Chapter 2 – The not-so-liked one

Hi guys, thank you for sticking with me, hope you like this next update!

Speaking of updates, I'm considering uploading a new chapter every Wednesday. I'm uploading this story on AO3 and here, so if you prefer reading on AO3 my author's name is Delaney986!

Also, thank you so much of the likes and follows. However, I would really, really appreciate a comment, even a smiley would suffice. I'd love to get some feedback on what you like and dislike so far about this story.

With all of that said, here is the second chapter of Tilted Truth

Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter content, including characters, except for the AU ones. Yet, I wish I did own all of it

WARNING: lots of swearing… and slight mention of abuse


"You DIMWIT, we're late!" Draco yelled, as they sprinted through the halls, trying to not run into anyone. Not that Draco cared, it would just be a hindrance. Their bags were held tightly in their hands and their black cloaks bellowed behind them in their haste.

"I'm not the one who was fixing my hair for half an hour, you princess!" Harry called back, adjusting the strap of his bag before it fell with all his books and ink in it.

"Of course, you would say that with that rats' nest over your head!" Draco mocked and swore when they rounded off a corner and he almost ran into a hufflepuff, presumably a second year. Draco completely ignored the glare from Harry.

They came to a halt when the closed doors to their classroom became visible.

"My rat's nest doesn't land us late at least," Harry grumbled, stopping to catch his breath.

Draco sneered in response, not even deigning Harry with an answer. Tch, what a prat.

Surprisingly, everyone was outside, not having gone in yet. It seems that Umbridge has yet to let them in, maybe she's late. The Ravenclaws and Slytherins were all there; Draco and Harry seemed to be the last ones to arrive.

Harry straightened and glanced to his left. Draco was still panting but was also setting back his blonde hair that had fallen out of place. Harry really couldn't help the snicker that came out of his mouth at the typical action.

However, he also couldn't help the way he unconsciously run his hand through his own dishevelled dark locks. Nothing of it, but just to not give the blonde prat an excuse to further comment on his hair. They moved together at a more sedated pace towards their classmates, greeting Daphne with a grin at the look she threw their way. She was clearly unsatisfied with their indignity. Pure bloods were strange like that.

"Good morning, Daph, Davis" Harry inclined his head to Daphne and then bowed in mock-respect to Davis. He smirked when she ignored him and immediately turned away from them to start a conversation with Pansy instead. Harry knew that Daphne wasn't offended by that action; she of course knew about the reasons behind her friends' behaviour. Daphne couldn't help but roll her eyes though. Harry and Davis never really got along, and no one bothered to help their relationship. Not that there was any relationship to begin with.

When the doors to the classroom opened, everyone began strolling in. Draco, Daphne, and Harry sat at a bench in the farthest back, with Harry in the middle. Harry looked at the front desk and saw the hideously pink clad woman standing behind it. Her small, beady eyes observed them with no little amount of distaste. Whatever positive mood that had been there seemed to evaporate at her continued existence. Harry truly was about to gag at the sight of this woman.

"Good morning students!" Umbridge, a fake smile on her face as she spread her arms wide, as if her heart's desire was to hug all of them at once. "Today we'll be reading chapter twelve and discussing it at the end of class. You know what to do– you may begin," she said before turning around and sitting behind her desk. Her unblinking eyes watched everyone with immeasurable pleasure as she saw how her words affected them. She enjoyed wiping off their smiles and showing them exactly who they were supposedly dealing with.

Every student tried to hide their displeasure and did as told. They took out their books and opened them up to the right page. Harry winced in pain when he felt a solid kick land on his foot. Daphne had kicked Harry's foot underneath the desk when she'd noticed him stalling. Daphne was being sweet again.

Harry's scowl didn't go away but he nodded to his friend in response to the kick he'd received. Harry felt her eyes on him as he placed his reading glasses over the bridge of his nose. He's going to humour Umbridge and pretend to be reading. Speaking of reading-glasses, it was all thanks to Daphne that he'd gone to Madam Promfrey for help to manage his sight. The glasses held a sentimental connection to his father, but Harry needed to be practical as well. There was no complete cure for his condition, considering his nonoptimal upbringing as well that had worsened his declining sight. But the best option was to not have to use glasses other than when studying or just reading in general. So, he kept the round frames, but now with the correct prescription.

