I don't own Harry Potter

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Defense Against the Dark Arts class ended without any more incidents after Harry had left. Anya had half a mind to cause trouble for the pretentious Ministry woman, but she decided it was best to leave it and attempt to take Lupin's advice.

Anya followed Hermione and Ron out of the classroom, and Hermione immediately turned to the blonde and gave her a sharp look.

"What were you and Harry thinking?" She demanded.

Anya stared at her for a moment, an eyebrow raised. She wasn't used to being scolded by someone other then her father.

"I—"

"She works for the Ministry! Harry is already walking on thin ice with them, and now you both argued with Umbridge!" Hermione continued, as they continued down the hall.

"Hermione—"

"I can't believe the both of you would be so stupid!"

"Hermione! I understand your need to be correct and in control, but you will not scold me. I won't be treated like some misbehaving child." Anya snapped coolly, irritated with the brunette girl interrupting her.

"Why'd you defend Harry anyways?" Ron spoke up for the first time as they entered the Great Hall. Anya shrugged, placing her bag down and sitting on the bench next to Hermione.

"I might not like him very much, but I can tell he isn't a liar. Besides, the little I do know about this Voldemort makes him seem like a threat, a pitiful one, but still a threat, nonetheless. Besides, the rebelliousness in me was itching to see the woman's smug expression leave her face." Anya said with a small smirk.

Hermione and Anya started on their homework together, while Ron talked to Neville, who had sat next to him. It didn't take long for Harry to join them in the Great Hall, along with the other students for dinner.

As the food was served, Anya could hear students all around the hall gossiping about the shouting match that her and Harry had gotten into with Umbridge. They mostly focused on Harry's involvement, but Anya heard herself mentioned a few times.

"He says he saw Cedric Diggory murdered…"

"Come off it…"

"Who does he think he's kidding?"

"Pur-lease…"

"I heard the new girl defended him…"

"She talked about Grindelwald…"

"Probably just trying to latch onto Potter because of his fame…"

Anya rolled her eyes at the last one. If they knew who she truly was, then they would know she had no need to latch herself onto someone else for fame. Her father was the most powerful wizard who had ever lived, their surname reached the far ends of the world, whereas Harry's might only be in the United Kingdom.

"What I don't get," Harry said in a shaky voice, setting down his cutlery, "is why they all believed the story two months ago when Dumbledore told them…"

"The thing is, Harry, I'm not sure they did," Hermione said grimly. "Oh, let's get out of here."

She slammed down her knife and fork, Anya side-eyed the girl's actions, before elegantly wiping her mouth with her napkin and setting down her own fork. The four of them grabbed their bags and walked out of the Hall, people staring at them as they left.

"What d'you mean, you're not sure they believed Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

"Look, you don't understand what it was like after it happened," Hermione said quietly. "You arrived back in the middle of the lawn clutching Cedric's dead body…None of us saw what happened in the maze…We just had Dumbledore's word for it that You-Know-Who had come back and killed Cedric and fought you."

"Which is the truth!" Harry said loudly.

"I know it is, Harry, so will you please stop biting my head off?" Hermione said with a sigh. "It's just that before the truth could sink in, everyone went home for the summer, where they spent two months reading about how you're a nutcase and Dumbledore's going senile!"

The Gryffindor Town was warm and inviting when they walked in. Everyone was still in the Great Hall, so they had the common room to themselves. The rain pounded against the windows, soothing Anya's mind. She wished that she was back in her father's study, bundled on top of the mound of pillows she had gathered in there. Reading a book with her father as they watched the rain. It was one of her favorite things to do with him.

Crookshanks was curled up in the armchair but stretched out as they all took spots in front of the fire, jumping softly into Hermione's lap.

The room was silent for a few moments, Anya basked in the peace, quietly starting to braid her hair over her shoulder.

"How can Dumbledore have let this happen?" Hermione cried out suddenly, causing the boys to jump and Crookshanks to leap off her and into Anya's lap instead, looking offended. "How can he let that terrible woman teach us? And in our O.W.L year too!" She said as she pounded her arms against the arm rest of her chair.

"Well. We've never had great Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, have we?" said Harry. "You know what it's like, Hagrid told us, nobody wants the job, they say it's jinxed."

"Yes, but to employ someone who's actually refusing to let us do magic! What's Dumbledore playing at?"

