The next day, the seventh-years had their first class with Professor Umbridge.

The earthbender had surprisingly been looking forward to this class — he wanted to see if his suspicions about the uselessness of this course were, in fact, correct.  He entered the class and found a seat in what he considered ‘the safe zone’ — slightly closer to the front than to the back and two seats over from the window.

Zuko slid into a seat next to him mere seconds before the bell rang.

“Well good morning, everyone!” Professor Umbridge said, with that vaguely disturbing cheeriness, from the back of the room.

Only the strictest self-control kept the young earthbender from twitching.

Zuko, too, tensed, gripping his swords, knuckles going white.

Of course, Professor Umbridge could hardly fail to notice this. “What are those, dear?”

The prince stiffened further. “These are my swords,” he said, sharply, his grip tightening again.

Sensing trouble, Haru quickly added, “Family heirloom.  He won’t go anywhere without ‘em.  I’m pretty sure he keeps them under his pillow.  You know how it is.”

“That may be, but I’m afraid I don’t allow weapons in my classroom. Give them to me.”

Zuko stared at her for a moment, then pulled the blades a little closer to himself. “No!”

She clearly doesn’t understand, Haru thought, annoyed.  And she isn’t going to try.  She’s been challenged in her domain by someone she considers inferior.  She won’t accept that.

“Give me the swords. Now,” the teacher repeated, her smile turning a little uglier.

“No,” Zuko snapped back.

“Detention. Tonight, my office. Give me the swords.”

The prince glared at her and, very deliberately, rose, so he was now looking down on her. “Make me.”

“Zuko!” snapped Haru now, his tone clearly stating that the younger man needed to stand down.  He didn’t really anticipate that happening.

Zuko ignored him. And then Umbridge called what she clearly thought was a bluff, and reached for the swords.

He slugged her, breaking her nose.

The earthbender gave up, mentally rehearsing excuses for whoever was certain to question him later.  So much for standing out as little as possible.

Umbridge stood stock still for a moment, then stalked over to her desk, scribbled something on a very pink piece of paper, and told Zuko to go see Professor McGonagall. He bowed, deliberately, and so deep it had to be an insult, then spun on his heel and strode out of the room.

Haru in turn buried his face in his arms and mumbled about fire, tempers, and spoiled rich brats.  “Now, then,” Professor Umbridge said, when she’d collected herself and fixed her nose. “Wands away and quills out, please.”

That caused a stir among the class, enough for them to (temporarily, at least) forget Zuko’s earlier performance.

She then tapped the blackboard. Writing appeared on it: “Defence Against the Dark Arts: A Return to Basic Principles”.

Okay, thought Haru, so this is a review in case the students forgot anything over the break.  That makes sense at least.

“Well, now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn’t it? 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 NEWT-level students.

“You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centred, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please.”

She tapped the board again, and the writing changed. “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.”

 

Haru blinked.  That… does not make sense.  He raised his hand.  “Um, Professor?”

“Yes?” she said, clearly annoyed by this interruption to her lesson plan.

“This… might just be a cultural thing I’m not understanding here,” he said carefully, trying to sound as though he wasn’t actually questioning her or her methods, but rather his own ignorance, “but wouldn’t actually using the spells assist us in learning them?”

“It is the view of the education experts at the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about,” she replied. “Now, then. Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory, by Wilbert Slinkhard?”

“…definitely cultural,” muttered Haru, taking out his own copy of the book.

“Now, please turn to page five and read chapter one, ‘Basics for Beginners,’ and take notes. There will be no need to talk.”

Rolling his eyes, Haru did as directed.  It took about half a page before he decided that this exercise was incredibly stupid and changed his note-taking from what was in the book to what he had learned about his House and the culture in general.  This would be far more useful to him in the long run.

When the class was finally over, he lingered — there were two other Gryffindors in this class, a pair of redheaded twins, and he wanted to talk to them.

“What d’you want?” one of them asked, noting that he was waiting for them.

He noted the unfriendly question and ignored the tone of voice, instead saying mildly, “I wanted to talk to you about Zuko.”

“Why?” the other twin asked, folding his arms and studying the earthbender.

Haru sighed.  “Because he’s my friend and I can’t keep as close an eye on him as I’d like after this stupid House separation.”

The twins exchanged a long look, then shrugged. “What do you want to know?” the first one asked, still sounding more than a little suspicious.

The earthbender hesitated a moment.  “I… I’m not quite sure how to word this.  Um.    Well, knowing him… is he pretty much retreating to the nearest darkest corner and brooding?”

