Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 1 - Cruciatus

Harry Potter writhed in agony as the Cruciatus curse coursed through his system. His teeth clenched, his only rational thought being that of refusing to scream, because dammit, he'd been fighting a battle of wills with Umbridge since the blood quill started, and he wasn't going to lose now.

He, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna and Ginny were being held in Umbridge's office, which used to be Dumbledore's, after having been caught trying to use the Floo to contact Sirius. After the vision he'd had, he was all for charging in, but Hermione was all for verifying that Sirius really was captured.

Unfortunately, Umbridge had caught onto his plans before he could even use the Floo, let alone have a conversation with his godfather. Which is why he was here, mentally screaming in agony as Umbridge used an Unforgiveable on him. Has she lost her mind?

Finally the unrelenting agony stopped, and Harry was able to breathe again. His muscles trembled in relief and his mind filled with fog as he tried to comprehend what was happening. Why did she stop?

Harry heard books clattering to the floor and then felt gentle hands on his face as someone tried to make him wake up. "Mr Potter, can you hear me?"

Ah. Professor McGonagall's voice. She must have walked in, surprised Umbridge into stopping use of the curse, and immediately went to me, in (probably obvious) need of medical help. Harry felt a rush of warmth for his head of house, quickly followed with worry. She had her back to Umbridge.

Harry opened his eyes with difficulty - he really wanted to sleep right now - and mumbled, voice hoarse, "Professor, behind you."

Professor McGonagall's eyes widened and she spun around only for Umbridge's well-placed expelliarmus to steal the Transfiguration professor's wand. Before much longer, she was tied up with Professor Snape and Harry's friends, all of them save Luna behind silencing wards, allowing them to hear what was said without being able to speak themselves.

Flashback

Umbridge had just pointed her wand at Harry, about to use the Unforgivable on him, when Snape stepped forward. "I doubt that this is wise, Headmistress." He sneered at Harry. "He is hardly worth the effort and risk involved, and besides," he nodded to Harry's friends and the inquisitorial squad that were holding them, "you have eyewitnesses."

Umbridge looked at him frostily. "I happen to disagree." With a flick of her wand, she sent a stunning spell at the Potions master. He dodged, but twisted his ankle in the process. With the hindrance, he was unable to avoid the Disarming charm heading his way, and soon his wand was out of his hands. He was quickly tied up with a muttered incarcerous and deposited by Harry's friends.

The Inquisitorial Squad, who were all Slytherins, took offence at that, but before they knew it she had obliviated them and had the house elves take them to their dormitories. Soon Harry's friends were imprisoned just like Snape, all except Luna behind a silencing charm.

Flashback ends

And now McGonagall was stuck there too. It was up to Harry to escape. But how? There wasn't a way out.

His eyes darted around the office, searching for something, anything, that would help him. And his eyes fell on a tattered old hat, stuffed into the top corner of a shelf, out of immediate sight. The words from his first day at Hogwarts rang in his ears. "And Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that."

It was obvious. If he couldn't get out by force ... he'd have to be cunning instead.

In the back of his mind, a plan began to form.

Professor Snape's point of view

Snape watched Harry writhe in pain behind a dispassionate mask, inwardly seething in rage. She had gone too far. She had attacked two teachers, six students, held another six students illegally and was torturing one of them with an Unforgivable. Lily's son, no less. He may hate all that Harry stood for, but he would always protect Lily's son.

But now he had no choice but to sit and watch, unable to do anything.

Then Minerva walked in and he had inwardly been hopeful, but then she went and turned her back to the toad! Snape couldn't help but feel grudging respect for Harry though. The boy had tried to warn Minerva. For him to have regained his wits about him quickly enough to recognise the danger ... well, that wasn't easy. Though he supposed the boy had had enough practice.

Before long, Minerva was just as helpless as he, and he mentally prepared himself for the pain that was sure to be caused to Lily's son soon.

