Dolores Umbridge was on the war path. Harry Potter had not attended her class. Fifth Years happened to be the first class of the day for her, so it had been annoying her ever since. Especially when word got back to her that Potter had been seen during her class in the court yard practicing hitting practice bulgers with various low level defense against the dark arts spells. Practicing spells for her class was against her class objectives. Why such practice might make someone competent enough to bring down the Ministry!

And that Potter ... something had to be done. The mythology built around him made it imperative that he be knocked down. As a baby survivor he was not a threat. As a teenager who disagreed with the Ministry, he was. With both him and Dumbledore against the Ministry position ... if it wasn't for the Ministry's control of the Prophet, it would have been unsolvable.

So it was a defiant Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor that strode through the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, down the stairs and into it's Great Hall. The boy was seated in his usual spot, in the middle of the Gryffindor table. As Umbridge stalked towards him, he seemed to be unconcerned about his fate. "Mister Potter, detention in my office tonight," Umbridge said. If he thought that his first detention had been bad ...

Potter looked up at her, calmly. It was somewhat eerie to the professor, who was used to causing the Boy-Who-Lived to respond in anger. "May I ask why?"

"You skipped class today," Professor Umbridge said. It was patently obvious to her that it merited detention. The fact the boy had to ask ...

"Sorry, I'm not taking Defense Against the Dark Arts anymore," Harry said flatly. "I'm sure the Deputy Headmistress corrected your rolls this morning.

"It is a required course, you are expected to attend," Umbridge bristled. Potter was defying her, the Ministry, again. "Unless you are on your death bed, I expect you in class."

"You're teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts to those up to those taking their NEWTs this year, right?" Poter said calmly. Umbridge nodded back at Potter. "Well, there is the problem."

"What problem?" Umbridge said. His even tone was really annoying her. Students were supposed to be intimidated by her position and the Ministry.

"You know last year I was the Triwizard Champion?" Umbridge nodded. "Well, it turns out that winning the tournament out right gives you one NEWT out right, and the right to be tested for your NEWTs at my convenience, one at a time or all at once if I want to. I chose to ask for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Madame Marchbanks was happy to give it to me with an Outstanding. She said I probably qualified for Charms too, so I'm thinking of taking that one around Christmas. Hermione is already making me a study schedule."

Umbridge looked down at the fifth year. "What!" This was totally unexpected.

"So, Professor, I'm done with your course," Harry said with a smile. "In fact, I now have better qualifications to teach the course than you do. Professor Dumbledore thinks that teaching is a good activity for those that defeated Dark Lords to do, so since I surpass you in the subject, and thus the Ministry's requirements, I'm thinking of applying for the job at some point."

Umbridge stood there, paralyzed, as Harry Potter resumed eating. He wanted her job. He wanted her teaching job. Potter wanted her Defense Against the Dark Arts job, the only job that got tenure after teaching one day over one full school year. The life time guaranteed after one year job. Harry James Potter wanted HER JOB!

It took her three hours fuming in the Great Hall to discover that someone had glued her shoes to the floor.