Rory was looking forward to seeing Hagrid when they disembarked from the train. She'd gotten to know him quite well this past year with all the times he'd ferried her to and from the Forbidden Forest for her lessons with Firenze.
So when Professor Grubby-Plank was there instead, she instantly had a bad feeling. When they got to the carriages, Harry stopped suddenly and grasped her hand tightly.
"What is it?" she asked.
"The things, pulling the carriages," he said.
A rock dropped into Rory's stomach. The thestrals.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked. "Nothing's pulling the carriages."
"No, they're there," Harry said. He grabbed Ron by the shoulders and it stood face to face with him.
"What are you on about?" Ron asked.
"Don't worry," Luna said. "I've been able to see them since my first year here. You're just as sane as I am.
Harry visibly sagged.
"I see them too," she whispered in his ear. "Since first year."
"What are they?" Harry asked.
"I'll tell you later," she promised. "I think there are more pressing matters to worry about."
They climbed into the carriage and Rory squeezed Harry's hand tightly.
"Something bad is in the castle," she whispered in Harry's ear.
"What?" he asked.
"I dunno. But things are going to be very hard this year. I can feel it," she said. Each foot they got closer and closer to the castle made a sick feeling settle upon her. "I don't like this. I don't like this one bit."
"It'll be alright," Harry said.
Rory let go of his hand and instead wrapped herself around one of his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead. They weren't in peril the way they were last year. But there would be trials. So many trials. And pain. It was all hitting Rory at once. She squeezed her eyes shut.
"You okay, Rory?" Neville asked.
"I'll be fine," she said, though she was certain only Harry could hear her, and even he wouldn't be reassured by the words.
In the Great Hall, Rory was still too distracted to pay attention to the sorting, and she barely glanced at the woman sitting at the head table who was most likely their new defense against the dark arts teacher.
It's her, Rory thought. She's the reason for all this.
Dumbledore stood at the head of the Great Hall, giving his usual introductory speech. And Rory finally managed to look at the woman.
"I've seen her," Harry said. "That woman up there."
"When?" Rory asked.
"At my hearing," Harry said. "She was one of the ones who voted to expel me."
"Lovely," Hermione replied. "Looks like Fudge is wasting no time in interfering at Hogwarts."
"Do you remember her name?" Rory asked.
"That's Umbridge," Harry said.
Rory felt the color drain from her face. Dolores Umbridge was one of the primary reasons her father was unable to obtain employment, why they'd struggled all her life. Additionally, she was a key player in decreasing the territories of centaurs, merpeople, and was just, in general, not a good person. If she was here doing Fudge's bidding, it made sense that she was setting off alarm bells for Rory.
Umbridge was going to go after Harry, and likely Rory too.
And then Dumbledore announced that Hagrid was taking a leave of absence from teaching Care of Magical Creatures for a while. That, instead, Grubby-Plank would be stepping in until he returned.
"I don't like this," Rory said shaking her head.
"Me either," Harry said.
After introducing Umbridge, she got to her feet and started speaking. Rory didn't hear a word of it. She was in a daze. Her stomach was turning. She wanted to cry, to scream, to run away. She wanted to go home. Nothing good was going to happen this year. Every nerve ending in her body said that she should be afraid. That Harry should be afraid. That Hogwarts should be afraid.
When Umbridge was done and the feast began, Rory got to her feet.
"Where are you going?" Neville asked.
"I'm not feeling well," she said.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked.
"I need to go," Rory said. Her friends called after her, but she ignored them. She went all the way to Gryffindor Tower and headed straight into her room. She changed from her uniform and into pajamas, trying the whole time to calm herself.
She needed to talk to Trelawney. Or Firenze. She needed to make sense of all this. It was too much. She was feeling too much. Seeing too much. The panic and the fear were overwhelming. She tried to write a letter to her dad, but her hands shook too violently to hold a quill still.
"Rory?"
Her bedroom door opened and Harry stepped inside.
"I'm terrified," Rory said. "I'm absolutely terrified right now."
He took her by the shoulders and sat her down on her bed.
"Tell me," Harry said. "Tell me all of it."
"Horrible things are going to happen because she's here," Rory said.
"Breathe," Harry said. He grabbed her hands. "It's alright. It's going to be alright. Just calm down."
"Harry, I can't calm down. I can't… I just feel… It's so much," Rory said. "So many things are going to happen and I feel like I'm seeing them all at once. I can't make sense of it all, and it feels like none of it is good."
