Where Lily starts getting into trouble with two different people.
LILY XXXIX
"You've got to be kidding us, really?"
The words came out of Lily's mouth without thinking, and to be honest she didn't care, for she thought her indignation was warranted, given what Dumbledore just announced on this Sunday evening, at the eve of the second week of the term.
"I'm afraid this is no joke," Dumbledore said, his expression heavy. "The Educational Decree Number Twenty-three should be passed tonight, according to the information I received, and we must expect the High Inquisitor to begin his work as soon as tomorrow morning. He or she will have the right to attend your lessons, observe your work, and to make recommendations to the Ministry about the professional qualifications and teaching aptitudes of everyone holding a teaching position."
"This means that some of us," Professor Flitwick began, disbelieved, "might get fired if the Ministry of Magic decides we do not do our work properly?"
Dumbledore looked tired as he answered. "I am afraid this is unfortunately a possibility."
All the staff of Hogwarts had gathered into the staffroom in this end of the day. The Headmaster looked as desperate as other teachers at the announcement. Some, however, looked outraged, and Lily was among them.
"So… The Minister of Magic can just send someone to evaluate us and decide with the stroke of a feather to remove anybody he views as unfit?" she asked. "And there's nothing we can do about it?"
"We cannot remove the educational decree, if this is what some of you are asking. I am afraid not," Dumbledore acknowledged. "That being said, again according to the information I received, and it is generally pretty accurate, the decree includes a detailed process to actually remove someone from a teaching position. Fudge has been negotiating with the Board of Governors for months to actually finalize this decree. First, all decisions regarding any teacher will have to go through a committee equally composed of representatives from the Ministry and the Governors. Any decision regarding the capacity of any professor to teach must be taken with a two-third majority, with such a majority required from both Ministry representatives and Governors separately."
There was a great wave of relief across the staffroom. This meant that for Fudge to actually get rid of any teacher, he would almost need unanimity, and from people he didn't get to choose. Since Lucius Malfoy had been ousted from the Board of Governors a long time ago, Fudge could not rely on him to influence or intimidate them.
"Still, the High Inquisitor named by the Minister will have the right to report on your activities to this committee, and to make recommendations. You will have access to those reports as much as the committee will, and if it contains any criticism, you will have the right to contest it." Dumbledore sighed. "I do not like this situation any more than you do, but this is a decision from the Ministry, and with the Board of Governors that already decided to go along with it, our hands are tied. You can count on my entire support if anyone among you finds himself or herself with problems with the High Inquisitor and the Ministry, but I strongly encourage you to not give them any reason to be upset about your work."
"If you are suggesting that we should adapt our lessons following the wishes of some sort of evaluator, Professor Dumbledore," Severus Snape declared, "then I will disappoint you. I have provided lessons for many years now, and never needed any advice on how I conduct them, nor tolerated any student or colleague to tell me how to give them. This is certainly not bureaucrats from the Ministry who will tell me how then."
There seemed to be a general sentiment of agreement with Severus on this. Even Lily approved his words. They didn't have many interactions since she arrived at Hogwarts to teach the lessons of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Most of the time, they ignored each other. Although Lily's consideration towards Severus slightly improved since the accident with Pettigrew, she wouldn't call him a friend. And since they were both part of the Order, she considered it was probably better to show they weren't friends anyway, so people wouldn't suspect they worked together against Voldemort.
"Who is going to be the High Inquisitor?" Pomona Sprout asked.
"Things are less clear about this," Dumbledore answered, "but some in the Ministry seem to believe that Dolores Jane Umbridge will be filling the position."
From the looks of disgust and small groans she heard, Lily guessed that her colleagues all shared her disdain for this woman and her disgust at the idea that she would be the one to evaluate them.
"So we will finally get to work with her," Sprout concluded, not an ounce of glee in her voice.
"There's not much we can do about it," Dumbledore repeated. "Well, I wanted to inform you. Mrs Umbridge might be there from early tomorrow morning to start evaluating you all. And although I know this will create discomfort, let's not forget what the priority is. Our students. Keep teaching them the best you can, no matter that you are watched by a Ministry's official."
All teachers seemed to agree on that. Dumbledore then left. The moment he was gone, the staffroom was filled with animated, worried, even angry discussions about the Ministry's latest move.
"They're definitely trying to question Dumbledore's authority now," Aurora Sinistra, the professor of Astronomy said.
