Its been a good few years since I've written anything. Hope you enjoy.
Harry was sitting in the train compartment listening to the chatter around him. He'd had a bad summer and was looking forward to going back to Hogwarts. Having gone through a trial for use of magic to defend himself and the frustration of isolation from knowledge of Voldermort's return he was glad to be heading back to school.
They were all disembarking from the train and Harry was looking around for the half giant Hagrid. He taught care of creatures and was the ground keeper of Hogwarts.
"First years this way! Line up here." A woman was shouting over the heads of the other students. Shocked, harry approached her.
"Where's Hagrid?" he asked her.
"I don't know. Move on there please." She answered sharply, pushing Harry aside.
He carried on heading to the horseless carriages, spotting Ron just a head of him. He was about to call out for him when he came face to face with a scaly, skeleton looking horse that was attached to the once horseless carriages.
"Harry? What's wrong?" Ron asked him as he looked around.
"What are these?" he replied, skirting the beast.
"What are what?" Ron asked, craning his neck to look over Harry.
"You can't see them? Attached to the carriage?" Harry asked, feeling uneasy. Ron shrugged, frowning at Harry and continued to the door of the carriage.
"Don't worry, I can see them too." Luna Lovegood said as she glided past Harry. "I've been able to see them since my first year." Harry nodded dumbly and climbed in after her.
Harry was settled at the Feast having eaten his fill; he had been watching Umbridge at the staff table. He'd already explained to Ron and Hermione about that woman being at his hearing. Hagrid was present at the staff table and he figured he must still have been out on the mission Dumbldore had set him.
Dumbldore had just stood up and the hall went quiet; he once again outlined the rules about no magic in the corridors and the forbidden forest when Umbridge had called his attention with her girly coughing. She had the proceeded to bore the hall with a lecture about magic teaching and changes to come in Hogwarts. After she had sat down Dumbldore stood once more. Expecting to be dismissed several students were slowly rising.
"I will only keep you a moment longer to tell you about our new security from the Ministry of magic." He announced, encouraging people to re-seat themselves. From the door to the corridor approached several men and women, all dress in muggle clothes; there were seventeen people in total. "These are two teams of the Night Stalker group. The ministry has deemed that they will be guarding this castle night and day. If they catch any student at night or in forbidden places they have permission to hand out punishments. They will be with us for the rest of the year. Gabriel Riddle is in charge, and I hope that there will be no bother towards them from our students." The woman standing at the front, dressed in black jeans and a blood red top had two sheaths either side of her hip which help two long bladed knives. Her black hair was pulled into a plate that hung to her lower back, she was extremely pale skinned with intense black eyes. She raised her head to Dumbledore and nodded at him before turning to her team and signalling to the exit.
Once they left the hall erupted into a buzzing frenzy as students talked about why a security team would be needed. Dumbledore bade them all a good night and everyone headed out to their rooms.
Ron and Hermione left to see to the first years while Harry took the short cuts back to the dormitory. Neville told him the password and Harry headed up to bed.
Ron told Harry that the Night stalkers were trained hit men who carried out the more secretive workings of the Ministry.
The next month saw Harry's time at Hogwarts get progressively worse, between people believing the articles in the newspapers about Harry and Umbridge being a bitch he'd had enough. He'd had numerous detentions with umbridge and knew he wasn't the only one receive a certain punishment from her. He'd seen at least seven Griffindors with writing scarred into their hands. At least he could get back on the Quiditch pitch and enjoy himself.
This was their first practise and saw them through very nicely, he had just caught the snitch for the eighth time as was just coming into land when he noticed someone waiting for them on the ground. Harry landed with the rest and slowly approached the woman.
"Hi." She answered softly, as though they were going to take flight from her. "I was wondering if I could have a brief word with Mr Potter, please?"
Harry nodded, told the others he'd see them back at the castle. The woman waited till they had left and then turned to Harry. "My names Gabriel. I was hoping for your help with something."
Harry nodded slowly, feeling very unsure around her. "I've seen the students with the scars." She motioned to Harry's hand which he retracted quickly into his sleeve. "I've spoken to several students about it; I need more to admit to what she's doing...I promise you I can do something about it."
Harry looked at her for a few moments before lowering his head. "Okay. What do you need to know?"
"How's she doing it?" They talked for a good twenty minutes before Gabriel allowed Harry to leave. He felt oddly unsure as to whether he had done the right thing, but knew he could do anything now.
Harry hadn't mentioned anything to Ron or Hermione about Gabriel and didn't see the need until the Friday after when everyone was having dinner. The night Stalkers often ate at a separate table near the staff table. Half of them would eat dinner together and then swap shift with the daytime security, this night however no one was at the table. A lot of the students spent a long time normally craning their necks to watch the team and try to listen into their conversations, so it was well noted when no one was at the table.
It wasn't until half way through dinner that the answer became apparent. The hall doors were flung wide open as three men shot down one side of the hall and three ran down the other. Two people ran to either end of the staff table. All of them held defensive stances with their wands drawn. The rest of the group walked slowly down the middle, two standing guard of the door. Gabriel walked casually to the front of the staff table, a piece of rolled parchment clutched in her hand.
Two more of her team stopped behind her while the remaining four spread out along the table. Gabriel stepped upon the platform the staff table was upon and stood across from Umbridge. She unrolled the parchment and began reading.
"Doris Umbridge, the council of the Night Stalkers have deemed you be unfit to continue your teaching at the residence of Hogwarts School Witch Craft and Wizardry. We have further more determined that you shall spend one year and three months per following offences: Obtaining a scaring quill, use of a scaring quill, abuse of under age children with previous item."
Gabriel glanced over the document with a slight grin. "Further more you are now removed from you position at the Ministry until a trial is brought to order. Signed and consented by the Minister of Magic Mr Fudge." Gabriel rolled the parchment up and looked down upon the suddenly pale face of Umbridge.
"Do you have anything you wish to say?" She asked. Umbridge launched herself from her chair, over the table and latched onto Gabriel's shoulders. In the blink of an eye Umbridge was on the floor half way across the Hall, with Gabriel crouched in front of her.
"Get this scum out of my sight!" Gabriel growled, standing back to her full height of six foot. The Two standing by the door swept up to Umbridge, grabbed her under her arms and promptly vanished in a flash of black fire, startling the students nearby.
Gabriel brushed a stray hair from her face, turned to face Dumbldore. "My apologises, but we couldn't allow her here any longer, it just had to done straight away. I have however found someone wandering the grounds..." she turned to the doors behind her, extending her hand to someone. "He seems very happy to replace your Defence Teacher."
The hall suddenly erupted into applause as none other than Remus Lupin walked down the middle of the hall to Gabriel. Dumbledore stood to his feet, joined the applause and shouted "Welcome back Professor Lupin."
Gabriel and Lupin shook hands and then both walked in opposite directions; Gabriel leaving the hall with her team behind her, and Lupin into his seat with a fresh plate of food.
The whole Hall were talking about Lupin, Umbridge' arrest and the Night Stalkers. Hermione however could ask only one question. "How did they leave the school with the wards in place?"
So I hope you all enjoyed. Please review, let me know what you think.
Lynds