We spent the rest of the month at Headquarters with our friends. Mainly doing a lot of cleaning of the old house. We couldn't have been more excited to head back to Hogwarts. We were always excited but having that moment of doubt that we'd ever return really made us, Harry especially, appreciate it even more. The Order escorted us to The Hogwarts Express. Harry and I walked next to each other while the others surrounded us. Suddenly a small bark echoed from next to us. When we looked down, the all to familiar shaggy black dog was walking beside us. He scampered further ahead of us and we followed.

"Padfoot." Moody scolded. "Are you barking mad? You'll blow the entire operation!"

He walked into an empty waiting room and changed back into himself. Harry and I quickly followed in behind him and shut the door.

"Sirius what are you doing? I'm glad you're here, but if someone sees you..." I said worriedly.

"Well, I had to see you two off, didn't I." Sirius grinned. He really hated being cooped up inside that house. He gestured for us to both come closer and we took a row of seats next to each other. We could see the silhouette of the order members, stationed outside the door. "What's life without a little risk?"

"We don't want to see you get shut back in Azkaban." Harry explained worriedly.

"Oh, don't worry about me. Anyway..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture. "I wanted the two of you to have this."

Harry took the picture as he was right next to Sirius with me on Harry's other side. He unfolded the picture and we both looked at it. It was a large group of people, including our parents, Sirius, Lupin, and Mad Eye Moody.

"Whoa." I held the corner of the picture as I examined it. "What is this? We've never seen this picture before."

"This my dear Olivia, is the Original Order of the Phoenix." Sirius smiled softly as he explained. "Marlene McKinnon. She was killed two weeks after this was taken. Voldemort wiped out her entire family. That's Frank and Alice Longbottom."

"Neville's Mum and Dad?" I gasped.

"They suffered a fate worse than death, if you ask me." Sirius said sadly. "It's been 14 years... and still a day doesn't go by that I don't miss your Dad."

"Do... Do you really think there's going to be a war, Sirius?" Harry asked cautiously. Sirius nodded gently and gave us both a gentle look.

"It feels like it did before." Harry tried to push the photo back into his hands. "No, no, you two keep it." Sirius said kindly. "Anyway, I suppose you're the young ones now."

"I'm going to miss you, Sirius." I sighed.

He gave us both a sad look, knowing he had selfishly wished we would have gotten expelled, for we could have come to live with him then. Sirius stood up to his feet and gave each of us an individual meaningful hug. Harry and I walked through the crowd of students and parents saying their goodbye, to get on the train. The whistle blew it's warning, and smoke filled the air. We continued to walk down and I noticed a man standing still at the end of the aisle. Wearing a black suit and his pale face and bald head staring right right at us. Harry and I both froze seeing Voldemort standing there.

His head twitched and I could hear the whispering of Parseltongue in my own head. When he twitched I felt like I needed to as well.

"Did you..." I whispered.

"Yea." Harry nodded quickly.

I couldn't help the feeling of being crazy that surrounded me. Like I was seeing things. If Harry had said he hadn't of seen it too, I would have absolutely thought so. We got on the train and found the compartment that had Ron and Hermione already inside. They both gave us a sort of sympathetic look and didn't speak. Harry took a seat next to the window on one side, and I did the same on the other. Ron decided to sit next to me as usual, and this time he may much closer. I leaned my head against the window and took a deep breath, letting the cool glass cool me down.

I saw Hermione move next to Harry and she seemed to be making eyes at Ron about something. But I wasn't interested enough to turn and take notice. After the train started moving, I felt Ron's clammy hand land gently on top of mine. I closed my eyes to try and enjoy the usual tingle that occurred, but I just couldn't. I turned and looked at our hands and then up at Ron's blue eyes. He gave me a smile and squeezed my hand. Afraid, that I would snap at him again as I had been doing since we came into contact this summer, I simply moved my hand away and laid back on the window.

The rest of the train ride was silent until we got to Hogwarts. We filed off the train and walked towards the carriages that always took us up to the school. Harry walked up front first, with Hermione and Ron trailing behind him. I felt lost in my own little world as I lagged behind. The overwhelming thoughts of everything had always played through my mind, but for some reason I felt anxious. That was never really something I'd experienced before. Fear, panic, sure, but never anxiety. I suddenly felt someone knock into my shoulder from behind roughly. The cold hand grabbed mine and I felt something slip into it.

"Better pick up the pace, Potter, or you'll get left behind." Draco sneered as he walked by. "Not that anyone would miss you."

I frowned at him and realized Crabbe and Goyle were right with him. His eyes showed differently then his facial expression did. Softer, kinder, the Draco I'd come to be friends with. I glanced at the paper in my hand and stuck it in my jeans pocket for later. The three of them walked faster and past Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"I'm surprised the Ministry is still letting you walk around free, Potter." Draco commented at him. He gave him an obnoxious up and down look of disgust. "You and your sister better enjoy it while you can. I expect there's a cell in Azkaban with your name on it." Harry growled and lunged at Malfoy, making him back away, and Ron grabbed Harry's shoulders. I hurried forward and stepped up next to Harry, in between him and Malfoy. "What'd I tell you? Complete nutter." He scoffed.

"Just stay away from me!" Harry screamed at him.

I gave Draco a deathly glare, and he quickly walked away with his friends. Ron and Hermione gave us both concerned looks, and Ron still held onto Harry's arms.

"It's only Malfoy." Ron told him calmly. "What did you expect?"

Harry shrugged his way out of Ron's grip and continued forward. I jogged up next to him and pat his arm gently. no words were needed to be exchanged. Simply just us, together. We made it to the carriage pick up and in the one that was about to leave, was Cho Chang. She noticed Harry and gave him a pleasant smile, to which he smiled back and relaxed a bit. Which I was glad about. Hermione and Ron finally caught up to us and so did Neville.

"Hi guys." Neville greeted us. He had grown tremendously in the past few months, and he carried a prickly cactus looking plant in his arm.

"Hi, Neville." The four of us greeted him quietly, staring after the carriage.

I felt a sudden breath on my neck and I turned around. A big, black sort of horse looking creature, stood behind us, attached to the carriage. It looked mostly like a skeleton, with large black wings folded against it's side. It eyes a glazed over gray.

"Whoa. Hello, there." I titled my head and reached out gently. The creature placed it's nose into my hand cautiously and I stroked my thumb over it's nose. I smiled and Harry walked up next to me.

"What is it?" He asked, seeing the creature too. Ron and Hermione turned towards us and they both frowned.

"What's what?" Ron asked. He gave me a strange look and pulled my arm down that was reaching out into the air and moved me towards him.

"That. The creature I was just touching." I frowned at him. "It's pulling the carriage."

"Nothing's pulling the carriage, Olivia." Hermione replied to me with a frown of her own, her face filled with concern. "It's pulling itself like always."

"Great. Now I'm even crazier."

I scoffed and walked towards the back of the carriage, trying to cool the anger I felt at them. Harry quickly followed, but his eyes didn't leave the creature. I did notice a single body sitting in the carriage already. She had blonde hair and was reading the Quibbler upside down.

"Don't worry, Olivia. You're not going mad. I can see them, too. You're just as sane as I am."

The girl spoke in a soft voice and moved down the magazine. I gave her a weak smile of thanks. She was a strange girl in our year, placed in Ravenclaw house. Most people called her Looney, because of the things she spoke about but I always liked her quirky nature. She was a bit strange for sure, but I wasn't mean to her like a lot of other kids. We all climbed into the carriage, Harry, Neville and Hermione on one side, Ron, Luna and Myself on the other.

"Everyone this is Loony Love..." Hermione started to say and quickly caught herself, as I shot her a nasty glare. "Luna Lovegood." She introduced quietly. "What an interesting necklace." Hermione pointed out quickly to fill the awkward air.

"It's a charm, actually." Luna smiled as she held the charm in her hands. "It keeps away the Nargles." She bent forward and whispered to us all. "Hungry. I hope there's pudding."

"What's a Nargle?" Ron whispered in my ear. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end in a good way.

"No idea." I whispered back simply.

After arriving back at the castle, and going inside with all the other students, Harry and I received many stares. Considering the events of last year, we were rather used to it. But I really hadn't expected it to roll over into our fifth year. I hardly touched my food and Ron kept trying to get me to eat something, but I just shook my head. Professor Dumbledore approached the podium as he did every year.

"Good evening, children." Dumbledore greeted us and the Great Hall quieted. "Now, we have two changes in staffing this year. We're pleased to welcome back, Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking care of Magical Creatures, while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave." Harry and I looked at each other a bit confused by Dumbledore's announcement. "We also wish to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge." She let out a small giggle that made me realize who she was immediately. "And I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the Professor good luck. As usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you..."

"Ahem." She cleared her throat, interrupting the same way she had during our hearing. Dressed head to toe in god awful pink clothing, the pale toad faced woman got to her feet approaching the podium.

"Harry, that's the woman from our hearing." I whispered across the table to him, also making eye contact with Hermione and Ron. "She works for Fudge." I explained quietly.

"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." Umbridge said. "And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces, smiling up at me." I glanced around noticed not a single person was smiling. "I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends."

"That's likely." Fred and George spoke in unison, placing their hands on their cheeks as though they were bored. Being the only noise in the otherwise silent room, Umbridge heard them, turning her head towards the Gryffindor table with a fake smile.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although, each Headmaster has brought something new to this historic school." Umbridge explained in her obnoxiously high pitched voice. "Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected. And prune practices that ought to be... Prohibited." She whispered much to happily. She nodded her head after giving another small giggle and headed back to her seat.

I frowned at her words and Hermione and I looked at each other knowingly concerned. Professor Dumbledore seemed reluctant, but clapped anyway to be polite, making the rest of the room clap as well.

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge. That really was most illuminating... Now, as I was saying."

"Illuminating?" Ron scoffed quietly beside me. "What a loads of waffles."

"What's it mean?" Harry asked quietly. Hermione and I gave each other a quick glance and back to Harry.

"It means that the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts." Hermione explained grimly.