With the Head Girl badge pinned to her cloak and her hair pulled back into a neat, professional braid down her back, Carina was ready for her final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Until she saw the pink demon sitting at the staff table.

There were plenty of things that could have drawn her attention about being back in the castle, such as Draco's loud boasting, Professor Grubbly-Plank was at the staff table instead of Hagrid, and how, when on the train, Cedric was already joking about the loads of non-trouble they would get into with him being Heady Boy and her being Head Girl, but of course, any merriment that Carina could have had about the start of her seventh year was ruined by the walking fashion disaster dressed head-to-toe in nauseating pink.

Oh, and the Sorting Hat's interesting new song didn't help, but who dressed with such abysmal taste? Carina had seen both Gertrude and Mildred dress in all pink on separate occasions, but at least they had a sense of self-respect and style and pulled it off quite nicely. She could hear Gertrude's quiet, appalled questioning of the fluffy cardigan the woman wore and saw Blaise's disgusted sneer when Pansy pointed her out to Draco.

And it only got worse when the tiny pink woman interrupted Dumbledore with an obnoxious 'ahem' shortly after being introduced to the student body as Professor Dolores Umbridge, that year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Something about the name tickled at the back of Carina's mind, but she couldn't place it off the top of her head.

"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome," Umbridge said in a high-pitched, breathy voice with the same air of pompous bullshit that Lucius usually had.

Carina had to tune her out after that considering she already had a growing headache at the way Umbridge preened as she talked up the Ministry of Magic and talked down about the school. Much of the student body seemed to tune her out as well, or at least many didn't hide their boredom and/or judgment of her.

And then two lines caught Carina's attention.

"—progress for progress's sake must be discouraged—"

"—and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited," Umbridge finished saying before sitting down.

Carina had never once heard of the lady, but she knew without a doubt that Umbridge had to have been a Slytherin while attending Hogwarts with the way she carried herself and the way she focused on traditionalism. And her words reminded Carina of Lucius's as well, with the obvious distaste for the way things were handled in the school and how certain things should be "prohibited."

A sinking feeling settled in Carina's stomach as she wondered just what practices Umbridge, and by extension the Ministry, wanted to prune. She could only imagine that it extended all the way to Dumbledore himself.

Once Dumbledore concluded the feast and dismissed the students, Carina did her duty as Head Girl and gave a sharp look to Draco who she knew was going to say something demeaning to the first years to get his friends to laugh. It was a move that could be dismissed by her awarded station rather than actually having sympathy for the first years. She watched as Draco begrudgingly bit his tongue and politely yet curtly ordered the first-year Slytherins to follow him and Pansy to the common room.

With that Carina dismissed herself from her own friends and went to meet up with Cedric as they were scheduled to do the first set of rounds of the year.

"What do you make of that speech, Car?" Cedric asked quietly as they walked through the empty halls. She didn't need any clarification on which speech he was referring to as it was the only one on the minds of most of the staff and student body.

"I'm wondering just how much trouble one lady can give Dumbledore," Carina replied in the same low tone. They didn't need someone potentially overhearing, especially when some of the portraits were quite the gossips.

"One lady with the backing of the Ministry," Cedric pointed out.

"That's the part I'm afraid of."

Carina considered herself blessed to not have Defense Against the Dark Arts until Friday considering everything she had heard over the course of Monday made it sound like torture. It was one thing for each of their DADA teachers to have their own curriculum since each teacher had their own strengths and weaknesses, but it was another to not teach or allow the practice of spells at all. At least the course textbook made sense. Defensive Magical Theory for practical learning.

Practical. Yeah, right.

She would have taken Lockhart and his ridiculous books over Umbridge and her theory shite if it meant she would at least learn something.

And it only got worse when at lunch she received a short letter requesting her presence in Umbridge's office for tea after dinner. She had to fight the grimace on her face upon receiving the letter lest anyone in the Great Hall noticed.

So, after dinner, Carina told her friends she would see them in the common room later before making her way to Umbridge's office, the whole way her stomach twisting in apprehension.

Upon arrival, Carina gently knocked on the door and was greeted by Umbridge's sickly sweet smile when the professor opened the door. Umbridge motioned for her to enter, and she did, her senses immediately assaulted by pink and cats everywhere.

