Chapter 70 - part 4

Chapter 21: Prefect PotterSummary:Hazel gets a couple of badges, and some other stuff happens.

Notes:I'm not sure SquibNation10 got to look at this chapter either, so like before, any errors are mine and mine alone.

Chapter TextFloo travel still sucked, but not as much as the first few times she had done it. She arrived without issue, at least, and stepped out of the fireplace into the Leaky Cauldron. Narcissa and Hermione were waiting for her. "So, when did you tell him to meet with us?"

"Tell who?"

Hazel hesitated, then sighed. "Percy. He needs my help with something, and Narcissa said she'd oversee. And I said lunch time, by the way, so let's look around."

They found Percy in a booth at the back, and he stood up as they approached. "Lady Malfoy. Miss Potter, Miss Granger."

"Percy. I hope you don't mind we brought Hermione along. I doubt she plans to stick around, of course."

"No, uh, I'm meeting Viktor at the Quidditch store after lunch."

"Then shall we eat before dispersing?" Narcissa sat down, and the others joined her.

Tom came to take their orders, and then Hazel turned to Percy. "How're you holding up?"

"What d'you mean, how am I holding up?" He scoffed bitterly. "Practically gave my life to the Ministry, nearly lost my family for them, and for what? To be scapegoated and thrown aside over a political stunt? No, they haven't heard the last of me, I promise you that."

"That's what we're here for, don't worry." Clearly he wasn't in the mood for small talk, so she decided to let him stew in it until lunch came. They ate in silence, then Hermione said her goodbyes and darted away. "Right then, let's do this."

"What, right here? Where anyone can see us?"

"Relax, Mr Weasley, Legilimency is not illegal. And I will be watching in any event."

"Percy, I need you to maintain eye contact with me and focus on the day of the hearing, alright? Specifically the notes you took." After a moment he nodded, and she drew her wand, feeling it thrum eagerly in her grasp. She stared into his eyes, noting their clear blue color for a moment. "Legilimens."

Percy flinched, but the world was falling away… this wouldn't be like the last few times she had used this, she had to linger, to find the specific- ah, here we are…

She was once again in that courtroom, sitting behind Percy as he took notes with an enchanted quill… The arguments back and forth, herself and Fudge and Madam Bones, sometimes Sirius, sometimes Dumbledore, all the while Percy made sure every word was recorded, diligently, conscientiously… His notes were in shorthand, but she trusted he could read them… She flicked her mental wand, made the pages glow slightly…

It was painful, living through the whole trial all over again, even in this fleeting, wispy sort of way, but she persevered, making sure the pages of notes all glowed in Percy's memory, making sure the words stood out in clear legibility. It really was exactly like using Occlumency, only on someone else.

Thankfully, the special quill kept writing even after he himself was too distraught to keep writing, and she was able to preserve that memory as well, even though his attention had been elsewhere. Mind magic was cool that way, she guessed.

Eventually, the deed was done, and she withdrew from his mind. "Whew, quite the staring contest. Did it work?"

"One moment." He looked away, as if trying to remember. "Ah, it seems to have, yes. Well done." 

"Thanks. What are you planning next?"

"I intend to reach out to the press, of course. Granted I'll have to seek alternative outlets, what with the press blackout Fudge has ordered."

"I would recommend the Quibbler, Mr Weasley, in spite of its reputation. And if you wish I can connect you with Rita Skeeter, this is exactly the type of story she thrives on."

"That would be marvelous, Lady Malfoy, thank you very much. Hazel, is there any way I can repay you?"

"I hadn't considered payment, to be honest. Could we simply call it a favor between friends?"

He seemed uneasy about that, but shrugged after a few moments. "I suppose. Please don't ask me to do anything illegal when you call it in, of course."

She scoffed at that. If she needed something illegal done, she'd do it herself or seek out someone shifty in Knockturn Alley. "Good luck, Percy."

"Same to you." He stood up, nodded to them both, and walked away. A few minutes later Narcissa got up as well, and Hazel followed her out into Diagon Alley.

"Hazel, darling, I suspect it will behoove you greatly to mind your appearance this year. The Ministry is preparing to force their own appointee on Hogwarts, and the signs point to Dolores Umbridge being sent."

"The Senior Undersecretary?" Hazel remembered the overly girly pink blob at her hearing, and shuddered. "Ugh, that's gonna be a disaster. She's part of the Ministry's meddling, then?"

"Quite. Madam Umbridge, as you have no doubt ascertained, is obsessed with appearances and femininity, and I have no doubt she will attempt to modify and enforce the school dress code to suit her purposes."

Hazel reached up to rub the burnt side of her head. "I see. Isn't there anything we can do?"

"The new Headmistress has decided not to contest the issue any further, so that shopping lists can be sent out in a timely fashion."

"How do you know so much, anyway?"

Narcissa smirked. "Well, I do sit in on the meetings, don't I? And the Ministry does still need my gold, though I'm careful with the strings I attach to it of course."

"Maybe you should be more assertive with those strings?"

"Easy to say, but with the way things have been this summer, the access my gold buys is more valuable than what that gold is supposedly buying. Don't worry though, the fallout from your hearing is still coming down."

While they were talking, they had also been looking for Krum and Hermione. But they weren't at the Quidditch store, or at Flourish & Blotts. "You don't think they went down Knockturn?"

"Even if they did, I am certain Mr Krum could look after them both. Though it wouldn't hurt to check."

Fortunately they found the two of them coming out the mouth of Knockturn, and Hermione was laughing at something Krum was saying. She saw Hazel and Narcissa and waved. "Hey guys! That didn't take long."

"Did you expect it to?" Narcissa arched an eyebrow. "Well. Dare I ask what you went down there for?"

"Viktor wanted to buy me some books, of course."

"And we did find them." Krum gestured with a bag. "Now we must get out of sight, for these are not books to be caught with. Excuse us."

Hazel stood aside and let them proceed back to the Leaky Cauldron. "I wonder what sort of books they were after?"

"The kind of books one cannot find in the Black or Malfoy libraries, no doubt. Come, Hazel." They spent a few hours and a lot of galleons buying clothes, and somehow Narcissa talked her into getting more feminine things than she would have picked out herself. She would have tried harder to resist, but something in the way the older witch looked at her made her shiver and give in.

On the way out the door she tried to reclaim some of her dignity. "And who exactly do you suppose I'll want to impress, wearing these?"

"I certainly have no idea~" There was that heated look again, and Hazel looked away from it.

Why did it feel so weird? She flirted with Narcissa all the time, and the older witch flirted back. But it was always light hearted. She'd never looked at her like that. Had she? And why the sudden change? She was afraid to ask, for fear of ruining whatever was going on; she liked the attention, for all that it was slightly unnerving.

They returned to Grimmauld Place eventually, and found the others in somewhat of a tizzy. Hazel cocked an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"Letters!" Draco held an envelope out for her. "They came while you were out, open it!"

Giving it a shake, Hazel thought she heard a clattering from inside. She started opening it, but paused when she noticed everyone staring. "What's up…?"

Ron gestured impatiently. "Nothing. Open it already!"

"Jeez, it's like you lot never saw one of these before." But she pried hers open, and two little badges fell out; both were bright green with silver trim, though one had a large letter P superimposed over the Slytherin snake and the other had a C and the word Captain in small letters beneath it.

Everyone got very excited, and crowded around to pat her on the back. "She got them both!" "I knew she would!" "No one else was up for it!" But all she felt was a sinking sensation and a weight on her shoulders from the added responsibility, even if she had been expecting it.

The others opened their letters too, and to no one's surprise, Draco and Hermione were also assigned prefect. Hazel congratulated them both and perused the book list. "I was expecting more new books." The only new books for the year were Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5 by Miranda Goshawk, an updated rune dictionary, and Magic Across the Ages by Isabelle Bouchard.

Draco sighed. "Ten sickles says this Slinkhard book is useless. There's no way that Umbridge woman would assign anything of value."

"How d'you reckon that?"

"Don't you know who she is, Ron? Dolores Umbridge, the Minister's toady. No way is she coming to teach us actual magic."

Hazel giggled at the idea of the very toad-like Umbridge. "Toady is exactly the word for her. When shall we head back?"

"Oh, don't worry about your shopping, I'll see to it before you lot have to be off." Molly beamed at her. "Congratulations on making prefect, all three of you! And Quidditch captain, Hazel?"

"Yeah!" She grinned and held up her badges. "The girls are gonna be insufferable, they swore up and down I'd get it over them."

"Ah, it's how they show their fondness, I'm sure. But tell me, being prefect should get a reward! Is there anything I could get you? A new cauldron, new dress robes?"

Draco shrugged. "I could use a new telescope, Mrs Weasley, if it's not too much trouble."

"Right you are, Draco. Hazel, Hermione?"

"Er, can I think about it first? You're not leaving right away, are you?"

Hazel nodded in agreement. "Lemme think about it too."

"Alright then!" Still beaming, she hugged Hazel and Hermione and bustled from the room.

Ron snickered. "Glad it's not me, can you imagine what these two would say?" He jerked his thumb at Fred and George.

"That's not very nice, little bro."

