The Half-Blood Princess

Uprising

By the time school was back in session, everyone was almost glad to be away from Grimmauld Place, where Sirius was getting more and more agitated, which, in turn, made Molly just as in a twist. Harley stayed in the basement as much as possible, because she didn't want to get dragged into a fight. She kept looking at the prefects' photo, seeing her mother and Severus laughing together, wishing she could see her mother smile in person, and wishing there was a way to make her favourite professor laugh like that now.

When they got to Hogwarts, it was shocking to see how many new decrees Umbridge had managed to get passed, including one that said students could be flogged as punishment! It was insane, and Harley found herself entertaining the thought of leaving Hogwarts early with the twins. Lee had not even returned to school, instead going to work as a Quidditch announcer.

It was getting more and more prudent for them to keep their DA meetings secret. The Room of Requirement was as secure a place as they could get, but it was not impenetrable, which Harley kept reminding them about. She did not trust everyone in the DA, specifically Cho Chang and her friend Marietta Edgecombe, nor Zacharias Smith. She also, of course, did not like being in the same room with Alicia, but at least she was certain that Alicia wasn't going to tattle to Umbridge.

When she voiced her thoughts to Harry, he brushed her off, saying Hermione's jinx should keep everyone quiet.

"It is your trust in everyone that makes me think you are a fool, Potter," she said, leaning against the painting of the Fat Lady. "Now, may I offer you some advice about where you are going?"

He groaned. "You mean to my unnecessary extra lessons?"

"They are not unnecessary. If you think so, go and tell Dumbledore that, since he is the one who ordered them," Harley reminded him. "I know you and Professor Snape do not get along. However, you let him goad you far too easily. You need to ignore any personal feelings and concentrate on what he is teaching you."

Harry spluttered incredulously, "You-you think I should not let Snape goad me? Are you joking? He's the adult, he should-"

"Harry, shut up, will you? You have seen how he is. It is not just you he dislikes, you know. None of the other students get their knickers in a bind like you do about it," she said. "These are vitally important, and you need to pay attention. I am not joking. Forget about who is teaching you and concentrate on what you are supposed to be learning."

He sighed. "I know. I'm going to try, okay? Now get inside before anyone wonders why you're out here with me."

Harley spent the evening nestled against Fred while she read some of her mother's journal, learning more than she would have liked about James and Sirius's dangerous, oftentimes mean pranks. It looked as if her father had been a frequent victim of their bullying. Fred and George were the jokers of Hogwarts now, and never had they hung students upside down, threatened them, embarrassed them, or tried to kill them at the Whomping Willow. Those two boys had been terrible, borderline criminal. James reminded her quite a bit of Draco Malfoy. How could anyone think Lily would want to be with James without any sort of coercion?

As she was closing the journal, Harry came back. Ron and Hermione tried asking him what was going on, but he just grumbled and went and sequestered himself in his dorm.

"I don't think it went well," Fred commented.

"Of course not. Snape is a terrible teacher, especially to almost all of us Gryffindors," Alicia commented.

Harley sighed. "Only petty Muggles hate on the students teachers favour. Are you sure your Muggle parents sent you to the right school?"

Alicia shot out of her seat, but Angelina held her back. Harley never got up, secure in the knowledge that she was still the better woman here. She knew better than to start a fight, but she also knew how to hold her own. She wasn't afraid of confrontation as long as she knew she was in the right.