Follow You | Draco Malfoy

Chapter Twenty

"What use is that?" Harry asked, and she wore an unpleasant face at the sound of his voice. She had been at Harry's hearing, and she clearly didn't like him. No one at the Ministry did right now. "If we're attacked, it won't be risk-free."

She turned and walked back to the front of the classroom as she spoke, attempting to do her best at hiding her angry look. She couldn't be seen without that plastered smile. "Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class." She turned to face them, forcing a smile. "It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficent to get you through your examinations. Which, after all, is what school is all about!"

"Tell me, how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" Val asked, ever so nonchalantly. Umbridge figured she would be no trouble. She was a Slytherin, and she was Severus Snape's daughter. She assumed wrong, evidently.

"There is nothing out there, dear." She shook her head. "Who do you imagine would want to attack children like yourselves?"

"Oh, I don't know." Harry shrugged. "Maybe Lord Voldemort."

People began whispering. Some were on the fence of his return, but they knew Harry. They knew he wouldn't lie. They wanted to believe them, but everything else was telling them not to. Others were just shaking their heads, like Seamus and Dean. He was downright idiotic to them. His friends were sitting there, holding their ground as they supported him. Umbridge's smile faltered. She was having a hard time keeping it plastered on her face, now. Her voice was intimidatingly quiet as she spoke. "Now, let me make this quite plain. You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie!"

"It's not a lie, I saw him! I fought him!" Harry argued, exclaiming exasperatedly. He was tired of no one believing him. He was exhausted from people looking at him like he was crazy in the halls, and whispering about him. He couldn't help but wonder, were they imbeciles? Why would he lie about such a thing?

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" Umbridge yelled over him.

"So, according to you," Val raised her voice. She wasn't going to let such an amazing boy's memory be smudged like this. She wasn't going to let what happened to him happen to anyone else. She had to stand up for this, because she really believed in it. And what kind of person would she be if she didn't? "Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?"

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident!" She exclaimed.

"It was murder!" Harry shook his head. "Voldemort killed him! You must know that!"

"Enough!" She screamed, and they all went silent. "Enough. See me later, in my office, Mr. Potter."

"What about me?" Val asked smuggly.

"If one more word comes out of that mouth of yours, you can join us, too." She narrowed her eyes at her. Then, she put that grin on from ear to ear and giggled as she went to begin on the first lesson. It was boring and unbearable. Soon, the class was dismissed and they all filed out of the room.

"Well, that was eventful." Lolita muttered.

"You're telling me." Val sighed.

"What a foul, evil, gargoyle!" Hermione mustered the worst insult she could think of. Ron rubbed her back comfortingly, to call her down. It seemed they were all on edge today.

"I suppose she'll regret it when the world comes caving in." Harry muttered before walking off from the rest of them.

"I wish he wouldn't do that." Hermione sighed.

"What?" Lolita asked.

"Push us away." Val nodded, understanding all too well.

"Val, my office." Her father demanded when she walked past him. She sighed and rolled her eyes.