A Change of Feeling

Half-Breeds

Harry sat at breakfast with tired eyes. He hadn't worn glasses for the first time, he hadn't needed any more lenses in his glasses before the winter vacation, but he had now chosen to forego the glasses altogether. It had caused whispers and surprised faces, but Harry knew he looked well-groomed. His delicate features were easier to see without the large glasses; his green eyes looked bigger and his cheekbones came out better.

Blaise had nodded contentedly at the sight of Harry's appearance and given him two soft kisses on the cheek. Harry immediately blushed, whereupon Blaise clarified that they like to give kisses on the cheeks to compliment someone in Italy. However, Harry decided not to write this in his first letter to Rabastan, he was not convinced that the man would not spontaneously show up on the doorstep of Hogwarts the next day to redress.

Over breakfast, Professor Snape handed out the schedules for the second half of the school year. With a groan, Harry saw that he started on Monday with a double class of Defense Against the Dark Arts, unfortunately still with a pink toad. Harry had hoped she'd be the next to succumb to Ekrizdis' curse, but unfortunately, this was too much of a good thing, she was still alive and kicking.

The Slytherins walked timidly to their first lesson, even Theo, showing little emotion, had a scolding glare on his face. Harry decided to sit with Draco, he felt somewhat connected to the blond boy, not just through friendship; he was family. Draco raised a smug eyebrow but immediately made sure Harry could sit next to him.

"Hem, hem," came a girlish voice from the stairs to the upper part of the room, which led to her office.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts, I hope you all had a good Christmas."

Harry kept his face calm, not wanting to stand out in the toad's lesson. Unfortunately, her bulging, saggy eyes slid toward him and narrowed. An unpleasant smile appeared on her face.

"I take it you have heard of the terrible outbreak from Azkaban? The dirtiest and most dangerous vermin off the country are at large, and all thanks to Sirius Black. What do you think about this, Mr. Potter?"

"I find it very unfortunate, of course. I do not doubt that this outbreak is due to the evil mastermind's diabolical mindset, not the Ministry's ineptitude, Professor," Harry replied calmly. He took satisfaction that the outbreak was indeed due to an evil mastermind, who was in stark contrast to his godfather.

"Is that right? So you admit that your claims from last year were the fabrication of a premature brain of a thirteen-year-old?" asked Umbridge innocently.

Harry gritted his teeth and squeezed a polite smile. "I was fourteen, Madame."

"I don't wish to receive impudence from a student, Mr. Potter, ten points deduction for Slytherin."

Harry nodded politely again. "I'm sorry, Madame."

"Hum! Don't let it happen again, Mr. Potter!"

Professor Umbridge walked rigidly to her desk. "Today we will not read from the book."

Immediately relieved sighs and murmurs rose from the classroom. Harry looked at Draco but saw that the pale boy was looking thoughtful. However, he didn't seem to look at her face as she spoke but looked at her hands. Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked back at Umbridge. He pursed his lips, and tilted his head; 'What was Draco looking at?' Harry didn't notice anything amiss; the woman still dressed like cotton candy, wearing pink satin gloves, just like she'd been doing before the start of the holidays.

"Psst, Draco, where are you look-"

"Hem, hem!" hummed Umbridge in her high, irritating tone.

"Detention, Mr. Potter! I've warned you before in this lesson," Umbridge said with a smug smile on her toad-like face.