A/N: So, I didn't die... excuses will come later on :)
About Cho marrying a muggle- yep, it is actually true. Found it on the Harry Potter lexicon. Surprised me too as I had always assumed she married Michael...
Chapter 9's announcement has been replaced with an actual chapter in case you didn't know.
520 reviews! No way! That's absolutely amazing! Especially since I have only 9 chapters up so far! :O A massive thank you to all of my reviewers and all of the people who have alerted or favourited. You guys are actual legends and I love you all! Sorry if this chapter seems a little boring or slightly off but I am currently winging it and seeing what happens :P
Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with the Harry Potter universe as I am not J.K Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot line and the beginnings of my own novel :)
Also, All recognisable text in the end section come directly from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 12; Professor Umbridge and belongs to J.K Rowling. I only own the normal text around it. There is quite a lot of it so please read that section over and don't skip it! You will be very confused and disappointed if you do!
Listening To: The Hunger Games Soundtrack (great film, I personally thought it did the book justice...)
P.S- The awesome moment when you go onto one of your favourite author's profile page and realise they have your story on their favourites list... :P
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The students at Hogwarts mostly had one view on Neville Longbottom and that view was that he was a bumbling wizard with hardly more magic than a squib. Those views were fuelled by a certain Slytherin student and nobody cared enough to get closer to him to find out what he was really like. The few friendly acquaintances that he did have would express that view in a fond way, coupled with a few comments over his warm and welcoming personality and his love of plants. Some of the even more observant would note that he was extremely loyal and he was always there for people in need. Hardly any of those people could call him stupid though.
Neville knew something was going on with Ginny and Harry. He had noticed how they had sat closely together in the compartment and how they always seemed to be touching. He assumed- and he believed he was right- that they were now a couple, despite Harry's previous feelings for Cho Chang and Ginny's relationship with Michael Corner. In fact, it was the youngest Weasley's relationship with the Ravenclaw that had Neville thinking that there was much more than met the eye.
Ginny had broken up with Michael on the train and it was clear that he was not happy about it. It was also clear that Harry was not happy with how Corner had threatened Ginny- the way that he had seen his dorm mate hover protectively in front of her astonished Neville as he had never really seen Harry act that emotional. Sure, everybody in Hogwarts knew that the Golden Trio would always stand up for each other, but he had always seen Harry as somewhat closed off when it came to emotions. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing but he did not know why his friend was like that and he didn't want to pry. However, the fact that he had such a fierce look on his face when he confronted Michael told Neville that something other than a normal relationship was going on. He also noticed that Luna knew something about it, Ron and Hermione as well, and the Gryffindor couldn't deny that it hurt slightly but he would not ask questions and he would not speak his suspicions to anyone.
He looked around at his friends as they sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall as they waited for the sorting to begin: Harry and Ginny were muttering to each other as Harry glared at the Ravenclaw table while Hermione and Ron bickered with each other. Ron rolled his eyes at something Hermione had said to him and Neville couldn't help but chuckle as he saw the glare she gave him. Honestly, how they weren't together yet was a question that circled the school many times...
The chatter of the people around him died down as McGonagall stepped through the doors with the tiny and scared first years trotting along after her. Many turned their heads to watch the sorting but Neville kept his eyes on Harry and Ginny. He saw the tender way that Ginny intertwined her fingers with Harry's and he saw the way that his friend gently kissed her forehead. Just watching them brought a slight smile to his face and he couldn't help but feel happy for them.
No, Neville Longbottom was not stupid and he would not pry; they obviously had a good reason for not telling him everything and he would support them without question. They both deserved to feel secure and safe in their secrets before they inevitably got leaked out and Neville would do anything to help them.
A slight smile on his face, Neville turned to face the sorting hat as it burst into song, not seeing the uncertain look in his friends' eyes, or the calculating look that gleamed on a toad like woman's face.
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"Oh, for the love of Merlin!" Harry heard Ginny hiss at him. "Will you act your age, please?"
He turned his head slightly to look at the irate red head that sat beside him before looking back and directing his glare on a certain male Ravenclaw. Ginny breathed out through her nose in irritation.
"Harry!"
"I'm not doing any harm, Gin." Harry answered to her before he continued in a mutter, "yet, anyway."
She slapped his arm and waited for his startled gaze to land on her. "Will you just pack it in! Just forget about what happened on the train-"
"Forget what happened? Ginny, he basically called you a slag!" he moved his head closer to hers, his eyes widened as if he couldn't believe what she was saying. She glared at him in response.
"Yes, I am well aware of that, thank you very much, but that does not mean you can give him a death glare all throughout dinner! People are already muttering behind your back and you don't need to make it worse!"
