Jake awoke early the next morning, as he always did, but he was more stiff than usual. He stretched and bones were heard cracking, leaving a pleasing feeling that always came with it. He got dressed and went down to the Common Room to find it empty, as he usually did. Sometimes he'd find Hermione down there before him, but that was a rare sight. He fell into the armchair near the fireplace, his eye closed, and he decided to wait for Hermione to come down.
His peace was broken by a familiar old-sounding voice, "Jake?"
His eye opened and he looked over at the portrait over the fireplace, "Merlin? What is it?"
"Well, I haven't been quite forthcoming with you… ever since I eavesdropped on Dumbledore the one time he tried to peek into your mind, I've actually been keeping an eye on him, and I have something that… you won't like to hear…" Merlin said in a grave voice.
"Well, just lay it on me… it can't be that horrible, can it?" He asked.
"He was talking with Professor's McGonagall and Snape a few days ago… and he was talking about your position as Prefect…" Merlin took a pause, looking at Jake carefully, "he didn't initially want you to be Prefect."
"He what !?" Came a voice that wasn't Jake's.
From the Girl's Staircase came Hermione, and her face did not look happy. Her gaze was over the fireplace, looking at Merlin, "Hermione?" Merlin was surprised to see her.
"Dumbledore didn't want Jake to be a Prefect?" Hermione asked, appalled.
"No… he actually wanted to make your friend Ronald Weasley a Prefect, but… he feared what Jake would do if he didn't get it, so he gave him the position of Prefect to placate him," Merlin revealed.
Hermione looked back to Jake and saw that his right hand was gripping the arm of the chair to the point it was about to break off, "Jake, hold on-"
She didn't get to say anything more as he broke the arm clear off, "Why?" His voice was angry.
"Professor Snape was the least pleased with it, asking Dumbledore why he made the choice at all, but Professor McGonagall couldn't understand, because she always thought you were the one that should be Gryffindor's new Male Prefect. Dumbledore said that you were going down a path he feared would lead to destruction and chaos. Word had gotten to him about what you did to Draco Malfoy, but nothing was going to be done against you yet . The Ministry, quite honestly, is afraid of you, your power. It's why you didn't have a Ministry hearing of your own like your friend. To them, you are unpredictable, while also being predictable. They know you will do anything for Hermione, and they know you are not afraid to assert dominance over a situation if you deem it necessary. You're, quite honestly, more unpopular than Harry, but if I recall, they weren't afraid of making random quips about him?"
"No… it was always short, but noticeable…" Hermione said. She glanced back at Jake, and she did not like the look on his face.
"The Ministry has made sure your name stays clear from the papers, and any news outlet," Merlin said when footsteps were heard coming down the stairs. He said nothing else and disappeared from the portrait. He did not return later.
Hermione sat beside Jake as Seamus was in the Common Room for probably half a second, and he bounded right out of Gryffindor Tower, "Is he okay?"
"His mother believes the Daily Prophet and all the shit they are saying about Harry," Jake said, his voice full of calm. Hermione knew he was trying to just ignore what Merlin told him, but this wasn't something so easily put aside to figure out later. She would talk with him on the weekend out on the grounds, away from prying ears. She barely registered him standing up beside her, but he bent forward a bit, holding his side, hissing in pain.
"Jake?" Hermione stood up as well, but didn't move to hold him up or anything. She knew when he didn't want to be touched, and this was one of those times.
"I'll be fine…" he said, but blood had seeped through his clothes and robes.
"After you get that healed up you will be… I think you should see Madam Pomfrey, quite honestly," Hermione said as she looked at him, her face an expression of pain.
"That'd be a new record… someone visiting her on the First Day? Or Second, depending on how you look at it," he said humorlessly as he lifted his shirt up after moving his robe aside, sealing the wound back. He then used Scourgify on his clothes to remove the blood.
"She did see you two years ago," Hermione pointed out.
"That was at Dumbledore's request, though," he pointed out.
Hermione looked at his wound before he lowered his shirt, "Well, you'll get better with more practice at making them disappear completely."
"I know…" he looked at the amateurish work on sealing it up. 'Guess there are some things I still have to practice… this is advanced Healing Magic, after all…'
"Do you want to wait for Harry and Ron or - Oh, for heaven's sake!" Hermione exclaimed.
"What?" Jake asked and followed her gaze towards the wall, and sighed.
