I worked away as the Slytherins neglected their work, instead they opted for gossip. They would occasionally stop and answer a question, write a sentence or ask each other if they knew something. I would have helped them with their work but instead I remained quiet. Using their chattering as a means to help pass the time. Though, I found myself taking longer than normal to do my work, finding myself distracted as they would talk about stuff that actually interested me.

   Everything was on edge around here it seemed. Since the Triwizards, more than just the school has been antsy with the world of.. He-who-must-not-be-named? I don't know why nobody won't say his name, I wonder why mother hadn't taught me more about such a huge historical event?

    The staff, the students, even the Magical Ministry.. the school has been even worse since the arrival of Umbridge, the teacher in pink, she just arriving before I had. I can see why, she's incredibly strict, and I've only been here a day.

"Hey, as long as we stay on her good side, we shouldn't have a problem. Not when she's so busy making Potter's life worse." Draco smirks.

"Let's hope it just stays that way." Goyle breaths. Draco turns to him.

"And just what do you mean by that?" He snaps.

"Well.. I mean, my father says-" Draco scoffs, pushing himself off the table and paces around the room, eyeing them.

"Your father knows didley! My father says there's gonna be a change, to the school and the government itself."

"With Black still on the loose and running around, Potter and that old fool's story- Not a one believes them."

"My father says Fudge is a fool." I watch the group with intent interest, finally glad to be getting some real information around here.

"What are you all doing up! Get to bed, this instance!" My eyes peel away from the group that jumps up and runs for their bed chambers, and over to the teacher that stood in the doorway. Professors Snapes' eyes boring into me like daggers. I smile with a nod, closing my book as I stand from the table.

"And just why are you up so late, Miss Ripley? Letting the others set an example on you already, are we?"

"Of course not, Professor. I was simply sacrificing sleep to work, I've finished your assignment too, shall I give it too you now? Or wait til-" I look up while holding the stack of parchments. Just like the assignment I gave him before, his eyes twitched as they narrowed angrily. He stomped forward a few steps and snatched the papers from me.

"I want a mile long essay, on everything! Every single thing possible there is to know about- Memory charms! What is it, why they are used, how to use them, different types-!" I frowned as he yelled at me, but kept my composure, holding my hands behind my back.

"Straight away, Professor." I nod, this somehow sending him further into anger. He grits his teeth, practically slapping me with his cloak as he almost throws the portrait off the wall. I blink a few times after he leaves, looking down before turning around to my books. I suppose that's enough for tonight, I'll work on it more tomorrow.

   Meanwhile, almost on the other side of the castle was the group of three, up late, them too working on their mounds of homework. Hermione was helping the boys, after finally giving in, with their work, telling Harry he had misheard something during class it seemed. It was then, their fireplace had suddenly grown a head! It was Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. He was best friends his Harry's father in the day. He had gotten a coded letter from Harry, a distress call if you well.

"I was starting to think you'd go to bed before everyone else had disappeared, I've been checking every hour." Sirius's flamed face spoke.

"You've been popping into the fire every hour?" Harry said, partly amused, just happy his only family member was alive and here.. Kinda. "Just for a few seconds to check if the coast was clear yet."

"But what if you'd been seen?" Hermione asked dubiously.

"Well, I think a first year might've got a glimpse of me earlier, but don't worry, I was gone the moment she looked back at me and I'll bet she just thought I was an oddly shaped log or something." She tried to hold her shock, a hand over her mouth as he tried to assure the girl. "But Sirius, this is taking an awful risk —" Hermione started.

"You sound like Molly," Sirius threw.

"This was the only way I could come up with of answering Harry's letter without resorting to a code- and codes are breakable." Hermione and Ron gave him a look.

"You didn't say you'd written to Sirius!" Hermione accused.

"I forgot." He advises.

"Don't look at me like that, Hermione, there was no way anyone would have got secret information out of it, was there, Sirius?" Harry asks, genuinely proud of his coding skills.

"No, it was very good." Sirius praises smiling.

"Anyway, we'd better be quick, just in case we're disturbed. Your scar." "What about -?" Ron started, but Hermione jumped in.

"We'll tell you afterward, go on, Sirius."

"Well, I know it can't be fun when it hurts, but we don't think it's anything to really worry about. It kept aching all last year, didn't it?" "Yeah, and Dumbledore said it happened whenever Voldemort was feeling a powerful emotion," said Harry.

"So maybe he was just, I dunno, really angry or something the night I had that detention."

"Well, now he's back it's bound to hurt more often," Sirius says.

"So you don't think it had anything to do with Umbridge touching me when I was in detention with her?" Harry asked.

"I doubt it. I know her by reputation and I'm sure she's no Death Eater-"

"She's foul enough to be one." Harry remarks darkly. Ron and Hermione agree.

"Yes, but the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. I know she's a nasty piece of work, though, you should hear Remus talk about her."

"Does Lupin know her?" Harry questioned quickly, remembering past remarks made by Umbridge and about half-breeds. This is of course because Lupin is a werewolf. A magical creature not typically always welcomed, even in the magical world. But he was Harry's friend, an old Professor. And more important a friend of his fathers, and Sirius's too. He's like family.

"No, but she drafted a bit of anti-werewolf legislation two years ago that makes it almost impossible for him to get a job."

"What's she got against werewolves?" Hermione asked defensively.

"Scared of them, I expect," Sirius, admiring her courage.

"Apparently she loathes part-humans; she campaigned to have merpeople rounded up and tagged last year too. Imagine wasting your time and energy persecuting merpeople when there are little toerags like Kreacher on the loose —" Ron laughed but Hermione looked upset. Kreacher was a House-elf. One that serves the Black family, Sirius's mother. But she's dead now, and Sirius is the remaining Black member alive. Unless you count extended family..

