The second week of the term begins... with a very bad surprise.

HERMIONE XV

She watched the screech owl standing at the window of the Gryffindor Tower. They were nearly half past eleven on Sunday. The weekend was over. Early next morning, their second week of the term would begin. And yet, there was still one other person with Hermione in the common room. Ron was busy at a table completing his homework. He had exasperated Hermione for the whole week. She knew and she understood how important it was for Ron to become the Keeper of Gryffindor, but he truly went too far this week. He saw how huge the amount of work they received, he knew he had responsibilities as prefect, and yet he spent all his nights training at the Quidditch pitch in prevision to the try-outs. The try-outs then took place Friday evening, and Ron found nothing better to do than spending the whole Saturday training for Quidditch. As a result, he spent the Sunday in his books, covering all his late homework.

Hermione felt he deserved that. He should have planned better, and given more priority to their homework. This was the year of their O.W.L.s. He was a prefect now. He should have given priority to schoolwork. At least, Harry completed most of his work during the week, even if he spent almost all Saturday playing Quidditch. But he managed to work some between lunch and their practice, then he also worked during the evening with Susan at the library. As a result, while Harry had already gone to the dormitory, leaving Ron some of his own completed homework for their friend to take inspiration from, Ronald still remained up, working like a mad man.

Perhaps Hermione was a little harsh on him. Ron had not expected to become prefect, and being on the Quidditch team was a dream he had since his birth. And even Hermione didn't anticipate that their first week would be so hellish. True, Hermione and Harry managed their time much better. But Hermione had expected to be prefect. She even prepared for it mentally. Ron didn't have this chance. As for Harry, ironically… Hermione suspected that a part of his diligence in homework might come from a certain redheaded girl who he spent a lot of time with at the library. And this redheaded girl wasn't Ginny.

She and Hermione discussed this afternoon, enjoying some free time in this last day of the weekend. Ginny told her a little about her and Michael Corner. Hermione was glad to see that their relationship was truly serious. She remembered when Ginny first came to Hogwarts, shy, terrified. She was way more mature now. And she was able to interact very normally not only when Harry was around, but also with Harry. It was probably a good thing that Harry started seeing Susan last year. Maybe it forced Ginny to better assert herself. In all cases, Hermione was glad to see Ginny so happy with Michael.

Hermione's personal life was going well too. She still exchanged letters with Viktor. They began writing to each other this summer. Hermione was afraid that their relationship was over, considering they couldn't see each other, but she liked to remain in contact with him. She considered him as a very dear friend now. Anyway, she wouldn't have much time to have a boyfriend right now, not with her prefect's obligations and the O.W.L.s already approaching.

She stood up and walked towards Ron. Looking over the back of his shoulder, she saw that he worked feverishly. She only regretted he so often did it when time was almost gone. Taking a closer look at his work, she noticed some mistakes.

"Nearly done?" she asked, reminding herself of the reason why she approached him.

"No," he replied, not lifting his eyes from his parchment.

"Jupiter's biggest moon is Ganymede, not Callisto. And it's Io that's got the volcanoes."

"Thanks," he said, tired, scratching the two errors she noticed without turning the head. He really looked exhausted, but at least he didn't seem angry.

"Ron…" she began.

"Hermione, if that's for a sermon, it's not the time. I must finish this before I go to bed. I'll try to do homework during the week tomorrow."

"Ron, look at the window."

He finally looked up and stared at where she was pointing. "Isn't that Hermes?"

"Yes, it is." He stood up, surprised, abandoning his homework to which his life seemed to be limited during the whole day. "What's Percy writing to me for?"

Ron went to the window, opened it, seized the letter the screech owl handed him, and closed the window as Hermes flew away.

"That's definitely Percy's handwriting," he said while looking at the letter.

"Open it!" Hermione told him.

If Percy wrote to him, perhaps this was good news. Perhaps he was trying to mend things with his family, Ron first. They couldn't ignore this letter.

Ron didn't either. He opened the letter and began to read it himself. But as his eyes went through it, Hermione felt more and more that the content was not what they could have hoped for. Scowling, frowning and grimacing grew on Ron's face as he read it. By the end, he looked totally disgusted and gave it to Hermione. She looked at it and read the message.

Dear Ron,

I have only just heard from colleagues at the Department of Magical Education that you have become a Hogwarts prefect.

I was most pleasantly surprised when I heard this news and must firstly offer my congratulations. I must admit that I have always been afraid that you would take what we might call the Fred and George route, rather than following my footsteps. So you can imagine my feelings on hearing you have stopped flouting authority and have decided to shoulder some responsibility.

