Harry woke up at six-fifty, and was feeling optimistic for the day. They were to receive their timetables this morning, and he hoped he had a decent schedule for once.
The boys' dorm was only filled with the snoring noises coming from Ron, and some sleepy mumbling coming from either Neville or Dean's bed, he couldn't tell. Peeking out of his curtains, he seen that Seamus must already be up, as the hanging curtains around his bed were neatly tied back and his bed was somewhat made. Does he think he'll catch some disease if he's in the same room as me? He thought arduously. Peeking out of the window, the weather was slightly gloomy - there were dark grey clouds out, yet it wasn't raining yet. Hopefully not an omen for today, he thought.
He couldn't hear Seamus tip-toeing about the dorm, so assumed he was already either down in the common room or already at breakfast. Quietly getting dressed, he got his books out of his trunk and sorted them out into his bag. He reminded himself that he would have to see Professor Vector when the timetables were issued, so that he could fit in when he could do his Arithmancy lessons (Angelina had said last night that that Quidditch practises would be held on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday evenings).
As he was tying his tie, Neville announced his awakeness by stretching, and Dean followed a few minutes later by yawning. Ron was the last to wake up.
When Harry went down to the Great Hall for breakfast with his friends, he found that people were still staring at him, - however, most of them were now curious stares instead of death glares. He wondered what on earth had happened overnight for them to no longer be angry at him.
When he sat down, he found that Anthony Goldstein was making his way towards him. Harry tried to read his expression - he didn't look like he was coming over to berate him, but he didn't hold his breath. "Morning, Harry," Goldstein sat down at Ravenclaw table, yet his seat was back-to-back with Harry's.
"Hello, Anthony," Harry tried to reply cheerfully, for he didn't know Anthony that well.
"I'm very interested in your club, in fact, quite a lot of Ravenclaw's signed their names on the bulletin board last night, including me. I must ask - how did you come about starting it?"
He cleared his throat, and was very happy that a good few students had signed up from Ravenclaw alone. "Well, I had a think over the holidays, and realised that we would be much better and more organised if we were a united student front, rather than one that held stereotypical prejudices and therefore fractured," he paused, "I'm not sure if you believe me when I say that You-Know-Who is back, but-"
"-Oh, I do." Anthony reassured him. "We definitely need to up our game with knowing how to defend ourselves. To be frank, I'm not sure if her ladyship in pink will be very good at all."
Harry chuckled at Anthony's nickname for Professor Umbridge. "I agree, she doesn't look like she knows much about teaching."
"Well, nonetheless, I look forward to the first session on Saturday. Terry said you'll also be in Ancient Runes?" Anthony said.
"Yeah, and I'm having private Arithmancy lessons too." He answered.
"Give me a shout if you ever need help with them - I'm not an expert at them, but I do get quite good marks in both subjects." Anthony said, before he turned back around to have his breakfast.
Hermione looked dead impressed. "Making new friends already, and it's not even the first session yet."
He laughed. "Hopefully a sign of more to come."
The four heads of house were soon making their way down the tables, handing out timetables. Professor McGonagall was soon near their group. "Mr Potter, here is yours. Remember to have a chat with Professor Vector about meeting for Arithmancy." She told him. He nodded, and waited for Hermione, Ron, Dorea and Amelia to receive theirs before comparing them all.
His read:
Monday: Double History of Magic, double Potions, Ancient Runes, and to finish off, double Defence Against the Dark Arts
Tuesday: Double Charms, double Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, and then double Herbology.
Wednesday: Ancient Runes first period, a blank second period, double Herbology, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, and last period was Astronomy (Theory), but they also had an evening Astronomy lesson for their practical.
Thursday: First and second period was free, followed by a double period of Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and then double Potions.
Friday: Double Care of Magical Creatures, History of Magic, Astronomy (Theory), Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and seventh was Ancient Runes.
