Harry woke up feeling refreshed, since it was the first perfect night of sleep he had since stepping into the castle. He was also calm, and not angry like he always was nowadays. He got dressed then walked down to the Gryffindor Common Room to wait for Ron and Hermione. He ended up waiting for ten minutes for his two best friends, and when they came they all headed down to breakfast. "How'd you two sleep?" Hermione asked, mainly asking Harry the question. Harry replied "Like a baby." Ron answered "I always have a good sleep." Hermione bounced and they talked about what they were going to learn in Charms for their O.W.L.s.
It took the Great Hall, but they couldn't eat because Dumbledore was announcing Umbridge's appointment as Transfiguration teacher. "Suddenly, I've found myself not hungry at all." Harry told Ron and Hermione. Hermione asked him "Why not?" "That woman is Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. She's also the reason Professor Lupin cannot find a job, because of her werewolf legislation. Not to mention that she's prejudiced against all people that are half-breeds. Also, just something about her seems off. Like she's power hungry or something. Either way, she's evil and I don't like her. Even if she is a teacher." Harry explained. Ron looked at the pudgy old toad face, and could understand why he didn't like her.
They skipped breakfast, and headed straight to their Charms class. Professor Flitwick was sitting at his desk, and his head was barely above the top of the desk. They took their seats at their desks, and waited for everyone else to show up. About five minutes from the bell, Hermione told Harry "I was thinking that you gave an interview to the Daily Prophet on everything that happened in the graveyard last year. Then they can understand just how much you went through. Although some people might take it as a way for you to hold on to your fame." Harry shook his head at that idea, and told her "I'm not going to talk about Voldemort's return. Cedric almost died and I almost died. Besides it won't do anything."
Hermione scoffed then retorted "It will do something. You can name every single Death Eater that was in the graveyard, and send away all of Voldemort's inner circle. Also, you can tell people what it's like and how you shouldn't be afraid." Harry looked at her angrily, then yelled at her "THAT WON'T DO ANYTHING! VOLDEMORT WILL JUST BREAK THEM OUT OF AZKABAN, AND THEN WHAT?! AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'LL SHOW PEOPLE HOW TO NOT BE AFRAID?! I WAS AFRAID FROM THE MOMENT I STEPPED FOOT IN THAT GRAVEYARD!" His temper was so close to the ceiling, and it just exploded out of him. All of the students walking in, and Professor Flitwick looked at him. Hermione looked as if she had just gotten slapped in her face, and just stared off into space.
"Mr. Potter, is everything alright? Do you need to skip class today?" Professor Flitwick asked Harry in his squeaky voice. Harry grabbed his books off of his desk, shoved them into his bag, and left the classroom. He could feel everybody watching him leave the room. He slammed the door behind him, and headed to Sirius's office, since he had a free period right now. It took him ten minutes to reach his office, and he knocked on the door and waited for him to say to come in. It came a second later, and Harry entered the office. Sirius looked up from his lesson plans, and noticed it was Harry who entered his office. "Harry, shouldn't you be in Charms right now?" Sirius asked him. Harry quickly explained what happened in Charms to Sirius, and by the time he was done, he felt that his temper was about to be flaring again. "Harry, sit down please." Sirius told him. Harry knew it wasn't a suggestion, but a quiet order so he sat down. "Now listen to me Harry, I know that it made you angry, but you need to control your temper. Hermione was just thinking about what it would do for the world. Everyone knows that Voldemort is back now, and when they see that you faced him without fear, it'll show that you aren't afraid to fight back. Yes you have more reason to be scared than all of us, but remember in the end you're going to need your friends." Sirius told him.
Ever since Harry left his Charms class, all he felt was anger, but now he felt calm as he listened to his godfather. "I suppose I better apologize to Hermione then during Transfiguration with McGonagall. I feel sorry for the First through Fourth Years who have to have it with that Umbridge woman." Harry said. Sirius's head snapped straight up, and he asked in a growl "Umbridge is working here at Hogwarts as the Transfiguration teacher?" Harry nodded his head in response, while looking at Sirius's reaction. Sirius got up from his desk, and left the office in a hurry. Harry quickly followed him and asked "Sirius, what's wrong with you?" Sirius replied "I need to have a word with Dumbledore. Meanwhile, you need to go to your next class, and wait for it to start."
Harry stopped in his tracks when Sirius told him that, and he yelled at Sirius "DON'T DO ANYTHING TO GET CHUCKED BACK INTO AZKABAN! YOU'RE THE ONLY FAMILY I'VE GOT LEFT!" Sirius stopped in his quick retreat to Dumbledore's Office, and turned around to look at his godson who was a full corridor away from him. The look of anger on his face quickly washed away when Harry yelled what he just yelled, and it was replaced with a look of utter calmness. He gave a thumbs up to Harry, but he walked the rest of the way to Dumbledore's Office. Harry headed to the First Floor for his Transfiguration Class, but he was still worried about Sirius and what he'd do when he got to Dumbledore's Office.
