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Iris was the first awake in her dormitory. She lay for a while watching dust swirl in the chink of sunlight falling through the gap in her four-poster's hangings. Every time her eyes involuntarily blinked closed, her nightmare played on a loop.

It had felt like more than a dream. Maybe a warning of what was to come... some mystical force laughing at her saying 'You thought that was bad? Well, you're really in for it.'

Eventually, Iris decided to just get ready for the day rather than stewing in fear until the others woke up. Judging by the sleepy silence and the freshly minted look of that beam of sunlight, it was just after daybreak. She pulled open the curtains around her bed, got up, and started to dress. The only sound apart from the distant twittering of birds was the slow, deep breathing of her fellow Gryffindors. She grabbed her schoolbag quietly and headed out of the dormitory for the common room.

Iris was the first person to enter the Great Hall that morning and she basked in the silence that came with it. Early sunlight cascaded through the stained glass windows, lighting the room in gold. As Iris sat down at the empty Gryffindor table, a plate appeared in front of her with a light breakfast already prepared. Iris' lips pulled up slightly as she thought of Dobby and Tinky who were in the kitchens and had probably helped to make the meal. She hoped they were doing well.

The brunette reached for her fork and that was when she noticed the relentless quivering of her hand. A shudder ran down her spine as she remembered the sensation of the Cruciatus Curse arcing through her. Iris tried to ignore it and pulled out a book titled Confronting the Faceless to read while she ate. It was a N.E.W.T. level Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook Dumbledore had recommended she read.

Eventually, more students began entering the Great Hall, filling the tables, but Iris was so enraptured by her book that she paid them no attention. At some point, hundreds of plates full of dining options magically appeared across the tables. Iris didn't look up until she heard the familiar voices of Hermione and Ron arguing. They were walking down along the opposite side of the Gryffindor table.

"...I'm not asking you to write all of it for me, just... most of it."

Hermione huffed, "All right; I'll do the introduction— but that's all!"

Ron grinned victoriously, "Hermione you are honestly the most wonderful person I've ever met and if I'm ever rude to you again—"

She laughed, "I'll know you're back to normal."

Harry, who had been walking down the same side of the table where Iris was, sat beside his sister silently. Hermione and Ron sat down opposite the Potter twins, and the three newcomers started piling food onto their golden plates.

"How was detention last night?" Iris asked Harry quietly.

He seized up before quickly trying to play it cool, carefully hiding his left hand from view in his lap under the table. On a normal day, Iris would have immediately noticed the odd behaviour coming from her brother, but she was considerably more distracted than usual that morning.

"Fine," Harry lied, "just lines."

Iris nodded, going back to her book and tuning out her surroundings until a few minutes later, Harry made the mistake of reaching for his drink goblet with his left hand. Some deep intuition had told her to glance up at that exact moment, and her hazel eyes landed right on the back of his hand.

"What's wrong with your hand?" She questioned her brother.

Harry realised his blunder too late, quickly hiding his fist under the table again, "Nothing."

But Iris' steely gaze bore into him, telling Harry she wouldn't accept that answer in the slightest. Harry sighed, very reluctantly holding out his hand.

Ron and Hermione had both stopped talking, all three of them staring at Harry's lacerated hand while he looked uncomfortably at his food. The words 'I must not tell lies' were carved in his own handwriting, making Iris' stomach lurch.

Harry finally pulled his arm back as Hermione spoke, aghast, "You've got to tell Dumbledore."

"No," Harry said firmly, "I mean... Dumbledore's got enough on his mind right now... Anyway, I don't want to give Umbridge the satisfaction."

"Harry, are you insane," Iris hissed, angry at the idea of Umbridge getting away with it.

Ron backed her up, "Bloody hell Harry, the woman's torturing you! If the parents knew about this—!"

"Well, I haven't got any of those, have I, Ron!" Harry snapped and Ron immediately looked guilty. Iris grimaced.

Hermione's voice wavered as she said, "Harry... You've got to report this. It's a simple matter of—" 

Harry cut her off, "No it's not!"