That was a very true fact; people had been pointing and staring at him since he had stepped foot on the platform. They didn't seem bothered about lowering their voices, nor their scoffs of disgust. He already knew that the great wizarding populace and his peers would not believe him (at first, anyway) but he had somehow forgotten how tiring and angering the criticism and gossip was in his fifth year had been. He could already feel his nerves stretching to breaking point and it had only been a few hours- it would all be a lot worse tomorrow. His future knowledge and the glare he was receiving in return from Michael promised that.
"Fine," he sighed as he turned to his wife while she took a soft hold of his hand. "How are you at the moment? You still seem stressed."
Ginny let out a large breath of air as she ran her unoccupied hand through her hair. "I'll be okay once we go to our rooms. Where did McGonagall say they were?"
"Eighth door on the left on the seventh floor. She thought we might want to stay somewhat close to the common room. Our stuff is already there." Ginny hummed to herself after he had answered.
"I can't wait to just have a bath and get in bed." The stress of worrying if the charms would drop and people would notice her stomach was beginning to take its toll on her, along with the whispers and the mess with Michael. Harry just pulled her closer to him as the doors to the hall opened and the stern Scottish witch walked through with a line of first years trailing behind her.
"I don't remember being that small," Harry commented to himself as he watched the nervous looks on their faces. Ron couldn't help but snort as he heard what he said.
"Mate, you were way smaller than those midgets when we were in first year."
"Prat," Harry grumbled as he aimed a kick at his best friend under the table. His annoyance rose when Ron merely laughed harder.
Hermione rolled her eyes at her two best friends before turning her gaze towards the staff table. She slowly scanned the people sat there before her gaze finally landed on a short, shout woman in an absurdly pink cardigan.
"Who is that woman?" she asked the others, "I mean it's obvious she's the new Defence against the Dark Arts Professor, but who is she?"
Harry sighed slightly before replying, his own eyes never leaving the toad like woman. "Her name is Dolores Umbridge and she is the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister."
Two shocked faces turned to look at him sharply, standing in contrast to the serene faces around them that watched as the Sorting began.
"The Minister? As in Fudge?" Ron blurted out. Harry merely nodded his head.
"But," Hermione interrupted, a disbelieving look on her face, "But that means that-"
"The Ministry is trying to interfere with Hogwarts? Yeah." Ginny dead panned. Her expression was dark as she watched the toad like woman out of the corner of her eye. Her stomach flipped a little as she noticed the fowl witch was staring at her and Harry intently and she couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. Harry noticed and pulled her closer to him, despite not knowing the reason behind her reaction. Before he could ask, however, Ginny continued speaking.
"What's worse is she knows about our... situation." The stress she put on the last word emphasised exactly what she meant. Her brother and her best friend's eyes practically popped out of their heads in horror.
"How does she know?" Hermione hissed. The intelligent girl's mind was whirling a mile a minute in panic; how did the Ministry woman find out? If she knew, then who else did? Did Fudge? What was going to happen to Harry and Ginny?
Harry's voice cut across her frantic mental ramblings. "Dumbledore told her and the other staff members this morning. We thought it would be easier for them to know so we would be able to get our new dorm and we wouldn't have to hide as hard from them."
"What'd you tell her for though? Now she can run off to Fudge and tell him what's going on!" Ron raised his voice at them, causing a few of the peers to look at them curiously and the other three to glare at him.
"Do you not think we thought of that? Do you really think we are that stupid?" Ginny spat at him. Ron gaped at her for a minute before his ears burned red and he looked down at the table. He should have known that they would have thought about that.
"Dumbledore had them all take some sort of vow, meaning that they can't talk about it to someone who doesn't already know." Harry explained while his wife continued to shoot daggers at her brother. Hermione bit her lip in worry as she stared anxiously at two of her best friends. An uneasy feeling was beginning to settle in her stomach and she couldn't help but word her concerns.
"I understand why you had to tell them, but this is starting to get dangerous. Too many people know- Us, the Order and now all of the teachers? Too many people are involved now and that makes it more likely for everything to get out!" she kept her voice low and leaned over the table so that they could all hear her if they came close enough. Her brown eyes were slightly wider than usual and she didn't seem to be able to keep them from wandering over to Umbridge.
Harry ran his free hand through his hair as he frowned. This thought had crossed his mind several times and he agreed whole-heartedly with Hermione; too many people did now know what was going on and the more that did, the more his stomach and nerves seemed to constantly twist in a gruesome sort of grim anticipation. Always in the back of his mind was the thought that someone would somehow let the secret slip and then everyone would know about him being from the future, being with Ginny and expecting a child on the way. That would prove to be a disaster as not only would there be gossip flying around quicker than Peeves on a Firebolt, but he was practically certain that the Ministry would step in and do something to either humiliate him, discredit him more or even harm his family- something that he feared with his entire being. Don't even get him started on Voldemort; Old Snake face would probably come out in the open just so he could completely obliterate the entire Potter family, just to make sure that no one could defy him. After all, it wasn't like he had any qualms with attempting to murder a child in the past, is it?
