Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all the things. I just write this stuff.

Part of the Year Long Scavenger Hunt on HPFC. (#11 of the 40 pointers) Write about a parent/guardian/responsible adult finding out about Dolorous Umbridge and the blood quill
Also part of the Emotions Challenge on HPFC (emotion: shocked)


Parental Concerns

Harry hadn't been careful enough. He hadn't hidden his hand like he should have over the Christmas holiday if he didn't want this to happen. Well, that's what Sirius kept telling himself, anyway. He was well informed at headquarters of the goings-on at Hogwarts. There was little room for interpretation when he had seen the red marks that had maimed his godson's hand. Oh, that bitch was going to get hers. Sirius would make certain of it.


Dolores carefully arranged her teacups to be in line with her quill and parchment. She was about to write a note on how splendid things were going to the Minister, but she couldn't decide how to begin. Her door creaked slightly and the noise startled her.

"Hello?" she said, picking up her wand. "Is anyone there?"

She looked around as the photographs on her walls began to meow wildly and many of them retreated into their frames. Her heartbeat began to quicken.

A low growl came from behind her office door.

"This isn't funny," she called, her voice shaking slightly. "Reveal yourself this instant."

A bark of laughter came from the same place she had just heard the growl, but somehow this laugh was malevolent. She gripped her wand tighter, but she wasn't prepared for the door slamming into the adjacent wall in her office, a couple of her cat pictures crashing to the floor. Dolores squealed without realizing she was making the sound.

In the doorway stood a ghostly, gaunt figure in tattered prison robes that were filthy with the grime of decades. He was almost transparent, but she knew who it was.

"S-S-Sirius Black," she said, stammering her way through the name. She held forth her wand in a threatening manner.

"No… not really," he said in response, his gray eyes darkening. "I'm just his shadow. I've heard some disturbing things about you, Dolores."

Despite the paleness of her face, Dolores attempted to look unruffled. "I could say the same about you, you vicious monster."

He laughed again, but this time there was no mirth in it, just malice. "But that's why I'm here."

"To t-turn yourself in?"

"No, to send you a reminder of why you won't torment my godson," he said evenly. "I thought, with you being such an important witch, that you wouldn't need one. I was wrong."

"W-what reminder?" she asked, breathing quickly. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm a mass-murderer, you sycophantic bitch," he said, watching her carefully as she stepped back a pace, "and I won't hesitate to blow you to hell if you hurt Harry. If you touch him again, with your quill, your hand or through someone else, I will come to Hogwarts myself and take pleasure in splattering these ugly pink walls with your blood."

A shiver went through Dolores' entire body.

"Call it 'interior decorating'," he said, smiling a cold, cruel smile. "I want you to say it, Dolores. Say that you won't harm Harry ever again."

Dolores thought about shooting a spell at the man, but she was sure it was an illusion, something he had conjured up so that he could speak to her without really being here. She knew that he would never have been able to get far enough into Hogwarts without a disguise, and the transparency of his figure made her certain that he had used a charm to do this. She was still debating when Black said, "I'm growing impatient, Dolores."

A cold wind swept through her hair and past her, sending another chill through her body.

"And I get murderous when I'm impatient."

Dolores slowly put down her wand, holding it at her side. "I promise," she said, her voice shaking. "I do! I promise."

"You know, Dolores," said Black, his eyes glowing, "you must not tell lies."

Dolores screamed as the shadow of a rabid dog flew at her, and through her, into the opposite wall and disappeared. When she looked up over her arms that had went up to cover her face, she looked towards the empty doorway. She put her arms down and smiled a little, then she began to laugh. It wasn't until she smelled smoke that she looked down at her desk to find her 'special' quill burned to a crisp on top of the parchment. The blood-red ink read:

STAY AWAY FROM HARRY
OR YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET IT