"In the eye of the hurricane

There is silence

For just a moment"

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Song: Hurricane, Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton

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XIII - The Children and The Rat

The Next Morning

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Thalia was not enjoying Defence Against the Dark Arts.

She found herself astronomically disappointed at what they were doing, which was...reading. Thalia had entered the room somewhat hopeful, guided by the false promise of a very cool class name.

It seemed she wasn't the only one bored out of their mind. Piper was throwing paper at Jason, behind Thalia. Frank was the only one who was attempting to read, but Piper kept on missing and hitting him.

It didn't help that Professor Umbridge kept on making these fake little coughs, and every time Thalia heard one, her patience and restraint strained even further.

Something curious caught Thalia's eyes. Hermione Granger, who Thalia had already come to know was a proficient and dedicated student, even with only two classes together so far, not reading the book and instead, raising her hand.

Umbridge had been ignoring her for a bit, but just as more people began to notice her strange behaviour, she addressed it, "Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?"

Hermione straightened, finally having been noticed, "About the chapter, no, but—"

"Well right now we are reading. Any other questions can be dealt with after class." The woman tutted and turned away, satisfied she'd dispelled the girl.

"I have a question about your course aims," Hermione said pointedly, sparing a glance at the blackboard.

Umbridge stiffened, turning around, "What is your name, dear?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Well I believe if you read them carefully, Miss Granger, they are plenty clear," Umbridge said.

Thalia glanced at the blackboard and the floating letters she didn't care enough to try and decipher.

"Well, I don't," Came Hermione's clipped reply, "There's nothing about using defensive spells."

Thalia looked at the blackboard in alarm, mentally kicking herself for not even trying to read the course aims.

Umbridge gave an airy laugh, "Using defensive spells? Why I don't see any situation arising in which you would need to use defensive spells, Miss Granger. Do you expect to actually be attacked during class?"

"We're not using magic?" Ron cried, looking rather panicked.

"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class Mr—"

"Weasley," He snapped, thrusting his hand into the air.

Thalia bit her tongue.

Umbridge smiled, turned away from him, just as Harry and Hermione's hands shot into the air. Umbridge stared at Harry for a moment, before addressing Hermione, "Do you have another question, Miss Granger?"

"Yes, isn't the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?" Hermione asked, sounding flustered and breathless.

"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" Umbridge asked, her voice sweet, but dripping with poison all the same.

"No, but—"

Umbridge smiled a sickly sweet smile, "Then you do not have the qualifications to tell me what the 'whole point' of my class is, Wizards with far more experience who are older than you have decided on this new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way—"

"What use is that to us? If we are attacked—" Harry shouted, cutting her off.

"Hand, Mr Potter." She growled turning away as Harry did just that. But unfortunately, other hands besides his were also in the air.

"And your name is?" She asked a dark-skinned boy.

"Dean Thomas," he told her.

"Yes?"

"Well like Harry said, it won't be risk-free—"

"I repeat," The woman now growled, slowly losing her sweet persona. Thalia saw Frank and Jason exchange a glance. "Do you expect to be attacked during my class?"

"No, but—"

The woman ploughed on, drowning him out, "I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed — not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

Thalia straightened, her lip curling as she opened it to speak—

"If you mean Professor Lupin," Dean growled, "He was the best damn teacher we ever—"

"Hand Mr Thomas!" She said. "As I was saying, you have been exposed to spells far too advanced for your age group, some potentially lethal. Not to mention that you have been led to believe that you will be attacked by some dark forces every day!"

"No, we haven't," Hermione protested, "We just—"

"Your hand is not up Miss Granger!"

Hermione threw her hand up, face becoming angrier. Umbridge ignored her, addressing the class now, her voice deadly serious and cold, "It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you —"

"Well yeah, but he was a maniac anyway—" Dead protested.

"Hand Mr Thomas!" She cried, "Now the Ministry believes that theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient for you O.W.L.S.—"

"Theory?" Piper hissed, sounding like a knife against a stone.

The room fell silent.

"You want us to learn theory? That's—" She repeated.

"Miss McLean—"

"I am not finished, Professor." Piper hissed.

"Pipes—" Jason said.

Piper held up her hand, stopping him. "Theory will get us nowhere. That's like telling a person how to build a space shuttle, and expecting them to remember every little thing and then sending that shuttle to space."

"Miss McLean, do not interrupt me again—"

"Then don't do it to me—"

"Piper," Jason said, his voice cold. He gave her a look and Piper stood down, still seething.

A girl had raised her hand, and Umbridge asked her what her name was.

"Parvati Patil, and isn't there a practical bit in our Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.? Aren't we supposed to show that we can actually do the countercurses and things?" She said, eyeing the teacher nervously.

"Miss Patil, as long as you have good enough knowledge of the theory, I see no reason why you should fail to perform the spell under carefully monitored and controlled exam conditions," Umbridge said, her tone curt and dismissive.

"We're going to cast the spells the first time during the test? Without ever practising them before?" Parvati cried.

"I will repeat, as long as you have good enough knowledge of the theory—"

"What good is a theory in the real world?" Harry cried, fist up in the air.

Umbridge looked up at him.