"But he's not wrong, is he? Only prats become prefects!"

"That's not true! You need good grades and conduct to-!"

"Relax, Hermione! George was joking! Right George?"

"Absolutely! Don't give us detention, please!" Both of them laughed loudly before high-fiving and disappearing with matching cracks.

"Hmph. Ron, who do you suppose is the boys' prefect for Gryffindor this year?"

"Bound to be Dean, Neville's too soft and Seamus likes blowing stuff up too much."

Hazel hadn't interacted with Dean Thomas much, but she knew he was a quiet, studious boy who was consistently near the top of the class, but not quite at the top, where herself and Hermione tended to jostle back and forth. "I'm sure he'll surprise us all. Hermione, you wanna help me check my summer work? I wanna be sure I'm ready for when classes are back on."

"Oh, of course! Let's head to the library!" They spent the rest of the day going over the classes Hazel had missed, and she was glad for the revision in the end because there was a lot she had missed in her summer work.

By dinner time she knew what she'd ask for, but she wasn't certain she'd get it. Not from Molly, anyway. She filed downstairs with the others, where Molly and the house elves were setting dinner out. "Mrs Weasley? I know what I want for making prefect."

"Lovely! Sit down, tell us over supper."

So she sat down and waited, and soon enough everyone was there. She was surprised to see Moody and Tonks, too, and figured it must have been a slow night. Moody's eye spun towards her. "Heard you made prefect, Potter."

"Yes sir. Draco and Hermione, too."

"Good, good. School's gonna need people like you three in charge."

"Aw, Mad-Eye, don't go dragging the conversation down before it even starts."

"I'll drag it wherever I please, Nymphadora."

Hazel rolled her eyes while Tonks went off, and helped herself to some roast beef and some gravy. "So, yeah, I want a motorcycle."

Sirius and Arthur started laughing, and Remus just shook his head. Molly looked confused. "Sorry, dear, a what?"

"A motorcycle! You know, like that big black machine Sirius has?"

"Er, well, maybe when you're 17? How about something a little more practical, dear?"

"Hm, practical." She pretended to think about it for a second. "I dunno, I've already got an owl and a wand and three broomsticks. I'll leave it up to your best judgment."

"And I'd like a new bag with extension and unbreakable charms, Mrs Weasley."

"Lovely. So a telescope for Draco, a new bag for Hermione, and a surprise for Hazel? Along with everyone's books and supplies, of course, I'll need your shopping lists."

After dinner she cocked an eyebrow at Sirius and went downstairs. He came down too a few moments later. "So?"

"So, I meant it when I said I want a motorcycle."

"I thought you might. I'll see what I can do, but you won't have time to learn with school coming up and your mad schedule."

"True enough. Wanna supervise while I get some target practice in?" He shrugged, and they went into the shooting range for a while, where she thought she was finally getting better, maybe good enough to rely on a gun in a situation. Big maybe.

Chapter 22: New BooksSummary:Hazel and friends get a feel for their new supplies.

Chapter TextThe next day, Molly went shopping, and came back with their new books and things. She seemed quite pleased as she beckoned Hazel, Draco and Hermione forward and handed them each a package. "And for our new prefects, of course!"

Curious, she opened hers and found a new broomstick saddle, complete with permanent warming and cushioning charms and a customizable nameplate. "Thanks, Mrs Weasley!"

"Of course, dear."

Hazel went straight upstairs to attach it to her Firebolt, then dug into her new books, especially Defensive Magical Theory. But it seemed Draco was right, the book was frightfully boring and all but useless for any practical application of magic; in fact it put more emphasis on diplomacy, placation and negotiation than anyone should be comfortable with. But she forced herself to read it anyway, since knowing the material might come in handy.

Later, at dinner, she turned to Remus. "The new Defense book is quite something ."

"Is it?" He seemed amused. "What does it say?"

"Well, in chapter 15 the author talks about how counter-jinxes are improperly named, how counter-jinx is just a name people give their jinxes to sound more acceptable."

Hermione leaned forward. "It's all rubbish, isn't it? Jinxes are perfectly fine, though in a real situation I'd want to rely on something with more punch to it, you know?"

"Exactly! And with our OWLs coming up this year too. What's the Ministry getting at?"

"That hasn't stopped you before, has it?" Remus seemed unconcerned, and focused on eating. "Just do what you've been doing, you'll be fine."

"What, teaching ourselves? What if the upperclassmen are busy?"

He turned to Fred and George. "Perhaps you two could loan them some of your old Defense texts? I doubt you'll need them this year."

"Yeah, good idea!"

"Or sell them, maybe?"

Afterward, she met up with Draco and Hermione. "We've got our work cut out for us this year, for sure. I'm gonna be stupidly busy with all kinds of shit, so I'll need you two to step up on this; figure out who the prefects in the other Houses are and get them on our side, work out schedules, start vetting students we can invite who won't sell us out. That sort of thing, you know?"

"How do we know Umbridge is going to be a bad teacher?" Hermione was playing devil's advocate, it seemed.

"Have you read the book she assigned yet? It's awful! Anyone who assigns a book like that has no business teaching such an important subject at Hogwarts."

"Alright then, what about lesson plans?"

"I'll worry about those, but if you have ideas write them down for me."

Draco seemed skeptical. "You don't think we can teach? You'll be stupidly busy, like you said."

"Right, but if I'm involved people will be more likely to attend. And even if they only show up to ogle or ask stupid questions, at least they'll learn."

"We can handle that. Right, Draco?"

"Right, you can count on us."

"Good." She went on upstairs and went back to reading, putting aside Slinkhard's book to focus on Magic Across the Ages. It had a more international perspective, whereas A History of Magic had been mostly focused on the British Isles; she wondered who the teacher would be this year, though judging by their choice of reading material, they were already more interesting than Binns. Not that that was a high bar to overcome, she thought with a giggle.

Eventually she went back to Defensive Magical Theory,looking for anything worthwhile, any practical aspect at all. But there was nothing, just a long list of narrow scenarios where the use of "defensive magic" would be the least perilous, and nothing at all about the "defensive magic" to actually use. 

She put the book aside and thought about how Lupin and the false Moody had taught the class, them being the best teachers she had had in the subject so far; hell, Lupin even made it a whole year, and while "Moody" had been a Death Eater in disguise, even Hazel couldn't deny he knew how to teach. They engaged the students, got them actively involved in the lessons, as opposed to Quirrell who merely lectured in his false stutter, or Lockhart who told grand stories of his own false adventures.

Even those two allowed students to actually practice the spells they lectured on, though. So that was the basic plan, then? Demonstrate a spell and have everyone try it for themselves? What did they need books for, then?

She thought back over her time at Hogwarts, thinking about when she had grasped this or that spell. And she wondered if the books actually taught the best way to cast? Then she remembered a conversation she'd had with Snape, what he had said about the shortcut she had discovered: "The instructions in your school books will show the safest ways to reach the results, not necessarily the quickest or most efficient." Did that apply to all their books, not just Potions? Had she really been teaching herself this whole time?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in."

It was Ginny, who had a sultry look at first, but it quickly became a frown when she saw the scattered books on the bed and the serious look on Hazel's face. "What's up with you?"

Hazel sighed. "I'm plotting to save the school yet again, Gin. Umbridge is gonna be a shit teacher, I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, I checked out the book, it sucks." She crossed the room and sat down next to Hazel. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Keep the study group and dueling club going, of course. We'll have to be a bit cleverer about how we go about it, since I doubt we'll be allowed to do it like we've been doing."

"Because Umbridge is really only there to enforce the Ministry's control on the school, right?"

"That's our assumption." She put the books aside and turned toward her. "So, you had a look on your face when you first walked in~"

"I did, did I?" The look crept back across Ginny's face and she leaned in. "What sort of look?"

Hazel grinned and showed her exactly what she meant. 

The next morning, alone in her bed, Hazel got up early to do her workout. She took her time getting dressed, brushed her hair, played with her scars, and checked for zits, then went downstairs to breakfast. She had a few weeks to kill before school started, and only one girlfriend to do it with.

After eating she followed Narcissa upstairs. "Anything new with Voldemort?"

"Not really. Severus is researching the ritual used to bring him back, trying to figure out where it went wrong; whatever you did really messed things up."

"'Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe.' That's what Lockhart said. All I did was not let him forcibly take it."

Her eyes went wide. "You gave up your blood? Willingly?"

Hazel smirked. "I bit my cheek and spat blood in the bastard's eye. And then Lucius was impatient so he didn't get a chance to take any more."

"Impressive. The more I learn about you, the more irresistible you become~"

"L-Lady Malfoy! Don't talk like that, I'm not-!"

Narcissa just chuckled low. "Oh, relax, I'm only teasing. I'm teasing!"

"Not when you look at me like that, it isn't!"

Footsteps came up the stairs behind them, and Draco stepped onto the landing. "Look at who like what?"

"Nothing, Draco." Hazel went back downstairs, then changed her mind and went for the ballroom, where she had Dobby open the windows and put some mats down so she could go for a run. Her head was a whirl, full of thoughts that refused to settle down: Umbridge, Defense, Narcissa, the Ministry.