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"They are the limit," Hermione said grimly, taking down the sign, which had been pinned over a poster giving the date of the first Hogsmeade Weekend in October.
"We'll talk to them later," Jake said, easing her mind.
"Okay, let's go to breakfast," Hermione said and they both walked out of Gryffindor Tower. On the way to the Great Hall, Hermione looked at him, "Lavender as well thinks that Harry is lying… I told her to keep her stupid big mouth shut about him, because she doesn't know what she's talking about."
"That honestly doesn't surprise me that Lavender said that," Jake said, giving a short, single, cold laugh.
"It really doesn't surprise me either…" They both walked down to the Great Hall in silence, and Hermione stopped him just before they entered, "Hey… about what Merlin said…"
"There isn't anything to talk about. He said what he said, and Dumbledore basically thinks I just shouldn't exist, along with many other people," Jake said with a shrug.
"He doesn't think that…" Hermione trailed off.
"I'm less popular than Harry in the Ministry at the moment. I think the only person that hates Harry more than me right now is Voldemort, but that's not saying much right now…" Jake said cynically.
"Jake, what do you want me to say?" Hermione looked up at him, her eyes showing hurt.
He lifted his hand and brushed some hair back behind her left ear, "You don't have to say anything, Hermione…" he gave her a sad smile, "it's nothing I can't handle."
"But you shouldn't have to!" She exclaimed more forcefully than she meant to.
"Neither should Harry, but he still is…" he looked past her to the Marble Staircase, seeing some students coming down, "Tell you what, I'll do my absolute best to behave myself like a good boy this year."
Hermione felt her face burning, and her eyes widened at his suggestive word choice. She saw him turn and walk into the Great Hall, leaving her there. She shook off her shock after a moment and followed him into the Great Hall.
Harry and Ron showed up twenty minutes later, and they told Hermione what happened with Seamus, "Yeah, Jake told me… Lavender was saying something similar last night," Hermione said glumly.
"Been having a nice little chat with her about whether or not I'm a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?" Harry asked angrily.
Jake said nothing. He decided he was going to try and be a bit more passive with insults and anger thrown at Hermione, unless it was some of the worst things that could be said to her. Hermione didn't say it to him this time, but he knew she wanted him to stop being so angry and violent, so he'd try his best to do that, but only because it was Her.
"No," Hermione said calmly, "I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you, actually. And it would be quite nice if you stopped jumping down Ron's and my throats, Harry, because if you haven't noticed, we believe you, we are on your side."
Harry had a look of idiotic remorse, "Sorry…" he said quietly, playing either his breakfast after that.
"That's quite alright," Hermione said with an air of dignity about her, "Don't you remember what Dumbledore said at the End-of-Term feast last year?"
Harry and Ron both stared blankly at her, causing her to sigh, "It was about Voldemort, remember?" Jake asked them. It was louder than usual in the Great Hall, so he wasn't afraid of being overheard.
"He said, ' His gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust -"
"How do you remember stuff like that?" Ron asked, a look of admiration towards her.
"I listen, Ron. I remember important things," she said with a touch of aperity.
"I listen as well, but I couldn't tell you exactly-" Ron started to say.
"The point is," Hermione said hastily, "is that this is exactly what Dumbledore was talking about. Voldemort's only been back two months and we've started fighting amongst ourselves."
"And that's only because the Daily Prophet is apparently the 'Be All, End All' and that they must be one-hundred percent right, all the time," Jake pointed out, "If Fudge just acknowledged the truth, people would be more willing to stand united."
"And the Sorting Hat's warning was the same as what Dumbledore said - stand together, be united-"
"And Harry said it last night, if we are to get all matey with the Slytherins, then it won't happen, will it?" Ron retorted.
"I'm not saying-" Hermione started, but she paused and then said, "it's a pity that because of them, inter-House unity can't be fully achieved, but we should at least try with the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."
As Hermione stopped talking, a couple late arrivals to Breakfast, Ravenclaw girls, hurried past Harry, before they sat down; Jake didn't recognize either Ravenclaw girl, "Yeah, we really ought to be trying to make friends with people like that…" Harry said sarcastically.
Professor McGonagall came up along Gryffindor Table, handing out schedules, "Look at today!" Ron groaned, "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts!"
"We've got Arithmancy in place of Divination," Hermione said, looking at hers.