They all stared at him in disbelief. Straining for measured tones, Harry struggled to explain: "Hermione... Whatever's going on here... it isn't simple."

Iris, Ron, and Hermione watch him carefully. Harry shook his head.

"You don't understand."

Iris' brows wrinkled in concern, "Then help us to."

She moved a hand to his shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. Harry looked at her helplessly... then stood abruptly, shaking her hand off his shoulder and quickly leaving the Great Hall. 

Hermione and Ron each shared a look with her. Iris put her head in her hands, groaning angrily, "I hate that woman."

Unfortunately, before the first week of classes was even over, Umbridge had struck again. It was near lunchtime when a commotion was heard outside of the Great Hall doors. Most of the students looked up, wondering what was happening.

"...and once brought to my attention I felt it my duty to speak out."

Umbridge's haughty voice replied in a biting tone of false politeness, "Speak out? I'm afraid I don't understand..."

Professor McGonagall said, "Come now, you must admit such behaviour is irregular, to say the least. Furthermore—"

Umbridge didn't let her finish, "Pardon me Professor, but what exactly are you insinuating...?"

Professor McGonagall replied tightly, "I am 'insinuating' nothing..."

McGonagall and Umbridge were on the marble staircase. McGonagall was clearly uncomfortable with the public nature of the conversation.

She continued, "I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students, you conform to prescribed disciplinary practices..."

Umbridge gave her usual annoying giggle before saying in a cheery voice that masked venom, "So silly of me, but it sounds as though you're questioning my authority in my own classroom..." she took a deliberate step up to a higher stair, "...Minerva."

Professor McGonagall had a matching tone, "Not at all..." she, too, took a step up, naturally looking down at Umbridge due to the pink professor's short stature, "...Dolores. Merely your medieval methods."

Umbridge looked at McGonagall with sadness and pity.

"I am sorry dear... but to question my practices is to question the Ministry— and, by extension, the Minister himself. I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I can't stand for is disloyalty," she said condescendingly.

Professor McGonagall was silent in shock for a moment, muttering in disbelief, "Disloyalty—?"

Iris' jaw tightened angrily. Umbridge had a victorious look on her face as she took another step up, finally turning to address the large crowd of students that had gathered at the base of the stairs throughout the length of their discourse.

She spoke out firmly, "Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action..."

All it took was that single sentence before everything at Hogwarts changed.

Just the next morning Iris and the others were eating breakfast when the daily owls began swooping down from the rafters, news in theirs grasp. A departing delivery owl had barely cleared the top of the milk jug when Hermione let out a huge gasp and flattened the newspaper to reveal a large photograph of Dolores Umbridge, smiling widely and blinking slowly at them from beneath the headline:

EDUCATIONAL DECREE Number Twenty-Three: Dolores Jane Umbridge has been appointed to the post of Hogwarts High Inquisitor.

"'High Inquisitor'?" said Harry darkly, his half-eaten bit of toast slipping from his fingers. "What does that mean?"

Hermione read aloud:

"In a surprise move last night, the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

A second banner headline read: MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM, and, below: "New Era Dawns at Hogwarts." Beside the image of Umbridge was another moving photo, but of Fudge, trailed by a mob of reporters as he strode through the Ministry Atrium.

Hermione read another quote off of the page, "Having already revolutionised the teaching of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dolores Umbridge will, as High Inquisitor, now have powers to address the seriously slipping standards at Hogwarts School—"

The next month went by in a blur, with what seemed like a new Educational Decree being announced every day. And then the inspections began.

"Dream Interpretation..." Professor Trelawney was staring airily into the aether, "...a most important means of divination. For the inner eye sees sights to which the outer world is blind...

She walked into a table, knocking a thick book to the floor. Many of the students in the room stifled their laughs. 

Iris was pulling out her dream diary in a seat beside Harry and Ron at the very back of the shadowy Divination room when Ron elbowed both of the twins in the ribs and, looking round, Iris saw Professor Umbridge emerging through the trapdoor in the floor. The class, which had been talking cheerily, fell silent at once. The abrupt fall in the noise level made Professor Trelawney, who had stooped over to pick up the book, look round. 

