The Depth of Deception // H. Potter

flashback: dolores umbridge

"We wish to welcome our new defense against the dark arts teacher; Professor Dolores Umbridge. I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the professor good luck." Dumbledore spoke at his podium. The new professor in question was decked out in the color pink.

Amara looked her up and down in internal disgust. Something about her was dark; maybe that was the reason she wore bright pink. To hide her darkness with light. Amara knew that she was indeed guilty of doing the same, but definitely not with pink.

Professor Umbridge proceeded to interrupt Dumbledore by standing up. The entirety of the Great Hall looked around in confusion. Who in the hell did she think she was?

"Thank you, headmaster, for those kind words welcome. And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling back at me. I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends. The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." The woman made Amara angry, but seemed to make Draco smile.

Suddenly Amara began to nitpick everything about her, hating her more as she thought about the way she giggled. Amara just didn't know just how much worse it was going to get.

~X~

"Good morning children." Umbridge spoke, scaring everyone in the room at once. Amara cursed in her mind as she watched her walk towards the chalkboard.

"Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. OWL's. More commonly known as owls. Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so and the consequences may be severe. Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven, but you will be pleased to know from now on you will be following a carefully structured, ministry-approved course." Umbridge spoke, but Amara rolled her eyes.

"You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way." Umbridge spoke, carefully look around the class. What was the point of being a witch if we weren't going to use magic?

"What use is that? If we're gonna be attacked, it won't be risk-free." Harry retorted, looking as confused as everyone else in the room. Amara agreed with him. Magic was never risk-free in the real world.

"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class! It is the view of the ministry that theoretical knowledge would be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which after all is what school is all about." Umbridge was now speaking directly to Harry.

"How are theories supposed to prepare us for what's out there." Harry said, getting angrier by the minute. Amara, too, was tired from hearing all of the 'ministry this' and 'ministry that' bullshit. 

"There is nothing out there, dear. Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourself?" Umbridge asked, looking deeply at Harry

"Oh, I don't know, maybe Lord Voldemort." Harry pushed out. Amara smiled and looked at Harry. Umbridge noticed Amara's smile and turned her attention to the Malfoy girl.

"Is something humorous, Miss Malfoy?" Umbridge eyed Amara, her darkened eyes looked into Amara's.

"Yes, Professor." Amara spoke confidently, calling her out in front of everyone, "The fact that you are denying cold, hard facts is a bit stupid...and cowardly." Amara smiled, watching as Harry smiled back at her. Draco shot his sister a warning look, as if to try to convince her to stop while she was ahead.

"Miss Malfoy, I'd be very careful if I were in your shoes-" Umbridge weakly threatened Amara. Amara stifled a laugh at her pitiful attempt.

"I'm sorry Professor, but Harry is right. Voldemort is back and he killed Cedric last year. I refuse to sit here and listen to you deny the obvious truth and belittle a student's death." Amara spoke, her teeth gritted in her mouth. Amara barely knew Cedric, but hearing as people denied the truth made her angry. He was only seventeen.

"Let me make this quite plain. You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie." Umbridge tried to fight back with damage control, but it wasn't going to work. Amara laughed, knowing that to be false. Her father was a death eater, therefore she knew that Dark Lord was getting stronger. He'd be back very soon.

"It's not a lie! I saw him, I fought-" Harry shouted, trying to explain.

"Detention Mr. Potter. And you too, Miss Malfoy." Umbridge spoke with pure venom in her voice. Amara rolled my eyes, hoping to make her angry.

"So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord? You think he just died for the hell of it?" Harry shouted, enraged at this point.

The entire class looked between Harry and Amara in shock. If there was one thing Amara Malfoy wasn't, it would be a coward. Amara felt nothing. The old Amara was gone, and the new one was making her way through the darkness.