10) Dolores Suspects
"What's goin' on?", Jadin asked himself. For whatever reason, there was a large group of students gathered in the main entrance, diverted from their usual trek to the Great Hall.
Educational Decree #24
All unregistered student organizations, associations, clubs, or societies are hereby prohibited. Any regular meeting of three or more students will so constitute such a group, and shall not meet without the express consent of the High Inquisitor. Any student found to be in violation of this Decree shall be expelled from Hogwart's immediately and permanently.
"Does this apply to the Gobstones Club?", one Fifth Year asked no one in particular. As they read the posting tacked to the wall.
"That sure didn't take long", Jadin whispered once he'd located Hermione.
"How did she find out?", she wondered.
"Looks like the Hog's Head wasn't such a swell idea after all", Jadin said. "Someone must've seen something, said something".
"And so it begins", it was Ron joining them.
"Obviously not", she agreed. "I didn't know where else..."
"I knew she was here to get rid of the Professor, to interfere in all our affairs", Ron explained.
"I think we all knew that from the get-go", Jadin reminded.
"Alright! Break it up! Move along!", it was Filch, the caretaker.
"See you after class", she whispered back.
"Ravenclaw or Gryffindor?"
"Gryffindor".
Care of Magical Creatures
Hagrid approached the gathered students assembled outside his cabin, He had a large side of beef slung over a shoulder.
"We doan have minny days leff when we can go inter ter foress. Terday's lessen is on thestrals. Inow mos' uv you woan be ible ter see 'em, but I assure you dare real. So's far's Inow, dere ain innyone cept fer me what's tried ter derrmesticate thestrals. Mebbe yer's heard thah thestrals're dang'rous. Nuttin ferther from ter troof. Thestrals are quy gen'le, smar, en dead useful. Now, if y'all foller me".
The first snow of the season had left a thin covering of powder over the lawn. Today was cold, but the thin sun of the Highlands did lend some warmth, though it was obvious that this would be the last class held outdoors with real, hands-on experience.
Hagrid led the way into a clearing. So far, the snow wasn't able to penetrate to the forest floor. With a soft grunt, Hagrid dropped the side of beef in the middle of the clearing, as the students stood at the fringe of trees.
"Mebbe we get lucky an' one comes aroun", he explained quietly. Be quyan doan spookem. Thestrals're kin'a shy. Ahm hopen dey'll scent ter beef an come".
It wasn't long until the beef moved slightly, a large chunk separated from the main mass, rose in a gentle arc before disappearing in mid air, to soft ohh's and ahh's. It happened again, but from a different direction, so there were probably two there.
"Thestrals mainly feedon carrion kinds lie vultures though dey does p'fer fresh meat, an blood is specully fav'red", Hagrid explained. "Kin innyone tellus why mos'uv yer prolly canna seeum?"
"Miss Hermione?"
"You can't see thestrals until you've seen death", she explained. "Not sure why that is, or how it works, but that's what I've heard".
"Quy rye, an' fi'e pints fer Gryffinderr".
"Oneuv ter t'ings we usemfer is to pull the carriages frum ter station. Been doin thah fer quy a few years now..."
"I can see them", Luna called out. 'I've known all along... you see, Mother died when I was nine. It was an accident... a spell back fired..."
"Ah'm migh'y sorry fer yer loss, Miss Luna".
"I saw them too", Harry spoke up. "First time, this year, but for some reason, not after Cedric died".
"Hit wood seem", Hagrid explained, "thah yer muss 'cept ter loss furss. Thah's wye dere's so much hard feelin's boud thestrals. Seeinim remines us uv them's we los'. Tain't dere faul' though. Dey canna hep what's dey are, yannow..."
"Hem! Hem!" Everyone recognized that fake throat-clearing.
"P'fesser Umbridge", Hargid greeted the interloper. "Whuh bring yer here?"
"Why Professor Hagrid, didn't you get the memo I sent to all the faculty?", she asked in that faux pleasant voice.
"No, Ma'am, I shirly dinna".
"In that case, I'm doing regular inspections of all the faculty. And I must say that I am very disappointed in you, Professor Hagrid. Weren't you warmed about exposing your students to dangerous wildlife?"
"Wid awl due respeck, thestrals arnnah dang'rous..."
"The Ministry of Magic has so classified them as dangerous. It is highly irresponsible of you to be taking chances with the lives and limbs of your students. Wasn't that unfortunate incident with Mr. Malfoy last year lesson enough?"
"Buckbeak was'n dang'rous. Draco dinna foller meh 'structions aboud hippogryphs'n how yer s'posed ter 'proachem".
"Tut, tut, tut, Professor Hagrid, it does you no credit to blame students for your manifest failings. You're supposed to be the responsible adult here?"
"Yes, P'fesser"
"I shall make a note of this incident in my reports to the Ministry. While I'm here, I'd like a word with some of your students".
Hagrid knew he'd accomplish nothing by further argument.
"Shit!", Jadin thought to himself.
"Mr. Weston?", Umbridge asked.
"Yes, Ma'am, I'm Jadin Weston".
"Do you find Professor Hagrid's lessons understandable?"
"Ma'am? I'm not sure I..."
"Tut, tut, Mr. Weston, do you find his manner of speaking difficult to understand?"
"Ma'am, I have no problems understanding the Professor".
"Would you say he's professional?"
"Yes, Ma'am, I would".
"He always comes prepared for his classes?"
"Yes, Ma'am, he comes prepared".
"I see... and would you say you're getting anything out of his class? What has he taught you from the approved Ministry syllabus?"
"Ma'am, Professor Hagrid has his own teaching style, besides, this is more of a hands-on class. You really can't learn..."
"Unprofessional conduct... isn't prepared for class... doesn't have a lesson plan...", she said to herself as she wrote on her clipboard.
"I understand you are a transfer student from America?"
"That's right", he agreed.
"You came to Hogwart's because?"
"A transfer to Father's London offices came with a promotion he earned earlier this year".
"Your father does, what exactly, Mr. Weston?"
"Ma'am, no offense intended, but I am not comfortable discussing my father's..."
"Enough Mr. Weston! Ten points from Ravenclaw for insolence!"
"Ma'am, I apologize if..."
"Not another word Mr. Weston or you will be doing lines for me in detention!"
Jadin knew all about Umbridge's special quill. He doubted that it would work on him as it did on Harry. That would give him away, and if it did, that would be even worse. He'd already seen First Years – little kids – coming from the direction of Umbridge's office with hands bandaged.
She went to question the Slytherin gang, and of course, Malfoy and his friends told the High Inquisitor everything she wanted to hear: Hagrid was unprofessional, unprepared, incomprehensible, and indifferent to the students' welfare.
"What do you think you were doing back there?", Harry accused Jadin as they were returning to the castle.
"I'm not sure I follow?"
"You aren't in any position to be antagonizing Umbridge".
"I wasn't..."
"Yes you were! You disagreed with her!"
"What was I supposed to do? Let her fabricate a bad report for Hagrid?"
"Yes! That's precisely what you should have done!"
"But I like Hagrid"
"He's not your responsibility, he's ours. He would have understood"
"Just doesn't seem right".
"The last person here you need paying you attention is the High Inquisitor! It's hard enough for Professor Dumbledore. We don't need you fucking everything up for the rest of us, and that's what happens if she finds out. Just stop..."
Ravenclaw Common Room
"So how's it goin' out in the boonies?", Jadin asked Impmon.
"Same old, same old. Sometimes, I wished Whatshisname would pull something. Make it a whole helluvalot more interesting".
"I'm not so sure that would be a good idea. How different would it be back home anyway? I'd be off to school during the days, and you'd be hanging out. Not so different, actually".
"I still say we should blow this place. If Whatshisname hasn't pulled anything by now, what's to say he ever will?"
"I don't know, Dumbledore did say something about a security perimeter. He seems to know what this is all about better than we do".
"So he keeps saying, but I'm not seeing any evidence here... I thought I heard someone snooping around the cabin last night. May have been something night before last as well".
"You see who?"
"Who ever it was, they were gone by the time Hagrid went out to look. Didn't find anything either".
"I wonder if that wasn't Malfoy or one of his pals. Anyway, keep an eye out for them".
"Any new developments?"
"Just a meet up with Hermione and some of her friends after classes, and before supper. Maybe I'll see if she knows anything about the Slytherin bunch".
Gryffidor Common Room
There were no more inspections of other classes, and for that, Jadin was grateful. It seemed the latest recipient of the High Inquisitor's ire was the Divination Professor: Sybil Trelawney. He knew her by reputation only. Most of the students considered Divination as waste of time, and Professor Trelawney a phony. However, that wasn't strictly true. Though descended from talented seers, she hadn't inherited much of their abilities. There were other times, though, when she produced valid prophecies. She had no idea what happened during these rare occasions when she zoned out.
Jadin stood before the portrait of the Fat Lady: "Jadin Weston to see Hermione Granger", he announced. To his eyes, it was just a picture of, well, a fat lady. Had he magical ability, he would have seen this portrait, and every other which hung on the walls, move as an animated GIF.
"You may enter", the Fat Lady replied, as the portrait swung aside to reveal the entrance to the common room.
"Thank you", Jadin said as though he'd heard.
He didn't need the paintings to go blabbing. He knew that was a very real possibility. These portraits weren't actually alive, nor did they really possess the consciousness of their subjects. They were more of a Turing test: programmed to act like the real thing. They did, however, spread gossip around the school. It was easy to forget that, at Hogwart's, the walls really did have eyes and ears.
"S'up guys?", Jadin greeted.
All the members of Dumbledore's Army were already there.
"I have an announcement", Harry spoke up, "I found us a place to practice. It was Dobby, actually. There's a hidden room here in the castle. He said it was the 'Room of Requirement'. He discovered it quite by accident when he was looking for a private place for Winky to sleep off another bender. One of the features, is that this room configures itself into whatever form you need it to take on to do what you want to use it for. We can hold our defense practices there, and Umbridge won't know about it".
"Sounds perfect", Ron spoke up, "almost too good to be true".
"It's true, Ron. I've seen it for myself. It's perfect", Harry replied. "Now we have a place we can practice, and the best part is that it doesn't show up on the Map. Chances are that Umbridge has no idea it even exists".
"Dobby? Winky?", some one asked.
"Dobby: he's the house elf I freed from the Malfoys after that Chamber of Secrets clusterfuck. Lucius treated him horribly, and it was he who tried to warn me, even keep me from coming to school, because he knew Lucius was up to something. It was he who slipped Tom Riddle's old diary into Ginny's book bag, though no one could actually prove it, but it was definitely him.
"Dobby was a real pain in the ass at first, but later, we became good friends. After being set free, the Professor hired him on as staff. Dobby and Winky are the only house elves who get paid.
"As for Winky, she was Crouch's house elf. She was given clothes and told she was dismissed after she failed to keep Barty out of trouble. Unlike Dobby, she didn't want freedom, and it was a terrible disgrace for her. Even though the Professor hired her too, she tends to drown her sorrows. A real weakness for Butterbeer, and it has a more powerful effect on house elves. That's why Dobby was taking her to the Room of Requirement".
"We'll be needing a means of covert communication", Hermione explained as she passed out Galleons. "I cast the Protean Charm on these", she explained. "When we arrange a meet-up, they will grow warm in your pockets to alert you to an incoming message. The serial numbers will change to reveal the time of the meet-up. This way, we won't be seen in actual conversation, nor will we all be seen headed in the same direction. No one should be able to figure it out. In case Umbridge asks you to turn out your pockets, these coins will look like common Galleons. Just be careful that you don't accidentally try to spend one at Hogsmeade, as they will register as counterfeits. We all know how the goblins regard counterfeiting. Besides, you don't want to lose them".
Hermione passed out one Galleon to each member of the DA.
"I can't accept that", Jadin said.
"Oh?", Hermione asked.
"It won't work like that for me, in case you've forgotten".
"I keep forgetting", she apologized.
"However, there is a way", he explained as he pulled out his digivice.
He scanned the coin through the card reader: "Digitize!".
"There, that ought to do it", as he handed the Galleon to Hermione.
He checked the drop down menu, and "Galleon" had appeared under the MISC category, under "Marauder's Map".
"I'll never get used to that", Neville confessed. "Muggle technology mixing with magic".
"Better start", Horace reminded, "it was bound to happen sooner or later, and probably sooner, the rate tech is improving".
"So when do we begin?", Zacharias Smith asked.
"Give us a couple of days to set everything up", Neville explained. "Then you'll get the message via your Galleons".
"One final announcement", Hermione said. "The interview with Harry Rita did will be in tomorrow's Quibbler. She wasn't exactly happy about the arrangement, but she's just desperate enough not to force the matter, so it's going to be published".
Slytherin Common Room
"What have you found out?", Draco asked his assembled Inner Circle.
"The big oaf is hiding something", Goyle began. "Caught a glimpse of it. Looked like a house elf..."
"It wasn't one of Hogwart's elves?", Draco asked.
"Definitely not, unless there are purple house elves with tails. That's all I saw, but there was something else".
"Oh?", Draco asked.
"It seemed to be talking..."
"Talking?", Crabbe asked.
"To someone inside the castle".
"Are you sure? Know who?", Draco asked.
"Someone inside, somehow. Don't know who..."
"That Weston kid?", Draco asked.
"That'd be my guess", Goyle agreed.
"I'll find out", Pansy offered. "I know just how to do it".
"Little Miss Question-all and Potty are up to something", Crabbe announced. "Saw 'em sneaking around the Fifth Floor the other day".
"Keep an eye on them; find out as much as you can without getting caught", Draco told him. We may getting close to having something to offer the High Inquisitor, then we'll be rid of the lot of 'em, including Dumbledumbass".
Gryffindor Common Room
"You're seeing way too much of Hermione", Ron followed Jadin out of the common room to confront him. "I don't think the Professor would approve".
"Haven't seen any rings on her finger", Jadin pointed out. "Who I see isn't any business of Dumbledore's, or yours either".
"It wouldn't work out. You're from completely different worlds"
"Really? Then, pray tell, where do half bloods and muggle-borns come from? You are aware that she already has a foot in both worlds. Her parents are muggles, just like mine or Horace's"
"And so are you, or do you keep forgetting?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't mind..."
"Stop. Just stop".
This was the first indication that Jadin had that he'd stepped into a boyfriend/girlfriend situation, and that he was the rival.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
The next morning, everyone was abuzz over the Harry Potter interview. For once, The Quibbler ran a real story; for once, Rita Skeeter practiced real journalism. Harry laid out all the details of what he witnessed in the grave yard, the spell that reincarnated the Dark Lord with a bone from the father, taken unknowingly. The blood of the enemy taken unwillingly, and the flesh of the servant, given freely. The arrival of Death Eaters by apparition, as their Dark Marks burned, heralding the return of their Dark Lord.
Voldemort was less than pleased with his minions. He pointed out that they had done absolutely nothing during these past sixteen years to seek him out. To emphasize his point, Voldemort had killed some of his less useful idiots. Not even Wormtail escaped: Voldemort accused that Wormtail acted out of fear, not love. It was later that Voldemort reluctantly granted Wormtail a gift of appreciation: a silver prosthetic hand to replace the real one he cut off to complete the necessary formula.
As for Lucius Malfoy, he pointed out that he had spent the intervening years wearing the mask of respectability. Indeed, this was true: the Malfoys gave generously to charitable causes, such as contributions to St. Mungo's, Hogwart's alumni associations, any high profile cause that could burnish the Malfoy image from the first rampage of the Dark Lord. Lucius Malfoy had been very successful with this: convincing well placed figures that there was no truth to the rumours of Lucius and the Death Eaters. He was seen often at the offices of the Ministry, and was on a first name basis with the Minister himself.
Harry had testified to Lucius' presence, recalled his speech about feigning respectability, and described how eager Lucius Malfoy had been over the Dark Lord's return to fully physical form.
Harry told of what really happened to Cedric Diggory, who should never have been there in the first place. He would not have been, had not Harry insisted that the two Hogwart's Tri-wizard champions claim the prise together, neither knowing that Barty Crouch had cast the Portus Charm on the Tri-wizard Cup that he'd engineered Harry to claim. Cedric was an inconvenient witness who needed to be silenced. There was no unfortunate accident: Voldemort murdered Cedric in cold blood, and with malice aforethought.
As for Harry, he, too, should have been eliminated. Voldemort intended to do this job himself, completing the task of years before. Now that Voldemort used Harry's blood, he no longer burned at Harry's touch. They had dueled as Death Eaters looked on. For whatever reason, it was not to be: Harry's Expelliarmus neutralized Voldemort's Avada Kadavra. This gave Harry just enough time to escape with Cedric's body via the Tri-wizard Cup/Portkey that returned them to Hogwart's.
Voldemort needed to call in quite a few old markers in order to convince the Minister and the writers of the Daily Prophet that The Boy Who Lived was telling tall tales to cover up his responsibility for Cedric's death, and that he was an attention-seeking liar. Up till now, he'd succeeded. Classmates, like Seamus Finnigan, had begun to believe it.
Now, it had come to naught. The story in the Quibbler rang all too true, and Harry had named names, including prominent ones, as still active Death Eaters. The interview made Harry an unwanted object of curiosity. That wasn't the worst part: students who's lost relatives during the last rampage also became objects of curiosity, and insensitive students opened old wounds.
Students discussed it before class, after class, in the hallways, at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Much to the displeasure of the High Inquisitor, who had insisted repeatedly that there was no truth to the stories, faculty, too, were discussing the interview.
It didn't take even 24 hours: there was a new Educational Decree: Any student caught with The Quibbler would be expelled summarily. This just increased the demand, and copies were passed around, concealed by charms that made it look like class notes. That Xeno insisted that Rita agree to payment on a sliding scale instead of royalties worked in her favour. This issue of The Quibbler was the highest selling edition in the publication's history, and was already in a brisk-selling second run.
Inside and outside the confines of Hogwart's, opinions regarding Harry and the Professor, their integrity and motives, were changing in their favour, and against that of the Ministry.
Great Hall
It was right after lunch. Pansy accosted Jadin.
"What you need", she said as she forced her lips to his, "is a hawwwwt Slytherin girl, not that Gryffindor mudblood". She ran her hands all over his robes. It was too late before he realized she was frisking him, and had discovered his card carrier and digivice.
"Get your paws off!", Hermione demanded as she pulled Pansy off Jadin.
Wands were drawn to calls of: "Cat fight!", from the on-lookers.
Jadin used the distraction to head for the Ravenclaw dorms. Fortunately, he caught up with Horace.
"I know she was looking for something, and I'm pretty sure she found the digivice".
"Not a problem", Horace explained as he cast an Unnoticable Charm over the digivice and card carrier.
Not a moment too soon as one of the house elf message runners entered the dorm with a message that the High Inquisitor requested Jadin's presence in her office immediately.
"Nothing to worry about", Horace gave a thumbs-up.