And she meant everywhere.

Delicate porcelain plates with cat portraits dotted the pink walls. Frilly pink furniture pieces were elegantly placed around the room. Embroidered pink drapes framed the window. A few more cat portraits rested on the chest of drawers and desk along with a single framed picture of the Minister for Magic. Why anyone would want to look upon Cornelius Fudge's face every day, Carina had no idea, though it was obvious Dolores Umbridge wasn't quite right in the head.

There was even a pink astrolabe which Carina thought to be a bit much on top of everything else.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Lestrange," Umbridge greeted, her voice just as high and pompous as it had been at the feast the previous night. Umbridge closed the door. "I promise I won't keep you for long. Please, have a seat." Umbridge gestured to the seat in front of the desk and then to the teapot as Carina sat in a chair. "A spot of tea, dear?"

Carina gave her the same sickly-sweet smile in return. "No, but thank you. It smells delightful, but tea so soon before bed disagrees with me, I hope you understand." She placed a hand on her stomach as she adjusted in the oddly comfortable chair, making sure her posture was ramrod straight. In truth, her stomach was in knots from the unease, stress, and tension. It made her afraid to take anything lest she puked, which she certainly didn't need at the moment.

Umbridge's smile tightened as she said, "Of course." She instead poured herself a cup before sitting in her chair and mixing in her cream and sugar as she continued to speak. "I suppose we all have our little quirks." Carina wasn't sure what Umbridge meant by that, so she ignored it. "I was informed by Professor Dumbledore that you are Head Girl, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am," Carina answered with a nod, setting her hands on her crossed knees. "And Cedric Diggory is Head Boy."

Umbridge hummed and said, "Yes, I've heard good things about the pair of you. Although I must admit, I'm more interested in you than Mr. Diggory. He sounds like a good boy based on a few praises I've heard from Amos, but they don't compare to the praises I've heard from Lucius about you."

Carina fought to keep her stoic façade. Praise from Lucius never ended well. "From Lucius?"

"Yes, Lucius and I are well-acquainted through the Ministry," Umbridge said, taking a small sip of her tea.

Carina didn't want to be asked more about Lucius, so before Umbridge could add more, Carina said, "That's good to hear, though I'll be honest, Lucius spends much of his time busy that I've gotten closer to Narcissa than him, so I don't know much of who he's friendly with."

With sympathy that Carina noted as fake, Umbridge frowned and said, "Of course, dear. I understand. Relationships with. . . parents can be interesting to say the least." The pause before using 'parents' was not missed. "I wasn't close to my own parents even before they died."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

Umbridge set her teacup down. "Thank you, but I've always been one to look forward to the future rather than dwelling on the past."

"That is a good sentiment."

Smiling once again, Umbridge said, "I was a Slytherin, too, you know. The house of ambition."

Carina nodded politely. "From what I understand, you've done well with that ambition in the Ministry."

"And you've decided to focus on a career in medicine," Umbridge pointed out. "May I ask why, dear?"

Not wanting to divulge the true reason, Carina told her, "I'm often unsure myself. I suppose I never quite knew what to do with my time when I was younger but learned becoming a Healer would cater to aspects of life that I enjoy, like making potions, performing complex magic, and solving difficult problems."

Umbridge made a quiet noise of realization, though Carina doubted she truly realized anything. "So not ambition in the traditional sense of reaching a high point in a career but showcasing your ability."

"Precisely," Carina quickly agreed, feigning excitement in the subject. "Though Narcissa did once say I show Slytherin's often overlooked traits: determination and resourcefulness rather than ambition."

"Yes, those are often overlooked, aren't they?" Umbridge took another sip of her tea in fake contemplation. Carina only knew it was fake because she had been waiting to learn the true reason Umbridge had wanted to speak with her. "Perhaps you can put that resourcefulness to good use by helping me?" Umbridge set her teacup down again, folding her hands on the desk in front of her. "You see, Miss Lestrange, I wasn't only appointed to this position to teach, as you may have determined on your own. Cornelius wanted someone he could trust to evaluate the standards at Hogwarts, and he entrusted me with this."

And there was the shoe drop. Umbridge wanted a spy. Likely knowing she was coming into Hogwarts at a disadvantage, Umbridge knew she needed to turn people to her side, and who better than the Head Girl who had been noted to work closely with other professors and had the confidence of a notable official that Umbridge claimed to be close to?

