disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just Arabella. Hope you like it!

The Muggle-Born Registration Commission

Arabella wordlessly handed the fat folder over to Dolores Umbridge. The last time Arabella saw her was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. She burned the right part Umbridge's neck and spit on her face. Arabella took a quick glance at Umbridge's neck and was satisfied to see that her handy work was still there. It was shiny and brown against her neck.

Looking a bit beyond Umbridge, she saw Mafalda Hopkirk and two other tall wizards beside her.

'Well, everything seems to be in order,' said Umbridge, closing the folder and handing it back to Arabella. 'Now, be a dear, and go up to my office and put this on my desk.'

'Right away,' said Arabella, giving her a tight smile.

Panic erupted in the pit of her stomach as she opted to take the stairs instead. She pushed the door to Level One, Minister of Magic and Support Staff, and tried her best to blend it with everyone. Arabella passed many wooden doors with plaques bearing the names of the owner and the occupants.

Their plan almost seemed childish now. They did not even think of the possibility of them all being separated. Hermione was now stuck with Umbridge. Ron was struggling to do magic that was certainly beyond him with a woman's life depending on his outcome. Arabella had no idea where Harry was. And she was stuck being some errand girl for her fake boyfriend, her fake boss, and the toad.

Arabella turned a corner and was emerged into a wide, open space where a dozen wizards and witches sat in rows at small desks. They were all waving and fiddling their wands in unison, and squares of colored paper were flying in every direction. After a few seconds, Arabella finally realized that all the papers were forming in patterns to make pamphlets. They were assembled, folded and magicked into place; fell into neat stacks beside each witch or wizard.

'Jane,' said a witch and Arabella snapped out of her state. It was the same witch that greeted her in the washroom that morning. 'You okay there?'

'Oh, I'm fine,' said Arabella, wishing everyone would stop asking her that. She crept closer to the young witch and examined the pamphlet with a pink cover and a gold title:

MUDBLOODS

And the Dangers They Pose to a Peaceful Pure-Blood Society

Beneath the title was a picture of a red rose with a simpering face in the middle of its petals, being strangled by green weed with fangs and a scowl. There was no author's name on the pamphlet, but Arabella had an idea as to who was behind this.

'Have you seen the old hag today?' the young witch asked her.

'Careful, Turner,' said the wizard beside her.

'Why?' said Turner. 'Does she have magic ears or something now? Come on, Jane, did you see her?'

'Yeah,' said Arabella. 'She's heading downstairs.'

Turner sighed. 'Of course she is. Thanks Jane. You and Burt coming around for dinner tonight?'

'Um… sure,' said Arabella, nervously fiddling with the folder in her hands. 'We'll be there.'

Before Turner could say anything, Arabella quickly walked towards the shiny mahogany door facing the space full of the pamphlet makers.

There was a new found rage that boiled inside of her when she saw a large, round, blue eye that was set into the wood. She immediately recognized it as Alastor Moody's eye. It was not moving and it was gazing blindly upward, frozen.

For a split second, Arabella wasn't there anymore. She was lying on the ground, crying and clutching onto Mad-Eye's lifeless body, repeating over and over again how sorry she was.

There was a small bang behind her and she immediately snapped out of it. She glanced behind her quickly and saw a puddle of pamphlets on the floor with everyone rushing to help pick them up.

Looking back at the door and the eye, there was a plaque underneath it:

DOLORES UMBRIDGE

Senior Undersecretary to the Minister

Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission

Arabella turned the doorknob and stepped into Umbridge's office, closing the door behind her. The room looked exactly like the one Umbridge had at Hogwarts. She quickly frowned at the lace draperies, doilies and dried flowers covering the surfaces.

Behind Mad-Eye's eye, a telescopic attachment enabled Umbridge to spy on the workers on the other side of the door. Arabella looked through it and saw that they were all still at work, picking up the fallen papers, not even bothering to look up at the door. She wrenched the telescope out of the door, leaving a hole behind and pulled the eye out of it. She then placed it in her pocket and looked around the room once again. Her eyes were adjusting in the dark space and she was sure she noticed that familiar dark figure standing behind the desk.