.*.*.*.*.

Daphne shared a look with Draco but neither said anything. They knew when to leave things be. She looked down at her own book and thought of the trouble Harry had found himself in since their very first lesson. He'd already had many detentions with Umbridge, and Daphne saw the scars on his hand even though he'd been trying to hide them. When Daphne had confronted Harry about it, he'd denied everything and told her to back off. She kind of did, not willing to cause any strife between them. Daphne had then decided to silently investigate and keep an eye on her friend.

She didn't really know what might have caused the scarring, but she suspected an illegal tool was being used. But it was impossible for something like this to be brought to Hogwarts. Bloodquills had been banned a long time ago from the ministry or anywhere else for the matter, except from Gringotts. The Magical Law couldn't always be applied to goblins, as they had their own to follow.

Yet, she couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that accompanied her every time the scars on the back of her friend's caught her eye. She shook her head though, if Harry needed help, he would ask. They were friends after all. But she also knew how his pride got in the way sometimes.

Daphne shook her head; she'll try to talk to Harry again about it. Again.

Daphne still couldn't focus on the words she was reading but kept up the pretence, just as she knew many others did. Like numerous times, she pondered over her unusual friendship with Harry and Draco. Daphne still remembered the small and skinny Harry Potter who looked lost walking amongst all his new classmates. When all the first years walked into the common room, she'd noticed his terrified expression as though realising he'd walked in on his own funeral.

It was something Daphne really couldn't blame him for back then. She'd seen him hanging out with people who'd just been sorted into Gryffindor. He probably hadn't managed to get acquainted with anyone in Slytherin, which she later came to learn to be true. What with him being the Boy-Who-Lived, and coming from a light family, he'd surely being associated only with light families. And there is rarely and children from light families in Slytherin. What Daphne hadn't known back then was that Harry didn't know anyone at all, since he'd lived with muggles most of his life.

Daphne had immediately recognized that he was different in so many ways from all the boys she'd ever interacted with. And that was not only because of his title and what he'd been able to do as a mere baby. He'd been small in stature, but his eyes spoke of strength that many could detect right away. His skittishness and the way he'd flinch whenever someone came too close, spoke of a much darker background than one would expect for the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry had clearly been through something, but it had been well-hidden. Yet, none of that came in the way whenever Harry stood his ground. Things had been difficult at first, what with the lightest possible young wizard amid all Slytherins.

But even before the discovery of Harry's ability to talk to snakes, he'd already established his place and the respect of others. Harry was reckless, brash at times, stubborn, but he was also brave, kind, giving, and most of all, resilient.

One would think he'd been better off with the Gryffindors. But no. Harry Potter knew how to lie, how to deflect and knew the importance of hard work and desire for success.

Daphne hadn't known then that Harry Potter was naïve when it came to the wizarding world. Back then, no one was aware of his lack of knowledge in different social ranks regarding blood status. He also hadn't known a thing about the politics in Slytherin and how they operated. Oh hell, he'd appeared ignorant of his own fame and status.

Which made him more of a Slytherin than anyone. He'd dealt with everythign, with only a select few knowing about his overall obliviousness.

Everyone was aware of Harry Potter being a halfblood. But his status and name in the wizarding world allowed many to overlook that. However, Daphne is a pureblood, but from a grey family. They supported neither the dark nor the light side. They were somewhere in between, where both magics melded together and brought forth a new shade to exist.

Therefore, it had been much easier for her to become friends with Harry without people becoming suspicious of her standing. But she could only imagine how it was for Draco, who was from an entirely dark family.

She remembered how Harry hadn't accepted Draco's handshake the very first time, when an offer of friendship had been made. It was something that Draco hadn't let go of for a very long time. At first, the two couldn't be in the same room or someone would surely end up in the hospital. However, something happened at the end of first year that made both come to a mutual understanding. Daphne has yet to learn what that was, and not from her lack of trying. But second year brought today's accepting of each other's backgrounds and initiated their prolonged friendship.

