3rd Person's POV

When all the students finish eating and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore gets to his feet once more. Talking ceases immediately as all turn to face the headmaster.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students — and a few of our older students ought to know by now too."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchange smirks as far away at the Slytherin table, both Draco and Karina roll their eyes.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door. We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause during which Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged slightly panicked looks.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the —"

He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

Karina who had been looking down at her fork messing around with her food freezes immediately. She feels her body heat up as her muscles tense and her heart speeds up frantically.

Looking up she sees the same woman from her dreams now knowing that it was a vision. Cursing she clenches her hands into a fist gaining the attention of Draco who gives her a look as if asking if she was okay. She nods slowly and looks back at Dumbledore and Umbridge as Draco continues to look at her.

Dumbledore looked taken aback for a moment, then he sits back down smartly and looks alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise.

Professor Sprout's eyebrows disappear into her flyaway hair, and Professor McGonagall's mouth was thin as Harry had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.

"I don't like her."

Karina almost jumps out of her skin as those words leave her mouth uncontrollably. Deja vu feeling arise as Pansy chuckles quietly and pats Karina's shaking hand, "You don't like a lot of people."

Karina chuckles nervously as she repeats what she saw in her vision only now knowing that something was truly and indeed wrong, "That is true. But there's just something about her... something is off."

Pansy pats Karina's hand once more with a reassuring smile as Karina tries to control her frantic breathing. She glances up and catches Draco's gaze.

She knew he knew something was wrong. That look he gave her let her know that they would indeed be talking about this later.

Karina smiles lightly before looking away grimacing. Draco frowns as he watches the new Slytherin boy stare at Karina with gleaming eyes as he sits close to her going completely unnoticed by Karina.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and a little girlish and again, Karina felt the same powerful rush of dislike that she could now explain. She knew that she loathed everything about her, from her stupid high nasally voice to her fluffy pink cardigan.

Umbridge gives another little throat clearing cough, "Hem, hem" and continues "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!"

She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"

Karina glances around. None of the faces she could see looked happy; on the contrary, they all looked rather taken aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.

"I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," Parvati whispered to Lavender, and both of them lapsed into silent giggles.

Professor Umbridge clears her throat again, "Hem, hem", but when she continues, some of the breathiness vanishes from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Professor Umbridge pauses here and makes a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bow back. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows contract so that she looked positively hawklike. There was a distinct exchange of a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gives another little "Hem, hem."

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation..."

Harry found his attentiveness ebbing, as though his brain was slipping in and out of tune. The quiet that always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling.

Over at the Ravenclaw table, Cho Chang was chatting animatedly with her friends. A few seats along from Cho, Luna Lovegood had got out The Quibbler again. Meanwhile at the Hufflepuff table, Ernie Macmillan was one of the few still staring at Professor Umbridge, but he was glassy-eyed and Harry was sure he was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefect's badge gleaming on his chest.

Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Harry had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have plowed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste. Karina on the other hand had been bored as can be. She laid her head on the table not caring about one word that this lady spoke.

"... because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

She sits down. Dumbledore claps. The staff follows his lead, though Harry notices that several of them bring their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students join in, but most had been taken unaware by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore stands up again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he says, bowing to her. "Now— as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held..."

Karina raises an eyebrow and scoffs, "What a crock of shit..."

"Karina!" Pansy slaps Karina's arm playfully as she grins.

Draco chuckles to himself leaning back in his chair watching the blunt Slytherin girl through his eyelashes. He sees the new guy scooting closer to her which makes him clench his fists angrily.

Karina feeling eyes on her glances up from her plate and catches Draco's intense stare. As the two gaze at each other without as much as a smile shown.

'Talk...' Karina mouths.

'Yep...' Draco mouths back.

Karina sighs and breaks the stare. There was a great clattering and banging all around them; Dumbledore had obviously just dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the Hall. Hermione jumped up, looking flustered.

"Ron, we're supposed to show the first years where to go!"

"Oh yeah," said Ron, who had obviously forgotten.

"Hey — hey you lot! Midgets!"

"Ron!"

"Well, they are, they're titchy..."

"I know, but you can't call them midgets... First years!" Hermione called commandingly along the table. "This way, please!"

A group of new students walk shyly up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, all of them trying hard not to lead the group. They did indeed seem very small.

Hermione grins, "You have to be sweet and gentle-"

"Alright freshies follow us or get lost. And we won't come looking for you..."

Hermione stares with wide eyes at Karina as she talks to the Slytherin first years.

Karina smiles staring at the shocked faces of the new kids, "I'm kidding. But seriously I'm tired so keep up. I'm not gonna go searching for you and I know Draco definitely won't."