'Harry?' Arabella whispered.

'Arabella?' replied a deep voice. 'Oh, thank god you're okay. Did you find it?'

'No, nothing,' said Arabella. 'Saw Umbridge and Hermione go downstairs. What are you looking at?'

'I found Mr Weasley's file and yours,' Harry replied.

'What file?'

Arabella put the folder on the desk and went around to where Harry was. He quickly handed her two folders while he kept searching the room. She opened the Mr Weasley's.

ARTHUR WEASLEY

BLOOD STATUS:

Pureblood, but with unacceptable pro-Muggle leanings. Known member of the Order of the Phoenix.

FAMILY:

Wife(pureblood), seven children, two youngest at Hogwarts. NB: Youngest son currently at home, seriously ill, Ministry inspectors have confirmed.

SECURITY STATUS:

TRACKED. All movements monitored. Strong likelihood Undesirable No. 1 will contact (has stayed with Weasley family previously)

'Undesirable Number One?' Arabella asked Harry and he pointed at a poster straight-ahead on the wall of himself with the words UNDERSIRABLE NO. 1 across his chest. A little pink note was stuck to it.

'It says 'to be punished',' muttered Harry, not looking at her.

Arabella, angrier than ever, stuffed Mr Weasley's file inside the open drawer and opened the other one.

ARABELLA BLACK

BLOOD STATUS:

Half-Blood with pro-Muggle leanings. Member of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix with many known relatives in as well.

FAMILY:

Deceased mother (half-blood) and father (pureblood). No siblings. Werewolf godfather.

SECURITY STATUE:

UNKNOWN MOVEMENTS. Most likely with Undesirable No. 1.

Arabella quickly shut the folder and put it back in the drawer. She looked at Harry and saw that he was looking at book. She was about to go and ask him what it was when the door to Umbridge's office jiggled and they both frozen.

In a quick haste, the both of them dropped everything and pretended to look natural and not at all frazzled by the newcomer. They put everything back to where it was and made fake conversation when the door opened and Burt Urich walked inside.

'Thank you so much for helping me, Mr –' Arabella said with a fake smile.

'Jane?' said Burt, looking at her and Harry in puzzlement. Harry groaned while Arabella looked surprised.

'Sweetlybun!' said Arabella in a cheery voice. Kill me now. 'What – what are you doing here?'

She had one hand on her wand and the other on her hips as she smiled at her fake boyfriend. Harry looked at Burt Urich with distaste.

'I'm just dropping off some files for Miss Umbridge,' said Burt, looking between her and Harry. 'What are you doing here?'

'What a surprise!' exclaimed Arabella. 'I had to drop something off for her as well!'

'Oh,' said Burt, looking at Harry in puzzlement. 'Both of you?'

'Yes, Mr – er – Runcorn was just helping me,' said Arabella, glancing nervously at Harry and back at Burt with a smile. 'We should get going, right – er – sir?'

'Yes,' said Harry in a rough and deep voice as he pushed past Burt and walked out of the door.

Arabella made to walk past Burt and follow Harry, but Burt grabbed onto her arm.

'Is there something going on between the two of you?' he asked her in a low voice.

'Oh, no!' said Arabella, laughing it off. 'Nothing at all! I have to go now – er – sweetlybuns!'

She quickly peeled Burt's hand off her arm and followed Harry to the empty lifts. Burt Urich looked like he wanted to follow her, but, thankfully, the lifts started to move.

''Sweetlybuns'?' Harry asked, sounding as though he wanted to crackle up at that word.

'If I ever call you or anybody that, please shoot me,' said Arabella in a low voice, refusing to look at him. 'What's the plan now?'

'Leave this place as soon as possible,' he whispered to her. 'We get Ron and Hermione and try again another day.'

When the elevator rattled to a halt at level two, a soaking wet and wild-eyed Ron got in, to their relief.

'M-morning,' he stammered to them as the lift set off again.

'Ron, it's us!' whispered Arabella. 'Arabella and Harry!'

'Blimey!' said Ron. 'I forgot what you two looked like – why isn't Hermione with you?'

