The Sunrise of My Heart

In the Great Hall near the end of breakfast one morning, I realized I'd left my Potions essay in the dorm. Giving Draco a brief good-bye, I got up and ran back to the dorm, hoping I wouldn't be late for my first class that morning. Thankfully, my essay was on my bed-side table, so I didn't have to search for it. Stuffing it into my bag, I ran out, knowing if I hurried I'd still be on time. As I ran, I bumped into another student on his way to class, knocking both of us down and making him drop his Daily Prophet.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, scooping up his paper and standing up. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's fine," he said, brushing himself off.

I started to give him back his paper when the article on the font page caught my eye. "Uh do you mind if I look at this for a moment?" I asked, staring at it.

"No, go ahead. I'm done with it anyways. You'd better hurry, though, or you'll be late."

"Thanks," I said absently, still staring at the article.

The heading said Ministry Seeks Educational Reform. Dolores Umbridge Appointed First-Ever "High Inquisitor." Scanning the article as thoroughly as possible while still trying to remember which way to go for my class, I grew angrier and angrier as I read. "...Umbridge has, of course, been an immediate success at Hogwarts..." "...concerned about some of Dumbledore's eccentric decisions in the last few years..." "...controversial staff appointments... including the hiring of werewolf Remus Lupin, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid, and delusional ex-Auror, 'Mad-Eye' Moody..." "Rumors abound that Albus Dumbledore...is no longer up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Hogwarts..."

"BITCH!" I screamed, both about Umbridge and about the Ministry in general. In a fit of rage, I tore out the picture of Umbridge above the article, stuffed into my pocket for safe-keeping, then ripped the paper to shreds. After that, I pulled out the picture and my wand, and promptly burnt a hole right through her face, growing larger until the whole picture was ashes. After that, I walked angrily to my first class, not caring that I was about ten minutes late.

"Where have you been?" my professor asked as I walked in.

"Hospital Wing," I answered, clenching my fists to keep from trembling. "I was feeling faint."

"Yes, I can tell, you seem rather flushed and you're shaking a bit. Are you sure you're capable of sitting through class today?"

"I'm fine," I answered, sitting down by Draco.

"Where you really in the Hospital Wing?" he asked me softly, looking slightly concerned.

"No, I just got held up. I'm fine," I repeated, forcing a smile that I knew would look convincing. Only one person on the planet would have been able to see the lie behind that smile...

The next day, I ended up outside mostly alone with Harry. He seemed to be gazing the skies curiously. I was simply outside enjoying the fall weather, having finished all of my homework already.
"Hey, Harry," I said cheerfully. "What brings you out here?"

"Two things," he said, somewhat absently. "One, I'm spending as much time outside as I can before I have to go through another week of detention with Umbridge."

"Ooh, sucks. You got another week?"

"Yeah. I back-talked again."

"Meh, she deserved it. Hag. So what's the second reason you're out here?"

"I thought I saw something flying low over the trees of the Forbidden Forest." He was still gazing at the skyline, as if waiting for something to appear out of thin air. Finally, he turned away, fully facing me. "I talked to Snuffles the other night," he said, acting casual.

In case anyone happened to be listening, I pretended to be casual too, even though I was burning with questions. "Oh really? Did he have anything interesting to say?"

"He got kind of mad at me because I told him it was too...cold out for him to venture outside. You know how sensitive he is to the cold."

Oh, man. Code-talk could difficult sometimes. Cold meant dangerous, sensitive meant he was wanted. "Yeah, but he'll get over it. Was he wanting to go for a walk or something?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he does love it outside, and he hates that being sensitive to the cold means he has to stay inside. But he'll be fine, and he won't be mad at you for long. He's just disappointed."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Harry said. Checking his watch, he sighed. "I've gotta go. I have detention now and all."

"All right, I'll see you later, Harry. Bye."

Once again, instead of going to my own dorm, I headed to the library. While there, I ran into Hermione, of course.

"Hey, Hermione," I said.

"Hi, Riley. What brings you here? I don't usually see you much in the library."

"Yeah, I prefer to spend my time outside. But an intense loathing for my fellow Slytherins has made me avoid the common room, so I came here instead. Libraries just really work to calm me and comfort me sometimes."

Hermione was staring at me with an almost wild expression on her face, as if she had suddenly realized something wonderful. "Riley," she said, almost breathless, "Listen, I've been thinking..." She looked around and then lowered her voice, leaning towards me. "We need to do something about Defense Against the Dark Arts," she whispered. "We're not learning anything, and we need to know how to protect ourselves if we expect to even have a tiny chance against the Death Eaters and V-Voldemort."

"Agreed. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I've already run this idea past Ron and Harry, and Ron really liked it. Harry wasn't so enthusiastic at first, but I'm hoping with time he'll come around."

"What idea?" I asked, anticipating something good.

"We should form a secret group, one where we'll actually learn how to do defensive spells, and be able to practice them. And I think Harry should be our teacher. That's where Harry hesitated. He doesn't want to teach everyone. But I was thinking, maybe with your support, he'd be more willing. So what do you think?"

"Hermione, that's brilliant! He'd be a great teacher, and we'd be able to learn a lot that way. And even if he refuses, which I won't let happen, I'll teach if you need. I know a lot of Defense Against the Dark Arts spells. You definitely have my support."

She breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Great! It'll be awhile before we can ask Harry to make up his mind, of course, but still. If he says yes, we'll finally be getting prepared for what's out there, and won't be sitting in Umbridge's class, feeling our brains melt in our heads!"

I smiled at that and nodded in agreement, then looked across the library as a tiny green flash caught my eye. Draco's bunny was making its way towards me. Guessing what it was going to say, I turned back to Hermione. "Well, I guess I should head on to my own dorm," I told her. "It's getting late and all. I'll see you in the morning. Bye!"

"Bye," she called after me, already engrossed in another book.

"Master Malfoy implores you to come to the common room and spend some time with him before you go to sleep for the night," the bunny whispered in my ear after climbing up to my shoulder.

"Tell him I'm on my way," I whispered back with a smile.