"Look at me," Harry said. He placed his hands on either side of her face. "Look at me, Fish. Don't focus on anything else. Just look at me. Tell me what you see with your eyes. Forget everything else. Just look at me. Tell me."
Rory took a shuddering breath. "Your glasses are dirty."
Harry nodded. "What else?"
"You've got this crease between your eyebrows you get when you're thinking hard or when you're worried," Rory said.
"Go on," he urged her.
"Your eyes," she said.
"What about them?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I just love looking at them."
Harry kissed her, briefly, gently. A small comfort that she needed. His distraction had worked well enough that she would at least make it until she got to see Trelawney tomorrow.
"I love you," Harry said.
"I love you," she repeated. And she kissed him again before letting her head drop down against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and Rory sank into him. How long had it been since he'd held her like this? Ages, it felt like. "My roommates are on their way up aren't they?"
"Probably," Harry said. "I promise to distract you more tomorrow though."
She lifted her head and kissed him again.
"Be careful," she said. "That Umbridge woman-."
"I know," Harry said. "You too."
The door opened and Hermione and Matilda walked in.
"See? Told you they had more sense than to run up here and start snogging," Matilda said. "I think Lupin and Sirius walked in on them enough times for them to have learned their lesson."
"I was just leaving," Harry said. He kissed Rory again. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," she replied. And he was gone. "That Umbridge woman is bad news."
"Don't need to be a seer to know that," Matilda said.
"'Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged.' Who says something like that?" Hermione asked.
"A goddamn bootlicker," Rory replied.
"You are feisty about this Umbridge woman," Matilda said.
"I can give you an itemized list of all the ways she's personally disenfranchised my father if you like," Rory said.
Lavender and Parvati finally entered the dorm.
"You alright, Rory?" Parvati asked.
"Not feeling well. You know the train makes me ill," Rory said.
"Harry ran off after you pretty quickly," Parvati said.
"He's my boyfriend. Of course, he did," Rory said.
"Still?" Lavender asked as she changed out of her uniform.
"Pardon?" Rory asked.
"He's still your boyfriend?" Lavender asked.
"Why wouldn't he be?" Rory asked.
Lavender shrugged. "It's just I've been reading the papers."
"And?" Rory challenged her.
"Well it sounds a bit like your boyfriend is off his rocker," she said. "You don't think he might be making all this up?"
"No, I don't as a matter of fact," Rory said.
"It's just suspect that he showed up at the tournament with a dead body is all," Lavender said.
"If you recall, Lavender, I myself almost wound up dead. I recall them printing that much at least in the papers. That Alastor Moody was kidnapped and one of Voldemort's followers was impersonating him? Did you forget that? Or were you able to sleep soundly despite all of my nightmares?" Rory asked.
"Girls, calm down," Hermione said.
Lavender rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry that happened to you."
"'I'm sorry that happened to you,'" Rory repeated mockingly. "You can take your apology and shove it."
"Sounds like you might be as crazy as your boyfriend is," Lavender retorted. "Your father is Sirius Black after all. And you were raised by a werewolf. Who knows?"
"That's quite enough of that," Matilda said, grabbing hold of Rory who was on her way to give Lavender a piece of her mind. "No offense, Lavender, but you're kind of acting like a bitch right now."
"I'm not the only one," Lavender said.
"Go fuck yourself," Rory replied.
"I think everyone needs to go to bed," Hermione said.
"Gladly," Rory replied. She jerked out of Matilda's grasp and climbed onto her bed. She snapped the curtains shut.
"Planning to try out for Quidditch?" Harry asked Rory the next morning. She rolled her eyes. "Come on. We need a keeper."
"Shall I keep the other team from coming nearby vomiting on them?" Rory asked.
"That's one strategy," Fred said.
"Not seen it done yet," George replied.
"Hard pass. I'm an observer," Rory replied. She turned to Ron beside her. "Are you going to try out?"
Ron shrugged. "I dunno."
"You should do it," Rory said. "Someone who cares about this team as much as I do should play if I can't."
"Oi, I'm right here," Harry said.
Rory laughed.
Harry was relieved. After seeing her last night, he was nothing but worried about her. He'd gotten into a row with Seamus who'd called him crazy as soon as he'd gotten back into his dorm, but he wasn't too keen on Seamus after the weird comments he'd made about Rory last year. He was putting it out of his mind. Choosing to worry about Quidditch and trying to make his girlfriend smile. That was all he could do at the moment.
Rory started off cheerful at breakfast. She'd sat with Hermione during History of Magic. But then potions came. He knew Rory always made a point to sit with Neville. For whatever reason, Snape loved to attack Neville more cruelly than even Harry. But that left a dilemma this year.
