Mia Potter was the other Potter. Looking almost identical to her mother, she was a force to be reckoned with. But there was only one person who could reckon with her, and his name was Draco Malfoy.
In which the youngest Potter twin finds herself fa...
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"Good evening, children."
The four long House tables in the Great Hall were filled right up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other Houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes. Mia noticed people putting their heads together to whisper as they looked at her, but the blue-eyed girl didn't care.
"Now, we have two changes in staffing this year," Professor Dumbledore said as Mia looked down, "we're pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who'll be taking Care of Magical Creatures while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave." Mia furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at Harry. "We also wish to welcome our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge."
"It's her," Mia said to her friends.
"Who?" said Hermione.
"She was at our hearing, she works for Fudge!" Harry hissed.
"Nice cardigan," said Ron, smirking.
"She works for Fudge?" Hermione repeated, frowning. "What on earth's she doing here, then?"
"And I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the professor good luck," Dumbledore said as everyone did a polite round of applause. "Now, as usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you. . . ."
He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.
Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise.
Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair, and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Mia had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."
Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and a little girlish and again, Mia felt a powerful rush of dislike that she could not explain to herself. All she knew was that she loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan.
"And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me."
Mia glanced around. None of the faces she could see looked happy. On the contrary, they all looked rather taken aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.
"I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends," Umbridge said.
"That's likely," Mia heard Fred and George say together.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance," Umbridge carried on as Mia looked bored. "Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school. Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited."
She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Mia noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.
"Thank you, Professor Umbridge," Dumbledore said, "that was most illuminating. Now, Quidditch tryouts. . . ."
"Illuminating?" Hermione said as Mia looked at her. "What a load of waffle."
"What does it mean?" Ron asked as Hermione glanced at him.
"It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts," she said as Mia sighed.
"Great," she said, sounding defeated.
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The Gryffindor common room looked as welcoming as ever, a cozy circular tower room full of dilapidated squashy armchairs and rickety old tables. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate and everyone Mia knew was crowded in the common room.
"Dean, Seamus, good holiday?" Mia asked politely as she looked at her friends.
"All right," Dean said smiling, "better than Seamus', anyway." Mia smiled lightly but before she could walk away, Seamus spoke up.
"Me mum didn't want me to come back this year," he said as Mia turned around and looked at him confused.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Let me see," Seamus said sarcastically, "because of you." Mia took a shuddering breath as she looked at him.
"Me?" she asked.
"The Daily Prophet's been saying a lot of things about you, and Harry and Dumbledore," Seamus said as Mia looked at him.
"Your mum believes them?" Mia asked.
"Nobody was there the night Cedric died," Seamus said as Mia sighed. ""Look, what did happen that night when, you know, when. . . . with Cedric Diggory and all?"
Mia chuckled as she shook her head.
"I'm not talking about that," she said, "if you want to know what happen just read that shit. I'm sure it will tell you all you need to know about what happened that night."
"And is it true?" Seamus called as Mia looked at him.
"is what true?"
"That you're a druggie?" The entire room went silent as they looked at Mia. Her eyes watered as she took a shaky breath. "Oh my Merlin, it's all true!" Mia said nothing as her bottom lip trembled. "What is wrong with you? Wait, you're still allowed to go here?"
At this point, Harry, Ron and Hermione joined them.
"What's going on?" Harry asked.
"She's a druggie is what's going on!" Seamus snapped as Mia's eyes watered as she looked down. "She cannot go school here, we can't have her live in here with us! She is a junkie. The Daily Prophet is saying she's addicted to oxy, and now it's all true! She overdosed in the summer and was dead, I'm not living in the same place as her!"
Mia felt tears fall down her cheeks as she looked around the room before she hurried up to the girls dormitory, got onto her bed and shut the bed hanging before anyone else could come up.
