Disclaimer: Checked this morning, still don't own any world famous franchises. Harry Potter not the least.

A/N: Really struggled with parts of this one. Hope you guys like it.

'OvO'

Harry and Fleur yawned in turns as they hid in the broom cabinet in the entry hall "'Arry zis is a terrible plan. 'E cannot possibly be stupid enough to…" a soft thump came from the other side of the door, they pushed it open just enough to see out. Vincent Crabbe partially blocked the door as he lay on the floor with a half-eaten sweet inches from his fingers. Harry shot Fleur a look that made her shake her head gently "'Ow does 'e pass 'is classes?" Harry shrugged and scooted out of the door swinging his invisibility cloak over his shoulders and pulling up the hood "I honestly don't know, maybe his parents donate lots of money." Fleur watched as the obese young man's tie rose up and a thin strip of worked copper appeared out of nowhere, it worked itself into the tie then flowed gently as Harry cast a permanent sticking charm on it.

The door opened wider than she had been holding it and she felt Harry's arms and a silky cloth encompass her. She felt his lips tickle her ear from behind "Let's get to the second-floor bathroom and test it out" he felt her wrap her arms around him backward, they slowly shuffled up to the out of order girls restroom. When they got in and the door closed behind them Harry pulled off the cloak "Okay, so we just listen to the watch?" Fleur pulled out a fancy gold pocket watch and opened the back carefully. Small pieces of clock work wiggled, clicked and rotated, as Harry watched a tiny hollow tube puffed a small cloud of lavender smoke.

Fleur pointed carefully at a small wound spring "Zis is ze spiral torsion spring, ze runes on ze piece in his tie match zis one and should bring sound one way when activated." Harry nodded as they both listened without hearing a thing for a few beats, Harry face palmed and spoke between his fingers "He is passed out in an empty entryway, we won't hear a thing until he wakes up or someone finds him." Fleur shrugged and took Harry's hand to lead him out of the bathroom "Ze watch will glow when it is activating. I am 'ungry."

'OvO'

Harry dearly wished he was as brave as the twins as he sat in DA class. The silence in the air and dry reading material he had finished half way through class was not helping anything, Hermione kept pinching his knee. Unlucky for Harry his latest nod off was noticed "That will be a detention with me Mr. Potter, tonight. After making up the return of a dark lord and marrying a beast I imagine everything else is yawn-worthy." The class gasped at her words every head turning to Harry to watch his reaction, Harry was the only one to see the gloating smile slowly stretch itself across her grotesque face.

Harry grimaced in a way that might be considered a smile if you suffered from facial blindness "I will be there Professor, I am sorry I did not understand the rest of what you said." Umbridge pursed her lips her eyes flaring "I said, Mr. Potter, that creating fanciful tales and cavorting with animals must be affecting your attentiveness." Harry nodded slowly and thoughtfully "As an avid consumer of excrement I imagine you can tell the difference between fact and fiction. And human and inhuman." Hermione's nails dug into his leg. Umbridge gave him a simpering smile fluttering her eyelashes "That comment will cost you a month of detentions Mr. Potter."

Harry smiled back at her, this time genuine "Oh it will be a pleasure. I will be able to tell you all about my wife. We can even trade baking recipes." The class tittered, ruddy color rose in Professor Umbridge's cheeks "I will not waste my evening listening to you natter away about your predilection for beastiality." The entire class looked at Harry, they did not expect him to throw back his head and laugh a deep belly laugh. He slapped his desk a few times making the class jump each time, he finally wiped a tear off his eye and retorted "The only people committing beastiliaty around this castle are the Welsh and whomever you pay to bugger you."

The entire class broke into laughter, even Hermione was covering her face and looking down at her desk. The sound of a wild cat roaring rent the air, Harry barely managed to dodge a beam of light he did not recognize from Umbridge's wand. Laughter turned to screams as the back wall exploded and debris filled the air. Harry dove for his bag, his wand being packed away. As he dug into his bag Hermione leaped from her seat and pulled her wand from behind her ear. He saw another beam cut through the desk he hid behind seconds before it hit him a large mirror like surface appeared in its path deflecting it out the window spraying glass outward. Hermione stood next to him with her wand in hand.

Umbridge snarled "Show you what a pureblood can do…" Her stubby wand swung towards Hermione, Harry frantically dug through his bag and pulled out his wand preparing to shield Hermione. He was too late, he almost gasped as he saw her surrounded in a halo of flying books and other debris. One flew into the path of a green blob shot by Umbridge and disintegrated. Hermione looked at it with clinical interest and started talking as if she was a professor in front of a class. "The average duelist learns a handful of common spells and becomes adept at using them. The average witch or wizard lives their lives using less than one hundred spells, and less than a dozen on an average basis."

