Argus Filch was not having a good day. Someone had dropped a dungbomb in the defense class. Then someone blew up a toilet. Next was Peeves making a mess in the entry hall and he couldn't find the Bloody Baron to stop him. And lastly he couldn't find Mrs. Norris anywhere. He was sure some horrible student had done something to her. He was now stalking the halls trying to locate her. He got near the swamp those nasty twins had left when he heard her pitiful meows.
"I'm coming Mrs. Norris." Filch called, "Don't you worry none. I'll get you."
He waded into the swamp that he had kept clear of. Who knew what kind of evil thing those twins had put in there. Only a few steps in he tripped on something and fell face first into the muck. He pulled himself out and took a few more steps before he ran into a limb and got a face full of leaves and fell back into the muck. Tripping and falling through the swamp he made his way to the tree his cat had climbed. He finally reached her and pulled her out of the tree as he crooned at her. He went to leave only to fall and drop his cat.
Mrs. Norris streaked out of the swamp and away from the muck howling as she went. The students she passed laughed at the dirty cat and the prints she left behind. However, when something else stumbled out of the swamp after the cat they turned and ran screaming.
Argus stumbled one last time and fell out of the swamp and onto the floor of the hall. He lay there for a moment panting in exhaustion. He pulled himself up and started to try and walk to find a teacher to help him clean up.
"Running is not allowed." Umbridge yelled as the students coming at her.
"Something came out of the swamp." One girl was crying, "A monster of some sort."
Fred and George heard the claim and decided to follow Umbridge quietly to investigate. Umbridge didn't believe the girls but agreed to go look. She huffed and stomped away to see what was happening. As she rounded the corner into the swamp hall she ran right into something squishy. She was ready to give a student detention when she looked up into the face of the monster. A second later she was screaming her head off and running away.
"Wait." The twins hear the voice and quickly identified it as Filch.
A quick look at each other and they pulled their wands one levitated Filch just off the ground and directed him after the screaming woman, the other cleaned the dripping goo. Umbridge reached the end of the hall and looked back to see the monster gaining on her and she renewed her screaming and running. The twins didn't have to do more than jog to keep up with her. But they chased her through several halls and down to the transfiguration room where McGonagall opened her door to shush the noise in the hall.
"What is the meaning ooofff." She was cut off when Umbridge ran into her and knocked her over.
The woman didn't even pause as she ran on. The twins slowed to a walk still levitating the caretaker. Once they reached McGonagall they helped her up.
"Are you ok Professor?" George asked as he pulled her up.
"I think so." She dusted herself off, "What do you have here?"
"We found Filch here falling out of the swamp." Fred explained.
"We thought to find a professor to help clean him off." George added with a grin.
"We were trying to catch Umbridge but she didn't want to help." Fred added.
"Twenty points to Gryffindor for trying to help someone for a change." McGonagall swished her wand and freed the caretaker from the muck.
Meanwhile Umbridge was still running through the hall screeching about a swamp monster being after her. She ran into Fudge, Auror Dawlish and Poppy Pomfrey. They heard head yells and pulled their wands to help. Fred and George walked around the corner with a book in hand chatting.
"Tell them." Umbridge yelled at them, "Tell them what was chasing me."
"We didn't see anything." Fred shrugged, "She ran past us screaming but there wasn't anything behind her."
"Dolores, are you feeling well?" Fudge asked.
"I'm am perfectly fine." She hissed, "There was a monster in that swamp and it was chasing me. I'll show you. There's muck all over the floor."
The four of them walked over the spotlessly clean floor back to the swamp. Fudge looked at her in undisguised doubt and took in her wild appearance.
"Perhaps I should get a calming draught." Poppy offered.
"No!" Umbridge shouted, "It was right here. I saw it plain as day."
"I think maybe you need a vacation." Fudge sighed, "I think I've put too much work on you asking you to teach and be headmistress. Come now Dolores let's get you someplace calm."
"No, no it was here I tell you." She kept insisting, "They're all in on this. They're trying to get me out of the school. I tell you they're trying to get your job."
"I didn't realize how crazy she was sounding." Dawlish whispered to Fudge as Poppy tried to get her to drink a calming draught, "Do you think she's just delusional? "
"I think we may have been too quick to get rid of Dumbledore." Fudge agreed, "I better drop the charges. She's making me look like a fool. Discrediting Dumbledore and Potter was all her idea. I was fine with just ignoring them both."
"Does she have anything on you?" Dawlish asked.
"You know all of it was her idea." Fudge began to list things, "Sending the dementors after the boy, all the articles and even the blood quills were her idea. I shouldn't have approved them but at least it wasn't written down anywhere. I should be safe and if I'm safe you are safe. Just remember that as you help question her."
Fudge walked on ahead and didn't see auror Dawlish turn his hair pink for a moment. Returning to the ministry was going to be fun. Amelia would be really pleased with how this mission turned out. Dawlish wouldn't be getting out of that cell he was sleeping in and he may just gain a couple of roommates.
