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Zinnia found her days at hogwarts growing increasingly harder, the lessons were longer and the teachers were stricter. Even her favourite ones have told her off for the most miniscule things, however none of that matched the wrath of professor Umbridge. The woman was pure evil, Zinnia had noticed she'd been pulling Harry out of class for detention nearly every lesson for speaking out. Harry's friends had warned him many times to stay out of it but he refused, he was too stubborn for that.

Zinnia trudged down the stairs on a dark night after school. Her eye bags trying hard to remain unseen under her concealer and her mascara smudged on her lower lashline. Her once perfectly done braids had whisps of hair poking out in every which way and her school shirt was wrinkled and hung out of her skirt.

"A toffee for my favourite sister?" Aster appeared in front of her once she had reached to common room, a handful of sweets lying in his palm.

"Will they turn me into a toad or something?" Zinnia tiredly let out, always expecting a prank from her brother.

"A toad? No i dont think so. They may make you terribly ill so you get out of class" he grinned proudly. Zinnia looked to the toffees and looked back at him

"I'm not trying your product" she stated blankly as she pushed past him towards the group of kids with multiple ailments, thanks to Fred and Geroge.

"Oh come on! George said if my new recipe works then he'll sell them" Aster pleaded, scrambling around his sister to get her attention. "Just take some to test, you don't even have to use them I mean you could give them to someone you hate" He grinned as he planted himself in front of the girl.

"Fine i'll take them" she said, placing the toffees in her skirt pocket.

"Fred and Geroge say if I recruit five more testers then I can be a salesman" Aster grinned with pride

"Sounds like a pyramid scheme" Zinnia nodded as she brushed past her brother and dropped into an armchair near the fireplace.

"Long day?" Fay said from the couch opposite her.

"Long life" Zinia replied as she buried her head in her hand.

"If i'm ever rude to you again..." Zinnia's head turned at the sound of Ron's voice as he and Hermione approached the couches.

"I'll know you've gone back to normal" Hermione smiled. Zinnia turned and realised Harry had been sitting silently on the couch, his posture stiff and his head glued to a book. The two had barley talked since the incident where Harry told Zinnia to forget about them. Zinnia's heart broke when she looked at him knowing that he didnt care she was hurting.

"What's wrong with your hand?" Hermione spoke up after staring at the bruised mark on harrys left hand. Zinnia's breath hitched and caught hermione's gaze. Zinnias eyes notioned to the Defence against the Dark Arts book that was sitting on the table. Hermione understood immediately.

"Nothing" harry said as he pulled out his right hand and showed it to the group.

"Come on harry" Zinnia said. His eyes lifted to hers and for that moment that was all they needed. Words weren't exactly their strongpoint but they could always tell a million words with only a glance. Harry shook his head and looked down.

"Keep out of it" he mumbled. Hermione and Ron were taken aback by Harry's coldness to Zinnia, thinking it would have passed by now.

"Fine then, writhe in pain for all I care" she picked up the defence against the dark arts book that was lying on the table and pretended to read it. Hermione picked up Harry's hand and and gasped at the bruisings and scabs on it.

"You've got to tell dumbeldore" Hermione spoke firmly.

"No. Dumbeldore's got enough on his mind right now" he said as he returned his attention to his book. "Anyway I don't want to give Umbridge the satisfaction" he said as his eyes shot momentarity to Zinnia who was secretly listening in.

"Bloody hell Harry, the woman's torturing you. If the parents knew about this..." Ron started.

"Well I haven't got any of those, have I, Ron?" Harry snarked back, the tension in his body becoming more visible by the second.

"Harry, youve got to report this" Hermione broke the silence. Zinia stoped fake reading her book at the silence and watched on in concern. Harry's feet were shifting and his fingers twitching. "It's perfectly simple, you're being..."

"No it's not, Hermione, whatever this is it's not simple" Harry snapped again. "You dont understand"

"Then help us to" Hermione pleaded as Harry shut his book and stormed out of the room. The three left in the room shared a concerned glance.

"That went down well" Zinnia let out in a huff. Hermione's head shot to the girl

"What is going on with you two" she asked abruptly.

"Haven't you heard? Harry wants nothing to do with me," Zinnia lazily chucked the book on the table again and watched it sadly slide to the floor.

"What are you on about?" Ron leaned forward.

"I asked Harry what was going on with us and he said to forget about the whole thing" she said with tight lips, trying not to get too emotional about it. Zinnia had been trying to play it nonchalant but it was increasingly difficult when the person she cares most for in this world won't have anything to do with her.

"Bollocks" Ron said, not believing Harry would ever turn down Zinnia since hes been pining for her for years.

"He made it pretty crystal clear Ron" she sighed as she got up and tried to leave. Hermione grabbed her wrist and sat her back down.

