Moonlight » Harry Potter

Nine

Monday morning came in a haze of finishing work, thinking about the unrealism of the Sirius Black encounter, and remembering that both Snape's and Umbridge's classes were approaching all too quickly. Additionally, on my way to the Great Hall Monday morning for breakfast, I had seen a sign posted. It declared Umbridge "High Inquisitor of Hogwarts," and said that she would be inspecting classes that week.

Great. Not only would I have to suffer through a Defense Against the Dark Arts period with her, but she'd be in my other classes too.

However, Umbridge was not in my History of Magic class, the first class of the day, which seemed to take part of a weight off of my shoulders. I slept through half of the class, and as I walked out, I kept repeating to myself that we had an essay due, hoping I wouldn't forget.

Nor was Umbridge in Snape's dungeon for my potions class, where the assignment of the day was to concoct a Strengthening Solution. Mine wasn't bad, though it wasn't Hermione's, which, by the end of the period, looked pretty accurate to me (but then again, I am no potions master).

As I walked to the front of the class, I made sure to steer clear of Draco Malfoy and not drop the flagon before placing it carefully on Snape's desk.

"Not making messes today, I see," he commented.

I looked down. "No, sir."

As I walked away, I saw Snape open the lid of my flagon and peer inside, then close it with an indescribable noise that seemed to come from somewhere deep in his throat. I wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one.

I didn't catch Umbridge in my Arithmancy class either, which meant I only had the one class with her today. Thank God.

During that time, she was, I learned, in Harry and Ron's divination class with Professor Trelawney.

"We all know Trelawney's a fraud," Ron told us as we sat down in Defense Against the Dark Arts. "But I think she might actually get the sack this time!"

"I swear, Umbridge is trying to take Dumbledore's spot as headmaster," I said. "She'll replace all the teachers here with a bunch of Ministry gits, I'll bet my life."

"No doubt," Hermione agreed.

The door then closed, and Umbridge silenced the class. "Wands away, please," she said. "And take out your textbooks. Turn to page nineteen and begin reading." She listened with satisfaction to the sound of students ruffling around in their bags, setting books on their desks, and flipping through the pages. "This," she continued, "as you can see, is the starting page of chapter two. Read it. There will be no need to talk." And at that, she went to her desk and sat down.

By the end of the class, thankfully, I had not gotten in any sort of trouble, nor had Umbridge mentioned the occurrence of our last class. Harry had, however, gotten another week's worth of detention when he stood up for Hermione, who had raised her hand to say that she had finished reading chapter two already.

"Well, go on to chapter three then," Umbridge had told her.

"I've finished three as well," Hermione said. "I've read the whole book, as a matter of fact."

"The whole book?" Umbridge smirked. "Well, then why don't you tell me about what Slinkhard says in chapter fifteen."

"He says that counterjinxes are improperly named," Hermione answered smoothly. "That it's just a name people give their jinxes to make them sound more acceptable. But I disagree," she added.

Umbridge rose her eyebrows. "You disagree?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "I think that jinxes can be very useful. Mr. Slinkhard doesn't appreciate them."

Umbridge blinked. "Well, Miss Granger, unfortunately, it is Mr. Slinkhard's opinion that matters in this class and not yours. Five points from Gryffindor."

"For what?" Harry blurted, and Hermione, Ron, and I collectively sighed.

"For disturbing the class with pointless thoughts. I am here to teach students about Ministry-approved defenses and not allow them to make comments about things that they do not understand. I know that your previous teachers have been a lot more lenient with you on these things, but none—with the possible exception of Professor Quirrell—would have passed a Ministry inspection, seeing as they did not teach in safe, age-appropriate ways-"

"Quirrell was a great teacher," Harry interrupted sarcastically. "It was a great touch, Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head-"

"Another week's detention, Mr. Potter," Umbridge said.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but I grabbed his forearm tightly. "Don't say it."

He looked at me angrily. I glared right back. "Don't. I mean it, Harry."

He closed his mouth and turned to face the front.

We sat, reading, for the rest of the class in absolute silence, and when the bell rang, I felt so relieved to not only be out of this classroom, but done with classes for the day.

"Harry," Hermione said on the walk back. "Ron and I were talking, and we had an idea."

"Yeah," Ron said. "Listen, we were thinking about how Umbridge is an awful teacher. We need a new one."

"We do," Harry agreed.

"Right," Hermione said. "Well, we need someone who knows what they're doing, someone who's...I don't know, used these spells before."

"Who? Lupin?" Harry asked as we climbed through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room.

"Not Lupin, Harry. We mean you."

Harry stopped abruptly and looked at Ron and Hermione. "Me?"

"Yes, you've fought him before," Hermione said, referring to, I assumed, Lord Voldemort. "You know how to do it all."

"I'm not a teacher," Harry said, shaking his head. He looked at me for support.

"They've got a point," I told him. "You're the best in our year at defense against the dark arts. You know what you're doing."

"I'm really not that great-"

"Think of all the times you've fought You-Know-Who," Ron said. "First year. Second year. Third year. Last year. For God's sake Harry, you've practically saved us all-"

"But that wasn't me being great, that was all just luck!" Harry argued.

"Luck? You're a brilliant wizard, Harry," Hermione said. "You're the only one who-"

"No, I'm not!" Harry exclaimed. "It sounds great when you say it all, when you talk about all the times I've fought Voldemort, but that wasn't skill. That was things working out for me at exactly the right moment!"

"Harry," I said. "You're being silly, those are incredible-"

"No!" Harry was angry now, and I saw it, painted clearly all over his face. "None of you know what it's like! Fighting him! When you're a second away from death, you don't think about what you've learned in class! Do you think I stopped a moment to remember all I had learned, all of the answers I'd gotten right on the exams? No! And you all just act like I'm special, like I'm so incredibly talented to be standing here right now, but I could've easily been dead if-"

"Mate, that's not what-"

"Yes it is too what you're saying!" He interrupted, and Ron fell silent. "You have never fought him. You have never been there. I could've died, I would've if I hadn't gotten so bloody lucky, and all you do is sit there and tell me that I have something special that I can teach, but I can't! That's not how it works!" He shook is head. "You don't know what it's like."

"That's why we need you, Harry," Hermione said. "You've been there. You're the only one who's fought him. Who's fought Lord V-Voldemort."

Harry looked at her, not a peep slipping from his lips. The yelling had ceased. I'd never heard Hermione say Voldemort's name out loud; I assumed that she was among the majority that were afraid to speak it.

"Just think about it."

//Wow that was actually a really awful chapter, it was kind of a filler I think. But yeah sorry for that lol//