But I want to give you more than congratulations, Ron. I want to give you some advice, which is why I am sending it at night rather than by the usual morning post. Hopefully, you will be able to read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions.

From what I could gather, although I apologize if I am wrong given my limited recent contact with the family, I gather that you might still be seeing Harry Potter a lot. I must tell you, Ron that nothing could put you in danger of losing your badge more than continued fraternisation with that boy. Yes, I am sure you are surprised to hear this. No doubt you will say that Potter has always been Dumbledore's favourite, and the recent naming of his mother, Lily Potter, as one of your teachers must have reinforced this impression. But I feel bound to tell you that Dumbledore may not be in charge at Hogwarts much longer and the people who count have a very different, probably more accurate, view of the Potters' behavior. I shall say no more here, but if you look at the Daily Prophet tomorrow, you will get a good idea of the way the wind is blowing. And see if you can spot yours truly.

Seriously, Ron, you don't want to be tarred with an association to anyone who is so close to Dumbledore as the Potters. It could be very damaging to your future prospects, and I am talking about life after school too. I do not know if you are aware of this, as it wouldn't surprise me if the Potters kept you in the dark, but Harry Potter had a disciplinary hearing this summer in front of the whole Wizengamot. And he did not come out of it looking too good. He got off on a mere technicality, if you ask me, and many of the people I've spoken to remain convinced of his guilt. As for Lily Potter, or Lily Evans as she likes to call herself, as if she could fool someone into not knowing who she is, she was fired the day after the trial, following an in-depth review of her performance that concluded she was not fit at all to be part of these elite units that Aurors are. If you want my opinion, people at the Ministry favorable to Dumbledore previously gave her a free pass because of her name, but as you see, the Minister is decided to ensure people in the Ministry are not named simply because they are friends of Dumbledore.

If you are afraid to sever ties with Potter, I understand. I myself had my doubts before I severed ties with our parents. Not only because they are my parents and I love them, despite everything that happened, but also because, and I am ashamed to admit it, I was afraid of the consequences for my career if I chose to turn my back on Dumbledore. However, I am proud to say today that this was the right choice to do. I understand that Harry Potter may be unbalanced and violent, and that with his mother now teaching the highly important and crucial subject of Defence Against the Dark Arts, you may be even more worried of the consequences of turning your back on him. I can assure you though that this situation will not last. Like Dumbledore shouldn't be in charge of Hogwarts for long, Lily Evans Potter might end up being the professor to hold that position for the shortest period of time in history. Many people are unsatisfied with her lessons, and displeased with the content she teaches to her students. Be prepared to change side when the time comes. Again, I can only advise you to read the Daily Prophet carefully tomorrow.

This leads me to my other bit of advice. As I have hinted above, Dumbledore's regime at Hogwarts may soon be over. Your loyalty, Ron, should not be to him, but to the school and the Ministry. I was very sorry, like many of my colleagues at the Ministry, when Dumbledore made Lily Evans Potter the new professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Dumbledore obviously didn't choose her for her competence and knowledge, but because he wanted to prevent the Ministry from implementing the reforms necessary for Hogwarts to progress, reforms that are incompatible with Dumbledore's control over the establishment. I will allow myself to break the secret I am usually forced to maintain, but the Ministry had adopted a new law to name professors when Dumbledore couldn't fill a position, and Dolores Jane Umbridge, a charming and delightful woman who I got to work with very often, whose competence is no longer to prove, was supposed to occupy the position. Dumbledore stopped this from happening, but this will not last. Again, I can only refer you to the Daily Prophet of tomorrow.

I am sorry if my explanations do not seem clear enough for now, Ron. I only feel obligated to warn you that only the students willing to help the Ministry and its representatives at Hogwarts would be well placed to become Head Boy in a few years. I can only encourage you to choose the right side.

To conclude, Ron, I have to admit that despite all the excitement going on in my career right now and the feeling of doing the right thing that inhabits me, there is one thing that I regret in this whole story. I regret to not have seen you more this summer. Not only you, but also Ginny, Bill, Charlie, our mother, and even Fred and George, despite how I disapprove their behavior. I also regret not seeing Dad more, despite the harsh words we exchanged when I left. It pains me to criticize our parents, but I am afraid I can no longer live under their roof while they remain mixed up with the dangerous crowd around Dumbledore. The recent condemnation of Sturgis Podmore, a great friend of Dumbledore, for trespass at the Ministry, only confirmed what I already knew for some time. People turning around Dumbledore always turn bad. I count myself lucky to have escaped the stigma of association with such people. The Ministry could not be more gracious to me. As much as I regret to have to say this, Ron, I hope that you will not allow family ties to blind you to the misguided nature of our parents' beliefs and actions either. I sincerely hope that, in time, they will realize how mistaken they were and I shall, of course, be ready to accept a full apology when that day comes.

