𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃 - 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯

04. | I Must Not Tell Lies

Murmurs break out amongst the crowd as the lady, presumably Professor Umbridge, rises to her feet. Dumbledore watches in complete disbelief as she approaches the podium, practically pushing him out of the way.

"Thank you, headmaster, for those kind words of welcome," Professor Umbridge says, "And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling 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 Hall is dead silent. I hear snickering across the room, and I think of Fred and George. I can only imagine the pranks they're dreaming up to torture that foolish woman. Truly, you have to be a grade-A dumbass to interrupt Professor Dumbledore. I wasn't looking forward to Defense before; I can't imagine what it'll be now.

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge. That really was most...." Dumbledore's eyebrows knit together and his eyes dart around. "...illuminating," He says after a hesitation.

He continues talking, giving warnings and guidance to the first years that I've heard many times by now. I zone out completely, focusing on the plate of food in front of me.

Draco nudges me.

I turn my head a little, catching him out of the corner of my eye.

"That woman is going to be such a bitch," he whispers.

I laugh, covering my smile with my hand. "I bet she'll be giving out detention left and right."

Draco rolls his eyes, his odd and out-of-place smile never leaving. He grabs a bottle of butterbeer off the table and places it in front of me. Once I pick it up, he taps our bottles together. "Cheers to the new year, aye? Cheers to Slytherin!"

I go to sleep that night with a warm feeling bubbling in my stomach. I can't tell if it's from all the glasses of butterbeer I gulped down, or the memory of Draco smiling at me.

*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*

"Good morning, children," Umbridge says from the back of the classroom. All the chatter in the room goes silent immediately, and everyone's head swivels to look at the little lady drowning in magenta.

"This woman is fucking nutty," Franchesca whispers from her spot beside me.

"Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. O-W-Ls." Chalk writes on the blackboard, spelling out the word as she approaches the front of the classroom. "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," she says as books land on our desks. "But you'll be pleased to know, from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?"

This woman is a blubbering fool.

"Yes, because we want anything to do with the Ministry," I mutter under my breath. Umbridge's head shoots up and her eyes zone in on me.

"Hmm... Ms. Potter, you must refrain from speaking aloud. I'm afraid if this continues, you will be serving detention. I also suggest that you do not speak bad of our government," she says, glaring at me.

Across the room, Hermione, who had been flipping through the textbook, says, "There is nothing in here about using defensive spells?"

Umbridge scoffs. "Using spells?"