He watched the boy as his eyes darted round looking for an escape. Being in the boys mind this last year had given him insights into the boy's character, and his service to Voldemort had enabled him to recognize the signs. But knowing the boy's changes in expression as he did, he knew when Harry had an idea. Snape followed his line of sight to the sorting hat, and inwardly groaned. Does he think that it will mysteriously fly over to him and give him another magic sword? He internally blinked. Actually, that may be exactly what he thinks. He inwardly groaned. Unfortunately, the same trick doesn't work twice. And I think the Headmaster is too busy to be lending his phoenix to a schoolboy this time.

Snape watched, unable to interfere, as Umbridge turned her wand on Harry and cast the Cruciatus Curse again. Again Harry writhed in agony, but still stubbornly refused to scream. After some minutes it ended, and Harry panted in exhaustion, sweat dripping into his eyes.

"Now Mr Potter, why don't you tell me what you were doing in my office, about to use my Floo?" Umbridge asked in her sickly-sweet voice.

Harry's head was bowed and his face tilted away from Umbridge. Snape would have sworn that for a brief moment, he saw a very Slytherin smirk cross Harry Potter's face, out of Umbridge's sight.

"We were going to warn the ministry." Harry said blandly. "It's going to be attacked, you see. We couldn't find you, so we tried to use your Floo instead. You got back before we could contact anyone, and had us tied up before we could warn you."

Umbridge looked momentarily speechless. Harry's words were delivered with such a note of sincerity. Snape had had no idea Harry was such a good liar.

"I will not have your lies here, Mr Potter! I will have order!"

"I'm not lying, professor. Look, why don't you go and check? None of us are going anywhere. If it turns out no-one is attacking, you can just say you needed some paperwork or something. And if someone is attacking, you can raise the alarm. Being the saviour of the Ministry has got to get you some standing, right?"

Snape was mildly impressed, not that he'd ever admit it. The boy had managed to present it in such a way that it appeared Umbridge would win either way. She had nothing to lose by checking, just in case.

Umbridge herself looked torn. "I will be back in a few moments." She Flooed out to the Ministry atrium.

Time passed.

Snape was bored.

Half an hour later, the fireplace lit up green and Umbridge stumbled through, her hair in disarray. She pointed her wand at Harry, her eyes cold. "How did you know about the attack, Mr Potter?"

Harry said nothing, simply stared at her. Snape almost rolled his eyes. He clearly hadn't thought this far ahead. Typical Gryffindor.

Umbridge moved her wand over to Luna instead. "Do you know why I didn't silence her, Mr Potter?" She didn't wait for a reply. "Because I had a feeling you might be more receptive to your friend's pain than your own, and I felt it would do you good to hear her scream, should you need any, shall we say, encouragement."

Snape saw Harry's eyes go cold in rage. "Don't, Professor, I'll tell you."

Umbridge smiled sweetly. "I'm afraid it's a bit late for that, Mr Potter. You will learn your lesson." She began to speak the first syllables of the Cruciatus curse, when Harry did something utterly stupid.

"Are you blind, Professor, or just plain stupid?" Harry asked with a sneer worthy of a Slytherin on his face. Snape instantly saw what Harry was trying to do - draw Umbridge's ire onto himself to spare his friend.

"I beg your pardon, Mr Potter?" She asked sweetly, her face going a little red in rage.

"Oh, there's no need to beg for my pardon, Professor. I was just asking a question." Snape watched with mild amusement. He had no idea how insulting Potter could be when he was actually trying.

Umbridge pointed her wand at Harry. "What other insulting, rude and disrespectful questions do you have up your sleeve? Something to do with my ancestry perhaps?"

"Actually," Harry began, "I was wondering if all your family looked like fat pink toads, or if that was just you?"

Umbridge remained silent for a beat, her face red in rage, before she yelled out, "Crucio!" with something very close to hatred in her eyes.

Harry writhed in agony, and this time he did scream. Snape concluded that Harry's insults had strengthen her desire to hurt him, so the curse was more powerful as well. He felt absolute hatred for Umbridge. He may not like Harry, but Umbridge was threatening his promise to protect Lily's son.

Harry's torture seemed to go on for ever, but it was only a few minutes. Snape hoped that someone, anyone, would hear the screams and come investigating.

Finally, the Floo turned green, and Amelia Bones stepped through. She took in what was happening for one horrified second. Umbridge was so preoccupied with causing Harry pain that she hadn't even noticed the new arrival. Then Amelia threw herself into action.

