Harry and Amelia Potter

5.6

"Good evening, children. Now, we have two changes in staffing this year. We're pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank...who'll be taking Care of Magical Creatures... while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave. We also wish to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... Professor Dolores Umbridge." Dumbledore gestures you the lady sitting at the end of the table.

She looks oddly familiar. Too much pink, the fake smile. But I can't put my finger on it. "And I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the professor good luck. Now, as usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you..."

"Ahem."

Then I remember. "She was at our hearing. She works for Fudge." I tell Ron and Hermione. Harry nods.

"Thank you, headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." She gets up to move to the podium with Dumbledore. "And how lovely to see all your bright... happy faces smiling up at me." I look around the room and see everyone's just as confused as I am. "I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends."

"That's unlikely." I mutter under my breath. Harry heard me and smirks.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered... the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each headmaster... has brought something new to this historic school... progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved... perfect what can be perfected... and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." She finally finishes and goes back to her seat.

The only thing running through my mind is how awful this year is going to be. If what's she saying is true, and if what I think it means is correct, we're all in for a long, hard year.

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge. That really was most illuminating." Dumbledore says, trying to sound polite.

"Illuminating? What a load of waffle." Ron mutters.

"What's it mean?" Harry asks.

"It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts." I inform them.

When we finish our dinner, Harry and I head to the common room, when we get there, most of our house is sitting around. As we enter, all eyes are on us.

"Dean, Seamus." Harry greets.

"Good holiday?" I ask with a smile.

"All right." Dean answers. "Better than Seamus', anyway."

"Me mum didn't want me to come back this year." Seamus tells us.

"Why not?" Harry asks.

"Let me see. Because of you two." He states. Our eyes go wide. "The Daily Prophet's been saying a lot of things about you and Dumbledore."

"What, your mum believes them?" I ask.

"Nobody was there the night Cedric died." He says. I look down at the mention of Cedrics name.

"I guess you should read the Prophet, then, like your stupid mother." Harry says.

"Don't talk about his mother, Harry." I tell him, grabbing his arm.

"I'll have a go at anyone that calls us a liar." He tells me.

"Harry, calm down." I tell him and then glare at Seamus. "He's not worth it."

"That's right, Mia. Hold you're little brother back." Seamus snickers. I turn to him and raise my wand.

"What did you just say to me?" My eyes are narrowed and my grip is tight around my wand.

"What are you going to do, Potter?" I lower my wand and walk up to him, grabbing his collar.

"I'm going to curse your mouth shut." I spit at him. "Unless you want to stop while your ahead."

"What's going on?" Ron enters the room, confused as he sees me with Seamus in my grasp and Harry's hands curled tight in fists.

"He's mad, is what's going on." Harry says.

"Do you believe the rubbish they've come out with about You-Know-Who?" Seamus asks Ron.

"Yeah. I do." He says. I smile graciously at Ron.

"You think I would make up a story about how my boyfriend was killed? You'd think Harry and I would lie and say the dark wizard that murdered our parents in cold blood is back?" I ask through gritted teeth. "Because if you do, you're even dumber than I thought you were." I release my hold on him and look around at everyone else. "Has anyone else got a problem with me and Harry?"

They all begin to leave the room and I turn back to my brother and Ron.

"You all right?" Ron asks us.

"Fine." We both mutter.

"Seamus was bang out of order, mates." He tells us. "But he'll come through, you'll see."

"We said, we're fine, Ron." Harry sort of yells at him.

"Right. I'll just leave you both to your thoughts, then."