Her owlish eyes blinked at Umbridge, "Oh! What are you doing here?"

She answered in her usual twinkly venomous voice, "Oh don't mind me, dear..." she began searching through her bag, "You see— Professor Trelawney, isn't it?— in addition to my teaching duties, the Ministry has asked me to act as an informal observer here at Hogwarts... Cornelius' eyes and ears, as it were..."

Something about how Umbridge said the Minister's name unsettled Iris to her core.

The witch let out a silvery laugh as she produced a clipboard, parchment, and a quill from her large pink bag.

"Nothing whatsoever to worry about of course. Please, do go on. I'm just a fly on the wall..." Umbridge said.

Iris doubted that.

Trelawney hesitated before finally turning back to the class, looking quite offput.

She stuttered out, "Yes. Well—" 

Umbridge cut her off, "Just one question dear. You've been in this post how long exactly?"

Professor Trelawney gaped at her, "Nearly sixteen years."

Umbrigde hummed, "Quite a period... And it was Dumbledore who appointed you?" she asked with an air of distaste.

"He did."

Umbridge made a squeaky note on her clipboard. Trelawney shuffled where she stood, looking unsure. She tried to peek but Umbridge pulled it away, nodding for her to continue class. Trelawney again started to speak, hesitating as she double checked Umbridge before turning back and opening her mouth to address the students.

"—Just one more thing." Umbridge cut in again, "If it isn't too much bother, would you please... predict something for me?"

Trelawney froze. In the risers most of the students shifted uncomfortably. Iris frowned— she could see where this was going.

Trelawney's jaw opened and shut a few times before she muttered out, "Sorry?"

Umbridge stared at the woman, a savage pride in her gaze, "Predict something. Surely you're not surprised I ask. You would have foreseen it— no?"

Harry and Ron were not the only people watching and listening sneakily from behind their books now; most of the class were staring transfixed at Professor Trelawney as she drew herself up to her full height, her beads and bangles clinking.

"The— the Inner Eye does not See upon command!" she said in scandalized tones.

Umbridge looked rather satisfied by that, "Come now, one teensy little prophecy... No? Pity."

She raised her pen to make a note.

"I— but— but... wait!" said Professor Trelawney suddenly, in an attempt at her usual ethereal voice, though the mystical effect was ruined somewhat by the way it was shaking with anger. "I... I think I do see something... something that concerns you... Why, I sense something...something dark... some grave peril..."

Professor Trelawney pointed a shaking finger at Professor Umbridge who continued to smile blandly at her, eyebrows raised.

"I am afraid... I am afraid that you are in grave danger!" Professor Trelawney finished dramatically.

There was a pause. Professor Umbridge's eyebrows were still raised.

"Lovely," she said softly, scribbling on her clipboard once more.

She turned away, leaving Professor Trelawney standing rooted to the spot, her chest heaving. Iris caught Harry's eye and knew that he was thinking exactly the same as she was: They both knew that Professor Trelawney was an old crack, but on the other hand, they loathed Umbridge so much that they felt very much on Trelawney's side.

Slowly, Umbridge made the rounds through all of Iris' classes. 

The Professor tried at every opportunity to make Iris slip up so she could give the second Potter detention, but Iris used all of her willpower to remain as pleasant and perfect of a student as possible to avoid it. It was near impossible, however, to keep Harry from opening his mouth at the wrong times and soon enough, he'd gotten himself another week of detention for snapping in one of Umbridge's classes.

It was early October when Iris finally had the chance to see the Shielded again. Dumbledore discretely arranged for her to floo to their Headquarters on a Hogsmeade weekend when no one would notice her disappearance. Iris sent Harry, Hermione, and Ron along without her, claiming that she had a lot of studying to do. They protested, but soon enough she was on her way, stepping into the green flames of Dumbledore's office fireplace.

Khalee greeted her when she stepped outside the fireplace on the other end. The two brunettes quickly embraced, exchanging greetings, before Khalee led her out of the study and through the winding halls of the manor.

