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Return of an Alpha | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:All Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama Warnings: Death, Mild Language Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 409 Summary: For three years, Harry has been Becoming Alpha of Hogwarts. Now another Alpha is returning, bringing with him darkness, chaos, and battle. Watch as sides line up for war, and people and society change. Hitcount: Story Total: 169704; Chapter Total: 3860 Author's Notes: Thanks going to Arnel for the Beta work, especially for her speed and quality. |
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“Dolores Umbridge, you said?” Samuel asked Harry over the mirror early the next morning. So early, in fact, that Harry had been forced to silence his bed so that he could yell Sirius’ name into the mirror to get him to give it to Samuel. “As I’ve said three times already, yes, Draco says it’s Umbridge, and you told me yourself that she looks like a toad,” Harry sighed. “I’m sorry, but I had to check,” Samuel groaned. “We had heard in the Auror department that she got reassigned, but no one knew it was to Hogwarts!” Samuel sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Harry, the entire school has to be wary of her. She’s not the person you wish to cross at any time.” “We gathered that from her speech and position within the Ministry,” Harry admitted with a small shrug. “Good, good,” Samuel said distractedly, obviously thinking. “Listen, Harry, I need you and Tracey to make me a Journal or two connected only to the colored Journal section of your Journals.” “Why us?” Harry asked, surprised. “Couldn’t you -?” “I’d have to borrow a colored Journal to connect them,” Samuel reminded him. “It’s easier if you just make it.” “Ah, I remember now,” Harry said, nodding a bit as the knowledge came to his tired mind again. “How will I send it without anyone knowing?” “Use the box that we’ve been using the past few years to send those lovely gifts back and forth,” Samuel basically ordered. “Got it,” Harry said, nodding. “I’ll talk to you later. It’s time to get ready for training so that I can wake these lazy gits up. Plus, Daphne and I need to be back in time to make sure the first years don’t get lost.” Samuel nodded. “Have a good weekend, Harry.” “You as well, Samuel. Pass on my regards to the others.” Harry put the mirror away and quickly got up and dressed, slipping weapons into a dragonhide bag from his Storage Vault to throw over his shoulder. Once ready, Harry quickly silenced and then soaked all of his friends with a blast of water from his wand to wake them up, smiling innocently before gesturing for them to be quiet. They all glared at him but got ready for training, moving quickly as they knew Harry would fight them himself if they didn’t. When they got to the Common Room, the girls were just arriving, so they all slipped up to the Room of Requirement quietly, making sure to ask for their normal training room and that no one but them could get into it, especially while they were in there. It was time to train. A sighed pulled itself from Harry’s throat as he settled down on his usual stool next to Draco in the first class of the year: Potions. The weekend had been full of training, catching up with others, and making that Journal Samuel had requested. Said Journal had been completed and sent the night before, and all of the people who had wanted to talk with him had found him in The Den for talking as he worked on it. Now, though, it was time to sit through Professor Snape’s usual tirade on the first day as well as his bias towards Slytherin. Fortunately, the insults had been toned down quite a bit, so he wouldn’t have to put up with those at all. Just then, Snape barged into the room, stalking up to the front before he looked at all of his students. When his eyes landed on Draco, Harry saw an odd edge to his face and eyes that made Harry believe Lucius or Dumbledore had been saying things that had worried the Potions Master until he saw Draco up close to know that he was perfectly fine. “Before we begin today's lesson," Snape said, "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 OWL, or suffer my… displeasure. “After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "I take only the very best into my NEWT Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye. “But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," Snape said softly, "so, whether or not you are intending to attempt NEWT, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high pass level I have come to expect from my OWL 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. The ingredients and method -" Snape flicked his wand "- are on the blackboard -" (they appeared there) "- you will find everything you need –" he flicked his wand again "- in the store cupboard –" (the door of the said cupboard sprang open) "- you have an hour and a half… start." Harry and Draco collected their ingredients and got to work side-by-side, adding and stirring at exactly the correct moment. As they worked, Snape went around the room, checking to be sure everyone was making it correctly. He stopped at their table and watched them for a few minutes, but Harry just ignored the professor, concentrating. “Mr. Malfoy…” he heard Snape say softly once both he and Draco were at a part in the recipe that allowed them to relax for a few minutes. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Draco stiffen at the name, but he didn’t react. Instead, Harry looked up at their professor. “There’s no Malfoy in this room,” he stated, looking around. “I don’t see Lucius Malfoy in here, sir.” Harry tilted his head a little. “Did Professor Dumbledore not tell all of the professors about the two different letters sent to him at the beginning of the summer?” “Draco?” Snape asked, sounding surprised. His use of Draco’s first name startled Harry until he realized the pair must have known one another for years, so it made some sense that Snape would use it when unable to use Malfoy. “My name is Draco Black now, sir,” Draco replied, lifting his head to look at their Head of House proudly. Snape’s eyes widened, but there was no other show of his surprise before he put on a blank face. “Very well,” he said. “I was uninformed of the change; thank you for informing me. Your mother and father asked me to inquire after your summer, and I believe I understand why now. From what I can see, you were treated well wherever you stayed. Would you like to pass anything else onto Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy?” “Tell my mother thank you and that it worked out for the best,” Draco said softly. Turning a little, Harry saw most of the room was watching the three of them, but only Harry could hear what either was saying, so he wasn’t that worried about it. Still, Harry gestured for them to concentrate on the potions in front of them given that many were about ready for the next step. Once he was facing forward again, Harry lifted the small dropper next to his cauldron and added two drops of syrup of Hellebore. Nudging Draco, he handed the blond the dropper so that he wouldn’t miss the seven minute mark and mess up his potion. Nodding in thanks, Draco added it silently. “Very well,” Snape finally said in response to Draco’s request before turning to check on the rest of the class. “You okay?” Harry asked quietly, leaning forward to find his knife. “Yeah,” Draco replied just as quietly. “We’ll probably be doing this a few more times before all of the professors have heard and call me Black rather than Malfoy.” “Then we’ll keep doing it,” Harry whispered firmly. “Thanks,” Draco murmured almost silently, and Harry just grinned at his friend before going back to his potion. “Good luck,” Harry said to Tracey, Draco, and Daphne as they arrived at the Defense classroom just as the Gryffindors were leaving it, all of them making faces. Blaise and Theo were in Arithmancy, so they would be catching up shortly. “We’re not going to be using spells at all in there!” Hermione muttered harshly, and Harry’s eyes widened, but he continued to enter the classroom and find a seat in the middle of the room, his friends slowly surrounding him. Up on the board, Harry read: Defense Against the Dark Arts A Return to Basic Principles 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. "Well, good afternoon!" she said, when finally the whole class had sat down, those from Arithmancy finally arriving. No one said a word. "Tut, tut," Professor 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," they chanted back at her, Harry’s friends obviously fighting the urge to roll their eyes at her. "There, now," Professor Umbridge said sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please." The Slytherins were perfectly silent as they returned wands to wand holsters or pockets before pulling out writing supplies. Harry had decided to use a quill in this class, at least until he had a good measure on the professor, though if she made them write too much he’d switch. “Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" Professor Umbridge stated, facing the class with her hands clasped neatly 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 OWL year. “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." Letting out an annoyed breath, Harry realized she wanted them to copy what was on the board. He set to work and wrote it silently, listening to the quills around him scratching the lines onto the parchment. Once he was done, he read