The dinner was about to begin when Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement.
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I request a few minutes of your attention for the usual beginning-of-term notices," Dumbledore paused dramatically.
"The first-year students need to know that access to the forest on our grounds is forbidden to students... and by this point, some of our older students must have learned that as well."
Cassi hid her laughter behind a discreet cough.
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for the four hundred and sixty-second time, according to him, to remind everyone that practicing magic in the corridors during class breaks is not permitted, among many other things listed on the extensive notice posted on his office door."
"There have been two changes in our teaching staff this year. We are delighted to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will resume teaching Care of Magical Creatures; we are also pleased to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was a round of polite but not very enthusiastic applause.
"My mum hates that woman," Draco commented quietly to Cassi.
"My mum doesn't like her much either. I remember her stories very well," Cassi whispered back.
"The tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will be held..." He was interrupted by an inquisitive look from Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, for a moment no one understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then the professor cleared her throat.
"Ahem, ahem." And it became clear that she had risen and intended to speak. Dumbledore seemed surprised only for a moment, then he sat down with elegance and looked attentively at Professor Umbridge as if listening to her were the thing he desired most in life.
The other members of the teaching staff were not as successful in hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows disappeared beneath her wild hair, and Cassi had never seen her godmother scowl so deeply. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before.
"Thank you, Headmaster."
Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and somewhat childlike. Cassi felt an instant dislike.
"Well, I must say it is a pleasure to be back at Hogwarts!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy faces turned toward me!"
No one was smiling.
On the contrary, everyone seemed somewhat shocked to hear someone address them as if they were five years old.
"I am very excited to get to know all of you, and I'm sure we will be good friends!"
Cassi and Draco glanced at each other upon hearing this, trying hard to hold back their laughter.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards of vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, progress for the sake of progress should be disregarded. Let us preserve what should be preserved, perfect what should be perfected, and cut out practices that should be prohibited."
Only a few people applauded, and she didn't even bother acknowledging it.
"Thank you, Professor Umbridge, for your enlightening speech," Dumbledore said.
"Enlightening?" Draco asked mockingly.
"It was more like boring," Pansy commented.
"I almost fell asleep sitting there, what was that laughter all about?" Cassiopeia asked, amused, and the three of them chuckled quietly.
(...)
⁀➷,
In the Slytherin common room, everyone was discussing and talking about what they did with their families.
Cassi overheard some whispers about Voldemort.
"My mother is upset with you, you know," Draco commented as he sat down in an armchair.
Cassi raised an eyebrow. "Upset with me? Why?"
"You didn't come for tea with her," Draco laughed. "She complained about it all month."
Cassiopeia laughed at that.
"But I told her I would come for Christmas," Cassi chuckled.
"Even so, it's strange. She really likes you."Draco interrupted himself and sighed. "I don't know how things will be now."
Voldemort
Cassi sat down next to Draco and hugged him.
"I'll always be here for you," she whispered. "You're my best friend."
Draco smiled at her.
"Don't ever leave me, Cassie."
"Never."
(...)
⁀➷,
Cassiopeia had always been a dedicated student, and it was no different now, despite being on the verge of a psychotic break.
She felt confident; she had spent two years preparing for the O.W.L.s, but she decided to go further. She was taking all the subjects, including Ancient Languages, adding up to 14, and she hoped to achieve the highest grade in all of them, which wouldn't be possible without her Time-Turner.
Cassi had just used it at the "end" of History of Magic class before heading to Potions. Pansy always questioned her schedule, but she always changed the subject to avoid arguments.
"Silence," Snape said coldly, closing the door as he entered. There was no real need to give that order; as soon as the class heard the door close, silence fell and all the commotion ceased.
Snape's mere presence was usually enough to ensure silence in the classroom.
"Before we begin today's class," the professor said, walking imposingly to the desk and scanning the students with his eyes, "I think it's appropriate to remind you all that next June you will take an important exam, in which you will demonstrate how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. As incapable as some students in this class may be, I expect at least an 'Acceptable' on your O.W.Ls; otherwise, you will face my... displeasure."
His gaze now fell upon Neville, who swallowed nervously.