At least the affair of her cottage should be moving along. The Ministry wasn't likely to give a damn about minor things like that with everything from the top down collapsing into a singularity of bureaucratic bullshit.

…where did that come from? She rolled her eyes at herself. "Your brain sure is full of shit."

After she was done running she went looking for Sirius, and found him in the kitchen. "I was wondering earlier, have there been any updates about the cottage?"

"Oh yeah, there was! After the uproar with your hearing they didn't even contest it, and as soon as Griphook can confirm the deeds I've got some contractors that are ready to carry out your orders regarding the place. You still want it leveled and a new place built, right?"

"Right, especially make sure the memorial things are torn down." She was about to turn away when something else occurred to her. "Oh, has anyone heard from Fletcher, lately?"

He gave her an unimpressed look, as if he knew what she had done to Fletcher. "He's been reporting to Kingsley by owl, but other than that he's swore up and down not to come back here until you're away at school again."

"Good! No one liked him anyway, and don't you dare pretend otherwise!"

"We're not, but you nearly cost us a valuable agent in the underworld with your little fit of pique. I don't even want to imagine what Dumbledore had to promise him to keep him onboard."

"Fit of-!" She couldn't help but stare at him, mouth agape for a few moments. "Have you forgotten what he did?! He left me in the lurch against Dementors! It's his fault I-!"

"I KNOW, Hazel! I know! And I told you we were gonna punish him AFTER all this shit was sorted out!"

"I'm confused, you were backing me up before, right after it happened, so-"

"Of course I was, how would it have looked in front of Moody and Fletcher if I hadn't?"

She felt something break inside her at those words. "So you only supported me because people were watching?"

It was gratifying to watch the anger die out and be replaced with panic in real time. "Wh- No, no, I- dammit…" He turned away for a moment, rubbing his face. "You're my goddaughter, Hazel, and I love you. I swore to Lily and James I'd look after you as best I could. But if you don't stop this path there'll come a time when I can't cover for you anymore, got that?"

The thing in her that broke grated a bit, and she thought of what might happen if he stopped being there for her. "So your support and your approval are contingent on my being a good little Gryffindor, is that it?"

"What? No, I didn't say that! Is it really too much to ask for you to, y'know, not use the fucking Unforgivable Curses on our allies?"

"All I heard you say was that the Order was willing to let Fletcher off the hook for betraying me because he's useful. Well, fuck that! I'm not willing to wait for afterward, or for him to stop being useful! But I've had my pound of flesh, so I'm satisfied for now."

Sirius snorted. "What, only one Crucio and your forgiveness is granted?"

"Two, actually. Twenty seconds' worth. He'll never betray me again. This conversation is over." She slipped around him and went upstairs, where she locked the door, cast silencing and sealing charms, and spent a few minutes breaking things and screaming at the top of her lungs. "Fucking Sirius! He's got no right to judge me! He's done shit too!"

Eventually she felt slightly better, and swept her wand in a silent Reparo to fix the damage she had inflicted. But she was gonna go stir crazy if she had to stay in this house any longer. She changed into a pair of shorts and went downstairs. "Mrs Weasley? I'm gonna go for a walk if that's alright."

"Alright, but take Ron and Hermione with you, and your wands. Don't go too far into London either!"

"Alright." She went looking for those two, and they agreed readily enough that a good walk sounded just fine.

So they put on Muggle clothes, and out the door they went. Hazel stood in the heat for a moment, looking around. "I was expecting people to be waiting out here, were you?"

"What, like Death Eaters? The place is secret, they wouldn't be here."

"And it's under the Fidelius Charm!"

"As if we could forget. Let's head into the park here, Mrs Weasley said not to go too far."

They went into the park and slouched around under the trees. It was warm, but not so hot as earlier in the month, when the Dementors had attacked, and the trees provided lots of shade. There were a few Muggles around, but no one paid any attention to the three kids, apart from staring at Hazel's scars. But she stared back until they looked away, so it was fine.

After a while Ron coughed. "So, it's nice out here and all, but why'd you wanna get out of the house, Hazel?"

"Sirius and I had a row, over what happened to Fletcher."

"What d'you mean?"

Hazel glared at nothing. "Well, you remember what hedid, right? Got greedy, ran off, ruined my summer and got me in trouble with the Ministry? And the grownups weren't taking it seriously! He's too useful for the Order to punish right away!"

Ron sounded uneasy. "So, what'd you do?"

"I cornered him in the basement and used the Cruciatus Curse on him, that's what I did!"

Hermione gasped. "Hazel! That's illegal, and super dangerous! What if he told someone?"

"There's nothing they can do. I used his own wand to do it, and since it was on Black property the Ministry's laws have no effect. But anyway, that's what the row was about, earlier."

"You still should be more careful, he could submit his memories as evidence!"

Ron made a flippant motion. "Not really, memories can be tampered with, or false ones planted. They can even be erased, remember Lockhart?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't like it, Hazel. Death Eaters and conjured animals are one thing, but Fletcher is on our side! And, yes, what he did was over the line, but two wrongs don't make a right!"

Hazel scoffed. "That's exactly what he said, while he was pissing himself at my feet."

"You know, you're doing a shit job redeeming Slytherin's reputation, when you say stuff like that."

"No one asked you, Ron. C'mon, let's head back."

Chapter 23: Fletcher Really Gets HisSummary:Everything goes pear shaped, and Hazel has to face the music.

Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter TextThey didn't get very far, unfortunately. Hermione was the first to notice something wrong. "Hey, where'd all the Muggles go?"

"Good question, where did they go?" Ron drew his wand and peered around. "I don't like this, we need to-"

"GET DOWN!" Hazel threw herself prone just as jets of red light erupted from the trees; one of them caught Ron square in the head and he flew backward, out cold before he hit the ground. Hermione managed a Shield Charm but she was overwhelmed by more jets of red light, then her shield shattered and she fell too.

Hazel scrambled to her feet and tried to get out of there, but she ran right into a burst of white light and felt herself seize up, just like the time she'd been hit by a Full Body-Bind Curse! She fell back to the ground, stiff as a board.

"Got 'em all." Three figures stepped out of the trees, two of them in hoods and cloaks; the third was Mundungus Fletcher! "Pay up, Dung."

"Sod off, yeh get paid when th' job's done." Fletcher approached Hazel and nudged her with his boot until she was facing upward. "Thought yeh coul' get away wif' cursin' me, eh, Potter? Thought yeh coul' hide behin' yer big fancy name 'n yer big fancy 'ouse? Well fuck 'at 'n fuck yew!" And he kicked her in the side.

"Hurry up, Dung! The Aurors could be here any second!"

"I said sod off! S' yer job a' keep 'em off me, ain't it?"

"No way, we didn't agree to duel no Aurors for you!"

"Then git on wi' it! Do wot I 'ired ye fer!"

"Payment first! That was the deal!"

"Grr, fine! I'll do it meself!" He rounded on Hazel and raised his wand. "This is fer me, Potter! AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A blinding flash of green light, a brief feeling of intense cold, a white tunnel… and then the light faded, and Fletcher was still standing there. "Wot? Why didn' it-?"

"Tosser." Hazel found the binding curse had lifted, and she struggled to her feet, swiftly compartmentalizing the horror of the previous moment. "Didn't you ever pay attention in Hogwarts? You need to mean them, you need to want your target dead."

"Piss off! I knows how it works! AVAD-!"

But she snapped her wand out and cast a silent Disarming Charm, and his wand flew into her other hand. "Give me one good reason not to finish you off, Fletcher~"

"Boys! Boys, back me up!" But the two men had vanished, probably when the Killing Curse failed to end her life. "Cowards!"

She flicked Fletcher's wand and summoned thick black ropes, which wrapped around him and brought him down to the ground. Then she used it to perform the Reviving Charm on Hermione and Ron. "Help me with him, Ron, before the Aurors show up."

Groggy and disoriented, he grabbed the bound and gagged thief by the legs, and she took his shoulders, and they carried him back through the park and up to the house, with Hermione taking the lead. She opened the door and they hurried inside. "Hello? Sirius, Mrs Weasley?"

Molly came into the foyer. "Hermione, what's going- oh my word! Is that Mundungus?"

Hazel dropped her half of the thief to the floor. "Yeah. He ambushed us in the park with some men in black robes, then tried to perform the Killing Curse on me."

"What?!" A slash of her wand banished the ropes, but before Fletcher could so much as twitch she had him hanging by his ankle from midair. "You can be sure Dumbledore will hear of this! What in Merlin's name were you thinking?!"

"She did C-Crucio on me! An' she were gettin' away wiv' it too!"

"Two wrongs don't make a right! I'm sending for Arthur immediately!" She twirled her wand through the air, conjuring a funny looking silvery rodent. "Arthur, get back here immediately! I've got Mundungus!" The rodent turned and loped off through the wall, presumably headed for the Ministry. "Hazel, don't tell me you actually used that Curse on him?"

"It can't be proven, because I'm not dumb enough to use my own wand for Unforgivable Curses. And even if I did, I'd do it in this house, where I'm safe from the Ministry's laws."