"We are past the stage of questioning," Professor Babbling, who taught Muggle Studies, stated. "Questioning happened when it was confined to criticism in the Daily Prophet. Now, they are clearly trying to get rid of teachers Dumbledore chose himself in order to replace them with teachers chosen by the Ministry. This is what is going to happen from now on. If a teacher is removed, with the previous educational decree, Cornelius Fudge will be able to replace whoever he fires with a candidate of his own choice."
"Well, on the bright side of things, the Board of Governors will have a strong say on the matter," Flitwick said. "And considering the level of competence I know you all to display, I don't think any of us is in danger. Unless we began to really do stupid things inside the classroom."
Severus didn't participate to the discussions. He looked through the window at the night sky instead. He rarely socialized with other professors. He only interacted with them when his professional duties required. He was probably the only one of the staff who didn't get along with Lily. Most of the professors had already been there back when she was a student, and they all seemed to appreciate her return. She didn't have any problem with the youngest or more recent hirings, such as Grubbly-Plank and Sinistra. Filch didn't seem to like her, but again, he didn't seem to like many people, aside from his cat. But Lily suspected he disliked her even more, considering she had been, relatively speaking, recently still a student, and that she was the extreme opposite of Flich. He was without magical powers although he was born in a family of wizards, while Lily had powers although she was born in a Muggle family.
But during the discussions, McGonagall took her apart to speak with her in private. "Lily, you will have to be even more careful than any of us. If Umbridge will go after anybody, it will be you. You're occupying the position she was supposed to fill."
"I know," Lily retorted. "I was working recently at the Ministry, remember. I know very well what Dolores Jane Umbridge is capable of."
"Then don't give her any reason to report anything negative about you."
"Knowing Umbridge, she might report negatively on me whatever I do. She can always find an angle to present things negatively."
"All I'm saying is… Don't willingly turn her into your enemy. The Ministry wants to control the lessons of Defence Against the Dark Arts. She will go after you, so don't make her even more upset at you."
"I will not. But to rephrase a colleague, I will not let the Ministry dictate how I must give my lessons. Dumbledore told us our priority remained our students and to teach them, and this is exactly what I'm going to do. I will not let Umbridge or Fudge force me to turn my lessons into a Slinkhard monologue against the use of countercurses that might save my students' lives some day."
Minerva McGonagall looked at her with a large smile. "You're beginning to talk like a true professor, Lily. But don't forget that you must be able to teach your students to help them. Don't provoke Umbridge into dismissing you."
Lily would try. She didn't think she had any other choice. But as she headed for her personal rooms where she would make final preparations for the upcoming week, she couldn't help but think about how things would be harder with Umbridge lurking around, evaluating her. Lily didn't expect anything good from her or from the Ministry. They had fired her from the Auror Office, and Lily would be foolish to not think they might do the same to her at Hogwarts as soon as they would get the opportunity. She expected nothing good coming from the Ministry these days. There were still good people working within the organization, but Fudge remained their boss, and he would do anything to get rid of Lily. She might have had her doubts about accepting the position of professor, but if she was to lose it to one of Fudge's minions, then she was ready to fight in order to keep it.
Lily pushed the door of her office and went to work for the rest of the evening. It was late when she went to sleep, but unlike the previous week, she felt that she was ready to give lessons to the students. In some way, she might be lucky that Dolores Umbridge would only start evaluating them this week.
Early on Monday morning, Lily got to take her breakfast in the Great Hall for the first time since she arrived. She took it relatively quickly though, not wanting to arrive at the last minute for her first lesson like last week. However, when she walked into her classroom, she had the displeasure to find that someone was already there, sitting behind her desk.
"Oh, Lily," Dolores Jane Umbridge said of her very much too sweet voice right when Lily walked in. "I see you're on time for your first lesson of today." Umbridge went to write something on her clipboard, then looked up again to Lily, still displaying a very false happy expression. "I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your desk while waiting for you."
Truth be told, Lily did mind. This woman sat behind Lily's desk, a desk Fudge had wanted to give Umbridge before Dumbledore thwarted his plans. Despite this, Lily maintained a calm demeanor.
"I don't mind, as long as you leave it for my personal use during my lessons, if you intend to evaluate me this morning," Lily replied.
"Very kind. Though I do not plan on evaluating you this morning." Despite this, Umbridge seemed to settle even more comfortably into the chair. "No. Only, I wanted to pay you a visit before this new day began. I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed for today's lessons."
"This is a very kind attention, but I have everything I need. Thank you," Lily retorted as normally as possible.
"Really? I was under the impression that you were lacking the proper school books for this year."
"I was, indeed," Lily replied, "but not anymore." The books she ordered from Flourish and Blotts had arrived yesterday and were ready to be distributed to the students from today onwards.
"I totally agree with you."