"And she's trying to get people to spy for her," Ron said darkly. "Remember when she said she wanted us to come and tell her if we hear anyone saying You-Know-Who's back?"

"Of course, she's here to spy on us all, that's obvious, why else would Fudge have wanted her to come?" Snapped Hermione.

"If it was his plan to have her as a spy, its not a very good one. He should have gone about bribing and paying some of the students to gather information. They would hear inside gossip that may avoid the teachers. Especially a woman like Umbridge. Not many will freely talk about anything with a woman like her hanging over their shoulders." Anya added, finishing her braid and tying it off.

"You think students would do that?" Ron asked.

"If you offer the right price, anyone can be bought." Anya said simply.

"Can we not argue about it? Let's just do our homework, get it out of the way…"

Anya settled on the floor with her back to the fire, across from Harry who was sharing the coffee table with her. Their books and parchment scattered around the surface.

The other students started drifting in from dinner around this time, their voices breaking the peaceful silence that had overcome the four of them.

"Should we do Snape's stuff first?" Ron said. "The properties…of moonstone…and its uses…in potion-making…" he muttered, writing them down on his parchment, before looking at Hermione expectantly.

"So, what are the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making?"

"Why not look in your textbook, Weasely?" Anya answered instead, causing the boy to shoot her a snarky look.

Hermione hadn't answered the question, instead she was staring at Fred, George, and Lee Jordan in the corner with a bunch of first years, who were chewing on something that seemed to have come out of the bag Fred was holding.

"No, I'm sorry, they've gone too far," she said, getting up, with a furious look on her face. "Come on, Ron."

"I—what?" Ron said, trying to buy some time. "No – come on, Hermione – we can't tell them off for giving out sweets…"

"You know perfectly well that those are bits of Nosebleed Nougats or – Puking Pastilles or—"

"Fainting Fancies?" Harry suggested.

Anya watched as one by one the first years would drop unconscious in their seats, some sliding out of them and onto the hardwood floor. Anya giggled at the sight along with Harry, while Hermione straightened her shoulders and marched over the older boys. Ron rose halfway out of his chair, before sitting back down. "She's got it under control." He muttered.

"That's enough!" Hermione said forcefully to Fred and George who looked up in mild surprise.

"Yeah, you're right," George said, "this dosage looks strong enough, doesn't it?"

"I told you this morning, you can't test your rubbish on students!"

"We're paying them!" Fred said indignantly.

"I don't care, it could be dangerous!"

"Rubbish," Fred said dismissively.

"Calm down, Hermione, they're fine!" said Lee with a reassuring smile, popping small purple candies into the various first years mouths.

"Yeah, look, they're coming round now," George said.

Some of the first years were waking up and looked confused as to why they were on the floor or dangling off their chairs.

"Feel all right?" George said kindly to one girl lying at his feet.

"I-I think so," she said quietly.

"Excellent!" Fred said with a bright smile. The smile quickly left his face as Hermione snatched his clipboard and the paper bag of Fainting Fancies from him.

"It is NOT excellent!"

"'Course it is, they're alive, aren't they?" Fred said angrily.

"You can't do this, what if you made one of them really ill?"

"We're not going to make them ill, we've already tested them all on ourselves, this is just to see if everyone reacts the same—"

"If you don't stop doing it, I'm going to—"

"Put us in detention?" Fred said in a smug voice.

"Make us right lines?" George joined in with a smirk.

Those who were watching were laughing, Anya included.

"No," Hermione's eyes were narrowed, and her voice was shaking in anger, "but I will write to your mother."

"You wouldn't," George said horrified.

"Oh, yes, I would," Hermione said grimly. "I can't stop you eating the stupid things yourselves, but you're not giving them to first years."

Fred and George looked at the girl thunderstruck. Hermione's threat clearly struck below the belt for them. With one last threating look, she shoved the bag back into Fred's chest and marched back over to where Anya, Ron and Harry still sat by the fire.

"Thanks for the support, Ronald." Hermione spat.

"You handled it fine by yourself," He mumbled.

Hermione plopped down on her previously abandoned chair, staring blankly at her parchment. Before huffing and said, "Oh, it's no good, I can't concentrate now. I'm going to bed."

She jerked open her bag, pulling out two oddly shaped wool objects, placing them carefully on the table, and covering them with some torn up bits of parchment and a broken quill.

As she admired the scene, Anya looked between her and the mess with a raised brow.

