Disclaimer: I own the same people as usual. No more until later books
Once again a huge thank you to Rock Royalty for being a dedicated reader!! I hope I don't disappoint.
FIREWORKS BEGIN
Chelly glanced at her watch and peered up and down the empty corridor. She was standing outside the closed doors of the Great Hall. Luis was inside those double doors with Luna, Harry and the rest of them taking their OWLs in different crossed of sections divided by year. Ebony was unable to tag along. All she told Chelly when she woke up this morning was to be outside the Great Hall around noon.
So she dragged herself out of bed and changed into her new Aero denim jeans that were a deep heavy blue and fit perfectly for a change and put her white zip up sweater on over her burgundy camisole top. She left her hair down and pulled a few strands back to keep it out of her face and tucked her wand into her back pocket. For good measure she pocketed a couple vials of her confusion potions and then slipped on her white Vans. Of course she wasn't going to sit out there alone since Ebony was stuck grading papers and Luis and Luna were taking the test. She stopped by Oliver's room and dragged him with her. He sat next to her on the stairs across from the Great Hall doors in his jeans and red hoodie, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his hair still tousled from being pulled from sleep with no time to do anything but brush his teeth and pull his jeans and hoodie on.
He leaned his head on his drawn up knees turned towards her. "Tell me why I'm sitting out here instead of in bed sleeping on my day off?"
"Because Ebony said something was going to happen around noon just outside these doors that we didn't want to miss," she told him.
"Can you be anymore vague?"
"That's all she told me," she shrugged her shoulders and peered once again in every direction outside the hall.
"Can she be any more vague?"
"That's all Fred and George told her."
"Can they be anymore vague?"
She gave him a sideways look. "It's Fred and George, dear. When have you ever known them to disappoint."
He thought about it and nodded his head, stretching to pop his back. "Good point."
There was a booming noise in the distance and both he and Chelly jumped to their feet, timidly moving down the stairs to peer down the corridor. "What was that?"
Chelly shook her head, jumping as it happened again, closer this time. "Not sure…but I can take a really good guess as to who is it."
The booming came faster now and the double doors opened as Umbridge peered out. A small swirling ball floated in front of her before zooming into the Great Hall and exploding into a colorful firework just as Fred and George rounded the corner on their brooms, hollering and grinning the entire time setting off more of their fireworks into the hall. It caused a great reaction as the students joined in on the laughing and hysterics, throwing their tests away. George tossed the last one into the air and it exploded into a great dragon that flew straight at Umbridge.
Chelly nearly fell over in laughter watching the pink ball trying to out run the dragon. It exploded just outside the hall and blew into other fireworks that broke every rule on the wall and sent them crashing to the floor in a sputter of glass. Fred and George flew out right above her and out the doors leading outside. Chelly and Oliver ran out followed by all the other students that cheered them on as they set off more fireworks, one taking the form of a huge sparkling W. Chelly whistled and glanced at Oliver. "Told you it wouldn't be a disappointment."
She frowned as her smile fell at the sight of Harry's face. He was staring off at nothing and winced suddenly, grabbing his head. Chelly pushed past Oliver just as Harry fell to his knees. "Harry, are you okay?" she touched his shoulder and gasped as she got her own flash of a vision. She saw Sirius standing in front of Ebony and Harry and the confused look on their faces as Sirius fell back through a shimmering archway. The scene faded from her eyes and she felt Oliver's hand on her shoulder, Hermione and Ron suddenly crowded around them.
"Sirius," was all Harry said as he moved to his feet, hurrying inside. Chelly, Oliver, Ron and Hermione followed after him, pushing their way through the crowds back inside where they hurried up the revolving staircase.
"Harry, are you sure?" Hermione asked.
"I saw it!" Harry nodded. "It's just like with Mr. Weasley. It's the same door I've been dreaming about for months only I couldn't remember where I've seen it before. Sirius says Voldermort was after something. Something he didn't have the last time and it's in the Department of Mysteries."
"Harry, please just listen," Hermione begged and stopped on the staircase. "What if Voldermort meant for you to see that? What if he's only hurting Sirius because he's trying to get to you?"
"What if he is?" Harry said desperately. "I'm supposed to just let him die? He's the only family I got left?"
"What about Ebony?" Oliver asked and looked at Chelly then at Harry. "Shouldn't she know?"