Monday certainly looked like a crap day. He was just thankful he didn't have Divination (unlike Ron), and instead had Ancient Runes, which he was looking forward to actually having a teacher for. He was looking forward to Potions as well (just dreading Snape), as he had brewed almost all of the fifth year potions back at Black Manor, and had brought his notes for them with him. He could not wait to see Snape's face.
Amelia and Dorea's timetable was very similar, except they also had Muggle Studies on theres. Harry had always half-wanted to do Muggle Studies as a class, as he thought it would be very easy, having lived with the Dursleys, but it always clashed with Care of Magical Creatures, so decided against it.
"Woah, how is it that you've got free periods?" Ron realised, pointing out the gaps on Wednesday, where the second period was free, and Thursdays, where there was a double period in the morning blank.
Amelia compared hers next to his. "Maybe it's when you can have Arithmancy lessons with Vector?"
"That reminds me, I better go and speak to her…" He got up and walked down to the staff table. He was half-tempted to ask after Hagrid, and Professor Sinistra.
"Mr Potter, good morning, I hope your timetable is not too bad?" Vector welcomed him.
After five minutes, Harry worked out that the blank spaces on his timetable were in fact free deliberately. "I thought that I would have virtually no free periods, and that's why I said we would meet in the evenings. But hence, I do have some free periods during the day." Vector explained. Snape was glaring at him from down the staff table.
"Oh, great! So just to clarify, that's when we're meeting for Arithmancy?" He asked.
Professor Vector nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Mr Potter." She even took her wand out and tapped it on the paper, where it filled the previously blank periods to say "Arithmancy"
Harry, very happy, walked back to Gryffindor table. He folded his timetable away for safekeeping before continuing to eat his breakfast. When the bell rang to signal the first period, he was slightly dreading that History of Magic would be kickstarting the academic year, but came up with another idea. He already knew what was covered in fifth year History, so as soon as he sat down, got his textbook out, flipped it to the relevant section, and started taking notes, whilst drowning out Binn's dulcet tones.
Hermione was looking at him incredulously. "Are you even paying attention?" She whispered.
"I'm taking notes," he answered, and even showed her the evidence.
Hermione almost couldn't believe it. Ron joked that he was becoming like her. He made a note in his notebook that Binns wanted an essay on Giant Wars for next week.
As they were lining up for Potions in the corridor, Harry was speaking to his friends when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, and it was Daphne Greengrass, who he knew was a Slytherin, but was one that had no prejudices. "Hello, Harry,"
He soon realised that this was their first ever conversation. "Hi, - you're Daphne Greengrass, right?"
"I am," she paused, "listen, I signed up to your club, and you'll be glad to know that actually, a nice chunk in Slytherin did as well. Of course, the vast majority were making fun of it, but I actually agree with the whole idea you have surrounding it."
"Oh, well, thanks, Daphne." He said, as he heard behind him that more of the Slytherin's were turning up. "I'll see you there, then, on Saturday."
"Don't worry too much, Potter, you'll soon find out that quite a lot of us Slytherin's don't bite." Daphne Greengrass concluded their conversation with a smile, which she also directed at Amelia and Dorea, who vaguely knew her.
"She was alright, I suppose." Ron said.
"I only know her from Runes, but she is a nice girl to talk to, Harry." Amelia added in a quiet voice.
Professor Snape soon turned up and let them in. Harry and the gang took their usual seats up at one of the back benches. Neville and Dean joined them, and Seamus occupied the last seat opposite them, which he wasn't that happy about, as he barely looked at them and instead elected to face the front.
"Welcome to your first O.W.L potions lesson," Snape said, although his voice was in his usual monotone drone. "This year is going to be anything but easy. I find it appropriate to remind you all that in June, you will be sitting your OWL examination for this subject, which involves both a theory paper and a practical exam. I only take the very best into my NEWT Potions classes… Which already means that a good chunk of you in here can forget about even having it as an option for sixth year." Snape glanced at both Neville and Harry. Harry found himself holding back a smug grin. Little does he know.
