Seems as though their efforts to meet up at Hogsmeade in discretion was pointless, Umbridge had found out. Viper listening as Slytherins came back into the common room, Draco as happy as ever. Turns out school programs are suspended, you'd need special permission from the Inquisitor to get your team reinstated, which was what Malfoy did. Already smirking and bragging how he can't wait to shove this is Gryffindor's face. So Umbridge had found out about the meeting in Hogsmead, but who told her? Wasn't anybody who signed the parchment, Hermione had jinxed it.

   While in History of Magic, surprisingly Vipers least best subject, she sat attentively. As much as she tried to learn more about the complete history, it was like something prevented her from fully absorbing the information. Unless it was about the giant war, she was hearing every single, excruciating word only for it to slip right back out. 

   I sat in class, my mind aching with boredom. I heard shuffling beside me, Hermione jabbing Harry to get his attention. I raise a brow at them, my eyes going pass them and to the owl at the window. The teacher still hasn't seemed to notice yet, nor when Harry got up from his seat.

"Oh, I've always loved that owl, she's so beautiful." Lavender, another Gryffindor coos. He opens the window carefully to let the bird in, as it hopped right inside. He spares the teach another anxious glance with the owl on his shoulder, shifting her to his lap as he takes his seat. My eyes gaze over the owl, one of its wings looked funny. It's wings not like it normally should.

"She's hurt!" My eyes widen at Harry's little exclaim, feeling bad instantly. He and Hermione speak in hushed voices before he speaks out loudly.

"Professor Binns. I'm not feeling well." He tries. The teacher finally looks up.

"Not feeling well?" He repeated.

"Not well at all. So I think I'll need to go to the hospital wing."

   I trail after Ron and Hermione, one of the last ones out of my last class. I see Harry meet up with them, the trio now making their way for Potions class.

"Harry!" I call. The group turns back, his distress about his bird evident. Hermione smiles to greet me, the two boys staring at me rather weird. They wait for me to catch up, resuming as I did.

"That was your owl? I really do hope she's okay." I offer my sympathy, mostly for the bird if I was being honest. But if it was his, then surely his friend being hurt is the greatest feeling.

"Uh. Yes. Hedwig. I reckon she'll be fine after Professor Grubbly-Plank takes a took." I sigh with relief, happy she was being tended too.

"That's great to hear. And she got it while delivering?" I asked curiously, taken back by the fact. Weren't owls allowed to fly and delivery messages here? There was an Owlery tower and everything.. Maybe it's Umbridge. She's interfering with the students mail now.. I wondered if they knew how she had gotten hurt. They share a subtly look, his mouth flat. My suspicion rising.

"Yeah, seems that way. Not sure how though." I nod slowly. My mind being reminded of something.

"Oh. Also.. I don't know how but, well I'm telling you now so hopefully you won't have to hear it from him but, Draco's-" I start, the group leaning in. I exhale, hearing his voice snide it's way to our eardrums from where we were. Malfoy. He stood there, parchment in hand with a smirk that could make even the Holiest Muggle want to smack him. But I don't. Instead I smile, even after he opens his mouth once more.

"Again, Ripley? Quite really, I'm going to have to start deduction points from you each and every time I see you even look in their direction!"

"Excuse me but, your silly little point system has no meaning to me. Not when they're not earned and taken the right way anyways." He scoffs, rolling his head at me.

"Whateveh." I nod to the three, going to enter, my House blocking me from doing so. I sigh lightly.

"Yeah, Umbridge gave the Slytherin Quidditch team permission to continue playing straightaway, I went to ask her first thing this morning. Well, it was pretty much automatic, I mean, she knows my father really well, he's always popping in and out of the Ministry.. It'll be interesting to see whether Gryffindor are allowed to keep playing, won't it?" Draco pretends to talk to our House, everyone knowing full well it was fully intended to be pointed at them. So much for warning them before Draco had a chance to make them feel bloody worse. They gave each other a look, Harry and Hermione looking at me as Ron glared at Draco nastily. I give them a look of knowing guilt. Wishing I had been just a minute earlier.

"I mean, if it's a question of influence with the Ministry, I don't think they've got much chance. From what my father says, they've been looking for an excuse to sack Arthur Weasley for years. And as for Potter. My father says it's a matter of time before the Ministry has him carted off to St. Mungo's.. apparently they've got a special ward for people whose brains have been addled by magic.." I give Draco a more intense look, trying to remain stoic as my House laugh like hyenas around us. Someone shoved passed us, trying to get for Draco. It was Neville, another member of their House. Harry and Ron try and restrain him, the Slytherins finally moving away partially. Draco catches my eye, daring me.

"Don't look at me like that, you forgetting I'm prefect? You don't know a thing about this place, so stay out of my way if you don't want the rest of your time here to be completely miserable." It was a decision I had already been debating, but I already knew with Malfoy which way it was going to be.

"I'm sorry.." I started, his eyes narrowing, probably thinking back on last time I started a sentence like that to him. The others started to watch the exchange.

".. But same as your point system, you being prefect means absolutely nothing to me, especially-" He cuts me off, the other students shocked.