"No," Chelly said and bit at her nails thinking back to her vision. Ebony was in it. Maybe if Ebony wasn't there whatever was supposed to happen wouldn't. "No, we don't have time. She shouldn't get involved. She has too much to lose if she gets caught. Besides, the vision I saw was different from Harry's. I saw an archway…not a door."
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.
She rolled her eyes at the girl in exasperation. "I know the difference between an archway and a door."
"What do we do?" Ron asked.
"We'll have to use the Floo network," Harry and took off up the stairs again.
"But Umbridge has them all under surveillance," Hermione told him.
"And she just had ours blocked last week," Chelly added on.
"Not all of them," Harry said with enough hope they followed him down the hall and into the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Harry took the stairs leading to Umbridge's office two at a time and Chelly reluctantly followed.
"Harry, what are you doing?"
"Alohomara," he pointed his wand at the door and it unlocked. He pushed it open and stepped inside.
"Why are we in Umbridge's office?" Oliver asked and stared at all the cat plates on the wall.
"Alert the Order if you can," Harry told Chelly as the fire turned green in the hearth and he kneeled down next to it.
She frowned down at him. "I can't alert the Order if I'm with you."
"You're not."
"Are you mental?" Ron asked him. "We're going with you."
"It's too dangerous."
"When are you going to get it in your head," Hermione said to him. "We're in this together."
"That you are," Umbridge said from behind them and they all spun around to see her charcoal smeared face standing in the doorway.
"Uh oh," Chelly mumbled and backed up as her officers of students flanked into the room.
Draco entered, pushing Neville in front of him while Goyle shoved Luis in ahead. "Caught these two trying to help the Weasley and Looney girl."
Umbridge nodded and turned to Harry who she had sitting in a chair by her desk. She leaned forward with a smile. "You were going to Dumbledore weren't you?"
"No," he said and Umbridge lashed her hand out, slapping Harry across the face. "Liar."
"You stupid pink bitch!" Chelly exclaimed, unable to hold back her anger towards the vile woman any longer. The goon holding her held tighter at her out cry and Oliver's eyes widened at her unlike Luis who smirked. Umbridge looked at her in utter shock.
"What did you just say to me?"
"You heard me," she seethed. "But I'm be glad to repeat it again, you stupid pink bitch."
Umbridge had taken the few steps towards her and Chelly didn't so much as flinch. She smiled at Chelly and slapped her across the face. Her head twisted with the blow but she held her tongue from making any noise. She turned her face back to Umbridge. "You even slap like a bitch." Umbridge hit her again and Chelly chuckled as she saw Snape and Ebony standing in the doorway.
"You sent for me," Snape said through gritted teeth having seen the Professor slap Chelly.
Umbridge turned around to address him, not noticing the puzzled look on Ebony's face. "Snape, yes, the time has come for answers whether they want to give them to me or not. Have you brought the Veritaserum?"
"I'm afraid you've used up all my stores in interrogating students. You used the last of it on Ms. Cho," Snape explained in detail on purpose. Ebony gave him points for that. Harry turned his head to look at Hermione and Ginny who looked surprised and guilty for the way they had treated her. Chelly hung her head lower, knowing she was just as guilty for giving Cho the cold shoulder when all along she had been tricked into giving them away.
Snape glanced at Harry then back at Umbridge. "Unless you wish to poison him and I could assure you I would have the greatest sympathy if you did."
Ebony cleared her throat at that remark, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at him.
"Is there something you wish to say?" Umbridge asked her.
She smiled coldly. "Not at all…Chelly seemed to have said everything I could think of."
Snape nudged her with his elbow and she took that as their cue to leave before she could insult the Head Mistress any further. He brought his attention to Umbridge once more. "I cannot help you."
"He's got Padfoot," Harry said and Ebony stared at him in disbelief even her father froze with his back turned. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden."
Voldermort had Sirius. Ebony had to remind herself to breathe and turned her face away, unable to hide the emotion Umbridge would surely see on her face. She could feel Snape look at her, assessing her even.
"Padfoot? What is Padfoot? What is it and what is he talking about, Snape?"
He turned to look at Harry with what was almost concern in his dark eyes and then looked at Umbridge with a shake of his head. "No idea." He left the room then with his hand on Ebony's shoulder. She was still staring off in shock as they entered the hall just outside the classroom door.