"Do not think that I'm going to go easy on you all on your first day back. Today, we will be making a potion which commonly occurs in the OWL exam: the Draught of Peace." At that, Harry internally cheered, and reminded himself of the spell Laxo and to add the syrup of hellebore before the porcupine quills. "The ingredients and method are on the blackboard," Snape waved his wand, and they appeared. "Gather your ingredients and equipment. Begin."
To most of the class, this potion was going to seem very new and therefore fiddly, but Harry, Amelia and Dorea already had made kegs of the stuff back at Black Manor. They all shared a secret glance.
Harry remembered his new routine, and gathered all his ingredients and prepared them accordingly before even igniting his cauldron. It was already unsettling Snape. "Potter, what on earth are you doing? Get your cauldron on heat, now."
"I'm just preparing the ingredients, Professor, I was just going to turn it on when I was done doing that." He decided to answer. Snape did a double take. It caused a few people to gawk over at their bench. Severus knew that technically, Potter wasn't wrong to prepare the ingredients first - for it was something he often did himself so he wasn't fiddling around, but yet he wondered where on earth he'd learned this initiative.
Professor Snape turned on his heels with a glare, before he wandered back over to the Slytherin boys table, where Crabbe had already caused his cauldron to overflow. However, Snape didn't even utter a word of complaint, and instead waved his wand to clear the mess.
Ingredients all prepared, Harry finally got to work on the potion. He was soon working through the potion at his own preferred pace, and was making no mistakes due to reading over the steps twice. He added the new ingredients as soon as the potion turned the colour it was meant to, and Hermione was once again looking gobsmacked. "I have to come over to Black Manor at Christmas and use that Potions Lab, it must be so good to make you better at Potions." She quietly remarked. He grinned, still pleased at his new-found skills in the subject. He was actually enjoying himself.
Soon, Harry found himself sitting down, for his potion was at the simmering stage, and he didn't have to add the unicorn horn until the potion was purple in colour. He realised that he was just slightly ahead of Amelia and Dorea, and was probably going to be finished first out of the whole room. His small relaxation time didn't last for long, as Snape seemed to be very distraught that he wasn't doing anything. "Potter!"
"Yes, sir?" Harry said.
"Why are you sitting down?" Snape demanded, although the man could see for himself that the potion was at stage 10 of the recipe, meaning it was simmering until it turned purple. He cursed the boy in his head - how had he improved so much?
"I've reached step 10, sir, I'm just waiting for it to change colour so that the unicorn horn can go in-"
"-How are you ahead of Miss Grainger?" Both Slytherin tables were now all turned round and looking. Even Seamus was looking across the table curiously. However, Snape soon realised that Amelia and Dorea were also ahead of Hermione. "And you two!"
"Did a bit of reading over the holidays, sir," Harry muttered.
"Oh yes, I'm sure your mutt of a godfather bought you plenty of books with that money he got off the Ministry," Snape mocked, and Harry could hear laughing coming from Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. "You have twenty-five minutes remaining!" He snapped at the class, stalking off.
The potion turned purple, and Harry carefully added the unicorn horn until it turned pink. He then stirred it until it turned red all the way through. With ten minutes of the class still to go, Harry took his cauldron off the heat, his Draught of Peace completed, carrying out the last step by adding exactly seven drops of hellebore. Amelia and Dorea were not far behind finishing, and Hermione was on the last few steps. Ron's actually looked okay, but Neville's was currently omitting green bubbles, but it wasn't totally a disaster yet.
"When you are done, fill a glass flask with your potion, label it with your name and bring it up to the front for testing and marking." said Snape. "Homework: I want twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potions, for Thursday."
Disembarking the class, the five of them headed back to the Great Hall for lunch. Amelia was pleasantly surprised when Ernie, Hannah, Susan, Justin and who she thought was Megan Jones approached them.