"Was there a point to that, Hermione?" Anya asked, gathering her stuff together.

"They're hats for house-elves," Hermione answered briskly, placing her books inside her bag. "I did them over the summer. I'm a really slow knitter without magic, but now I'm back at school I should be able to make lots more."

"You are knitting hats for house-elves?" Anya was confused as to why Hermione was so concerned about them. Did it have to do with the organization she had mentioned that morning?

"Why did you cover them with rubbish?" Ron asked slowly.

"So, they will pick them up."

"That's not on," Ron said angrily. "You're trying to trick them into picking up the hats. You're setting them free when they might not want to be free."

"Of course, they want to be free!" Hermione said hotly, although her face was turning pink. "Don't you dare touch those hats, Ron!" She marched up the stairs with a quick goodnight.

"Does she truly think that house-elves want to be free?" Anya asked the boys skeptically.

"Yeah, she is a bit obsessed with it, calls it S.P.E.W., I think. She's been on about it since last year." Ron said with an eye roll. He brushed off the rubbish that was covering the hats but left them on the table.

"They should at least see what they're picking up," he said firmly.

Anya waved her wand and the hats abruptly vanished with a quite 'pop'. Ron and Harry turned to look at the blonde with wide eyes, internally panicking about what Hermione will do when she finds out.

"Why'd you do that? Hermione's gonna to go mental!" Ron said fearfully.

"She won't know unless either of you tell her." Anya said easily as she rose off the floor and placed her bag over her shoulder.

"I'm going off to bed as well, Goodnight." Anya said with a sharp nod and walked up the stairs to get ready for bed.

It was still raining when Anya woke the next morning. She joined Ginny for breakfast that morning, talking and getting more acquainted with Dean and Seamus. She found Dean polite and sweet, while Seamus was funny and charming.

The morning classes went by slowly, and Anya was tempted to skip the rest of them in favor of going to the library to see if she could find any information about where her father was imprisoned but ultimately decided against it.

A good portion of Transfiguration and Charms were spent with the professors lecturing on how important O.W.L.s were for them that year, and Anya didn't know how many times it had to be repeated before they understood that the students got the message.

They had practiced Vanishing Spells in Transfiguration, Anya and Hermione were the only ones who were able to successfully perform the spell and they were able to gain their House twenty points along with being the only ones who didn't get homework for the class.

She joined Hermione in the library for lunch, not wanting to be left alone with the boys. The three of them might not be at each other's throats anymore but she still wasn't close enough to Ron and Harry to be alone with them for a long period of time.

Finally, it came time for Care of Magical Creatures. This was a class that Anya would admit she had been looking forward too. She enjoyed studying magical creatures as a small child from the various books her father had on them.

It had stopped raining, and the day became cool and breezy. The ground was damp, and the air smelled like wet earth as Anya walked down the hill with the Trio.

Professor Grubbly-Plank stood waiting for the class a few yards away from the hut on the grounds, with a table set up in front of her, filled with various twigs.

As the four of them reached her, loud laughter came from behind them. Anya turned around to see Malfoy and a few other Slytherins striding towards them.

She met eyes with Malfoy, and he sent her a flirtatious smirk. She raised a brow at him but didn't turn away. His group continued to laugh and look at Harry as they did so, but Malfoy's eyes were glued to Anya's figure. He gave her a slow once over and sent her a wink as his smirk grew wider. Anya rolled her eyes and finally turned away as the professor started to speak.

"Everyone here?" barked Professor Grubbly-Plant, once all the Slytherins and Gryffindors had arrived. "Let's crack on then – who can tell me what these things are called?"

She waved a hand over the twigs on the table. Hermione's hand shot in the air, Anya's rising as well. An ugly, high pitch laugh broke out from behind her, but quickly turned to a short scream as the twigs jumped into the air and reveled themselves to be pixie-like creatures.

"Ooooohh!" Parvati and Lavender exclaimed loudly, causing a sharp sting of irritation to shoot through Anya.

"Kindly keep your voices down, girls!" the professor said sharply, scattering what seemed to be brown rice among the creatures, who immediately started feeding.

"So— anyone know the names of these creatures? Miss Granger?"

"Bowtruckles," Hermione said. "They're tree-guardians, they usually live in wand-trees."

"Five points to Gryffindor," said Professor Grubbly-Plank. "Yes, these are Bowtruckles and, as Miss Granger rightly says, they generally live in trees whose wood is of wand quality. Anybody know what they eat?"

