Hidden Wings - Part I

Dolores Umbridge

Mioha hadn't known what to expect when Professor Dumbledore had said the ministry would send someone to Hogwarts. Maybe someone like Professor Moody, an old, grumpy Auror. Or someone like Tonks.
But a lady dressed in pink?

Not that she minded pink.

But Professor Umbridge had this sickly and sticky aura around her that made Mioha flinch every time she looked at her.
Professor Umbridge might have tried to look like a nice, old lady whose only goal was to fix everything at Hogwarts, but she certainly wasn't one. Mioha even had troubles putting the word Professor in front of Umbridge's name when thinking of her.

When Professor Dumbledore dismissed the students, the noise level in the Great Hall rose from all the clattering and shuffling. Pushing her way through the crowd with Esma on her shoulder, Mioha made her way out of the Great Hall.
Maybe it was just a coincidence, but shortly outside the large doors, Mioha bumped into Harry.
He looked very glum.

"You alright?", asked Mioha as they crossed the entrance hall.

"Yeah", Harry mumbled. "It's just that everyone..."
He didn't finish the sentence.

"It will be alright", said Mioha in a (hopefully) cheerful tone.

Esma fluttered onto Harry's shoulder and pecked her beak softly against his head.

"Thanks, Esma", Harry muttered and grinned weakly, although it didn't convince Mioha.
"What did you ask Malfoy in the train?", he quickly changed the topic.

They stopped beneath the marble staircase and Mioha shrugged.
"I asked him whether anything would change...you know, 'cause of..."
She gave him a pointed look.

"And?"

"He said 'We shall see'", Mioha sighed. "Whatever that means."

"That was to be expected", Harry muttered.

"But he didn't say no either", Mioha pointed out. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Harry pushed his glasses further up his nose, turning away from a group of second-years that was staring at him and whispering.

"Ignore them", Mioha said in a low tone. "They probably don't know anything about what happened except what the Daily Prophet printed, so they're relying on that."

Harry snorted.
"Great."

Esma fluttered back onto Mioha's shoulder and selected her usual spot, chirping a soft melody to cheer up Harry.

"I'll see you tomorrow, ok?", said Mioha.

"Yeah...see you..."

Harry turned away and marched up the staircase, although his back straightened when he passed another group of whispering third-years. His head held high, the Gryffindor disappeared at the top of the steps.

"He'll be fine", peeped Esma confidently. "You'll see."

Glancing worriedly up the staircase one last time, Mioha turned to head to the Slytherin den.

Mioha rapidly changed her opinion about Harry being fine when the Gryffindors and the Slytherins had their first DADA-lesson.

With Professor Umbridge.

When they entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom they found Professor Umbridge already seated at the teachers desk, wearing the fluffy pink cardigan of the night before and a black velvet bow on top of her head. Mioha was reminded forcibly of a large fly perched unwisely on top of an even larger toad.
The class was quiet as it entered the room; Professor Umbridge was, as yet, an unknown quantity and nobody knew how strict a disciplinarian she was likely to be.