It's time for the first day of lessons and a day full of drama at Hogwarts! I hope you all enjoy!
Some of the dialogue is borrowed from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 12 – Professor Umbridge.
The first morning back at school was always an early rise for Leo, and after waking up and taking a moment to breathe and remind himself that he was back at Hogwarts he checked his watch to see that it was half past 6. When he left the comforts of his four poster bed he quickly dressed himself in his school robes and quietly left the room full of still sleeping 5th years to move down to the common room intending to have a moment to himself to get his bag together. Surprisingly however, he wasn't alone
"Morning." A female voice piped up at him from behind her copy of The Standard Book of Spells Grade 5, as Fay lowered it to smile up at him, though not as brightly as she usually would. Leo noticed that she looked tired, and given he wouldn't normally see her before breakfast, he could tell something wasn't quite right.
"Rough night for you as well?" Leo asked her as he sat himself down on the sofa beside her. "I didn't expect to see you this side of 8."
Fay groaned, stretching out so that her legs were sprawled across him. "I couldn't stay up there… Lavender Brown and Hermione Granger were having a go at one another over this Daily Prophet thing."
"Yeah, we had Seamus start that with us last night." Leo shook his head before shoving her legs away unceremoniously and placing his bag on them to stop her from returning. "I don't see how anyone can believe it. It's so obviously propaganda it's laughable."
Fay looked unconvinced as she moved around to sit up properly, her book dropping down gently onto her lap. "The Daily Prophet gets into every home though, Leo." She explained. "And some of the things they say are very convincing, especially about Dumbledore."
"Please don't tell me you believe it too." Leo groaned, throwing his head back as he sunk into the sofa, hoping that Fay of all people wouldn't be that gullible.
Fay shook her head vigorously. "No, I saw Cedric's body last year…" She stopped for a moment as the memory replayed itself in her head and her face went pale. "That was no accident no matter what they say. But Anna is kidding herself, as is Lavender."
"Anna believes it?" Leo asked with another groan.
Fay sighed as she nodded. "You know what she's like, of course she'll be swayed by the gossip columns."
Leo rolled his eyes. "I really don't understand her." He stated.
"I don't think anybody does." Fay snorted in amusement, before setting her face more seriously. "She'll come around. She just needs to work out that she lives in the real world first."
"That'll be the day." Leo muttered; a bit harsher than intended.
The glare from Fay told him that his tone had been noticed. "Anyway, enough about arguments." Fay waved away as she rose to her feet, packing her book away in her bag before pulling Leo's arm to help him up too as the pair made their way out of the Common Room and started on the walk to the Great Hall for breakfast. "We barely spoke yesterday, how was your summer? I feel like you wrote so few letters."
Leo shrugged, responding similarly to the day before. "Weird, Mum was swamped at work. Other than a couple of hikes and trips to see Wigtown play I didn't actually do a lot other than hang on the loch or go through my schoolwork, I'm glad to be back with other people in a way. How was yours?"
Fay grinned. "Wicked! I cashed in my birthday present from you and took that tour around South Esk Stadium. It was awesome!"
Fay was an avid Montrose Magpies fan, and so Leo had called in a favour with his Mother for her present, using Mary's links from work and her former boss to sort out the tickets. "I'm glad you liked it." He smiled, letting her leave through the portrait first as the pair began the walk down to the Great Hall. They spoke more about Quidditch and the summer, but in the back of Leo's mind he couldn't shake the thought that this year would be filled with division, the complete opposite of what Professor Dumbledore had asked for last term.
They were among the first students inside the enchanted room for breakfast and had already filled their stomachs by the time that Anna had come to join them as the conversation between the pair had turned away from the summer and instead towards the year ahead and their O.W.L.s.
"I slept on it, and I'm worried about Professor Umbridge." Anna interjected, delicately buttering some toast as she spoke. "If the Ministry truly are coming in to interfere, then she's basically a spy."
Fay snorted in amusement. "That's rather dramatic, no?"
"No." Leo shook his head, agreeing with Anna having been thinking about that himself overnight. "Bailey's right. Umbridge will be reporting back to Fudge regularly, and it is already obvious what sort of thing they're looking out for."
"Is it?" Fay asked, confused at what they were getting at.
"Potter and Dumbledore." Anna shrugged.