"Binns, Snape, Firenze, and that Umbridge woman all in one day!" Ron was clearly not pleased, "I guess at least Divination is tolerable compared to the other three, but still!"
Just before Breakfast ended, a tall black girl with long, braided hair had marched up to Harry and Jake, "Hello you two."
"Hi, Angelina," Harry said.
Jake said nothing but made a motion acknowledging her arrival, "Good summer?" She asked, but didn't wait for a response, "Listen, I've been made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain."
"Nice," Harry said, grinning at her.
"Yeah, well, we need a new Keeper now Oliver's left. Tryouts are on Friday at five o'clock and I want the whole team there," Angelina said before turning to Jake, "that means you, too. I know you've been made a Prefect, and I know this is your O.W.L. Year, and I know Oliver didn't make you come to every practice, but you have to show up as well."
Jake eyed her carefully for a moment, "No."
Angelina acted like this wasn't unexpected, "I thought you'd say that, so you're going if you want to stay on the team," she smirked at him.
'This is how she's going to be, huh? Holding my position as Reserve Seeker hostage? I love Quidditch, but I'm not going to be coerced into this, no matter how much I don't want to quit.' He stood up, breakfast ended in a moment, "Then consider this my resignation."
Hermione saw him turn around just as Angelina's face gave the look of her being slapped painfully hard. Her shock was immeasurable, to say the least. Hermione stood up and quickly followed Jake out, "Did you have to do that?"
"This is hypocritical of me to say, I know, but I was not going to be coerced into staying on the Quidditch Team. If she didn't tell me I had to show up, I would have shown up, and yes I'm going to act childish with this. I'm not doing it if I have to," he said, keeping his head up, his voice dignified.
Hermione shook her head, "You're impossible…"
"But not Improbable," he smirked.
"Prat!" Hermione yelled and walked ahead of him to History of Magic. She sat there, waiting for him to arrive as well, when she got to thinking about what Angelina said, that this is their Fifth Year at Hogwarts, their O.W.L. Year. She saw him sit on her left, "Hey, I know you said what you wanted to be after Hogwarts… but… have you given thought to anything else?"
"I have," he said, "but an Alchemist is what I want to be."
"You've got so much potential for other things, though," Hermione said, flabbergasted as she looked at him, "and you want to be a Master Alchemist?"
"What do you want to do after Hogwarts?" He asked back.
She stared at him for a moment, before looking down at her desk, 'What do I want to do after Hogwarts?' She quite honestly wasn't sure. "Well… I wonder if I can take S.P.E.W. beyond Hogwarts… make it an actual organization recognized by the Ministry."
"If anyone can, Hermione, it's definitely you," Jake said, glancing over and smiling as Harry and Ron showed up with Binns starting class a moment later.
*******
After class, Hermione was glaring at Harry and Ron as they walked in between classes, going to the inner courtyard for a break before Potions started, "How would it be if we both refused to lend you our notes this year?" She asked, having seen the both of them playing Hang-Man the last thirty minutes of class.
"We'd fail our O.W.L.s," Ron said, "If you want that on your conscience, Hermione…"
"Then prepare to fail them, because we aren't going to this year," Hermione said almost vindictively. "You don't even try to listen to Binns, do you?"
"We do try," Ron said, "we just haven't got your brains, or your memory, or your concentration - you're just cleverer than we are."
"Oh, don't give me that rubbish," Hermione said with a sneer, "Flattery will get you nowhere, Ron." 'Even if it was nice of him to say, I know him, he probably said it just to get back on my good side… he's such a git.'
A fine misty drizzle was falling, so that the people standing in huddles around the yard looked blurred at the edges. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Jake chose a secluded corner under a heavily dripping balcony, turning up the collars of their robes against the chilly September air, which Jake briefly commented on feeling like a Vampire from how Muggles perceived them to be, before they talked about what Snape was possible going to set for them in the first Potions lesson of the year. They had got as far as agreeing that it was likely to be something extremely difficult for anyone not of Jake's and Hermione's intellect, Hermione saying just Jake with how much better he was at Potions, just to catch them off guard after a two-month vacation, when someone walked around the corner toward them.
"Hello, Harry!" Cho Chang said bounding up to them.
"Hi," he responded. Jake expected him to say more, but he just sat there with a dumb look on his face.
