Discovery

45.

I got up earlier than usual the following morning, even before the sun had risen. Falling back asleep seemed out of the picture, so I headed down to the common room for some alone time.

You can imagine my surprise when I saw Fred, George, and Lee already seated around a table.

"What are you boys doing?" I questioned, crossing my arms in a way too similar to Professor McGonagall.

Fred looked up at me and grinned.

"Ella!" he said brightly, pulling my arm and bringing me over to the table. "We're working on our advertisement for testers."

"What have you got so far?" I leaned over Fred's shoulder to read the paper.

GALLONS OF GALLEONS!
Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings?
Like to earn a little extra gold?

Contact Fred and George Weasley,
Gryffindor common room,
for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs

(We regret that all work is undertaken at applicant's own risk)

"Those poor first years won't know what they're getting into," I chuckled.

***

First day of lessons was just as boring as the previous four years. But of course, every professor felt the need to mention O.W.L.s, which every fifth year student would be required to take.

At the end of the day, I entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Professor Umbridge was already seated at her desk, wearing a hideous pink cardigan.

"Well, good afternoon!" she said when finally the whole class had sat down.

There were a few half-hearted replies.

"Tut, tut," said Professor Umbridge. "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good afternoon class!"

I could already tell that this lady was going to make my fifth year miserable.

"Wands away and quills out, please." said Professor Umbridge when we finished greeting her.

Many of the class exchanged gloomy looks. There was never an interesting lesson that didn't require wands.

My suspicions had been absolutely right. Professor Umbridge instructed us to read chapter one of our book, Defensive Magical Theory. It was quite as bad as listening to Professor Binns drone on about some ancient wizarding culture.

I began to reread the same sentence of the page, barely trying to pay attention. Next to me, Hermione hadn't even opened her copy of the book and had her hand in the air.

"I've got a query about your course aims," said Hermione when Umbridge finally called on her. "There's nothing written about using defensive spells."

"Using defensive spells?" Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell."