Kiana
Harry and I were walking towards the Great Hall for lunch. Thankfully, he wasn't flustered with me and thought that what I did was for a good reason. I then looked into Harry's green eyes and saw that like me, he was hurting.
"I'll talk to Seamus and give him a better understanding," I said.
Harry grasped onto my hand and faced me.
"You have enough to worry about Kiana," Harry frowned, "between Training, School, Music, being a Quidditch Captain and O.W.L's you have enough on your plate and this is adding onto it."
"Think of Seamus as the Appetizer," I said.
Harry smiled and we continued walking.
"Knew your corny jokes would make me laugh," Harry smiled.
"It's what I'm here for," I tease.
Harry and I entered the Great Hall catching everyone's attention as the three Champions and Liars entered. We sat down besides Hermione, Ron and Jake. I set food onto my plate and heard someone snicker from behind.
"Eat the pig you liar," someone whispered.
I dropped the piece of bacon and pushed my plate to the side catching my close friends attention.
"You're not going to eat?" Harry asked taking a bite into his bacon.
I shook my head and stood up.
"I'm going to get my timetable and then go and use the restroom, see you guys in class," I said faking a smile.
"Kiana," Harry frowned.
"I'll be okay," I said.
I hurriedly approached professor Minnie ignoring the giggles behind me.
"Everything's in order and you have Quidditch tryouts soon," Minnie said.
Her eyes then met mine and she placed a hand on my shoulder.
"My door is always open if you want to talk," she asked.
I nodded. Before I could walk off she grasped my wrist.
"I'm really sorry that you're going through this," Minnie whispered. "See me after lessons today okay?"
"Okay," I sighed.
Minnie let me go and I walked out of the Great Hall holding the tears in.
"Where do you think you're going?"
I turn around and find Jake following after me. He sends me a wide smile and wraps an arm around my shoulder.
"I've got to go to the ladies room," I said.
"I'll wait outside for you," Jake said.
"I'll be okay," I said. "I'll meet you in class."
I quickly made my way to the girls bathroom no one ever went into. I slammed the door behind me and fell to the floor sobbing. As if on cue, Myrtle came out of her toilet and floated besides me.
"Are you okay," She asked.
I shook my head.
"What's wrong," She asked.
I looked up and into her eyes.
"I – I hate it here.." I cried. "I-it's not the s-same."
I angrily wiped my tears and washed my face. I dried them on my robes and walked out of the bathroom. No. I wasn't going to be weak. I wasn't going to cry. I'm going to train hard and kill Voldemort, Kayla and that imposter. I walked to D.A.D.A and sat in the chair besides Harry. I kept my arms crossed and my gaze at the chalkboard.
"Kiana, are —" Harry began.
"I'm fine," I said coldly.
"Hem hem."
The class was quiet as it entered the room; no one knew how strict this pink toad could be.
"Good afternoon class," she said.
"Good afternoon," the class said clearly uninterested in the woman in pink.
"That absolutely won't do. Let's try it again, this time let's say 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," she said.
"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," we chanted back at her.
"There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."
Did she just say Wands away? Is she mad! I shoved my wand back inside my bag and pulled out quill, ink, and parchment. With her wand she wrote on the chalkboard besides her desk.
Defense Against the Dark Arts
A Return to Basic Principles
"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather distasteful," stated Umbridge.
I bit my tongue trying not to lash out on her for insulting Moony's teaching.
"It's not our fault that we've had many teacher changes," Jake stated. "And one of our professors did an outstanding job. Remus Lupin taught us many things."
I send him a thankful smile. Thankful that someone could defend Rem Rem in my place. She chose to ignore his comeback and went on with her useless speech. For a couple of minutes the room was full of the sound of scratching quills on parchment. There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class.
"I should like you to turn to page five and read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners.' There will be no need to talk," Umbridge said.
Umbridge left the blackboard and settled herself in the chair behind the teacher's desk, observing us all with those ugly toad's eyes. I had already read the books she's assigned so I decided not to read. Several silent minutes passed. Next to Harry, Ron was turning his quill over and over in his fingers, staring at the same spot on the page. Harry was 'reading' his first page still. Jake obviously pretended to read knowing Hermione and I would probably just help him most of the year again. Hermione had not even opened her copy of Defensive Magical Theory. She was staring fixedly at Professor Umbridge with her hand in the air. Typical Hermione. I could not remember Hermione ever neglecting to read when instructed to, or indeed resisting the temptation to open any book that came under her nose. Well, I guess that goes for both of us. After several more minutes had passed, however, I was not the only one watching Hermione. It was actually quite entertaining. The chapter we had been instructed to read was obviously so tedious that more and more people were choosing to watch Hermione's mute attempt to catch Umbridge's eye than to struggle on with "Basics for Beginners." When more than half the class were staring at Hermione rather than at their books, Umbridge seemed to decide that she could ignore the situation no longer.
"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear," she asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her.
"Not about the chapter, no," said Hermione.
"Well, we're reading just now," said Umbridge, showing her small, pointed teeth. "If you have other questions we can deal with them at the end of class."
"I've got a question about your course aims," said Hermione.
Did Hermione really just say that? Damn Hermione, back at it again with the sass. Umbridge raised her eyebrows.
"And your name is — ?" She asked.
"Hermione Granger," said Hermione.
"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," said Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.
"Well, I don't," said Hermione bluntly.
DAMN. ARE MY BESTIES SASSY TODAY.
"There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells," Hermione said.
This was true. There wasn't any defensive spells.
"Using defensive spells," Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"
"This is Defense Against the Dark Arts class isn't it, it's basically in the name," Jake said.
I stifled a laugh at Jake's comment.
"We're not going to use magic," Ron said loudly.
"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr. — ?" She said.
"Weasley," said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air.
Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him. Harry and Hermione immediately raised their hands too. Umbridge's pouchy eyes lingered on Harry for a moment before she addressed Hermione. Shouldn't interfere.
"Yes, Ms. Granger? You wanted to ask something else?" She asked.
"Yes," said Hermione. "Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?"
"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Ms. Granger," asked Umbridge in her falsely sweet voice.
"No, but," Hermione began.
"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way —" Umbridge said.
"What use is that," said Harry loudly. "If we're going to be attacked it won't be in a —"
"Hand, Mr. Potter," sang Umbridge.
Harry thrust his fist in the air.Umbridge promptly turned away from him again, but now several other people had their hands up too. What the hell?
"And your name is," Umbridge said to Dean.
"Dean Thomas."
"Well, Mr. Thomas?"
"Well, it's like Harry said, isn't it," said Dean. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk-free —"
"I repeat," said Umbridge, smiling in a very irritating fashion at Dean, "do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"
"No, but —"
Umbridge talked over him.
"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed — not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."
"If you mean Professor Lupin," piped up Dean Thomas angrily, "he was the best we ever —"
She best keep her mouth shut about Moony if she knows what's best for her. I will slay a dragon for that man.
"Hand, Mr. Thomas! As I was saying — you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day —"
"No we haven't," Hermione said, "we just —"
"Your hand is not up, Miss Granger," Hermione put up her hand; Umbridge turned away from her. "It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you —"
"Well, he turned out to be a maniac, didn't he," said Dean Thomas hotly. "Mind you, we still learned loads —"
"Your hand is not up, Mr. Thomas!" trilled Umbridge. "Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?" she added, staring at Parvati, whose hand had just shot up.
"Parvati Patil, and isn't there a practical bit in our Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.? Aren't we supposed to show that we can actually do the countercurses and things?"
"As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions," said Umbridge dismissively.
"Without ever practicing them before," said Parvati incredulously. "Are you telling us that the first time we'll get to do the spells will be during our exam?"
"I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough —"
"And what good's theory going to be in the real world," said Harry loudly, his fist in the air again.
Umbridge looked up.
"This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world," she said softly.
"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting out there?" Harry asked.
"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter," Umbridge said.
"Oh yeah," said Harry.
Obviously his temper, which seemed to have been bubbling just beneath the surface all day, was probably reaching boiling point.
"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves," inquired Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice.
"Hmm, let's think," said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice, "maybe Lord Voldemort?"
The entire class had flinched at Voldemort's name being said in the class. All except Umbridge.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."
The classroom was silent and still. Everyone was staring at either Umbridge, me or Harry.
"Now, let me make a few things quite plain," she said.
Umbridge stood up and leaned toward them, her stubby-fingered hands splayed on her desk. Okay, cool ignore me.
"You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead —"
"He wasn't dead," said Harry angrily, "but yeah, he's returned!"
"Mr. Potter-you-have-already-lost-your-House-ten-points-do-not-make-matters-worse-for-yourself," said Umbridge in one breath without looking at him. "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."
"It is NOT a lie," said Harry. "I saw him, I fought him! Ask her," He said pointing at me.
I look into his green eyes and glare. I shake my head at him in disbelief. It was hard enough to think about the night and he expects me to speak of it!
"I have a name," I snapped.
"Detention, Mr. Potter," said Umbridge. "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office. I repeat, this is a lie. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, 'Basics for Beginners.'"
Umbridge sat down behind her desk again. Harry, however, stood up. Everyone was staring at him; Seamus looked half-scared, half-fascinated.
"Harry, no," I whispered in a warning voice, tugging at his sleeve, but Harry jerked his arm out of my reach.
"So, according to you, Kiana Black tortured herself on her own accord, did she," Harry asked, his voice shaking. "And Cedric Black died and came back to life?"
I felt a pang hit my chest as I let his sleeve go. How could he bring this up in front of me? There was a collective intake of breath from the class, for none of them, apart from Ron, Jake and Hermione, had ever heard Harry and I talk about what had happened on the night that Cedric and I supposedly died. They stared avidly from Harry to Umbridge, who had raised her eyes and was staring at him without a trace of a fake smile on her face.
"What happened to Ms.Black was a tragic accident," she said coldly.
"Like your birth," Ron whispered.
I felt my hands begin to shake as his voice taunted my mind. CRUCIO. I stood up from my seat and looked her and Harry in the eyes.
"KEEP ME AND MY FAMILY OUT OF THIS. BOTH OF YOU," I yelled.
I then gathered my items and ran out. I quickly ran up to the Gryffindor common room. I changed out of my school robes and into running clothes. I ran down to the forbidden forest edge and stepped inside.