Draco smirks crossing his arms over his chest, "She's right I won't."

Ron chuckles peeking over at Hermione's still shocked stare, "You were saying?"

...

KNOCK KNOCK

Karina stands outside of Draco's door waiting for him to open it. They had just finished the tour for the first years and separated to go change into comfy clothes.

Huffing Karina raises her hand to knock once again but freezes as the door creaks open revealing a shirtless Aubrey.

Karina's mouth drops in shock, "Aubrey?"

Aubrey grins leaning on the doorway, "Karina. We just keep bumping into each other."

Chuckling nervously Karina shrugs with a smile, "Hilarious. Quite the time. Um anyways you stay here? This is your room now?"

"Yeah since Slytherin are rooming by trios this year Blaise and Draco needed a third musketeer. And here I am."

Karina laughs slowly, "I see, I see. So is Draco in?"

Aubrey grins opening the door wider, "He is."

"Thanks."

Walking inside the room, Karina squeezes past Aubrey. Her bare arm grazes his chest making her flinch uncomfortably. Shaking her head she continues inside and sees Draco's bed on the far side of the room. Looking around she sees the bathroom light on under the slight crack of space on the ground and realizes that Draco must have been in there.

"Hey Blaise." Karina smiles as she leaps onto Draco's bed.

Blaise looks up from his book and nods with a grin, "Karina. Is this one of many future visits?"

Karina gasps as Blaise and Aubrey laugh. She picks up a pillow out of embarrassment and launches it across the room hitting Blaise square in the face.

"Shut up its not like that."

"You want it to be." Blaise jokes as he sticks his tongue out at her.

Karina holds up her middle finger at Blaise making him burst out laughing, "Screw y-"

Karina's words are stuck in her throat as the bathroom door opens and out walks Draco. In a towel. Draco freezes noticing Karina on his bed.

"Oh shoot you're faster than I thought."

"Oh my gosh..." Karina mutters to herself as he slaps her hands over her face.

Standing up she slowly walks to where she thought the door was as she stutters, "I am so sorry. I didn't know you were showering. I'll just be outside."

"Wait-"

THUD!

Karina groans as she slams into a wall and falls to the ground. Blaise chuckles as she stays in the ground with her hands still on her face.

"I probably should've walked to the door without covering my eyes."

Draco walks over and touches her arm to help her stand but she quickly yanks her arm away.

"No! I'm okay. It's fine. I got it."

"You sure? You okay?"

"Yes! You know what I think I knocked myself out pretty good so how about we just talk tomorrow?"

"Okay... if you say so. You sure you're okay? I can walk you back to your dorm..."

"No no... that's enough embarrassment for one day."

Draco chuckles watching Karina stand up and peek through her fingers to smile sheepishly then walk over to the door.

"Night Karina."

"Night boys."

Closing the door Karina lays against it and huffs.

"I will never live that down."

...

"Settle down," said Snape coldly, shutting the door behind him. There was no real need for the call to order; the moment the class had heard the door close, quiet had fallen and all fidgeting stopped.

Snape's mere presence was usually enough to ensure a class's silence.

"Before we begin today's lesson," said Snape, sweeping over to his desk and staring around at them all, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L., or suffer my... displeasure."

His gaze lingered this time upon Neville, who gulped, "After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T. Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye."

His eyes rested on Harry and his lip curled. Harry glared back, feeling a grim pleasure at the idea that he would be able to give up Potions after fifth year.

"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," said Snape softly, "so whether you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T. or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my O.W.L. students. Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: If you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing."

"Oh that will come in handy." Karina jokes with a smile as Pansy and Daphne chuckle.

Hermione sat up a little straighter, her expression one of the utmost attentiveness.

"The ingredients and method," Snape flicked his wand, "are on the blackboard."

Everyone watches as they appear. Karina smiles excitingly.

"You will find everything you need," He flicked his wand again, "in the store cupboard... you have an hour and a half... Start."

Just as Harry, Ron, and Hermione had predicted, Snape could hardly have set them a more difficult, fiddly potion. The ingredients had to be added to the cauldron in precisely the right order and quantities; the mixture had to be stirred exactly the right number of times, firstly in clockwise, then in counterclockwise directions; the heat of the flames on which it was simmering had to be lowered to exactly the right level for a specific number of minutes before the final ingredient was added.

"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion," called Snape, with ten minutes left to go, "Ah precisely like this."

Everyone freezes and watches Snape walk over to Karina's cauldron. Everyone knew she was good at potions but now she was just showing off.