"You kept that club quiet the other day, mate!" Ernie said, referring to when Harry and him spoke in Diagon Alley.
"Have you all signed up for it?" Her twin asked them, surprised.
"We were among the first to in Hufflepuff!" Susan said happily. "We think it's a really good idea, although a certain Zacharias Smith will take some convincing."
Amelia glanced at Harry, who was looking a bit nonplussed. "Does he think I'm an attention-seeking maniac?"
"Unfortunately, I think so, though he hasn't actually said anything." Hannah said. "He was telling us his parents think Dumbledore is a loony, so that probably means they don't believe you, Harry."
Lunch passed by quickly, with Angelina dropping by to tell them that Keeper tryouts would be on Sunday afternoon. She expected them to be there, even the reserves (Dorea was a Reserve Chaser whilst Amelia was the Reserve Seeker), in order to see how the new Keeper would fit in with the team dynamic. Ron went a bit pale, as he was going to try out for that position, but they reassured him that he would be fine. Soon after that, they were making their way to Ancient Runes, except Ron, who was heading to the North Tower with Neville for Divination. Harry was sounding very excited to be joining the class.
Professor Babbling wasn't too harsh on them for their first day back. She spent twenty minutes or so summarizing what they would cover in fifth year Ancient Runes, and also explained the OWL exam. Amelia sat up a bit when Babbling said that they were going to be carving Runes into stones that year - for that was quite practical, whereas third and fourth year runes were mostly theory and translating, so she was excited to finally be doing something with them. Though Babbling did say that carving was quite a tricky process, so they would be covering the theory side of it first before carving after Christmas, or even Easter, as carving runes was very unlikely to actually come up in the exam due to the very precise and timely process it was to just carve a single rune.
After that, the class was mostly just a recap of the final few topics they covered in fourth year, to refresh their memories. Amelia noticed that Babbling didn't give Harry any special attention or a hard time just because he was so new to the subject, which she could tell he appreciated. He even answered a few questions Babbling asked the class, which impressed her that much she awarded Gryffindor ten house points.
When the bell rang for the sixth period, they met up with Ron at the staircase and made their way to their first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson with Professor Umbridge. They didn't quite know what to expect. They were neither dreading or looking forward to it. They hadn't a chance to ask anyone who'd already had her what she was like, and they were in for a double period with the woman.
When they entered the classroom, they found their new teacher already sat expectantly at her desk, seemingly smiling at thin air until she turned to look at them. "Come in, dears!" She called out to them.
Amelia grabbed the middle row for them, and Dorea and Ron sat either side of her, with Harry and Hermione sitting nearer the aisle. The class started filling in after them - Seamus sat right behind them with Dean, and Neville found himself joining them. The Slytherin's turned up not too long after, Malfoy ever the ringleader, and he said a polite welcome to Professor Umbridge, who asked how his father was doing.
"Oh yeah, I know exactly where her loyalties lie." Dorea mumbled next to her.
Hermione had overheard. "I don't think you can come to that conclusion yet, Dorea, she only asked about him."
"We'll see." Was her godsisters response as she got her books out.
When everyone was accounted for, Professor Umbridge started the lesson. "Good afternoon, all!"
A handful of people muttered "good afternoon" in response.
"That won't do, will it? I would prefer if you could all reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge'. Let's try that again. Good afternoon, class!"
What are we, back in primary school? Amelia thought jokingly, as she added her voice to the class in chanting back, "Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge!"
"There, that wasn't too difficult, now was it?" Umbridge clapped twice and cooed a bit at them in a sweet tone. "Wands away and quills out, please."
Amelia's eyebrows furrowed, and a quick survey of the class found that everyone was indeed looking confused. Never had they spent a full Defence lesson writing - there was always a time to practise. Amelia obliged reluctantly, stowing her wand away in her bag, the class doing the same.