"He's going through a lot right Z, we cant afford to have fighting at the moment. Understood?" she said rather dignified.

"So I should just forgive him for all the shitty things he's doing to me?" Zinnia asked with suspicious eyebrows.

"No, just keep it civil. We need to stick together." Hermione struggled to get out, finding it hard to put into words how much everyone needed each other at the moment. Zinnia reluctantly agreed and slugged back to her room.

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The next morning Zinia arrived in the last ten minutes of breakfast to grab a cup of coffe and see her sister. She received weird looks from her friends as she sat down at the table and poured herself a cup.

"You're up?" Ginny stated, looking at the freshly awake girl in front of her.

"Come on guys I dont sleep in all the time" she laughed to herself as she poured way too much sugar in her mug, to which Hermione winced at.

"I dont think I remember the last time you were at this table before noon" Fred spoke up, shoving his food around on his plate to fit on another slice of toast. Zinnia shook her head before suddenly realising she hasn't been to a breakfast all year. Her thoughts were interrupted by Poppy shouting at her from across the hall as the little girl in yellow robes ran to her.

"Poppy! How is your first year going?" Zinnia asked, feeling a little guilty that she barely had time to talk to her little sister since so much was going on with her life.

"Its great! Im the best broom flyer in my class and I made so many new friends" the girl beamed. "Why are you so busy all the time?"

"I have exams Poppy, never grow up cause it sucks" Zinnia said as she passed a piece of toast to poppy.

"Teenagers are weird" she scrunched her nose

"Just wait till you start liking each other. Ask Zinnia" Geroge spoke up laughing behind his cup of juice. Zinnia threw pastry at his head and told Poppy not to worry about it before the girl skipped off to her group of gossiping friends.

"Shove it, Weasley" Zinnia coldly glared at the laughing twins as Ron shoved a mountain of food in his mouth.

"Do you ever stop eating?" Hermione berraded the boy. Ron scowled with his mouth hanging open

"What im hungry" he defended as Harry slowly approached the table

"Harry" Hermione smiled at his relaxed look. He looked around an met the eyes of everyone, lingering on the sunken face of Zinnia. Something about him looked different, he seemed to be relaxed for the first time this year. Zinnia shared a smile with him and he mouthed 'sorry' to her. She was about to reply when the invasive noise of Professor Umbridge echoed across the hall.
"Pardon me Professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?" the voice rang out as everyones hed turned and quickly scattered to see where the noise was coming from.

"I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students, you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices" McGonnagall's voice came from the same direction as they all rounded to corner to see the teachers arguing on the stairs. Umbridge no doubt raising her voice to make a spectacle of the moment.

"So silly of me, but it sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom... Minerva" the toad faced woman stated and she took a condescending step to tower over McGonnagall.

"Not at all, Dolores." McGonagall stepped up to meet Ubridge, not backing down from her intimidation. "Meerly your medieval methods"

"I am sorry dear, but to question my actions is to question the ministry, and by extension, the Minister himself. I am a tolerant woman but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty." She finished. Harry turned to Zinnia and they both shared a shocked glance at the sight before them.

"Disloyalty." McGonnagall repeated with disdain as she took a step back down the stairs.

"Things at Hogwarts are far worse han i feared, Cornelius will want to take immediate action" she addressed the crowd. Everyone shared looks at each other as the teachers parted, knowing the hell that was to come from Umbridges power.

The following days were harder than ever. Umbridge was drunk with power after being appointed 'high inquisitor' at Hogwarts. Rules were tightened and displayed in abundance over the entrance of the Great hall.

She hungrily sought to investigate every teacher with demeaning questions and basically banned all fun from the school grounds. She once saw doodling in a study period and proceeded to burn all her spare parchment as punishment.

Robbie and Zinnia attempted many a times to remove the ridiculous amount of rules hammered to the wall but always ended up with nasty sores on their hands, no doubt a very well executed charm. However it seemed that the rigorous upkeep of the school actually brought the students together again, not the uptight slytherin's of course who quickly became her favourites.

As the students wondered the hall exiting their class, Harry ran from the group to catch up with Cho. Hermione and Ron sadly looked at Zinnia next to them but she ignored their pity, her eyes locked on the two walking so close together. Rather she simply followed the herd of students to the courtyard where Professor Trelawny stoof with her bags at her feet.

Filch retrieved to rest of her bags as the students made a clearing for Umbridge to proudly waltz in. Trelawny moved forward rather clumsily to the professor in sorrow, tears already streaming down her cheeks.

"Sixteen years i've lived and taught here. Hogwarts is my home" she choked on her world as the tears kept coming. "You can't do this"

"Actually I can" Umbridge spoke up with a smug grin on her face as she held up some useless ministry paper. Zinnia wanted to punch her in the nose right then and there, it seemed Ron already read her mind and held her arms back.

McGonnagall swooped in through the crowds of students and wrapped the sobbing professor in her arms.

"Something you'd like to say, dear?" Umbridge said with a sickening smile plastered on her face.

"Oh there are several things i would like to say" she replied still holding Trelawny gently and comforting the poor woman. Just as Zinna felt the urge to break through the crowd and knock Ubridge on her sorry arse, Dumbeldore burst through the doors catching the courtyard's attention.

"Professor McGonagall, might i ask you to escort Sybil back inside?" He stated with authority as the the professors scrambled back into the castle with mumbles thank you's from Trelawny

"Dumbeldore, might I remind you that under the terms of Educational Decree number 23 as enacted by the Minister..." she attempted to justify to the Headmaster.

"You have the right to dismiss my teachers, you do not however have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That power remains with the Headmaster" He interrupted the babbling Umbridge with a loud booming voice. Zinnia smirked to herself, she would have preferred to see Umbridge banished but public humiliation was good enough for her.

"For now" the smug woman giggled as she stood her ground. Dumbeldore showed a twinge of fear as he turned to exit the courtyard.

"Don't you all have studying to do" he shouted at everyone as they scattered, harry quickly disappeared from their side and ran after him. Zinnia stood for a moment staring at the now empty courtyard, dread sinking into her chest.

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"Foul, evil gargoyle!" Hermione bursted out once they were all back in the common room. "We're not learning how to defend ourselves, were not learning how to pass our O.W.L's. She's taking ove the entire school!" she finished in a huff

"Like Putin!" Zinnia chimed into the conversation from her position on the couch, with her legs hanging over the top and her head nearly touching the floor.

"Who's putin?" Ron asked with a confused appearance.

"I keep sending you the muggle news Ron, but you never give it the time of day." Zinnia scoffed at her friend as the sound of the radio distracted them all.

"Security has been and will remain the Ministry's top priority." Harry turned up the volume as they all schooched closer. "Futhermore, we have convincing evidence that these disappearances are the work of notorious mass murderer, Sirius Black.

"Ugh turn thst rubbish off" Zinnia said as she sat upright again, her blood rushing from her head making her dizzy.

"Harry!" a soft yell came from the fireplace that made Zinnia jump a little. The group gathered around the fire expectantly.

"Sirius!" Harry rushed forward. "What are you doing here?"

"Answering your letter, you said you were worried about Umbridge. What's she doing, training you to kill half breeds?" Sirius muttered alonsige the crackling of the fire.

"She might as well be" Zinnia chimed.

"Sirius, she's not letting us use magic at all" Harry blurted out.

"Well, i'm not surprised. The latest intelligence is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat" Sirius replied.

"Combat? What does he think, were forming some kind of wizard army?" Ron asked, taken aback by the suggestion.

"That's exactly what he thinks, That dumbeldore is assembling his own forces to take on the Ministry. He's becoming more paranoid by the minute"

"What would Dumbeldore do with a bunch of snotty teenagers?" Zinnia questioned the logic of the speculation.

"The others wouldn't want me telling you this Harry, but things aren't going at all well with the Order. Fudge is blocking the truth at every turn and these disappearances are just how it started before. Voldemort is on the move." He spoke in hushed tones that sent a chill down Zinnia's spine, her heart started beating faster as she took in the seriousness of the issue.

"Well, what can we do?" Harry asked desperately as a door was heard through the fire.

"Someones coming, im sorry I can't be of more help. But for now at least it looks like your're on your own." Sirius stated just before his featured disappeared from the blazing fire. Zinnia held her hand to her mouth, feeling oh so helpless right now as they all gathered around the glass window. The rain pelted down creating shaddows across their faces when the booming lightning struck down.

"He really is out there isn't he?" Hermione said as she was met with the stinging silence of the group. "We've got to be able to defend ourselves, and if Umbridge refuses to teach us how, we need someone who will" she finished as she looked to Harry. He looked around to see everyone staring at him and shook his head.

"No , No way" Harry backed up.

"Come on mate, we all know you're the only one who can do it" Ron stated.

"I dont need any more of this, what makes you think I can do it?" He argued

"Because you're harry" Zinnia spoke softly. Her eyes met his and once again a million words were exchanged, she stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder tenderly. "Come on Potter, we need you... the school needs you" she looked directly at him and he couldnt say no to her because not matter how much he wanted to back out, he would do anything for her.

"Fine. I'm in."

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(A.N - in the wonderful words of Madison Montgomery: "surprise bitch, i bet you thought you'd seen the last of me".

in all seriousness thanks sm for the the love on this book even though i don't update it as much anymore. i have some spare time coming up so i'll probably write more chapters then. )