Molly put her hands on her hips and glared. "Don't be pedantic, did you or did you not cast the Cruciatus Curse on Mundungus Fletcher?"

Hazel sighed. "Yes, yes I did. But I'll never get in trouble for it."

"I only attacked 'er cuz she were gonna git away wi' attackin' me!"

"And the only reason I attacked you was because you were gonna get away with betraying me and abandoning your post for some fucking stolen cauldrons!"

"Language!" Her mouth was suddenly full of soap bubbles, and she coughed and choked on them for a few moments. "Two wrongs don't make a right!"

"What on earth is happening in here?" Arthur had walked in, and was brushing soot from his robes. "Why's Dung hung up in the air?"

Molly and Hazel explained what happened, and his face darkened. "Give me his wand." Hazel handed it over, and he held the tip to his own. "Priori Incantatem!" A flash of white light; he repeated it, bringing a second white flash, some ghostly ropes, and then an ethereal green illusion of Hazel, lying stiff on the ground. "Well, that tears it. Mundungus Fletcher, you're under arrest for using the Killing Curse on a fellow human being!"

Fletcher was swiftly bound and gagged once more, and Arthur hauled him away. Molly sighed sadly. "Dumbledore won't like it one bit, but there's nothing we can do now."

"Oh, he wasn't alone, either. He had two men in black with him, and it sounded like he hired them to kill me, but they wanted paid and he got fed up so he tried to do it himself."

"You're lucky it failed." Molly sighed again, then straightened up. "I don't know how you got away with attacking him yourself, but until it's time to return to Hogwarts I'm going to have to take your wand away."

"What? You can't discipline me, you're not-"

"But I am." Sirius had, apparently, been listening in the whole time. "And she's quite right. Hand over your wand this instant, and no more arguments."

Blinking back tears, Hazel shoved her wand at Sirius and stormed out of the foyer, heading right upstairs to her own room so she could vent her emotions in peace. No one came up after her, for which she was grateful.

Later, still feeling resentful, she debated heading down for dinner, but her thoughts were interrupted when Winky appeared with a pop. "Master Sirius is wanting to know if Miss Hazel is wanting to be eating?"

"Not downstairs. Bring some food up here, please."

"Right away!" A few minutes later a tray appeared on her desk, and she ate quietly, then spent the rest of the evening reading and working out.

Hazel sulked for three days, doing nothing but reading and working out with a furious vengeance. Winky brought food three times a day. On the third day Ginny knocked on the door, but she didn't say anything, and the other girl didn't try to come in.

That evening, Kreacher appeared. "Master Sirius says Mistress Hazel is to come down for supper. Kreacher is allowed to use force if need be, but Kreacher is wishing Mistress Hazel won't make him."

"You would wish that, wouldn't you? Little blighter." But she cleaned up and went down anyway, not really wanting to test what sort of force Kreacher could use with Sirius' blessing behind him.

Ron looked up from his plate as she walked in. "Oh, there you are, we thought you'd run off."

Hermione gave him an exasperated look. "We did not, Ron, don't say that!"

"I thought about it, not gonna lie." Hazel sat down, glaring at Molly and Sirius and ignoring the others.

"I hope you're proud of yourself, Hazel." Molly sounded stern and disappointed. "Your antics have cost the Order a valuable glimpse into parts of England we can't normally access."

"You mean Fletcher and his criminal pals? The same ones he hired to help kill me? The same ones he abandoned me to go buy cauldrons from?"

Sirius smiled fondly. "That's a rather Gryffindor attitude, you know. James used the same kind of logic to justify going after Snape."

"Are you seriously trying to-!"

"Relax! We know what he did to you, alright? We were gonna handle it later, Dumbledore had everything under control. You could have gotten away with a few stinging hexes or something else stupid, and that would've been fine, we all expected that. Not this!"

"Wow, you don't know me at all if that's what you expected."

Molly's wand snapped into her grasp, and Hazel's mouth was full of soap bubbles yet again. "I won't put up with that kind of disrespect anymore, do you understand? Clearly you need better role models, young lady, if this is how you comport yourself!"

"What's done is done." Narcissa put a hand on Hazel's arm as she spoke, and Hazel felt herself relaxing. "There is no point constantly rehashing this, is there not? Fletcher is in custody, so either we must get by without his intelligence or find another source in the underworld. And I believe I can assist in that."

"Well said, Lady Malfoy." Molly flicked her wand again, and the soap disappeared from Hazel's mouth so she could continue eating.

And, feeling very put upon and misunderstood, that was what she did.

Later that night, after her workout, Ginny knocked on the door and came in. "I've missed you these past few nights, you know."

"I've missed you too. You aren't all mad and full of judgment like everyone else?"

She shrugged. "Fletcher got what was coming, though I do wish you'd done it differently. That's neither here nor there, though." She crossed the room and pressed herself against Hazel, hugging her tightly.

Hazel only sighed. "Hey, can we just… cuddle, tonight? I'm not really feeling randy right now."

The redhead looked surprised for a moment, but it passed swiftly. "Sure, but we have to cuddle naked."

"And you call me insatiable?" But she laughed and stripped out of her workout clothes, then stretched out on her bed and made room for Ginny, who did the same and burrowed in close. "You're so hard, Gin, not like Luna or Pansy."

"Wow, way to make a girl feel appreciated." She twisted her arm up and socked Hazel in the shoulder. "Do you talk about other girls with them?"

"Yes? Why wouldn't I? I love you all equally."

"D-Don't say things like that." She socked her again. "Pillock."

"What? I do!" Now she was feeling it! She slid around and held Ginny down. "Am I gonna have to prove it~?"

Notes:Summer is a bitch, y'all, especially with this heat wave. I'm officially changing my upd8 schedule from "every Friday" to "once a week on the weekends."

Chapter 24: Back to SchoolSummary:Hazel learns that being wandless sucks.

Chapter TextThe rest of August seemed to crawl by, with Hazel eager to return to Hogwarts and to get her wand back in equal measure. Without her wand she had to wear a bra, and was reduced to spectating and coaching the others while they dueled, or else practicing Muggle sparring. At least until Draco had the bright idea of everyone attacking her at once and making her dodge.

"No way. There's nothing in it for me!"

"Come on, let's make it interesting. If you can go one minute without being hit, we'll all buy your snacks on the train. But if you do get hit, you have to buy snacks for whoever hit you."

Everyone perked up at that, and Hazel sighed. Of course they'd line up to try and hex her. "Fine. But stinging hexes only! Or I'll go over there and throw you out a window!"

Hermione flicked her wand and conjured a 6 and a 0 in midair. "It'll start counting down when we start casting. Ready?"

"The things I do to avoid getting bored. Ready."

The next minute of her life was one of the most hectic in recent memory, as she dashed ahead, changed directions on a hair, leaped high and threw herself low, side to side, the whole bit. But they had nothing on a graveyard full of Death Eaters trying to kill her, and when the numbers reached zero, she had avoided everyone's hexes. She leaned against the wall, panting and wheezing. "You guys are awful!"

"Thought for sure we'd get you, since you don't have your wand." Ron was genuinely disappointed, and probably also bummed that he'd have to buy snacks.

Despite herself it was the most exciting thing to happen, and she decided to do it again the next day. Being attacked, it turned out, was a hell of a workout!

The day before they were to head back to Hogwarts, the drought finally broke, and rain clouds gathered in the sky. For Hazel it was a good day, because Sirius gave her her wand back. "Knowing us, we'll forget if we leave it for later."

"Thanks, Sirius!" She took it with a grin and hugged him tightly, and wasted no time ducking into the bathroom and taking her bra off. She made a note to herself to practice wandless magic, just in case this ever happened again. She spent the rest of the day packing, making sure all her things were ready for the morning, which as Sirius indirectly predicted was likely to be chaotic with all the Weasleys about.

That evening at dinner, Ginny leaned in. "Don't wait up for me tonight, Mum wants me to wash my hair before bed and that takes a while."

Don't wait up? That was stupid. "Just ask Winky to help in the morning, it'll be over before you know it."

"Really? But I'm not- I mean, she isn't-"

"Winky!" The house elf appeared and curtseyed. "Would it be an inconvenience for you to help Ginny wash her hair in the morning?"

"Certainly not, Miss Hazel! Winky would be happy to help the Ginny-Weasel!"

"There you are then." She ignored the displeased look from Molly and went back to eating, though it took all her willpower not to reach a hand beneath the table and tease Ginny.

That night, after Ginny slipped away, she had strange and unsettling dreams despite her Occlumency, with Voldemort demanding answers from his Death Eaters. She couldn't tell what answers he demanded or who he spoke to, and wondered at the loss of reception. Was Voldemort now using Occlumency himself? Had he become aware of their connection?

It was strange, she thought sadly, laying awake after the dream faded. Dumbledore had promised to make himself available to her, to help her as much as he could… and then had immediately made plans to abandon Hogwarts and go hunting for Horcruxes. Of course, wasn't that what she had wanted, was for him to take her seriously and thus convince others to take her seriously as well? She huffed a sigh and tried to go back to sleep.

