─── SAROS HAD LEFT THE GREAT HALL that morning when he saw that Draco arrived, not really ready to face the idea that his family was working against him to get better for their own selfish needs. He made his way into the corridors where he sat down and closed his eyes for a few moments to collect himself. No part of him wanted to believe that his family was lying to him, but it was all making too much sense for him to disregard. Not to mention, how to benefit so many people to tell the same lies? It wasn't like Saros was someone important, his father might have held some influence in the Wizarding World, but it wasn't anything that drastic.

Suddenly, as he tried to settle his mind for a moment's peace, he felt people approaching, leaving him to look up. Immediately, his eyes fell on the familiar red hair of the Weasley twins and he could only remember how he had behaved around them the day before. And with what Angelina had informed him, he was actually good friends with, leaving him to feel quite shameful. However, they didn't appear to be angry with him as they approached and came to stand in front of him. They wore their usual grins, which still left Saros quite nervous.

"I suppose I owe you two an apology," Saros began, " about yesterday on the train. I wasn't aware of...well, Angelina told me that we were actually good friends."

"What's all this "were" talk," Fred interrupted, " we are good friends, Saros. You just don't remember and we understand. Doesn't make us any less of friends. Besides, I'm your-"

George shoved his brother out of the way with a roll of his eyes. "I'm glad you spoke with Angelina, she's been the most worried about you. I mean, we've all been worried, there's no telling what happened to you over the summer. We all feared the worst, but you're back here now, so we're all here to help."

"Thank you," Saros answered with a small smile, " I appreciate it."

Feeling a bit more at ease, Saros was more than welcoming when Luna appeared with a breakfast plate that she offered to him before sitting down next to Saros. "I think your brother is upset right now, Saros," Luna told him.

"What makes you say that?" Saros replied quietly, still feeling a sense of anger over the idea of Draco lying to him.

"You two wear your emotions very well."

Part of Saros wanted to be sympathetic towards the idea that even if Draco was lying to him, it was more than likely under the influence of their parents. It was how they were raised, to believe that everything their parents said was the truth and they were to trust everything that they were told. Draco was still young and more than likely still under their strong influence, but at the same time, Saros still felt a sense of betrayal. Because he would have done anything to protect Draco from harm, but it felt like Draco wouldn't do the same for him.

He didn't want to discuss Draco at the moment, and thankfully, he didn't have much time after he forced himself to eat some of the food that Luna brought out to him. The first bell echoed through the castle, signalling that all students proceed to their first class and it was just Saros' luck that his first class was Defence Against the Dark Arts. But luckily, he wouldn't be attending the class alone as he had the Weasley twins, but more importantly, he had Angelina at his side as well.

She had initially left him to speak with Alicia and Katie when they entered the Great Hall, but at the sound of the bell, she made her way back to him, with Alicia at her side. Thankfully, they were all attending Defence Against the Dark Arts, and as they made their way to the classroom with Fred in the lead, Lee Jordan joined in as well.

It was so odd for Saros to walk along and see so many faces that he didn't recognise, but they all seemed to know who he was. He could see people looking in his direction, some of them even taking the time to smile and say hello, while others whispered among each other. When he looked over at Angelina, he could see a faint smile on her face, but he was sure that she was still upset that he barely knew her. She told him about the memories they had but he didn't have them in his repertoire.

And while he remembered some things as they came to mind, she seemed to be absent from all of it.

"Do I know a lot of people around here?" he asked her quietly as they climbed one staircase.

"Well, not really," Angelina answered, " you were kinda a loner for the most part before you became friends with all of us. You were rather grumpy looking..."

Her tone was teasing, leaving him with a small smirk before he questioned her further. "So why are they smiling at me?"

"Because you were quite popular before the summer," Alicia chimed in, " I mean, you were the Hogwarts Champion outside of Harry in the Triwizard Tournament. Not to mention, you kicked serious arse throughout it. Everyone was rooting for you to win."

"Why weren't they rooting for Harry too?"

The whole group exchanged looks with one another, but they all came to a firm consensus as they answered in unison. "It's complicated."

Saros decided to leave it at that as they arrived at the classroom, leaving him to walk in first.

Present at the front of the room was Professor Umbridge, incredibly hard to miss as she was decked out in pink from head to toe. Saros remained still for a moment, pausing in his step as he noticed her and her rather flamboyant attire, almost coming to the conclusion that she was attempting to give Dumbledore a run for his money. But he said nothing as he took his seat in the middle of the classroom with Angelina, with the rest of the group scattering around them.

He drummed his fingers against the desk nervously, hoping that what he had learned over the summer would be enough to help him keep pace with his peers. But just the thought of that brought him to think back to his father and the possibility that Lucius had done something to him. Attempting to shrug it off, Saros stole a look out of the corner of his eyes as Angelina was pulling out her materials for the classroom, including her wand, however, they were all distracted by Professor Umbridge clearing her throat from the front of the class.