Harry, who was sweating profusely, looked desperately around the dungeon. His own cauldron was issuing copious amounts of dark gray steam; Ron's was spitting green sparks. Seamus was feverishly prodding the flames at the base of his cauldron with the tip of his wand, as they had gone out. The surface of Hermione's potion, however, was a shimmering mist of silver vapor, and as Snape swept by he looked down his hooked nose at it without comment, which meant that he could find nothing to criticize. At Harry's cauldron, however, Snape stopped, looking down at Harry with a horrible smirk on his face.

"Potter, what is this supposed to be?"

The Slytherins at the front of the class all looked up eagerly; they loved hearing Snape taunt Harry.

"The Draught of Peace," said Harry tensely.

"Tell me, Potter," said Snape softly, "can you read?"

Draco Malfoy laughed.

"Yes, I can," said Harry, his fingers clenched tightly around his wand.

"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter."

Harry squinted at the blackboard; it was not easy to make out the instructions through the haze of multicolored steam now filling the dungeon.

"Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore."

His heart sank.

He had not added syrup of hellebore, but had proceeded straight to the fourth line of the instructions after allowing his potion to simmer for seven minutes.

"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?"

"No," said Harry very quietly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No," said Harry, more loudly. "I forgot the hellebore..."

"I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco."

The contents of Harry's potion vanished; he was left standing foolishly beside an empty cauldron.

"Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing," said Snape. "Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."

Divination was Harry's least favorite class after Potions, which was due mainly to Professor Trelawney's habit of predicting his premature death every few lessons.

As for Karina, she was honestly scared of entering the class once again and even being near Professor Trewlaney. Especially because she knew the woman would say I told you so.

As everyone finds their seats, Professor Trewlaney steps out heavily draped in shawls and glittering with strings of beads. She was busy putting copies of battered, leather-bound books on each of the spindly little tables with which her room was littered. The room was so dim due to the light cast by the lamps covered by scarves and the low-burning, sickly-scented fire

Ron emerged from the trapdoor, looked around carefully, spotted Harry and made directly for him, or as directly as he could while having to wend his way between tables, chairs, and overstuffed poufs.

"Hermione and me have stopped arguing," he said, sitting down beside Harry.

"Good," grunted Harry.

"But Hermione says she thinks it would be nice if you stopped taking out your temper on us," said Ron.

"I'm not —"

"I'm just passing on the message," said Ron, talking over him. "But I reckon she's right. It's not our fault how Seamus and Snape treat you."

"I never said it —"

"Good day," said Professor Trelawney in her usual misty, dreamy voice, and Harry broke off, feeling both annoyed and slightly ashamed of himself again.

"And welcome back to Divination. I have, of course, been following your fortunes most carefully over the holidays, and am delighted to see that you have all returned to Hogwarts safely — as, of course, I knew you would."

Karina feels Trewlaney's eyes stop on her. She tenses and looks away towards the window. Feeling a hand on her knee she glances over at Draco and gives him a grateful smile.

Karina was so on edge. She already saw visions and she was new to this seer thing. Trewlaney was a seer foe who knows how long. She was a veteran. Karina didn't want to know anything that the lady had to say. She couldn't. Her health and her mind wouldn't be able to take it.

"You will find on the tables before you copies of The Dream Oracle, by Inigo Imago. Dream interpretation is a most important means of divining the future and one that may very probably be tested in your O.W.L. Not, of course, that I believe examination passes or failures are of the remotest importance when it comes to the sacred art of divination. If you have the Seeing Eye, certificates and grades matter very little. However, the headmaster likes you to sit the examination, so..."

Her voice trailed away delicately, leaving them all in no doubt that Professor Trelawney considered her subject above such sordid matters as examinations.

"Turn, please, to the introduction and read what Imago has to say on the matter of dream interpretation. Then divide into pairs. Use The Dream Oracle to interpret each other's most recent dreams. Carry on."

The one good thing to be said for this lesson was that it was not a double period. By the time they had all finished reading the introduction of the book, they had barely ten minutes left for dream interpretation.

At the table next to Harry and Ron, Dean had paired up with Neville, who immediately embarked on a long-winded explanation of a nightmare involving a pair of giant scissors wearing his grand- mother's best hat; Harry and Ron merely looked at each other glumly.

"I never remember my dreams," said Ron. "You say one."

"You must remember one of them," said Harry impatiently.

He was not going to share his dreams with anyone. He knew perfectly well what his regular nightmare about a graveyard meant, he did not need Ron or Professor Trelawney or the stupid Dream Oracle to tell him that...