Umbridge blasted another book out of the air as she spoke, the binding splitting in two "Here you see a below average student, her repertoire consisting of spells taught in the syllabus. Devoid of curiosity, creativity or a desire for learning. I doubt she is aware of the spell I am using to defend myself, and therefore unable to discern its weakness." Umbridge grasped her wand in both hands and a flash of light filled the room, black tentacles quickly slapped away the books defending Hermione. Without breaking pace she raised her wand and made a quick movement seeming to freeze them in place "Something not taught in Hogwarts, and dark at that. Family spells Professor? No matter, in essence, she summoned energy and shaped it with form and intent. Can anyone guess how I was able to halt the spell?"

Lavender Brown slowly raised her hand from behind a desk near the door "If she gave the spell intent to flail around, did you block her contact with it?" Hermione's eyes flicked towards Lavender and a small tight smile reminiscent of Professor McGonagall graced her features "Close Lavender, I changed the intent around me. She is not in constant contact, nor has she tried to impose intent upon them again. They will fade away as her power drains away with time." The bell rang and heads poked out looking towards the red-faced Professor and the door, Umbridge's mouth twitched but Hermione spoke before she did "Class dismissed."

Harry scrambled to his feet and watched as the class quickly filed out and Hermione stood her ground wand raised, the tentacles withering around her. Umbridge's face was going from red to a sickly white, her eyes had squeezed shut and her hands had fallen to her side. Harry grabbed both of their book bags and backed out of the room Hermione taking two quick side steps and swinging the door shut with a flick of her wand. Harry started following the rest of the class down the hall "Merlin Hermione, thanks for the save." When Harry had not received a response after a few moments he looked around, Hermione leaned against the wall of the classroom a few steps back taking deep steadying breaths and clutching at her chest.

Harry walked back and put a hand on her shoulder making her jump slightly, he pulled back his hand and curled it slightly as if burned then put it back and squeezed gently. "You okay Hermione?" She squeezed her eyes shut "I just attacked a teacher Harry, I am going to be expelled." Tears were forming in her eyes, hanging on her lashes "No you didn't Hermione, you did not fire a single offensive spell." Her head snapped up tears jostled from their perch to fall to the floor "You are right Harry…" Harry rubbed the back of his neck and smirked: "It happens sometimes, we should probably go report this to Dumbledore."

'OvO'

The Gargoyle stood impassively as they knocked poked and prodded "How did you get it to move in the past?" Harry shrugged "It always just kind of did it for me, he does use sweets as passwords." Hermione looked at the Gargoyle and held out a hand ticking off her fingers as she spoke "Sugar Mice, Jelly slug, caramel cobwebs, pumpkin pasty, dragon claws…" she looked like she was deep in thought for a second "pepper imps, fizzing whizbees, acid pop?" The Gargoyle leaped aside. Harry and Hermione looked at each other and shook their heads laughing.

They stepped onto the stairs and waited as they slowly were brought to the door, Harry reached out and used the knocker. The door swung open, Harry saw Dumbledore's backside aimed at them as he had his face submerged in a glowing white liquid. Harry and Hermione rushed forward and pulled the ancient wizards face from the bowl. They watched with concern as he gasped and looked around the room "What…?, Harry? Oh my. I am sorry I was occupied, did I summon you?" Harry shook his head "Are you, okay headmaster? We thought you might be drowning."

Dumbledore looked at them over his spectacles for a moment then swept around his desk and sat in his chair "I can see how it would appear that way, I was simply viewing a past memory. That artifact is called a Pensieve, they are very rare and valuable. They allow you to extract and view memories as if you were there." Dumbledore watched the pair as they took in that information, his experienced eyes picking up the small signs of battle on them. "Now that you know what I was doing, why don't you two tell me why you are covered in debris. If I did not know any better I would think you were fighting on school grounds."

"Yes, sir we were." Harry said, making Dumbledore's eyebrows raise "I mean, Professor Umbridge attacked me. We defended ourselves." Dumbledore looked at them intently for a few beats. Harry felt like he was being x-rayed. "I believe I should see this for myself, would either of you consent to have the memory extracted? I will return it, naturally." Harry nodded and stood up when Hermione put her hand on his arm and stood "Mine will probably be more useful, I was a witness and the main target." Harry nodded slowly "You did have your face covered when she cast her first spell, maybe we should give him both?"