"You got that stuff off, then?" She asked, and Hermione and Jake looked at each other briefly, each cocking an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Harry still grinned, then he said, "So did you… er… have a good summer?"
Jake face-palmed. Hermione smacked his arm as Harry and Cho both glanced at him. Hermione saw Harry's face go from scrunched up confusion, to regretful understanding in half a second. Cho looked like she wanted to burst into tears and run away, but she stood her ground and gave an almost autonomous response, "Oh, it was all right, you know…"
"Is that a Tornados badge?" Ron demanded suddenly.
"Alright, let's leave them alone, Ron, come on," Hermione said, standing up with Jake, grabbing Ron by the arm, and practically dragging him, but he ended up yelling, "You don't support them, do you?"
"Shut up, Ron!" Hermione yelled and when they got out of earshot, Hermione rounded on him, "you are so tactless!"
"What? I only asked her if-"
"Couldn't you tell she wanted to talk to Harry on her own?" Hermione asked him.
"So? She could've done, I wasn't stopping-" Ron's mouth continued to move, but no sound came from him.
Hermione looked at Jake and caught his eye fading back to its normal Blue, "Jake?"
"I just used Silencio , nothing major. I just couldn't fathom his voice any longer," Jake said casually.
Ron then made a rude gesture with his arms that he clearly wouldn't do in front of his mother. Harry came up to them a moment later, just as the bell sounded, "That's the bell," he said, not even stopping as he walked.
Jake's eye glowed again, and Ron's voice came back, "Not a word, Weasley, or I'll remove your mouth."
Ron said nothing as they all marched to Snape's classroom down in the dungeons, and Jake commented how it was odd that every year so far they had had the Slytherins in their Potions Class. Hermione had found it odd that Cho came up to Harry to speak to him specifically, but she didn't have time to figure it out as she sat down with her three friends at the table near the back. She was brought from her thoughts with Snape's arrival and incredibly irritable drone of a voice, "Settle down," he said coldly, shutting the door behind him.
There was no real need for the call to order; the moment the class had heard the door close, quiet had fallen and all fidgeting stopped. Snape's mere presence was usually enough to ensure a class' silence.
"Before we begin today's lesson," Snape said, sweeping over to his desk and staring around at them all, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L. or suffer my… displeasure."
It was obvious that his gaze lingered on Neville, who gulped.
"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T. Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying good-bye," his eyes rested on Harry and his lip curled, "and others… I will have to suffer for two more years…" Snape glared at Jake specifically. It was clear that he hated to admit he could never find anything wrong with Jake's Potions. "But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," Snape said softly, "so whether you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T. or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my O.W.L. Students.
"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned… if you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing." Hermione sat up straighter, displaying the utmost attentiveness, "the ingredients and method are on the blackboard," Snape waved his wand, "you will find everything you need," he flicked his wand again, "in the store cupboard… you have an hour and a half… Start."
Just as the four of them predicted, it was far from being easy, and would probably rank in the top five hardest Potions they would have to attempt this year. The ingredients had to be added to the cauldron in precisely the right order and quantities; the mixture had to be stirred exactly the right number of times, firstly in clockwise, then in counterclockwise directions; the heat of the flames on which it was simmering had to be lowered to exactly the right level for a specific number of minutes before the final ingredient was added.
"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potions," Snape called out, with ten minutes left to go.
Jake, who had barely broken a sweat the entire class period, had smirked at his Cauldron; a light silver vapor was protruding from the pewter container. He looked over and saw that Hermione also had the same vapor. As he looked around class, no one else had the same effect, and when Snape walked up to his Cauldron, Jake just looked at him, the sneer ever present on his crooked face, 'It would be so fucking easy to snap your spine like a twig, to tear the skin off your face, to rip your intestines out and strangle you with them… that would be cathartic… I almost wish you could read my mind, you fucking cunt.'
What really angered Jake was Snape stopping in front of Harry specifically, "Potter, what is this supposed to be?"
"The Draught of Peace," Harry said tensely.
"Tell me, Potter," Snape said softly, "can you read?"
Draco Malfoy laughed, despite his potion exhibiting the same fume as Harry's.
"Yes, I can," Harry said, his teeth clenched.
"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter," Snape sneered at him.
Jake saw him squint to read through the haze of multicolored steam filling the classroom, "Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore…"
"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?"
"No," Harry said quietly, but Jake could hear as he was sitting next to him.
