In DADA, Parvati makes a paper bird fly around the classroom.
Seamus tries to hold it, but it flies off and bursts into flames halfway back to Parvati.
Umbridge is standing in the back of the classroom, and says "Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations. Otherwise known as OWL's. "
As she speaks, what she says is written down on the chalkboard.
"Study hard, and you'll be rewarded. Fail them, and the consequences could be severe."
She points her wand at the stack of books on her desk, and they all distribute themselves.
"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But, you'll be pleased to know, from now on you'll be following a carefully structured, ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?"
Umbridge saw Hermione's hand was up, and she asks "There's nothing in here about using defensive spells?"
"Well, I don't see why you'd need to use spells in my class."
Bloom really can't believe this woman just said that - she just managed to top Lockhart as the worst DADA teacher they've ever had in a single sentence.
Ron raises his hand and asks "We won't be using magic?"
"You'll be learning about spells in a secure, risk-free way."
Bloom suddenly says "What use will that be if we're attacked? A real fight isn't risk-free, and nobody has the time to decide whether or not they want to fight."
Umbridge snaps "Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class. In the Ministry's view, a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to pass your OWL's, which is what school is all about."
Harry asks "And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?"
Umbridge laughs and says "There's nothing out there dear. Who or what do you imagine would want to attack children such as yourself?"
Bloom says "Not including other people?"
She rattles off a list of thirty different creatures, some dark, all of them dangerous, that would love nothing more than to tear a person apart piece by piece.
Umbridge tries to interrupt, but Bloom keeps going, saying "And as for people, well, there have certainly been examples in the past. Grindelwald for example, he went and murdered people just because they didn't fit his ideal image of the world. And we also have a much more recent example as well: a certain pale skinned, snake-complexioned, pure evil wizard who nearly killed Cedric Diggory and I last year."
Umbridge is glaring at Bloom, and says "Now, let me make this very plain. We have all been told that a certain dark wizard is at large again. It is a lie."
Bloom immediately says "No, it isn't. Voldemort is alive."
The entire class goes very still, the usual fear and tension that the name ignites erupting instantly.
Umbridge says "Detention, Ms…Bloom, isn't it? Don't you have a last name?"
Bloom smirks and says "Does it matter? Everybody calls me Bloom. Also, Cedric Diggory and I both say the exact same thing, and it's just a scary coincidence?"
"Enough! See me later, Ms. Bloom. My office."
After classes, Bloom enters Umbridge's office - and finds it's entirely pink.
She has cat pictures on the walls, which raises an eyebrow of Bloom's.
"Good evening, Ms. Bloom. Do close the door."
The door swings shut of its own accord, making Umbridge frown at it for a moment before looking at Bloom again.
"Sit down."
Bloom casually sits, and Umbridge waits for a moment before continuing - she's trying to keep her composure, Fudge did say Bloom's got a very good head on her shoulders and has a habit of being able to back her words up with power.
Umbridge says "You'll be doing some lines for me today, Ms. Bloom."
Bloom starts to get her quill and ink out, but Umbridge says "You'll be using a special quill of mine."
She hands Bloom a black quill that instantly screams evil to her.
"You're going to write 'I must not tell lies.'"
Bloom asks "Will I be allowed to use my own ink for this? Because you haven't exactly provided an abundance of it."
Umbridge glares at her, then smiles and says "You won't be needing any ink, dear."
"How many times?"
"Let's just say, until the message sinks in."
Umbridge giggles, and Bloom raises an eyebrow at her again.
She starts writing, but instantly stops when she gets the first line written.
It's carved into her hand now, and it instantly closes on its own.
Umbridge stands in front of her desk and asks "Something wrong, dear?"
"Yeah, you cursed this quill."
Bloom doesn't sound very surprised, and Umbridge giggles again and says "Well, you know, deep down, that you must be punished dear."
Bloom rolls her eyes and starts writing the lines down on every other line.
Between her lines, she writes a few lines of her own - burns them into the page.
Bloom figures she is already being punished for surviving, whatever Umbridge can come up with can't be as bad as the nights she's been having lately.
She starts writing, not caring how long she has to sit here - Umbridge won't break her will to fight.
