Chapter Twenty

Harry's hand was still sore the next afternoon as he walked down the grass slope to Care of Magical Creatures and having to write several pages of parchment of notes in History of Magic hadn't helped much either.

Harry wasn't surprised to see Hagrid was still gone, Professor Grubbly-Plank standing waiting for them instead. He was however dismayed to see Professor Umbridge, scribbling away on her pink clipboard.

"She was in Transfiguration as well." Hermione said, walking over, "Professor McGonagall was not impressed."

Harry grinned, "I'm sorry to have missed it."

They walked over to where Professor Grubbly-Plank was trying to ignore Professor Umbridge.

"..don't know anything more about it than you do! Got an owl from Dumbledore, would I like a couple of weeks' teaching work? I accepted. That's as much as I know. Well, if you're all finished… shall I get started then?"

"Yes, yes please do." Professor Umbridge smiled.

Umbridge wandered around the class, with some difficultly as she was wearing her small heeled shoes that kept catching in the grass, quizzing them on magical creatures she thought they should of learnt about. Harry allowed himself a small smile, most of the students were doing Hagrid proud. There were a couple of course, Tracy was pretending that she didn't know what anything was but it would be difficult for even Umbridge to twist that round on Hagrid when everyone else knew what was going on.

Harry pretended to be very busy with his plan for Bowtruckle rehabilitation when Professor Umbridge walked passed. Thankfully she left them alone.

"Overall, how do you, as a temporary member of staff, an objective outsider you might say, find Hogwarts? Do you feel you receive enough support from the school management?" Professor Umbridge asked, leadingly.

"Oh, yes. Dumbledore's excellent." Professor Grubbly-Plank said honestly, "Yes, I'm very happy with the way things are run, very happy indeed."

Umbridge looked a little disappointed and made a tiny note on her clipboard, "And what are you planning to cover with this class this year? Assuming of course, that Professor Hagrid does not return?"

Professor Grubbly-Plank waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, I'll take them through the ones most likely to come up during their O. . There's not much left to do really, they've studied unicorns and Nifflers. I'll go over Porlocks and Kneazles, make sure they can recognise Crups and Knarls, you know."

"Well, you seem to know what you're doing at any rate." Professor Umbridge said, nodding smartly.

Harry didn't like the way she implied Hagrid didn't know what he was doing. Umbridge walked over to where Ron was struggling to correctly identify the plants that could be used to help treat Bowtruckles for common illnesses.

"Now, I have heard that there have been some injuries in this class?" Umbridge said, smiling down at the students.

"In such classes as these, practical classes, there is always some risk of injury." Daphne said carefully.

"Ronald Weasley got mauled by a Hippogriff." Millicent pipped up, smiling broadly.

Harry gritted his teeth as Umbridge's eyes shone with triumph.

"A Hippogriff?" she said, scribbling frantically, "I see! Is this true, Mr Weasley?"

Ron nodded, his cheeks flushing red, "Yeah… but that wasn't Hagrid's fault, I mean he was cleared."

"You feel that the wrong decision was made?" Professor Umbridge said with mock concern.

"Professor Umbridge!" Pansy said in horror, "That was a Ministry decision, made by Ministry officials; are you saying the Ministry is wrong?"

Professor Umbridge's eyes narrowed at her, "I wasn't at that trial, so I have no idea if some members of the Ministry were coerced by outside forces, do I?"

Harry looked to Ron, gesturing for him to point out that Umbridge didn't know the full story.

He coughed, "Well, I think it was my fault, sort of. I didn't do what I was told, that's why I got hurt."

Umbridge patted his hand kindly, "There there, you shouldn't blame yourself. I think I have everything I need."

Harry glared at her back as she walked away from the class, "Why didn't you make it clear that it wasn't Hagrid's fault?" he snapped at Ron.

Draco elbowed him in the side, "He tried." he whispered.

Ron shrugged, "I'm sorry. She gives me the creeps. She keeps making comments about Dad's work at the Ministry and performance reviews."

Harry let out a loud sigh, he couldn't blame Ron there and he also knew that it wouldn't matter what Ron said, Professor Umbridge had made it very clear she was only going to listen to what she wanted to hear.

"It's fine. I get it…" Harry said, "Sorry for snapping, but we have to stick together, can't let her win."

Harry handed in his work to Professor Grubbly-Plank and wandered back up to the castle for double Potions.

He was tired as he took his seat and started measuring out the ingredients for that days lesson. Professor Snape let them have just over an hour before he stood and began to wander around the class.

"Mr Weasley, that is meant to be your Potion not soup, are you aware of this fact?" Severus said in a bored voice, "Mr Longbottom, I suggest you read the fourth row of instructions again before you add that to your cauldron. Excellent work Miss Granger… Mr Potter… what have you done to your hand?" he asked, sounding a little worried.

Harry felt his cheeks flush, "I fell over, well tripped, caught it against the wall..." it sounded like a very weak excuse, even to his ears, "Rough… rough bit of stone."

Severus looked him over and went round to his desk, coming back with a small pot, "This is an ointment of Murtlap tentacles, it will help cuts or scrapes heal. Apply a generous layer it twice a day."

Harry smiled, "Thank you, Professor."

Severus smiled and gave him a nod, "As for your potion, it is looking… adequate."

Harry waited until after class, and after handing in his potion, to to quickly leave the classroom and press himself against the wall. He pull the bandage from his hand and smother it in the ointment Severus had given him. The effect was immediate, soothing his stinging hand and stopping the small amount of bleeding within a second.

"Harry? What are you doing?" Hermione asked walking over.

Harry sighed, "Long story, I'll tell you later."

"You can tell me now, we've got lunch packed up and we're meeting up by the lake." Hermione smiled, "I've had an idea."