What felt like moments later she woke up again, and Kreacher was shaking her. "Mistress Hazel will be rising, or Kreacher will be using cold water."

"I'm up, you little blighter, I'm up." She yawned and got out of bed, debated taking a shower, then gave up and used a few cleansing charms on herself and her clothes for the day. Since she was already packed, she let Hedwig out to fly ahead and got ready to go, getting dressed and checking her room one more time before dragging her trunk downstairs.

As Sirius predicted, the Weasley chaos was on full display, with redheads running all over the place shouting about this or that missing item and accusing each other of stealing. Ginny, looking lovely with her hair freshly washed and done, was especially apoplectic. "Ronald Bilius Weasley, give me back my knickers or I swear to Merlin I'll-!"

"Ronald, give your sister her knickers back. Ginny, watch your mouth." Molly already sounded tired, and it wasn't even breakfast time yet.

Eventually everyone settled down to eat, and Molly cleared her throat. "Arthur, Tonks and Kingsley couldn't be here, what with the chaos at the Ministry, and Mad-Eye's off doing something else. But between myself, Narcissa, and Sirius we should be fine getting to King's Cross. Remus will attend to the luggage."

Arthur nodded. "Sounds like a plan. We should have plenty of time too, it's only a fifteen-minute walk from here."

"We can't just walk over by ourselves? It's a beautiful day out."

"No, Hazel, you're still a target, remember? And not just for You-Know-Who, either." She sounded a bit exasperated to Hazel.

"Gee, thanks Hermione." It was annoying when other people were right, she decided. "So, prefects ride in their own carriage up front, right?"

"Yes, the Head Boy and Girl for this year will explain our duties. After that we patrol the train for troublemakers and keep order with the other prefects."

"The whole train?"

Draco smirked. "I would imagine so, it's not like students segregate themselves by House on the train. Well, we didn't, did we?"

Hazel had never really thought about how long the train was before today. But it seemed she was gonna get a first-hand look at just how long it was. She gave a resigned sigh and finished eating with everyone else.

The walk to the station, with a weak sort of sunlight struggling to pierce the clouds, took twenty minutes instead of fifteen, but with three adults and seven students it was hard to make any kind of time. But they arrived early enough anyway, and leaned against the barrier until it was safe to pass through. Ron looked around. "How's Remus getting- oh. Nevermind."

Remus was already there, with all their trunks neatly piled up on a trolley. And he must have heard Ron's question because he gave him a smile. "Apparated, is all. Takes a special knack to do it with a lot of stuff though."

"Move along, you lot, we're causing a scrum."

Hazel doubted it was as bad as that. A queue, maybe. But it was no good arguing with Molly so they pushed ahead again. "It's good to be back." She felt her spirits lift as they crossed the platform, saw families parting and friends meeting up after the summer. Despite the issues waiting for her she felt good about the year ahead, at least for now; so long as she had a plan for those issues, everything would work out!

"We'll see you guys in a while, I guess." She nodded to the others, then grabbed her trunk and Hedwig's empty cage and set off for the front of the train, where the other prefects were meant to meet with the Head Boy and Head Girl.

The prefects' car was open on the inside, with seats along the wall instead of benches and individual compartments, though there were still overhead bins for their luggage. They were among the first to show up, with Roger Davies and a Hufflepuff girl she didn't recognize waiting there for them. Davies smiled. "Potter, Granger, Malfoy. Good to see you all."

The girl nodded. "Stimpson, Patricia Stimpson. There's privacy screens if you care to change right away."

Hazel shrugged and went to change into her uniform. Shoes, stockings, skirt, shirt and tie, jumper, robes. She pinned her badges on, checked her hair in a handy mirror, and went back to the others. Hermione got up after her and disappeared behind the screen in turn.

Davies beamed again. "Team Captain, eh? Guess we'll be seeing each other on the pitch again!"

"You bet we will, Davies."

One by one the other prefects appeared, and Hazel saw that Ron was right: Dean Thomas had indeed made prefect alongside Hermione. From Ravenclaw were Padma Patil and Anthony Goldstein, and from Hufflepuff were Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan. The other prefects were students she didn't recognize at first, but she trusted Draco to know who they were and who would be useful.

When everyone was present and changed, Davies clapped his hands. "So! Welcome and welcome back, all of you! Glad to see no one's lost their badges since last term, which can happen, you know." That was meant for the new prefects, Hazel suspected.

Hermione put her hand up. "How do we lose them, sir?"

"Aw, don't sir me, Granger. And you lose prefect privileges by abusing them, obviously."

"Being too harsh with detentions and things, or if you're out late too often." Stimpson laughed slightly. "Showing bias is a good way to lose your badge too, so don't be stingy with docking points if you catch your housemates acting up!"

"Don't be put off if docked points don't stick either, since the Heads of House can restore them easily enough if they think you were unfair. Points are easy enough, it's detentions that can get you in trouble; those need paperwork, and Filch hates it when paperwork has to be rescinded."

Hazel was already plotting how to use the Marauder's Map and the Cloak of Invisibility to make her prefect duties much easier, so that she could get around the castle quickly and quietly and catch troublemakers in the act. And with the schedule she had planned, not to mention all the extracurriculars she also had planned, she'd need every advantage she could get!

Eventually they split up to patrol the train, and Hazel waved the other prefects from her year in close. "You guys read the new Defense text yet?"

"Yeah, it's useless." Dean had a scowl on his face. "Any idea who the new professor is?"

Hermione's face screwed up in distaste. "Dolores Umbridge, she's the Minister's toady through and through."

"That woman? Merlin's pants, that explains a few things. We're in for it if she's at Hogwarts this year." Ernie was pretentious as usual, but at least it sounded like he was on the right side.

"Yeah, they're definitely meddling at the school. Hopefully Umbridge won't find anything, with the other staff changes."

"Never mind all that, how're we going to pass our OWLs if we're not being properly instructed? Fifth-year Defense is devilishly tricky, I've heard!"

"Easy, Padma, we'll keep teaching ourselves. Just like we did in first and second years, just like we've done with the study group and dueling club ever since."

"Will it really be that easy, Hazel?"

Draco laughed. "No, and don't let her fool you either, it'll be next to impossible for the rest of us. Now let's get moving."

Fortunately no one was acting out so soon, and when they found Luna and the other Slytherin girls Hazel ducked into their compartment. "Girls! I've missed all of you!"

"Did you?" Pansy sniffed disdainfully, though as Hazel sat down she burrowed in close to her. "The Weaslette said you slept with her, and with some Squib girl."

Luna sighed and did the same on her other side. "You can't keep Hazel tied down, Pansy, she won't like that at all." She giggled at the badges on her chest. "Look, she'll be busy this year~"

Hazel laughed. "I am gonna be busy, so you two might have to keep each other amused~" Pansy scowled again and swatted her on the shoulder, and she laughed again.

Daphne leaned forward. "Really though, don't you have to patrol the train until we get there?"

"No, there's like twenty other prefects, they can handle shit for a few hours. At least I hope they can; Draco and Hermione are competent, at least."

But she got up to take a turn anyway, if only so she could say she'd done her job. A lot of people stared and pointed and whispered behind her back, but not as many as she had thought; clearly the Ministry's fuck-up at the hearing had gotten around despite the press blackout.

This year's firsties were mostly toward the back of the train, huddled together looking anxious and excited. She didn't intrude, but she peeked through windows and checked as she walked by. None of them were causing any trouble, so she kept going.

Heading back to the front, she ran into Hermione. "Fred and George?"

"Keeping to themselves, believe it or not. I was half expecting some new scheme to explode in our faces, but nothing so far."

"Huh. Well, I just got back from checking on the new firsties, so I'm gonna chill out for a bit."

"Alright." They nodded to each other, and Hazel went back to where her friends and lovers were gathered.

She sat back down and got settled in again. "I think this year I'll seduce a Hufflepuff. That way my inter-House harem will be complete."

Tracey giggled. "I know Leanne swings our way, you should definitely ask her."

Luna sighed and Pansy scowled, but Hazel knew she'd try her luck on the Hufflepuff girl at some point this year. And the sooner the better!

Chapter 25: Lots of New FacesSummary:Hazel gets her first glimpse of the new professors, and her first real taste of prefect duties.

Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter TextThe train pulled into Hogsmeade station eventually, and Hazel joined the rush of students to the carriages. She heard a sharp-voiced woman calling over the ruckus: "First years! First years to me! Queue up, there we go!" Looking over, she saw Madam Hooch with a lantern held over her head, beckoning imperiously to the anxious firsties.

She waited until she was seated in a carriage with Ron, Draco and Hermione before bringing it up. "Hooch is guiding the firsties, did you see? Guess that means Hagrid isn't back from the giants yet."

"I hope he's alright."

"He'll be fine, Hermione, he's got that Maxime woman with him after all."

"R-Right." Hermione gave Ron a smile and looked ahead again.

"So who's Gamekeeper until he gets back? Not Hooch, surely?"

Ron shrugged. "Could be Charlie? Hagrid always had time to help out in class, after all."

