Disclaimer: I didn't create Harry Potter, nor do I own it, and I'm not making any money from this story.
Warning(s): Some language.
Shououts: Thanks to codla and enchantedlight for reviewing!
A/N: So this is very exciting...despite being so busy, I was really inspired and I've written this chapter, plus Chapter 11. I'll put Chapter 11 up next week, but here's Chapter 10! I had a lot of fun writing this.
Recap:
The new brooms for the rest of the school were nice, but Slytherin would remain on top. For good.
Chapter 10: Due for Some Justice
On the Tuesday following Draco's tryout and the arrival of Mr. Malfoy's gift, Slytherin Quidditch team practiced on their new brooms for the first time.
Well, they tried to.
The Gryffindor team stormed the pitch five minutes into Slytherin's practice schedule.
"I booked the pitch with Hooch!" Oliver Wood shouted to Flint.
Marcus Flint, who had grown at least three inches over the summer, flew down and stood over Wood. "And Slughorn gave me special permission." He drew a piece of parchment out of his pocket and shoved it into Wood's face. "We have a new chaser to train."
"Well we have a new chaser, too."
Ron Weasley pushed to the front of the Gryffindor group, holding one of the Nimbus 2000s that Mr. Malfoy had donated.
"You're really scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren't you Wood," Draco said with a sneer.
"Flint, you better tell your chaser to watch himself," Wood said.
Flint rolled his eyes and said, "No thanks. Now you can go whine to a professor, but we have the pitch." To his team he said, "Get back in the air. Now."
As a parting shot, Draco said to Ron, "Too bad you can't even afford the broom in your hand."
As the Slytherin team flew into the air, they heard Ron yell, "Eat slugs, Malfoy!"
There was a flash of purple light, and then they saw Ron double over on the ground. What followed was one of the most disgusting things Harry had ever seen. A thick, slimy slug slid out of Ron's mouth, and landed with a 'plop' on the grass.
His teammates, including his own brothers, didn't seem very inclined to help him.
Of course, everyone knew what had happened to Ron when he tried to hex Draco in the back. Ron was still in the hospital wing, and according to Fred and George, he had spent nearly an hour belching up slugs.
When Hermione heard what had happened, she wrinkled her nose. "Serves him right, trying to curse someone in the back isn't the Gryffindor thing to do. And he really should get a new wand. Spellotape is not the proper way to mend it."
Although Ron's misfortune provided brief entertainment for most students, they still had to deal with Umbridge. Although she hadn't discovered their tutoring group, she was sticking her nose in places that she didn't belong, and acted in the name of her self-proclaimed duty.
She went to each professor's class and observed their teaching methods, even though each of the other professors made sure to make her feel unwelcome.
The first class she visited was Professor Sprout's second-year , Slytherin and Gryffindor Herbology class.
"And do they touch the plants?" Umbridge asked in her high voice. She held a pad of parchment, and her was holding her self-inking quill at the ready.
"W-why yes," Professor Sprout replied nervously. "That's the only way they'll learn how to deal with them."
Umbridge made a note, and allowed Sprout to continue.
Of course, moments later, she interrupted again a little, 'hem, hem', and said, "Are you telling me that the students actually have to interact with these dangerous things?"
Before Professor Sprout could respond, Neville said, "They're leaping toadstools. The only thing less harmless is grass."
"You should sit down and respect your elders," Umbridge said in a cold voice. "Detention with me for the next week."
Neville sat down, but Harry didn't even have to look at him to tell that his friend was fuming.
The next lesson that Umbridge attended was the fourth-year Transfiguration class. The class ended rather quickly, as the smell of detonated Dungbombs, thanks to a pair of redheaded twins.
To Harry's, Draco's, and Neville's relief, the only other class of theirs that Umbridge visited was Professor Binn's. She had no comments, as she was among the many that were lulled to sleep by his droning.
Another one of the new annoyances in Harry's life was the first-year named Colin Creevey. Even though the more misleading books about Harry had been pulled from the shelves, the factual ones had remained, and Colin followed Harry around spouting all the facts he knew. Plus, the first-year never put down his brand new camera, and was constantly taking pictures of Harry as he passed him in the halls.
Harry knew that he would eventually have to put a stop the hero worship. It was beginning to get a little more than bothersome.
The secret tutoring sessions continued, but the week of Neville's detentions, he was unable to attend.
The night of his last detention, Draco caught sight of his friend's hand.
"Bloody hell!" Draco seized hold of Neville's hand. The words 'I must not be rude' were carved into the top of Neville's hand, just below the knuckles. "That bitch!"
This caught the attention of the other boys in the dormitory, and Harry and Theo came over to look. Crabbe and Goyle just stared dumbly, and then went to back to bed.
"That horrible woman," Theo said in a low voice. "That's the work of a blood quill. We should get him to Madam Pomfrey. She can help."
"And we should report this to Professor Slughorn. Blood quills are illegal," Draco said. He looked at his watch and added, "It's after curfew. We should find Slughorn first."
Harry went to his trunk and dug through it to find the Marauder's Map. "We can use the map," he said. "And let's get Hermione while we're at it."
"At least we now know how to get rid of Umbridge," Neville joked weakly. "Where's Colin when you need him?" Three heads snapped towards him, and he asked, "What did I say?"
"Draco, you take Neville. Get Slughorn, and then go to Madam Pomfrey so she can fix Neville up," Harry said. "Theo and I will take the map and get Hermione and Colin. Don't let Madam Pomfrey do anything until Colin takes plenty of pictures."
They nodded, and then they headed off to take care of business. Draco and Neville headed to Slughorn's office through the internal passageway from the Slytherin common room. Harry and Theo were about to leave the common room when a voice called out for them to stop.
"Where are you two going?" Daphne asked. She was already wearing her pajamas, and her hair was tied in a braid. Pansy stood next to her, and was also wearing her pajamas.
"Taking down Umbridge," Theo said. "She used a blood quill on Neville in her detentions."
Both girls gasped.
When Pansy recovered, she said, "Well we're not going to let you have all the fun. Come on, Daphne."
Both girls rushed back to their dormitory and returned five minutes later, dressed in casual skirts and sweaters.
They were about to leave the common room when a voice asked, "Where do you think you're going?"
Higgs and Bletchley appeared on the stairs that went to the older student's dormitory. Harry quickly explained what happened, and both of the older boys' faces paled. They disappeared back into their dorm, and returned with the Slytherin Quidditch team.
Harry had never seen Flint so angry.
"Let's go," the hulking boy said.
They maneuvered their way to the Gryffindor common room on the seventh floor, managing to avoid all teachers and Filch.
The portrait of the Fat Lady that guarded the lions' common room raised an eyebrow when she saw the large group of Slytherins, but agreed to fetch Hermione and Colin once Harry told her the circumstances.
Hermione and Colin tumbled out of the portrait hole. Both were wearing their pajamas, and Colin had his camera slung around his neck.
The group was about to head to the hospital wing when a Scottish voice said, "What in Merlin's name is going on?"
Professor McGonagall, wearing a tartan dressing gown and holding a lantern, had accosted them.
"We were about to go help a friend, Professor," Harry said.
"When someone hurts a Slytherin, they hurt all of us," Higgs said.
Another quick explanation, this time from Theo, let Professor McGonagall in on what Umbridge had done to Neville.
"I never..." the normally strict Professor said. "Follow me. And twenty points to Slytherin and twenty points to Gryffindor, each."
The group of Slytherins plus two Gryffindors, made their way hospital wing. When they arrived, they ran into an anxious Madam Pomfrey, a furious Professor Sprout, a worried Professor Slughorn, as well as Hannah and Susan.
"We ran into them on the way," Draco explained.
"Hurry up and take your pictures," Madam Pomfrey said. "If I don't treat Mr. Longbottom now, those cuts might scar."
Colin's eyes widened when he saw the livid lines carved into Neville's hand, but he sstill snapped away with his camera.
Once he was done, Madam Pomfrey put Neville's hand into a bowl of Murtlap Essence, tut-tutting the whole time.
McGonagall stepped in and gently took Colin's camera. "Just for safety's sake," she said. She made copies of the film for each head of house, plus Professor Dumbledore, and then returned Colin's camera to him.
Once they had seen the marks on Neville's hand, the older Slytherins were even angrier then they had been, and were calling for retribution.
"I believe that this is something that Fred and George might like to take care of," Professor McGonagall said with an uncharacteristic smirk.
Despite their increased hatred of Umbridge, the student population kept their knowledge of her actions a secret from her. But of course, since Hogwarts is Hogwarts, everyone knew, and everyone that had had a detention with Umbridge had gone to Colin for him to photograph their wounds. Each time, McGonagall made duplicates of the film, just in case.
The only person out of the loop was Umbridge, and she had no clue that the entire student body was planning retribution against her.
Hogsmeade visits became planning sessions, student stocked up on pranking supplies, and even the secret tutoring gatherings became strategy meetings.
The students of Hogwarts were gearing up for war.
Of course, the effort to oust Umbridge wasn't entirely vigilante. Susan helped organize meetings with her Aunt Amelia, and the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement slowly built case against Dolores Umbridge.
They would hit her with everything they had.
A month after her actions towards Neville and other Hogwarts students were discovered, the first acts of vengeance began. They were small, yet satisfying.
Umbridge found frogspawn soap in her bath. Thanks to the Hogwarts' house elves, hiccough sweets found their way into her food and belch powder found its way into her drinks. A nose-biting teacup waited for her on her desk, and a fanged-Frisbee waited for her on her seat.
And that was only the beginning.
The following week, her office was filled with non-exploding, luminous balloons. A permanent color change charm left her entirely pink wardrobe black. Even Filch was in on it, and he gleefully let Mrs. Norris leave her droppings underneath Umbridge's desk.
A month and a half later, Umbridge was a mess, and everyone in Hogwarts was glad to see it.
It wasn't a surprise to anyone when Amelia Bones, accompanied by crimson-robed Aurors, arrived in the Great Hall one afternoon during lunch.
"Dolores Jane Umbridge. You are under arrest for the use of an illegal blood quill on fourteen students of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please surrender your wand and come with us peacefully, or we will use force to bring you into custody."
Umbridge sputtered, and her toad-like face shook as she looked from face to face and found no sympathy. She had no choice but to surrender peacefully, but she cast a furious glare in the direction of the second-year Slytherins as she was escorted from the hall.
The moment the Aurors left, the Great Hall erupted in cheers.
Umbridge was gone, and hopefully for good.
Umbridge's trial was scheduled for late November, and Defense Against the Dark Arts was canceled until Dumbledore could, once again, find a suitable teacher.
But until then, Hogwarts students had something nearly as important to worry about. Quidditch.
The first match of the year had been Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw, with their seeker Cho Chang, had managed to beat Gryffindor, 200-80.
The second match of the year was Slytherin versus Hufflepuff. It was no contest, and even Cedric Diggory was an excellent flyer, he couldn't beat Harry.
It was clear to almost everyone that Slytherin was once again destined to win the Quidditch Cup, and the fact that they were flying on Nimbus 2001s didn't seem to make much of a difference.
Besides Quidditch, Harry and his friends also attended Slughorn's meetings of the Slug Club. Out of the first years, Ginny, Colin, and Luna Lovegood were the new additions. Ginny was invited because of her sorting and her rather strong bat-bogey hex, Colin was invited because of his talent with a camera, and Luna was invited because of her famous potions mistress of a mother and the fact that her father ran the Quibbler.
Harry and Neville were still Slughorn's favorites, but Draco was close second, as the blonde boy always presented him with boxes of crystallized pineapple.
The starting date of Umbridge's trial arrived rather quickly, but Amelia Bones had put together a watertight case. Dolores Umbridge would be going to Azkaban for a very long time.
Because so many Hogwarts students had been asked to be present as witnesses, Professor Dumbledore had simply allowed the winter holidays to begin several weeks in advance.
Harry, Draco, and Neville returned to Malfoy Manor for the early holidays the day before Umbridge's trial. Mrs. Malfoy made sure that their dress robes were ready and their shoes were shined, while Mr. Malfoy prepped them for the scope of the trial.
"It's going to be a media circus, and reporters for most of the major papers and magazines will be there. Always be on your best behavior, as you'll never know who's listening."
"Especially be on the lookout for Rita Skeeter," Mrs. Malfoy said. "And try to get on her good side if you do see her. She can be quite nasty if you make an enemy out of her."
"And don't be afraid to tell the truth," Mr. Malfoy said to Neville. "She'll get her due."
On the day of the trial, Hermione and Colin arrived at Malfoy Manor for breakfast, as they were Muggleborn and their houses weren't connected to the floo, and then the whole group flooed to the Ministry of Magic atrium.
"How disgusting," Hermione said when she saw the Fountain of Magical Brethren.
"That's because it was Umbridge's doing," Mr. Malfoy murmured. "The first thing I'll have done once I have my lordship back is have it torn down."
They proceeded to the lifts and went down to the courtroom. They were early, so there was only a small crowd of reporters to fight through, and they weren't going to answer any questions, at least until after the trial. The boys and Hermione went to the seats designated for witnesses, while Draco's parents sat in the area for spectators.
Over the course of the next hour, more Hogwarts students and their parents arrived, some because they were witnesses, and others because they simply wanted to see the downfall of the horrible woman who had actually been allowed in a school.
Umbridge's trial began at precisely ten o'clock, with Fudge presiding as the judge. Umbridge was led into the courtroom accompanied by two Aurors. She was wearing the gray robes of a prisoner, and her limp hair lacked her trademark bow.
"In the case of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement versus Dolores Jane Umbridge in the case of the possession of a blood quill and the use of said quill on fourteen minor students at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, how does the defendant plea?"
"Not guilty," Umbridge said in her sickly sweet voice.
Fudge and Umbridge both looked like they believed she would get away scot-free. In Fudge's case, she had to, otherwise, his political career would go down with her.
"Very well. Opening statements, please."
Fudge's and Umbridge's hopes died once Amelia Bones presented her opening statement. She managed to present Umbridge for exactly what she was: a vile, slimy toad. By the time she was done, the members of the Wizengamot were angry, but the Hogwarts parents that were present were even angrier.
Umbridge's Ministry-appointed lawyer stuttered over his words when he tried to recover, and it was clear by the time that he was done speaking that Umbridge was done for.
Amelia Bones still went through Colin's pictures and the testimonies of the fourteen students including Neville, as well as the students who played any part in helping Neville that night.
Fudge had to spend ten minutes calling for order, as parents were calling for Umbridge's head. The vote against her was unanimous, as even Fudge had no choice but to vote against her, if only to save face.
Dolores Jane Umbridge was sentenced to life in Azkaban, and her wand was snapped in front of her. She would never be seen or heard from again.
As the Malfoys, Harry, Neville, and Hermione left the courtroom, a witch with jeweled spectacles and an acid green quill scribbled away.
The Christmas holidays were excellent, and Harry once again spent Christmas Day at Potter Manor, talking to his parents' portraits and to Remus. As his parents graves were now on the grounds of Potter Manor, Harry decorated their graves with wreaths of red and white roses.
Even though Neville, the Malfoys, and all of his other friends gave him great presents for Christmas, Remus gave him the best gift of all.
On the mantel next to his parent's portrait, was a portrait of the late Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. Once he woke up, Harry, Lily, James, and Remus filled him in on the past eleven years.
"Time flies when you're dead," Sirius said in a morose tone.
"Cheer up, Sirius," James said. "Besides, the true Marauders are finally together again."
Harry thought it would be a good time to fill his parents and godfather in on all the things the students of Hogwarts had done to Umbridge. By the time he was done, Sirius and James rolling around in his frame. Lily and Remus merely shook their heads at their antics.
It was like old times again.
And that was Chapter 10! I'm SO excited about this fic, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Just in case anyone was wondering, I'm planning on taking this through all seven years, and then (maybe) doing an epilogue. I would love to hear some more feedback, so just hit that button down there and review! Thanks :)