There were four people seated at a table in potion's class. Neville and Rory almost always sat with Seamus and Lavender, and Matilda said with Harry, Ron and Hermione.
At present. Seamus and Lavender were at the top of Harry and Rory's "Go Fuck Yourself" list, as Rory indelicately put it.
That meant Seamus and Lavender instead sat with Dean and Parvati.
Which left an opportunity for Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson to sit beside Rory and Neville.
Neville looked terrified. Rory looked annoyed. Malfoy and Parkinson looked eager.
"Rory can take care of herself and Neville," Matilda assured Harry.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Harry said.
As the class got in motion, Snape, in his usual fashion started to immediately go after Harry. At least Rory and Neville were spared the extra torment with Malfoy and Parkinson sitting with them. It didn't stop Harry from worrying about her though, and it didn't stop him from being irritated with Snape. He felt like his nerves were wound even tighter than usual around him today.
Not to mention, Ron and Hermione were bickering—they were always bickering. But today it was about Snape. Was he or was he not on their side? Why did Dumbledore trust him?
"Will you two please shut it?" Harry said firmly.
Ron and Hermione were both taken aback by his outburst and silenced themselves immediately. Matilda elbowed him.
"Calm down, Potter," she said.
"I'm fine," he practically hissed at her.
"You don't sound it," Matilda said.
And maybe Harry wasn't fine. He was annoyed and tired and anxious and worried. Rory was on high alert and seeing her so scared only made him scared too. Because who knew what was going to happen.
Harry walked with Ron up to Divination as Rory had something to discuss with Hermione before she went to her own class. Harry promised to save his seat next to Rory and Ron grudgingly agreed to partner up with Matilda again for the class.
As they climbed the stairs, Cho Chang spotted them.
"Hi, Harry," Cho said.
"Hi, Cho," Harry replied, fully intending to continue on his way to class.
"Sorry the paper's being so awful to you," she said.
"Oh. Thanks," Harry said. He was pleased to hear this since most people were decidedly not in his corner.
"If you ever want to talk or anything," Cho started.
"You like the Tornadoes?" Ron chimed in suddenly.
"Sorry?" Cho asked.
"Your pin," he said motioning to her. "You always supported the Tornadoes? Or just since they started winning the league?"
Cho rolled her eyes. "Good to see you, Harry."
She stomped off.
"Good work, Weasley," Matilda said clapping Ron on the shoulder.
"Good work with what?" Harry asked.
"Scaring off a girl who was clearly trying to chat you up, you oblivious idiot," Matilda said.
"She was not," Harry said.
"'Oh, Harry, if you ever need to chat, my ears and my lap are always open for you,'" Matilda said, doing her best Cho Chang impression. "Lucky Rory didn't see that."
Harry didn't see what the big deal was. Cho was just being polite. And if she had been trying to chat him up it wouldn't have mattered anyway because Harry really did only have eyes for Rory.
She joined him just before class started. She was out of breath from running all the way up to the tower but got her things out as quickly and quietly as she could. She gave Harry a quick smile, before giving her full attention to Trelawney.
There was something comforting about being back in Trelawney's class beside Rory. In a way, that first class last year, where they'd used the zodiac to give each other predictions, the first time he'd called her "Fish," the first prediction she ever made for him. He'd fallen in love with her then. It was that day. He knew sitting with her in that class that something was there between them, even if he wasn't able to realize what it was then.
He took his quill and stopped scribbling down his notes to reach over to Rory's notebook. He pulled it away for just a second. She seemed taken aback by this at first, but then Harry wrote along the margin:
I love you Fish
Rory smiled at it and then smiled at him. It was all he could do not to kiss her right then, because every time she smiled at him like that he wanted to.
His good mood flattened by the end of class, however. Trelawney was having them do dream interpretation for homework. All Harry ever dreamt about these days was the graveyard. He knew Rory's dreams were no different. There wasn't much to interpret.
He waited for her after class while she chatted with Trelawney and then walked with her to their next class.
"We're going to meet together after dinner," Rory said. "She says they're being very strict about visiting the forest right now, so I can't go and see Firenze. But she's better than nothing. I mean, at the very least she's been right a few times. She knows what she's doing."
"If you think it'll help," Harry said.
"I hope," Rory replied. "But right now, I feel like we're going to walk into the lion's den."
