A.J RYAN IN THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

Chapter Eight

History of Magic the following morning started with a fifteen-minute talk from the teacher, Mr Binns, on N.E.W.Ts. Mr Binns was a ghost, who talked in a very drawling tone. Safe in the assumption that he wouldn't notice anything his class was doing, I pulled out my own book – disguised as the proper textbook – and picked up from where I left off last night.

I had a free period before and after lunch. For fifth period I watched Harry, Ron, and Hermione head out into the grounds for their Care of Magical Creatures lesson, before heading to Transfiguration.

"Nice of you to join us Miss Ryan, take a seat, class is about to start." Professor McGonagall said sharply.

I looked around at the seats, Terry waved me over. I smiled and walked to one of the desks towards the middle of the room, to sit with him and Aaron.

We were set conjuring spells to do, and as Terry tried to talk to me, Professor McGonagall glared at him. He stopped immediately and went back to work.

I walked to dinner in the Great Hall with Terry and Aaron straight after class. We reached the entrance and Aaron turned to me; "Going to sit with us?"

"Ahh-" was as far as I got before Fred turned up beside me and steered me away by the elbow.

"Come on." He ordered, marching towards the Gryffindor table.

"Guess not." I called back to a laughing Terry and Aaron.

Harry left the table early for his first detention with Umbridge. Ron left quickly after that, leaving Hermione alone in the Great Hall.

Around twenty past midnight the portrait hole opened, and Harry walked through holding one of his hands. He dropped it when he saw me. "What are you still doing up?" He asked in an accusing tone.

"I've got a few chapters to read before class tomorrow." I lied, getting up I reached for his right hand and he pulled it out of reach.

"What did she do?" I asked darkly.

"Nothing." He tried to pull the sleeve of his robes down.

I grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand up so I could see it. "Lines?"

He nodded.

"I must not tell lies." I read out loud from the faint redness left on his hand.

He pulled it away and stared at me slightly taken. "Yeah."

"I'm afraid I can't stop what she's doing, but this will take the pain away." I waved my hand over the back of his.

"Thanks." He let out a relieved sigh.

"Just be careful of pressing too hard with that quill. You won't feel the damage." I smiled and let go of his hand.

The seventh-years first class with Umbridge was on Wednesday after lunch, their third day back at Hogwarts. The usual fifteen-minute speech on N.E.W.T.S occurred, with Umbridge's course outlines for this year on the blackboard. Like I had heard from the fifth years – there was no mention of using spells.

Her sugary sweet voice filled the room, and that incessant sugary smile never left her face as she greeted the class like they were eleven-year old's.

We sat the whole three lessons reading chapters one to three of our textbooks. Nobody looked happy about it, but some took notes or underlined things. The Weasley twins, took turns glaring at Umbridge.

I glanced Harry's hand that night as he came back from detention after only two hours. The words Umbridge had been making him write over and over were no longer just faded on the back of his hand.

Friday at dinner the Quidditch team, including a few others left the Great Hall just before five for tryouts for the team.

Later in the common room, Ron, Hermione and the team came bustling in and celebrations started as Ron was made the Keeper.

Hermione was asleep in an armchair by the fire when I stopped Fred and George putting something in her drink. The liquid hit the top of her goblet and splashed out, like there was a lid over it, twice, before they spotted me glaring at them and abandoned their attempts.

They retreated over to Lee, and the three of them started juggling empty Butterbeer bottles.

Saturday morning, I sat with the Slytherin's. Terry used the opportunity to put his arm around me and invite me on a walk around the grounds after breakfast. He very unsubtlety pushed Aaron away as we headed out the front door into the grounds. There was a light breeze, but it was a clear blue sky and plenty of students were already out here enjoying it.

"Perfect weather for Quidditch practice." Terry commented. "I heard the Gryffindor team has a new Keeper to train this afternoon."

"Oh, I see. You're trying to get insider information on our team." I stopped and placed my hands on my hips jokingly. He had been the Seeker on his own house team before Malfoy had replaced him. We stayed a distance away from the Whomping Willow before walking near to Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

He laughed at me and reached for my hand. "Come on, lots to see." He pulled me away.

We walked around the castle, down a slope to the lake. He hadn't removed his hand from mine.

"That's where the Giant Squid lives. You can tickle his tentacles at times." He explained.

"I'll pass on that." I laughed.

We had easily filled an entire morning, before heading to lunch together. At some point our hands had separated and he hadn't had another opportunity to take mine again.

I kept the morning paper to read that afternoon, when I went to my office.

There was a tip off that Sirius Black was hiding out in London. I gasped; he would have been recognised on the platform when the Hogwarts Express left last week.

Sturgis Podmore – a member of the Order of the Phoenix was arrested and trialled for trespassing at one o'clock in the morning at the Ministry of Magic on August thirty-first.

He was on guard duty at the Ministry that night. My meeting with Professor Dumbledore on Monday night would shed more light on what had happened.

I was heading to dinner when Fred and George turned up either side of me; "Know what your precious Slytherin's were doing after lunch?" Fred sneered.

"Jeering at us from the stands at Quidditch practice." George answered immediately.

"Chanting "Gryffindor are losers"." Fred added.

"Interesting." I said matter-of-factly.

Both twins stopped on the spot. "What do you mean "Interesting"?" Fred glared.

I turned to face them and as I continued walking backwards.

"You're their competition. What do you expect? Hugs?" I chuckled. "Besides, I heard you two did the most damage."

They looked at each other, while I turned away.

They ran to catch up with me. "What do you mean, we did the most damage?" George asked.

"Katie Bell, the hospital wing, practically all the blood from her body came out her nose." I reminded them.

"Yeah, it was an accident." Fred said solemnly, scratching his head and eyeing the ground.

"Oh, it was you?" I asked humorously.

He looked anxious.

"Don't worry, she'sfine now." I said more softly.