The next morning, Diana awoke from her nightmare with a start. Her forehead was drenched in a glistening sheen of sweat, her hair sticking uncomfortably to her neck and face. Her hand had a slight tremor as well as she showered and dressed for the morning to come, and she struggled with her trembling fingers as she set her hair in a simple plait down her back.

She set off down the winding and twisting corridors towards the Dining Hall for breakfast. She decided this morning she would sit with her friends at the Gryffindor table. She was hoping to be introduced to some of the students she had seen in her dreams, for she thought it appropriate that she at least knew the names of those who will become important.

She walked in, and as expected the hall hushed immediately and eyes turned to look at her, but she paid no mind as she walked directly to the Gryffindor table and towards the others.

"Hello," she said, with as much stability as she could muster after her difficult morning.

"Hello, Diana!" Hermione chirped happily, obviously enjoying the thought of starting classes today.

She got a chorus of happy 'hellos' from the others, though Harry's seemed a little halfhearted. His hands trembled slightly like hers and his hand would rub his scar every few seconds. It looked like she wasn't the only one with nightmares.

They talked for a little while as they ate, and McGonagall passed out everyone's schedules. Diana ignored the commotion of the handing out of schedules, and instead focused her eyes on the Umbridge woman at the front. She, like yesterday, wore various shades of pink a wore a sickly-sweet smile on her face that didn't fool anyone.

Umbridge caught her eye and smiled a deviously evil smile. Her eyes narrowed to slits and her tar- colored eyes gleamed with a malevolence that set Diana on edge. There was something behind her eyes, too; a disgusting feeling of superiority, like she knew something that Diana wished she didn't.

Umbridge recognized her. She knew.

She tuned back into the conversation at hand, and Fred, George, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were talking about a joke shop the twins were thinking of starting.

"You guys should do it!" she said, ignoring Hermione's protests. "We're going to need some fun for what's to come."

They furrowed their eyebrows at her, but before they could ask what she meant, breakfast had ended and people started filing out of the room. The twins bade them a goodbye and Diana stood and started walking with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"When do you have Defense Against the Dark Arts?" she asked them, ignoring the stares of nosy students.

"We have it last today. Why?" said Hermione, and they proceeded pushing through crowds to whatever class the three had first.

She shrugged, fiddling with her necklace. "Thinking about stopping by. There's something about Umbridge that doesn't feel right. Of course, apart from being Fudge's second-in-command."

"You're telling me," quipped Ron. "I swear she looks like a bloody toad."

She snickered quietly, and they eventually parted ways when they arrived at the classroom. The walls were by now nearly deserted, with a few straggling first-years and uncaring sixth and seventh years.

She had time to kill until the lesson with Umbridge. She wandered along the empty halls freely, taking her time to examine each peculiar portrait and crevice she came across. She wasn't really paying much mind as she wandered until she came across an odd blonde girl in the middle of the hall. She walked a little closer and she finally recognized her.

Luna Lovegood stood dreamily, staring at something on the ceiling. Her wand lay clenched in her hand and her book bag was abandoned against the wall.

"Luna?" Diana asked lightly, watching as the girl's head swiveled slowly to look at her, her gigantic blue eyes staring.

"Oh, hello," Luna said dreamily, her eyes turning back to look at the ceiling. "You're Diana aren't you? Harry Potter and his friends talked about you on the train." Her voice was light and airy, as if her mind was in a different world and she was only half-present in reality.

Diana was puzzled slightly, as to why they were talking about her on the train, but bit back any questions about it. "Are you alright?" she asked, turning her head to look where Luna was looking.

High on one of the ceiling rafters was a pair of bright red sneakers, swaying idly in the drafty corridor. 

"Oh, it's alright. Just the nargles. They do this sometimes," she said normally, as if what she just said wasn't completely insane.

Although, who was Diana to judge someone on a topic like insanity?

"Can't you get them down?" she asked, puzzled as to why the shoes were still dangling while Luna had her wand already in her hand.

"The nargles must have put a peculiar enchantment on them," she said. "I tried a few spells to get them down, but they won't come.

Diana, who was familiar with the jinx that made them stay there even when being Summoned, waved her wand once and the came flying limply to her hand. She handed them to Luna.

"You're very kind," said Luna in her airily high-pitched voice. "Thank you very much!"

And with that, Luna skipped off down the hall and around the corner.

Diana shook her head, trying to make sense of the strange encounter she had just had. She knew Luna was unusual, but she didn't know to what degree.

Nonetheless, Diana already knew that she liked the girl.

"Diana."

She nearly stumbled to the ground, her head whipping around to find the source of the noise. The sound of her heavy footfalls due to trying to regain her balance echoed freely in the deserted corridor, her mind reeling over what she had just heard.

She knew that voice. She hadn't heard it for a long while, and had even forgotten about it since the day she talked to Dumbledore about it a few days after her departure from the hospital. The voice bounced around in her mind, echoing and repeating until Diana clutched her head.

Her mind was very fragile, she had come to find. Any large disturbance set her head off, causing throbbing headaches and a constricted throat.

She had also come to find that the more power her father holds, the more often it happens.

"Hello, Diana."

There it was again. The same woman, the same loving tone, the same tender inflection. For so long, this voice one of the only comforts she had while locked up. It was the closest thing she had had to a friend at the time. Now it was just a nuisance, a painful reminder of her insanity. She had gotten so used to feeling normal while around her new family. She was so used to feeling like a real human being, and the voice was just a reminder that she wasn't. It reminded her that she was more damaged than she sometimes realizes.

"Where have you been?" she hissed to the voice, lowering her voice in case of any prying ears. She looked her around, her hair slapping her face as her head whipped around, looking for anyone who could listen. Some of the portraits were looking at her like she had grown another head, but some snoozed loudly and paid no mind to her apparent outburst.

"I never left," the woman said. Diana for some reason sensed that the woman smiled when she said that. Diana tried calling for the woman again and again, but she got no response to her attempts.

Diana was plunged into a paralyzing silence, and Diana wanted to scream.

But who was there to hear it?

+++

Diana filed into the nearly full Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Her eyes caught the trio's, and she winked. She also caught the eye of Draco Malfoy who blanched visibly and his eyes darted around the room as if looking for an escape route. She sneered at him and he immediately looked away with wide eyes.

She was quite excited for this lesson. Umbridge didn't settle right with her, and she was going to make sure she, and everyone else, knew that she was not to be crossed.

Students' heads turned to her and she heard her name interspersed through whisperings, but she walked straight to an empty chair on the left wall of the room. She had a complete view of everyone and everything in the room. Her expression remained a mask of stoicism and emotionlessness, her eyes unrelenting and impassive.

Umbridge finally entered, and a silence fell like a thick blanket over the room. Her eyes fell immediately on Diana, and her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing in my classroom?" she quipped tightly.

Diana felt the urge to laugh. "Learning," she retorted dryly, her intense stare matching Umbridge's. A few quiet snickers rang throughout the room, and Diana smirked devilishly.

Umbridge looked like she strongly wanted to place Diana's head on a chopping block, but she forced her eyes away and started towards the board.

"Good afternoon, class!" she quipped in a falsely sweet voice. She got a few halfhearted responses back then tutted. "That won't do, now, will it? I shall like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge!" they chorused back, quite unenthusiastic.

"There now," she said. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."

Everyone inwardly groaned and exchanged gloomy looks with each other. Umbridge extracted her wand from her handbag and tapped it once on the blackboard, and the words 'Defense Against the Dark Arts: A Return to Basic Principles' appeared. "Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" the stubby professor stated to the class. "The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your O.W.L. year."

Diana clenched her jaw, and Umbridge kept talking. "You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are to be rectified. We will following a carefully constructed, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following please." She rapped the blackboard again and another set of words appeared. The students started copying them down.

She felt uneasy about the way Umbridge talked about the new curriculum. All of this talk of being 'Ministry approved' and 'theory-centered.' She knew what this meant: The ministry was scared and wanted to make Hogwarts defenseless against them. Their naivety is blinding them to make poor decisions, and it's going to cost them in the end.

Umbridge started instructing again, telling them to read the first chapter of their Defense Theory book.

The room was dead silent, but a hand that shot up in the air caught Diana's attention. Hermione Granger, the perfect student, was blatantly neglecting to read the chapter and her hand was raised patiently for Umbridge to call on her. Umbridge determinedly looked anywhere other than her hand, but after several minutes where most of the students had abandoned their reading and were now watching Hermione, Umbridge couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she finally acknowledged.

"Not about the chapter, no," said Hermione patiently. Diana raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed with the bravery of the brilliant girl.

"Well, we're reading just now," said Umbridge. "If you have any other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."

The students watched the situation like a tennis match. Their head swiveled and their eyes were solely focused on the exchange; their reading had been long abandoned.

"I've got a query about your course aims," Hermione said, ignoring Umbridge's dismissiveness.

"And your name is--?"

"Hermione Granger," she said.

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," Umbridge said in a determined sort of sweetness.