Groaning, Fay shook her head. "Can we not start that please." Fay hissed quietly at her, looking further down the table to where the Gryffindor in question was sat. "I'm already sick of it thanks to last night." Thankfully they could stop following that thread as the owls swooped in delivering the post. The Daily Prophet was dropped in front of Anna, and she unfurled it to read whatever nonsense the newspaper had on offer that day.
Ignoring the paper, Leo instead took a look around the Great Hall and noticed that the Heads of Houses had begun the walk down their tables to hand out timetables for the year ahead. As she got to Leo she briskly handed him a sheet of parchment before also giving the girls their own and moving along the table again. Leo had barely glanced at his schedule for the year when he heard a groan coming from Anna who had pretty swiftly put down the newspaper after realising there was no new attack on Harry or Dumbledore. "Binns and Snape before lunch!" She exclaimed dramatically.
Leo actually liked the subject of History of Magic, although even he would admit the teaching was sub-par. The thought of double Potions that was scrawled on his timetable however elicited a similar response from him. "Oh come on guys, Potions is really not that bad." Fay tried to say when Professor McGonagall made her way down the table towards the rest of the fifth years, conveniently forgetting that of the three of them she was the only one with a proclivity for the subject.
"It's awful Fay." Anna retorted stubbornly. "And we have double Umbridge too after lunch! Someone send for the train to take me back home… I don't think I can cope…"
Fay rolled her eyes and turned to Leo. "You'll let us copy your History notes again, right?"
Leo smirked knowingly. "Are you not even going to try and stay awake in Binns' lesson?" He asked, an eyebrow raised tauntingly.
Fay shrugged back at him. "We always try..."
"We just always fail." Anna finished for her, causing both the girls to giggle at one another.
Rolling his eyes, Leo nodded in response to the original question. "Fine, so long as you help me with Potions again."
Fay nodded, and then shrieked a little as the Weasley Twins poked their heads either side of the girls. "Anybody want to buy some Extendable Ears?" Fred asked.
"Perfect for your eavesdropping needs." George grinned.
"Listen to your crush…"
"Your friends…"
"Or your teachers badmouthing you!"
"All for just 5 sickles!" George finished.
"No thanks!" Fay said quickly. The twins just shrugged and made their way down the table to say the same speech to a group of third years. "Honestly, those two are already worse than usual this year. Did you see the sign they put up on the notice board last night?"
Anna had finally finished her breakfast by that point, and so instead of hanging around they rose from the bench to leave the Great Hall, making their way towards the first floor where Professor Binns' classroom was. History was Leo's best subject and so while the rest of the class bar Hermione settled into comfortable positions to extend their sleep, Leo had taken out his books, ink and quill waiting for the lecture to start. Once it did, Leo began furiously taking notes, popping his head up and noticing that Anna had managed to make it twenty minutes before falling asleep, while Fay managed another ten after that before succumbing.
Potions followed, and it was as bad as predicted. Snape had both the Gryffindor and Slytherin fifth years creating the Draught of Peace by following the instructions on the blackboard. Once his time was up Leo had sweat dripping from his hair and was panting after such an intense brewing session, and his potion was a royal blue and letting off a nasty stench. He looked over at Fay who looked pleased with herself and sighed. Snape came round the cauldrons and noted that Leo must have mistimed some of the stirring, while simply nodding at Fay. He then came to the next table where Harry Potter and his friends were.
"Here we go." Fay grumbled quietly, as Snape stopped by Harry's cauldron. Leo could only agree, every potions lesson from their very first one years earlier it seemed that Snape had to taunt Harry in some way.
"Potter, what is this supposed to be?" Snape asked. Leo couldn't see his face, but judging by the smirks and grins on the faces of the Slytherin's Leo could only imagine Snape was also enjoying it.
"The Draught of Peace." Harry replied.
"Tell me Potter." Snape said quietly, but so everybody could hear. "Can you read?"
Leo noticed Anna's hands fly to her mouth, to either stop a gasp or a snicker. Draco Malfoy of course laughed aloud. Leo turned to Fay who looked alarmed as well, as she gestured towards Harry who had his hand in one of his pockets, grasping his want tightly. "Yes I can." Harry replied, annoyed.
"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter." Snape requested.
Harry looked over at the blackboard, squinting so that he could see the instructions through the haze of steam that filled the classroom. "Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counter-clockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes and then add two drops of syrup of hellebore…" He trailed off at the end, and Leo immediately knew where Harry had gone wrong.
As Snape began to question Harry, Leo realised that his mistake had been that he had rushed his potion and hadn't left it for seven minutes. He looked down at the royal blue liquid and shook his head, looking back just in time for Snape to pull out his wand. "I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco." Leo couldn't see the result, but Harry's cauldron stopped smoking and Leo knew that his potion had been vanished. "Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name and bring it up to my desk for testing." said Snape. "Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."
Leo quickly filled a flagon and labelled it, handing it over to the Professor to be tested eventually. The bell rang as Leo was tidying up his cauldron, and he still had another few minutes before Snape called him up.
"Adequate." Snape muttered unhappily. "Although you would have given the patient swelling in the mouth if this had been ingested. Next time remember your timings, MacDonald."
"Yes, Professor." Leo said quickly, eager to get out of there.
Thankfully, Snape seemed to agree. "You may go." Snape dismissed him, and Leo rushed out of the dungeons, grabbing his bag as he went and met up with Fay and Anna again for lunch.
"He's so cruel." Anna said unhappily once they were sat back at the Gryffindor table. "Harry's potion was no worse than anybody else's."
Fay nodded. "It's unfair." She admitted. "But he proved he knows what he's doing when he knew exactly went wrong…"
"Don't stick up for the greasy git." Leo exclaimed, horrified.
"I'm just saying!" Fay retorted. She was about to comment further when they heard Harry's voice raise, and the three of them watched as Harry abandoned his shepherd's pie half eaten and stormed out, leaving Ron and Hermione bewildered. "What's that about?" Fay whispered.
"He's just attention seeking again." Anna waved away.
"Anna!" Fay gasped. "That's harsh."
Anna shrugged. "What? It's obvious isn't it?"
Leo scowled down at his plate. "He's being judged left right and centre. After Seamus last night, all the stares today and Snape just now, he's bound to be frustrated."
Anna barked out a laugh, before scoffing when she realised that Leo was actually being serious. "Since when do you stick up for Harry Potter?"
"I don't like bullies." Leo snapped quickly, stabbing a roast potato with his fork and angrily jamming it into his mouth, not saying another word out of annoyance for the entire meal.
After lunch Leo had Arithmancy, a class in which he, Anna and Hermione were the only Gryffindor's signed up for. Focusing on his work and not wanting to talk to Anna after their disagreement at lunch, he didn't actually speak a word other than answering Professor Vector's numerous questions until after the lesson where he caught up with Hermione as they made their way down to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Hermione noticed him as Leo moved beside her. "Oh, hello Leo."
"Hey." He said, forgetting what he had wanted to say in the first place. "Fascinating lesson, wasn't it?" He settled for, wanting to wince as he thought himself completely cringeworthy.
Hermione gave him a soft smile. "It always is, I find. The way Professor Vector explains the meaning of the numbers… it's fascinating."
She wasn't speaking as enthusiastically as normal about the subject, something that Leo noticed immediately. "Are you ok?" He asked, concerned.
"What?" Hermione said quickly, looking at him in alarm. "Of course, I'm fine."
"It's just…" Leo began, before sighing softly. "We heard Harry at lunch."
The brunette stopped in her tracks for a moment. "Oh." Hermione mumbled, brushing some of her hair away from her eyes. Shaking her head she then said. "He's just stressed, he didn't mean it."
Leo smiled back at her sadly. "I can't imagine how tough it is for him at the moment… nor how tough it is for you."
"Me?" Hermione looked surprised.
Leo shrugged. "I only see what you the three of you show to the rest of us mere mortals, but with everything going on with him it can't be easy being one of the only people Harry trusts."
"I… It…" Hermione clearly didn't know what to say as her eyes moved to look down at her feet. "It's nothing." She said finally after a brief pause. "I can handle Harry."
Leo smirked at that, completely believing it. "I know you can." He told her as he heard some heavier footsteps storm past them, and Leo watched as the auburn hair of Anna stormed past them muttering something about 'attention seekers.' "Ignore her." Leo added, rolling his eyes at his friend.
"She was muttering last night too." Hermione noted out loud. "Isn't she your friend?"
"Sort of, it depends on the mood." Leo shrugged. "She believes the Prophet for some daft reason, and can't understand why I think that it's full of rubbish… she'll come around eventually."