"I beg your pardon?" Snape smiled evilly.
"No," Harry said loudly, "I forgot the hellebore…"
"I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless," Snape pulled his wand out, " Evanesco ." The contents of Harry's cauldron vanished. Snape didn't do this for anyone else that did worse at their attempt at making the Potion, "Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing," Snape said softly, "Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."
Jake raised his hand, but Hermione promptly forced it down. He glared at her, but she shook her head sternly. She didn't want him to cause a disruption that would be non-beneficial to him or Gryffindor. His glare didn't let up towards her for a moment. He looked away, but his glare remained, directed right at Snape.
When the bell rang, Jake was the first one out of class, Harry practically on his heels, and he made his way down to the Great Hall for lunch. He and Harry had already started by the time Hermione and Ron arrived. When Hermione sat down on his right, he turned to her, "Why did you stop me?"
Hermione had grabbed a plate of Shepherd's Pie, "Because it would've caused an unnecessary disturbance at the end of class. It was completely unfair singling Harry out like that when Ron's, Neville's, Crabbe's, and Goyle's were all worse than his, but there wasn't anything you could've done."
Ron looked offended, but he said nothing, seeking solace in his food, "I'm going to Dumbledore," Jake said, pushing the rest of his food away from him. He stood up quickly, resulting in his right thigh aching. He applied pressure to it with his hand, and pressed on. Hermione had stood up, but he didn't turn around. Talking with her, Harry, or Ron wasn't going to get him anywhere. He soon came to the Stone Gargoyle and started yelling several different sweets that he could think of the Password being, but none of them worked, "How about you let me through, or I'll-"
"Jake, to what do I owe the honor?" The voice of Dumbledore came from behind him.
He whipped around and saw the Headmaster approaching him, "We have to talk."
Dumbledore didn't seem to like the look on his face, or the tone of his voice, but relented and led Jake up to his Office. Dumbledore sat down behind his desk, with Jake sitting down across from him, "What is it you wanted to talk about?"
"Snape," was all he said at first.
"Jake, I assure you, whatever reservations you still have about Severus are not-"
"He singled Harry out in class," Jake cut Dumbledore off, "Snape had us make the Draught of Peace, and he singled out Harry, using Evanesco to whisk away his Potion, giving him zero marks, despite others failing to make a better Potion than Harry, some like Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle making the worst ones in class, yet Snape didn't fail them, or even give them zero marks. You tell me, Headmaster, in what world is that fair ?" Jake was doing his best to remain calm, " Why does he hate Harry so goddamn much?"
Dumbledore sat there, looking at him, not knowing what to say. He leaned forward and joined his hands together, "I will have a talk with Severus-"
"Talking isn't good enough anymore. If this were a regular Muggle School, Snape would've been removed from his position and replaced with someone more fair," Jake stood up, "Listen, Professor, either Snape gets over his little pity party he throws himself because of something Harry apparently did, or he packs his bags and leaves Hogwarts."
"You don't mean…?"
"I will report him to the School Governors, mark my word… you can think whatever you want of me, Dumbledore… but the Wizarding Community is stuck in the past thinking Blood Status matters, they need to get with the times. The Muggle World is changing, with or without them, and if they aren't careful, Wizard-kind will become an endangered species, because a simple Obliviate won't be good enough," Jake turned to leave, lunch was almost over and he had an Arithmancy class to go to.
He heard nothing from the Headmaster as he opened the door, passing his Head of House on his way down, "Kidd?"
"Professor?" He asked her.
"Did you have to see the Headmaster?" She asked him.
"I just did, but I had to cut it short to get to Arithmancy on time. Have a good day, Professor McGonagall," he wished her well and continued down the staircase. He knew Dumbledore would tell her everything he just said, that was only natural of him to do, but that was no longer his concern.
He made his way to Arithmancy to find he was the last one to arrive, with ten seconds to spare. He sat down beside Hermione, who acknowledged his arrival, "Hello."
"Hey…" she was mad at him, or frustrated. Regardless, she was not happy with him, but she would have to get over that. He inhaled and exhaled slowly as Vector started class.
After Arithmancy, he and Hermione made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, and both could only wonder how boring the class could be, "Well, I didn't expect it to be easy, but our Fifth Year is already proving to be challenging," Hermione said as they walked down a moving staircase.
"Very much so with all the homework we've already got assigned, but it shouldn't be too much trouble for us," he smiled at her, "we are easily the two smartest in our whole Year."