Professor Umbridge grabbed her own short wand from her desk and must have performed the Blackboard Writing Spell, for writing appeared on the blackboard at once: Defence Against the Dark Arts: A Return to Basic Principles
Oh my lord, Amelia thought, this is going to be boring. "Well, as I recall, your teaching in this subject has been rather all over the place, hasn't it? The constant annual changing of teachers has certainly not helped - and none of them have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum. That has resulted in you poor dears to be far below the expected standard we would hope to see coming into fifth year. You will all be pleased to know that these problems have been met with a solution. The Ministry has brought out an approved, theory-based course of defensive magic. Copy down the following, please."
She pointed at the blackboard again, and the words Course Aims: appeared below the title above. It was followed by:
Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic.
Learning to recognise situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.
Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical usage.
For a few minutes, the classroom was filled with the sounds of students copying the writing down with their quills. Dorea was already hating this lesson, and they were only five minutes into the double period. She could tell this woman was an utter joke - she would have preferred Professor Lockheart to be teaching them right now, with or without his memory altered, and that was saying something, for he was another joke. At least he let us be practical, though.
"Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
A few people in the class murmured agreement.
"I think we shall try that again," Professor Umbridge was acting like they were toddlers learning discipline, "When I ask a question, I expect a 'Yes, Professor Umbridge' or a 'No, Professor Umbridge'. So: Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
Dorea sighed, irritated, as she said "Yes, Professor Umbridge," with the class.
"Good, then I shall like you all to turn to page five and start reading Chapter One. There will be no need to talk." The woman instructed. Umbridge then walked behind her desk and sat herself down in the chair, and was observing them all with her toad eyes. Dorea opened the book and pretended to read, but was trying to think of ways to persuade Remus to come back and be their Defence teacher.
Dorea glanced at her friends, and realised that Hermione didn't even have her book open, and instead was sat with her hand in the air. When Umbridge finally looked up from her desk, did she look quite startled. "What is your name, dear?"
"Hermione Granger. I have a query regarding the course aims," Hermione declared.
"You don't understand them? My dear, they're quite easy to comprehend." Umbridge smirked a bit.
"They mention nothing about practically using or learning defensive spells?" Hermione ignored that quip, "Isn't that the whole point of this course?"
Umbridge let out a bit of a laugh. "Using defensive spells? Miss Granger, do you expect to be attacked in my classroom?"
"Wait, we aren't going to use magic?" Was what came from Daphne Greengrass at the back of the class.
"Surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to-" Ron started
"-Students will raise their hands when they're going to ask a question, Mr…?"
"Weasley." Ron answered, and immediately raised his hand.
Professor Umbridge, looking mirthful, turned her back on them momentarily, before she turned back around. This time, Amelia and Harry both raised their hands. "Do you also have a question, Miss…?"
"Amelia Potter." Amelia supplied, before carrying on. "Surely the whole point of this class is to prepare us for both internal and external attacks, which is why we need to learn defensive magic?"
"Are you a Ministry-trained education expert, Miss Potter?" Umbridge asked in a falsely sweet tone.
"No, but-"
"-Well then, I'm afraid you're not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of this course is. Now, please, can we all get back to the task at hand?" Umbridge said shrilly. "And to answer your question, Miss Potter, you will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way…"
"What's the point in that?" Harry said loudly. "There's nothing risk-free about being attacked-"
"Hand up, Mr Potter!" Umbridge almost sang.
Harry, sighing in annoyance, thrust his hand in the air. However, Umbridge ignored him, and instead moved around the class. "Your name is?"
Dorea turned around in her seat, and Umbridge was referring to Dean. "Dean Thomas, ma'am."
"Well, what is your question, Mr Thomas?"
"Well, it's like Harry said, if we're going to be attacked, the attacker isn't going to go easy on us." Dean reasoned.
"Mr Thomas, I repeat, do you expect to be attacked during my lessons?"
