Without You

Dolores Umbridge

Harry was sitting on a swing in the park, Autumn on the one beside his. Autumn lived on the other side of the town, but came by to temporarily live with her mother's friend. Her mother had moved to America for a while, for job related reasons. Since the news about Voldemort spread, many wizard families had become more aware of the dangers coming to their world. Autumn couldn't stay home on her own.

"Life here sucks." Harry said, hands holding onto the swing. "I can't wait until summer ends."

Autumn sat there quietly, nodding. "Me neither. We've only got two days left, Harry. We can do this."

There was a brief silence before Harry spoke again.

"I've been having nightmares, Autumn. About Cedric and Voldemort. It keeps me up at night. And Dudley mocks him in my face."

Autumn looked at Harry apologetically. He must be having the worst time of his life. Harry had been the most affected by the incident, and the cruel family he was staying with didn't seem to help at all. Harry would always talk about his cousin, Dudley, and the way his Aunt and Uncle would treat him.

"You know, next summer you can stay with my family, Harry. My mother would love the extra company."

Harry's face lit up with excitement. He liked the sound of getting away from the Dursley's. They were the very reason why he hated summer. Looking at her watch, Autumn stood up from the swing.

"Harry, I'll have to head back now. It's getting late, you should probably head back soon, too. I'll see you tomorrow!" she hugged Harry before walking off, who nodded at her.

Just as Autumn walked away, a group of boys were walking towards Harry. It was Dudley and his friends. One was singing a loud, crude song, and the others were laughing as they walked. They looked like a pack, their silhouettes shrinking as they got closer to Harry. There were at least six of them, walking, with Dudley at the front. Harry could only think about the kind of trouble they had been stirring up this afternoon.

* * *

The next time Autumn saw Harry again was when the summer had ended.

Autumn was at Platform 9 3/4, waiting for any of her best friends to make an appearance. As she stood alone with her trunk beside her feet, someone nudged her side gently. Turning around with a smile on her face, Autumn wrapped her arms around Draco, who obviously changed quite a bit during the summer. He had grown a little taller than before, his facial features more distinctive now.

"Miss me?" he asked, as they pulled away from each other.

Autumn raised her head slightly, shaking her head playfully. "Not at all, Draco. In fact, I haven't even thought about you once during the summer."

Displeased with her response, he picked her wand out of her pocket, lifting it high enough for her not to reach it.

"Break that wand again, Draco, and I'll break your wand." Autumn took Draco's wand from his pocket, sliding it up her sleeve with a smile. "And now we're even."

Draco shrugged, messing her hair before walking away with Autumn's wand. Wondering why Draco suddenly walked away, Autumn turned her head to see that Ron, Hermione and Harry finally arrived. She fixed her hair before they could ask any questions.

"Let's talk on the train," Hermione said, "We wouldn't want to miss our train."

Nodding, Autumn followed behind her friends, boarding the train taking them to Hogwarts. There weren't a lot of compartments left available, and each full compartment they'd walk past were full of students staring and whispering about Harry.

Finally, the four came to the end, where there had been an empty compartment. Autumn took a seat beside Harry, sitting across Hermione. Harry was looking down at his feet, while Hermione and Ron looked ready to explain something to Autumn. She had also been wondering why Harry suddenly disappeared before the summer ended.

"Harry used magic outside of Hogwarts," Hermione explained, "And that got him into trouble. Dumbledore was able to allow Harry to return to Hogwarts with us, but they've all been talking about it."

"Exactly what happened, Harry?" Autumn asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Dementors. They've attacked Dudley and I the night we were at the park."

When they arrived at Hogwarts, everyone was staring at Harry, continuously whispering about him. It was so surprise. It worried Hermione that it would affect his performance for his O.W.L.s, the examination that had to be completed during your fifth year.

"Don't listen to them, Harry." Autumn said quietly, noticing Harry's troubled expression. He nodded, following the rest of them as they entered the school.

That morning, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Autumn discovered that their new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge, is an employee of the Ministry of Magic. Harry always spoke about her in such a displeasing manner, it was only natural for his three best friends to dislike her.

The students took their usual seats in class, Autumn seated beside Draco. Everyone pulled out their wands, Draco smirking when he pulled her's out of his pocket. Autumn rolled her eyes, taking Draco's wand out of her sleeve. It was strange how no one really noticed that they had swapped wands, not even Hermione.