"There will be no need for wands to be out," Professor Umbridge told them, " place them away please. You will simply need your textbooks, a quill, ink, and parchment paper. Those should be the only items on your desks."

All the students that were present in the classroom exchanged looks with one another and Saros had to imagine that it was not the norm. Whispering started around the room, but Umbridge quickly silenced them all with another clearing of her throat.

"Now before we get started, I would like to welcome you all to Defence Against the Dark Arts. So, let's get off to the right start with a nice bright good morning. Good morning, class!"

Leave it to Fred and George to be overenthusiastic with their approach the greeting as they practically yelled it out with Lee joining in. Their voices practically drowned out the rest of the class, leaving everyone to snicker a bit until Professor Umbridge pressed her lips together, keeping the same smile on her face, only her eyes widened a bit. She said nothing about their disruptive behaviour but continued onto the chalkboard behind her that she tapped with her own wand.

She began explaining that the class was seriously behind in their academics, due to the events of previous years and due to that, they would be returning to cover the basics, but only in theory rather than practice.

Suddenly, Saros raised his hand and Umbridge looked directly on him. "Yes, Mr-"

"Malfoy," he answered, " sorry to interrupt, but I'm curious. But all classes are covered with lecture and practicals. So why wouldn't we be practising anything with our wands, especially within a class that is based on a person's defence?"

"There is simply no need for them to be used within the classroom."

"That makes no sense," Saros countered quickly, " none of what we practise in class has a use within the classroom, it's how we use it in the real world, no? We gain practice here to use them in the real world. How can we learn to properly defend ourselves if we only learn about it in theory? Reading a music book doesn't make one a musician. Your classroom is not the world out there."

"The view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination."

Finally, Saros was no longer the only one finding issue as Fred raised his hand as well, leaving Umbridge to call on him. "Fred Weasley," he stated his name first, " and if we're not allowed to practise them during class, what about the practical when it comes to our N.E.W.T.s?"

"In theory, if you know the spells, you should be able to complete them when the practical calls for it."

"That also makes no sense," Saros shook his head, " you can't read a recipe and just expect to cook a quick dish the first time. A pratical is based on the Greek term praktikos, which concerns action. Which means we have to actually do it, not just read about it. Your logic is completely flawed. We are N.E.W.T. level students, we're of age in the wizarding world, we can practise magic outside of this classroom, outside of this school, so why baby us in theory?"

"Mr Malfoy," Umbridge spoke his name in a sickeningly sweet manner, " you speak as though you expect to be attacked? As if the Dark Arts lurk around each and every corner-"

"The Defence Against the Dark Arts class has been instilled in the main core subjects of Hogwarts for centuries," Saros interrupted her, " taught in the same manner of a mixture of lecture and practicals as I stated before. Why should this year be any different? Dark Arts can be lurking around corners and anything can come at you when you least expect it."

"Do you speak from experience?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"If you are referring to the incident that took place before the summer, from what I've been informed, you have no recollection of the events that unfolded, so how can you even be sure?"

With a scowl on his face, Saros stood up from his seat and lifted up the leg of his trousers to expose his prosthetic leg. " I don't need to recount the events of the past summer to prove that defence is needed from Dark Arts and Dark Creatures. I have enough evidence considering I lost half of my leg to a lethifold, anything you wish to comment on that, Professor?"

Angelina couldn't help but smile in her chair as it seemed the old Saros was shining through, his voice was firm, the nerves gone. He appeared strong, very much like the Triwizard champion that everyone recalled from the year before. And he appeared so unashamed of himself as he exposed his prosthetic, something he had hidden for so long from his peers. But to prove his point, he made it clear that he knew what the real world was like, even if he didn't remember all of it.

Professor Umbridge was speechless for a moment and the rest of the class was busy exchanging looks, wondering what would happen next.

"And I wasn't the only one there when it came to that event before the summer," Saros continued, taking advantage of the summer, " Harry Potter was there as well. And if he claims that Voldemort is back, by what means does he need to lie about that?"

"Ten points from Mr Malfoy," Umbridge told him, " sit down."

Saros gritted his teeth together, but he obeyed as he took his seat next to Angelina again. She placed her hand over his under the table, giving it a light squeeze, warning him to keep calm. However, as Umbridge began to explain to the classroom that the rumours of a dark wizard returning were not true, Saros felt himself growing angry because she was calling Harry a liar and there was enough working against him.

"You weren't there!" Saros slammed his hand onto the table. " How can any of you make such claims when you weren't even there?!"

"And you were," Umbridge replied, " and yet, how would you even know if I wasn't, Mr Malfoy? You have no recollection of the event. It seems all too convenient."

"That's rubbish!"