I must not tell lies. I must not tell lies.
I am not lying. The Dark Lord is back.
I must not tell lies. I must not tell lies.
Voldemort has returned to life. He nearly killed me.
I must not tell lies. I must not tell lies.
You are the one who's lying. The Ministry is lying.
I must not tell lies. I must not tell lies.
If we don't fight, we'll all die.
It goes on for quite a bit, and Bloom swears Umbridge is going to burst a blood vessel when she sees the page - her face turns bright red with anger, and she snatches up the page.
Umbridge has Bloom keep writing until 4 a.m. - Hermione is out cold by the time she gets back.
Bloom holds up her hand in the light of Fyra's feathers, and sees the words are carved into her hand so deeply it might as well be going right through.
She sighs, planning on healing it tomorrow.
She can already tell she's going to get a scar from Umbridge, or she would if she scarred easily.
The thing about the Dragon Flame, she can heal herself perfectly each time.
She's just too tired to do it at the moment.
She barely gets any sleep, waking up from the same nightmare as usual.
The next morning, she hears Hermione agree to help Ron with an essay and comes out - her hand hasn't healed completely, but she figures a few minutes to wake up will help.
Hermione jumps up and hugs Bloom hard when she sees her, and asks "Where were you? You left after dinner and never came back!"
Bloom says "You remember Umbridge's detention?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I was there."
Bloom doesn't say another word, but Harry spots her hand.
"Bloom, what happened to your hand?"
She uses that hand to scratch her elbow, hiding it from sight.
"I'm fine, Harry."
Harry sighs and spins her around, then pulls her hand out from under her arm.
Hermione and Ron gasp at the sight of the words carved in her hand, and Hermione says "You've got to tell Dumbledore!"
Bloom shakes her head, and says "No, he's got enough to worry about. Between the Ministry's interference and You-Know-Who being out there-"
Ron says "Bloody hell, Bloom! She's torturing you!"
Bloom's eyes flash orange, and the mark closes before their eyes.
"Yeah, well, she won't break me. I thought she was going to burst a blood vessel last night when she saw the sheet of paper I'd written. Then she had me write seven more."
Harry demands "Show us."
Bloom sighs and snaps her fingers - the sheet of paper appears and they all look on in a mixture of horror and amazement.
Ron sputters a horrified laugh-sob when he sees Bloom's burned-in lines, and Harry stares at her in horror.
He immediately checks her other hand, but there's nothing.
Fyra lands on Bloom's shoulder and drips a few tears on her hand where the words were, just in case.
Bloom smiles and says "Thanks Fyra."
They can all tell it's going to be a very long year.
Bloom goes down to Hagrid's hut, but he's not there.
She does find Luna though, and she's around a bunch of the skeleton-creatures.
They're called Thestrals, and you can only see them if you've experienced death.
Bloom was grazed by the Killing Curse, which is why she can see them - but she doesn't know why Harry can't, his mother was killed right in front of him after all.
Luna says it's because he was too young to remember, it didn't affect him like it would have if he had been old enough to remember it.
It still left him an orphan, but he can't see the Thestrals.
Luna can see the Thestrals because her mother died when she was nine, and she and her father believe them when they say the Dark Lord is back.
Bloom says "Thanks, it seems like you're some of the only ones. Harry, Ron, and Hermione believe me, and Cedric was there, but Fudge and his contacts in the Prophet are making it nigh-on impossible to get anyone else to do the same."
Luna says "I don't think so, but I guess that's how he wants you to feel."
Bloom raises an eyebrow at her for an explanation, and she says "Both you and Harry are threats to the Dark Lord, but not nearly as much as when you're working with other people. He wants you feeling cut off, alone."
AN: Looks like detention didn't go the way Umbridge planned - she and Bloom are clearly going to butt heads all year long and Bloom's too stubborn to break. Nightmares or not, she's not going to be broken by some lying Ministry officials. PS. Really people, this isn't my only story - it's not even the longer one! Everybody's reading this one, and you all keep saying it's good, but my first story is pretty ok, I think anyway. I keep losing people following that one, with no explanation or suggestions - getting worried, need some feedback here! Enjoy the stories, more updates coming soon - for both stories!