The ride to the castle went quickly, and Hazel watched the castle growing larger in the distance as they drew closer. It was strange, she thought, to feel dread and anticipation at the same time. "Do you guys feel weird too? Like, you're afraid of what's ahead, but also looking forward to it?"

Ron nodded. "I know exactly what you mean. It's Hogwarts! But also it's our fifth year, and that means OWLs and infernal amounts of homework."

Draco laughed slightly. "Not to mention a bunch of new professors. I hope they're up to snuff."

Eventually they made it to the castle, and Hazel got down from the carriage to join the throng heading inside. The entrance hall was ablaze with torchlight as everyone crossed it to the Great Hall; she felt eyes on her, heard whispers in her wake, but she ignored them and kept going.

Ron and Hermione split off to sit with the other Gryffindors, and Hazel joined Draco at the Slytherin table, making sure her badges were prominently displayed. Blaise saw them and smirked. "Knew you'd get it, good job."

"Thanks." She turned to survey the rest of the Hall, which was filling up as students trickled in. The sounds washed over her; gossip, calls of greeting across tables, sounds of admiration for new robes or haircuts. More than one met her gaze, and she looked coolly back until they looked away again, to whisper to whoever was closest.

She looked up at the high table, where several new faces could be seen. Professor McGonagall was in the Headmaster's chair (well, Headmistress' chair now, she figured), and the seat to her side was empty. A few seats down was Umbridge, who was talking to Professor Sinistra; she was listening, but the smile on her face seemed quite strained to Hazel.

A few seconds later the side door opened, and Professor Flitwick led the firsties in, the familiar three-legged stool floating ahead of him; in his hand he carried the ancient Sorting Hat, heavily patched and darned as usual. He put the stool and the Hat on the ground before the high table, and stepped back; McGonagall raised her wand, and the lights dimmed, drawing all eyes to the front.

Draco nudged her. "We weren't that scared, were we?"

"I don't think so, no." Indeed, many of the titchy little brats were trembling, despite Flitwick's cheerful presence, and she cursed the Ministry without knowing why.

Moments later the Sorting Hat came to life, and sang its usual song, describing the Founders, the four Houses, and the qualities each one looked for (cunning and ambition for Slytherin, bravery and chivalry for Gryffindor, wit and wisdom for Ravenclaw, and patience and respect for Hufflepuff). But it went further, too, and warned them all about external dangers and the importance of uniting from within, even as it was bound to divide them.

"Bit grim this year, wasn't it?" Tracey seemed nervous as she clapped along with everyone else.

Hazel nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I wonder if it's ever done something like that before?" She decided to ask the Fat Friar or Nearly-Headless Nick about it later; her own House ghost, the Bloody Baron, was hardly approachable, as was the Gray Lady, Ravenclaw's ghost.

As the cheering subsided, Flitwick conjured another stool and stepped up onto it, unrolling a long scroll and charming it to hover before him. "Step forward as I call your name, sit down and place the Sorting Hat on your head!" And then he started reading off the names of the new firsties in his squeaky voice.

Was it Hazel's imagination, or were there more new students this year than normal? Or, more likely, the previous years had been low, and her perspective was just skewed. At least Slytherin got a respectable amount, even if they were all just as anxious and tiny as the others. Was she ever that small?

Eventually the Sorting was over with, and Flitwick took the Hat and stool away as McGonagall rose to her feet. "To our new students, welcome to Hogwarts! To those returning, welcome back!" Her voice rang clearly through the Hall, and she looked from table to table as she spoke. "For those who are unaware, Professor Dumbledore has stepped down as Headmaster for personal reasons, so I shall be your Headmistress from this point onward. I have several announcements to make before you are dismissed, but before that, the Welcoming Feast!"

There was a general cheer, and every table groaned as a magnificent feast appeared before them all. "Excellent, I'm starving!" Hazel wasted no time tucking in, making good use of the endless food to eat herself stupid; bread, cheese, roast beef, and of course, plenty of hot sauce and side dishes.

Farther down, she saw the new firsties tucking in as well, and nodded. The others were discussing the Sorting Hat's warning, with varying degrees of skepticism; a few were inclined to shrug it off, but enough of them took it seriously that she didn't see a need to butt in.

After the dessert course cleared away, McGonagall rose to her feet once more, and all chatter ceased at once. "As I said before, welcome and welcome back. First years, you should know that the Forbidden Forest is, in fact, forbidden to all students; many of our older students could do with a reminder of this fact as well." Her gaze lingered on Gryffindor a moment longer, and they all smirked back at her.

"Moving on, our caretaker, Mr Filch, wishes to remind everyone that magic is strictly forbidden in the hallways between classes. There is also a… rather exhaustive list of other banned objects and items, the full extent of which may be reviewed in his office at any time.

"More importantly, we have several changes to the staff that must be announced. Professor Flitwick has stepped up as Deputy Headmaster, and while he will remain your Charms Professor, he has stepped down as Head of Ravenclaw House to focus on his new duties; Professor Trelawney has graciously agreed to take his place as Head." The Divination Professor waved briefly, and there was some clapping from the Ravenclaw table.

"Secondly, Professor Burbage has likewise agreed to step up as Head of Gryffindor House. I trust you will rely on her leadership as you have relied on mine." Burbage stood and waved, and the reception from Gryffindor for the pretty younger Professor was much more appreciative. "Rounding out the high-level changes, Professor Sinistra will lead Slytherin House from now on." Slytherin clapped politely for the dusky Astronomy teacher, who nodded once and remained in her seat.

"Now, there are several other vacancies that arose over the summer, and thankfully they have all been filled. Please welcome Professor Ismelda Murk as your new History of Magic Professor." A very pale woman with long dark hair smirked and waved, and something about her set Hazel on edge. "Our new Potions Mistress, Professor Penny Haywood." A cheerful woman with long blonde hair waved and smiled at everyone, and the school clapped for her; she was very pretty, and Hazel felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Rounding out the new additions are Professor Talbott Winger for Transfiguration, and Barnaby Lee as Gamekeeper and Groundskeeper." A dusky skinned young man waved, and next to him a very tall, very burly fellow with wide, innocent eyes laughed and waved as well.

"Moving on, Quidditch tryouts will take-"

"Hem, hem. I think you forgot someone, Minerva~?"

McGonagall paused and took a deep breath through her nose. "Of course, Dolores, do forgive me. Everyone, welcome your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge."

The squat, toad-like Umbridge got to her feet and beamed around at everyone; there was a brief smattering of applause for her, but it died out quickly.

"As I was saying, Quidditch-"

"Hem, hem. If it's not too much trouble, Headmistress, could I say a few words?" Umbridge was still on her feet, and her saccharine smile was aimed up at the much taller McGonagall.

"If you insist." McGonagall sat down once more and gave Umbridge her attention, but a wave of unease rippled throughout the Great Hall; no one ever interrupted the Headmaster, and here this woman had done so twice in a row.

Oblivious to her reception, Umbridge turned and faced the students, turning that false smile on full blast and clearing her throat once again. "Thank you, Professor McGonagall, for the lovely words of welcome." Her voice was still simpering, breathy and girlish, and Hazel felt a familiar rush of dislike. Everything from her voice to her lurid pink cardigan to that stupid little cough seemed designed to be as irritating and repulsive as possible. And yet, even as the others tuned her out, Hazel grit her teeth and made herself pay attention. Something in this little speech could come in handy later, after all.

"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 back at me! I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

Daphne repressed a giggle. "You think being her friend means having to wear that awful cardigan?"

Umbridge did that stupid cough again and kept going, though her voice shifted, losing most of its breathiness and taking on a businesslike, learned-by-rote quality. "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 through 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."

"She just said the same thing five different times." Draco looked offended, and perhaps a little worried too.

Umbridge paused and beamed at her fellow teachers, but none smiled back. Undaunted, she gave her signature dainty cough and returned to her speech, which definitely had a canned, prepared feeling to it by now. "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."

Hazel glanced across the Hall once more, and saw how little Umbridge was inspiring the students. Nearly everyone was ignoring her completely; Luna had pulled out the latest issue of the Quibbler, Ginny and Ron were arguing over something, even on their side she could see Pansy doing her nails. Ernie and Hannah at the Hufflepuff table were at least pretending to pay attention, for the sake of their prefect badges if nothing else.

Somehow, Umbridge was still plowing ahead with her speech, regardless of the restless students before her. "Some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. 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. Thank you, and we'll see each other in class~!"

With that she finally sat down, and McGonagall led the other teachers in perfunctory applause. The students, caught off guard, started clapping too, but it died off again quickly as the Headmistress rose to her feet. "Well said, Professor Umbridge, that was most instructive. As I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will begin Friday evening after class and will proceed into the weekend; seek out your team's Captain for the exact times."

She caught Draco's eye and mouthed Saturday morning ten at him; he nodded back and turned to spread the word, while she tried to remember the speech Gemma Farley and Jake Weeks had given in her first year.

On that note, what was the password for the common room? She was about to ask Draco when an older prefect caught her eye. "Password's basilisk. Don't forget to tell the firsties."

"Got it. What else do I tell them? It's been a while since I heard that speech."