"When you finish this year, of course, many of you will no longer be studying with me," he continued. "I only accept the best in my Advanced Potion-Making class for the N.E.W.T.s, which means that some of us will certainly say goodbye."
"But we still have one year before the joyous moment of parting ways. So whether or not you intend to attempt the N.E.W.T. exams, I advise you all to focus on achieving the high grade I always expect from my O.W.L. students."
Snape returned to his desk. "Today, we will learn how to brew a potion that is always requested in the Ordinary Wizarding Levels exam: the Calming Draught, a beverage to calm anxiety and soothe restlessness. But be warned: if you are heavy-handed with the ingredients, the person who drinks it will be plunged into a deep and sometimes irreversible sleep, so pay close attention to what you are doing."
Cassi sat up straight, paying absolute attention.
"The ingredients and the method are on the blackboard. You will find everything you need," he waved his wand again, "in the supply cupboard."
The mentioned cupboard door opened.
"You have an hour and a half... you may begin."
Cassi sighed with relief; she knew exactly how to brew that potion. Ignoring the desperate sighs of her classmates in the face of the difficulty level, she stood up to fetch the ingredients without needing to write anything down from the board.
Snape watched her closely. The ingredients had to be added to the cauldron in the exact order and quantity; the mixture had to be stirred a precise number of times, first clockwise and then counterclockwise; the heat and flames under which the potion was cooking needed to be reduced to an exact level for a certain number of minutes before the final ingredient was added.
"A clear and silvery vapor should rise from the potion to indicate it is ready."
The surface of Cassi's potion displayed a silver mist of vapor. When Snape passed by her, he smiled discreetly and whispered, "Keep it up."
Cassi allowed to smile, feeling proud of herself. She filled a vial with a sample of the potion, affixed a label with her name, and brought it to Snape's desk.
(...)
After Divination class, Cassi headed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. As she was about to enter, Draco appeared by her side with a smile. When they entered, they found Professor Umbridge already seated at the desk, wearing the fluffy pink cardigan from the previous night. The class entered in silence; until that moment, Umbridge was an unknown, and no one knew if she would enforce strict discipline.
"Well, good afternoon!" she finally said, once all the students were seated. Some murmured a "good afternoon" in response.
"Tsk-tsk," Umbridge made disapprovingly. "This won't do, will it? I would like all of you to respond, please: 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge'. Once again, please. Good afternoon, class!"
The students responded grudgingly, "Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge."
"Now, that's better," the professor said sweetly. "Wasn't so difficult, was it? Put away your wands and take out your quills."
Many students exchanged gloomy looks; never before had the instruction of "put away your wands" been followed by a lesson they considered interesting. Cassi placed her wand in the leather sheath she had received from Sirius last Christmas. Umbridge opened her bag and took out her own wand, which was unusually short. With a strong stroke on the blackboard, the following was written:
Defense Against the Dark Arts
A Return to Basics
"Well, the education you have received in this subject has been somewhat interrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" Professor Umbridge stated, turning to face the class with her hands perfectly folded in front of her body. "The constant change of teachers, many of whom did not seem to follow a curriculum approved by the Ministry, unfortunately resulted in a level below expectations for the O.W.L. year. However, you will be pleased to know that these issues will be corrected now. This year, we will follow a Ministry-approved Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum, carefully structured around theory. Please, copy the following."
She struck the blackboard again; the first message disappeared and was replaced by:
Course Objectives.
1. Understand the principles underlying defensive magic.
2. Learn to recognize situations in which defensive magic can be legally used.
3. Apply the use of defensive magic in a practical context.
For a few minutes, the sound of quills scratching parchment filled the room. After everyone had copied the three course objectives from Umbridge, she asked, "Does everyone have a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?" A low murmur of agreement echoed throughout the room. "I think I'll try again," she said.
"When I ask a question, I would like you all to respond: 'Yes, ma'am, Professor Umbridge' or 'No, ma'am, Professor Umbridge'. So, does everyone have a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
"Yes, ma'am, Professor Umbridge," the response echoed through the room.
"Excellent. I would like you all to open to page five and read Chapter One, 'Basic Elements for Beginners'. No need to speak aloud."
