Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter World, Characters, Plot, and so on. Thanks for reading.

The return to Hogwarts was not something the Harry was very excited for, it just was not the same as Durmstrang, though the only upside was that he would get to Daphne. The train ride was fairly uneventful with Harry spending it reading with Daphne. The welcoming feast seemed to be quite standard, Dumbledore welcomed everyone back and spoke of the upcoming events and so forth. The first week back went straightforward enough, but that Sunday they were greeted with none other than a new Educational Decree. Number 26 stated that no teacher could speak with any Hogwarts student about anything outside their teaching field. Harry was confused at first why she or the ministry would make such a decree, and when he voiced his confusion to his friends, they had explained.

"It is to stop the kids from talking about the attack on Durmstrang. Since everyone had gotten back they have been talking about it. Lots of parents are nervous with sending their kids back to school with the attack, and I think that nervousness was picked up on and kids are asking more details now."

"Huh… I haven't seen or heard anything." Here Daphne, Tracey, and Blaise shared a look.

"Well, people didn't want to discuss it in front of you, incase it would bring up bad memories, you know." Well, Harry could understand that he guessed. He had been dealing with the death of everyone on his own, and the unspoken rule of not bringing it up to him among the group had allowed him the time to get through things at his own pace.

"Well, that and they are kinda scared of you." Blaise had always would state things brazenly. Harry had always found it odd, as most of the Slytherins seemed to try and be as indirect as possible, but Blaise would always go right for the heart of the matter. Harry's look of astonishment seemed to spur him on. "Well, you are kinda scary. I mean you effectively took on all the seventh years in dueling, you won the Triwizard Tournament, and you survived an attack that destroyed Durmstrang. And, now you are the only person in the castle that Umbridge can't touch." Looking to the others they all seemed to nod in agreement.

Harry really didn't know how to feel about that. It was unsettling that people were scared of him, but really what was he to do? He was never the most social. But, before he could really start thinking about it too much the group was approached by Henry, Granger, and Weasley.

"Uh, hey Harry nice to see you, thanks for the book! How is the holster?"

"It is good, thank you Henry. What can we do for you?" Granger stepped forward and passed them each a galleon.

"Here are the galleons we owed you. Thanks for loaning us them." Harry and the others shared a look, but before they could say anything the Gryffindors had left. Just as Tracey was about to say something Harry noticed that the printing on the galleon changing to say: Next DA meeting Friday Jan 19. And, then it was gone.

"Huh, clever. That is some interesting magic in it, protean charm?" Blaise asked as he looked closer at his own.

"Yes, with some other smaller charms as well. Quite the skill, must have been Granger." Daphne looked at it before she shrugged and brought out her book. That seemed to signal the end of the conversation and each started doing their homework.

The next week was weird to say the least. Umbridge had started showing up in more and more classes, and she seemed determined that none of the teachers would be able to defy her plans, and yet her plans started to fall apart halfway through the week in Transfiguration. It began as an uncomfortable class with Umbridge showing up to watch, she had coughed to try and speak with McGonagall, but the older witch just ignored her. As the class began practicing for the day Harry was working with Anthony Goldstein and Isobel MacDougal, who had begun asking him about Durmstrang, which led to discussing Grindelwald, then to Nurmengard. Anthony and Isobel then began to explain how Azkaban worked. Which caused Harry to loudly ask, "How did the Ministry ever come to use dementors? How did they ask them to watch the prison?"

Professor McGonagall seemed to hear his question and answered without thinking, "When the island and fortress of Azkaban was discovered by the Ministry it was found that the Dement-"

"Hmm, hmm." That annoying cough appeared once again, turning Harry found Umbridge standing behind him. "Why Professor McGonagall it seems you are in violation of Education Decree Number Twenty-Six, which states that Hogwarts Teachers from discussing any subject out of their assigned field with Hogwarts students." The glee and triumph in Umbridge's voice was unmistakable, and the look on McGonagall's face was the closest Harry had seen to nervous, until Umbridge finished her statement. Something Umbridge said had caused McGonagall to relax.

"I am well aware of the Educational Decrees, Dolores. Now as I was saying Mr. Black, the Dementors were found on the island and later Minister of Magic Damocles Rowle decided to build the prison there, both because it was far away and secure, and in part to stop the Dementors from raiding the mainland for, shall we say, sustenance." Umbridge looked ready to explode. Everyone in the room was silent watching the exchange, and thinking the same thing: What was McGonagall thinking?

"Minerva you will be-"

"Dolores I was answering the question of Mr. Black, who is not a Hogwarts student if you recall." Umbridge's face went even darker and her eyes jumped on to Harry. She opened her mouth a couple of times as if she was going to say something, but then she stormed from the room. The room stayed silent for a minute, then everyone broke out into conversations. The class was near ending, and McGonagall surprisingly let them go early.