Too bad for Umbridge, Carina was playing the long game.

One thing Carina had gotten good at during her time playing the game was playing dumb, with many people underestimating children and girls, especially teenage girls.

"I don't understand how I can help with that, ma'am," Carina lied.

"Oh, it's alright, dear," Umbridge brushed off. "I'm not asking you to do anything aside from answering any questions I may have."

Sure, Carina definitely believed that. Umbridge's line of questioning would at least clue Carina into her long-term intentions.

Carina smiled. "Then I will certainly answer them to the best of my ability."

Umbridge returned the smile. "I was hoping you'd say that. How do you find your studies here at Hogwarts? Do you enjoy them? Are they lacking something?"

Now, Carina had to play it safe. Play into her Slytherin façade, play up her pureblood status, and lie, lie, lie with just enough sprinkle of the truth to make it plausible.

"While I don't care for some subjects, I've certainly never been bored," Carina said. "I keep myself busy with classwork and any supplemental studies that catch my eye."

"What subjects don't you like?" Umbridge asked.

"Divination and Muggle Studies." True and false. Divination was annoying, and Carina had never taken Muggle Studies, but the latter answer would be expected of her.

"I understand completely." Umbridge's smile edged a sneer, and Carina knew that without meaning to she had stumbled into one of Umbridge's goals. But was it for Divination or Muggle Studies? Or perhaps both?

It was then that Carina remembered why she recognized the name Umbridge. The Ministry hag in front of her had been the one to draft the anti-werewolf legislation. If she had such a strong hatred for werewolves, it likely extended to other 'half-breeds' as well, which may or may not include Muggle-borns. But of course, Umbridge would never outright admit something like that if she was all about appearances.

Carina hoped she hadn't accidentally given Umbridge a reason to fire Trelawney or Burbage, though considering Umbridge was clearly fishing, Carina wondered if they would be looked into regardless of her words.

"And what studies have you supplemented?" Umbridge continued.

"A few charms and potions I've found interesting, and I've learned Occlumency from Professor Snape," Carina answered. Both are true, though she omitted learning from Lupin.

That seemed to surprise Umbridge. "Occlumency, really? What drew you to learn it?"

This was something Carina could be completely truthful about as nothing about it didn't contradict her reputation. "Curiosity mostly. I read a book on the subject, and Narcissa was excited to hear it as she's a skilled Occlumens herself. Since Professor Snape is a good friend of the family, she asked him to instruct me."

"Interesting." Umbridge paused, topping off her cup of tea, and then continued. "And how do you find Professor Snape?"

"He's a good professor," Carina said. If Umbridge wanted reasons to sack professors, she certainly didn't plan on giving any reasons. "I've always learned well from him. He does his job well and doesn't tolerate disobedience or rowdiness in his classes. And he's Draco's godfather, so while my personal opinion of him would prefer to see him relax occasionally, that only applies to when he's visiting the manor, of course, as an extended member of the family." True enough.

Umbridge nodded though didn't look very pleased. Carina wondered if Umbridge didn't like Snape. Quite frankly, it wouldn't surprise her. Snape was hardly someone easy to get along with and could do with an attitude check. But he was passionate about potions and potioneering, and Carina shuddered at the thought of him being replaced by someone else.

"Lucius has spoken highly of him as well," Umbridge said. "It's nice to see that applies to you as well. And what of Professor McGonagall?"

"Much like Professor Snape, she keeps a strict hold on her classes and teaches her subject well," Carina explained. "And she's open to helping students whenever they need. I must say she's one of my favorite teachers." Especially true.

And it was an answer that Umbridge also didn't seem to like.

"Have you gotten to know her well?" Umbridge asked.

"Aside from prefect duties and requesting her help with one of my personal ambitions, no. I can tell she takes her job seriously and takes pride in it. Transfiguration is a difficult subject to learn and teach, so I couldn't imagine anyone other than Professor McGonagall teaching it." Definitely true. The school wouldn't be the same without McGonagall.

"If you don't mind me asking, what personal ambition are you referring to?" Umbridge asked, tilting her head.