Dumbledore nodded "The more evidence the better" he stood and walked back over to the Pensieve. He put his wand to the side of his head and slowly drew out a smokey silvery strand and placed it into the bowl "As you see the process is painless, all you need to do is concentrate on the memory and not resist the sensation of it being drawn out." Harry stepped over and watched with fascination as his memory of the class was extracted. It was like his recollection if it suddenly got a little fuzzy as if it had happened years ago. Hermione went next, Harry almost laughed at the intense look of concentration on her face but held back.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully then surveyed them for a moment "You two should join me, it will be quicker if I can ask any questions." Harry nodded as did Hermione, they stepped forward and watched Dumbledore place his finger in the bowl his eyes going blank. They looked at each other and shrugged in unison and tentatively put their fingers into the bowl. A dizzying falling sensation made Harry's stomach rise into his throat then suddenly he found himself standing at the back of the Defense Against Dark Arts class.

Harry watched with fascination as the scene played out, it was an odd thing to see yourself from outside. He was sloppy about retrieving his wand and really should have been on his feet assisting Hermione he thought. He watched with a small measure of pride as she controlled the battlefield, he had never thought of her as a fighter. But his opinion changed as he watched her calm demeanor, from next to him Hermione whispered "I looked like that?" As Harry nodded absently the memory restarted from a slightly different angle. It started black, Hermione's face being covered, the sounds all the louder. The rest was similar but more detailed than Harry's what had been simply background noise for him was in sharp detail. He could read the titles on the books and see the spittle fly from Umbridge's mouth as she spoke.

When it ended they found themselves standing back in Dumbledores office "Very impressive Miss Granger, a multi-object protective shield. I was under the impression I had invented that one." Hermione blushed and looked at her shoes "You did sir, I found it in twelve uses for dragon's blood. Well, at least you mentioned utilizing a similar spell in your handling of the dragons and I figured out how to do it myself." Dumbledore looked at her, Harry was not sure but he thought he saw a measure of respect that had not been there before "Very well done, I think we can expect great things from you, Miss Granger… I need to borrow these memories. I need a word with Cornelius."

Harry and Hermione nodded as Dumbledore put his hand on the small of their back and guided them to the door of his office "I will return them as soon as I am able, please continue your day normally."

'OvO'

That night at Dinner the Headmaster and Umbridge were missing, rumors spread quickly about her being dragged out of her offices in chains. It seemed to be shared with glee by all of the houses except Slytherin who seemed unusually subdued. Harry headed up to his room hopeful he found Fleur studying on their bed, he plopped down next to her and laid his head in her lap and closed his eyes. The comforting feeling of her fingers running through his hair almost made him pass out when her voice shook him out of it "Want to tell me about what happened?" Harry opened his eyes and looked past the swell of her breasts at her face from beneath, he took a deep breath and tried to speak. He tried really hard to remember specifics then remembered Dumbledore still had his memories "Sorry Fleur, Dumbledore borrowed my memory of it… I can kind of see its shape but… it is like it's not quite there." She ruffled his hair and closed her book laying back.

"Guess I will 'ave to wait till you get it back or we find someone else to tell me" Harry nodded and ran his hand along her side absently. After a few minutes she rolled over and pinned him to the bed locking lips with him, she pulled back and looked into his eyes "Stop zat, it makes it 'ard to concentrate" Harry grinned and started running both his hands up and down her sides "Oh?" she giggled and put all of her weight against him trying to pin his arms but failing. They attacked each other with fingers, hands, and lips trying to tickle and tease.

'OvO'

Dumbledore found himself frustrated in front of the newly minted 'Education counsel' he paced back and forth "You can not possibly give this woman more authority over Hogwarts. You just saw evidence she attacked two students." The minister stood "All I saw was a teacher putting a student through defensive training. It was most impressive, Miss Umbridge must be a most impressive teacher for her students to be so well versed." Dumbledore could not have looked any more surprised if the minister had turned into a crumple-horned snorkack. He raised his hand as if to speak "No Dumbledore, enough of your subversive activities. You have been given far too much latitude, as you have pointed out only you can expel a student. Which is why this counsel has passed educational decree number twenty-four. Miss Umbridge should not have any more trouble with trouble makers should she?"

Dumbledore looked at his hands for a moment then looked up "I suppose not minister, who attends Hogwarts still rests in my hands." Cornelius's cheeks turned red and his lips almost formed a snarl before he calmed himself "For now Dumbledore, there are many concerned parents. We are simply ensuring that you answer to someone." The aged wizard nodded to each member of the counsel Malfoy giving him a small smirk as he turned and walked out the door looking just a little older.