Umbridge was wandless and incapacitated before she even realized what was going on, and Snape and McGonagall were free moments after. Harry was cut loose quickly with a carefully aimed Diffindo, and Amelia carefully lowered him to the ground. Harry was shaking from the prolonged exposure to the curse. Amelia conjured a blanket and wrapped it around him. She pulled him to his feet and let Professor McGonagall support him.

"Minerva, take him to the hospital wing and tell Poppy what happened. Don't let her give him anything that will send him to sleep, I need to talk to him." Minerva nodded and led Harry out of the room. Amelia turned to Snape. "Tell me what happened."

"Umbridge caught these six trying to use the Floo in her office and called me for some Veritaserum. I don't have any in stock so she resorted to use of the Cruciatus curse on Mr Potter." Snape sneered. "She then asked Mr Potter why he was attempting to use her Floo and he told her that he believed the Ministry to be under attack. He convinced her to check. She Flooed out, came back half an hour later and asked Mr Potter how he knew of the attack at wandpoint. When Mr Potter refused to answer she threatened Miss Lovegood with the curse. She was about to cast it on Miss Lovegood even though Mr Potter said he'd tell her how he knew, when Mr Potter stopped her from using it on her by deliberately insulting her so Umbridge would curse him instead of Miss Lovegood. Umbridge had done so for several minutes by the time you Flooed in."

Amelia nodded. "Can I assume she incapacitated you after you tried to stop her?"

Snape nodded curtly. "She also obliviated her Inquisitorial Squad of what happened and had the house elves take them to their dormitories."

"Okay. I'll have Umbridge transferred to a holding cell, she'll be tried tomorrow. We have to have her removed from office, she can't be allowed in the school. I'll go and talk to Mr Potter."

With that, she walked away to talk to Harry's friends to talk to them.

Harry's point of view

Harry was shaking as Professor McGonagall led him towards the hospital wing. He was glad that his plan worked, but he couldn't say he was happy about being Umbridge's cursing bag. Still, he hoped Sirius would be all right, if Hermione was right and it was a trap.

If not ... well, maybe the Ministry would question before they ordered his soul sucked out.

"Mr Potter, are you all right?" Professor McGonagall asked quietly.

"I'm fine, Professor." Harry looked up at her and smiled weakly.

When they reached the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey rushed over and fussed over Harry, making him drink several potions in quick succession once Professor McGonagall had explained what had happened.

Not long after he was lying down on what he had come to know as 'his' bed, staring listlessly at the ceiling. Random thoughts swirled around his head, worry for Sirius and questions about what would happen to Umbridge circling inside his head, allowing him no rest.

Lost in thought as he was, he only became aware of his surroundings when Amelia Bones walked in, Madam Pomfrey furiously whispering about just five minutes behind her back.

"Hello, Mr Potter, my name is Amelia Bones. I'd like to ask you about what happened today, if that's okay with you?"

Harry nodded.

"Why don't you start from the beginning then?"

Harry told her everything. How he had a link to Voldemort's mind, how he'd had a vision. His detentions with Umbridge and how he broke into her office. Her using the Cruciatus curse on him.

Once he'd finished, Amelia asked him an important question.

"Would you allow me to question you under Veritaserum in front of the Wizengamot? I won't ask you anything that will reveal your link to Voldemort, that is best kept under wraps, but they won't accept your word any other way."

"If I do, what will happen?" Harry asked.

Amelia steadily held his eyes. "Umbridge will go to Azkaban."

"I will. Under one condition." Harry took a deep breath. "Question me about all my school years. I don't want anyone to call me a liar."

Amelia looked at him and nodded. "Very well then. The trial will be tomorrow. Acting Headmistress McGonagall will Floo you to the Ministry at the correct time. Just wear your school clothes, they will be enough." She stood up and left.

Madam Pomfrey bustled over and handed Harry a potion. "Dreamless sleep." She said. "You'll need it if you are going to be ready for tomorrow."

This is my eighth story. But hey, how hard can finishing all of them be?

Enjoy, Shib. :)