"Wood lice," Hermione said promptly. "But fairy eggs if they can get them."

"Good girl, take another five points. So, whenever you need leaves or wood from a tree in which a Bowtruckles lodges, it is wise to have a gift of wood lice ready to distract or placate it. They may not look dangerous, but if angered they will gouge out human eyes with their fingers, which, as you can see, are very sharp and not at all desirable near the eyeballs. So, if you'd like to gather closer, take a few wood lice and a Bowtruckles – I have enough here for one between three – you can study them more closely. I want a sketch from each of you with all body parts labeled by the end of the lesson."

Anya and the others gathered around the table with the other students, and she overheard Harry's conversation.

"Where's Hagrid?" He asked the professor.

"Never you mind," she said repressively. Malfoy leaned across Harry and grabbed the largest Bowtruckle.

"Maybe, the stupid oaf's got himself badly injured."

"Maybe you will if you don't shut up," Harry responded.

"Maybe he's been messing with stuff that's too big for him, if you get my drift."

Malfoy gave Harry one last smug smirk before he gave another flirtatious wink to Anya when he caught her eye once more as he walked away.

Anya caught sight of Hermione waving for her and Harry to join them from where she and Ron had settled onto the grass. The two of them pulled out their parchment and Harry immediately started whispering about what Malfoy had said.

"Dumbledore would know if something had happened to Hagrid," Hermione said. "It's just playing into Malfoy's hands to look worried; it tells him we don't know exactly what's going on. We've got to ignore him, Harry. Here, hold the Bowtruckle for a moment, just so I can draw its face…"

"Yes," came Malfoy's clear drawl from the group closest to them, "Father was talking to the Minister just a couple of days ago, you know, and it sounds as though the Ministry's really determined to crack down on substandard teaching in this place. So even if that over-grown moron does show up again, he'll probably be sent packing straight away."

"OUCH!"

Anya turned to see Harry abruptly dropping the Bowtruckle with a, now, bloodied hand. The small creature raced off towards the forest and was quickly gone from her sight. When the bell echoed in the distance, they started to gather their supplies. Anya could see Harry struggling to put his stuff in his bag while trying to avoid getting blood on everything.

"Here, Potter. Give me your hand." She said reaching into her pocket and pulling out a white handkerchief. He hesitantly held out his hand, and she gently wrapped the fabric around it, quickly tying it off.

"Thanks." He said quietly.

The four of them made their way to Herbology in silence, the tension and anger rolling off Harry made the air around them uncomfortable and thick.

"If he calls Hagrid a moron one more time…" snarled Harry.

"Harry, don't go picking a row with Malfoy, don't forget, he's a prefect now, he could make life difficult for you…"

"Wow, I wonder what it'd be like to have a difficult life?" Harry said, sarcasm dripping from his lips. Ron laughed, but Anya saw the deep frown Hermione have him.

"I just wish Hagrid would hurry up and get back, that's all," Harry said quietly, as they reached the greenhouses. "And don't say that Grubbly-Plank woman's a better teacher!" he added threateningly.

"I wasn't going too," Hermione said calmly.

"Because she'll never be as good as Hagrid." He said firmly.

The door to the greenhouse opened and some fourth years exited, including Ginny.

"Hi!" She said brightly as she passed them, a few seconds later, Luna walked by them with dirt smudge on her nose and her hair tied in a knot on the top of her head.

When she saw Harry, her eyes widened in excitement and she made a beeline for him. The other students watched curiously.

Luna stopped before him and took a deep breath before speaking, "I believe He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back, and I believe you fought him and escaped from him."

"Er—right," Harry said awkwardly.

Lavender and Parvati's laughter came from behind them, as they pointed at Luna.

"You can laugh!" Luna said, her voice rising. "But people used to believe there were no such things as Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack!"

"Well, they were right, weren't they?" Hermione said impatiently. "There weren't any such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

Luna sent the girl a withering look, before prancing away. More students were laughing now.

"D'you mind not offending the only people who believe me?" Harry asked of Hermione.

"Of, for heaven's sake, Harry, you can do better then her," said Hermione. "Ginny's told me all about her, apparently she'll only believe in things as long as there's no proof at all. Well, I wouldn't expect anything else from someone whose father runs The Quibbler." Before Harry could say anything more, a tall boy with the Hufflepuff crest on his robes stepped towards them.