He shrugged. "Same old shit, really. Don't get caught breaking curfew, don't make the House look bad, don't get Sna- er, Sinistra involved unless it's urgent. Don't be a prat about the Dark Arts. You've been here five years, you oughta know this."

"Yeah well, I've broken every single one of those rules, so clearly I've got no business being a prefect in the first place."

That brought a laugh. "No shame in letting Malfoy take the lead, then. You've got this, Potter, just don't be a huge bitch and it'll all work out."

"Seems easy enough." They both laughed, and by then McGonagall had finished her remarks and everyone was getting up. Hazel turned to the end of the table. "First years! First years to me!"

The new students got up and came her way, a dark-skinned girl with fierce eyes leading the way. They all quailed slightly as they got a good look at Hazel, though, with her scars and with half her head burnt off. "I'm Hazel Potter, this is Draco Malfoy. We're your prefects, so follow us and don't fall behind."

They waited for the other Houses to leave first, and the fierce-eyed girl came up beside her. "Are you really Hazel Potter?"

"Yes? Who else would I be?"

She just nodded seriously. "My mother says you're the only sane person left in politics."

"Does she now?" She caught Draco's eye and tried not to laugh. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Aria Zabini."

"Blaise's sister?" She nodded, and Hazel smiled. "Well, nice to meet you, Aria. Looks like we're up, so follow me, alright?" She and Draco led the way downstairs to the dungeons, and stopped before the empty stretch of wall. "Looks like an empty wall, right? Look closer." She pointed at the lower edge of the wall, where snakes carved into the molding acted like arrows if one looked closely; on one side the snakes faced left, toward where they were stopped, and on the other side they faced right, also towards them.

"You'll find those snakes everywhere on this floor, so you'll never get lost if you follow them. Now, listen closely. The password is basilisk." A moment after Draco spoke, the wall melted away, forming a door carved with snakes and vines.

Hazel stepped forward to open it for them, a proud smile on her face. "Welcome home, new snakes. For the next seven years, anyway." The gasps of wonder and looks of awe on their faces, even fierce little Aria, brought a genuine smile to her own face, and she saw Draco had a similar look.

But they couldn't get sidetracked. "Don't run off yet, firsties, Draco and I still have something to say." They gathered before the fire while the older students went about their business, and she could tell they were getting tired. "Some of you might know this already, but Slytherin has… an undeserved reputation, let's say. The other Houses are convinced we put out more Dark witches and wizards than the rest, which isn't true at all. Peter Pettigrew? Gryffindor. Gilderoy Lockhart, Quirinus Quirrell? Ravenclaws."

Draco cleared his throat. "They also say we don't accept half-bloods or Muggle-borns, which is also not true at all, which you'd know already if you're one of those. That said, are any of you Muggle-born?"

Three of them nervously put their hands up, and Hazel clapped her hands once. "There, see? Unfounded slander. And if any older students give you any shit, tell Draco or I and we'll sort them out. We snakes have to stick together against these prejudices, even as they accuse us of being the prejudicial ones!"

"Other than that, you'll be expected to sort out your own issues, though do come to us if things are getting out of hand. Above all, what happens in Slytherin stays in Slytherin; we don't get others involved in our disputes, even if they're our friends. Disagreements do not leave this dungeon, am I understood?" He gave them all a dour look to drive the point home.

"Curfew for you firsties is 9pm sharp, and if you get caught outside the common room after that you'll be in serious trouble. We take curfew seriously around here, got that? You will be caught, so unless you've got a damn good reason, don't even think about breaking it." There were anxious nods, and she nodded back. "Sinistra will pass out class schedules in the morning, over breakfast. Any questions?" No one spoke up, so she shrugged. "Right then, ladies follow me. Lads, after Draco."

She led the first-year girls to their dorm, which was just like hers except bigger to accommodate more students. "Here you are, girls. Bathroom and showers are through there, and if you had an owl it's been delivered to the Owlery." She watched them get settled in, and smirked as their luggage appeared by the bed they chose. "Breakfast is at six-thirty, classes start at eight. Good night, and again, welcome to Slytherin. I'm sure you'll make us proud." A light glare sold the unspoken or else, and she shut the door and went to her own dorm.

Tracey looked up from her magazine. "So, are the midgets worth a damn this year?" 

"Yeah, I think they'll do just fine." She did her evening routine, then crossed the room and sat down next to Pansy. "Mind if I sleep in your bed tonight?"

Pansy huffed in annoyance, though Hazel could tell it was performative. "Would it matter if I did mind?"

"Not in the least~"

Notes:The new professors are all NPCs from the mobile game, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.

Chapter 26: No Time for ShenanigansSummary:Hazel gets to know some of her new professors. They're very interesting.

Chapter TextHazel went back to her own bed after a few hours, and woke up on time to get ready for the day. She took her time getting ready, and made sure her hair was nice and clean; remembering Narcissa's warning about Umbridge, she didn't want to give her anything to latch onto.

The mood in the common room was subdued, but there was Blaise, up ahead of her and reading a book as usual. "Blaise."

"Hazel." He nodded to her as she sat down. "Those badges look good on you."

"Oh, thanks. Can I count on you for the team this year?"

"Naturally. I heard tryouts are Saturday morning?"

"Yeah, if I can schedule it. So I'd better find Hooch and Sinistra before the others get ahead of us."

"Good luck."

She nodded. "I met Aria last night. Fierce little thing."

That brought a smile. "She is, and you're all she can talk about. Don't let it get to your head, got it?" The smile faded slightly. "I don't want to have to prove my big brother cred."

Hazel pretended to be hurt. "Blaise, what kind of girl do you think I am? The type to rack up lovers like notches on my bedpost?"

Daphne giggled as she sat down. "I've seen your bedpost, Hazel, that's exactly the kind of girl you are."

"Not helping, Daph." She aimed a kick at the other girl, but she just giggled again. "Blaise, you don't need to worry, Aria's off limits. And too young for me anyway."

"I'll hold you to that." He went back to his book after one last glare.

Hazel sighed and got up again, leaving the common room and heading upstairs to the Great Hall. She saw Hooch seated at the high table, and approached her. "Madam Hooch?"

Sharp, hawk-like eyes swept up and scrutinized her. "Potter."

"I was hoping to schedule Quidditch tryouts for this weekend? Saturday at ten in the morning, hopefully."

"Certainly." Hooch pulled a scroll from her pocket, smoothed it out and made a mark on it with her wand. "If that's all, then clear off."

"That was all, thank you." Hazel bowed and went to the Slytherin table, where she sat down to bacon, eggs, hot sauce and scones.

"Miss Potter." She looked up to see Professor Sinistra approaching, and hurriedly swallowed her mouthful of food. "Don't panic, I wished to speak with you before the others."

She gulped down some milk and tried to quell the irrational panic she had felt. "Yes?"

"I was impressed with your summer make-up assignments, and I'll happily welcome you back to Astronomy this year. Professor Burbage and Professor Murk are glad to welcome you back, as well."

"Well, thanks Professor. Isn't Astronomy still mandatory until sixth year?"

"Normally, yes, but missing a full year would cost you dearly in terms of OWL performance. Regardless, you have quite the schedule ahead of you." She handed Hazel her schedule. "I do hope you've learned better time management, Professor Snape mentioned you might need help with that in the notes he left."

A wave of melancholy washed over her at the mention of that name. "Did he say anything else in his notes?"

Sinistra smiled faintly. "Nothing that pertained to any outside topic. Chin up, my dear, he won't be gone forever." She gave Hazel a pat on the shoulder and resumed handing out schedules.

Glancing down, she couldn't help but wince. History first thing, then double Potions, Divination, and double Defense. Three new professors on the first day back. And the rest of the week didn't look much better! Oh well.

She finished breakfast and went up for the History classroom, wondering again what the new professor was like, and what it was about her that set her teeth on edge. She got there, saw the door standing ajar, and went on in with a shrug. "Professor? Professor Murk?"

"Come in." The classroom was the same as always, rows of desks and wide windows and a larger desk at the front, and bookshelves crammed with books. But it was also very different; the windows were clean and thrown open to the late summer breeze, the room was well lit and smelled of lemons and fresh parchment, and there were several new books crammed into the shelves.

More importantly, of course, was the new professor. Ismelda Murk had to be one of the most intimidating women Hazel had ever met, with her dark make-up and her long hair, her sharp brown eyes and the wicked smile playing on her black lips. Beneath her black robes was a tight-fitting turtleneck jumper and a ripped black skirt. "Hazel Jade Potter~" Even the sound of her voice took her breath away. "Hello? Earth to Hazel?"

Hazel jumped slightly. "Uh, y-yes, that's me?"

Murk smirked at her and uncrossed her legs. "Mm, do you get distracted by all your professors, or am I just the lucky one?"

"E-Excuse me?"

Murk laughed darkly. "Scoop your jaw off the floor and sit down. Now isn't the time for shenanigans."