The next class went fine, and thankfully Umbridge had not shown up at all. But, by his third class it seemed that what had occurred had spread through the school, and not just with the students. The teachers seemed to be aware of it as well. Students began slipping notes to Harry which he then would ask to the teacher, and they would then, in very loud voices, answer for the whole class. Teacher's turned a blind eye to the notes, and more.

It was in Charms, that the extent teachers were helping to undermine the decree was really seen. The students had passed around a few pages where they wrote as many questions as they could, as it finally made its way to Harry it was snatched up by none other than the pink terror herself. She again had a look of triumph, which upon looking at the sheet, seemed to turn into confusion. And, then Professor Flitwick's voice could be heard.

"Thank you Mr. Black for lending Ms. Greengrass your notes. Was there something wrong with it?" Umbridge just wordlessly handed the sheet back, which was full of Charms notes. As Flitwick and Umbridge walked away, suddenly the words rearranged themselves back into the questions. Looking around Harry saw Flitwick glance back with a smile and wink. And, thus Harry ended up becoming the unofficial spokesman for his classes.

Dumbledore's army was able to meet several times during this time as well. Henry seemed to incorporate several of the things the manual Harry had gotten him. Besides the multiple dueling and shield practice, Henry started having them practice the patronus charm.

"The charm is very advanced, and while the incantation is simply Expecto Patronum, the spell depends greatly on your state of mind. You need to think of the happiest memory you can, for that is where your patronus gains its strength." No one had successfully cast the charm, or even got any results that first meeting, or even by the next to after that. But, Harry was determined to figure it out. He wouldn't admit it, but it annoyed him to no end that Henry could cast it and he could not.

Thus January turned to February, and things continued to go decently well. Classes continued well, though Harry still was the unofficial questioner of his classes. For Battle Magics Harry had felt confident with the new spells he had learned and now sought to master the last few silently. The Fallen Light Charm, Cecidit Lucem, proved the easiest, though the other two were proving harder to get silently. He had managed to get the Phantom Touch a few times, though it never seemed to have the strength behind it. Professor Snape would speak little, and unless Harry asked him a specific question, his answers would often be vague.

All in all, things seemed to be calming down at Hogwarts, that is until the third week in February. The morning was quiet and Harry was sitting with Daphne, Tracey, and Blaise when Umbridge came storming into the hall. She went straight to Henry and his friends where she shrieked so loud that everyone could hear.

"What is the meaning of this Mr. Potter!" Harry could see she had something in her hand, but he could not make out what it was exactly.

"I had an interview with the Quibbler." Even though Henry's reply was not near as loud, it easily carried over the silence of the hall.

"Detention Mr. Potter, for spreading lies!" Umbridge then turned to the hall, "And, the Quibbler is hereby banned, any student caught with it will be in detention!" The Pink terror then left the hall as quickly as she had arrived.

Of course, this only meant that every student had ordered a copy of the magazine and read the article by the end of the following day. Daphne had mentioned that she had seen some of the professors giving Henry points for anything in the following week. Umbridge herself seemed to become more determined and had been watching more and more of the other teacher's classes. Her work came to fruition at then end of the first week in March. Harry and Daphne were wandering the halls of the castle together when Tracey came running towards them.

"Quick, you guys got to see this, she is firing Trelawney!" There was only on possibility of who she was, so Harry and Daphne ran after Tracey towards the courtyard. There was already a crowd surrounding the yard, but they were able to move through it towards the front.

"You can't do this! Hogwarts is my home!" A haggard looking woman, who Harry only assumed was Professor Trelawney stood in the center shaking.

"Oh I assure you, I can. I would think you would have seen this coming." Umbridge's shrill tone had an undertone of superiority, and she was clearly mocking the poor woman in front of her. Suddenly a deep voice cut through the Trelawney's sobbing and Umbridge's giggling.

"Come Sybil, you will not have to leave the castle. Minerva please help Sybil back to her tower." The crowd parted to reveal Dumbledore and most of the other teachers. McGonagall quickly moved to help the woman.

"No, she will have to leave. I have fired as is my right as High Inquisitor!" Umbridge was no longer looking happy but rather quiet angry.

"Yes, but as we have been over many times, the Headmaster has the ability to welcome whomever they wish to Hogwarts. And, Sybil is certainly welcome to stay."

"Well she will need to be gone so that her replacement can use the tower."

"I am sure Firenze will not be interested in using the tower. I think he would prefer a ground level classroom, no?" Suddenly the otherside of the crowd parted with murmurs and gasps to reveal a centaur making his way forward.

"That would be for the best, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

"Wha-What is this!" Umbridge's face had gone from dark red to almost bone white.

"May I introduce Professor Firenze who will be taking over Divination." Dumbledore's eyes were shining with mirth and what Harry could only describe as amusement.

"Bu, but Education decree-"

"Only if the Headmaster is unable to fill a position can the ministry fill the position. And, as you see I have filled the position." Firenze had made his way towards the professors and now stood behind Umbridge. She turned, and upon seeing how close he was gave a little shriek and fled into the castle.