truth is coming out this year, and it's actually fairly soon. Not soon as in the next chapter ... but soonerish(tm). :P

Up next, poor Sevvie get's traumatized by Umbridge.