Harry wished that Hermione hadn't opened her mouth. Then he wouldn't have his mind focusing on a topic he desperately tried to forget. He regretted telling as many people as he had. Don't get him wrong, he would have told a few people, mainly Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, Hermione and the other Weasley's, because they all had the right to know in their own way. But things had spiralled out of control since they had come here. On the night that they had realised they had come back in time, Harry and Ginny hadn't even batted an eyelid at telling the entire populace of Grimmauld pace and then some. Maybe it was due to the shock of being in such a bizarre situation or desperation to be believed, but they had just given up very valuable knowledge and information that could turn out to be the key to destroy them quicker. A part of Harry- and most likely Ginny too- had the idea that they wouldn't be around for very long; he had assumed that they would spend a few days there and then they would either find a way or would be rescued and that they would be the end of that. Memories would have been obliviated, all traces of their future existence would be gone and none would be any the wiser. But then, why did they immediately tell?
While they had hoped to be gone soon, another part of Harry- the part that usually landed him in trouble- recognised that if they got all of the complicated stuff out of the way first, then they would have been free to take advantage of being sent back in the past. The quicker they told the quicker plans could be made in order to stop many terrible instances from happening. But was that necessarily true? They were now stuck in the past permanently with no way of getting back and a baby on the way. People had been told and already the future was changing. Soon he wouldn't be able to be of use and give more information because he would have none; the future would be a surprise and he would have to go along and try and win just like he had the last time.
People had taken vows and people had been obliviated, but that didn't mean that something disastrous wouldn't happen that could end many lives. It was a simple fact; it had the feeling of inevitability that normally only death had. Something was coming and something was going to happen.
And Harry didn't know if he would be able to stop it.
His musings and Hermione's further questions were cut off by the sound of the sorting ending and Dumbledore standing up for his speech. Pushing those thoughts back into the back of his head with a sigh, Harry turned his head to listen as the Old Wizard began to speak.
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Seeing the faces of his old students and his new first years had never failed to put a smile on Albus' face and a twinkle in his eyes.
Never failed, except for tonight.
Albus like to think that he was fairly good at putting a mask into place when faced with situations- it came with the responsibilities of being the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Leader of the Light. In any case, his mask was firmly in place tonight as he looked around, not betraying the feelings of nervousness that hung in the air around the staff table.
He could tell that his staff still didn't really know what to expect or what to think but he trusted them to not allow it to distract them from their jobs. Still, he couldn't help but feel he had missed something obvious, looked over something that could prove to be monumentally important...
He had no longer to dwell on it though as McGonagall had soon wrapped up the Sorting and expectant faces looked up at him. He rose and spread his arms in a welcoming gesture, the warm feeling he got in his stomach spreading as he saw the light in the students' eyes.
He had to keep faith that everything would go well this year and that the plans they had put in place would work. He had to hope that Voldemort would be thwarted sooner than he would have been. He had to hope that his students would not fall under the thumbs of the Ministry. He had to hope that his favourite pupil and his wife and child would make it out of this war safe and sound.
He had to hope. But whether his hopes would be realised or simply end up being an old man's dream, he wasn't entirely sure.
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Ron lounged in his usual squishy armchair by the fire as he opened a chocolate frog. He and Hermione had been told to keep the students in the Common Room after the feast so McGonagall could come and 'deliver an announcement of utmost importance'. Of course everyone had grumbled about it- including the red haired boy himself- but a stern look from Hermione has them all waiting around, whether they were stood up, in the chairs around the rooms or lolloped about on the floor. Hermione stood in front of the fire wringing her hands as she bit her lip. Ron rolled his eyes at her as he flicked his chocolate frog card (Newt Scamander) on the coffee table.
"We already know what she's going to say," he reminded her bluntly. She shot him a glare before turning back to look at everyone in the rooms.
"We only know that she's going to tell everyone that Harry and Ginny won't be staying in the tower anymore! We don't know what she'll say about why they won't be!" she hissed at him. Ron looked at her incredulously, not understanding why she was so worried.
"Harry said something about an illness-"
"Harry says a lot of things! Besides, there are so many things wrong with saying they have an illness, I mean what if..."
The beginnings of her ramblings were cut off by the sound of the Portrait opening. Hermione's mouth closed with a snap as she whirled around and stood straighter as the transfiguration teacher strode into the room. Ron sighed before pulling himself up to stand next to her, muttering about crazy women as he did so.
McGonagall surveyed her students with her beady eyes as they all sat straighter and the chatter quietened down. Her gaze finally landed on Granger and Weasley and she couldn't help but raise a stern eyebrow as she took in the scruffy image of Ronald compared to the neat and tidiness of Hermione. Weasley didn't seem to take the hint, though the older woman was sure Hermione's elbow might help move the message along.
"If I may have your attention please," she called out over the last few mutterings. She made eye contact with Weasley twins and ignored the jaunty smiles they returned.