"Rory!" Khalee called out down the hall.

Iris looked over Khalee's shoulder to see she was talking to a girl Iris had never seen before. She was very pretty, probably only a few years older than them, and she smiled brightly when her head turned toward the witches. The girl had been just about to enter a room off of the corridor they were in, but she waited outside until Khalee and Iris approached.

"What's up?" She asked kindly.

"Do you know where Jessica's at? We're supposed to train in a little bit," Khalee said.

Iris didn't know who Jessica was, but she assumed she must be this girl's twin. Iris noticed she was carrying a short stack of spellbook in her arms that looked advanced, and the Potter girl made note to come back later and ask about them.

"Oh yeah, I think she's in the library," Rory answered.

Her eyes then flickered over to Iris, prompting Khalee to say, "Oh! This is Iris." She gestured to said girl then gestured back to the other girl saying, "Iris, this is Aurora."

"Rory," the pretty girl corrected with a smile, "It's nice to finally meet you, Iris."

After that the three parted, and Khalee resumed guiding Iris through the house. A minute later, she stopped at a large double door and turned to Iris.

"Kai's in here. I've got to go now, but I'll see you another time," Khalee smiled a final time before leaving swiftly.

Iris pushed open the doors and entered the room. It was somewhat large, and mostly empty except for two sofas set on either side of the room. Hanging upside down on one of them was Kai, his feet kicked up onto the wall behind the couch while his head hung off the front of the seat cushion. He was reading a book, looking quite bored with it.

Iris closed the door behind her, walking over to him with a smile. He closed the book and set it on the seat but remained upside down, smiling as she got closer.

"Comfortable?" Iris asked jokingly.

"Very," he replied before swinging his legs down and sitting upright.

Kai hopped up off of the sofa pulling his wand out of his back pocket. He gestured for Iris to take hers out as well. She did so with a suspicious look.

"Duel me?" he asked, walking backward toward the far side of the room.

Iris laughed, making her way to the other side as she said cheerily, "It's your funeral. You do know remember I trained with Dumbledore nearly all Summer?"

"You do remember I've lived with Khalee my whole life?" Kai combated with a laugh.

As it turned out, Kai gave Dumbledore a run for his money. The two traded spells back and forth in rapid fires, fighting with marksman precision. Neither one gave the other even a second to breathe, shooting like a game of tug of war until finally, after minutes had passed, Kai overpowered her, summoning a shield of blue light to cover him at just the right moment to catch Iris off guard.

A jab off light hit Iris right in the gut causing her upper body to fold as the wind got knocked out of her. The two laughed as they crashed onto one of the sofas.

"How did you learn how to fight like that? And use your shields so easily?" Iris asked him.

He shrugged, his head turning to look at her, "I've been training to fight for as long as I can remember. Using the shields has just become second nature now."

"How you stop Unforgivable Curses?" Iris asked quietly.

Kai stared at her a moment longer, his eyes piercing deeply into hers, before answering, "You have to have no regrets. You have to want it so deeply that your body does the work for you— that it happens with your every intention."

Iris pulled her legs up underneath her, "And it just... evaporates the spell?'

His brows furrowed. "Well it's not quite that simple. See, they're Unforgivable for a reason, and you can't just go around jumping in front of people and stopping power like that." Kai shifted uncomfortably, "The imperious and cruciatus curses have lighter side effects, but still not great."

Iris had a horrible feeling in her stomach as she hesitantly asked, "...And the killing curse?"

Kai's next words sent a chill down her spine, "Death doesn't like being cheated. You can't just keep a soul marked for death from him without consequences... someone always has to pay the price."

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alright guys, I don't often do this, but I've decided to take requests for things you want me to write in this story! no promises that I'll write all of them in, especially if they don't flow with the future plot, but I really want to know what you guys would like to read more or less of! if you have any scenes or specific characters you want more interaction with let me know in a comment here and I'll do my best to fulfil your ideas/wishes!

I really just want to make this book exciting and enjoyable for you guys so any comments help! let me know if there's anything I can do to make it even better or if there are things I've done or written in the past that you really liked!