"Well, I had one that I was playing Quidditch the other night," said Ron, screwing up his face in an effort to remember. "What d'you reckon that means?"

"Probably that you're going to be eaten by a giant marshmallow or something," said Harry, turning the pages of The Dream Oracle without interest.

It was very dull work looking up bits of dreams in the Oracle and Harry was not cheered up when Professor Trelawney set them the task of keeping a dream diary for a month as homework.

Karina and Draco had finally gotten a moment to talk and thankfully for them they wouldn't get in trouble for being off topic seeing as her visions were dreams.

"So what happened. I know that look anywhere. You looked scared."

Karina takes in a deep breath, "I saw the whole scene of Umbridge and her long winded speech. In my dreams. Kinda of as a vision. The same way I saw my grandmother and Cedric's death. The same way I knew that you and I would have a quarrel about Harry. And the same way..."

She didn't know if she should tell him about the curse being used on her. Was it important? Trelawney said she could change the future... would knowing allow things to be different.

Draco frowns placing his hand on top of Karina's as support. He saw the millions of gears shifting frantically in her head.

"It's okay. Tell me."

"I s-saw a curse being used on me."

Draco's frown deepens as he sits frozen. Who would use a curse on her and why.

"Which one?"

Karina bites her lip, "Crucious..."

Draco shakes his head clearing his throat, "That's not happening. I'll do everything in my power to stop that from coming true."

"Dray... I don't we can. I know Professor Trewlaney said I could change the future but how. I don't know when it's supposed to happen. I don't know why... I ju-just I already feel like this year will be the worst of them all and it hasn't even started yet."

...

Entering the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom Karina frowns in confusion as her eyes look all around. Professor Umbridge was 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.

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.

Because Karina didn't trust Umbridge, she decided to not be around Draco when the pink sweater was in eyesight. So she sat a table with Blaise as Draco sat behind them with Pansy.

"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. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted back at her. Karina raises an eyebrow. Was this lady for real?

"There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was 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 they had found interesting. Harry shoved his 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 disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" stated Professor Umbridge, turning to face the class with her hands clasped neatly in front of her. "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."

Blaise chuckles into his hand as Karina mimics Umbridge rolling her eyes.

"You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory- centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please."

She rapped the blackboard again; the first message vanished and was replaced by:

Course aims:

1. Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic.

2. Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.

3. Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.

For a couple of minutes the room was full of the sound of scratching quills on parchment. When everyone had copied down Professor Umbridge's three course aims she said, "Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class.

"I think we'll try that again," said Professor Umbridge. "When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply 'Yes, Professor Umbridge,' or 'No, Professor Umbridge.'"

"This is torture." Blaise whispers to Karina who nods smiling.

"So, has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

"Yes, Professor Umbridge," rang through the room.

"Good," said Professor Umbridge. "I should like you to turn to page five and read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners.' There will be no need to talk."

Professor Umbridge left the blackboard and settled herself in the chair behind the teacher's desk, observing them all with those pouchy toad's eyes. Harry turned to page five of his copy of Defensive Magical Theory and started to read.

It was desperately dull, quite as bad as listening to Professor Binns. He felt his concentration sliding away from him; he had soon read the same line half a dozen times without taking in more than the first few words. Several silent minutes passed. Next to him, Ron was absentmindedly turning his quill over and over in his fingers, staring at the same spot on the page. Harry looked right and received a surprise to shake him out of his torpor. Hermione had not even opened her copy of Defensive Magical Theory. She was staring fixedly at Professor Umbridge with her hand in the air.

Karina seeing this smirks resting her chin on her arm as her elbow rested on her closed book, "Oh well things are definitely about to get interesting."

Harry could not remember Hermione ever neglecting to read when instructed to, or indeed resisting the temptation to open any book that came under her nose. He looked at her questioningly, but she merely shook her head slightly to indicate that she was not about to answer questions, and continued to stare at Professor Umbridge, who was looking just as resolutely in another direction.

After several more minutes had passed, however, Harry was not the only one watching Hermione. The chapter they had been instructed to read was so tedious that more and more people were choosing to watch Hermione's mute attempt to catch Professor Umbridge's eye than to struggle on with "Basics for Beginners."

When more than half the class were staring at Hermione rather than at their books, Professor Umbridge seemed to decide that she could ignore the situation no longer.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her.

"Not about the chapter, no," said Hermione.

"Well, we're reading just now," said Professor Umbridge, showing her small, pointed teeth. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."

"I've got a query about your course aims," said Hermione. Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows.
"And your name is — ?"

"Hermione Granger," said Hermione.

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

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

There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard.

"Oop she did it now..."

