The Journal of Regulus Arcturus Black

Chapter 28. Sword of Gryffindor

Dear Regulus,

Fucking Umbridge bloody banned Quidditch. She banned Quidditch! I can't believe it and it's all bloody Potter's fault! He did something, I was too busy working on the accounts but I know he did something to piss her off. Apparently she's taken his and the Weasley twins' brooms, locked up in her office. It is absolutely barbaric that she's taken everyone else's brooms too.

I had a new bloody Firebolt too you know! This is terrible. This is literally the worst thing to happen to me other than the stupid emancipation. This is honestly making me depressed, I don't know what to say. I know that I was going to fill my next letter with light hearted stuff about Hogwarts and my studies but bloody fuck Salazer moons- I will murder her. I'm not kidding, I have the backbone to pull it off. I don't mind living with the guilt, I promise you. I don't know if you'd be disappointed in me, but you must know the tragedy I'm facing.

She banned Quidditch.

I feel like I need to reiterate how much I hate her. So much so that I'm slowly starting to convince myself that Potter's little scheme to create an underground club against her teaching methods might just be what I need. She's a menace, but there's a method to her madness. I have a feeling she's trying to change Hogwarts into a smaller version of the Ministry, as if the Ministry of Magic is anything to be pleased with.

It's all going to shit and I can't do much on the side-lines. I have a lot of work to do on my own, but now Umbridge? I can't believe it, but I might have to join his silly little DA club if it means that I'll get better grades for my Defence O.W.L.s. Because no one, and I mean no one, is going to get in the way of me getting the absolute best grades for my studies.

High Inquisitor or Golden Boy.

Your suffering godson,

Draco Black

***

There was a certain shift in the air as soon as Draco took his seat in the train carriage amongst his friends and peers, whilst they all set off to Hogwarts. There were murmurs about the Minister's death or assassination, but Draco didn't think that Rufus was too important to warrant the word, assassination. "It's all politics," he said, waving off their concern. "Don't worry, we should just hope that Potter and his lot have fun hunting the rest of the horcruxes, and then killing You-Know-Who... we should be sorted."

They were, in fact, not sorted.

Draco kind of jinxed the lot of them. Sitting at the Slytherin tables and watching as Severus Snape, the man who killed Headmaster Dumbledore, lounge in his chair and stealing the man's title. "This is insane," Draco whispered, leaning against Vincent and looking at his old Head of House with wide eyes.

"Who let this happen?!" Pansy whispered, eyes looking down at the table and trying not to connect to the Carrow siblings. Oh, if having Snape take over for the new Headmaster position, that was nothing compared to finding out who the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professors were. Draco didn't even know if Amycus and Alecto Carrow knew anything about academia, and yet, there they were. Sitting and grinning with a shark-like thirst as their eyes gazed around hungrily at the students.

Draco accidentally locked eyes with Amycus and he slid further down his seat, turning away and hiding behind Greg's tall frame. "We're so fucked," he mumbled.

They were, in fact, fucked.

The first week at school was a horror show. Draco realised early on that although he was a Slytherin and the Carrow siblings were more inclined to try and let his house go easy, that didn't include him. Or even his friends. Draco walked with a tight grip around Pansy's waist, holding her close to him, whilst she let her head hand low and face covering remain stuck to conceal her scars with a charm. Out of everyone in their group, it seemed that Draco and Pansy were out for the kill.