Draco and Daphne had struggled with the other's presence at first, something that changed after their third year. Daphne hadn't liked Draco's pompous and arrogant behaviour, and Draco hadn't accepted her, presumably because she had been the first to become Harry's friend…and the one who always got better marks than him. Maybe, she's also a bit competitive and always made sure that Draco knew of her better scores.

Well, all of that was in the past. Many things were different now.

"Hem, Hem, Mr Potter!"

Daphne came back to reality, back to her surroundings again. She wasn't the only one to look up though, most of the class did. Many could already tell what was coming.

Harry stopped 'reading' and looked up at Umbridge with an unimpressed look on his face.

"Yes?" Harry asked, his voice sounding monotone as he closed the book and removed his spectacles. He slowly placed them on the table and focused on Umbridge, Daphne could see that he'd already readied himself for Umbridge's tirade.

"You do well to remember to come for your detention this evening, Mr Potter." Umbridge said with a nauseating sugary smile.

Harry didn't say anything for a moment but looked away and breathed noisily through his nose.

"Yes, ma'am," Harry sneered with a mocking manner at the title, while glaring up at her. Umbridge stared at him for a moment, her beady eyes gauging Harry. Daphne held her breath, barely holding herself back from giving Harry another good kick under the table for his sass.

Umbridge strutted and stopped by their table, her face inches away from Harry's. Her eyes narrowed, Daphne could see her knuckles turning white where she was holding onto the table. They could smell the strong odour of her perfume and tried not to grimace in obvious disgust.

"Don't take that tone with me boy, or we'll add another thing for you to write down." Umbridge said nastily, her eyes glinting creepily. Daphne refrained from becoming a barbarian and punching the toad's face with a tight fist.

Harry only glared at the profane woman in front of him and didn't back down.

Umbridge leaned back and turned away, seemingly happy with herself. However, she looked back at Harry right before she reached her desk. Everyone in class held their breath, no one wanted to be on the end of Umbridge's ire.

"And another detention, Mr Potter," she said without turning around to face him fully.

"Why you foo–!"

"Careful, boy, we do not want to have you expelled for continued misconduct." With that she returned to stand behind her desk, smiling cruelly at Harry as she watched him raise to his feet.

Daphne and Draco did not hesitate to drag Harry down his seat when he'd jumped up. They each kept a hold of Harry's elbows and Daphne firmly squeezed his arm to shut him up. He was breathing heavily in anger.

Umbridge ignored a fuming Harry Potter, not bothering to look back at him. All their classmates were watching Harry and how he would react.

Neither Draco nor Daphne said anything, and they easily let go of Harry when he shook their hold off of him. Daphne would have let go even if he hadn't done anything to make her.

His eyes were glinting dangerously, something dark creeping in.

He packed his things from the table and stood up again. Daphne didn't even try to stop him, and Harry didn't hesitate to storm out of the classroom.

Had he stayed just a few seconds more, he'd seen Umbridge slipping and falling. It would later be discovered that a thick layer of ice had formed right under Umbridge's feet and had nearly caused her a concussion. It was also later overheard that the ice couldn't be vanished and took hours to melt. Daphne and Draco were not as ignorant as everyone else to think that it'd just been Harry's infamous accidental magic reacting to his strung-up emotions.

It was obviously more intentional than anyone thought.

.*.*.*.*.

Harry threw the bag over his shoulder on his way to the closed doors and didn't look back at Umbridge to see her ungraceful fall. He opened the door and strode out of the classroom, not noticing the shocked and somewhat awed looks he was receiving from the other students. If she was going to turn her back on him while giving him a detention, Harry will slam the door in her face while his back was turned on her. This will probably land him in another ten detentions, but it was all worth it just to spite that woman.

Harry didn't have any specific destination in mind, but walked wherever his feet would take him, just anywhere away from here.

And Harry received more than ten detentions for what he'd unknowingly done.

.*.*.*.*.