Please think over what I have said carefully, particularly about the Potters. And congratulations again on becoming prefect.

Your brother.

Percy

"Well…" Hermione began, not sure about what to say. After all, even if all the Weasleys were angry at Percy, he remained Ronald's brother. She couldn't simply say straight what she thought of the nonsense she just read and of the person who wrote it. "He says he wants you to break ties with Harry… Harry may not be perfect, but to call him unbalanced and violent, that is…"

"Give it back," Ron snapped. He then proceeded to tear the latter in several pieces. "He is the world's biggest idiot."

He threw the letter into the fire and sat down furiously, returning to his Astronomy essay. Hermione approached him further and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"No. I don't need to talk about this idiot. What I need is to finish these damn homework."

Hermione had enough. He had been punished more than enough. She almost snatched his copy away from him and went to work on it. Ron was flabbergasted, but he promised Hermione to never be rude with her again and to never be late in his homework. Hermione doubted he would hold to this promise, but she didn't care at this stage. Ron had suffered more than enough, he deserved a helping hand.

The next morning, Ron yawned like never before, but he stopped the moment Hermione laid on the table at breakfast the front page of the Daily Prophet, announcing a new position at Hogwarts, that of High Inquisitor.

"So that's what this oaf wrote about last night," Ron roared, speaking about Percy.

"I know who this is," Harry said, looking at the woman on the cover page. He looked very displeased. "Dolores Jane Umbridge. She was at my trial. Among the few who voted for my condemnation. My mother hates her. And Remus too."

"Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked. "Why does he hate her?"

"She had tons of laws adopted against everyone who is not a pure wizard or something like that. Goblins, house-elves, merpeople, werewolves, even centaurs. Remus says he can barely find a job thanks to her."

"And your brother told us she was supposed to be Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts yesterday," Hermione told Ron. "No wonder Fudge gave her that position. She's probably eager to fire any teacher, Mrs Evans first."

She realized too late the mistake she made and turned to Harry, who glared hostilely at the picture of the woman. "Harry, I'm so…" Hermione began.

"Don't be," Harry retorted. "Anyone with a bit of sense knows why she's here. Fudge couldn't put his own professor in the school, so he sent her to get rid of some and place his minions instead."

"I can't wait to see McGonagall inspected," Ron said, looking excited, and Hermione didn't think it was because he thought McGonagall would bite dust, quite the opposite.

The lessons of the morning proved to be quite similar to those of last week. Both Harry and Ron lost interest in History of Magic after fifteen minutes. Again. In Potions, things fared a little better. Snape didn't make Harry's potion disappear this time. Hermione had to admit that her best friend's potion was very similar to her own.

At lunch though, they learned that Dolores Umbridge was already in the school. Fred and George said they had her in Charms. Though she seemed to not be as unnerving as someone could think. According to the brothers, she remained in her corner taking notes. Hermione certainly hoped she wouldn't have anything against Flitwick. What wrong was there to find on their Charms teacher? Fred and George even said he treated her like a guest. Though if she disapproved of people who were not pure wizards, considering Flitwick's ancestry, who knew what conclusions she could draw?

They arrived quite soon in Study of Ancient Runes. Harry sat down with Susan who was already speaking with Hannah.

"Hey, you'll never guess. You read in the Daily Prophet about that High Inquisitor? Umbridge?" Hannah asked them as Hermione sat down next to her.

"Yes, we know who she is," Hermione replied.

"She was in our Charms class this morning. She was inspecting Professor Flitwick."

"Has she been inspecting him the whole morning? The sixth-years told us she inspected him too."

"Really?"

"Don't they have Charms right after us?" Susan asked, sitting next to Harry.

"Yes," Hermione confirmed. "That means she was watching Flitwick the whole morning."

"You're surprised?" Susan asked, incredulous. Hermione stared back at her.

"That's a long time to watch one professor."

"Maybe that's what she will do," Harry offered as an explanation. "Watch one teacher in the morning, and another one in the afternoon."

"I hope Professor Flitwick will be fine," Hannah wished aloud. "I don't see how she could criticize him. He should be alright."

"We can still hope," Susan muttered. "Remember, Flitwick is half-goblin. Knowing Umbridge's history with people who are not totally wizards…"

That was exactly what Hermione feared. "She surely cannot remove a teacher like that, without good reason," she considered aloud.

"Well, judging for how she behaved at Harry's trial, I wouldn't count on her judgment," Susan commented.

