We sat there in silence for a couple minutes, Ron and Hermione staring at the spot where Harry had left the Great Hall.

"Bloody hell" said Ron

Hermione bit her lip. "We're really that bad aren't we?"

"I think you two can be over the top sometimes yeah" I said, and Demelza nodded in agreement.

"I'm still not sure that was an appropriate reaction from Harry though" Amy said

"I agree. Ron, when you go to divination, tell him that we've stopped arguing, but that he needs to stop taking his anger out on us. It's not our fault how Seamus and Snape treat him" said Hermione

"I will do" said Ron

Professor McGonagall wasted no time in getting us started once we arrived in her class. We were turning hedgehogs into pincushions, and this was proving an extremely difficult challenge even for me.

"Your OWL's are drawing closer-" McGonagall began.

"Hold on!" said Thomas, "we don't take them until fifth year!"

"Yeah, and end of fifth year at that!" added Magda

"Cochran, Sivarsson, do not interrupt me!" McGonagall snapped, her nostrils flaring. "The sooner you are able to master OWL level material the better, an early start will be of huge benefit, therefore I see no reason to ease you in to it!"

The whole class felt like a waste of time though, as no one managed to make a single shred of difference to their hedgehog, in fact, the consistent failed spells had only lead to them all getting annoyed and trying to stab us with their spikes! We were therefore set a long essay on the history of the spell and how to perform it correctly. McGonagall also stated that she would issue detentions for laziness if we didn't make any progress within 2 weeks. It was therefore with quite a bit of nervousness that I approached her once the bell rang.

"Yes, Weasley?" she said irritably, filing stuff away in her desk.

I bit my lip, not only nervous but wondering what was contributing to her mood, surely she couldn't have expected much of us on our first day back?

"Umm, Professor, I'm not sure if this is a good time to be asking, but have the order considered utilising Matilda's power? Seeing as she's a superblood, she'd be very useful wouldn't she?"

This made McGonagall pause and think.

"Miss Wormwood is powerful for her age, yes. We could definitely use her. I'll talk to Albus. In the mean time, you better hurry along to your next class Weasley"

We walked in opposite directions, but just before I got to the door, I turned around.

"Professor, one more thing" I said

McGonagall turned around.

"Our poor spell work today wasn't the only contributing factor to your mood, was it?"

McGonagall sighed.

"No, Ginny, it wasn't"

And with that noteworthy usage of my first name, she left the classroom by the rear exit.

"What's gotten into McGonagall today?" asked Magda, who was waiting outside with my usual group. "I mean obviously she's usually pretty strict, but today she seemed extra annoyed"

"To be fair mate, you and Thomas didn't really help by shouting out and interrupting her" said Demelza

"Time to see what this Umbridge woman is really like then" said Amy

When we entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom we found Professor Umbridge already seated at the teacher's desk, wearing the fluffy pink cardigan of the night before and the black velvet bow on top of her head. I was reminded forcibly of a large fly perched unwisely on top of an even larger toad. The class was quiet as it entered the room; Professor Umbridge was, as yet, an unknown quantity and nobody knew yet how strict a disciplinarian she was likely to be.

"Well, good afternoon!" she said when finally the whole class had sat down. A few people mumbled "Good afternoon," in reply.

"Tut, tut," said Professor Umbridge. "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please.

Excuse me, I thought, we aren't 5 years old! I exchanged worried glances with Demelza and Amy

"Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," we chanted back at her.

I had a nasty feeling that this would only be the tip of the iceberg with her.

"There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly "Easy enough isn't it. Wands away and quills out please"

Many of the class exchanged gloomy looks; the order "wands away" had never yet been followed by a lesson we had found interesting. I shoved my wand back inside his bag and pulled out quill, ink, and parchment. Professor Umbridge opened her handbag, extracted her own wand, which was an unusually short one, and tapped the blackboard sharply with it; words appeared on the board at once: Defense Against the Dark Arts A Return to Basic Principles.

"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather all over the place hasn't it?" stated Professor Umbridge, turning to face the class with her hands clasped neatly in front of her. "The very high turnover of teachers in this subject has resulted in you being far below the standard we would expect to see by your fourth year. This is a major concern, as you will be sitting your OWL's in the next academic year"

"Excuse me?" I said "I have always scored very high marks in this subject, as have many of us! We always had our exams set by Ministry invigilators too!"

There were some murmurs of agreement.

"Let me be very clear. People will raise their hands if they wish to speak in my class, is that understood?"

"Yes" a few people said.

"Let's try that again. You will please respond with, yes Professor Umbridge, or no Professor Umbridge. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Professor Umbridge" we all said

"Good, now, Miss?" she asked my name

"Weasley. So, why are you saying that none of our previous teachers have followed Ministry approved curriculums? All our exams were ministry conducted"

"That was when the Ministry still approved of Dumbledore's running of this school. We now see that it was a mistake to ever trust that man with such power, as as such, we now decide what is and isn't taught, and how to do so. You will find that continuing to place your trust in such a man will be a big mistake"

"Dumbledore is brilliant" said Amy

"yeah, who are you to say otherwise, what have you ever done compared to him!" shouted Andrew

"That is enough!" snapped Umbridge "we will return to our course aims, thank you very much!"