Rory sat with Harry during Defense Against the Dark Arts. There was no way she wasn't going to. Dolores Umbridge and her toad-like face and stature, not to mention her recorded history of being anti-Harry Potter, being a bigot, and making Rory's inner-eye wince was enough to let Rory know that she was not going to leave Harry unguarded during this class.
"Something is about to happen," she said to him when they sat at their table together.
"You're sure?" Harry asked.
Rory nodded.
Umbridge, cleared her throat once the whole class was assembled.
"There's no need to pull out your wands," Umbridge said. "Please pull out your books."
Harry could practically hear Rory roll her eyes. She hated when teachers made you read on the first day of class rather than jump right in. As if Umbridge didn't have enough marks against her already.
Umbridge started off, listing their course aims on the board and directing them to read the first chapter in their textbooks.
Rory was staring at the course aims on the board without writing them down. At the table beside him, Harry could see Hermione's arm in the air waving frantically. It took a full five minutes before Umbridge acknowledged her.
"Yes, Miss-."
"Granger. Hermione Granger," she said.
"You've a question about the reading?" Umbridge asked.
"No. The course aims actually," she replied. She instinctively looked over to Rory who was often on the same wavelength as her. "You talk a lot about learning magic but not using it?"
Umbridge chuckled. "Why on earth would you need to use magic in my class?"
"So we aren't using magic?" Ron asked.
"We raise hands in this class, Mister?"
"Weasley. Ron," he said. "We're not using magic?"
The class broke out into murmurs. Rory stiffened beside him. Whatever Rory said was coming was about to hit.
Matilda raised her hand. Umbridge pointed to her. "Isn't the whole point of this class to learn and practice defensive magic?"
"Have you been through the proper courses to be a Ministry-approved educator?" Umbridge asked.
"Uh, no obviously," Matilda said.
"Then I don't think you have the right to ask me what 'the whole point' of your class is," Umbridge said.
Matilda blinked at Umbridge.
"You'll be learning in a safe, secure environment," Umbridge said.
"What good is that going to do us?" Harry asked. "If we get attacked, it won't be in a safe, secure-."
"Hand, Mister Potter!" Umbridge shouted at him.
Of course she remembered him, knew his name, that was part of why she was here after all.
"Do you expect to be attacked during my class?" Umbridge asked.
"No," Harry said, though he felt very attacked right now.
"Then do not criticize my teaching methods," Umbridge said. She turned her back to the class to walk to the chalkboard. "I know in the past your education in this class has been spotty. Even had some rather unqualified and dangerous half-breed teaching—"
"I might shut my mouth about people I know nothing about if I were you," Rory exclaimed suddenly. The room went stark still. Umbridge turned around and her glare landed right on Rory. Harry wanted to try to calm her somehow but knew it would be fruitless. This is what she'd known was coming.
"And you are?" Umbridge asked.
"Aurora Lupin," she answered through clenched teeth.
Umbridge's glare turned to a sneer. "Ah, yes. The half-breed's daughter."
Harry could practically feel the heat radiating from his girlfriend. He could tell her to calm down a thousand times and she would not hear it. Nothing made Rory more defensive or angry than to hear someone talk badly about her dad.
"Adopted aren't you?" Umbridge asked. "Your real father is-."
"Sirius Black," Rory said, still glaring at Umbridge. If looks could kill they'd be needing a new teacher. Umbridge was undeterred by Rory's defiance.
"A bad apple from two rotten trees then," Umbridge said. Rory muttered something under her breath angrily. "We don't mutter in class, Miss Lupin. We speak loudly and clearly enough for the whole class to hear or we don't speak at all. Why don't you speak up so the whole class can hear you? Hmm?"
Umbridge clearly thought this was the last of it and that Rory would back down from the challenge, but Harry knew Rory. Had heard her mouth off to Snape for less. And nothing set Rory off like someone talking badly about her father. Rory was going to fully accept this challenge.
Rory sat forward in her seat, sitting up straight and proud. "I said your mother should've swallowed you," Rory said. There was a gasp. "Now the whole class has heard me. Or should I repeat myself?"
Umbridge walked up to Rory's desk and slammed her hand down on the girl's desk. Rory didn't break Umbridge's stare the whole time. The fury was clear on the woman's face and on Rory's.
"Take your things and go to your head of house's office. I will deal with you after class," Umbridge said in a harsh whisper.
Rory glared at Umbridge. "Why don't you speak up so the whole class can hear you."
Umbridge raised a hand as if to smack Rory, but stopped short and clenched it into a fist, before pointing behind her.
"Go. Now," Umbridge said.
Rory grabbed her things and rose from the desk.
