Magic? || Years 5-7

An Early Graduation: Year 5

Potions was as miserable as ever, but for a much different reason. Even though Amisty was in an incredible mood after that meeting with Professor McGonagall, it was dampened slightly by the general feeling of being in the dungeons. Snape was ignoring Harry, and in that process ignoring the rest of them, but Hermione was dead set on trying to convince Harry not to sneak into Umbridge's office. Ron and Harry were no longer speaking to here. She, in retaliation, continued to advise against it and eventually led Seamus to believe his cauldron was leaking because of her steady stream of hissed warnings.

They were working on Invigoration Draughts that lesson and Amisty was rather happy with how hers had turned out. She'd worked with it before, and Madame Pomfrey had given her tips and tricks to make them better, so she was hoping for at least an E.

Harry, too, seemed to have done a lot better without Snape making sardonic comments over his shoulder. That is until they turned their vials in and Snape sent Harry's toppling to the ground.

"Whoops. Another zero, then, Potter..." He sneered.

Hermione gave a little yelp of horror, covered her mouth.

"What?" Amisty hissed.

"I just -- " She started, but Harry had turned back to them. "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, Harry, I thought you'd finished, so I cleared up!"

Hermione had vanished the rest of his potion. Not a speck in his cauldron.

Lunch was tense and quiet. Harry had sat between Neville and Seamus to escape Hermione, and Ron and Amisty had kept their silent vigil, keeping their opinions quiet and to themselves.

They were heading up to Divination when Harry left them in a rush after a reminder from Ron, late for his own career meeting with Professor McGonagall.

Thankfully, Divination was quiet and whisper free despite Firenze's soft way of talking and vague phrases. A welcome relief for the two of them.

It all came back when they walked into the DADA classroom, though. Harry seemed pleased and shocked and angry all at the same time, but they had no time to talk about his meeting considering "there will be no need to talk".

Umbridge was furious as she stormed into their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, her face puce and splotched.

Amisty averted her gaze, flipping open her textbook and proceeding to pretend to care about chapter thirty-four: "Non-Retaliation and Negotiation".

Hermione leaned over, "I hope you've thought better of what you were planning to do, Harry. Umbridge looks like she's in a really bad mood already..."

Amisty and Ron looked at each other and simultaneously buried their noses deeper in their books.

Harry ignored her.

Amisty flipped the page, trying her hardest to look as invested as possible even though the words were blurring because of how painfully boring it was. And she thought History of Magic was awful with Mr. Binns's monotone drawl. Nope, this was by far worse. At least they could get away with talking. Here it was just dead silence and mystery.

"Dumbledore sacrificed himself to keep you in school, Harry!" Hermione raised her book so that it covered her face. "And if you get thrown out today it will all have been for nothing!"

Harry continued to ignore her.

It went on and on for the rest of the class. Just like how it had been for the entirety of History of Magic and Potions.

Finally, the bell rang.

"Harry, don't do it, please don't do it!" Hermione pleaded desperately as they packed up their things.