"She can think what she wants." Hermione stated stubbornly as they were approaching the classroom.
Leo nodded. "But I'll still talk to her anyway." He saw Fay waving over at him and turned to Hermione one more time. "Let him know that he's not alone, and if you ever need to vent away from the other two, you know where I'll be."
Hermione smiled at him, causing Leo's stomach to do something odd. "Thanks, Leo." She said before walking into the classroom.
Leo waited a moment watching her depart through the door with a smile on his lips, before he heard his name being called. Noticing Fay nearby looking at him quizzically, he walked over to her. "What was that about?" She asked with a glint in her eye and a smirk on her face. "Anna just stormed past me without saying a word and you're talking with Hermione Granger of all people."
Hearing it aloud was nice, Leo thought, but he tried to play it cool instead by shrugging and he replied. "I just let her know that there are those that believe Harry, we're not all idiots."
Fay barked out a laugh, knowing immediately that he was being coy. "Is that all?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
Leo knew what she was insinuating and shoved her with his shoulder softly. "Shut up." He murmured, leading Fay into the classroom and sitting down at his desk beside her.
Professor Umbridge was sat at her desk, wearing the same ugly pink fluffy cardigan that she had been wearing the night before. He was quiet as he placed his bag underneath his desk, his eyes trained on the new Professor as he was unsure of the sort of teacher that she would be. Once everybody had settled down, Professor Umbridge cleared her throat and said brightly. "Well, good afternoon!" Leo didn't bother responding, but a few people muttered the same greeting back. "Tut, tut." Professor Umbridge said. "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." Leo replied dryly along with the rest of the class.
"There now." Umbridge remarked sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out please." Leo groaned, but he packed his wand in his bag and set out his quill and parchment ready to start taking notes for the class. By the time he was done Professor Umbridge had tapped the blackboard with her own want and the words 'Defence Against the Dark Arts: A Return to Basic Principles' began writing themselves on the surface. "Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" Professor Umbridge told the class, clasping her hands 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." She was pacing across the front of the room as she said this. "You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centred, Ministry approved course of defensive magic this year." She was back at the blackboard now. "Copy down the following, please."
Leo began scratching down the course aims that were appearing on the blackboard, internally mulling over the Professor's words about the lesson being theory-centred, when Fay leaned in towards him. "You were right, the Ministry is interfering." She barely whispered. Leo just nodded, not wanting to draw attention to himself as he wrote.
"Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?" Umbridge asked. Leo nodded, preparing to open the book to the relevant page when the Professor decided she wasn't happy with the response. "I think we'll try that again. When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply, 'Yes, Professor Umbridge,' or, 'No, Professor Umbridge.' So, has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
"Yes Professor Umbridge." Leo added to the voices confirming that they had purchased the book on their school lists.
Umbridge smiled an ugly smile. "Good. I should like you to turn to page five and read 'Chapter One: Basics for Beginners.' There will be no need to talk."
Leo had already done so during the summer, but he willed himself to trawl through the words once more. It was extremely boring, with instructions and notes that even first years would find dull. He was almost at the end of the chapter when Fay nudged him in the side with her elbow. He looked at her, annoyed, when he noticed her grinning. She nodded her head towards Hermione, who was sat staring at Professor Umbridge, her arm straining in the air.
"She's been like that for ages." Fay whispered in barely more than a breath to Leo.
A few minutes later, and with around half the class staring at Hermione's raised hand, Professor Umbridge relented. "Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?"
Hermione shook her head. "Not about the chapter, no."
"Well, we're reading now." Professor Umbridge explained as if she was talking to a small child. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."
"I've got a query about your course aims." Hermione said quickly. Leo was immediately enraptured at the back and forth.
Umbridge raised her eyebrow at Hermione. "And your name is?" Hermione answered her truthfully. "Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully." Leo almost gagged at the fakeness of her kind voice.
Hermione replied bluntly. "Well I don't. There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."
Leo had to double check his own writing, but he quickly noticed that Hermione was right. The aims were all theory based. Umbridge gave a little chuckle as she responded. "Using defensive spells? 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 Weasley exclaimed loudly.
Umbridge didn't take kindly to the outburst. "Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr…" She trailed off.
"Weasley." Ron answered, putting his hand in the air.