Umbridge stood up at this moment and, with a move of her wand, she made a cover disappear in a section of the classroom. Lily had not noticed it when she walked in, so focused she had been on Umbridge. She discovered piles of books, all bearing the same titles. Defensive Magical Theory, by Wilbert Slinkhard.
"You will need these," Umbridge said, still smiling sweetly as if she could convince Lily that all she wanted was to help. "Wilbert Slinkhard's works are of high quality, and considered by the Ministry to be the best for the students of this school." Before Lily could place a protest, Umbridge went on. "As High Inquisitor, Lily, I must inform you that I will be keeping a very close eye on how you organize your lessons. Defence Against the Dark Arts is one of the most important subjects in this school. Given the many changes to the position there have been over the recent years, and your very recent appointment, the Ministry and I will be dedicated throughout the year to ensure your students receive the highest quality level of instruction. If you have any question or advice to ask, I will be more than happy to direct you in the way to prepare your lessons. And I can ensure you that Slinkhard's books will go a long way in ensuring the quality of your subject. You will not need any other school book for this year. I already took the liberty of sending back those useless works that were ordered, I'm very sure about that, by mistake. Now, if you excuse me, I have a first lesson to evaluate for one of your colleagues."
And just like that, Umbridge left. Lily was fuming while looking at the piles of Slinkhard's books she sent back to Diagon Alley last week. She went to look into her office. The new books she ordered for her classes were not there. They should have been there, so she could distribute them to students today. Furious, Lily headed for the Headmaster's office, decided to discuss the whole situation with Dumbledore. Having someone evaluating them was something, but if Umbridge began to decide how she would give her lessons, this went too far.
Lily was so outraged right now that she was stunned when she walked into Dumbledore's office to find him with large piles of books. The headmaster looked up at her and smiled, in a very much more sincere way than Umbridge just did.
"Flourish and Blotts sent them all directly to my office yesterday. The owner called me late last night, asking me why I wanted to cancel the order, but I explained him it was all a mistake."
Lily almost burst into laughter. It seemed like the Ministry would have to do better than this if they wanted to impose a specific way to provide Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons to her and Dumbledore. Lily wanted to transfer the necessary books for today to her classroom, not wanting to lose more time with moving the whole shipment as her first lessons was about to begin, but Dumbledore simply opened his windows and sent all the books flying outside, heading towards her office. And so, Lily only had to rush back to her classroom, Dumbledore telling her as she walked away he would take care personally of sending back Slinkhard copies.
Today's lessons went pretty well. Lily could finally give her students the books they would need this year, and her lessons were much better prepared than the previous week. Students were not as happy as she was though, since she gave them homework for the first time. Those in sixth year at the beginning of the afternoon were especially displeased, given their already high amount of work to do. As soon as the bell rang and they began to leave, Lily had to face someone else who was displeased. Dolores Jame Umbridge walked in with her usual false smile as the students were still leaving.
"I believe it would be in your interest to have a word with me, Lily," Umbridge declared right away. She was still smiling, but the pretense of being friendly was gone. Lily found it refreshing, truth be told.
"As you wish, Dolores. But I believe it would be more appropriate if we called each other by our titles, Mrs Umbridge, wouldn't you agree? It would be more appropriate in front of students," Lily explained.
The last student, Cho Chang, now left the classroom, throwing a gaze behind her as she walked through the doorway.
"Mrs Evans," Umbridge said, dropping slightly her sweet role. "I have been informed only a few minutes ago that all the copies of Wilbert Slinkhard's books were…"
"… returned to Flourish and Blotts," Lily completed. "Yes, I suspected as much." After she returned from lunch, the copies had indeed disappeared from the classroom. She suspected Dumbledore to have gotten rid of them.
"The works of Slinkhard were chosen by the best education experts in the country, and approved by the Ministry as containing the most appropriate and useful content for children."
Lily wanted to scoff. She had gone quickly through Slinkhard's book, and she wasn't impressed at all. It was a purely theoretical work on how to best avoid using magic to defend yourself. In fact, now that Lily thought about it, she believed that Slinkhard's theories were broached upon during her Auror training. Aurors were taught how to arrest people and to neutralize threats in non-lethal ways, limiting collateral deaths and damages. They were also taught how to deescalate dangerous situations. However, Lily didn't remember them learning about Slinkhard's methods at any point. Maybe his name was simply mentioned without going further. But if he was merely mentioned, Lily doubted the man's ideas were ever encouraged in Auror training.
"If you say so," Lily replied, displaying her indifference to this fact, looking not without satisfaction at Umbridge's smile slowly fading.