"I want you to know, Potter," He said in a carrying voice, "that it's not only weirdos who support you. I personally believe you one hundred percent. My family have always stood firm behind Dumbledore. And so, do I."

"Er— thanks very much, Ernie." Harry said with a pleased voice that was still tinged with some awkwardness.

As the boy walked away, and they all went into the greenhouse, Anya settle into the spot between Hermione and Harry and turned to the green-eyed boy.

"You should learn to be more confident in your replies when someone says they support you. A strong disposition and persona will make you seem like a strong leader and a more credible source." She said like it was a basic thing to know.

"Sorry to disappoint you with my awkward responses. I doubt you could do any better. You would probably just ignore them." He said with a hint of anger.

"Not if their support was something I needed. You need to learn to play and understand people if you want them to support you."

Professor Sprout came in at that moments and started the lesson before anything more could be said. She spent the first fifteen minutes talking about the important of O.W.L.s just like McGonagall and Flitwick had done earlier that morning.

Once class ended, the four of them headed straight for dinner, wanting to get it done early since Anya and Harry had detention with Umbridge at five. Right as they made it to the entrance to the Great Hall a loud and angry voice called out, "Oy, Potter!"

"What now?" He muttered, turning to face Angelina, who looked as if she was in the middle of throwing a tantrum.

"I'll tell you what now," she said marching straight up to him, and poked him hard in the chest with her index finger. "How come you've landed yourself in detention for five o'clock on Friday?"

"What?" Harry said. "Why… of yeah, Keeper tryouts!"

"Now he remembers!" Angelina snarled. "Didn't I tell you I wanted to do a tryout with the whole team, and find someone who fitted in with everyone? Didn't I tell you I'd booked the Quidditch pitch specifically? And now you've decided you're not going to be there!"

"I didn't decide not to be there!" Harry cried indignantly. I got detention from that Umbridge woman, just because I told her truth about You-Know-Who—"

"Well, you can just go straight to her and ask her to let you off on Friday," Angelina said fiercely, "and I don't care how you do it, tell her You-Know-Who's a figment of your imagination if you like, just make sure you're there!"She stormed away.

"Why are you all so obsessed with Quidditch?" Anya asked as they started their way into the Great Hall.

"Its only the greatest sport to ever exist! How can you not love Quidditch?" Ron exclaimed and Harry made a sound of agreement, while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I didn't say I didn't like it; I just don't understand why its such an obsession. It's not bad to watch from time to time."

They settled down at the table. Harry and Anya on one side while Ron and Hermione sat across from them.

"You know what?" Harry said, "we should check with Puddlemere United whether Oliver Wood's been killed during a training session, because she seems to be channeling his spirit."

"Who's Oliver Wood?" Anya asked.

"He was the previous Keeper and Gryffindor Quidditch Captain before Angelina." Harry answered and she nodded in understanding.

"What d'you reckon are the odds of Umbridge letting you off on Friday?" Ron said skeptically.

"Less then zero," Harry said, grabbing some lamb chops. "Better try, though, hadn't I? I'll offer to do two more detention or something, I dunno…" He swallowed before adding, "I hope she doesn't keep me to long this evening. You realize we've got to write three essays, practice Vanishing Spells for McGonagall, work out a countercharm for Flitwick, finish the Bowtruckle drawing, and start that stupid dream diary for Trelawney?"

Ron groaned and glanced up at the ceiling.

"And it looks like it's going to rain."

"What's that got to do with our homework?" Hermione said, raising her eyebrows.

"Nothing," Ron said quickly, his ears reddening.

"What do detentions usually consist of here? Papa never gave them to me if I got in trouble, I would usually just be sent to my room."

"Most professors usually just make students do lines or clean. Although, Ron and I got sent to the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid once in our first year." Harry answered.

"Yeah, but who knows what Umbridge has in store for you guys." Ron said wearily.

"Don't be silly, Ronald. She will most likely just give them lines." Hermione said dismissively.

Ten minutes to five, Anya and Harry made their way out of the Great Hall and to Umbridge's office. Anya could feel some nervousness building inside her chest, but she was quickly trying to beat it down, knowing that she could easily get through some lines.

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I hope you guys enjoyed it! Its been about two weeks since my last update and I think I wanna make that my schedule for updating. Every two week or so I'm gonna try and have a new chapter up for you all. Thank you for reading!