Yellow Badger [3]// Harry Potter // Draco Malfoy

Something's Not Right...

CHAPTER EIGHT: Something's Not Right

Not even three days in and Delores Umbridge was plotting a dictatorship, the women ran her classroom like a military Bootcamp.

No talking.

No asking questions.

No eye contact.

No Magic.

The hour ticked by slowly as if the hands of the clock were pushing through treacle. Earlier, Professor Binn's classes never went this slow and he was dead boring mainly because is literally dead, not metaphor needed.

Next to me, Neville looked confused and sad all at the same time, I knew he wanted to practise his spell work this year, so he didn't feel so behind – seems like that's not going to happen anymore.

Taking a sneaky glance to my left, I saw Draco looking at me from across the room; with a subtle smile – he raised both eyebrows in return. I shook my head with a bright smile as I focused on the seventh page of parchment I had written today.

"Mr Potter, I would like to remind you of your second detention with me at five." Professor Umbridge smiled stiffly.

From the corner of my eye, Harry's domineer changed as he tried to cover his left hand. I creased my eyebrows together in confusion, Ron didn't seem to notice as he was too focused on the clock as it ticked closer to the end of class. In the chair in front, Hermione didn't seem to be so oblivious – her eyebrows twitched as she noticed Harry's odd behaviour (probably not for the first time), as he hid his problems.
Around us, the gong echoed around the room from the original brass bell – from previous experience, we stayed seated, staring up at her as we waited for her next move.

"Enjoy the rest of your day," She smiled sweetly, clasping her hands together in front of her," Children."

In a hurry, I swiped my arm along the desk using my bag to catch everything, thinking I could sort it out in my next class; my only priority was getting out of here as quickly as possible. Neville and I walked with our heads down and didn't say a word till we had cleared the room.

"And to think, I thought being taught by Crouch was traumatic," Neville mumbled.

I sighed," To think, we thought it would be like Lockhart."

"yeah," Neville sighed," I'd rather have him back than this."

I pulled a face," I mean, I'd rather him not share a –"

"Yeah." Neville agreed," I do too if we could get them their own room, I'm sure we would."

Nodding, I looked behind me – the ghosts of Draco's bruises had all be vanished leaving a green tint to his usually pale skin. As if feeling my gaze, he looked up with a smirked then a quick wink before turning his attention back onto Blaise and Theodore.

"I don't understand for a second how you get along."

I shrugged," Class friends dear brother, it helps that I don't wear red."

Neville rolled his eyes," Well I'd rather wear red than green."

"I'd also like to point out – not all Slytherins are evil."

"No," Neville agreed," Just the high majority."

My shoulders slumped a little, that was true, but the same can be said for Gryffindor. Peter Pettigrew wasn't brave or loyal, but somehow, he ended up there. I wondered how many mistakes the hat had made that had changed or destroyed someone's life.

On the ground floor of the castle, I leant against the wall as Neville stood with Seamus and Dean.

My three friends joined, creating a little box formation as we waited for class to start – McGonagall was always punctual, so her classes always started on the hour.