"Then why did you get rid of them? Should I remind you that under the Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, the High Inquisitor must evaluate professors of this school? This includes you, and the evaluation includes concerns such as the school material used by the professors."
"I guess."
Dolores Umbridge didn't look happy at all with Lily's apparent dismissive and careless attitude about the evaluations, educational decrees and High Inquisitors. But she smiled again, and not kindly this time. "You do realize that I can fire you at any moment if I want… in case I would judge you unfit for the position you currently occupy?" Umbridge seized the book Lily bought for her fifth-years students, including her son. "And judging from what you've been teaching and showing those children lately, not to mention these clearly inappropriate reference works, it would be easy to justify."
"Do it then. This is your job, after all."
Lily watched with satisfaction how Umbridge was taken aback by the lack of effect her threats had in this case. But Umbridge did make another attempt. "You truly believe that because Dumbledore is currently the headmaster that you are protected? I would advise you to reconsider your position then, Mrs Evans."
"Mrs Umbridge, I am a professor of this school, and you are the High Inquisitor chosen by the Ministry of Magic to review my performance and that of my colleagues. You, however, don't have the authority to dictate how I should conduct my classes nor which material is appropriate or not. If you are not happy with the way I handle things, then make a report for the committee that will decide whether or not I am fit for the job, and we will see what they think about it."
Lily was of a mind to add that the committee in question would certainly have fired Umbridge herself had she been in Lily's place, if the committee was truly made of impartial people, but she kept this last comment for herself. She already antagonized the High Inquisitor. At the same time, this woman was probably doomed to despise Lily. She occupied the teaching position Umbridge was supposed to get, after all.
Umbridge kept smiling at Lily. "I believe this is what I will do. I'm supposed to observe you for the last period of this afternoon. I suppose you received my note about the date and time of my inspection."
"I must have missed it," Lily retorted evenly. "I was far too busy preparing lessons for my students. This is what I was hired for, after all."
"Yes, indeed," Umbridge said. "This is what you were hired for. And we will see whether you are good at it very soon."
A group of students walked into the classroom at this moment. Lily's son was among them. Umbridge, who noticed the new arrivals, whispered to Lily.
"I will be inspecting you very thoroughly, Lily. I care very much for this subject, and I must make sure it is up to the level."
And on that, she grabbed a chair and settled in a corner of the classroom. Lily tried her best to calm down following her exchange with Umbridge. Of all lessons, she had to pick one during which Harry would be present to make her first inspection. Lily suspected it was done on purpose.
Lily rearranged her papers on her desk as students walked in and settled behind their own desks in front of her own. Harry sat down with Ron, like during the last lesson. Lily wondered why he didn't sit with his girlfriend. The young Susan was with Hermione. When Lily looked in their direction, Amelia's niece suddenly looked very preoccupied by the content of her bag. Casting a short glance at Umbridge, Lily suddenly thought she should probably have contacted her son after she learned that this woman would evaluate her. She wouldn't miss an opportunity to criticize how Lily might be teaching to her own son.
"Very well, everyone," Lily began as the last student took place. "Last week's lessons were mostly an introduction and revision to Defence Against the Dark Arts. Today, we're starting to work for real. Those who were hoping they would get no homework in this subject for their O.W.L. year, I am afraid I must crush your dreams. Expect as much work here than in any other subject."
She heard the familiar groans of students already despairing at the large amounts of homework they got. Lily knew this feeling very well. She and her own school comrades experienced the same thing back in their fifth year. Her eyes wandered for a very short time on Harry. She knew it would be a very hard year for him.
"In the meantime, your books arrived." With a wave of hand, Lily distributed the school books to her students. Books quietly flew across the classrooms to end in each student's lap. "This work will help you throughout the entire year. I strongly encourage you to read it outside of the lessons. It contains information that will be covered during your O.W.L.s. It is also a very useful tool to inform you about the main dangers you might face in the magical world and how to face them, not only…"
"Hem, hem…"
Since the noise came from from behind Lily, it was clear that it came from Dolores Umbridge. Lily turned towards the woman. Then she chose another approach and instead turned back towards the students. "As you might have noticed already, we have a guest in this classroom today. Mrs Dolores Umbridge is an employee of the Ministry of Magic who was designated to evaluate the performance of teachers at Hogwarts. As such, you may get to see her a few times this year. You don't have to worry though. As a former employee of the Ministry myself, I am sure that you should not expect one of its current employees to prevent you from learning how to defend against dark forces."
She threw a very quick glance towards Umbridge, and noticed how displeased the woman was.