them over and spotted what Hermione had said beforehand: There was no mention of using defensive spells on these aims. When everyone had copied down Professor Umbridge's three course aims she asked, "Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?" “Yes, Professor Umbridge,” the class responded blandly, moving to pull out the book from their bags. No Slytherin was willing to give anything to her, especially Harry and his friends. "Good," Professor 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." Harry flipped the book open to the first chapter and pulled out his Journal and pencil, pretending to be taking notes as he read the chapter, though he was doing neither. Harry: Please tell me this isn’t what your class was like, Hermione! Hermione: Sorry Harry, but ours was probably worse with how I brought up the lack of spellwork and everyone commented on it. Theo: Great… It was hard to hold in a grin as Harry saw Hermione’s notes on the first chapter appear in his Journal when it was inactive. All it took was a simple charm to change it to his own handwriting. Harry: Thanks Hermione! Hermione: Just don’t get into trouble with her and it’s no problem. “Mr. Potter, Mr. Nott, Ms. Greengrass, is there a reason you are all writing?” Professor Umbridge asked suddenly, and they all looked up from their suddenly deactivated Journals to see their professor was standing and watching them. It had been almost twenty-five minutes, and Harry had actually already read the chapter before coming to the class. He wasn’t sure if the others had or not, but Harry had felt it was better to be prepared for this class than to take any chances. “I was just finishing up my notes on the chapter, Professor,” Harry said for the three, though he hadn’t realized Daphne was using the Journal as well. Professor Umbridge walked over to Harry and looked at his Journal, which he knew had the exact same writing on it, but looked like some other form of a place to take notes. She frowned a little as she read them over but could say nothing about it as taking notes meant Harry had actually been reading, at least in her mind. “What have you been writing with, Mr. Potter?” she instead asked, looking at the pencil in his hand. “This is a Muggle pencil, Professor,” he replied, holding it up for her to see. “I don’t need any ink and I can erase mistakes I make with this, so I use it for notes in class in case I copy something wrong.” Harry could see both the curiosity and disgust on Umbridge’s face as she looked at the pencil, but she said nothing more as she walked over to Theo and Daphne to see they had been doing the same thing. The class returned to reading, and Harry went back to conversing with Hermione. Harry: Sorry about that. Umbridge decided to find out why Theo, Daphne, and I were writing. Hermione: I gathered from how all three of you suddenly disappeared at almost the exact same moment. Harry: She couldn’t comment on anything, not even the pencil. Still, be careful with the Journals in here. Theo: Should we really be using them right now, then? Hermione: Probably not, so why don’t you get off and actually read the chapter? Harry: *Groans* I already read it during my free period before this class! It’s terribly boring and could put a person to sleep. Still, we should probably pay attention… Harry closed his Journal, but left it on the desk with his pencil next to it. All he could do now was stare at the last page of the chapter because he had supposedly finished it. There was nothing to do and he was bored. “Is there something wrong, Mr. Potter?” Professor Umbridge asked, and Harry looked up to see her staring right at him. “I finished the chapter already, Professor,” he replied, knowing better than to lie. Professor Umbridge’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him, and Harry felt the class looking between the pair. He didn’t know why, but Harry felt as if Umbridge was planning something. “Please continue reading, then, Mr. Potter,” she said sweetly, “but if you plan to take notes, please use a quill as this is a wizarding school, not a Muggle one.” “Professor, there’s no rule or law against using Muggle objects in Hogwarts as long as we don’t turn in any homework with them,” Harry said calmly. “I never turn in a piece of homework not written in ink and on a roll of parchment, so my taking notes with a pencil isn’t against the rules.” “Are you arguing with me, Mr. Potter?” Professor Umbridge asked in her sickeningly sweet voice, and Harry knew without the looks his friends were giving him that he had to tread lightly. “Of course not, Professor, but I had heard this was your first year working at Hogwarts, so I had hoped to be helpful by reminding you of the rules before someone actually managed to embarrass you over them,” Harry