It was Friday of the first week, and Harry was exhausted. He was exhausted from his supposed friends, to his classmates who sneer at him, to how hateful his father was, and then his increasing nightmares. Now, as he made his way to defense, he felt his exhaustion hit him again. He already heard rumors about the professor and he didn't want to be here in her class because of them. Looking up as he entered the clean and neat classroom he sees her sitting at her desk watching them.

Taking a seat in the middle of the room with Ron next to him, and Hermoine in the row next to him, he follows everyone else. Pulling out parchment and his quill, he listens as the new professor talks to them in a condescending tone.

She taps her wand on the blackboard for a second and her course aims are listed. As he, along with the rest of the class, scribble down the small list Harry notices that it never says a thing about practicing magic. Once they're done as a whole, she assigns chapter one to read. Harry complies but not even a paragraph in he looks up to distract himself to find Hermoine ignoring the reading with her hand raised. Catching her eye, she shakes her head 'no', and continues to stare at Umbridge.

As this continues more students look up from the same struggle Harry had to only stare at Hermoine. When half the class was doing so, Umbridge looks at her and says, "Did you have a question about the reading, Ms.-"

"Hermoine Granger, and no, no I have a question about the course aims."

"Well, we can address this at the end of class."

Before she can look away from her, Hermoine raises her hand again. Umbridge smile seems to tighten even more.

"Yes, Ms. Granger?" she simpered.

"The course aims say nothing about practicing magic." she states.

"Why would you need to practice magic in my class?"

Ron indignantly says, "we're not going to use magic?"

"Students shall raise there hands." She trills and continues to stare at Hermoine.

"How are we supposed to defend ourselves if we've never practiced the spells were taught?" Hermoine asks in return.

"Ms. Granger this is a ministry approved course. The theory, should you choose to study it, will be enough to learn a spell. On top of that, I see no reason you need to defend yourself in my classroom, you're perfectly safe here." She smiled condescendingly.

"But-" Hermoine blurts out.

"Students shall raise their hands!" she trills again.

Harry was torn on if he should say something or do as he originally planned: keep his head down, and stay out of her way. The choice however is taken from him when Ron, clearly vexed, stands up shouts at her.

"we're safe!! Bullocks with the dark lord back-"

"Students-shall-raise-their-hands!" Umbridge trilled in one breath, smiling sugar sweet at Ron, "Some may have you believing that you-know-who is back but that is a lie."

Turning her back, from where she had moved to stand, she sits back down smiling that overly sweet smile. Ron was red in face, and it seems to get worse when she speaks again.

"Was there something else, Mr. Weasley?"

Stumbling over the name, Ron practically shouts, "V-voldermort is back!! He's not going to wait for us-"

With a venomous undertone she cuts him off, "Mr. Weasley sit down and do not shout!"

Surprisingly he abides by her request but opens his mouth to speak again. However, she cuts him off turning to Harry, who had tried to covertly hide behind the book.

"Mr. Potter, correct?" She was smiling sweetly at him but he saw the same dangerous glint his uncle would get before a punishment.

Giving her his unwavering attention, "Yes, Professor Umbridge."

The slytherins took note of the phrase and how Umbridge sat up straighter.

"Perhaps you can clear something up for us dear. Is you-know-who the one who kidnapped you, and poor Mr. Diggory last year?"

The class unconsciously stopped doing almost everything just so they'd be able to, without a doubt, hear his response.

In a meak manner, "I'm not sure, Professor."

"Oh? Why is that?" she presses.

"I was under stress already, and then seeing..." he pauses to control himself, "seeing a fellow student, friend, and competitor die did not help. It was-"

Before he could continue, whatever was keeping the red head silent broke. Extremely red face he shouts, "WHAT THE HELL HARRY!! YOU-"

"Mr. weasley!!" she unfortunately yells, "Come up here dear."

They watch as she pulls a pink parchment slip with a quill out of the desk, and quickly scribbles on it.

"Take this to professor Mcgonagall," they watch as he angrily storms out, with a scathing look at Harry, and Umbridge turns back to Harry, "continue dear."

"Well..it was dark, and like I said I was already stressed, and I think I imagined us being attacked by the dark lord to deal with seeing..." he trailed off hoping this worked.

"Tut, tut what a shame," his heart plummets, "that this had happened to a child, and to have your headmaster make it worse. See children this all could have been avoided, if only your headmaster did his job, and have removed Mr. Potter from the tournament. A competition not meant for a child, don't you agree, Mr. Potter?"

That question, he knows without a doubt, is a test. He doesn't plan to fail, "Yes, Professor Umbridge."

The womans smile turns smug, and she seems to relax as she says, "I believe you all have a chapter to read, dears."

Harry could feel slightly relaxed himself, and he continues reading the chapter, ignoring the occasional look sent his way. If they don't want to believe him, when he was telling the truth, then he's not going to hang his neck on the line for them. What's the point? Especially when he's confused on which side he was really on? What have people on the lighlight side done for him? He's never been selfish in his life, always ready to help others in need, but no one has ever been like that for him.

Sure Mcgonagall was able to get him his first broom but that was so he could play seeker for Gryffindor. Selfish on her part. Then Sirius sending him his Firebolt, which he's certain was just to earn his trust, so then he's less likely to betray them. Then the headmaster each year allowing danger to happen or come close to him and the students. Lastly, they all lied, lied about his parentage and probably knew of the abuse.

Harry thinks like that for the rest of the day avoiding Hermoine and Ron as much as possible. Although they make it easy with the silent treatment, amd thanks to this he goes to bed early. Missing Ron appearing in the common room with a bloody hand, and the words I Must Not Tell Lies carved on it.