"Mr Malfoy-"

"Professor, please," Angelina stood up and placed her hand on Saros' shoulder to stop him from arguing any further. "This is a very overwhelming situation for Saros right now. You said that you were aware of his situation, then can you practise some courtesy and understand where he is coming from. He doesn't have his memory fully intact right now, and the Healers suggested that he ease back into it all. Rather than arguing, maybe Saros just needs a break from all of this..."

'And are you a healer, Ms-"

"Johnson," Angelina said, " and no, but my father is and he's Saros' healer at St Mungo's. I'm sure he would have plenty to say if he knew a professor was antagonising a student who needs care right now."

Saros was completely confused as to what was taking place, because if what the others were telling him about the night in the graveyard, from Umbridge's role in the classroom, it sounded like the Ministry was trying to cover something up. However, Angelina was trying to help him keep out of trouble because no good would probably come from it. Instead, Saros was permitted to leave the room and attend the Hospital Wing, although he didn't feel ill. He was just angry with how things were unravelling themselves.

The real thorn in his side was when Umbridge claimed that he had no recollection of the evening to even counter that she hadn't been there. Because it was true, even if everyone told him she wasn't, he couldn't remember that for himself. But for her to throw that into his face, made him question as to why the Ministry was so set on not believing Harry's claims? After all, he was the Boy-Who-Lived, he had defeated Voldemort at least once in his lifetime, why would he lie?

Did people really think he was just after fame and glory? He already had that, didn't he?

And if none of that happened in the graveyard as Harry claimed, then what had happened to Saros then? What other reasoning could explain what happened to him?

Taking himself to the Hospital Wing, Saros continued to walk with his head down, trying to recall anything.

"Come on, give me something," he whispered to himself, " just tell me what happened!"

And finally, as if someone was answering his desperate prayers, Saros got what he wished for.

Suddenly, Saros found himself whirling through a series of scenes, that brought him to a graveyard, where he no longer had control of his body. He seemed to be frozen in place and before him was the unsightly scene of a man that seemed to be of a reptilian race as his face resembled a snake. His red eyes bore through Saros' soul while his nose had been rendered to nothing more than slits.

"You must be Lucius' boy," he said, " the resemblance gives you right away. Fighting for Potter's side, oh isn't this a moment? I think I'll have some fun with this."

Within seconds, Saros was placed on the ground, unable to move still and he had to wait as the one called Voldemort summoned his followers to the scene. He spoke of guilt, shaming his followers for their lack of loyalty.

"Lucius, my slippery friend," Saros could hear Voldemort call out his father's name, "I am told that you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius ... your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay ... but might not your energies have been better directed towards finding and aiding your master?"

"My Lord, I was constantly on the alert," Lucius stated, "Had there been any sign from you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me –"

"And yet you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?" Voldemort questioned, "Yes, I know all about that, Lucius ... you have disappointed me ... I expect more faithful service in future."

" Of course, my Lord, of course ... you are merciful, thank you ..."

"And to ensure that you are faithful, I have a task for you, Lucius."

Next thing Saros knew, he was brought back to his feet and brought to face his father.

"M-m-my Lord, what is it that-"

"Your son is a blood-traitor, Lucius," Voldemort spoke in a calm tone, " we have no room for them or any wavering loyalties. Your task is simple to prove your loyalty to me. Either you kill your blood-traitor of a son, or I will."

"My Lord, please," Lucius said, collapsing to his knees in hopes of some form of mercy to be granted, " he is my son-"

"He is a blood-traitor! Do you support blood-traitors, Lucius?" Voldemort questioned.

"No, my Lord, I do-"

"Then kill him. If you do not support him, kill him."

The events continued to unfold for Saros as he was frozen still in the corridor. He watched as he was placed under the Cruciatus Curse, he watched as his father had been summoned as one of the Dark Lord's followers, claiming that he did not support blood-traitors. And while he didn't act to attack Saros, it was enough confirmation for Saros to know that his father had been there and knew exactly what happened to Saros.

And yet, they had all lied to him.

"The longer he stays like this, the worse it will become," Voldemort called out, " you can put an end to his suffering, Lucius. That will be the mercy I show to you this evening. You will be the saviour to your son by putting him out of his misery."

"Please, my Lord, "Lucius begged, " Saros is not a blood-traitor, he is merely confused! It's my fault, I failed my job as a parent, it's not Saros' fault. Allow me to take him home, Narcissa and I will talk to him, we'll talk sense into him! Just let me take him home. We can fix him and he'll be fine. He'll be as loyal to you as me, even more so."

That's what they had done, they had taken him home and practically reprogrammed him to believe their teachings once more. They had fixed him to be loyal to the Dark Lord.

As Saros ran from the scene with the promise of his death, he was blinded by a green light before it all faded to darkness and he found himself, on his knees back in the corridors of Hogwarts.

And no, Umbridge had not been there and he could confirm that.