“…yeah, most of the time,” the second twin said.

“Except for moments like in class there,” the first one added.

“That was brilliant.”

A small smile crossed Haru’s face at that.  “He’s never been overly tolerant of stupidity.”  The smile quickly faded, however.

“So, he does that a lot?”

“Broods like that?”

“He has since joining me and Teo, anyway,” said Haru carefully.  “I think it’s because he… well, he turned his back on his own people and everything he knew.”  Careful, Haru.  Don’t give away too much.

“Oh.”

“Right, then.”

Haru quickly changed the subject.  “Perhaps you can clear something up for me.  What, exactly, has your Ministry so worked up that they’re changing things this year?”

Identical dark expressions crossed the twins’ faces. “What, you haven’t heard the rumours?” the second twin asked.

“I’m still getting used to your culture,” he explained.  “So no, I haven’t.”

“They don’t believe Harry and Professor Dumbledore when they say You-Know-Who is back,” the first twin explained, after a brief moment.

“…who?”

“…You-Know-Who.”

He barely refrained from rolling his eyes.  “I come from an island that made leaving it a taboo.  I’ve spent my entire life there and am only recently finding out about the outside world.  I really don’t know who.”

“Look it up, then.”

Now he did roll his eyes.  “Thanks for your help, then,” he said coolly, walking away from them.  At least nobody here’d managed to force shoes on him yet.  He could keep track of those twins using the cool stone floors in case they tried anything while his back was turned.

They didn’t, merely headed off upstairs somewhere, drowned out quickly by hundreds of other footsteps.

Much displeased, Haru began to run, moving to the outside walls and taking a route around the castle to blow off steam.

 

*                    *                       *

 

Zuko was nearly two hours late to their meeting that night. His right hand was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. “Sorry I’m late,” he said.

“…what happened to your hand?” Haru asked, frowning.

“I cut it. Anything interesting happen to you today?”

“Yeah.  I found out why the government decided to interfere this year.”

“Why?” Zuko asked.

Haru summarised the rise and fall of Lord Voldemort for the prince, then continued, “And now that Potter kid and the Headmaster are claiming this Dark Lord is back.  Plus I found out that after the Dark Lord was taken down the first time?  The Headmaster was asked to become the Minister of Magic.”

Zuko was silent for a very long moment. “So, basically, either the Ministry is right, and Dumbledore is trying to take over, using the heroic poster-boy for all that is Good and True to stir up trouble to do it, the Ministry is wrong and working with this Lord Voldemort person, or the Ministry is wrong and playing frightened ostrich-horse.”

“That’s pretty much what I figured,” the earthbender replied.

“…The Potter kid’s really convinced, though. So either he’s a damn good liar, or he’s telling the truth. He had detention with Umbridge tonight too. For lying about something.”

“Bet you three coppers it’s that this Voldy-thing is back?”

“Not taking that bet, I’m almost positive he is.” Zuko frowned at his bloody hand. “…I really hope the Ministry’s working with him, if that’s true. ‘Cause the alternative…”

“The alternative means we’re looking at a war,” said Haru quietly.  “Another one.  And none of these kids are going to be ready when it hits.”

“Either way, we’re looking at a war,” the prince replied woodenly. “It’s just a question of how many sides it’ll have.”

“Maybe we’ll be able to av—”  Haru stopped, holding up a hand.  “Somebody’s coming.”

“…In here, quick,” Zuko said, dragging the older boy into a nearby room.

Haru closed the door and then his eyes, trying to figure out who was coming.  After a moment, his eyes snapped open, and he mouthed janitor at Zuko.

The prince banged his head against the wall silently, then mouthed broom closet back at Haru.

Shrugging, the earthbender put one hand to the wall and quietly sank bars of rock into the wood.

The janitor, at precisely that moment, reached the door. His keys rattled, and he tried to pull it open. Swearing, he tried a few more times, then stalked off to find a more cooperative closet.

Haru tracked him, then when he was gone, put the stone back where it was supposed to be and slipped out of the closet with Zuko.

“I think we should probably meet somewhere else tomorrow night,” the younger bender whispered.

The other man nodded.  “We have astronomy tomorrow night.  We can stay after the rest of the class leaves.”

“All right, then.” Zuko slipped off, hopefully back to his dormitory.

Haru followed suit, uncertain.  He didn’t like any of this.  It felt as though his foundation was crumbling beneath his feet.