Hermione couldn't stop the blush on her cheeks, "Stop…"
"What?" He glanced over at her, "I thought you'd be used to that by now?"
"I am… but…" she trailed off, looking around to make sure no one could overhear her, "it's different now, the way you say it… now that we've both confessed… things I didn't normally turn red about, I now can't stop it from happening."
"Well, I can restrain myself for the year, unless we are alone," he winked at her, then immediately felt foolish for doing so, as it probably just looked like him blinking, "if you were wondering, that was supposed to be a wink…"
"Was it? Sorry, it's impossible to tell…" Hermione felt embarrassed again, but for a different reason.
They made it to Defense Class to find Umbridge sitting behind the teacher's desk, wearing the fluffy pink cardigan of the night before, or she just had more than one. Everyone was quiet upon entering; Umbridge was an unknown quantity and no one really knew how strict of a disciplinarian she would be.
"Well, good afternoon!" She said in false cheerfulness when everyone had sat down.
A few people mumbled a response that sounded like, "Good afternoon." Jake didn't say it, Hermione didn't either.
"Tut, tut," Umbridge said, " 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!"
"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," the class chanted back. Hermione did too, but Jake, once again, did not.
"There, now," Umbridge said sweetly, "that wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."
'Exactly what I feared when I saw the book she wanted us to get… fuck,' Jake lamented in his head. This was exactly the opposite of what they should be doing in their Fifth Year, especially with Voldemort back.
He begrudgingly got out his Quill, ink bottle, and parchment while Umbridge opened her handbag, extracted her own short wand, and tapped the blackboard sharply with it. Words immediately appeared on the board:
Defense Against the Dark Arts
A Return to Basic Principles.
"Well, now your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it," she stated more than asked, turning to face the class with her hands clasped in front of her. "The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your O.W.L. year."
Hermione knew that was a lie, and if her classmates had any sense, they'd know it to be a lie too, because if anyone is well above the standard, it's Jake without question.
"You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of Defensive Magic this year. Copy down the following, please."
She tapped the Blackboard again; the first message vanished and was replaced by:
Course aims:
1. Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic.
2. Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.
3. Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.
For a couple of minutes, the room was full of the sound of scratching quills on parchment. Jake listened to his fellow classmates, because he wasn't copying it down. He was just looking at the blackboard, thinking of ten different ways to explode it and get away with doing so. When everyone had copied down Umbridge's three course aims she asked, "Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class.
"I think we'll try that again," Umbridge said sweetly, "When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply 'Yes, Professor Umbridge,' or 'No, Professor Umbridge.' So, has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
Once again, everyone but Jake responded to her, "Yes, Professor Umbridge."
"Good," Umbridge said, "I should like you to turn to page five and read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners.' There will be no need to talk."
Umbridge left the blackboard and settled herself in the chair behind the teacher's desk, observing them all with those pouchy toad's eyes. Jake didn't remove the book from his bag, and quite honestly he almost torched it the moment he got it again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione's hand shoot up into the air. He glanced over at her and saw that she was staring directly at Umbridge. He looked back and saw that Umbridge was looking anywhere but Hermione, or himself for that matter. He eyed Umbridge for a minute, before looking back to Hermione. Depending on how this played out, he wondered if he should stay quiet.
A few minutes passed, and Jake realized he wasn't the only one who had seen Hermione's hand in the air. As more and more people became blatantly bored with the book, more and more people began to look at Hermione, because this was quite out of her character. It was only when over half the class were staring at Hermione rather than their books, Umbridge seemed to decide that she could no longer ignore the situation.
"Did you want to ask me something about the chapter, dear?" She asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her.
"Not about the Chapter, no," Hermione said.
"Well, we're reading just now," Umbridge said, showing her small, pointed teeth, "if you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."
"I've got a query about your course aims," Hermione said, causing Umbridge to raise her eyebrows.
"And your name is…?"
"Hermione Granger," Hermione said.
"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," Umbridge said in a voice of determined sweetness.
"Well, I don't," Hermione said bluntly, "there's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."
'I think that was the point, though, Hermione,' Jake thought to himself.
There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the course aims still written on the blackboard.
" 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 defensive spells, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"
"As I recall," Jake said, "school is supposed to prepare you for after you graduate, is it not?" He asked, but Umbridge simply pretended he said nothing at all.
"We're not going to use magic?" Ron ejaculated loudly.
"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr…?"
"Weasley," Ron said, thrusting his hand into the air.
Umbridge's smile was very clearly becoming strained as she continued to hold it, and it widened even more in the most fake smile Jake had ever seen. She turned her back on Ron, and Harry and Hermione both raised their hands again. Umbridge eyed Harry for a moment before addressing Hermione again, "Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?"
"Yes," Hermione said, "Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?"
"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" Umbridge asked in her falsely sweet voice.
"I could be," Jake said, only to be ignored again by Umbridge, but a few students did laugh at his words.
"Well, no, but-"
"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Witches and Wizards much older and more clever than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way-"
"What use is that?" Harry asked loudly, "If we're going to be attacked it won't be in a-"
" Hand , Mr. Potter!" Umbridge said in a sing-song voice.
Harry thrust his fist in the air, but Umbridge promptly turned away from him, but several other students had their hands in the air.
"And your name is?" She asked Dean.
"Probably would've helped to take roll-call before we got started," Jake said, no care in the world since he was being ignored anyway. Several students laughed again, however.
"Dean Thomas."
"Well, Mr. Thomas?"
"Well, it's like Harry said, isn't it? If we are going to be attacked, it won't be risk-free-"
"I repeat," Umbridge said, "do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"
"No, but-"
Umbridge talked over him, "I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school, "she said, an unconvincing smile stretched her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed - not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."
"If you mean Professor Lupin," Dean piped up angril, "he was the best we ever-"
" Hand , Mr. Thomas!"
Jake's eye was closed as he listened to the circus playing on in the background, specifically, everyone was on the Merry-Go-Round and were all walking backwards on it chasing one another.
He tuned back in after a little bit of calming techniques, "This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world," Umbridge said softly.
"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting out there?"
"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter."
"Oh yeah?" Harry asked, his temper close to reaching its boiling point.
"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" Inquired Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice.
"Hmm, let's think…" Harry said in a mock thoughtful voice, "maybe Lord -"
A loud crunching and cracking sound cut Harry off. Hermione looked to her left and saw that Jake's desk was crumbling under an invisible force, before the straining sound stopped. She looked at Jake, 'He was doing all he could to hold back… he kept his anger to his desk…'
She turned to look at Umbridge and the toady woman was looking at Jake, her beady eyes opened in slight shock. "If you should be afraid of anyone…" Jake said in a menacing voice as he breathed heavily, "it should be me…"
"Mr. Kidd, I do not know what game you are trying to play here, but if you could control yourself before you damage more school property-"
"I was controlling myself…" his eye opened, but the red that Hermione expected wasn't there, "it took everything in me to not crush this entire classroom, so I focused on my desk, instead of you," he said to Umbridge, "If people should be prepared for anyone, it should be me. If they should be afraid of anyone, it should be me ."
Hermione eyed Umbridge, and she scrunched her face up as though she really wanted to say something, but realized it would be in her best interest to not do so, "So, you've decided to reveal your true nature, have you?"
Jake said nothing as his breathing slowed down, his eye turned red long enough for his desk to fix itself, then it dissipated back to its regular color.
"What's the matter, tucking your tail between your legs?" Umbridge snarled.
"How dare you!" Harry yelled angrily, standing up quickly, "If Jake wanted to, he could easily kill you right now, and your antagonizing of him is clearly making it hard for him to refrain from doing so."
"Detention, Mr. Potter," Umbridge said with a sneaky snarling grin.
Hermione looked at Umbridge analytically, 'That's what she wanted to do to Jake, but… why didn't she?'
"Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My Office." Umbridge quickly scrawled something onto a piece of parchment, "And take this to your Head of House, now."
Harry stomped over to her and practically yanked the rolled up parchment from her hand, before walking out of the classroom, his bag slung over his shoulder. Hermione stared after him a moment, before looking back at Jake, who was just looking at his desk, doing his absolute best to not almost lose it again.
"As I said before, there is nothing and no one to be afraid of outside this classroom," Umbridge said, but Jake stood up, "And where do you think you're going?"
"If I have to listen to you a moment longer today, I'm really going to do something I'll regret. See you later, Umbitch," Jake gave her a mock, two-finger salute, and walked out. Hermione looked back to Umbridge after Jake left, and she saw the toady woman fuming.