"Now, as I said, this book, like the whole course, will help you for more than getting good grades for your O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s or finding a good job after you leave school. It will help you to be prepared to face any danger you might encounter outside the school. Now, during the last lesson…"
"Hem, hem…" Lily closed her eyes in exasperation. She tried to calm herself and down and turned towards Umbridge.
"Yes, Mrs Umbridge. Do you have a problem?" Lily asked, probably sharper than she should have.
"Not at all, Professor Evans," Umbridge replied, standing up and walking to be next to Lily in front of the classroom. "Only… I'm wondering why you want your students to believe that they will be in danger outside this school." She then addressed Lily's students directly. "I know some of you must be confused. There are people who claim that your life will be in danger because of threats outside this school. Because of dangers that have been gone for a very long time. The Ministry of Magic…"
"Mrs Umbridge," Lily interrupted her. "As High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, could you please remind the entire class of your job description?"
Umbridge looked as displeased to be interrupted as Lily was. But Lily had the advantage to be able to look down, in all senses of the term, upon Umbridge.
"I am here to evaluate professors and ensure the quality of lessons given to our children," Umbridge summarized.
"Well, I see nothing in that job description that allows you to disrupt lessons and to prevent my students from learning."
"I was merely trying to tell those children that they have nothing to fear…"
"Nothing to fear?" Lily scoffed. She turned to the students. "All those who attended the Quidditch World Cup last year, please raise your hands."
Everyone did, except for Neville Longbottom. "My dear Lily…" Umbridge began, but the dear Lily didn't let her finish.
"Those of you who never experienced fear during the event, you can drop your hand." No one did, of course. Lily turned to Umbridge, who looked furious. "Mrs Umbridge, I will say it once, and I will not repeat it. You were sent to evaluate my competence as a teacher and how I give my lessons. Well, here is one of the rules I follow while giving them. Whoever interrupts the lessons of Defence Against the Dark Arts without good reason has no place in this classroom. So you can either sit down and stay silent for the rest of this lesson and evaluate my capacity to teach, or you can evaluate my capacity to maintain discipline in this classroom by showing you personally how I treat trouble-makers."
Umbridge looked even more furious than before. It was obvious she wanted to say something. But she didn't. Instead, she straightened, which didn't make her look much taller, smiled, and went to sit in her corner, scribbling feverishly on her notepad. So much for trying to not antagonize the High Inquisitor further.
When Lily turned back to look at the students, she was surprised to see most of them looking very amused by the situation, and some even refraining from laughing. She smiled back at them, then went on to discuss the new books she bought them.
The rest of the lesson went smoothly. The practical part was about the Disarming Charm again, but they moved shortly to the Shield Charm, a spell that was way more difficult but was as crucial for anyone who wished to defend himself. She received the usual groans when she gave those students homework for the first time, but she felt they were way lighter than for the previous class. Maybe there were real advantages for putting back Dolores Umbridge at her place. Despite this, at the end of the lesson, Umbridge stood up and whispered to Lily as she walked passed her and left the classroom.
"You will receive the results of my inspection in ten days." Her tone suggested she couldn't wait to transmit it. Lily didn't need to be a genius to suspect what the results would be.
Soon, only one student remained behind in the classroom, and of course, it was her son.
"Good job with Umbridge," he told her, smirking. Lily looked at the door, then shook her head towards Harry. Her son seemed confused.
"Umbridge might still be here," she whispered only loud enough for him to hear. Harry looked fearful all of a sudden. "My office. Eight o'clock tonight."
Harry nodded and left. Lily remained behind a little more, then she went to the Great Hall to take her dinner. As fate had it, she sat down next to Minerva McGonagall.
"I caught a glimpse of Dolores Umbridge as she left the castle," Lily's former professor of Transfiguration said.
"I guess it would be wishful thinking for her to not come back tomorrow," Lily commented.
"Indeed. Must I guess from it that you didn't follow my advice?" McGonagall looked at her with the same severe expression she had for students who disappointed her. For a moment, Lily felt like a student again.
"Wait for her to show up in your classroom. You will want to rip her head just like I wanted."
"Lily, you must be careful," McGonagall said, sounding both tired and exasperated.
"Anyway, I'm not staying for longer than this year."
"Are you sure about it?" Lily looked back at McGonagall, wondering what she meant. "After you leave, do you really think it will be easier for Dumbledore to find a replacement? Especially now that everyone knows the teachers he chooses will be evaluated by the Ministry?" Lily then realized what McGonagall meant. "It might be best if you stayed for longer. So don't behave as if you only had a single year to give to your students and like getting fired would only advance your departure."