Snape stopped her from walking any further, pulling her to a stop. "Ebony…you need to snap out of this, you are of no use to them if you let this get in your way."
She blinked up at him. "He has Sirius…at the Ministry…in the Department of Mysteries."
"I know that. I was able to decode it," he took a deep breath and winced slightly at the thought of what had to be done. As much as he hated to let her go, to let her help, he had no choice. He had cooped her up and kept her in the chambers all year, not letting her do a single thing to help her friends…but it was personal for her now. It was something she had to do. "I will alert the Order…you will follow Potter and the others seeing as how I doubt they'll stay out of it."
Ebony frowned. "I'm not supposed to help though."
"Consider it revoked, you do what has to be done. You are a member of the Order, it's your job…and as much as I hate it…Padfoot is part of your life. Go with them," he told her and hesitated for a brief second before hugging her. "And for Heaven's sake be careful."
She nodded and pulled away from him as she heard footsteps coming from the classroom. "I'll be back as soon as I can." They both moved to opposite ends of the hall. Ebony to hide around the corner and Snape to head towards the staircases and alert the Order…then to pray that nothing happened to Ebony.
Ebony waited until she heard the footsteps disappearing and peeked to see Umbridge with her wand out leading Harry, Hermione and Chelly out the doors to the corridor that led outside towards the Forest. That meant the others were still in the room and needed rescuing…and it was only a few dimwitted Slytherin.
Ebony smiled and pulled out her wand. "Accio Super Fainting Fancies." Her stash of the boxed candies came flying from around the corner, summoned from George's room. She grabbed the box out of the air, relieved that it looked like an ordinary box of candy and put her wand away. She reentered the classroom and went up the stairs into the office.
"What are you doing here?" Draco sneered towards her, wand still on Neville.
"Just thought you guys would like some candy," she said innocently and set the box on the desk. Immediately Crabbe and Goyle stared at it and she saw two of the others glance at it as well. "I decide to be polite for a change. I figured I owed it to you, Draco, after I was so rude the other day. And then not spending the summer with you," she shrugged modestly with a smile. "I felt I owed you something."
"Not the something I had in mind," he smirked and Ebony's hand balled up on the desk but she kept the smile on her face. "But it'll do for now."
She opened the box and pushed them forward. "Help yourselves, the others aren't going anywhere."
Goyle and Crabbed were first to the box, stuffing their mouths full. Two of the other Slytherins managed to get one and Draco took two.
"These aren't half bad," Draco chomped on them with a pleased grin. "Where'd you get them?"
"From a reliable source," she smiled and stepped around the desk in front of Malfoy, running her fingers through his blonde hair causing him to grin more as he swallowed the candy. Luis looked about ready to hurl at the sight and even Oliver scowled. "And because you won't remember any of this when you wake up…" She swung her hand back and hit Malfoy straight in the face. The candy along with the punch seemed to take effect and he dropped unconscious to the floor. Crabbe and Goyle couldn't do a thing to help. They had slumped to the floor already sound asleep and the other two Slytherins seemed to pass out as well.
Ebony nodded, wiping her hands together as she surveyed her handiwork. "It's safe to say that worked."
"Oh thank God you were just acting," Luis sighed in relief and stepped on Draco as he passed over, using the boys stomach as a footstool to cross. "Because I was about to throw up."
"Give me a break, Luis. Like I'd ever go out with Malfoy…and will you stop kicking him."
Luis was absent mindedly kicking Malfoy's leg with his foot. He stopped, foot drawn back. "He can't really feel it though…and he's not gonna remember any of this later anyway."
"What did you give them?" Ginny asked changing the subject as she stared at the unconscious so called guards.
"Super Fainting Fancies," she answered and gestured at the empty box. "You're brother gave them to me for Christmas. I left them in his room in case Chelly thought they were regular sweets. They cause you to pass out for hours and erase your memory of the fifteen minutes leading up to ingesting them."
"Quite genius," Luna nodded her head.
"Where did Umbridge take Chelly and the others?"
"To the Forbidden Forest," Neville answered. "She thinks they know where the secret weapon is."
"What secret weapon?"
"There isn't one," Oliver told her. "They just said there was because Umbridge was going to Cruccio Harry into telling her of everything."
