Molly came bustling into the room, untied the twins, and told them to make sure they had everything packed, then come down for breakfast.
Once everyone left her room, Hari tapped her wand on each of the walls, resetting her anti apparition wards, the twin-proof ones. The other one she had set up was a prank ward, they would see the effects later.
She quickly got changed and got Duck into a cage that he couldn't pick his way out of, and then shoved the cage that was magically expanded on the inside into her bag.
She started down the flight of steps, tripped over her luggage as Fred and George apparated beside her, rolled down a flight of steps and was thankfully stopped by Hermione's quick cushioning charm.
#) Hi there. (# She looked up at her from the floor.
"Hello," Hermione said, looking down at her before helping her to her feet.
They all went down for breakfast and it wasn't long before they were being ushered out the door by Mrs. Weasley. Hari looked around for Remus and Sirius, then remembered they wouldn't be accompanying them as there was a full moon tonight and as Remus wasn't feeling at all well because of it, Sirius was staying with him.
They took a muggle public bus to King's Cross, Hermione and Hari handling the transaction, which confused the bus driver who kept looking at Mrs. Weasley and back at the six teens and one young adult with her as if asking if those were all her children. Hari laughed to herself, wrong kids but too small a number.
They arrived at Kings Cross and made their way one at a time through the barrier onto the platform. Hari looked around the platform, watching the owls swoop over the crowds before making her way onto the train. Ron and Hermione went to the prefect's carriage. She found Luna alone in a compartment and sat down opposite the girl who was reading an upside-down copy of the quibbler.
"Hi there Hari Potter," Luna said dreamily.
#) Hey Luna. (#
"Quibbler?" Luna asked, pulling another copy out of her bag.
#) Thanks, (# Hari took the magazine from Luna, opening it to the first page just as Ginny helped Neville drag his trunk into the compartment.
"Hey," Ginny said, plunking down on the seat beside Luna, then blushing slightly and scooching slightly further away. Hari noticed this but said nothing.
"Guess what I got for my birthday?" Neville asked Hari, their birthdays were one day apart.
#) Some cool kind of plant? (#
"Yea! I got a mimbulous mimbletonia!" He held out a small grey cactus in a pot. It looked like it was covered in boils and the spikes looked incredibly spiky.
#) Lemme guess, it does something cool and magical. (#
"Loads of stuff!" said Neville proudly. "It's got an amazing defensive mechanism. Here, hold Trevor for me . . ."
Hari took the toad from him and watched as he pulled a quill out of his bag. He stuck his tongue between his teeth and jabbed the quill into a boil. All Hari saw was an explosion and she acted out of instinct, her arms flew up and an emerald green shield appeared between everyone and the plant.
A black tar-like substance exploded everywhere and covered the walls. The emerald shield flickered and vanished. Everyone looked at Hari in surprise.
"Was that wandless magic?" Ginny asked of Hari and Luna looked around at the goo coated walls in amusement.
Hari nodded sheepishly, pulling out her wand and starting to vanish the goo.
"Sorry," Neville apologized, "I haven't tried that before . . . didn't realize it would be quite so. . ."
A figure appeared in the door and Hari looked up.
"Explosive?" Cormac McLaggan asked, leaning on the doorframe, trying to look cool
#)What do you want McLaggan?(# Hari asked, pausing in her vanishing of the goo to frown at him.
He didn't take the hint to leave. "Do you need help learning magic?"
#) Even if I did, why would I ask you?#(
"Let's practice Alohomora..."
#) A first-year spell, really? I knew you were dumb but this is pushing it. (#
"you can be the door so I can slam you all I want!"
Hari glared at him, #) Really? (# She raised her eyebrow, #)Really? (#
"Yeah Potter, I'm super cool, any girl would die for the opportunity." He said smugly
#) Firstly, (# Hari glared, #) Do you have nothing be- (# She stopped as McLaggan was pushed out of the doorframe. She stepped into the hallway to see Fred holding the front of McLaggan's shirt.
"That's my girlfriend you're talking to McLaggen!" Fred said angrily.
#)Hey! (# Hari said annoyed that he had intervened, #) I had it under control, Fred. (#
"I'm just helping."
#) But I don't need help. (# She pushed the two of them apart.
"Wow Potter, you wanna save a broom and ride a Quidditch player?"