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

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron ejaculated loudly.

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

"Weasley," said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air.
Professor Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him.

Harry and Hermione immediately raised their hands too. Professor Umbridge's pouchy eyes lingered on Harry for a moment before she addressed Hermione.

"Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?"

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

"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" asked Professor Umbridge in her 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—"

Karina laughs, "Oh this is rich."

"Please raise your hand Miss?"

"I wasn't asking a question. I was making a statement."

"Either way in my classroom before you speak you shall raise your hand Miss..."

Karina rolls her eyes raising her hand dramatically before relying, "Grey."

Professor Umbridge smiles, "Thank you."

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

"Hand, Mr. Potter!" sang Professor Umbridge.

Harry thrust his fist in the air.

Professor Umbridge promptly turned away from him again, but now several other people had their hands up too.

"And your name is?" Professor Umbridge said to Dean.

"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 Professor Umbridge, smiling in a very irritating fashion at Dean, "do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"

"No, but —"

Professor Umbridge talked over him, "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."

"If you mean Professor Lupin," piped up Dean Thomas angrily, "he was the best we ever —"

"Hand, Mr. Thomas! As I was saying — you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal-"

"For our safety. If we don't learn how to counter attack then what's the use. Why read about it? What is that going to do? Are we going to have time to pull out our textbook in the middle of a scuffle-"

"Hand Miss Grey!"

Karina huffs and sits back in her chair with her arms over her chest. She feels Draco's eyes on her. He knew she was getting angry real fast. It didn't help that Karina already knew what kind of person Umbridge was.

"You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day—"

"No we haven't," Hermione said, "we just —"

"Your hand is not up, Miss Granger!"

Hermione put up her hand; Professor Umbridge turned away from 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 out to be a maniac, didn't he?" said Dean Thomas hotly. "Mind you, we still learned loads —"

"I beg to differ." Karina scoffs as Blaise gives her a look to calm down before she got in trouble.

"Your hand is not up, Mr. Thomas!" trilled Professor Umbridge.

"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 had just shot up.

"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," said Professor Umbridge dismissively.

Karina makes a pfft sound throwing her head back laughing making Blaise smile a little before frowning slapping her arm.

"Without ever practicing them before?" said Parvati incredulously. "Are you telling us that the first time we'll get to do the spells will be during our exam?"

"I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough —"

"And what good's theory going to be in the real world?" said Harry loudly, his fist in the air again.
Professor Umbridge looked up.

"This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world," she said softly. "So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting out there?"

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter."

"Oh yeah?" said Harry. His temper, which seemed to have been bubbling just beneath the surface all day, was reaching boiling point.

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

"Hmm, let's think..." said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice.

Karina groans in annoyance already knowing what was about to happen. And of course there was no way she would be able to keep her mouth shut.

"Don't do it Harry."

Harry frowns shaking his head at Karina before glaring at Umbridge, "I don't know maybe Lord Voldemort?"

Ron gasped; Lavender Brown uttered a little scream; Neville slipped sideways off his stool. Professor Umbridge, however, did not flinch. She was staring at Harry with a grimly satisfied expression on her face.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."

The classroom was silent and still. Everyone was staring at either Umbridge or Harry.

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

Professor Umbridge stood up and leaned toward them, her stubby fingered hands splayed on her 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 in- formed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

"It is NOT a lie!" said Harry. "I saw him, I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" said Professor Umbridge triumphantly. "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office. I repeat, this is a lie. 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.' "

"Friend my butt."

Draco groans slapping his hand over his face, "Oh here we go."

"You weren't there. None of the all mighty powerful yet sits on their butt all day ministry were. You don't know what happened. And if you honestly do you're hiding it from everyone trying to make everything seem okay when it's indeed not."

"And how do you know what happened Miss Grey."

"I saw it..."

Umbridge smiles, "And how is that possible."

"I don't know. I just saw it."

A minute of silence passes by as Professor Umbridge sits down behind her desk again, "Ten points from Slytherin."

Karina scoffs, "I don't care about stupid points. Go ahead take some more. Ten, twenty I don't give a crap."

Blaise chuckles nervously laying his hand on Karina's shoulder, "Oh no don't do that. Please... don't do that."

Professor Umbridge makes a hmph sound before sitting up straight, "Everyone back to reading."

Harry, however, stood up. Everyone was staring at him; Seamus looked half- scared, half-fascinated.

"Harry, no!" Hermione whispered in a warning voice, tugging at his sleeve, but Harry jerked his arm out of her reach.

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

There was a collective intake of breath from the class, for none of them, apart from Ron and Hermione, had ever heard Harry talk about what had happened on the night that Cedric had died.