"No, but I'm talking about outside of school, when we graduate-"
Professor Umbridge rudely cut him off. "I do not wish to willingly criticise the ways in which this otherwise fantastic school runs and operates," she said, an abnormally wide smile on her face, "but you have been taught by some very, very unqualified teachers for this class that it is a wonder the Ministry did not step in sooner - not to mention, you have been lectured by extremely dangerous half-breeds."
Dorea almost flipped there and then, and Dean carried on speaking in a defensive tone. "If you're talking about Professor Lupin, ma'am, he was the best we had-"
"Hand up, Mr Thomas!" The woman said, all in one breath. Her voice went back to being girly. "Besides, who do you imagine would want to attack children, like yourselves?"
Dorea smirked as Harry proclaimed, "Hmmm, I don't know, maybe, Lord Voldemort?"
A few people gasped at Harry's use of his name. Neville almost fell off his chair, whilst Lavender almost cried out. Umbridge looked a bit murderous. "Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Potter." She made to continue. "You have all been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned. Let me make this quite plain," Dorea noticed that Harry was almost boiling over with anger. "This. is. A. lie."
Harry lurched forward. "It is NOT a lie! I saw him return, I fought him! I could tell you the bloody ritual Pettigrew used to revive him to a human form if you wish, Professor!" Harry said, furious.
"Detention, Mr Potter!" Professor Umbridge declared. "Tomorrow evening, five o'clock, my office. You are frightening other members of the class needlessly with your claims. And may I remind you, that Peter Pettigrew was sent to prison for killing those muggles all those years ago, NOT for, as you say, reviving a Dark wizard."
Malfoy sniggered. Daphne Greengrass spoke up again. "But if that was the case, what was Pettigrew doing at the graveyard and just so happened to also be there with Harry and Diggory? He was clearly there to do something."
"Miss Greengrass, please raise your hand if you wish to speak." Umbridge said through gritted teeth. She was clearly getting tired of this conversation.
"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory just collapsed dead, randomly?" Harry challenged her again. Hermione was tugging his sleeve fiercely.
Umbridge's face was stone cold. "Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident."
"Voldemort murdered Cedric, Professor, and you know it." Amelia defended her twin brother. The class was now avidly turning their heads to watch either Harry or Umbridge like it was a tennis match.
Dorea jumped to the defence of Harry, and decided to speak up. "What has your precious Minister for Magic been telling you to believe, Professor?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Why? I think Dorea's question was quite easy to comprehend, Professor." Amelia jumped in. There was a stunned silence, and Umbridge turned a shade of purple. "I will not tolerate cheek in my classroom. Detention for you both. You can join Mr Potter and me tomorrow at five."
Dorea thought that a fair price to pay for calling the awful woman out on her diabolical brainwashing attempt on them.
"Now, please, can we return to the task at hand? We have already wasted enough time!" Professor Umbridge said in a brisk tone, implying that this debate was at an end. Though as the woman walked back to her desk, the class only resumed speaking in quiet tones.
The rest of the double period was unfortunately spent in silence, as Umbridge commanded it. Dorea was still annoyed that she had got detention, but she had only stuck up for her godbrother, and Amelia had done too. Oh well, it's only detention, it won't be that bad.
At dinner, news of what had happened in their Defence lesson seemed to spread fast, for some seventh year Slytherin boys were standing at the bottom of the Grand Staircase, circled them, and claimed that they had "no respect" for their new Defence teacher, who was only trying to stop Harry's "rambles of utter rubbish" (according to them). However, the boys were soon sent flying backwards and into a heap when out of nowhere, Fred and George appeared next to them. "Pay them no mind." George said.
Fred fell in beside her. "How was your first day of classes?" He asked, putting an arm around her.
"Apart from Umbridge's class, fine. Snape was flabbergasted that me, Harry and Amelia are so good at Potions now." She answered honestly.