Umbridge then ignored him. Leo noticed both Harry and Hermione put their hands up, and sucked in a breath expectantly for Harry's turn. The Professor however turned to Hermione again. "Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?"
"Yes." Hermione nodded. "Surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?"
Umbridge stared at Hermione, her fake smile returning. "Are you a Ministry trained educational expert, Miss Granger?"
"No but…"
"Well then." Umbridge interrupted. "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 programme of study." Leo snorted at the thought that anybody was cleverer than Hermione adult or no, unwillingly catching the ire of Umbridge mid tirade. "Have you something to say, Mr…"
Leo gulped. "MacDonald." He answered.
"Mr MacDonald?" Umbridge finished.
Leo sighed. "Only to ask how are we to know whether we understand the theory if we can't practice the spells? If we can't do it here then we will be forced to practice outside of class and risk detentions."
"That is no issue of mine, Mr MacDonald. Together we shall all follow the Ministry's instructions by learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way…"
"What use is that?" Harry asked loudly, and Leo turned to him expectantly. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be in a…"
"Hand, Mr Potter!" Umbridge interrupted. Harry thrust his hand up, but by now half the class had done the same. "And your name is?"
"Dean Thomas." Dean answered.
"Well Mr Thomas?"
"Well it's like Harry said, isn't it? If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk free."
Umbridge's eyes were showing how frustrated she was getting. "I repeat, do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"
"No but…" Dean began, but Umbridge spoke over him.
"I do not wish to criticise the way things have been run in this school, but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed. Not to mention…" She gave a low, evil laugh. "extremely dangerous half breeds."
Leo remembered the shaggy Professor Lupin and his face contorted in annoyance. He turned to Fay who was also outraged, while Dean protested the loudest of them all. "If you mean Professor Lupin, he was the best we ever…"
"Hand, Mr Thomas!" Umbridge exclaimed. "As I was saying, you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet dark attacks every other day…"
"No we haven't, we just…" Hermione began.
"Your hand is not up, Miss Granger!" Umbridge exclaimed loudly. Leo had a firm scowl on his face now as he watched Hermione lift her hand up, and promptly get ignored. "It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you."
Leo's scowl dropped as the memory returned to him. The Imperius lessons of last year and the fact that he had failed miserably to throw the curse off had haunted him for weeks, giving him both nightmares and shaking fits. Fay noticed this and placed a hand on his arm in comfort, and Leo was dragged forcefully out of his memories by Harry shouting. "And what good is theory going to be in the real world?"
"This is school, Mr Potter, not the real world." Umbridge replied, softer than the anger her eyes were showing.
"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting for us out there?" Harry asked her angrily.
"Here we go…" Fay whispered expectantly, a grin on her face as she could see exactly what was about to play out. Leo was no seer, but even he could see the explosion that was imminent.
"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr Potter." Professor Umbridge claimed.
"Oh yeah?" Harry asked, almost mockingly. His anger was almost equal to Umbridge's hidden fury.
"Who do you imagine wants to attack children such as yourselves?" Umbridge enquired.
And then despite his own mental prediction, Leo couldn't believe what happened next as Harry put his hand to his chin and responded in a mocking, thoughtful voice. "Hmm, let's think. Maybe… Lord Voldemort?"
Ron gasped. Lavender Brown shrieked. Anna snapped her quill in half and Neville slipped off his stool, all at the same time. Even Leo was audibly shocked at the brazenness of Harry, and he felt Fay's nails grip painfully into his arm. The worst reaction of all however, was Umbridge's. She stood there with a smug expression on her face as he crossed her arms.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Potter." The class was silent now, eagerly anticipating whatever was going to happen next. "Now let me make a few things quite plain. You have been told that a certain dark wizard has returned from the dead…"
"He wasn't dead." Harry retorted angrily. "But yeah, he's returned."
"Mr-Potter-you-have-already-lost-your-house-ten-points-do-not-make-matters-worse-for-yourself!" Umbridge snapped in a single breath, not even looking at the bespectacled teen. She took a deep breath and continued, her fake, sweet voice still grating on Leo. "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!" Harry roared. "I saw him! I fought him!"
"Detention, Mr Potter!" Umbridge exclaimed triumphantly, and Leo realised she was doing all of that just to rile up Harry. "Tomorrow evening, five o'clock, my office." She returned her attention to the whole class. "I repeat, this is a lie. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in any danger from any dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, 'Basics for Beginners'."