Red-faced and quite glad they were alone, Hazel sat down at the front of the class and got her things out. "Uh, sorry, ma'am, I…"

"Oh, don't worry about it. Save the stammering for after class~"

The arrival of the others saved her from further confusion, and she gave Draco and Hermione each a nod as they sat on either side of her. Professor Murk waited patiently for everyone to be seated, then cleared her throat and pushed off from the desk. "Good morning, class, and welcome to History of Magic. You've had a paltry and incomplete instruction so far, and I'll have to spend most of the year catching you all up on the truth while making sure you're ready for your OWLs. As you should already know, I am Professor Ismelda Murk, and I'll be your guide."

A flick of her wand brought a scroll of parchment out, and she took roll quickly. That sorted, she put the scroll aside and clapped her hands. "So! Binns used to start off with giant wars, when he remembered his curriculum at all, but first I need to dispel a few assumptions. First off, I have no idea what happened to the old berk, so don't ask. Second, I graduated the year you lot started, and I've been apprenticed to Bathilda Bagshot since then, as well as the French historian Isabelle Bouchard."

Hermione put her hand up. "That's who wrote the book you assigned us, right Professor?" 

"A child could have discerned as much, but yes." Hermione put her hand down again, looking stung, and the professor smiled slightly. "Oh, don't pout, it was simply such an obvious question I couldn't help myself."

Hazel wondered if all obvious questions would be met with such answers, and decided it didn't matter if it meant having Murk's attention.

The class went very well from there, with their Professor using her wand to conjure vivid illusions illustrating her more visceral points. She got the students involved as well, and Hazel realized she was getting a sense for what Binns had accidentally passed on without them realizing. The period went by very quickly, and as class let out, no one had a bad word to say about their living and breathing new History professor.

Potions was just as fascinating, if not more so. The classroom was still cold, but no longer shadowed and gloomy; instead it was well lit with strange torches that gave off light, but no heat, and every surface gleamed, every bottle and jar was clearly labeled. Professor Haywood stood at the head of the class, surveying everyone with a cheerful smile; her long blonde hair was braided and tied back, and she wore practical black robes as opposed to the challenging outfit Professor Murk had worn.

Once everyone was seated, Professor Haywood took roll, then clapped her hands. "Well, welcome to Potions, all of you! I'm Professor Haywood, but feel free to call me Penny if you despise formality as much as I do. This is a very important year, for at the end of term you'll be taking your OWLs! A very stressful and exciting time, believe you me." She laughed gaily, and it was a lovely tinkling laugh indeed. 

"Now, throughout the year we'll be revising for those potions most likely to come up during your practical examination, as well as the questions to be found on the theoretical side. And while the Ministry would prefer it if we pursued a less rigorous curriculum, I whole-heartedly believe the standard set by Professor Snape is an admirable one to aim for, so we'll stick to his lesson plans as much as possible."

For a moment her cheery demeanor flickered at the thought of bureaucratic interference, but then it came back in full force in the next second. "So! With that in mind, let us consider the Draught of Peace, a very powerful potion for calming anxiety and soothing agitation." She flicked her wand; the blackboard was suddenly full of steps and ingredients, and the store cupboard sprang open. "Recipe and directions up front, ingredients in the cupboard! You have an hour and a half!"

Hazel got up and retrieved the ingredients she'd need, and returned to her table, where Draco and Hermione were setting up their brewing station. It was a difficult and fiddly potion, which had to be stirred precisely, and ingredients added in exactly the right quantity and order. Everything went well until Hermione noticed something in the book. "Um, Professor Haywood?"

"Yes, Hermione?"

"The directions on the blackboard and those in the book don't match."

Penny came over and checked for herself. "Hm, so they do. Well, follow the blackboard as best you can, Professor Snape had a habit of putting his own shortcuts up there when the book was less efficient. It's perfectly safe to follow the book, of course, but you might fall behind."

"Yes ma'am." Their professor went to answer another question, and Hermione frowned. "Who ever heard of not following the book?"

"Apparently we haven't been following this whole time." Draco shrugged. "It's worked for us so far, let's keep going."

"Snape mentioned it to me in first year, that sometimes the book only shows the safest way to get a result, not necessarily the best or most efficient way. But if those directions are from Snape's notes, it should still be fine."

This didn't go over so well with the rest of the class, for there was suddenly a lot of muttering and reaching for textbooks. Hazel caught the words 'Death Eater' several times from the Gryffindor side, and rolled her eyes.

Penny caught it as well, and fixed the lions with a surprisingly effective glare. "Ten points from Gryffindor." Her voice was suddenly stern and no-nonsense. "Whatever Professor Snape is doing right now, he is still one of the youngest Potions Masters this country has ever seen, and you're a fool to ignore his instructions. Even I didn't attain my Mastery until two years ago."

"Straighten up, you lot." Dean Thomas added his own glare, which earned a small smile from Penny.

The class went by quickly enough, with the new professor flitting back and forth, keeping an eye on things and watching out for mistakes. Near the end, when everyone's potions were complete, she went from table to table, checking their completed potions. "Ah, Hazel, this is a fine Draught of Peace. Ten points to Slytherin."

"Thanks, Penny." Hazel grinned at her, and she grinned back before moving on.

She came to Seamus, Dean and Neville's table, which wasn't doing so well. "Ah, boys, did we forget a step?"

Dean peered at the blackboard, then his face fell. "Yeah, the syrup of hellebore. Sorry, mates, ma'am."

"Not at all, not at all." Penny flicked her wand and the fouled potions disappeared. "This was a new potion for all of you, after all, I wouldn't expect perfection. Well, from most of you, anyway." She glanced back at Hazel's table, where Draco, Hermione and Hazel herself were bottling their potions. "Homework for everyone, twelve inches on the properties of moonstone in potion making!"

Overall, Hazel thought it was an excellent lesson, and it definitely helped that Penny was much easier on the eyes than Snape ever was. Or maybe it didn't help? She wasn't as distracting as Professor Murk, that was for sure, though History of Magic wasn't as volatile a class so maybe she could get away with a bit more.

And listening in on her classmates, she got the impression they rather liked the lesson as well, except for the part where Penny had defended Snape and docked points from Gryffindor.

She ate a quick lunch, and used the restroom on the way to Divination. She was the first one there, so she waited beneath the trapdoor until it fell open and the ladder descended; she climbed up into the classroom, where Trelawney was busy placing battered, leather-bound books at their tables. She didn't look up, but somehow knew who had entered the room anyway. "Good afternoon, Miss Potter." 

"Good afternoon, Professor Trelawney. How was your summer?"

"Busy, my dear, frightfully busy." She finished passing books out and leaned against the wall for a moment. "What with the sudden turnover here, of course, and all the additional duties I've assumed. And the omens, oh, the omens." A flicker of her old dumbed-down self crossed her face, wide-eyed and helpless. "We are all in for a bad time if things do not go as they should. And come what may, I myself will be forced to depart before Christmas."

That was ominous, and rather shocking. "What? Why?"

The rest of the class started showing up before Trelawney could answer; she put a finger to her lips and gestured for Hazel to take her seat. "Good day, class, and welcome back to Divination." She looked from face to face, nodding when nobody was missing. "Everyone has returned, excellent. Now, you will find copies of The Dream Oracle by Inigo Imago on your tables, for today we study dream interpretation; this is an important, and accessible, branch of Divination, and one most likely to come up in your OWLs."

She sniffed disdainfully and looked away. "Not that exams and tests mean much. If one has the Sight, the Seeing Eye, marks and grades matter not a bit! One Sees, or one does not See! Alas, we must deal with reality as it is, not as we may wish it to be, so open your books to the introduction please!"

As with all branches of Divination, dream interpretation was highly subjective and open to, well, interpretation; the introduction to the book was long-winded and vague, and they didn't have much time to do any actual interpretation by the end. Hazel finished first and sat there waiting for Ron to catch up, listening to Neville explain to Dean a rather terrifying nightmare about a giant pair of scissors wearing his grandmother's best hat in the meantime.

Ron caught up eventually, and shut the book with a tired sigh. "What a bunch of drivel. Well, what kind of nightmares have you had lately, Hazel?"

"I saw Voldemort yelling at some Death Eaters the other night. He was demanding answers about… something. Not sure what it was he wanted."

He flinched when she said the name, but shook it off quickly. "Any normal nightmares?"

"No, I don't think so. I had a dream I was eating out Fleur Delacour though, you think that counts?"

"Lucky." He flipped through the book, looking for a chapter on sex dreams, then he shut it with a grunt. "Screw this! I'm gonna say it means you're in for some good luck."

"Sweet, I need some. What about your dreams?"

He shrugged. "Been having Quidditch dreams lately, actually. Last night I was naked and we lost."

"Ew, Ron, really?"

"What? You asked what about my dreams, didn't you?"

"Ugh." But she flipped through the book anyway, and landed on a random page. "You're in for a spate of bad luck if you aren't careful about family obligations in the next three days."

"That's not what it-" But the bell rang before he could get going, so he shrugged and put his stuff away.

Trelawney stopped them, though. "Before you leave, class, your homework. Keep a dream diary for a month and report on your dreams to your partner every day! See you next week!"

Lavender and Parvati had enjoyed themselves as usual and chattered non-stop about the dreams they had on the way down. Ron rolled his eyes at Hazel. "Ready for Umbridge?"

"I guess we'll find out."