Flamingo Got Some Spice!!
The group of Slytherins all sat in the common room after everyone had gone to bed. Draco had Spoons' cat on his lap as he stared at the flames in the fireplace in thought. He had a bad feeling about Umbridge.
A huge one.
Red flags & all.
"Honestly, Hogwarts has gone to pot. First everyone doubting Potter, evening though who would think he would kill Diggory/ think he was doing this for attention, & now her? What the hell is the Ministry playing at?" Alex snapped, doing her usual pacing as Jack & Lukas' eyes followed her getting themselves dizzy.
"The Minister of Magic normally does things out of fear. No doubt he's gonna make sure Potter & Dumbledore won't step out of line," Blaise said, closing his notebook & standing up, "She'll be after anyone who takes his side. She knows Slytherins hate him so we should be fine as long as we don't show he believe him."
"Should be easy since he drives us mad," Lukas said, eyeing moving away from the angry pacing Slytherin, "What do you think, Dray? What should be do?"
"Stay out of trouble & don't draw any attention to ourselves. If our parents get light of us like this then we'll be screwed," The blond said, turning to them, "Looks like we'll be sneaking around a lot. Now, on to other news. I have notes of info I got from listening to my father. We'll put them together & hand them to our resident 'owl' to give to the headmaster. I'm sure he'll do something with it."
"Are we doing it anonymously?" Jack asked.
"Of course. If the notes get to the wrongs hands. We are done for. Now, best we head to bed. Bloody Baron will find us here & tell Snape who is already pissed off as it is."
"Aye aye!" Jack said, already getting off of his seat, "My eyes can barely stay open anyway. Shall I put the wards up?" He then asked, eyeing up Blaise & Lukas.
"Nope. We're tired. We'll just spoon!"
Spoons pouted.
The next day at breakfast, Draco ended up downing 4 cups of coffee like a simple shot & stuffing toast in his mouth before powerwalking to class (after grabbing his timetable from Snape who didn't bat an eye at him). He wasn't the only one late it seemed because he found himself next to a jogging Potter who looked a mess in both his uniform & his hair.
He didn't spared the blond a glance as they both entered the classroom interrupting the pink flamingo who had stopped talking as soon as she heard them.
"Sorry professor," Potter said, rushing to his seat.
"Mornin'," The blond drawled, taking his seat between Lukas & Alex who grinned at him.
"Five points from both Gryffindor & Slytherin. Both of you were late to my class," She said, giving them a toad like smile each before then eyeing up the blond, "Mr Malfoy, why on Earth do you have toast in your mouth?"
"Important meal of the day," He replied, after swallowing the last of it.
She eyed them up, "I see... As I was saying, before I was interrupted by Mr Potter's & Mr Malfoy's antics- your Defense Against the Dark Arts education has been rather fragmented & disjointed in your past classes, hasn't it?"
Alex couldn't help herself & whispered to the other two.
"Blame the fact our past Professors couldn't keep their jobs &/ or tried to kill Potter-kins."
"Potter-kin?" Lukas asked.
"Now, know that this is about to be rectified. I will be following a pre- approved Ministry- prepared, theory-centered Defense lesson plan."
Lukas grimaced, "Nooo... Too many words..."
The professor waved her wands at the blackboard which causes the chalk to raise & begin to write words down.
"Copy this down."
After their new textbooks are given they open it & stopped themselves from throwing their quills at the professor who seemed to be ignoring Granger's hand that was raised.
Seems like they were not the only ones who hated the new textbooks.
"I dunno whether I need the toilet, I'm horny or my body thinks it moon week."
Lukas & Draco both glanced at Alex.
"You might be horny... Now?"
"What can I say? The textbooks are making me say 'fuck me'."
"You got a point there."
"Yes?" Umbridge finally said, making them looking up confused.
"Did she just agree... Oh, wait, she's finally stopped ignoring Granger," Alex said.
"I wanted to know something about your course aims," The Gryffindor asked.
"Well, they should be perfectly self-evident."
"Well, I don't think they are. They say nothing about actually using spells?"
The professor barked out a laugh, "Apologizes, dear! But, I can imagine no circumstance in my class where you would need to use spells!"
"Literally all the professors had a killing options," Draco muttered.
"But surely the whole point of Defense is practical applications?"
"Miss Granger. This class has been approved by Ministry experts... Are you a ministry expert?"
Lukas, Alex & Draco's glared ahead at her 'innocent-but-actually-mocking' tone.