'OvO'

The next morning on the way to breakfast Harry and Fleur saw a group of students around a wall just inside the entrance to the great hall. They whispered and jostled to view something near the front, Fleur quirked an eyebrow at him. Harry pushed his way through the younger years and found himself standing next to Lee Jordan who was reading an official-looking document that hung next to two others. "What are these Lee?" Lee looked at Harry and nodded at him as if to acknowledge his presence then looked back at one of the scrolls "Educational decree twenty-two through twenty-four Harry. First says the Ministry can assign teachers, think that is how we got the toad, second says she is now a 'Grand Inquisitor' whatever that is" He went back to reading the second scroll.

Harry's eyes went to the third "The Hogwarts inquisitor will have supreme authority to punish students…" Harry made his way back to Fleur shaking his head as he did "She attacks students and is given authority to do whatever punishment she wants… couldn't she before?" Fleur shrugged as they made their way towards their table. Harry accidentally bumped someone on his way, he snapped his head around and saw Malfoy brushing himself off "Watch it, Potter, that's fifty points from Gryffindor." Harry looked at Malfoy oddly and chuckled "You are a prefect Malfoy, not a teacher, you can't take house points. It would completely undermine the system." Harry felt a tug on his robe and he looked at Fleur who was pointing at the hour glasses, Gryffindor had been emptied. He looked back at Malfoy who was buffing a silver badge next to his prefect's badge with an 'I' on it.

"Inquisitorial squad, specially requested. My father is a friend of the Inquisitor and one of the Ministers closest confidants. I suggest you respect your betters, Potter." Harry watched him walk away laughing, they made their way to the table and sat down. The twins walked up to the table and sat down. George leaned across "We have something for you, Harry. We were up all night working the wrinkles out, recent developments caused us to expedite development." He pulled out a small two-sided eraser from his bag and handed it to Harry "It is edible, purple side when you start class, pink side when you have been excused." Harry quirked an eyebrow but slipped it into his pocket.

"Malfoy is going to be a nightmare, guess in a way it is a good thing we are out of points" The twins looked at the hour glasses which were all empty except Hufflepuff and Slytherin, Hufflepuff had a hand full and Slytherins was about ready to burst, they shrugged in unison "Never much cared who won or lost. We got to go… got a few more prototypes to work out. Tell us how it works." Harry watched them go, he took a last bite and kissed Fleur on the cheek "Have a good day, I am not that hungry. Better to get it over with." She nodded and squeezed his forearm "see you at dinner, double period potions for the seventh year, then my enchanting tutor during lunch." Harry headed off grateful that he did not have DA again for a few days.

'OvO'

In the few days since the educational degrees, the school had become a battlefield. Every House point in the hour glass was in the Slytherins glass. Students from the other houses walked around in groups to avoid the Inquisitorial Squad. Thankfully the weekend had rolled around, Harry and Fleur decided to pick up some books from the library. Fleur had ducked into a bathroom on the way, Harry waited outside studying the dirt under his nails.

Fleur was straightening her hair in the mirror when she saw a pulsing light from her opened bag. She slowly drew out the watch she had enchanted for Harry, she had completely forgotten about her attempt at eavesdropping. She flipped it open and heard tiny voices fill the bathroom.

'OvO'

"Go away Malfoy, why are you even bothering me when Pansy is ready to climb into your bed?" Fleur heard a derisive chuckle "She is politically useful. But in the looks department, she does not hold a candle to you Greengrass." deep dry guffaws were louder than the words for a moment "... you should be grateful I am considering you as a consort, you should be nice to me. My father controls the government." The sound of a female snorting rang off the bathroom tiles "Your father is a rat that whispers into the ear of power and will never be anything more." The sound of a sharp slap and a female sob made Fleur grasp the sink her knuckles going white. "Crabbe, Goyle hold her…" The rustling of fabric and grunting both male and female filled the air, then a shriek "How dare you touch me!"

'OvO'

Harry absent mindedly hummed to himself as he waited when the door burst open slamming against the wall. Fleur flew out of the door running full tilt her hand held out in front of her as if she was being led somewhere, Harry followed her at full tilt. They went down more and more stairs until they were somewhere in the basement, Harry could hear sounds of distress up ahead. Fleur turned a corner and stopped allowing Harry to catch up with her.