replied slowly, thinking his words carefully. “It would be terrible to hear that our new Defense Professor who is here to be sure we finally get a good education in the subject according to Ministry standards was embarrassed by a Muggle-born student that was acting just to make you look bad in front of classmates.” Everyone turned to look at Professor Umbridge as she stared Harry down, probably trying to decide if he was being cheeky or not. He just kept his face blank and waited. Finally, though, she nodded while frowning. “Thank you for the help, Mr. Potter, but detention at five this evening in my office for talking back,” she said. Harry kept his mask on as he nodded once and turned back to his textbook, flipping to chapter two. Internally, he was trying not to scream at her, but Harry knew it would only get him into more trouble and was keeping his Occlumency meditation running through his mind to try and get it off the Defense Professor. “Tha t was an unfair reason to give you detention,” Tracey said, frowning , after the class was finally done and they were heading to dinner. “You were obviously arguing with her, but the excuse you made up was well done and actually something she should have welcomed.” “Fudge has been telling her about me and how I’m an attention-seeking liar, remember?” Harry muttered darkly, his hands in fists. “You’re going to keep your Journal active so that we know what you’re doing, got it?” she replied, and Harry nodded in agreement. “If she forces you to do something we don’t think you should be doing , we’ll have Daphne warm up your Journal for you,” Theo said, smirking as Daphne frowned at him and the rest chuckled a bit, easing the tension. “How was class?” Ginny asked as she caught up to the group of six Slytherins who were still a bit annoyed at Umbridge. “That bad, huh?” Ginny guessed from their faces. “I’ve got detention in just over an hour,” Harry growled, and Ginny’s eyes widened. “What did you do this time?” she sighed. “He got told off for writing with a pencil, so he informed Umbridge that it wasn’t against the rules to write notes in pencils,” Blaise said. “She asked if he was arguing with her, and he told her that he only wanted to help make sure she wouldn’t be embarrassed in another class because a student wants to embarrass her. In the end, she gave him attention for talking back even though it was obvious she was pleased by the response.” “I’m telling you, she’s after me this year!” Harry complained, looking up at the ceiling in his annoyance. “When she looked at me after I told her I was done with the chapter, it was as if she was planning something. It wouldn’t surprise me if having me in detention and keeping an eye on me is part of the reason she’s here at Hogwarts this year.” “I’ll give you the fact that watching you probably one of the reasons she’s here, but I don’t think putting you in detention is an order from Fudge,” Daphne said in amusement as they got to the Entrance Hall. “Fine,” Harry sighed, “but on top of ruining Hogwarts and watching Dumbledore, she’s out to get me. Can we all at least agree on that?” The others nodded, and Harry felt a sad stab of success as they went into the Great Hall to eat. It was a victory, yes, but not really one he wanted to win. Harry looked around Professor Umbridge’s office, trying not to gag at it. Every surface had been draped in lacy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each one residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a large technicolor kitten wearing a different bow around its neck. "Good evening, Mr. Potter,” Professor Umbridge said from behind her desk where her robes made her blend in. "Evening, Professor Umbridge," Harry said stiffly. "Well, sit down," she said, pointing towards a small table draped in lace beside which she had drawn up a straight-backed chair. A piece of blank parchment lay on the table, apparently waiting for him. Harry sat down immediately, sliding his bag onto the ground next to him with the strap between his knees just to be safe. “Now, you are going to be doing some lines for me, Mr. Potter. No, not with your quill," she added, as Harry bent down to open his bag. "You're going to be using a rather special one of mine. Here you are." She handed him a long, thin black quill with an unusually sharp point. In Harry’s mind, he recognized the quill as the one Draco had used while signing that contract at Gringotts at the beginning of the summer, and it worried him as he remembered Draco’s name being written in his own blood while it was carved into the back of his hand for a moment. "I want you to write, I must respect my betters," she told him softly. "How many times?" Harry asked, with a creditable imitation of politeness. "Oh, as long as it takes for the message