'She had to go down to the courtrooms with Umbridge,' said Harry, 'she couldn't refuse, and –'

But before Harry could finish the lift had stopped again. The doors opened and Mr Weasley walked inside, talking to an elderly witch.

'… I quite understand what you're saying, Wakanda, but I'm afraid I cannot be party to –'

Mr Weasley broke off as he noticed Harry. He glared at Harry with dislike as the doors to the lift closed and the five of them rolled downward.

'Hello, Jane,' said Mr Weasley, smiling at her. 'How you feeling? A couple people from my department have also been getting the flu.'

'Oh, I'm fine,' said Arabella nervously, smiling at Mr Weasley.

Mr Weasley turned around to Ron, trying to find the sound of steady dripping coming from his clothes.

'Hello, Reg,' said Mr Weasley. 'Isn't your wife in for questioning today? R – what's happened to you? Why are you so wet?'

'Yaxley's office is raining,' said Ron. He addressed Mr Weasley's shoulder. 'I couldn't stop it, so they've sent me to get Bernie – Pillsworth, I think they said –'

'Yes, a lot of offices have been raining lately,' said Mr Weasley. 'Did you try Meteolojinx Recanto? It worked for Bletchley.'

'Meteolojinx Recanto?' whispered Ron. 'No, I didn't. Thanks, D – I mean, thanks, Arthur.'

The lift doors opened. The old witch left and Ron darted past her out of sight. Arabella and Harry made their way to follow him, but their path was blocked by Percy Weasley, who strode into the lift with his nose buried in some papers he was reading.

Not until the doors had closed shut did Percy realize he was in a lift with his father. He left the lift the moment the doors opened again. For the second time, Arabella and Harry tried to get out, but this time, Mr Weasley grabbed Harry's arm and Arabella had to watch the lift door close again and clank down another floor without her.

'Oh, son of a –'

Arabella cursed very loudly and profoundly, causing several Ministry workers to turn to her. After a couple minutes of wearing, she turned to one small looking Ministry employee that looked as though she didn't want anyone to talk to her.

'Where are the interrogations being held?' Arabella demanded of her, holding on to the employee's shoulders and shaking her.

'De – department of Mysteries,' she stammered out, frightened at Arabella. 'Courtrooms.'

'Thank you!' said Arabella, dashing towards the stairs in a hurry. She pushed through many people and ignored those who yelled at her. She nearly tripped on her own feet running down the stair, but kept going until she reached the black door that marked the entrance to the Department of Mysteries.

Not knowing what to do at this point and not wanting to go through that door, there was a small tap on her right shoulder and Arabella saw no one as she glanced back. That only meant that Harry was there as well.

He grabbed her hand lightly and led her to the left side, which opened onto a flight of stairs down to the court chambers.

Arabella immediately registered the chill that was creeping over her with each step. She felt a sense of misery, futility filling up inside of her, as though she was going to explode…

Dementors.

As she reached the foot of the stairs and turned to the right, there was a dreadful scene in front of her. The dark passage outside the courtrooms was packed with tall, black-hooded figures, their faces completely hidden, their ragged breathing the only sound in the place. The terrified Muggle-borns brought in for questioning sat huddled and shivering on hard wooden benches. Most of them were hiding their faces in their hands. Some were with their families, other by themselves. The Dementors were gliding up and down in front of them.

Arabella knew she could not conjure up a Patronus without risking putting herself and Jane Keeler in danger. So she, with the guide of Harry, moved forward silently, trying to block out the images reeling in her mind.

Kassandra screaming… Arabella's empty eyes… Cedric dying…Sirius disappearing through the veil… Dumbledore lying in front of her, unmoving… Mad-Eye broken…

So Arabella moved forward, trying to act as though she belonged there. She forced herself to think of something happy, anything happy at this point…

Then, quite abruptly, one of the dungeon doors on the left of the corridor flung open and screams echoed out of it.

'No, no, I'm half-blood, I'm half-blood, I tell you! My father was a wizard, he was, look him up, Arkie Alderton, he's a well-known broomstick designer, look him up, I tell you - get your hands off me, get your hands off –'

'This is your final warning,' said Umbridge's soft voice, magically magnified so that it was clear over the man's desperate screams. 'If you struggle, you will be subjected to the Dementor's Kiss.'