He sat down by the door of the Transfiguration Class, and waited for the bell to ring. He didn't have to wait long, because the first thing he saw coming out of the room was Umbridge's ugly pink heels. He looked up at her, and instantly his temper flared again. He quickly stood up in front of her. "Why hello Mr. Potter. How are you this evening?" she asked him in her annoying voice. "You shouldn't be here, Umbridge. What business does the Ministry have at Hogwarts?" Harry asked her coldly. "Mr. Potter. We cannot have you talking like that to a teacher. Let's see ten points from Gryffindor, and you'll report to my office at six o'clock promptly." Harry glared at her, while she walked away from him, and after the last student left the room, he entered it.
He waited for fifteen minutes for the rest of the class to arrive, but he was looking specifically for Ron and Hermione. Especially Hermione, since he needed to apologize to her. He knew he was in the wrong for that, and he was eager to make it up to his friend in anyway possible. As long as his girlfriend was okay with the way he made up to her. Speaking of his girlfriend, she walked into the room and sat right next to him. He tried to lean in for a kiss, but she stopped him with a look that said he seriously messed up. "Hermione is in the bathroom crying her eyes out right now, because of you yelling at her. She didn't deserve that Harry, and you know it." Harry instantly felt guilty, because he knew everything that she said was true. "I know Daphne, it's just that my temper has just always been on ready to explode. I didn't mean to yell at her, and I'll make it up to her somehow. Maybe a trip to the bookstore in Hogsmeade. If that's alright with you, of course." Daphne smiled and nuzzled into his shoulder, and she replied "That'll be perfectly fine with me. Just as long as you realize that you made a mistake." Harry saw Ron come into the classroom and when he looked at him, Ron just shrugged his shoulders at him.
Professor McGonagall came into the class five minutes after everyone settled down, but Hermione still wasn't in the classroom. "Good morning class. Before we start the lesson, I want to tell you about the importance of your O.W.L.s this year. These tests will determine whether you can get a career in the magical world, if you choose to do so. There will also be Careers Advice on certain days for students to talk to their Heads of Houses about your life after Hogwarts. These O.W.L courses will lead the way to your N.E.W.T courses, and test you both mentally and physically. Now today, we will be attempting to transform dinner plates into mushrooms." she told the entire class. She flicked her wand at the students' desks, and dinner plates magically appeared on the desks. "At the end of the lesson, those who completed the transfiguration properly won't have any homework. You'll turn it in at the end of the lesson. You may begin." she told them.
Harry and Ron were unsuccessful at this type of magic as usual, but Harry was having more difficulty because he was dealing with the guilt over yelling at Hermione. At the end of the lesson, Harry managed to make his plate grow spores, and Ron managed to make his plate grow a stem. Daphne on the other hand was a lot like Hermione, and she managed to turn her plate into a full mushroom. Everyone else in the class had homework since they couldn't turn the plate into mushrooms. "Good job everybody, but unfortunately everyone except for Ms. Greengrass has homework tonight. Five points to Slytherin. Mr. Potter, may I have a word please?" McGonagall asked him, after talking to everyone else. Harry looked to Ron and Daphne and told them "I'll catch up to you guys later. Go on."
Everyone else left, and Harry walked to Professor McGonagall's desk. "Ah, Mr. Potter. I was wondering if you might tell me why Ms. Granger wasn't in class today. She's never the one to skip lessons." Professor McGonagall told him. Harry gave a sigh then told her everything that happened between him and Hermione during Charms. "I see. So you were planning to apologize to her in class, but she's bawling in the lavatory. Well Mr. Potter, it seems that you need to go repair your friendship with Ms. Granger before it's too late. That's all Mr. Potter, you may go now." McGonagall told him. He left the room and felt even worse than he had going into it. He already knew that he messed up by snapping on Hermione, but everyone repeatedly telling him that he messed up wasn't helping.
He walked towards the Entrance Hall, since he had to go to Care of Magical Creatures lesson next. He was exiting the wide double doors, when he heard screaming coming from the Girl's Bathroom on his right. He whipped his wand out, then ran into the Girl's Bathroom without caring for the rules. What he saw made his stomach lurch, and his guilt was made worse. What he saw was Hermione, but it looked like she had been cursed multiple times. Harry took a piece of paper out of his bag, and casted "Portus" on the paper. It glowed light blue for awhile, then returned to its original color. Harry grabbed Hermione and touched the piece of paper, travelling to the Hospital Wing by Portkey. As soon as he landed on his knees and accidentally dropped Hermione, Harry yelled "SOMEBODY HELP ME! MY FRIEND'S BEEN ATTACKED!" Madam Pomfrey came into the room quickly, after hearing Harry yell. "What happened to this poor girl?" Madam Pomfrey asked while levitating her to one of the beds. "I don't know. I heard screaming in one of the Girls Bathrooms, and I ran in to find here like this." Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over Hermione, then told him "She's lucky to be alive right now. Whoever did this intended to kill her. Everyone who tried that is." Harry looked down at Hermione and grabbed her hand, then whispered "Hermione, I'll find out who did this. I swear it." He turned around towards the Hospital Wing doors, and walked out with no emotion on his face.