"As you have no doubt have heard, I have an announcement to make. The other Heads of Houses are currently giving their own Common Rooms a talking to so you are not in trouble, but the matter at hand does affect us more."
A few mutters and shrugs of shoulders were exchanged and she waited until they were all looking back at her.
"Just before the start of term, we received a few owls about a small number of students who seemed to have been ill. Naturally we offered the services of Madam Pomphrey and she screened the students affected. Most of them were cleared as fine and the tests carried out on them showed nothing more than a common case of the flu. However, two of the students seem to have caught a currently unknown illness."
"Well how does that affect us more than the other houses?" Lee Jordon shouted out when she paused in her speech for a moment. A chorus of agreement rang out. McGonagall glared at him.
"Mr Jordan, perhaps if you showed some patience and self-control I would have told you without your interruption." She levelled him with one last look before turning back to the common room. "We do not believe that the students in question are of any danger to you and the rest of the students so they will have normal class schedules and mealtimes with the entire student population. However, to minimise any small risk there may be, the two students- who are of Gryffindor house- will not be residing in the tower for the foreseeable future."
An outbreak of mutterings broke out across the room as many people turned around to talk with their friends and neighbours, all of them looking around and speculating who the two were and if they (the Gryffindor house mates) should be thankful that the infected ones were being kept away.
Ron grimaced while Hermione bit her lip. The gossip mill of Hogwarts was going to have a field day, especially when their friends and sister were named. Ginny was already fretting about the charms on her stomach and people finding out; the extra attention was just going to make it feel worse.
"So who are they then?" a lone voice came from the crowd, followed by murmured agreements as once again all eyes settled on the Scottish witch. McGonagall took a deep breath before deciding that the best course of action would be to simply get it over and done with.
"Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter."
There weren't any noises this time. Instead, the occupants of the room shared meaningful and hesitant looks with one another. All of them were pretty much thinking the same thing but no one quite had the courage to voice their suspicions in front of their Head of House. They also didn't want to be singled out and treated like an outsider if they said something that the others weren't thinking- they couldn't read minds after all.
Minerva stood still for a moment before nodding her head once and turning a meaningful gaze on the two fifth year prefects. She noticed that they were both flickering their eyes to the other students, anxiety shining through their whole stance. If she was honest with herself, Minerva felt the same worry. After all, it was rare that her house was this quiet and it usually meant that trouble was coming if her lions said nothing about a big announcement that she made. With a small and resigned sigh, McGonagall took one last look around before swiftly leaving the common room.
Even when the professor had left the room still no one spoke. It was like they were all daring each other to go first, to say what they thought needed to be said. Ron, Hermione and the twins waited on tenterhooks as they carefully watched their housemates.
Eventually, one brave (or foolish) person spoke up.
"Well we all know what's gone on here, don't we?"
Hundreds of heads swivelled round to meet the smug and arrogant grin of Cormac McLaggen as he lazily leaned back against the brick wall of the stairs. Again, no one said anything as they all waited for him to go on. He shot them all a superior smirk before he straightened up and stood in what he clearly thought was a majestic stance.
"I mean I don't know about you lot, but I heard she broke up with Corner on the train. Saying she was already with Potter." He raised an eyebrow suggestively. The twins sat up straighter and sent him identical looks of cold distain.
"And what does that-"
"Have to do with anything?" they asked him. The few people around them meekly looked down at the ground and avoided their eyes- rarely had they seen the twins so serious and frightening. They may have been thinking somewhere along the lines of what McLaggen was saying, but they thought he was an idiot for ignoring the warnings he was clearly being given.
The idiot sneered down his nose at them.
"Well we've all seen how she has pined for him," his face clearly showed his disgust, "what's to say that she didn't give him a... special welcome and spread around more than a little joy."
Jaw dropped at the fact that he had the audacity to say that in front of half of Ginny Weasley's brothers. Said boys had all leaped to their feet and pointed their wands at the git; the twins with ugly expressions on their faces and Ron with his face as red as his hair.
"You want to try saying that again?" the twins growled in unison. Ron seemed to be beyond words, his hand clenched so tightly around his wand his whole hand went white.
Hermione stepped up beside her friend and placed her hand on his arm all the while glaring at the arrogant blonde. "Detention with Filch on Friday. And I'll be telling McGonagall about this." She hissed at him in contempt.
McLaggen opened his mouth to viciously reply when the Irish twang of Seamus Finnegan rang out in the tension filled silence.
"Ah shut it, McLaggen. Just 'cause you can't get laid doesn't mean ya can harp on about stuff like that all the time," he rolled his eyes at the older boy. Hermione sent a quick smile of thanks at him, though it soon faded as the sandy haired boy carried on.
"He probably got taken away from us 'cause of what happened in June. Try and stop him from lying his head off all the time, scaring everyone for no good reason. Ginny probably backed him up loudly or summat, that's why she's gone too."
People nodded in agreement and some even spoke out, backing Harry's dorm mate up. This did nothing for Ron's temper.