The man's screams lessened, but dry sobs echoed through the corridor.

'Take him away,' said Umbridge.

Two Aurors appeared in the doorway of the courtroom with two Dementors following them and the Aurors clutched the upper arms of a wizard who appeared to be fainting.

'Get the next Mudblood, Keeler,' said the Auror, passing by.

Arabella's eyes widened as Umbridge called, 'Next – Mary Cattermole.'

A small woman stood up and she was trembling from head to foot. Hesitantly, Arabella went to her and grabbed her arm, lightly though.

'Sorry,' Arabella said as quietly as she could.

They walked inside the dungeon, shivering as they passed the Dementors. The doors closed to the small interrogating room and they were surrounded by a lot more Dementors. Behind a railing, sat Umbridge, with Yaxley on one side of her and Hermione on the other side. At the foot of the platform was a bright silver cat prowling up and down to protect the prosecutors from the Dementors, not the accused.

'Sit down,' said Umbridge in a soft voice.

Arabella, regretting what she did next, pushed down Mary Cattermole in the single seat in the middle of the floor beneath the raised platform. The moment she sat down, chains clinked out of the arms of the chair and bound her there.

'Thank you, Miss Keeler,' said Umbridge kindly. 'Please, come sit with us.'

Arabella made her way up the stairs to the raised platform and sat next to Hermione. There was a change in temperature as Arabella quietly took one of Hermione's quill as Umbridge began to interrogate Mary Cattermole.

'You are Mary Elizabeth Cattermole?' asked Umbridge.

Mary Cattermole gave a shaky nod.

'Married to Reginald Cattermole of the Magical Maintenance Department?'

Mary Cattermole burst into tears and Arabella quickly snatched up a piece of blank parchment.

'I don't know where he is, he was supposed to meet me here!'

Umbridge ignored her.

'Mother to Maisie, Ellie, and Alfred Cattermole?'

Mary Cattermole sobbed harder than ever.

'They're frightened, they think I might not come back home –'

'Spare us,' spat Yaxley. 'The brats of Mudbloods do not stir our sympathies.'

Mary Cattermole's sobs drowned out Arabella's quick scribbling just as Harry tapped her shoulder. She quickly showed Hermione the small message: Harry's behind us.

Hermione's eyes widened for a brief moment before they both turned back to Mary Cattermole. Umbridge and Yaxley did not notice them.

'A wand was taken from you upon your arrival at the Ministry today, Mrs Cattermole,' Umbridge said. 'Eight and three quarter inches, cherry, unicorn hair core. Do you recognize that description?'

Mary Cattermole nodded, mopping her eyes on her sleeves.

'Could you please tell us from which witch or wizard you took that wand?'

'T-took?' sobbed Mary Cattermole. 'I didn't t-take it from anybody. I b-bought it when I was eleven years old. It – it – it chose me.'

She cried harder than ever.

Umbridge let out a soft girlish laugh that made Arabella almost gag. She leaned forward over the barrier, to better observe Mary, and something gold swung forward too, and dangled: the locket.

Arabella's eyes widened and Hermione let out a little squeak, but Umbridge and Yaxley paid them no mind.

'No,' said Umbridge, 'no, I don't think do, Mrs Cattermole. Wands only choose witches or wizards. You are not a witch. I have your response to the questionnaire that was sent to you here – Mafalda, pass them to me.'

Umbridge held out a small hand. Hermione's hands were shaking with shock. She was fumbling with a pile of documents balanced on a chair beside her before finally taking a bundle of parchment with Mary Cattermole's name on it.

'That's – that's pretty, Dolores,' she said, pointing at the locket.

'What?' snapped Umbridge, glancing down. 'Oh yes – an old family heirloom,' she said, patting the locket. 'The S stands for Selwyn… I am related to the Selwyns… Indeed, there are a few pure-blood families to whom I am not related… A pity,' she continued in a louder voice, flickering through Mary Cattermole's questionnaire, 'that the same cannot be said for you. 'Parents' professions: greengrocers.''