At supper, Dorea found herself glancing up at the staff table between every few mouthfuls of roast chicken, as if Hagrid was going to walk through the doors any moment and appear there. Where was he? Why had Dumbledore not even said anything? Surely a simple 'Professor Hagrid will join us again in a few days' would go a long way, but that fact that he hadn't said that at the Welcoming Feast was annoying. Also, there was the other absence of Professor Sinistra. "Has anyone had Astronomy yet?" She wondered out loud.
"I don't think so, and we won't find out who the teacher actually is until, what, Wednesday? Is that when we first have it?" Amelia guessed.
Harry looked like he had no care for anything. "I'm just so annoyed."
"You were right to stand up to her," Hermione offered her support.
"I feel like there's a 'but' incoming," Harry muttered.
"No, there isn't actually." Hermione said haughtily. "I was only tugging on your sleeve so that you wouldn't lose Gryffindor more House points, because no doubt she would have taken more."
Ron grinned at Dorea and Amelia. "You two were brilliant, by the way, she was speechless."
Dorea smirked. "She clearly didn't want to say what Fudge told her either - which implies a lot of things."
"Yeah, completely avoided the question." Ron said, as he shoved a forkful of green beans into his mouth.
She looked up when they heard the brisk sound of footsteps coming from the staff table. It was Professor McGonagall, and she was looking at them. "You three, with me, now." She commanded, gesturing to Harry, Amelia, and Dorea.
Half the Great Hall were staring at them on their way out, as if they'd just been expelled. She led them to the empty Entrance Hall.
"Well, is it true?" McGonagall said, rounding on them.
"Err, is what true, Professor?" Amelia asked.
"That your twin brother shouted at Professor Umbridge, and that you two were cheeky to her?"
"Yes," the three of them replied sheepishly, looking at the ground.
"You called her a liar?" She asked Harry.
"Yes."
"You told her that He Who Must Not Be Named is back?"
"Yes."
"Help yourselves to second helpings of dessert tonight." McGonagall straightened up.
The three of them couldn't believe it, they were expecting to be screamed at - for McGonagall was quite strong on discipline. "P-pardon?"
She smiled knowingly at them, and produced a note from Umbridge. "I applaud you for standing up to her. However, you three need to be more careful."
Dorea swallowed, and the dread, which she was previously feeling, evaporated. "Misbehaving in her class could cost you more than house points or a detention. I'm assuming you three know where she previously worked, and I'm sure it's plainly obvious who she spies for. She'll be reporting everything to Fudge."
All three of them nodded, sharing a glance of understanding. "It says here that you three will all be in detention with her from Monday to Friday this week, from five o'clock until seven."
"What?! That's almost every evening this week!" Harry exclaimed, horrified.
"That means we've got to do all our work on Sunday!" Amelia piped up, for they had the first Defence Association meeting on Saturday evening.
"Professor, couldn't you-"
"No, I couldn't." McGonagall answered for Dorea.
"But-"
"She is your teacher and has every right to give you detention. You will go to her office and attend them. Just keep this in mind if you don't want more of them - tread very carefully around Dolores Umbridge."
"But surely you know I was telling the truth!" Harry was outraged, his voice almost echoing around the spacious room of the Entrance Hall.
"For the love of God, Potter!" McGonagall said angrily, "Do you think this is all about who's telling the truth or who's lying? It's all about keeping your head in the game, swallowing your pride, and keeping your temper in check! That goes for you two as well, with your quips!"
It was quiet for a few moments, and all they could hear was everyone at dinner. McGonagall spoke again. "Did either of you actually listen to Dolores Umbridge's speech yesterday?"
They all nodded. "Well, we only listened to the more important parts with deeper meanings, but we established a general consensus." Dorea answered.
McGonagall eyed them closely. "Which was?"
"That the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts." Amelia replied.
"I'm glad you listen at any rate." Their Transfiguration teacher said, letting them go back to their dinner.