As anyone might have expected, dinner in the Great Hall was not a pleasant affair for those who had offended Professor Umbridge earlier in the day. Oleandra had the worst of it; unlike the students from the other Houses, many of the Slytherins were fully aware of Voldemort's return, but they were keeping it to themselves for obvious reasons.
They had heard the news from their parents, who'd used Oleandra as an example to warn them against fraternizing with those they considered impure, but even so… It was an undeniable fact that the Dark Lord had once again failed to kill a child, and the Slytherins couldn't stop themselves from gossiping:
"My father said…"
"Better to avoid her…"
"Traitor…"
"Clearly picked her side, so whatever happens…"
Meanwhile, the students sitting at the neighbouring Ravenclaw table also had some opinions they didn't mind loudly voicing, as if they were gauging Oleandra's reaction to their words.
"They're liars, the both of them."
"The Girl Who Lived? Give me a break."
"I think they just enjoy the attention, honestly."
"Every time something happens, they're always in the thick of it."
The problem was that those who did believe in Voldemort's return were the children of his supporters, while those who didn't were those who were supposed to be aligned with Dumbledore against the Dark Lord. Fudge wasn't the only one to want to stick his head in the stand and ignore reality…
"Don't mind them," said Tracey, patting Oleandra on the shoulder. "We'll always stick by your side. Even though my parents told me to stay as far away as possible from you."
Tracey might not have minded this turn of events, but not all of Oleandra's staunchest allies were as forgiving.
"Perhaps you've forgotten about this while you were having fun playing along with the Boy Who Lived's stories, so allow me to refresh your memory: You-Know-Who's got our parents," Daphne told Oleandra in a low voice. "Mother's been… persuaded into joining his camp, so we have to keep our heads down this year. We have no idea how the Dark Lord will react to the news of your survival. He might not want to spill pure blood if he can help it, but if you continue publicly siding with those three like you've done, we'll definitely be orphans by the end of the year!"
"I know, I know!" said Oleandra helplessly. "But what else was I supposed to say?"
"You were supposed to keep your stupid mouth shut!"
Oleandra clenched her fist, squeezing her bread roll into an unrecognizable paste. What good was power if you couldn't use it to save those you loved? Daphne was right; her family had been taken hostage, so she couldn't keep on like this. She had to do something, but what could she possibly achieve on her own?
"But I still can't understand why so many people refuse to believe Voldemort's back," Oleandra said, unwilling to let the matter lie. "Didn't Harry show up with my body after he escaped? Didn't he explain anything?"
Tracey shook her head.
"The fake Professor Moody whisked Harry away when you arrived back through the Portkey," she explained. "After that, Harry didn't appear again until school was over, and then he was gone again. He never got the chance to explain anything to anyone, so this entire summer, we've been left to imagine what exactly had happened."
"Dumbledore only stated that You-Know-Who was back at the end of year feast," said Daphne tiredly. "He didn't explain what had transpired that night, he only said that this was the time to unite."
Was that why the Ministry, why Fudge was so scared of Dumbledore? He was interpreting Dumbledore's call to action as an attempt to overthrow his government!
When dinner ended, the trio returned to their room in the dormitories, unwilling to do their homework in the common room or the library, where people were free to whisper behind their backs and point their fingers at them.
Unfortunately, Mafalda now shared the Slytherin Trio's room, so it was no longer their little personal haven. And due to being infamous as the Heir of Slytherin, she also shared the trio's unwillingness to show themselves in public. And so, she had followed them straight into their shared room after dinner.
"Come on, let's get this stupid homework over with," said Oleandra, giving the intruder a spiteful look. "I've got patrol every day of the week, and detention tomorrow, so this is the only chance I'll get."
"Did we have homework for History of Magic?" Tracey suddenly said. "I fell asleep in class, so I don't know if we've got any…"
Oleandra and Daphne looked at each other; they were vaguely aware that they had an essay to write for that class, but neither of them had written down the topic.
"Realistically," Oleandra said bluntly. "What would happen to us if we just stopped going to History of Magic class from now on? It's not as if we were going to take the subject to N.E.W.T. level."
"History of Magic is one of the core seven subjects, but since our end-of-year exams will be O.W.L.s instead of the school's regular internal examinations, we don't actually need to pass the course if we don't intend on continuing it next year," said Daphne thoughtfully. "Of course, it's a different story if you fail a ministry examination for a subject that you actually want to pass. Marcus Flint failed all the N.E.W.T. subjects he was aiming for and he had to repeat his seventh year, remember?"
"Oh yeah," said Oleandra glumly. "Can't wait until next year…"
At Hogwarts, there are seven obligatory subjects that have to be taken in years one through five: Astronomy, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, Potioneering and Transfiguration. Starting from year three, students have to choose two electives or more from the following five subjects: Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Muggle Studies and Study of Ancient Runes.
Oleandra and company are currently in their fifth year, which is arguably the most important year academics-wise for a Hogwarts student. At the end of the year, the school's usual internal examinations would be replaced by the O.W.L. examination: a standardized test administered by an independent body sent by the Ministry, the Wizarding Examinations Authority.
Standardized, ooh, spooky.
"Still, you're a prefect, so you should probably do your best no matter what," said Daphne empathetically. "But at least it should be smooth sailing for us next year onwards."
Indeed, in their sixth year and seventh years, students no longer have to obligatorily take the seven core subjects; they have total freedom when it comes to choosing subjects according to their future career plans. In addition, a new class would become available, as long as enough students applied for it: Introduction to Beginner's Alchemy.
Total freedom to pick classes doesn't necessarily mean that students would be accepted into said classes, though. Hogwarts professors teach advanced magic in the sixth and seventh years, and they don't accept everyone.
A student barely passing with an Acceptable grade isn't good enough for some teachers to include them in their N.E.W.T. level classes; some teachers require an Exceeds Expectations grade in their subject, or even an Outstanding grade!