Jokesters In Love

Chapter Twenty Two

Aries’s P.O.V
It was the first day of classes and I was In Defense Against the Dark Arts and I was sitting next to Hermione as we talked to each other as I noticed a paper bird fly above us and around the classroom before it started to burn as it landed on the Patil Twins’ desk and heard Professor Umbridge speak up, “good morning children. Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. O.W.L’s more commonly known as OWL’s. 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’ll be pleased to know, from now on you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-Approved course of defensive magic. Yes.” she said to everyone as she passed out books to everyone before Hermione had raised her hand, “there’s nothing in here about using Defensive spells.” Hermione told her, “using spells? Well, I can’t imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom.” she told Hermione, “we’re not going to use Magic?” Ron asked her, “why not?” I asked, “you’ll be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk free way.” she told everyone, “this is bloody useless.” I whispered and I noticed that she had heard me before Harry spoke up, “what use is that? If we’re going to be attacked, it won’t be risk free.” Harry mentioned, “students will raise their hands when they speak in my class. It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations which, after all, is what school is all about.” she said to everyone, “and how’s theory supposed to prepare us for what’s out there?” Harry asked her, “there is nothing out there, dear. Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourself?” she asked Harry and I knew this wasn’t going to end well, “oh, I don’t know. Maybe Lord Voldemort.” Harry said to her, “Now, let me make this quite plain. You have been told that a certainDark Wizard is at large once again. This is a lie.” she told everyone, “it’s not a lie. I saw him. I fought him.” Harry told her, “Detention, Mr. Potter.” she said to him, “so according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?” Harry said, “Cedric Diggory’s death was a tragic accident.” she told him, “it was murder. Voldemort killed him” Harry said before I decided to speak up about it, “and all of this means nothing to you. No one at the Ministry is willing to actually investigate, to see if any of this is a lie or not. For bloody sakes women, no one would make something like this up. Have you ever thought or had the slightest interest that he might be telling the truth? So as far as I know, you guys could be lying as well and lying to everyone when you say this in the Daily Prophet. You guys are excuses for Ministry members as far as I know.” I told her and she just looked at me and I can tell her anger was growing, “Enough. enough. Detention for you as well Miss. Black. See me later, both of you, Mr. Potter and Miss. Black. My office.” she said and I rolled my eyes before she went on with the class.

Later on, when classes were over, Harry and I had grabbed our things before leaving the classroom, “thanks for sticking up for me in our first class. I’m sorry that you had to get detention too.” Harry told me, “it’s fine, you’re like a brother to me. It was worth it.” I told him as we made our way to Professor Umbridge’s office, “now let's see the old hag.” I said as we made it there and Harry had knocked on the door and after a moment, we heard her speak up, allowing us to come inside only to see the room covered in pink, “good evening, Mr. Potter and Miss. Black. Sit.” she told us and we had done so, “you both are going to be doing some lines for me today, Mr. Potter and Miss. Black.” she told us and we both went for our own quills before she stopped us, “no, not with your quills. You’re going to be using a rather special one of mine.” she said to us as she stood up and grabbed them before giving them to us, “now. I want you, Mr. Potter, to write, ‘I must not tell lies’ and I want you Miss. Black to write, ‘I must not act out’” she told us, “how many times?” we asked her, “well let’s say, for as long as it takes for the message to sink in.” she told us, “you haven’t given us any ink” Harry told her, “oh, you won’t need any ink.” she told us and we just looked at each other and I shrugged a bit before we started writing what she had told us and after a moment had gone by, I began to feel a sharp pan grow in my hand and I began to wince a little and I looked at my hand only to see what I’m writing was appearing on it before seeing that the same thing was happening to Harry before she walked over for us to see her, “yes?” she asked, pretending to be concerned, “nothing.” he said to her, “that’s right. Because you both know, deep down you both deserve to be punished. Don’t you Mr. Potter and Miss. Black.” she told us, “you’re bloody mad.” I told her and she just smiled at me, “go on” she told us before walking away and we continued writing the lines before she eventually let us go after we had left her office, all I did was look at the scare I was left with before hearing Harry speak up, “Are you alright?” he asked me and I nodded, “I’ll be fine. You” I said to him, “I’ll be alright.” he said as we eventually made it to the Common Room and I had decided to write to dad about everything that had happened today and after I was done, I noticed Fred and George handing out their products to some of the students and I smiled a bit when I remembered that George had written to me over the summer about him and Fred were planning on opening their own Joke Shop soon and after a few moments had gone by, he walked over to me with a small smile on his face, “hey love. How are you doing?” he asked me and I sighed a little, “could be better.” I told him before he planted a kiss on my lips before he sat down next to me, “how was detention with Umbridge?” he asked, “I hated it.” I said, showing him my hand, “bloody hell did she do to you?” he asked me as he gently ran his fingers over it, “she had Harry and I use some kind of quill that she managed to curse or something to have it do this.” I told him and I can tell he was getting angry but he was able to contain it better than I can, “she won’t get away with this.” he said to me and I smiled a little before kissing his cheek, "and that’s why I love you.” I told him, making him chuckle a little before he kissed me again.

It was starting to get colder now and I was eating breakfast with Fred and George and the three of us talked the entire time before we started hearing something from outside the Great Hall and we decided to see what was going on only to see Professor McGonagall and Professor Umbridge arguing with each other, “so silly of me, but it sounds as if you’re questioning my authority in my own classroom, Minerva.” Professor Umbridge said, “not at all, Dolores, merely your medieval methods.” Professor McGonagall said to her, “I am sorry, dear. But to question my practices is to question the Ministry and by extension, the Minister himself. I am a tolerant woman but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty.” Professor Umbridge said and I felt someone grab my hand and I knew it was George as he tried to calm me down, “disloyalty” Professor McGonagall repeated, “things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action.” Professor Umbridge said as she looked at all of us, “that’s bloody rubbish.” I whispered and as time had gone on, Professor Umbridge would wander the halls making changes about everything that’s going on and making new rules about certain things as well and talking with the teachers as she would asked them questions as well about certain things and I know that I wouldn’t be the only one writing to dad about this either about Professor Umbridge and what she’s been doing to and around the school.