There was a cough from the back of the room. The class fell silent as soon as the sound of heels started clacking down towards the front of the class. It was Dolores Umbridge, the lady all dressed in pink from the first feast earlier this morning. Autumn looked at Harry, who's eyes narrowed at the sight of her. He whispered something to Ron, but Autumn couldn't quite hear it.

"Has everybody got a copy of 'Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

A couple of people muttered a response, but the others just remained silent.

"I think we'll try that again," she said, "When I ask you a question, you will answer 'Yes, Professor Umbridge' or 'No, Professor Umbridge'. So does everybody have a copy?"

"Yes, Professor Umbridge." Autumn couldn't help but exchange a perplexed expression with Draco.

"Now turn to page five, and read the first chapter. There will be no need to talk."

Autumn opened her book up to the fifth page, reading the title: 'Basics for Beginners'. Autumn personally did not like reading, but forced herself to make an attempt this one time. In the corner of her eye, she could see Draco playing with her wand, his book still shut. Autumn looked to her right, where Hermione was sitting. Her book was also completely shut, her hand raised in the air. Autumn would've asked if she were sitting right beside her right now. Beside Autumn was Isabelle Avory, who also paid no special interest to the book, although a Ravenclaw who very much valued knowledge.

When Umbridge noticed that barely anyone in the class was reading from the book, she finally decided to answer Hermione's question. Her hand had been raised for a least five minutes.

"Did you have a question about the chapter, dear?" she asked in a high pitched voice, as if she were forcing herself to smile.

"I have a question about your course aims," Hermione corrected, "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

Autumn pushed her book away, looking up at the blackboard Umbridge had written on earlier. Hermione was right; there was absolutely nothing written about using spells. There was a silence before the Professor spoke up.

"Using defensive spells? Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacking during class?"

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron asked skeptically.

Autumn shuddered at the sound of Umbridge's response. She still had a wide grin on her face, but was obviously annoyed.

"Students raise their hand when they're in my classroom, Mrㅡ"

"Weasley." he quickly said.

Students continued to argue with Umbridge, her face visibly turning pink due to her frustration. Autumn sat back to watch it unfold, the lady dressed in pink suddenly scaring her. Before Autumn could say anything to Draco, Umbridge's conversation with Harry caught her attention completely.

"This school," she said, "Is not the real world, Mr. Potter."

"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting out there?"

"There is nothing out there, Mr. Potter. Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" she asked, her voice reaching an even higher pitch.

"Oh, let me think..." Harry replied, sarcastically, "maybe Lord Voldemort?"

Autumn knew that Harry was mad. He gritted his teeth, staring back at Umbridge. Autumn could feel her own body tense, awaiting the Professor's response.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter," she said, calming herself down, "Now let me make things quite plain." She leant forward on her desk, eyeing each and every student. Harry, however, did not sit down from the argument. Umbridge did not agree to admit that Voldemort was back, and Harry felt that he just had to correct her. The boy was angry, and nothing could stop him now.

"Detention, Mr. Potter," she said, "Tomorrow, five o'clock in the evening, my office. Now if you would please continue your reading."

She turned away, walking in another direction, as Harry stood up from his chair.

"Harry, no!" Hermione called out.

Ron was shaking his head, trying to get Harry to sit down.

"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" his voice was shaking.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident." she corrected.

And then all of a sudden, Autumn found herself hating the lady at the front of the classroom. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She pressured herself to stand up with Harry, knowing he needed support. As Autumn stood up, Draco furrowed his brow, discouraging Autumn to get involved.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Cedric was murdered," she said, her classmates turning around, shocked. They all knew how she hated speaking about Cedric Diggory. "Voldemort killed him, and you know that."

"And you are?"

"Rosewood. Autumn Rosewood." her voice was surprisingly firm.

"Oh, it's you from last year's paper... Right." she clasped her hands, looking from Autumn to Draco. "Mr. Potter, Miss Rosewood, come here."

Autumn held her breath, walking towards Umbridge's desk with Harry. She was scribbling on a pink note, passing it to Harry afterwards with a wide grin on her face. "Take this to Professor McGonagall, dears."

Autumn left the room with Harry, not even looking back at Draco, Hermione or Ron.