"She was at your trial, Harry?" Hannah asked.

"Yes," Harry replied dryly. "She was among the few who voted that I should be declared guilty."

"Oh. They really didn't send us a good one."

"No," Susan confirmed. "My mother had to deal with her once. She described this woman as hypocritical, despiteful, haughty and not at all opened to discuss with whoever she views as being below her."

"Well, that makes two. My mother hates her as well. And she was supposed to be our teacher this year," Harry informed the girls.

"What?" Hannah asked, all surprised.

"Yes. She told me."

"Well… I hope she will not cause trouble for your mother, Harry," Hannah said, trying to sound reassuring, but Hermione found her more uncertain than anything else.

"I wouldn't count on that, especially with what Percy wrote," Harry commented bitterly.

"Percy?" Susan asked, frowning. "That's Ron's brother? The one who works for Fudge?"

"Yes. He wrote to Ron last night. And he implied that my mother didn't have much time left to teach at Hogwarts." Ron must have told Harry about that after he went to the dormitory.

"But… That's unfair! The Ministry cannot arrive here and decide that one professor is fit to teach while the other is unfit," Hannah said.

"That's not what the Daily Prophet seemed to say this morning," Hermione pointed out.

"I wish Percy had been wrong on the High Inquisitor thing. I mean, after all, he believes that I got off from my accusations at the Ministry because of a technicality," Harry commented darkly.

"A technicality?" Susan asked, looking totally flabbergasted.

"Didn't you get off because you were defending yourself and Susan from Dementors?" Hannah asked, bewildered as well.

"Not according to Percy, it seems," Harry replied, rolling in eyes in exasperation. "He wrote word for word that it was a mere technicality."

"That's completely stupid," Susan commented. "Percy was there during the trial. He took the minutes. He saw what happened. He considers that an attack of Dementors and employees of the Ministry hiding evidence and ordering the destruction of a wand without trial is a mere technicality?"

"Well, Ron qualified his brother of idiot and oaf, among other well chosen words," Hermione informed them, sharing Ron's opinion this time.

"If Ron says that, then his brother must really be an idiot," Hannah commented. Hermione didn't miss the little touch of sarcasm in Hannah's voice. Maybe she hadn't yet entirely forgotten how Ron broke up with her last year. It was quite something to forget, truth be told. "He was the one who was Head Boy two years ago?" Hermione confirmed. "It seems like a badge of prefect doesn't make you clever."

Hannah then looked at Hermione, and her expression changed into one of confusion, which Hermione frowned at. "Sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean that prefects are…"

Hermione looked at her own badge. She rolled her eyes when she realized the nature of Hannah's reaction. "No bother, Hannah. You're prefect as well. And considering that people like Malfoy and Parkinson got a badge as well, it may not mean as much as we might think." A few years, Hermione could never have thought something like that.

Hannah titled her head in acknowledgement.

"Yeah," Harry confirmed. "Even Voldemort was prefect, so…"

All three girls shivered at the mention of the name. They would probably have continued to discuss the matter if Professor Babbling didn't show up at this moment. Soon, for the second week, their professor of Ancient Runes highlighted how important it was to study and prepare for their O.W.L.s this year.

At the end of the lesson, they left with piles of notes taken on Indigenous Runes from North America. They went directly to the classroom of Defence Against Dark Arts, meeting Ron halfway.

"Umbridge was there in Divination," he told them right away.

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. And something is telling me that Trelawney will not have very good marks. Umbridge asked her to predict something."

"Why not ask Filch to transfigure a chamberpot into a table while you're at it?" Hermione ironized, knowing very well from her passage in Divination in third year that Trelawney was unable to predict anything, despite Harry's diverging opinion.

"Let me guess. She couldn't predict anything?" Harry said.

"Right on it," Ron replied. "First, she said her inner eye couldn't see on command, but then she told Umbridge she was in great danger. Maybe she hoped to impress her, but I doubt it worked. I must admit that I pitied Trelawney for a moment… until she predicted me and Neville to die according to our most recent dreams."

Hermione rolled her eyes. She never understood why Trelawney was a professor here. A part of her thought that maybe getting her fired would not be so bad. Though this thought quickly left as she remembered this meant that the Ministry would probably place someone else from his own people as professor. And Dumbledore certainly had a good reason to keep Trelawney as a professor, even though Hermione always failed to understand why. But maybe it wasn't that different from the cases of Snape or Binns.

They kept discussing Umbridge until they arrived in Defence Against the Dark Arts… where they had the unpleasant surprise to see Umbridge discussing with Mrs Evans.

It seems like some bad things never change.

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Next chapter: Lily