"You have no right being in this House! If it were up to me, I'd have placed you in disgusting Gryffindor, or Hufflepuff. But really, even Hufflepuff is looking better then this lot." He spits, our Housemates sniggering at this as they send the trio a spiteful looking. Something blazing within Draco as he stares at Harry in hatred. I get his attention by taking a step forward. I smile, not really an all too friendly one, my eyes narrowing in fake question.

"You really think you're more Slytherin than me? Of course you do.. Your father is Lucious Malfoy, is he not? Yeah, read up all about him. Tell me, which one of his assets, or supposed accomplishment of his, makes you more Slytherin than me?" I question passively. The room quiet, but their looks were loud. His especially as his eyes screamed at me to silence at once. His sneer trembled, footsteps suddenly appearing beside us. Those steps, steps that walked stately, in a dignified way. I knew instantly somehow who it was, even if we were right outside his classroom.

"Move along you imbeciles! You two!" Draco and I slowly turned away from each other and to Professor Snape, or I thought Draco had. He had taken the chance to sneak off and into the class.

"Picking fights our we, Miss Ripley? And with your own House?" He tsked at me pitifully. A disdainful look. I flatted my lips, and huffed out to myself as his eyes opened, no longer looking at me but behind. And he resumes in the room.

"Sit down now. And that'll be ten point." My House gives me a look, judging while also mocking me. Everyone quietly questioned Neville for his outburst, but that was quickly overshadowed when we see Umbridge sitting in a dark corner, her clipboard with her.

"You will notice that we have a guest with us today." I eye her as I pull out my One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi textbook.

"We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today, you will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson, if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend. Instructions, on the board. Carry on." I hadn't been aware of myself for a moment, my stuff sitting in front of me but not touched as I narrowed my eyes at her, not liking her in the classroom. It was bad enough having her class, but her in other ones, especially one of the classes I liked most, even if the teacher did seem to have it out for me.

"Is your mixture, not to par, Miss Ripley." My eye on Umbridge was cut off, blackness taking over my eye sight instead. I look up from Professor Snape's crossed arms, blinking while doing so before shaking my head.

"I'm just.. I'm wondering what would happen if instead of Salamander blood, it was Snakes instead?" I swiftly come up with, some of the class stopping and Umbridge's quill strokes suddenly scratching across the page in a harsh movement. Snape's eyes widen, and I felt like I had to explain myself.

"Sorry, I just mean. Snake's blood, since it's blood is twice as-" Umbridge squeals, Professor Snape sending her a disgusted look. Before turning to me, the disgusted look not lessening any.

"Nothing would happen Miss Ripley, because you are not using snake's blood, you are using salamander blood." He turns sharply. I raise my brows to myself, and begin the process.

   I hear Hermione stop Harry from almost adding the wrong ingredient. Umbridge could be heard quietly probing Snape, but from my seat I couldn't hear much of it, though, his face remaining painfully stoic, made me think she was doing what she had to the other teachers. I couldn't help but look up repeatedly, eyeing her as she walked around him and kept scribbling on her board. Occasionally her eye would stray, glaring at me, staring intently at Harry.

   Soon enough Snape rid himself of her questioning and went to look around at the others. That's when she walked up to him, his back to her.

"Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level. Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus." She sends me a glance, but made sure she was facing him in time as he slowly stood up taller and turned to face her. Was it because of my snake blood suggestion?

"Now... how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" She tries to hold herself, faltering under his height and malevolence.

"Fourteen years." He drawls, his look quite clear. I gripped my quill as I wrote a bit before adding the next ingredient into the cauldron.

"You applied first for the Defense against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" I breathed in silently, brows twitching as she pressed him ruthlessly, some students trying hard not to snigger. It was Snape the teacher who was always being so mean to them, and he was being bullied by Umbridge, they found it funny but also scary. Who could bully Snape, and get allowed with it? Just how much power does this woman have?

   I threw in my ingredients, Pansy and Crabbe flinching as it's contents splash with a hiss. The class continues, so focused on Umbridge and Snape.

"Yes." He says lowly.

"But you were unsuccessful?" She states knowingly.

"Obviously." He drags out with a sneer.

"And you have applied regularly for the Defense against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?" I tried to contain myself, each question she asked making me loose composure more and more.

"Yes." Snape was quiet, his anger much louder the quieter he got.

"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" I hear whispers, but only her words are the ones I hear. I wasn't even sure why I was feeling myself get so worked up. Maybe it was because I was sick of Umbridge, and I hadn't even been here a month. Maybe it was because she was interrupting my favorite class, or maybe it's because you-

"I suggest you ask him." Snape threw at her.

"Oh, I shall." She smiles smugly, as if going through all that, just to make him feel like rubbish.. She was rubbish. Nothing more than a dog for the Ministry.

"I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked with his eyes narrowed at her.

"Oh, yes. Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers', er, backgrounds..." My hearing went out for a brief moment as I stood from my chair curtly. Umbridge jumps as she turns to face me, as if already knowing it was me who made the disturbance. The class looks over as my chair screeches, my narrowed eyes dropping as I realized I had caused a scene. I force a smile, and gesture to my cauldron as I look to Professor Snape.

"I've finished." I interject casually.

Soon enough class was over, and I leave the instant it does.