Lily remained thoughtful about it for a moment. Could she really become teacher as a long-term career? When she began, she and Dumbledore agreed it would only be for a single year, then she could go back to work full time for the Order. But to prevent the Ministry from placing one of his minions in her place, should she try to remain longer? She wasn't sure. Given the long history of professors of Defence Against the Dark Arts who barely made it through an entire year, she doubted that she would make it. Rumours about a curse on the position were already running back when she was studying here, and they had not calmed down ever since.
"Given my predecessors' longevity, I don't put odds on my side," Lily replied, probably a little too bitter. McGonagall didn't reply. It may be difficult for her to deny that Lily would very likely be gone by the end of the year.
Later that evening, Lily allowed herself to relax. Very soon, students would give their homework for real, and she would really have no time at all for herself. She had no time to rest during the first week, working feverishly to prepare her lessons, so she decided she should better rest tonight.
Around eight o'clock, her son showed up in her office. He wasn't smiling like at the end of the lesson earlier today. He did smile, but there was no fun behind it.
"Do you think you're going to have problems with Umbridge?" Harry asked her right away as he sat down in front of her.
"I'm going to, no matter how I behave with her," Lily replied. She looked carefully at her son. He seemed tired. "Don't tell me you're already exhausted after a single day."
"Have you ever received so much homework that you're wondering how to complete them without reducing your hours of sleep by half?"
"What do you think?" Lily asked her son, taking her knowledgeable expression. Harry's eyes widened.
"Sorry," he said, looking ashamed all of a sudden.
"This is going to be a difficult year, Harry. I never lied to you about it. Are your friends bothering you because your mother is their teacher?"
"No." She could feel he was lying. "Not that much," he added. "No, it's mostly all those who believe I'm crazy because of Voldemort and everything."
"There are a lot?" she asked, concerned.
"A few."
She could tell he was not giving her an accurate picture again, but she didn't press the matter. But Harry was the one to keep talking about it.
"I didn't think so many people wouldn't believe it. Not after what happened to Cedric. I mean… Do they actually believe I could have killed him?"
"Nobody thinks so, my dear," Lily blurted out.
But she knew it was false. Very few people actually believed it, but the propaganda of the Daily Prophet had created a doubt into many people's mind, and some were actually wondering whether there was an actual chance that Harry killed Cedric, or at least was responsible of his death. Lily found it unfair. Her son saw Cedric Diggory die, and what he got for that was mistrust.
"I heard you had a Quidditch practice on Saturday," she then said, trying to bring the conversation somewhere else.
"Yes."
"And I heard Ron is now your Keeper."
"Yes." Now Harry truly smiled. "I was afraid he wouldn't make it on the team."
"It seems like there's at least one good thing that happened since the term began."
"Yeah. Ron is excited. Though…"
"Yes?"
"Well, I believe… I think the practice we had with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw might have intimidated him. The other Keepers have been there for some time, and Ron is new, so… But when I trained with him, he got very much better with time. I'm sure things will go well for him."
Harry's words seemed forced.
"Now that Ronald is in the team, when do you think Hermione will join it?"
She asked him with a knowing smile, and Harry into laughter. "I don't see Hermione ever joining the team."
"Me neither," Lily replied, laughing a little as well. "I would say she is as likely to join it as I was in my time at Hogwarts."
"You never thought about playing Quidditch?" Harry asked her, sounding intrigued.
"Not really. Quidditch was your father's thing, not mine. Personally, I've always found the sport a little too… brutal. It reminded me of American football. And anyway, if I had played Quidditch, your father and I may never have gotten together."
Her son looked truly intrigued now. "Why? Dad had something against girls playing Quidditch?"
Lily felt a little uneasy. She was afraid that she might have given the wrong idea to her son. "No. Not at all. Your father had teammates who were girls during the whole time he played for Gryffindor. Only… I believe he viewed all girls with who he played as teammates. He considered them as friends automatically. Let's just say he might never have developed an interest for me if we had been on the same team."
She hoped the explanation would be clear enough. It was probably best to redirect the conversation to another subject. "By the way, I suppose Cho Chang was at your practice. How was she?" Lily asked.
Harry looked troubled now. He stammered when he answered. "Well, she looked… fine. She was okay." There was a moment of silence, until Harry broke it. "She's still heartbroken because of Cedric. They were dating when he died." Lily knew that. "But she seemed better at the end of the practice."
"Nothing better than Quidditch to lift up your spirits."
Harry nodded in agreement. Lily thought about that girl. Cho probably wouldn't have an easy year either. Now that Lily thought about it, she didn't look in a very good mood this afternoon either during the lesson of the sixth-years. Still, she preferred to not discuss too deeply with Harry about matters surrounding the death of Cedric Diggory, so she redirected the conversation once again.