"What the hell? You really believe all the shit that the Prophet is coming out with?" he demanded as his whole body went rigid. The entire room quietened again as they all stopped to watch as Ron became angrier by the second.
"Well what else are we supposed to think?" Seamus replied hotly. His jaw stuck out defiantly.
"You could believe what Dumbledore said last term! You could believe Harry, the guy you've shared a dorm room with for years! Do you really think that he'd lie about something like that?" all of this was said in a loud yell that made the first years flinch. Fred and George moved to stand beside their brother with their arms folded over their chests and Hermione still had her hand on his arm.
"He would if he were trying to cover something up!"
Dean looked at his irate friend in confusion. Yes, he had known that Seamus' mum hadn't wanted him to come back to Hogwarts this year, but he didn't know how deeply his best friend blamed Harry for it. Personally he didn't believe all the rubbish the Prophet was sprouting off about Harry, he had spent years in the same dorm as him and he had never known him to lie before so he figured the Boy-Who-Lived wouldn't start now and especially with something as big.
"What do you mean Seamus?" he asked cautiously. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what his mate was thinking.
Seamus leaped to his feet and levelled a glare with Ron, as though he was daring him to stop him from saying what was on his mind. "I mean that all I know is Harry and Cedric were the last ones in the running for being the Champion and Cedric ended up dead. We don't know what happened, but what's not to say that Harry wanted to make sure he would definitely win?"
And with that last statement, the Irish wizard stormed off up to his dormitory, leaving behind an air of horrified disbelief and a furious best friend who had to be physically restrained.
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Ginny couldn't sleep.
Just like she said she would do, once they had gotten into their rooms, that were simply decorated in a style similar to Gryffindor tower, she had taken the time to have a long and relaxing bath before climbing into bed with her husband and talking quietly until they were too sleepy to carry on a conversation. It had been just what she needed. It had allowed her to finally let go of the anxieties that had plagued her all day.
It had been hours ago.
And now she was lying here, wide awake and ignoring the urge to scream in frustration.
Instead she let out a huff of air as she turned onto her back, her hand automatically going to her stomach where she immediately felt her little boy kick in greeting.
"So you're awake too, huh?" she whispered to the active baby as she slowly stroked her stomach. "What a pair we are, ay?" She received a kick as though in agreement which made her chuckle under her breath.
Sighing out loud again she turned her head to look at Harry. He was sleeping peacefully on his stomach, his head turned towards her and his arms under his pillow. She rolled her eyes in half annoyance.
"Looks like daddy doesn't have the same problem we do. Lucky git." She snorted to herself. Her eyes were itchy with tiredness yet her brain seemed aflame with thoughts. Her legs kicked in irritation, causing the covers to be flung further down the bed. Harry frowned slightly in his sleep as he burrowed down with the warmth.
"I blame him you know," she informed her bump as she glanced down at it, a playful yet slightly bitter lilt in her words. "Him and his stupid sperm. You don't see him having to carry around another person, do you? No, he gets to swannie around, playing Quidditch while I pee every five minutes. Just because he wasn't born with ovaries."
She paused for a moment before looking back down and patting a spot where her baby boy had just nudged again. "Don't worry though, you can stay all nice and warm in there. Mummy will look after you."
Well, she hoped, anyway. She had no idea what to expect for the next year. She would be leaving just after the Christmas holidays anyhow and staying with Sirius at Grimmauld place. It had been a plan that they had all agreed on considering the facts that her baby was due in February and it would be getting harder to keep her bump unnoticeable by then. Plus knowing their luck, little James may decide he wants to come early and she definitely was not going to have her baby in the middle of the Great Hall... that was sure to get a few looks.
Chuckling slightly to herself as she imagined the looks on her classmates' faces as she gave birth in the middle of lunch time, Ginny reached down and grabbed the quilt again and pulled it up to her chin as she rolled back over onto her side. Harry, as though sensing her presence even in sleep, stretched an arm out to her and she snuggled into his side, baby James nestled between the two warm bodies.
"Everything will be okay. You'll see."
And with her tremulous thoughts finally settled aft6er hours of angst, Ginny curled up protectively and fell easily asleep.
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People had the urge to resist murdering annoying idiots every day. It was quite a common thing, actually. However, Harry was sure that nobody had ever wanted to kill hundreds at once as he currently did.
It was the whispering. It was the pointing. It was the unveiled comments about his sanity and mindlessness of the people that surrounded him that had him gritting his teeth. This was nothing new, however so Harry tried to ignore it as best he could.
No, what unsettled and annoyed him more was the silence of the Gryffindors.
He had woken up feeling apprehensive as he disentangled himself from Ginny. They had spoken to one another and decided that the best way to get through this was to simple act as if nothing had happened: after all, they were well aware that they were going to be the source of gossip for the next few days- it wasn't everyday that two students were removed from the dorms due to a mysterious illness after all.
But this was something new. Even the teachers were looking worried.