He saw Crabbe and Goyle holding Daphne against a wall, Malfoy was saying something to her he couldn't hear and reaching to grab her chin. She spat in his face and Goyle punched her in the gut making her curl in on herself unable to slump to the ground. Fleur stalked forward flames dancing around her, her wand drawn. With a flick of her wrist, Malfoy flew down the hall like a rag doll and impacted a wall going limp. "She. Never. Gave. You. Permission!" she bit out and she marched forward. Crabbe and Goyle released Daphne who fell to the floor and turned to look at Fleur, Harry quickly fired off two stunners from behind her catching them in the chest sending them to the ground.

Fleur stood over them taking deep wracking breaths, she pulled back her foot and kicked them in the fork a few times each screeching. Harry jogged forward and put a hand on her shoulder and her arms slumped, she turned with tears on her cheeks then went to help Daphne to her feet. Harry stood behind her looking unsure "Miss Greengrass is it? It is okay zey will not 'urt you anymore." Daphne accepted her hand and stood to brush herself off "I could have handled them… but thank you. You two should leave before anyone else sees this." They both looked at her hesitating when she motioned with both hands.

'OvO'

Harry and Fleur sat eating lunch discussing ideas with the twins when they heard the noise around them drop. The Greengrass sisters were walking up to the head table, Daphne sported a fresh black eye and Astoria a torn robe. Daphne stopped a few feet in front of Dumbledore, Snape stood "What is the meaning of this? Sit down." From Harry's seat at the front of the Gryffindor table he could just make out her eyes as she looked up, Ice blue rimmed with red. The look she gave Snape was scathing "You are no longer my head of house, you have failed me, my sister, and this school." She reached up and ripped off her green tie with an audible sound of tearing cloth, she tossed it onto the ground in front of her and spit on it. Her younger sister carefully untied hers and threw it along her sisters.

Umbridge cleared her throat "Young lady, you have no choice. You are of Slytherin house." Astoria slipped her hand into her sisters and her quavering voice was hesitant but clear "No one at Hogwarts is forced into a house they do not want." Daphne tore at her robe then roughly cast a severing charm at the crest exposing a small part of her bra, she threw it along with her tie on the pile. She looked down at her silver piped robes and with a frustrated grunt took them off and threw them onto the ground "I will not be a part of the house of corruption for one second longer." Umbridge leaned forward "I am sorry you feel that way my dear, Slytherin is a proud house. It has a long history of civic service." Daphne snorted "You mean a long history of bribery, murder, and blackmail."

Snape slowly put down his fork "Enough of this farce, you have no choice. The hat chose you to be part of Slytherin house, now I suggest you repair your robes and return to your dorm where we will discuss your behavior." Daphne looked up from the clothing on the ground, her shoulders back and her feet spread, Harry had seen people spoiling for a fight many times in his life; this was not one of those times. It was clear she was terrified, clear she did not want this fight, but Harry saw in Daphne something he felt in himself. She had no choice but to stand up for herself, to fight the losing fight no matter the cost, any other choice would break her.

With a shaking hand she drew her wand and held it between two hands, her knuckles going as white as her bloodless face "I do have a choice, and you cannot take it from me." Dumbledore held up his hand and in a calming tone spoke to her "Miss Greengrass, snapping your wand would set you on a path out from the magical world. To be one of us no longer." Daphne's shoulders quivered then straightened as her hands flexed her wand. Dumbledore looked into her eyes for a brief moment and gave her a small nod "Enough miss Greengrass, your request is granted."

Snape stood up "Headmaster, Slytherin is already…" Dumbledore held up his hand "Professor Snape, Hogwarts is here to teach. If it is a choice between losing two students or rehousing them then our path is clear." He turned back to Daphne "I suggest you gather your clothes and put on something…" Umbridge cleared her throat "I am afraid Headmaster that as Grand Inquisitor I have…" Dumbledore's eyes crackled with inner power "No power to assign students house." They glared at each other, a brief battle of wills as Umbridge looked away and stomped out the great hall in a huff. From Harry's position at the head of Gryffindor table, he heard his head of house say "Bet you a bottle of Ogden's where she is going…" Flitwick shook his head at his co-worker's comment "No bet Minerva."

Daphne and Astoria stood in the middle of the uproar as Snape's voice rose only to be drowned out by the crowd of students. When Harry looked around to ask Fleur what she thought he saw her seat empty. As he looked around for her blonde hair in the increasingly agitated room Hermione poked his arm and pointed. He watched as his wife summoned the all black robes she had worn to school, they came flying through the great halls doors and into her outstretched hand. Then she wrapped the garment around Daphne along with her arms.