"Harry!"

Harry gives Karina an apologetic stare before looking back at Umbridge with a firm emotion.

The class all sit in shock staring avidly from Harry to Professor Umbridge, who had raised her eyes and was staring at him without a trace of a fake smile on her face.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," she said coldly.

"How dare you..." Karina grips tightly into her quill almost feeling it slowly crack in her palm, "It was murder. You didn't hold his cold still body hoping that it was just a dream. You didn't see him laying in a casket then get dropped twenty feet under the ground. An accident is spilling ink on your friend, or bumping into a classmate, an accident is not looking ahead to the future only to wind up dead because of the unforgivable curse."

"Detention!"

Karina chuckles angrily as her quill snaps snaps in half. Huffing in annoyance she wipes the ink off her hand onto the pretty doily paper on the table.

Harry could feel himself shaking. He knew how Karina felt. Obviously she felt worse actually knowing Cedric but he was there. No one could tell him it didn't happen when he saw it with his own eyes. He had hardly talked to anyone about this, least of all thirty eagerly listening classmates. "Voldemort killed him, and you know it."

Professor Umbridge's face was quite blank. For a moment he thought she was going to scream at him. Then she said, in her softest, most sweetly girlish voice, "Come here, Mr. Potter, dear. You as well Miss Grey."

Harry kicked his chair aside, strode around Ron and Hermione and up to the teacher's desk. He could feel the rest of the class holding its breath. He felt so angry he did not care what happened next.

Karina rolls her eyes grabbing her things standing beside Harry looking bored.

Professor Umbridge pulled a small roll of pink parchment out of her handbag, stretched it out on the desk, dipped her quill into a bottle of ink, and started scribbling, hunched over so that Harry could not see what she was writing.

Nobody spoke.

After a minute or so she rolled up the parchment and tapped it with her wand; it sealed itself seamlessly so that he could not open it.

"Take this to Professor Snape, dear, and you Mr Potter to Professor McGonagall," said Professor Umbridge, holding out the note to Karina then Harry.

Harry took it from her without saying a word and storms out the room, not even looking back at Ron and Hermione. Karina smiles looking down at Umbridge who was staring at the girl in confusion.

"Thank you very much madame."

Blaise and Draco hold in a chuckle as Karina curtseys then walks out the room slamming the door shut behind her.

Harry walked very fast along the corridor. Karina quickly catches up with him and pulls him arm making him halt.

"Hey. Calm down. You need to breath otherwise you'll blow a gasket."

Harry shakes his head angrily, "How are you not this mad? How are you holding it in? Can you believe the nerve of her?"

"Yes I can. I've already seen all this happened Harry."

Harry frowns for a moment before grimacing, "Right. I'm sorry. You must feel terrible."

"I'll live-"

"Mr Potter and Miss Grey what on earth are you doing in the hall?"

Karina grimaces, "And that's my cue to leave."

As Harry explains everything to Professor McGonagall, Karina makes her way to the dungeon. Walking into Snape's empty room, Karina sighs internally hoping Snape would understand.

Hearing steps Snape lifts his head with an angry expression before his face lightens up seeing his god child.

"Karina why aren't you in class?"

"I've been sent to see you," Karina relies standing stiffly.

"Sent? What do you mean, sent?"

Holding out the note from Professor Umbridge, Karina shifts from one foot to another. Snape raises an eyebrow then takes it from her, frowning. He slits it open with a tap of his wand, stretches it out, and begins to read.

"Well? Is this true?"

"Is what true?"

"Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?"

"Yep."

"You called her a liar?"

"Yes."

"You told her Voldemort is back?"

"Yes."

Snape sets down Professor Umbridge's note and looks very seriously at Karina before smirking.

"I couldn't be prouder."

Karina goes to apologize then frowns shaking her head.

"I'm sorry what did you say."

"Although I'm not happy about you losing points for the Slytherin house."

"I'm sorry I'm not understanding what the heck is going on right now."

"I can't stand the likes of that woman. I'd rather slam my head in a door then listen to another one of her illuminating speeches."

Karina nods, "Me too."

"However, Karina, you need to be careful. Use your common sense. You know where she comes from, you must know to whom she is reporting. The ministry has already tried to expel Potter. We don't need you on their list next."

"Yes sir."

Snape nods slowly, "It says here she's given you detention every evening this week, starting tomorrow,"

"Every evening this week? Seriously?!"

"Yes seriously."