Three of the house tables were full of chatter; the Hufflepuffs smiled at one another as they chatted amicably, the Ravenclaws passed a few comments over their text books and the Slytherins whispered quietly to each other. The Gryffindor table was completely silent.
This had never happened before. The Gryffindor table was partially famed for being noisy at meal times and this bizarre lack of noise was disconcerting. Each and every member of the house kept their heads down and only glanced anxiously at one another, as though hoping someone would break the tension or would be brave enough to explain their silence. Harry couldn't help but notice that they all particularly avoided his eyes, including the twins, Ron and Hermione.
Soon the other houses noticed as well and their lively chatter turned to furtive whispers and pointed fingers. Feeling his blood pressure rise in irritation and anger, Harry gritted his teeth and let his fork fall to his plate with a clatter. Some people at the table flinched.
"Oh for goodness sake," Ginny muttered under her breath.
"I know! It's completely ridiculous!" Harry grumbled. His eyes glared suspiciously at the people at the table around him.
"No, no, not that!" she replied quickly. "Umbridge!"
"What about-"
Harry cut himself off as he looked towards the staff table and saw the toad staring at them. There was something especially unpleasant about the way she was staring, other than the fact that she was doing so. It was slightly hungry, yet expectant at the same time. But there was something else as well, something that Harry couldn't quite put his finger on.
"She keeps on staring at us and she doesn't stop!" Ginny whispered frantically as she leaned into his side and spoke in his ear. "It's like she's waiting for something and I don't like it."
Harry made a noise of agreement but didn't take his eyes of the Ministry hag. Their eyes stayed locked on each other and as they stared, a sickening smirk slowly formed on her face.
"Harry, what do we do?"
It was the distress in her voice that finally caused his gaze to break as he looked down at her. Her eyes were filled with panic and she was biting her bottom lip. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer- for both reassurance and protection from Umbridge's bland eyes.
"I'll sort something out." He answered her without really thinking. She shot him a worried look.
"How? What are you going to do?"
What was he going to do? His mind was working a mile a minute, plans as unlikely as the next flitting through his mind. He shook his head as he stood up.
"I don't know." He simply said before he dropped a kiss on the top of her head and walked out of the great hall, painfully aware of Ginny's anxious eyes and Umbridge's triumphant smirk.
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The day seemed to go by slowly as Harry anticipated going to Defence Against the Dark Arts. He was practically itching to get to his final lesson of the day, a plan already formed in mind. He kept on looking at his replaced watch that was on his wrist, ignoring the looks Ron and Hermione gave him. Finally, after a gruelling period of Potions with Snape (Harry made a mental note to tackle the dark haired man later (theoretically, not physically)), Harry found himself walking at a brisk pace towards the classroom that had hosted many failed teachers- excluding Lupin, of course. He raced in and settled down in his seat, taking his things out of his bag for the lesson. Hermione and Ron followed slowly, each giving him a confused and odd look.
"Well, good afternoon!" she said, when finally the whole class had sat down. Harry had to repress the urge to roll his eyes. He had almost forgotten how superior she had acted in class.
A few people mumbled "good afternoon" in reply.
"Tut, tut," said Professor Umbridge, a condescending look of disappointment on her face. "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge'. One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"
"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted back at her. Harry refused point blank to cooperate and only gave her a blank look when she caught his eye again. Strangely, she seemed to pretend not to notice his small display of defiance.
"There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."
Many of the class exchanged gloomy looks; the order "wands away" had never yet been followed by a lesson they had found interesting. Harry, who hadn't even bothered to get his wand out of his robe pocket, merely slouched down in his seat further. His book and quill were out in front of him but he made no move to pick either of them up. Again Umbridge ignored him. The Boy-Who-Time-Travelled frowned; part of his plan was to act as insolent as he could in hopes to get Umbridge as annoyed as possible. Clearly it wasn't going well.
Professor Umbridge opened her handbag, extracted her own wand, which was an unusually short one, and tapped the blackboard sharply with it; words appeared on the board at once:
Defense Against the Dark Arts: A Return to Basic Principles
"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" stated Professor Umbridge, turning to face the class with her hands clasped neatly in front of her. "The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your OWL year...
This time Harry did roll his eyes. He tuned her gratingly sweet voice out and stared at her, entertaining thoughts of her dying many horrible deaths. Hopefully she would notice and somehow guess what he was thinking...
However, as she turned to write her 'aims' on the bored, it became apparent that she either hadn't or was still ignoring him.
For a couple of minutes the room was full of the sound of scratching quills on parchment. When everyone had copied down Professor Umbridge's three course aims- apart from Harry who still refused to cooperate- she asked, "Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class.
"I think we'll try that again," said Professor Umbridge. "When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply, 'Yes, Professor Umbridge', or 'No, Professor Umbridge'. So: has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
"Yes, Professor Umbridge," rang through the room.
'Dear Merlin,' Harry thought contemptuously, 'does she even listen to herself speak? She treats us all like five year olds... Maybe she's so old herself that she forgot that she was actually once our age...'
She told the class that there was no need to talk and that they should read the first chapter in silence. She finished with a sugary smile that most grimaced at before striding round her desk and sitting down. Her expression was fixed as she placed her folded hands on her desk and tilted her head in what could be seen as an innocent way. Harry knew better as he glared at her. He mimicked her position, blatantly showing that he was not going to open his book. He stared at her and she at him, the same weird look in her eyes. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end yet he did not break the gaze; Ginny was right to be worried though, a small part of his mind whispered. He shoved the voice aside and focused on the hated woman in front of him.
At first nobody in the class seemed to notice the exchange as they read the dull book. Some of them didn't even bother taking in the words as their eyes stared motionlessly at the page, their hands periodically turning a page. Eventually though people looked up and noticed Harry Potter sitting with his book open, glaring at the teacher. Hermione was among one of the first, having not opened her book herself and she soon raised her hand in the air as Harry knew she would. He had not expected the apprehensive looks she kept on shooting him though. He felt a bizarre urge to grin at his friend as he wanted to point out the hypocrisy of her look; after all, she was not reading either. Then again, she was not locked in some peculiar staring contest with her professor...
Soon enough though, more people were choosing to watch Hermione's mute attempt to catch Professor Umbridge's eye and Harry's silent daytime vigil rather than struggle on with 'Basics for Beginners'.
When more than half the class were staring at the two Gryffindor students rather than at their books, Professor Umbridge seemed to decide that she could ignore the situation no longer.
"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her. She completely ignored Harry once again who was beginning to get annoyed. A familiar wave of anger passed over him and he gritted his teeth. 'Ignorant cow...'
"Not about the chapter, no," said Hermione.
"Well, we're reading just now," said Professor Umbridge, showing her small pointed teeth. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."
"I've got a query about your course aims," said Hermione.
Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows.
"And your name is?"
"Hermione Granger," said Hermione.
"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.
"Well, I don't," said Hermione bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."
There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard. Harry almost shook his head at the surrealist of the moment- it was like being in a play where you knew all of your lines off by heart.
"Using defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"
"We're not going to use magic?" Ron exclaimed loudly as though he had only just realised what was going on. Questioning murmurs ran around the room and for some inexplicable reason, Umbridge's eyes flitted towards Harry before looking away again. Harry frowned once more; it was almost as if she was waiting for him to speak up.
"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr. -?"
"Weasley," said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air.
Professor Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him. Harry shot his hand into the air as well. 'Might as well give her what she wants. It might help put my plan into motion'. Professor Umbridge's pouchy eyes lingered on Harry for a moment with an exultant grin before she addressed Hermione.
"Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?"
"Yes," said Hermione. "Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?"
"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" asked Professor Umbridge, in her falsely sweet voice. For the first time, Harry noticed her eyes narrow at his bushy haired friend. If he was a dog, his hackles would have raised as he remembered that once upon in his time-their future- Umbridge was once the head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission.
"No, but -"
"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way -"
"What use is that?" said Harry loudly, repeating the words he had said long ago. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be in a -"
"Hand, Mr. Potter!" sang Professor Umbridge. Her eyes twinkled in a sort of evil impression of Dumbledore. Harry pushed aside the gnawing, warning feeling in his stomach. He had to do this.
Harry thrust his fist in the air. Again, Professor Umbridge promptly turned away from him, but now several other people had their hands up, too. Harry was happy to notice that this seemed to greatly annoy the toad.
"And your name is?" Professor Umbridge said to Dean.
"Dean Thomas."
"Well, Mr. Thomas?"
"Well, it's like Harry said, isn't it?" said Dean. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk free."
"I repeat," said Professor Umbridge, smiling in a very irritating fashion at Dean, "do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"
"No, but -"
Professor Umbridge talked over him. "I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth. Harry snorted under his breath. "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed - not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."
"If you mean Professor Lupin," piped up Dean angrily, "he was the best we ever -"
Harry couldn't remember ever feeling this grateful towards his dorm mate. He had almost shot out of his seat as the anger grew within him. 'Wait! Remember the plan...'
He listened practically on the edge of his seat as the class argued with their professor. He thought he might have physically glown with giddy joy as he watched Umbridge become more rattled and more infuriated with his class mates shouted out questions. He seized his chance to start his 'big finale' when Parvati asked about them only doing the spell work in their exams without practicing in class first.
"I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough -" Umbridge began to explain with barely concealed frustration before Harry butted in once again, still repeating lines from his memory.
"And what good's theory going to be in the real world?" said Harry loudly, his fist in the air again.
Professor Umbridge looked up.
"This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world," she said softly.
"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting for us out there?"
"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter." She spoke with the air of trying to explain that the sky was not green to a mentally ill patient. This only fuelled the strange anger within Harry who had begun to shake with the repressed emotion. A small part of him wondered at his worse-than-last-time reaction, but he continued on.