Jadin knocked: "Come in", the High Inquisitor said.
"You wanted to see me, Professor?", he greeted.
The walls of Umbridge's office were covered with these collector plates featuring pictures of kittens. These looked like those made by the Franklin Mint, but unlike the ones sold in info-mertials, these kittens moved and mewed, though Jadin couldn't see that.
"Would you pull up your robe, and turn out your pockets", she ordered/requested with that fake tone of pleasantness.
Jadin did as asked. Horace's charm worked, well, like a charm. Though his digivice and card carrier were still clipped to his belt, Umbridge didn't notice even though they were in plain sight.
"Is that everything?", she asked as the last of his pocket contents were laid on her desk.
"Yes, Professor, that's everything".
"Your book bag too", she requested.
She found nothing out of the ordinary there either.
"You aren't hiding anything?", she asked.
"Professor?", he asked.
"No muggle items?"
"No, Professor".
"What of that card game?"
"That belongs to Horace, my room mate. He invited me to learn to play. What's the harm?"
"You have no other muggle artifacts?"
"No, ma'am. Why would I? Muggle artifacts don't work here, the magical fields..."
"So I was led to believe, but certain roumours have come to my attention. If you are hiding anything, I shall find out sooner or later, of that I can assure you. You are dismissed for now".
Jadin didn't know that Filch was also tossing his dorm room while he was detained with the High Inquisitor.
The next morning, there were two new Educational Decrees:
Faculty will not discuss any outside issues unrelated to class work with students during class, or at any other time while on campus under penalty of immediate dismissal.
Students are not permitted the possession of any Muggle artifacts. Any such artifacts shall be turned over to the High Inquisitor's office within 24 hours under penalty of immediate expulsion.
"Thanks for runnin' interference", Jadin told Hermione before Arithmancy.
"My pleasure. You didn't get in any trouble?"
"Almost, but it looks like no more Digimon Battle Cards. That bitch is getting to be a real kill-joy".
Decrees or no decrees, there were furtive discussions held in hushed whispers. Knots of professors that broke up as soon as anyone approached.
Students took advantage, after all, if the Professors couldn't discuss matters unrelated to class work, they couldn't reprimand students for talking in class. Professors also protested: they would award Gryffindor outrageous points at the slightest excuse. As a result, Gryffindor was well ahead for this year's House Cup.
Jadin got an alert which meant that Dumbledore's Army was holding its first practice session. He consulted the Marauder's Map, but this Room of Requirement wasn't on it. Neither were Hermione, Harry, or the other DA's. It looked like Harry had found the ideal place for them to practice.
Dumbledore's Office
"Ah, Mr Weston, do come in", he invited in his usual manner.
"I understand the High Inquisitor requested to see you?"
"Yes, she did".
"I suppose this has something to do with her latest decrees?"
"Indeed. She suspected I'm concealing muggle technology. Pansy Parkinson gave me the once-over. Caught me by surprise, but Hermione helped out. She doesn't know a thing, other than Horace's Digimon Battle Cards game".
"Most unfortunate. I trust you handled the situation?"
"With Horace's help, yes".
"What are Mr. Potter and his friends up to?", he asked.
"How do you mean?"
"Come, come, Mr Weston. I know there was some sort of meeting in the Gryffindor common room, and not all Gryffindor's either".
"You'll have to ask them, I really don't know anything", Jadin lied. "I don't see why they'd be including me, after all, I don't do magic".
"I don't suppose they would", Dumbledore agreed. "Still, I wondered if Hermione might have said something?"
"All she alluded to was some sort of study group, you know, to prepare for the OWL exams that're coming up in a couple of months or so. Since I'm not taking them, I wouldn't know".
"No, I don't suppose you would. A pity, actually, your professors tell me you're doing OWL quality work".
"Kind of them to say so".
"Quite. That will be all for now, and do be careful around our High Inquisitor".
"Always, Professor".