"But, Severus, couldn't you-"

"I could however I know that you cannot keep that tongue inside your mouth. You are too stubborn for your own good. One of your mothers strongest yet problematic traits. For now, you will go to her room at five o'clock tomorrow for the first one. Then I will see about getting you out of the others. Just re- member: Tread carefully around Umbridge."

...

He swallowed a mouthful of potato and added, "I hope she doesn't keep me too long this evening. You realize we've got to write three essays, practice Van- ishing Spells for McGonagall, work out a countercharm for Flitwick, finish the bowtruckle drawing, and start that stupid dream diary for
Trelawney?"

Ron moaned and for some reason glanced up at the ceiling.
"And it looks like it's going to rain."

"What's that got to do with our homework?" said Hermione, her
eyebrows raised.
"Nothing," said Ron at once, his ears reddening.

Someone clears their throat making the golden trio turn around to see Karina standing behind them with her arms crossed with her books held up to her chest.

"Detention with the bitter professor, Potter. Did you forget or can we go please?"

Harry lets put a harsh huff before nodding and pushing his plate away. Grabbing his stuff he says goodbye to Ron and Hermione and the two make their way to Umbridge's office on the third floor.

Harry looks at Karina out the corner of his eye and frowns, "Thanks for backing me up in class. Sorry you got detention too."

Karina sighs, "Well I saw it happen so I would've said something anyways. There's something weird about that woman. I don't like her."

Harry nods with wide eyes, "Yep. Did you get in trouble with Snape?"

Karina raises an eyebrow with a grin, "I'm his favorite. Of course not."

Harry pauses in the middle of the hallway with a dropped mouth and wide eyes, "Of course."

After Harry catches up to Karina the two finally make it to Umbridge's office.

"Here we go. The doorway to hell."

Harry chuckles before frowning and raising his hand up to the door. He knocks softly and waits for a second until they hear a sugary voice on the other said saying, "Come in."

Both enter cautiously, looking around. Karina frowns, she had known this office under three of its previous occupants. In the days when Gilderoy Lockhart had lived here it had been plastered in beaming portraits of its owner. When Lupin had occupied it, it was likely you would meet some fascinating Dark creature in a cage or tank if you came to call. In the impostor Moody's days, it had been packed with various instruments and artifacts for the detection of wrongdoing and concealment.

Now, however, it looked totally unrecognizable. The surfaces had all been draped in lacy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a large technicolor kitten wearing a different bow around its neck. These were so foul that Karina stared at them, transfixed wanting to throw up, until Harry nudges her arm.

Snapping out of her head, she looks towards Professor Umbridge who started to speak again.

"Good evening, Mr Potter and Miss Grey."

Harry started and looked around. He had not noticed her at first because she was wearing a luridly flowered set of robes that blended only too well with the tablecloth on the desk behind her.

"Evening," Harry said stiffly.

Umbridge looks at Karina waiting for a response. Karina rolls her eyes looking towards the wall. Harry taps her hand.

Huffing Karina drops her arms from over her chest, "Evening..."

"Well, sit down," she said, pointing toward two small tables draped in lace beside which she had drawn up a straight-backed chair. A piece of blank parchment lay on the tables, apparently waiting for them.

Karina sits without hesitation as Harry swallows trying to gather his confidence. Karina already knew what was going to happen. She didn't fear at all and she knew exactly what she had to do.

"Er," said Harry, without moving. "Professor Umbridge? Er— before we start, I-I wanted to ask you a... a favor."

Her bulging eyes narrowed, "Oh yes?"

"Well I'm...  I'm on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And I was supposed to be at the tryouts for the new Keeper at five o'clock on Friday and I was- was wondering whether I could skip detention that night and do it- do it another night... instead..."

He knew long before he reached the end of his sentence that it was no good.

"Oh no," said Umbridge, smiling so widely that she looked as though she had just swallowed a particularly juicy fly. "Oh no, no, no. This is your punishment... both you and Miss Grey for spreading evil, nasty, attention-seeking-"

"Attention seeking?!" Karina clenches her fists, "My friend died... was murdered. No one is seeking attention."

Umbridge just grins and shrugs, "Nothing but mere stories, and punishments certainly cannot be adjusted to suit the guilty one's convenience. No, you will come here at five o'clock tomorrow, and the next day, and on Friday too, and you will do your detentions as planned. I think it rather a good thing that you are missing something you really want to do. It ought to reinforce the lesson I am trying to teach you."

Harry felt the blood surge to his head and heard a thumping noise in his ears. So he told evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories, did he?

She was watching him with her head slightly to one side, still smiling widely, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking and was waiting to see whether he would start shouting again.

"Don't... it's not worth it." Karina whispers to Harry.