Yaxley laughed mockingly.

Arabella gripped the chair tightly. Her uncle died for that locket and she was using it to solidify her blood pureblood credentials in the wizarding world. How dare she? Arabella had half a mind to take out her wand and –

'Stupefy!'

There was a flash of red light and Umbridge crumped, her forehead hitting the edge of the railing. Mary Cattermole's paper's slid off her lap and onto the floor. Below, the prowling cats vanished. The ice cold air that came along with Dementors hit them straight away. Yaxley, confused, looked around for the source and –'

'Stupefy!'

Yaxley slid to the ground, curled up on the floor.

'Harry!'

'Hermione, if you think I was going to sit here and let her pretend –'

Arabella ignored both of them as she saw the Dementors move away from their corners and gliding towards Mary Cattermole, who was still chained to the chair and let out a terrible scream.

'Expecto Patronum!' yelled Arabella.

A silver dog erupted from her wand and soared towards the Dementors, which fell back and melted into the dark shadows again. The dog's light, much more powerful and warming than the cat's, filled the whole dungeon as it ran around the room.

'Get the Horcrux,' Harry told Hermione.

He grabbed Arabella's hand and they ran down the steps, stuffing the Invisibility Cloak into his bag, and approached Mary Cattermole.

'You?' she whispered to Harry, gazing into his face. 'But – but Reg said you were the one who submitted my name for questioning!'

'Did I?' muttered Harry as they tugged on the chains binding her arms. 'Well, I've had a change of heart. Diffindo!' Nothing happened. 'Arabella, what do we do?'

'Here,' said Arabella. 'Relashio!'

The chains clinked and withdrew into the arms of the chair. Mary Cattermole looked more frightened than before.

'I don't understand,' she whispered.

'Hermione, we have to go,' Arabella urged her. Hermione was duplicating the locket and putting the fake one around Umbridge.

'You're going to leave here with us,' Harry said to Mary Cattermole, pulling her to her feet. 'Go home, grab your children, and get out, get out of the country if you've got to. Disguise yourselves and run. You've seen how it is, you won't get anything like a fair hearing here.'

'But,' said Hermione, 'how are we going to get out of here with all those Dementors outside the door?'

'Patronuses,' said Harry, pointing his wand at Arabella's. The dog slowed and walked, gleaming brightly toward the door. 'As many as we can muster.'

Harry pointed his wand at the door and yelled, 'Expecto patronum!'

A sliver stag joined the dog as they both stood side by side.

'Do yours, Hermione.'

'Expec – Expecto patronum,' said Hermione. Nothing happened.

'It's the only spell she ever has trouble with,' Harry told a completely puzzled Mary Cattermole. 'Bit unfortunate, really… Come on, Hermione…'

'Expecto patronum!'

A silver otter burst from the end of Hermione's wand and joined the others.

'C'mon,' said Harry, and he led Arabella, Hermione and Mary Cattermole to the door.

When the Patronuses glided out of the dungeon there were cries of shock from the people waiting outside. Arabella looked around. The Dementors were falling back on both sides of them, merging into the darkness, scattering before the silver creatures.

'It's been decided that you should all go home and go into hiding with your families,' Harry told the waiting Muggle-borns, who were amazed by the light of the Patronuses and still cowering slightly. 'Go abroad if you can. Just get well away from the Ministry. That's the – er – new official position. Now, if you'll just follow the Patronuses, you'll be able to leave from the Atrium.'

They managed to get up the stone steps without being intercepted, but as they emerged into the Atrium with a silver dog, a stag and an otter soaring alongside it, and twenty or so people, Arabella got the feeling that they just might attract some unwanted attention.

Then the lift clanged to a halt in front of them.

'Reg!' screamed Mary Cattermole, and she threw herself into Ron's arms. 'Runcorn let me out, he attacked Umbridge and Yaxley, and he's told all of us to leave the country, I think we'd better do it, Reg, I really do, let's hurry home and fetch the children and – why are you so wet?'

'Water,' muttered Ron, disengaging himself. 'Harry, they know there are intruders inside the Ministry, something about a hole in Umbridge's office door, I reckon we've got five minutes if that –'

Hermione's Patronus vanished with a pop as her face turned horror-struck.

'Harry, if we're trapped here –!'

'We won't be if we move fast,' said Harry. He addressed the silent group behind them, who were all staring at him.

'Who's got wands?'

About half of them raised their hands.

'Okay, all of you who haven't got wands need to attach yourself to somebody who has. We'll need to be fast before they stop us. Come on.'

They managed to cram themselves into two lifts. Harry and Arabella's Patronuses stood guard before the golden grilles as they shut and the lifts began to rise.

'Level eight,' said the witch's cool voice, 'Atrium.'

They were in trouble. They knew it at once. The Atrium was full of people moving from fireplace to fireplace, sealing them off.

'Harry!' squeaked Hermione. 'What are we going to –?'

'STOP!' Harry thundered, and the powerful voice of Runcorn echoed thought the Atrium. The wizards sealing the fireplaces froze. 'Follow me,' he whispered to the group of terrified Muggle-borns, who moved forward in a huddle, marshalled by Arabella, Ron and Hermione.

'What's up, Albert?' said some balding wizard who looked nervous.

'This lot need to leave before you seal the exists,' said Harry with authority.

The group pf wizards in front of him looked at one another.

'We've been told to seal all exits and not let anyone –'

'Are you contradicting me?' Harry blustered. 'Would you like me to have your family tree examined, like it had with Dirk Cresswell's?'

'Sorry!' gasped the wizard, backing away. 'I didn't mean nothing, Albert, but I thought… I thought they were in for questioning and…'

'Their blood is pure,' said Harry and his voice echoed through the hall. 'Purer than many of yours, I daresay. Off you go,' he roared to the Muggle-borns, who scurried forward in the fireplaces and began to vanish in pairs. The Ministry wizards hung back, some looking confused, others scared and resentful.

Then this happened.

'Mary!'

Mary Cattermole looked over her shoulder. The real Reg Cattermole, no longer vomiting but pale and washed-out, had just come running out of a lift.

'R-Reg?'

She looked from her husband to Ron, who swore loudly.

The balding wizard gaped, his head turning absurdly from one Red Cattermole to the other.

'Hey – what's going on? What is this?'

'Seal the exit! SEAL IT!'

It was Arabella's time to swear very loudly and very profoundly once again. Yaxley had burst out of another lift and was running toward the group beside the fireplaces, into which all of the Muggle-borns but Mary Cattermole had not vanished. As the balding wizard lifted his wand, Harry raised an enormous fist and punched him, sending him flying through the air.

'He's been helping Muggle-borns escape, Yaxley!' Harry shouted.

The balding wizard's colleagues set up an uproar, under cover of which Ron grabbed Arabella and Mary Cattermole, pulled them into the still open fireplace and disappeared. They spun for a few seconds before shooting up out of a toilet into a cubicle.

Arabella fell face down on her face, placing a hand over her wildly beating heart while Ron was wrestling with Mary Cattermole beside the sinks and Harry and Hermione just appeared.

'Reg, I don't understand –'

'Let go, I'm not your husband, you've got to go home!'

There was a noise in the cubicle behind them. Arabella looked around, getting up quickly.

Yaxley had just appeared.

'LET'S GO!' Harry yelled. He seized Hermione by the hand and Arabella by the arm while she did the same to Ron, who gripped her arm just as tightly, and they turned on the spot.

Arabella was surrounded by darkness and the sensation of compressing bands and she felt so suffocated. Her vision was becoming blurry and she could feel Ron and Harry's grip slipping from her fingers –

And then there was the door to Grimmauld Place, right in front of them with that hideous knocker, but before Arabella could sigh, there was a scream and a flash of purple light. Everything went dark again.

Thank you for reading! Tell me what you think!

The thing Mad-Eye thought her, the stitching part, will be shown in the next chapter. It's going to be completely different from how it is in the books, but I hope you like the way I'm going to go with it. I've been waiting to write that scene for a while and that was a good setting for it. Don't be mad at me for changing it. Please.