Professor Umbridge turned away from the blackboard and settled into the chair behind the desk, observing. Cassiopeia didn't need to read that blasted book; she already knew it by heart. Noticing that after a few minutes Hermione hadn't even opened the book and had her hand raised for a good five minutes, Cassi realized that most of the class had stopped reading to watch Hermione. When more than half of the class was looking at Hermione instead of their books, the professor seemed to decide she could no longer ignore the situation.
"Dear, do you want to ask me a question about the chapter?" Umbridge asked Hermione, as if she had only just noticed her presence.
"No, it's not about the chapter," Hermione replied.
"Well, we're reading about it now," said the professor, showing her pointed teeth. "If you have other questions, we can address them at the end of the class."
"I have a question about the course objectives," Hermione said. Umbridge raised her eyebrows.
"And what is your name?"
"Hermione Granger."
"Very well, Miss Granger, I believe the course objectives are perfectly clear if read carefully," she responded in a falsely gentle tone.
"Well, I don't think they are," Hermione concluded dryly. "There is nothing written on the board about the use of defensive spells."
There was a brief silence as many students in the class turned their heads to reread, with furrowed brows, the three course objectives still written on the blackboard.
"No, it's not about the chapter," Hermione replied.
"The use of defensive spells?" Umbridge repeated, giggling. "Well, I can't imagine any situation that might arise in this classroom that would require the use of a defensive spell, Miss Granger. Surely, you're not expecting to be attacked during class, are you?"
"Yes, Miss Granger? Do you want to ask me something else?"
"I do. Surely the central focus in Defense Against the Dark Arts is the practice of defensive spells."
"Are you an educational expert from the Ministry of Magic, Miss Granger?"
"No, but-"
"Well, then, I'm afraid you're not qualified to decide what the 'central focus' is in any subject. Older and wiser wizards than you have prepared our new curriculum. You will learn about defensive spells in a safe and risk-free manner..."
"What's the point of this?" Harry asked aloud. "If we're attacked, it won't be in a-"
"Hand, Mr. Potter!" Professor Umbridge intoned.
Harry shot his hand up in the air.
The pink toad turned away and ignored him.
"I don't mean to criticize the way things have been run in this school, but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this subject, extremely irresponsible wizards, not to mention..." She gave an unpleasant little laugh. "Extremely dangerous half-breeds."
"Now, the Ministry believes that theoretical study will be more than sufficient to prepare you for the exams, which, after all, is what the school is for. And your name is?"
Cassiopeia was furious, her hand raised.
"Cassiopeia Gaunt."
The woman stopped walking for a moment and adjusted her posture.
"There isn't a small practical portion in our Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L., is there? We don't have to demonstrate that we can perform counter-spells?"
"As long as you have studied the theory very carefully, there should be no reason why you wouldn't be able to perform spells under carefully controlled examination conditions," the pink toad replied with an overly sweet smile.
"Without having practiced the spells before?" Cassi questioned incredulously. "You're telling us that the first time we'll be able to perform spells will be during the exam? An exam of utmost importance for our careers? What nonsense."
"I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory very carefully..."
Harry raised his hand, interrupting her.
"How can theory prepare us for what's out there?" Harry asked.
"There's nothing out there, dear. Who do you think wants to attack children your age?" she questioned with a forced smile.
"I don't know, maybe Lord Voldemort," Harry retorted sharply.
A few gasps echoed through the room.
"Let's make one thing very clear. You have been told that a certain dark wizard is on the loose again. That is a lie," she said as she walked.
"It's not a lie! I saw him, I fought with him," Harry shouted angrily.
"Detention, Mr. Potter!" Umbridge said angrily, turning back to her desk.
"Do you think Cedric Diggory just dropped dead on his own accord?" Harry asked angrily.
"The death of Cedric Diggory was a tragic accident."
"He was murdered by Voldemort!" Harry retorted angrily.
"Enough!" the pink toad yelled. "That's enough. Seek me out later, Mr. Potter. In my office."
(...)
The next day, Harry showed up with a scar on his hand, and Cassiopeia already hated the new teacher.