With a massive effort Harry looked away from her, dropped his schoolbag beside the straight-backed chair, and sat down.

As Umbridge turns to pick up something that Karina knew about, she looks around frowning and tapping her foot as Harry clears his throat, making her look over at him. She stops tapping her foot and sits up straight in the desk.

Umbridge turns back to the two and gazed down at Karina who had now been sitting up straight with her hands in her lap.

"There," said Umbridge sweetly, "we're getting better at controlling our temper already, aren't we? Now, you are going to be doing some lines for me, Mr Potter and Miss Grey."

"No, not with your quill," she added, as Harry bent down to open his bag.

Karina stares blankly. In her vision she had asked herself, What the hell would they be using if they couldn't use their own quills? And now she thought to herself, I never would've thought anyone who goes on and on about how good they are and how enlightening it is to be a part of the ministry would have such a hateful ugly soul.

"And how are we supposed to do your ridiculous request?" Karina says just as in her dream.

Umbridge grins evilly, "You're going to be using a rather special one of mine. Here you are."

She hands them two long, thin black quills with an unusually sharp point.

"I want you to write 'I must not tell lies,' " she told Harry softly.

"How many times?" Harry asked, with a creditable imitation of politeness.

"Oh, as long as it takes for the message to sink in," said Umbridge sweetly.

Karina scoffs lightly rolling her eyes as she crosses her arms over her chest, "And what am I supposed to write?"

Umbridge's eyes gleam as she grimaces, "I must not talk back."

"Really? Well I guess I will definitely learn my lesson." Karina replies sarcastically with a mocking grin.

"Off you go." Umbridge smiles and waves her hand.

The lack of emotion made Karina feel uncomfortable in her dream but here in reality it moved her to feel determined enough to want to make emotion come from the pink sweater black souled creature.

Umbridge moves over to her desk, sits down, and bends over a stack of parchment that looked like essays for marking. Harry raised the sharp black quill and then realized what was missing.

"You haven't given us any ink," he said.

"Oh, you won't need ink," said Professor Umbridge with the merest suggestion of a laugh in her voice.

Karina glances over at Harry as he holds his quill to write.

"Carefully Harry."

Umbridge frowns looking at Karina wondering if the girl knew what would happen.

Harry nods slowly at Karina before placeing the point of the quill on the paper and writing: I must not tell lies.

He let out a gasp of pain. Still in his own world, he watches the words appear on the parchment in what appeared to be shining red ink. At the same time, the words had appeared on the back of Harry's right hand, cut into his skin as though traced there by a scalpel— yet even as he stared at the shining cut, the skin healed over again, leaving the place where it had been slightly redder than before but quite smooth.

Harry looked around at Umbridge. She was watching him, her wide, toadlike mouth stretched in a smile.
"Yes?"

"Nothing," said Harry quietly.

He looked back at the parchment. Karina watches Harry grimace in pain every few minutes as she stares down at her blank paper.

"We don't want to be here all night Miss Grey, do we?"

Karina glances over at Umbridge and glares before looking at the tip of the quill. She smirks before placing the quill upon the parchment and writing I must not talk back as she stares dead into Umbridge's eyes not flinching one bit. At this point she was numb to many things.

Umbridge sighs before looking down at her desk. Karina rolls her eyes and looks down at her hand. In the dream she had felt the searing pain on the back of her hand but now she felt nothing.

Darkness fell outside Umbridge's window. Neither Harry nor Karina asked when they would be allowed to stop. Karina knew Umbridge was watching them for signs of weakness and she was not going to show any, not even if she had to sit here all night, cutting open her own hand with this quill.

"Come here Potter," she said, after what seemed hours.

Harry stands up. His hand was stinging painfully. When he looks down at it he sees that the cut had healed, but that the skin there was red raw.

"Hand," she said.

He extends it. She takes it in her own. Harry represses a shudder as she touches him with her thick, stubby fingers on which she wore a number of ugly old rings.

"Tut, tut, I don't seem to have made much of an impression yet," she said, smiling. "Well, we'll just have to try again tomorrow evening, won't we? You may go."

Harry glances back at Karina once more before stepping out the office. Umbridge walks over to where Karina was sitting and bends down to her level. She smiles before looking down at Karina's raw hand.

"It seems as if we have to try some other sort of punishment on you, Miss Grey. Maybe another sentence to add on and more lines.

Karina smiles back surprising the short troll like woman, "Fantastic."

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚'𝒂𝒍𝒍!! 𝑯𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒖𝒚𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅!

𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒓?

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆? 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅?

𝑨𝒖𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑲𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒂?

𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑲𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒂?