HEART LIKE YOURS | H.POTTER

041

Harry hurried out of his seat and followed after Diana. She stormed down the corridor, not waiting for Harry who was practically running after her and her hand clutched the note tightly. She turned the corner walking right into Peeves the Poltergeist, a wide-face little man floating on his back in midair and juggling several inkwells.

"Why, it's Freaky icky Blacky and her boyfriend, Potty Wee Potter!" Peeves cackled, dropping two of his inkwells.

Diana stepped back, right into Harry, who caught her around the waist as she snarled. "Get out of the way, Peeves."

"Oooh, Freaky Blacky is cranky," Peeves said as she walked past him with Harry following. "People finally call you what you are? A freak! Last time, someone called you that you cried like a baby! Are you going to cry, Freaky Blacky?"

Diana whipped around so fast that she hit Harry in the face with her hair. "Shut the hell up, Peeves!" She grabbed the quill that was in Harry's hand and threw it at Peeves. "Piss off!"

She grabbed Harry's hand and sprinted down the flight of stairs as Peeves' cackling echoed after them and he started chanting.

"Freaky Icky Blacky! Freaky Icky Blacky! Freaky Icky Blacky!"

"Shut up!" Diana yelled as the door to the transfiguration classroom opened and McGonagall came out of her office, looking grim and slightly harassed.

"What on earth are you shouting about, Black?" McGonagall snapped as she saw Peeves cackle gleefully and zoom out of sight. "Why aren't you two in class?"

"We've been sent to you," Harry spoke up from behind Diana.

McGonagall frowned. "Sent? What do you mean sent?"

Diana handed her the note from Umbridge. McGonagall took it from her, opened the note, and began to read. Her eyes zoomed from side to side behind their square glasses as she read Umbridge's writing.

"Come in here, Black, Potter," The pair followed her inside her study and the door closed automatically behind them. "Well?" McGonagall said, rounding on them. "Is this true?"

"Is what true?" Diana said, rather aggressively than she had intended. "Professor?" she added, attempting to sound a little politer.

"Is it true that you two shouted at Professor Umbridge?"

"Yes," Harry and Diana said together.

"You called her a liar?"

"Yes—well, I did, technically," Diana says.

"You told her He-Who-Must-Be-Named is back?"

"Yes," They both said at once.

McGonagall sat down behind her desk. "Have a biscuit, Black, Potter,"

"Have—what?" Harry asked, sitting down on the chair in front of his professor's deck.

"Have a biscuit," McGonagall repeated.

Harry took a biscuit as Diana shook her head. She stayed standing with her arms crossed over her chest. "I don't want a biscuit, Professor. And I don't regret shouting at Professor Umbridge. She was degrading Cedric's death and I wasn't going to listen to it. Yes, I called her and Ministry cowards and liars because that's what they are."

McGonagall stared at her in seriousness and a hint of proudness. "Black, Potter, you both need to be careful. Misbehavior in Dolores Umbridge's class could cost you much more than House points and detention."

"What do you—" Harry started but McGonagall cut him off.

"Potter, use your common sense," McGonagall snapped. "You know where she comes from, you two must know to whom she is reporting."

The bell rang for the end of class. Overheard and all around came the elephantine sounds of hunters of students on the move.

"It says, she's given you both detention every evening this week, starting tomorrow,"

"Every evening this week!" Harry repeated. "But, Professor, couldn't you—"

McGonagall shook her head. "No, I couldn't,"

"But—"

"She is your teacher and has every right to give you detention. You two will go to her room at five o'clock tomorrow for the first one. Just remember: Tread carefully around Dolores Umbridge."

"But I was telling the truth!" Harry said in outrage. "So was Diana. Voldemort's back, you know he is, Professor Dumbledore knows he is—"

"For heaven's sake, Potter!" McGonagall said, flinching at Voldemort's name. "Do you really think this is about truth or lies? It's about keeping your head down and your temper under control!"

She stood up, nostrils wide and mouth very thin. "Have another biscuit," McGonagall thrust the tin at him.

"No, thanks," Harry said coldly, standing up.

Diana rolled her eyes, taking a damn biscuit from the tin and shoving it into Harry's chest. "Take the damn biscuit and sit down."

"Didn't you listen to Dolors Umbridge's speech at the start-of-term feast, Potter?" Their professor says as Harry sits down again.

"Yeah, she said...progress will be prohibited or—well, it meant that that the Ministry of Magic is trying to interfere at Hogwarts,"

McGonagall eyed him for a moment, then sniffed, walked around her deck, and opened the door for them. "Well, I'm glad you listen to Miss Black, here, and Hermione Granger at any rate,"