"Sirius! Honestly, if you made a bit of an effort with Kreacher I'm sure he'd respond. After all, you are the only member of his family he's got left, and Professor Dumbledore said-"

"So what are Umbridge's lessons like? Is she training you all to kill half-breeds?" Sirius cuts off.

"No," Harry, ignoring Hermione's pointed look at being cut off.

"She's not letting us use magic at all!"

"All we do is read the stupid textbook," Ron said this time.

"Ah, well, that figures," said Sirius. "Our information from inside the Ministry is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."

"Trained in combat?" Harry parrots.

"What does he think we're doing here, forming some sort of wizard army?"

"That's exactly what he thinks you're doing. Or rather, that's exactly what he's afraid Dumbledore's doing. Forming his own private army, with which he be able to take on the Ministry of Magic."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, including all the stuff that Luna Lovegood comes out with." Ron squints.

"So we're being prevented from learning Defense Against the Dark Arts because Fudge is scared we'll use spells against the Ministry?" Hermione taken back and mad.

"Yep. Fudge thinks Dumbledore will stop at nothing to seize power. He's getting more paranoid about Dumbledore by the day. It's a matter of time before he has Dumbledore arrested on some trumped-up charge."

"D'you know if there's going to be anything about Dumbledore in the Daily Prophet tomorrow? Only Ron's brother Percy reckons there will be-"

"I don't know. I haven't seen anyone from the Order all weekend, they're all busy. It's just been Kreacher and me here." Sirius says.

"Ah. Well, okay. I shouldn't be telling you this but, well do you three know anything about a new girl there?" The three share a look, nodding but otherwise keep their mouths shut.

"I guess he showed her to the school but Professor McGonagall never actually saw him, the girl just said she was with him and that he vanished. No one's sure what's happened to him." The three share a shocked looked.

"And she said it was Hagrid!?" Harry asks, a bit over excited but also so many questions running through his head.

"Shh, Harry. Yes. But Dumbledore's not worried, so don't you three get yourselves in a state. I'm sure Hagrid's fine."

"But if he was supposed to be back by now.." Hermione worries over the giant.

"Madame Maxime was with him before that, we've been in touch with her and she says they got separated on the journey. Maybe he dropped something or, decided to make another few stops. There's nothing to suggest he's hurt or well, nothing to suggest he's not perfectly okay." Sirius tried. The group was unconvinced, sharing looks. They were now left with more questions, more theories.

"Listen, don't go asking too many questions about Hagrid. It'll just draw even more attention to the fact that he's not back, and I know Dumbledore doesn't want that. Hagrid's tough, he'll be okay." And when they did not appear cheered by this, Sirius added,

"When's your next Hogsmeade weekend anyway? I was thinking, we got away with the dog disguise at the station, didn't we? I thought I could-"

"No!" Harry and Hermione spoke firmly.

"Sirius, didn't you see the Daily Prophet?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Oh, that." Sirius grins

"They're always guessing where I am, they haven't really got a clue-" He remarks smugly.

"Yeah, but we think this time they have." Harry worries.

"Something Malfoy said on the train made us think he knew it was you, and his father was on the platform- Sirius, you know Lucius Malfoy, so don't come up here. Whatever you do, if Malfoy recognizes you again-"

"Alright, alright. I've got the point." Sirius assures. He looked most displeased.

"Just an idea, thought you might like to get together."

"I would, I just don't want you chucked back in Azkaban!"

"You're less like your father than I thought. The risk would've been what made it fun for James."

"Look-"

"Well, I'd better get going, I can hear Kreacher coming down the stairs. I'll write to tell you a time I can make it back into the fire, then, shall I? If you can stand to risk it?"

   Besides the fact that Harry knew it was a lame attempt to go, he had another reason to stop his godfather.

"Wait, about the new girl!" This stops Sirius for a moment, thinking it was just about his godson having a silly little crush. He almost smirks.

"Yes?" Harry frowns, it was something he hadn't even mentioned to the others.

"My scar burned.. She made it burn once too. When she first arrived. I-"

"She, what?!" Ron exclaims.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Hermione questions heavily. Sirius, unsure if it was related.

"You sure it's not just your hormones, boy?" He pokes fun.

"Come on, what's she like? Hey! Is it true she set the Sorting Hat on fire?!" He wonders in amazement. But was it a ruse?

"Yeah. Bloody hell! It was the most bizarre thing ever!" Ron gasps. The girl gives him a look as Harry keeps his eye on the fire with his godfathers face.

"She started late, she's in our year. A Slytherin." Harry list. Ron nods.

"Looks like a Slytherin, she does. Oi, she is rather pretty though. Dark hair, really pretty blue eyes, paler skin than Harry's even. I'm kind of surprise she's not meaner than she is. Reckon she'd run this place if she really wanted too." Ron admits, frowning with himself as he realizes he half-complimented the girl. Hermione, frowns, Ron being clueless as ever. Harry, watches his godfather's reaction. His eyes staring off elsewhere after the mention of the girl.

"She's nice though, that's what they're failing to say. She's stood up to Malfoy for us, even if it was after the fact." Hermione looks back at Ron, continuing without notice of Sirius's look.

"Sirius?" Harry asks. Sirius blinks.

"Well, she's nice, isn't she? Guess it wouldn't hurt if you three made some friends. Stop worrying, I've got to go." Sirius rushes, ignoring them as there was a pop, the fire no longer showing a face in its flames.

"What do you think, Harry?" Ron asks, the two turning towards their friend.

"I don't know.."