She held a hand out to stop Fred. #) You failed the tryouts McLaggan, I wouldn't call you a quidditch player. (#
"But you co-"
#) Go away, nobody cares. (#
"Do you-"
#) No, go away. (# She pulled Fred into the compartment and closed the door. McLaggan eventually left. Fred joined the small group in the compartment.
The food trolly, and George, arrived sometime later, but it was a while until Hermione and Ron showed up.
Ron flopped down onto the bench. "I'm starving." He grabbed a pumpkin pasty from beside Hari.
#) Who are the other prefects? (# Hari asked of Hermione as she sat down.
'Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each house,' said Hermione, looking thoroughly disgruntled as she took her seat. 'Boy and girl from each.'
#) Who are they? (#
"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott, for Hufflepuff," Hermione said, "And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw."
"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said Ron annoyed
#) Parkinson and Malfoy? (# Hari asked.
"Course," said Ron bitterly. He shoved another pumpkin pasty in his mouth.
"Malfoy didn't even show up..." Hermione complained.
#) Why not? (#
"No idea. Probably slacking off." Ron said,
Hari didn't ask more questions but that bugged her for the next half an hour. That didn't seem like Draco, he was always on top of promotions and schoolwork.
Eventually, she stood up to leave the compartment.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked
#) Bathroom, (# Hari said, it wasn't really a lie, she would be going to the bathroom, briefly. Hari made her way to the bathroom, ducking into it to change into her robes and tapping her bracelet to become Cassandra, watching as her red robes changed to green.
She walked down the train, looking into each compartment as she went. She reached the end of the train and saw Pansy and Blaise in a compartment with a few other Slytherins.
#) Hello, (# Hari said as she entered their compartment.
"Cass!" Pansy said, "How are you?"
#) I'm alright. Have you seen Draco? (# she asked,
"No, we thought he was with you," Blaise said, looking up from his book.
#)He's not with me. (#
"He didn't even show up to the prefect meeting."
#) Really? That's weird. (# She commented, #) Well, I have to go, see you around. (#
She left the compartment, going to the bathroom and switching back into herself before returning to her compartment.
Hari sat down, pulling the quibbler out of her bag. Opening it to a random page she found an article on fudge.
Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, denied that he had any plans to take over the running of the Wizarding Bank, Gringotts, when he was elected Minister for Magic jive years ago. Fudge has always insisted that he wants nothing more than to 'co-operate peacefully' with the guardians of our gold.
BUT DOES HE?
Hari chucked and continued reading.
Sources close to the Minister have recently disclosed that Fudge's dearest ambition is to seize control of the goblin gold supplies and that he will not hesitate to use force if need be.
'It wouldn't be the first time, either,' said a Ministry insider. 'Cornelius "Goblin-Crusher" Fudge, that's what his friends call him. If you could hear him when he thinks no one's listening, oh, he's always talking about the goblins he's had done in; he's had them drowned, he's had them dropped off buildings, he's had them poisoned, he's had them cooked in pies . . .'
Hari laughed, #) Are you sure this isn't a little over the top Luna? (#
"Oh probably...." Luna said whimsically.
• • •
When they entered the great hall, Hari craned her neck looking around for Draco. This was rather useless as she was shorter than most of the people.
She only really started paying attention when Hermione jabbed her in the ribs. She looked up at the staff table.
Dumbledore was standing. "-two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
He waited until people stopped clapping politely before continuing, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the - "
He stopped suddenly and Hari looked around the staff table in confusion. Professor Umbridge was standing. She was rather squat, reminding Hari of a toad, and wore all pink, from her shoes to the bow perched on top of her head.
She appeared to clear her throat as the entire staff table looked at her in shock. Nobody ever interrupted Dumbledore. Hari thought she might like this woman, anyone who could stand up to Dumbledore must be cool.
Hari's hopes were dashed on the rocks almost immediately after the woman started speaking. "Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"
From what Hari could see, none of the faces around her looked happy. Most people were looking annoyed to be being addressed like first graders.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Professor Umbridge smiled fakely at the other teachers.
"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation . . . because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
All Hari could think was: well we're screwed.
ARGGG I'm sorry it's been so long. Thanks for all the comments, I love you all! :) Please leave a like on this chapter if you enjoyed it :)