Harry grinned; he was intrigued but knew better than to ask in the school, he hated that he was now having to look over his shoulder all the time at Hogwarts. He followed Hermione out of the building and flopped down on the grass, it was sunny today and nice to be outside but he couldn't help but think once again that meeting up would not be so pleasant when the castle was covered in a foot of snow; they were going to have to think of something else sooner rather than later.

"Right, we might not have much time so I will just jump into it, we need to do something about Umbridge." Hermione said quietly.

"I know but murder would be difficult, perhaps some sort of poison?" Daphne suggested.

"We could try and make it look like an accident, you know I'm sure Peeves would be up for helping us." Pansy added, "Possibly even some of the house elves."

Harry smirked while Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Well thank you but that is not what I was meaning." Hermione said, trying not to grin, "I meant so we can pass our exams. She's not teaching us enough to actually get any sort of passing grade, let alone a decent one."

"There is a lot of information in those books, however boring or simply wrong they may be." Draco sighed.

Neville shook his head, "No, well yes, but that's not going to be enough. Hermione and I checked the exam layout, there's been no change, which means there is still a practical element to it."

"Great." Harry sighed.

"Well, Umbridge isn't going to change," Pansy said flatly, "She isn't going to care if we all fail our O.W.L, she'll just blame it on our old teachers and us not trying hard enough."

"Exactly." Hermione said, looking around to make sure they weren't being over heard, "So I think we should teach ourselves, more specifically I think Harry should teach us."

"Me?" Harry asked, shocked, "Are you being serious?"

Hermione nodded, "You have the most experience of actually defending yourself against the Dark Arts. You can easily teach us what we need to get through this year."

"We did think about trying to get one of our parents here to teach us, but with Umbridge here it would just draw too much attention." Neville added, "But with you we could keep it quiet."

"Speaking of which..." Daphne said, digging into her bag, "I finished them." she said, holding up six finger braids, two in Gryffindor colours with a strand of purple for Hogwarts and four in Slytherin colours with a purple strand, "One for Harry, one for Draco, Pansy, Neville and Hermione and me."

Harry tied his on his wrist, tucking it under his shirt so it couldn't be seen, "How do they work?"

Daphne gave them a smile and kissed her finger tips and pressed them to her anklet. Harry felt his bracelets warm his skin slightly.

"That's very cool." Neville grinned.

Daphne breathed a sigh of relief, "They all work then?"

Everyone nodded.

"Brilliant." Daphne grinned, "Well that's one issue semi-solved. It would be useful to have something that told us the time and date as well but we can keep working on that."

"So you'll teach us then?" Hermione asked, "And it'll give you a chance to practice yourself."

Harry shook his head, "Look, I'm very pleased you think I can do this, but I can't. I've not faced that much."

"Harry you've fought Voldemort twice." Daphne pointed out, "And a Basilisk and over fifty Dementors at once."

Harry glared at the ground, "You're making it sound like I had no help, and it wasn't planned; I just sort of reacted."

"You planned for the Triwizard tasks." Hermione pointed out, "And surely learning how to just react is half the battle."

Harry picked angrily at the grass, "I don't want to end up in detention with Umbridge again."

"You won't." Neville assured him.

"Besides, there is nothing against the rules about clubs." Hermione pointed out, "Just think about it, OK?"

Harry nodded but he didn't want to think about it, he hadn't thought about becoming a teacher, let alone while he was still at school.

"I'll think about it, but I'm not sure how much there is I can really teach you guys." Harry said, trying not to lose his temper again, "And I don't think Umbridge would be very happy if she did catch us, whether or not there is a rule about clubs."

"I don't think Hermione was suggesting we do it right under her nose." Pansy said.

"No, of course not." Hermione said, "We'd keep it secret and try not to get caught. And it's not such a huge issue if we do. We need to keep our heads this year."

Harry nodded, but that was easier said than done. His temper always seemed to be bubbling just below the surface currently and Umbridge had an amazing talent for making it bubble over.

"Harry are you all right?" Draco asked, "You're staring into space."

"Yeah I'm fine." Harry said, forcing a smile, "My hand's just hurting."

"What did you do to it?" Neville asked.

Harry took the bandage off, revealing the 'I must not tell lies' carved onto his hand.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped, "What did you do?!"

"It wasn't me!" Harry snapped.

Pansy put a calming hand on his arm, "It was Umbridge, this is how she does her detentions; she's making students carve the lines over and over again onto their own skin."

Neville looked at them in horror, "That can't be legal! Why did you keep going?"

"Because she threatened Dad and Remus." Harry said, "Which is why you can't tell anyone about this. As far as Dad knows, I fell and scraped my hand."

"Do… do you think she's doing this to all over her detention students?" Hermione asked quietly.

Harry shrugged, "I think so, I can't see why she wouldn't be. Why?"

"We sent you a note about it, didn't you get it?" Daphne said, a little confused.

Hermione and Neville both shook their heads.

"No." Hermione said, "We didn't get anything."

Harry gritted his teeth, "Do you think it was Umbridge? Reading out letters?"

"One lost letter, especially one that's barely one sheet of parchment with a whole three lines on it, is hardly damning evidence." Pansy sighed, "I think we just need to be careful. Has there been anyone in Gryffindor that has had detention with Umbridge yet?"

"There was a first year. He wanted to go home after having a detention with Umbridge the other day, he wouldn't say what happened or anything, just cried." Hermione said, "It was heartbreaking. Even more so now we know what he was likely to have gone through."

Harry sighed and flopped back onto the grass. It was bad enough he knew that he was being hurt by the cow but now he was sure that he wasn't the only one, and there was nothing he could do to stop her, the feeling of being powerless that was really getting to him.

"I'll think about it, teaching you more." Harry said, not sitting up, "Just give me a couple of weeks."