"Do you think you have a good season ahead of you?" she asked her son.
"Yes. I mean, we have lost Wood but… Ron is good, but…"
"He's not as good as Oliver Wood was," Lily concluded for Harry. "There's no shame in admitting that. Your friend is barely beginning. He will need time to improve his play."
"Yes, maybe. But Ron can do it. I'm sure. And we have the rest of the team still there. Did you know that Ginny has been taken as a substitute Chaser?"
"Yes, I heard about it. She must be delighted."
"Yes, she is. If it goes on, Ron's family will represent over half the team."
They both laughed at it. "Be careful to not let Quidditch cause trouble for your O.W.L.s. I know Quidditch is important for you, but O.W.L.s…"
"I know, Mom," Harry interrupted her. "All professors told us lengthily how O.W.L.s are important last week. Don't worry. I'll get through it. If you managed to survive that year as a Prefect, I should survive as a Seeker."
Lily slightly nodded, though she doubted that Harry grasped yet what this year would entail in terms of work requirements. She herself didn't understand it until the very end.
"What about Ronald? You believe he will be able to handle this year, being in the Quidditch team and Prefect now?" She didn't ask about Hermione. Judging by what she knew of the girl, Lily suspected she would be the one who would get through this year with fewer problems.
"I think he will," Harry answered after a time, though Lily felt the doubt in his voice. "Mom, I can't tell him that he should leave the team. He's been wanting to join it for a very long time."
"I'm not saying that, Harry. I only hope he's conscious of what he's gotten into."
Lily was concerned from the very beginning that her son would face his O.W.L. year while being lied about and doubted by everyone in the school. But his friends were not safe from similar problems, being close to Harry. Hermione seemed to be the most solid of all, and she was the one Lily was the less worried about. But Molly's son was another matter. The two mothers had discussed their children at length over the years, and even more during this summer after they both joined the Order of the Phoenix. Lily was also aware that Ron and Harry had a huge dispute last year, after Harry was chosen as a champion for the Triwizard Tournament. If Ronald almost stopped talking to Harry because of that, Lily feared it might happen again if the boy felt some of the pressure Harry received from those believing the lies of the Ministry and the Daily Prophet. And now that he was both Prefect and a regular player of the Quidditch team, he was even more at risk.
The other one Lily was concerned about was Susan. As Harry's girlfriend, she would probably be targeted sooner or later. And considering how her family suffered from Voldemort in the past, Lily knew that his return had to be very difficult for the girl. She had already suffered personally from her ties with Harry, being attacked with him by Dementors during summer.
"I noticed you and Susan didn't sit together in class. Is there a reason for this?"
Her son immediately looked uneasy. He and Lily seldom discussed his relationship with the girl. Lily didn't get to see her very often this summer, being too busy with her job and the Order.
"Well… She prefers to sit with Hermione in class," her son replied clumsily.
"Is everything alright between you two?"
"Yes, everything is fine." He remained silent again, looking very uneasy. "It's just… You're my mother, and you're also her teacher… So…"
"What? Is she afraid that I'm going to be harsher on her because she is dating my son?" Lily asked, almost laughing in the process.
"I don't know. Maybe… I think she's a little… intimidated."
Lily remained unmoving, surprised for a moment. Then she burst into laughter. "Okay. Then tell her I have absolutely nothing against her. Quite the opposite, in fact. I like her. Unlike the previous one, I got to meet her while you were still dating."
Harry laughed forcefully. Lily thought she should reassure him further.
"Don't prevent yourself from sitting together just because I'm in front of the classroom. As long as you focus on school while in class, I have no problems with that. You shouldn't stop being together only because I'm around."
"We're not stopping," Harry assured her, though with an uncertain edge to his voice. He looked uneasy again. He then cast his gaze on his watch. "Perhaps I should go."
Lily looked at the clock in her office. Indeed, the curfew for Harry was approaching. "Yes, you should. Have a good night, my dear." She ruffled his hair before he walked away. In the privacy of her office, in the evening, when Harry was her son, and only her son, she could allow herself to do that. She watched him walk away, but right before he went through the doorway, Lily thought about something.
"Harry." He stopped and turned to look at her. "Enjoy your time with Susan. With what's happening right now… We must cherish the time we spend with those we love."
Harry awkwardly nodded and left.
Lily went to bed early this night.
The following morning, she felt ready to face the day. She was lucky enough to not have to suffer the presence of Dolores Umbridge in any of her lessons. The students also behaved much better than during the first week, when some openly questioned her about the fact she was Harry's mother and about what the Daily Prophet said.