Carina supposed that should have been expected. "In my fifth year, I was taking special care to study as much as I could for my O.W.L.'s, and I came across a spell that caught my eye given the circumstances at Hogwarts at the time, with the heightened security against Sirius Black?"

"Is it the Patronus Charm you're speaking of?"

Carina nodded. "Yes, ma'am. As expected, Professor McGonagall was wary of how much I had on my plate that year, and her advising me was contingent on not falling behind in my classes, but she helped me learn it." She definitely made sure to steer clear of Lupin's name. "I went on to use the charm when facing a dragon for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament last year." True and easy to verify.

Umbridge's eyes brightened, and Carina knew that she had accidentally stumbled into another talking point that Umbridge was dying to hassle her about. Granted, Carina knew that most people would likely be asking about the Triwizard Tournament. Since the Daily Prophet had an ongoing slander campaign against Harry and Dumbledore, Carina's name had been brought up in the articles often as a 'victim' of their delusions.

The onset of the summer holiday had saved Carina briefly, but it hadn't been a permanent solution. Students would be asking every chance they got.

"Speaking of the Triwizard Tournament, I must express my condolences for your injuries," Umbridge said with a soft pout and gentle voice.

Carina forced a gracious smile. "Thank you, it's much appreciated."

Then, with a fake wariness, Umbridge asked, "If I may, I know it may be a difficult subject, but the last task. . ." Umbridge trailed off.

Carina shifted her smile into a sad one. "I know what you're going to ask, Professor, and I apologize, but I don't know anything. All I remember after reaching the cup is darkness." False, but that was her story, and she was going to stick to it.

"And these claims from Mr. Potter and Professor Dumbledore?"

Shifting her expression into one of contemplation, Carina decided to play dumb on the matter. "Can't say I've given them much thought," she said slowly. "I've been so busy this past summer with St. Mungo's and my estate, but I suppose this is as good a time as ever to think it over." She made herself pause, pretending to think seriously. "While I've never known Potter or Professor Dumbledore to be liars, I can't see You-Know-Who returning." She looked up at Umbridge with an amused grin and a small roll of her eyes. "I mean, how could he?"

That seemed to be something Umbridge approved of, so Carina was pleased. She couldn't agree with Potter or Dumbledore, but she had to continue the air of disinterest that she had been honing since her first year. That was her façade: a lack of care. Draco had all the arrogance in the world, Adrian played into his ambition and drive, and Sylvia hardly needed a façade since she was genuinely into learning and hoarding knowledge. Carina could only display those in small, natural doses.

Her disinterest protected her, so how did she pretend to care?

Her thoughts drifted back to Draco, and Carina had her answer. Disinterest may have been her chosen façade, but she never hid her role in the family. And Harry had almost come to be her little brother, just as Draco was.

Carina let out a small, delicate sigh. "But Potter is so young and has been through so much, I'm inclined to think that he truly believes he saw You-Know-Who's return and doesn't think he's lying, and Professor Dumbledore believes him. Why he believes Potter can range from his age to him not being fully over the last war. But when Draco was young and his magic had started manifesting, he would accidentally scare himself, and everyone in school knows Potter's boggart is a Dementor, so if I had to guess, I think Potter and Dumbledore are scaring themselves."

In the moments that passed, Carina hoped and prayed to any potential deities that she had hit the mark. That she had won the game.

She hated putting Harry and Dumbledore down like that, but if Umbridge was going to be sticking around, it would be in Carina's best interest to keep her close, to keep Umbridge's faith.

Finally, Umbridge seemed to relax the tiniest bit, and Carina knew she was safe.

"I appreciate your honest deduction, Miss Lestrange," Umbridge said with a smile. Her eyes then drifted to the pink clock by the door. "Oh, dear, look at the time. I suppose I've kept you here long enough." She stood from her desk, and Carina followed suit, straightening her skirt as she stood. "If you have any concerns at all, I hope you know you can trust me."

Umbridge walked Carina to the door, holding it open.

"Of course," Carina replied as she walked through the frame. "Thank you for having me."

"Yes, dear. Have a good night."

"Thank you, ma'am. You, too."

Umbridge closed the door after one final nod and smile, and Carina dropped her fake smile. While being out of the office felt loads better than being in the office, Carina still remained tense the entire way back to the common room.