"Oh, yeah?" said Harry. His temper, which seemed to have been bubbling just beneath the surface all day, was reaching boiling point.
"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" enquired Professor Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice.
"Hmm, let's think…" said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice. "Maybe… Lord Voldemort!"
Ron gasped; Lavender Brown uttered a little scream; Neville slipped sideways off his stool.
Professor Umbridge, however, did not flinch. She was staring at Harry with a grimly satisfied expression on her face.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."
Harry's eyes narrowed slightly in thought; a few point being taken away was not nearly enough.
The classroom was silent and still. Everyone was staring at either Umbridge or Harry. Hermione was shooting him frantic warning looks. Ron stared at him like he was mad. Perhaps he was.
"Now, let me make a few things quite plain." Professor Umbridge stood up and leaned towards them, her stubby-fingered hands splayed on her desk. Harry's mind mentally added webs between them.
"You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead -"
"He wasn't dead," said Harry angrily, "but yeah, he's returned!"
'"Mr-Potter-you-have-already-lost-your-house-ten-points-do-not-make-matters-worse-for yourself," said Professor Umbridge in one breath without looking at him. However, her voice was not as harsh as it should have been. It was almost as if she wanted him to continue...
"As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."
"It is NOT a lie!" said Harry. "I saw him, I fought him!"
"Detention, Mr. Potter-" said Professor Umbridge triumphantly.
Harry's expression showed nothing but disgust towards the woman but inwardly he was celebrating.
That had been his plan- get Umbridge mad enough to give him a detention. Simple, and easily achievable. It was not an original plan, but it was the best he could come up with. The time traveller figured that if he had detention with her then she would focus on him and her torturous ways of punishment rather than on his wife and the knowledge of their unborn child. Harry did not care about being her number one target (he had many times before after all) but he did not want her going anywhere near Ginny. He didn't even want her thinking of his wife. He did not care if she made him use a blood quill, he did not care about the upcoming pain of his detention and he did not care about once again being given the scar on the back of his hand that would read 'I must not tell lies'. He did not care that he was somehow 'sacrificing' himself; it would in the end, to use Dumbledore's youthful words, be for the Greater Good. He could handle the evil woman and anything she cared to throw at him. It would be worth it in the end.
His mental musings and self-congratulations were brought to a tremendous stop as her next words crashed into his consciousness with the force of a speeding bullet.
"-with Professor McGonagall tomorrow night. Let's hope she will be able to make you learn your lesson."
And with that she chirped at the class to carry on reading in a perfectly happy voice as two words struggled out of the mess that now filled Harry's stilted brain.
'wait... WHAT?'
LMMRLMMRLMMR
A/N 2: There you have it! Bet you weren't expecting that! You all hate me for these cliff hangers, don't you? :P They won't go away though- I am a firm believer that every chapter should end with a cliff hanger of some sort, so I think I've been very nice so far... Oh, and I'm sorry if any northern slang wound up in here... I come from a town about half an hour away from Manchester, so I apologise. My friend from London normally gives me weird looks when I talk because she can't understand a word I say to her!...
I hope the fight with Seamus was okay. It had to go like the books, but of course Harry wouldn't have been there and I think maybe Seamus would have been more outspoken because of that. Maybe it was a bit extreme but oh well.
I am sorry for taking so long :/ I just literally haven't had the time- I get up, go to school, come home, do about 8 hours straight of homework and then go to bed. That happens like every day. I've only been able to write during my rare free time which has been minimal and even then I haven't had any inspiration. Plus I suffer from severe clinical depression which makes it hard to muster up enthusiasm sometimes. I will be able to update towards the end of this month hopefully then I will try my best after that. I officially leave high school forever on the 20th June so my updates will be much more frequent from then on!
Because you are anonymous, I should like to reply to 'ginbug' here: First of all, your reviews make me feel special whenever I read them haha! Thanks for the vibes and your welcome for the name mention and for the one in this chapter hehe :P Was it me that made you excited when you wrote your review? Haha, you'll just have to wait to see what Ginny may or not do to Cho... ;) She hormonal and a Weasley and Michael had just basically called her a slag- you can't blame her for that. I'm actually quite honoured and astounded that you love my version of Harry so much! It made me laugh when you told me why hahaha. Hopefully I won't disappoint you... and he may get even hotter... we may never know... (well, I do but that is besides the point!) Thanks for your review!
Did you know that apparently, the first years all take a 'magical theory' class? You can also do music at Hogwarts as well as Alchemy, Muggle Art, earth studies, muggle music, xylomancy and Ghoul Studies? How come I have never heard of practically any of them being offered as classes?
I have no idea what will be in the next chapter... I know where I want to get to in this story, but not how to get there... is there anything you would like to see? Let me know!
Until next time mi amigos!
~LilMissMoonRay