Umbridge then sat down at her desk and for a split-second Leo thought it was over. He should have known however that Harry Potter would let his temper get to him, and the Boy-Who-Lived rose slowly out of his seat, shrugging off an alarmed Hermione as she tried to stop him. The entire class had their eyes on him now. "So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" His voice was shaking with venom.
Leo sucked in a breath, as did a number of the class. He had only heard Dumbledore's explanation of that night, and was wondering if Harry was going to break his silence on it or not. Fay's grip was even more painful now, as she had both hands on his arm.
Umbridge stared at him coldly, the first time a fake smile had not been on her lips. "Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident." She told them all, coldly.
Harry wasn't having any of it. "It was murder." He said slowly, and Leo was clinging on to every word. "Voldemort killed him, and you know it."
His tone was what got to Leo most of all. It wasn't rage; it wasn't boastful. It was cold. The hairs on Leo's arms and neck were standing upright as Harry muttered those words, the words that confirmed everything in Leo's mind. Harry's face was almost haunted as he spoke, and that was all Leo needed to see to know he was telling the truth.
Umbridge didn't react either. She simply stared at Harry devoid of emotion until she said in her sickening, sweet voice. "Come here, Mr Potter, dear."
Harry kicked his chair aside and went up to her desk. All Leo could see was Umbridge pull out some pink parchment and scribbling on it. None of the class wanted to say anything as they watched the exchange, with Umbridge handing Harry the parchment and saying quietly. "Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear." Harry didn't say another word, instead he just took the parchment and stormed out of the room, not even collecting his bag as he went. The door slammed, and the entire class turned back to Professor Umbridge. "Now then." The Professor said calmly. "Open your books to page five, and continue reading chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners'."
Leo slowly did as he was asked, and from that moment until the end of the lesson there wasn't a single word spoken from the entire class. Leo was eager to leave the room as soon as he could, and as the bell sounded and they were allowed to leave the classroom he breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to Fay, noticing that Ron and Hermione had almost ran off straight away. "Wow." Was all he could muster up.
"Tell me about it!" Fay exclaimed, her tone being one of rage. "Can you believe her? Calling Cedric's death an accident… we all saw the body. Nothing leaves no marks other than the Killing Curse."
"Fay…" Leo tried to calm her down.
"No, Leo." She insisted as they started to walk down the corridor towards their Common Room. "Harry was right, as stupid as he was to react like that when all she wanted to do was rile him up."
They heard a scoff, and Leo turned back to the direction of the classroom and saw Anna walk up towards them. "Please, you don't believe that lunatic do you?" She asked. "As if he fought You-Know-Who…"
"I do believe him." Fay said cautiously, staring at Anna in anticipation of her reaction.
"I do too." Leo nodded, more firmly than Fay had. "The way he spoke about it… that wasn't attention seeking. He was haunted by it."
Anna snorted. "You guys are idiots. You'll see soon enough!" She began to skip away. "See you at dinner!"
Leo shook his head in disbelief. "How can she still not believe it after all that?" He asked, incredulously.
Fay looked uneasy. "Not a lot of people do, Leo. Most don't even want to admit it could be anything other than nonsense. We've all heard stories from the war…" She trailed off. "They might start if they listen to Harry though… if he can keep his temper for more than 5 minutes.
Leo agreed with that. "Come on." He said, poking his elbow out so Fay could slip her arm in. "That's enough talk about Harry Potter for one day. We better try and get started on some homework before dinner." He told her, and the pair made their way along towards the Common Room, eager to relax after what had been a strenuous first day.
Reviews:
1shinChan: I don't plan on that! There's obviously moments in Year 6 where he's completely dense and I'm not having him and Hermione end up together in this story so that could be seen as negative on him, but I love Ron's character and I really hope to show that off.
Dante687: Thank you!
SkepticPrinceArthur: Thank you! I vastly prefer the books. The films were great in their way but my favourite character at one point was Ginny and she got dealt a rough hand, and the books just give me much more detail when I'm writing. Thank you for your comments about my past works, I'm really glad you enjoyed them! The Lupin moment is meant to be a bit of a tease… and if you pay attention to the conversation in Chapter 2 there's a moment there too that makes it clear that Leo doesn't have the full story.