The Way We Fall | Book 3

Chapter 6: Arguments

"I can tell Defense Against the Dark Arts is gonna be a blast this year." I grumbled, as Harry and I walked back to the common room. Ron and Hermione were supposed to be showing the first years where the Gryffindor Tower was, so it was just the two of us. "Yeah, really. I can't wait," He replied sarcastically. 

When we arrived in front of the Fat Lady, she looked at us boredly. "Password?"

"Mimbulus mimbletonia," Harry told her. She nodded, and her portrait swung open, revealing the Portrait Hole. We walked in, our fingers still tangled together. For a moment, I was excited to see everyone there, talking, and enjoying themselves. Instead, they were all completely silent, and seemed to be glaring at Harry. Am I missing something? I felt his hand begin to sweat, making me give it a reassuring squeeze, as we slowly headed towards our dorms. 

Suddenly, he turned to Dean and Seamus, and gave a small smile. "Dean, Seamus, good holiday?" Dean smiled back weakly, and nodded. "Alright. Better than Seamus' anyway." I looked at him, as he slammed his copy of the Daily Prophet onto the table, and stood up. "Me mam didn't want me to come back this year."

I frowned at him. "Why not?" He huffed, and looked at me. "Let me see...because of him!" He looked at Harry, and glared at him. Boy oh boy, here we go. "The Daily Prophet's been sayin' a lot o' things about yeh Harry, and about Dumbledore as well."

"And your mum believes them?" He snapped. "Well, nobody was there the night Cedric died." I felt anger boiling up inside me. How dare he call Harry a liar? "Oh, well I guess you should read the Prophet then, like your stupid mother! It'll tell you everything you need to know." I argued. "Don't you dare talk about my mother like that!" He exclaimed. "I'll have a go at anyone who calls him a liar!"

"What's going on?" Ron asked, walking up beside us. "He's mad is what's goin' on!" Seamus told him. "D'you believe the rubbish he's come out with about You-Know-Who?"

"Yeah, I do. Anyone else got a problem with Harry?" Wow, I've never been more grateful to have Ron in my presence. After a moment of silence, Harry released my hand, and stormed up to his dormitory, with Ron on his heels. I only stood there, and glared at him. "Explain to me how no one was there the night Cedric died, if Harry came out of that maze clinging to his dead body."

He looked at me, completely dumbfounded. A few people whispered to each other, glancing at me. When he didn't reply, I scoffed, and nodded my head. "That's what I thought." With that, I went up to Harry's dorm. Ron was already leaving by the time I got there. "Good luck," He whispered to me. I nodded, and walked in. Harry was standing beside his bed, angrily pulling off his robes.

"You okay?" I asked softly. "I'm fine," He replied sharply. "I get it if you need some time alone. I can just go." He wheeled around, just as I turned to leave. "No, no. I'm just stressed out. You don't have to leave." He hugged me tightly, and sighed into my shoulder. I rubbed his back soothingly. "Don't let him get to you. As long as you have your friends on your side, that's all that matters. You can't expect everyone in the world to have common sense." He laughed a little, and pulled back. Then, he kissed me. We pulled away after a while, and smiled at each other. "I love you, Riley." He whispered, pecking my lips again.

"I love you too."

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The next morning, we got our schedules at breakfast. Hermione and I skimmed ours, and traded, while the boys did the same. "Looks like we've all got Defense Against the Dark Arts first." Ron pointed out, shoving some bacon into his mouth. "At least we'll be in there together." Hermione chimed. I nodded in agreement, going back to my breakfast.

We ate in silence for the remainder of the time, before leaving for class. Harry hadn't said a word all morning. Frankly, I couldn't blame him. As we passed people, they'd glare at him, and whisper. I felt sorry for him. After all he's done, he doesn't deserve to be treated this way.

When we walked into Umbridge's classroom, Hermione sat down beside Lavender Brown, and Ron sat with Neville. So, Harry sat with me, and held my hand under the table. The Patil twins, who were sitting in front of us, folded a piece of parchment into a bird, and used magic to make it fly around the room. Of course, most of the boys were trying to jump up and grab it. Crabbe and Goyle used slingshots, and managed to hit it with a tiny ball of paper. Just as it was hovering above the twins' desk, it burnt to ashes.

I turned in my seat, only to see the toad itself standing in the doorway. "Good morning, children." She said, in a sickly sweet voice. She walked towards the front of the room, and pointed her wand at the chalkboard. "Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. O.W.Ls. More commonly known as Owls." She had written this on the board, and was now standing in front of us. Harry looked at me, grinning a bit. We snickered, and looked back up at her. "Study hard, and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe."

What would our reward be? Eh, probably a pink cat sticker. She looks a lot like a cat lady. She waved her wand at a stack of books, causing it to levitate. It floated around the room, making a small thump as it passed a book to each of us. I flipped boredly through my book, not even bothering to read any of it.

"Your previous instruction in this course has been disturbingly uneven. But, you will be pleased to know that you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry approved course of Defense Against the Dark Arts." That was when Hermione's hand shot up. "Yes?"

"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells," Umbridge looked at her with an expression so amused, it looked as though Hermione had told her a very good joke. "Using spells? Ha ha! Why, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my class." I frowned, and looked down at my textbook. "We're not going to be using magic?" Ron asked. "You will be using magic in a more secure, risk-free way." The toad explained. 

"Well, what use is that? If we're going to be attacked, it's not going to be risk-free." Harry pointed out. "Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class!" She barked. "It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficiant to get you through your examinations, which is what school is all about."

"And, how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" I questioned. "There is nothing out there, dear. Who do expect would want to attack children, like yourself?" Harry spoke before I could this time. "Oh, I don't know, maybe Lord Voldemort." The other students murmured fearfully, and Seamus rolled his eyes. Even Umbridge looked afraid for a moment. But, she smiled again, and continued.

"You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again." She said, her voice a bit shaky. "This. Is. A. Lie." He let go of my hand, pounding his fists on the desk. "IT IS NOT A LIE! I SAW HIM! I FOUGHT HIM-" She cut him off there. "Detention, Mr. Potter!" I almost thought that a detention would shut him up, but it didn't. "So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?" He demanded. "Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident."

"Sounds like your birth." I muttered. "That's a detention as well, Miss Winters!" Oopsies! Harry ignored this, and continued to argue. "IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT, VOLDEMORT KILLED HIM! YOU MUST KNOW THAT--"

"ENOUGH!" The toad screamed. The room fell completely silent. "See me later, Mr. Potter and Miss Winters. My office."

For this being our first day, there have been way too many arguments.