"This is school, Mr Potter, not the real world—"

"So you're gonna cradle and coddle us until we're older and then you'll thrust us into the 'real world' and expect us to be fine?" Piper said, "That is the daftest idea—"

"Hand—"

"Oh screw your—"

Jason threw his hand over her mouth, shutting his girlfriend up. They exchanged an angry look.

"She has a point, you know," Harry pressed, "How are we supposed to be prepared for what's waiting out there?"

"There is nothing out there Mr Potter!" Umbridge cried.

"Oh really?" Harry said, his face slowly growing red. Thalia felt the knives hidden in her clothes grow heavy.

"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" inquired Professor Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice.

"Hmmm, let me think," Harry said, mockingly putting a hand to his chin, "How about Lord Voldemort?"

The reaction was instant. People paled, Ron gasped, a girl let out a little scream, all of them staring in horror at their classmate. Thalia felt her restraint teetering on the edge, moments away from breaking.

"Ten points from Gryffindor Mr Potter," Umbridge said sharply.

The room was silent.

Thalia's hands were sweating, her fingers moving to ease out the energy building.

"Let me make things quite plain," Umbridge said as she stood up and leaned towards them, her pudgy fingers splayed against the desk.

"You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead —"

"He wasn't dead," said Harry angrily, "but yeah, he's returned!"

"Mr.-Potter-you-have-already-lost-your-House-ten-points-do-not-make-matters-worse-for-yourself," said Professor Umbridge in one breath without looking at him. "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark Wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

"So you're in denial." Thalia hissed, right as Harry cried out.

"It is not a lie! I saw him, I fought him!"

The room was silent. People were staring at both of them, and some people were sniffing, smelling a peculiar smell growing.

"Detention Mr Potter! Five O'Clock, my office!" Umbridge cried, before turning her fury to Thalia.

"What was that Miss Grace?"

"You are in denial," Thalia said, "Denying the truth because you're far too dumb to understand what happened. You didn't see it and have to trust the word of a man you want nothing more than to see arrested."

"Thalia—"

"Shut it, Jason."

"I do not know what Dumbledore has told this school but He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is not back. He died fourteen years ago—"

"Yeah, the night my parents were murdered," Harry hissed. "Or are you going to deny that too?"

Umbridge ignored him, "The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means, come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, 'Basics for Beginners.' "

"How dumb are you?" Piper cried.

"Do not make me give you detention Miss McLean—"

"Ooooh boooo hooooo, detention!" Piper mocked, "How will I ever cope!"

Harry stood up now, his face alight with a murderous rage.

Thalia reached for her shield.

"Harry, no!" Hermione cried, tugging on his sleeve, to no avail.

"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" Harry asked, his voice shaking.

A gasp filled the room, people staring wide-eyed at Harry. Thalia tried to cool her temper.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident—"

"No."

The room turned, facing the one transfer who was yet to speak. Frank Zhang was leaned back in his chair, his normally cool composure and kind eyes gone. His eyes seemed to dance with flames, and his face was dark. A child of Mars.

"It was murder, and you know it," Frank said, his voice cool. Thalia was harshly reminded that he was, at heart, the child of Mars. While he may be one slow to anger, he was angry now, and Umbridge was one misstep away from him letting it all out.

Harry, still shaking spoke up again, "Murder by Voldemort!"

Professor Umbridge's face was quite blank. For a moment Thalia thought she was going to scream at Harry. Then she said, in her softest, most sweetly girlish voice, "Come here, Mr Potter, dear."

Harry stepped up, confused as Umbridge pressed a note into his hand, "Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear."

"So you're sending him away because he doesn't agree—"

"I swear to all the god's Piper—"

"Shut your mouth Grace," Piper hissed to her boyfriend, causing him to real back in shock.

"Detention Miss McLean," Umbridge eyes Thalia as she opened her mouth again, "You as well, Miss Grace."

"Oh for the gods' sake—" Piper cried.

"Is that all your little mind can say?" Umbridge mocked.

Piper froze.

Frank stood up, his chair toppling to the floor, his eyes raging fires.

But before he could speak, Umbridge did, "Detention for you Mr Zhang." The woman seemed giddy at this point to be giving out the detentions.

The transfers fumed, glancing at Jason. His face had gone blank, but slowly it settled to steel as Umbridge ordered the class to continue reading. The room was silent when he spoke up for the first time.

"Tu rat." He hissed in Latin, before switching to English. "That is what you are Professor, a dirty, little, street rat."

"Detention Mr Grace!" She said gleefully.

"You can hand out detentions all you want, rat, but that doesn't change jack shit—"

"Language—"

"Oh go fu—" Piper commented, her eyes swirling.

"You are a rat, Professor Umbridge," Jason mocked, cutting her off as the smell of Ozone grew in the room. He had clearly lost all cool he had, "You bully and belittle and deny a truth you can't face because your little rat brain is too small to even think."

Jason stood up, stalking in front of her. Even having been made younger, he still towered well above her. There was a small crack of electricity as he gave her a malicious grin, "You can do what you want, Umbridge. Give us detentions, ban us from things but that means nothing in the long run."

"When the war hits, you'll be the one fleeing with your tail between your legs or joining the other side because you" He jammed his finger towards her, "Are. A. Rat."

With that, the son of Jupiter turned, stalking out of the silent room.