"No, but-"
"Then, you have no business challenging those who are..."
"Even though, it's our education," Lukas grumbled.
"... We will be learning spells in a safe, risk free-"
"But, we've got our O.W.L.S coming up! You expect us to do the spells with no practice?!"
"What's good's theory in the real world?" Potter chipped in.
The professor's eye twitched, "This is the real world, Mr Potter. There is nothing out there out to get you."
Draco snapped forgetting his rule.
"Are you aware that there is still a lot of Deatheaters still out there?! & what about us who want to become aurors or unspeakables?! How are you expecting us to learn about defense by just reading a dumb textbooks?!"
"Yeah! I am the type of learner who learns best when I'm actually doing the spell," Lukas added, frowning, "Do you realize that that if we don't practice that when it comes to it that we will not know the outcome for when we actually cast it? Doing it wrong could be dangerous which is why most wizardry schools have policies where you have to actually practice a spell before you go out there & use it? So, you don't harm other's by accident?!"
"Shall I also tell you that us women will have harassment from wizards where they might mug us or worse?!" Alex finished.
"I can assure you, you will be able to handle all that before you leave this school. For now, you must be safe in doing so. I shall not be having spells be thrown left, right & center this year. No one, will harm you here or now."
Alex gave her a 'really' look before Potter spoke up again.
"What about Lord Voldemort?"
The whole class, except the trio of annoyed Slytherins (plus Harry), all stiffened at the sound of his name.
"Ten points from Gryffindor! I will not have you using that name in class!" She snapped, before composing herself, "Let me set the record straight. Some of you have been told that a dark wizard has risen once more. This. Is. A. Lie."
Potter shot up (Alex almost pissing herself) causing his books to thrown on to the floor, "This isn't a lie!"
"You just landed yourself a detention, Mr Potter!"
Hand shaking in rage as he glared at her dangerously as he spat out, "So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead at his own accord?! Or are you accusing me of murder?!"
"The boy's death was a tragic accident within a dangerous event."
"It was murder! I saw it happen!"
"Enough! You just earned yourself a weeks detention!"
The state she had Potter in angered Draco. He eyed the other two up before he too stood the walked around his desk.
"Professor, all due respect... But what right do you have, to say that when neither you or the rest of the Ministry were there?" He asked, calmly, "Why would he, a boy who lost his parents to that man, make it up? Do you think he's honestly doing it for attention or do you assume he is out of mind? Because to be frank, your evidence would be him as an eye witness. Not just some hope or speculation."
She frowned at him, "Are you defending him, Mr Malfoy?"
Potter looked at him in surprise.
"I'm just saying that it doesn't make sense."
Lukas stood up too, "Yeah. Especially with all the disappearing going on. Don't you think that's a little odd?"
"Those are not linked to the events to last year," She said, zoning on him.
"How would you know? Unless you're a Deatheater yourself, I doubt you'd know anything about it," Draco added, gaining her attention on him, "No one can really know unless you're there & you've seen what's went on. Even if you think you have the story there will always be something there to add to it."
She looked loss for words as she took a glance at each of the standing boys. Everyone was silence looking at them too, some seemed to be thoughtful as other's looked scared.
"Plus, a deatheater posed as a professor last year. He even said it himself that he has returned."
"He was just trying to make us fear, Mr Malfoy. You & Mr Tomson shall not be prohibited to spew out some nonsense in my class again. Do you understand?"
"You won't be taking away my free speech. So, no not understood," Draco said, firmly as Lukas nodded.
"Last time I checked it was not a crime to have different beliefs," He added, crossing his arms.
She glared & began to scribble down something on 3 bits of paper.
"Take these to your heads, my dears. Now get out of my classroom," She said, handing each of them a piece of paper.
Potter ripped it out of her hand & stormed out as the other two glared at her as they took theirs. The Slytherin's walked out together & went to the dungeons where they knew their head was.
"What does yours say?" Lukas asked, on the way.
"Spewing out nonsense & disturbing the class. You?"
"Backing up Mr Malfoy's words & making the situation worse."
The blond snorted, "Well, as soon as we tell Snape what she teaches, he'll be taking our side."
"Assuming he won't just by the stunt she pulled at the feast?"
"Or by merely existing?"
"Yeah."
"Good thing, my father & yours are one of the higher ups. Or she'll be threatening to get them fired."
"Only reason I made sure Alex didn't back you up."
"Woah, thinking ahead? Not like you."
"What can I say? I learnt it from the best."
Draco nudged him.