to sink in," said Umbridge sweetly. "Off you go." Harry knew at that moment, for a fact, that he was holding a Blood Quill. After the meeting, Harry had asked Sirius and Draco about the quill as he had never even heard of one. The interesting detail that caught his attention was the fact that it was illegal to use one on a minor without a parent or guardian there to watch the minor sign a contract with it. There was no other use for the quills. She moved over to her desk, sat down and bent over a stack of parchment that looked like essays for marking, but Harry knew they couldn’t be. Harry raised the sharp black quill and wrote with it, knowing his memory and accusation would be more real if he had actually been forced to use the bloody thing. I must respect my betters. The words had appeared on the parchment in what appeared to be shining red ink. At the same time, the words appeared on the back of Harry's right hand, cut into his skin as though traced there by a scalpel - yet even as he stared at the shining cut, the skin healed over again, leaving the place where it had been slightly redder than before but quite smooth. “Blood quill,” he muttered almost silently under his breath for his friends to understand before he looked up at Umbridge, the quill held tightly in his hand. “Yes?” she asked, smiling sweetly at him. Just then he felt his Journal burn up, not that he needed it for this. “You cannot legally make me do this,” he stated. As he spoke, Harry put the parchment and quill in his bag, stood up, and slung the bag over his shoulder. “I’m a minor, and there is no contract to sign, let alone my guardian.” With that, Harry left the office, walking steadily to the dungeons to find Professor Snape while speaking aloud to his friends. “Get Susan and ask her to meet me in Snape’s office, please. If she’s there we’ll be able to contact Amelia faster.” Just after he reached the office and stood outside to wait, his five friends and Susan raced over to him, breathing heavily, obviously having run the entire way there. Without waiting for them to speak, he knocked on the door and opened it when Snape said, “Enter!” “What is going on here?” Snape asked, standing as he caught sight of the odd group in front of him. “You need to Floo call Susan’s aunt,” Harry stated, reaching into his bag for the evidence. “I was just in detention with Professor Umbridge, and this is what I found.” He held out the parchment and Blood Quill. “Did you write with this?” Snape demanded sharply, and Harry nodded, showing the single line he had written. “Very well; Miss Bones, please come here and call your aunt with my Floo. Make it seem like you’ve got a problem you wish for her to know about so that she can come without suspicion.” Susan nodded before hurrying to the fireplace. Within a minute, Amelia Bones was standing there, a worried look on her face that grew worse as she took in the sight in front of her. “Amelia, I had detention with Professor Umbridge just now and well…” Harry just handed her the quill and parchment. “She made you use this?” Amelia demanded, and Harry nodded once, raising his hand to show the slight redness that was still there. “Would you be willing to give me the memory?” Harry pulled out his wand and pulled the memory from his mind, placing it into the vial Professor Snape provided. “Unfortunately, for now, Madam Umbridge is under the protection of Minister Fudge,” Amelia sighed. “When that protection is no longer there, you will be sure that I’ll use this against her. Until then, I believe your reaction should stop her from using the Quill again in fear of other students recognizing it.” Everyone nodded, even Snape. “Inform me if anyone else ends up with the cuts on their hands so that I can take a copy of their memories, but otherwise, all I can say is to keep your heads down as best you can. Susan, I’ll write to you in a day or two. Keep up with your studies, and I’ll see you at Christmas.” Amelia turned to Harry. “Thank you for getting this to me immediately. I’ll be sure to inform those I can without tipping my hand.” Harry nodded, and Amelia was gone. AN: So, this is how Harry Potter deals with Professor Dolores Umbridge — or should I say how Professor Dolores Umbridge deals with Slytherin Harry Potter. *Smirks in amusement* I will admit to having that distinction pointed out to me by one of my reviewers (I can’t remember who, let alone which site), but it’s quite true, now that I’m thinking about it. *Whistles innocently* Well, I’m done and off to see if my muse is agreeing with me or not again — it left me after editing my challenge entry and writing a chapter of the third story. Still hoping to finish the final summer of my trilogy before the weekend is up… |
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