"Well I don't," said Hermione bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

"Using defensive spells?" repeated Umbridge scornfully. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use defensive spells, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

"I can think of a few situations," Diana thought aloud, but Umbridge ignored her.

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron interjected loudly. Diana sniggered.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr.--?"

"Weasley," said Ron, thrusting his hand in the air.

Umbridge smiled widely and blatantly turned her back to him. Harry and Hermione had risen their hands as well. Her eyes lingered on Harry for a moment before calling on Hermione.

"Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?" Hermione asked.

"Oh God, this should be good," Diana muttered and many students around her had to bite back laughter. Diana was growing increasingly more angry, and this conversation had taken a turn for the worst.

"Are you a Ministry-trained education expert, Miss Granger?" she asked in a falsely sweet voice.

"No, but--"

"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way--"

"What use is that?" Harry interjected loudly. "If we're going to be attacked it won't be in a--"

"Hand, Mr. Potter!" sang Umbridge. Harry thrust his fist in the air, his eyes narrowed and other fist clenched tight.

"And your name is?" said Umbridge to Dean, who had his hand up.

"Dean Thomas."

"Well, Mr. Thomas?"

"Well, it's like Harry said, isn't it?" said Dean. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk-free--"

"I repeat," said Umbridge who was practically seething, but nonetheless she smiled at Dean irritatingly. "Do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"

"No, but--"

"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school," she started, a wide and unconvincing smile spread across her face. "But you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed--not to mention," she gave a little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

"Watch it!" growled Diana menacingly, her voice ringing across the room loudly. Her glare sent imperceptible shivers down Umbridge's spine, and some students flinched slightly.

"If you mean Professor Lupin," piped up Dean bravely through the silence, "he was the best we ever--"

"Hand, Mr. Thomas!" Umbridge screeched, finally tearing her eyes away from a seething Diana. "As I was saying, you have been introduced spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day--"

"No we haven't," attempted Hermione, "we just--"

"Your hand is not up, Miss Granger!"

Hermione put up her hand and Umbridge ignored her.

"It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you--"

"Well he turned into a maniac, didn't he?" interrupted Dean. "Mind you, we still learned loads--"

"Your hand is not up, Mr. Thomas!" she screeched. "Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?" she added, staring at Parvati, whose hand was raised.

"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?"

"As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions," Umbridge said dismissively.

"And what good's theory going to be in the real world?" Harry interrupted.

 Umbridge looked up. "This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world."

Diana was seething. Her face was crimson, and she might as well have had steam coming out of her ears.

"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's out there?" Harry pushed.

"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?"

"Voldemort seems like a pretty good guess, don't you think?" Diana spoke up dryly. It was the first time she had spoken since her outburst about Remus, and she was positively livid. It took all she had not to curse Umbridge into oblivion right then and there.

The reaction around the room was expected. Ron gasped, Lavender Brown screamed lightly, Neville slipped off of his stool. Umbridge didn't flinch, and looked at her with a completely blank expression.

The class was silent as they stared at each other.

"Now let me make a few things quite plain."

Umbridge stood and leaned towards them, her stubby fingers splayed on the desk top.

"You have been told that a certain Dark Wizard has returned from the dead--"

"He wasn't dead," Harry interrupted angrily. "But yeah, he's returned."

"Mr.-Potter-do-not-make-matters-worse-for-yourself!" she screeched. "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark Wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

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

"Detention, Mr. Potter!"

Diana stood up abruptly, her chair knocking over in the process. All eyes were once again on her.

"So you're saying Cedric Diggory just dropped dead?" she asked loudly. Umbridge stared at her darkly, but Diana didn't even flinch. She wasn't scared of her.

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

"It was murder!" Harry yelled, standing up from his seat. It was the three of them now, Harry and Diana against Umbridge. The silence was tense, but no one dared break it.

"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Voldemort," said Diana lowly, her eyes narrowed. She took a step towards Umbridge, who took a step back. "Your naïve stupidity is going to kill us all. Voldemort is back, and he won't stop until he gets what he wants."

Umbridge's eyes narrowed to slits, a malicious grin spreading over he face. "And you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

Diana's mind clouded with red rage. She took three large strides to Umbridge until she was merely three feet away, and Umbridge was now up against the blackboard.

Diana was seething. Here jaw was clenched tight and her eyes clouded with pure, undiluted fury as she glared at the woman, who shrunk back ever so slightly.

 "If you ever talk to me like that again, I'll show you just how much I know," she whispered, her voice dangerously low.

And with that, she stormed out of the classroom, not before waving her wand once and causing the blackboard to explode, causing every single student to get chunks of the Defense lesson rained on them.