Lily was relatively happy when she made her way through the Great Hall to the staff table. On her way, she overheard a conversation between Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, two girls of Gryffindor in the same year as Harry. Lily knew that Parvati was the girl Harry shortly dated over a year ago during her Auror examinations, but she didn't care much about it now. Though she still wished her son told her he was seeing a girl back then, instead of overhearing him discussing about it with Hermione during the Quidditch World Cup. But what was interesting in their conversation was how they detailed Umbridge's time in McGonagall's classroom this morning.
"I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking," Lavender said, mimicking McGonagall's voice. Both girls giggled.
"For once, we're not the ones being scolded by McGonagall," Parvati commented, all smiling. "You saw Umbridge's face when she said that?"
"Yes. As if an army of centaurs just pointed their arrows on her."
"Too bad McGonagall does not do the same thing with Snape. I'd like to see his face if she did."
Both girls giggled, and Lily could not prevent herself from smiling as she sat down at the staff table later. It seemed like she wasn't the only professor to antagonize Umbridge. Her eyes shortly set on Severus as she ate. Lily wondered how he would behave with Dolores when she would evaluate him. Lily found herself imagining all the pranks James, but also Sirius, and even Remus would have made to Umbridge if she had been High Inquisitor in their time.
For her first lesson of the afternoon, Lily had the other class of fifth-years. In this year, the students of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff shared the same lessons of Defence Against the Dark Arts, while the Slytherins and Ravenclaws shared their own. This meant that Lily had to teach to students such as Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, all sons of known Death Eaters. Lily tried to tell herself that they were only children, and forced herself to not treat them as enemies, or in any way differently from the other students. However, it was hard to always think this when Lily herself attended Hogwarts with other children who eventually became strong supporters of Voldemort, and even joined the Death Eaters. Lucius Malfoy. Rosier. Wilkes. Rodolphus Lestrange. Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' cousin. Avery. And of course, Severus Snape, who she considered to be a friend until their fifth year. Noticing the gazes of disgust and hatred these children of dark mages sent in her direction, it was very hard for Lily to not see them as future Death Eaters. And they clearly shared their parents' prejudice and hatred towards Muggle-born wizards, as evidenced by their behaviour towards her. None of them openly showed disrespect or hatred at her, but they were obviously displeased to have her as a teacher.
What didn't help Lily either in this classroom was that one of the students was a certain Anthony Goldstein. Lily had verified after the first lesson when she saw his name on the register. He was a relative to George Goldstein, the man Bartemius Crouch Junior murdered over a year ago. Lily had been unsuccessful so far in capturing the assassin of this boy's relative. When she saw him, she wondered whether her true place was really in a classroom, and that her time might be better used chasing Crouch Junior.
As such, both classes of fifth-years were delicate to handle. At least, today, Umbridge seemed to be truly leaving her alone. Lily wouldn't have to suffer the presence of a Ministry's official along with Death Eaters' children who would be happy to see Lily struggle against Umbridge.
"So, everyone, I have the regret to inform you that at the end of this lesson, contrary to the previous week, you will leave with homework," she said to begin the lesson. The announcement was accompanied by the usual groans. "Good news, though, your year's books have arrived."
The books she ordered from Flourish and Blotts flew to their new owners.
"Last week, we reviewed the Disarming Charm, and while some of you do not completely master the spell yet, your level of control is sufficient to progress. Still, I strongly encourage all of you to keep practicing this spell. It will appear without any doubt at your O.W.L. examination. For your sake, I hope to not hear that someone failed to cast it."
Her eyes wandered among students. Some seemed afraid, but others scoffed. Draco Malfoy was among them. This was Lily's third lesson she gave him, and she already thought she understood why Harry hated the son of Lucius so much.
"Now, today, I will introduce you to another charm that is as useful as the Disarming Charm, but more complex and more difficult to master. The Shield Charm. While the Disarming Charm may look inoffensive, it remains an offensive spell, for it attacks your opponent by depriving him of his weapons. The Shield Charm, however, is a protective spell. Its mission is to stop a curse or any kind of spell to reach you. Of course, it is not infallible. It is, for example, very hard, and literally impossible for most people, to block an Unforgivable Curse with the Shield Charm. Still, it can block and even flip against your opponent minor spells, and it can even reduce the strength of more powerful magic. Now…"
She raised her wand and writings appeared on the blackboard. And then she heard a whisper coming from behind. She turned sharply towards the student at fault.
"Mr Malfoy, repeat loudly what you just said."
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