Her eyes widened in anger. "That bitch…"
"We should help them," Neville added.
"Knowing Chelly they have her handled," Ebony said. "We just need to find them and go to the Ministry to stop all this and Luis will you quit kicking him already?"
Luis put his foot back on the ground and rocked back and forth on his heels with a grin straightening his black sweater out, the gray stripes visible on the inside of it. "Sorry…hey why don't we put them in awkward sexual positions?"
"No," she said and gestured at the door. "Let's go."
He pouted, head hung down. "You're no fun."
Ebony stared around the pink office and pulled out her wand. "You know…I really hate pink…Darcsteto." The pink seemed to fade from the walls, replaced and painted over black. The cat plates started meowing louder at the bright colors disappearing. "And there's something I wanted to do since I entered this office. Blasteo," the cat plates shattered to the floor breaking into pieces around the unconscious Slytherins. Satisfied she tucked her wand away and led the way down the stairs the others following with shocked smiles, she didn't notice Luis do a quick levitation spell to set Draco on top of Goyle where he lay passed out on his stomach, he dropped Malfoy's pants enough his Hello Kitty boxers showed. That caused Luis to laugh enough and he wished he had a camera but the mental image would last forever. With a satisfied smile he tucked his wand into his back pocket and hurried to catch up with the others.
SECRET WEAPON (sets back to Snape and Ebony leaving)
Chelly watched Ebony and Snape exit the room. Umbridge seemed peeved that Snape was of no use to her and she nodded her head turning to her desk. "Very well…you give me no choice, Potter. As this is an issue of Ministry security you leave me with…no alternative…the Cruciatus Curse should loosen your tongue."
"You can't do that!" Chelly exclaimed and was pulled tighter by the goon holding her.
"That's illegal," Hermione added on panicked by the idea.
Umbridge folded the framed picture of Fudge on her desk down. "What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," she picked up her wand pointing it at a panicked Harry. She opened her mouth to say the words but Hermione interjected.
"Tell her, Harry!"
Umbridge turned to the scared girl. "Tell me what?"
Chelly caught on to the idea. "Just tell her where we hid it."
"Hid what?"
"If you won't tell her where it is I will," Hermione said.
"Where what is?" Umbridge asked losing her patience.
"Dumbledore's secret weapon," Chelly answered and closed her eyes as if in defeat to Umbridge when she was mentally kicking herself for digging them into a hole she had no idea how they could get out of.
Umbridge grinned. "Take me to it," she grabbed Harry up out of the chair. "The three of you are coming with me," she pointed her wand over at Hermione and Chelly. "Now, let's go."
Chelly, Hermione, and Harry left the office, Umbridge right behind them with her wand drawn as they marched out the doors into the Forbidden Forest. Chelly was hoping Hermione had a plan to get them out of this one. She had no idea where to go to fix this.
"How much further?" Umbridge asked stumbling along the way in her high heels.
"Not far," Hermione answered and gazed around at the dark trees in the damply lit area. "It had to be put somewhere students wouldn't find it accidentally.
Harry moved up closer to Hermione and Chelly. "What are you doing?"
"No idea," Chelly whispered back. "Any idea, Hermione?"
"Improvising," she answered in a hushed tone.
They stopped just short of the tree where Grawp was usually tied but felt their hearts sink at the sight of the broken rope. He had gotten away. And the forest was enormous, there was no telling where he could have run off to with Hagrid gone.
"Well…" Umbridge said as they came to a stop at the tree. "Where is this weapon?"
The three stared at each other, Chelly shifted her weight from one foot to the other biting at her nails. Plan A had fizzled to a dead end and there was no time to discuss a Plan B.
"There isn't one is there?" Umbridge circled them, wand in her hand. Hermione and Chelly backed up next to Harry to stand on either side of him. "You were trying to trick me. You know…I really hate children."
"What a coincidence because we really hate you," Chelly replied.
There was a snapping of branches and the sound of galloping as a herd of centaur appeared just over the brink in front of them. Umbridge slowly moved behind the three using them as shield as she scolded them. "You have no business being here, centaur. This is a Ministry matter," one centaur stepped forward drawing his bow and arrow. Chelly gripped Harry's arm tighter. "Lower your weapons. I warn you," Umbridge demanded. "Under the law if creatures of near human intelligence-"
The centaur let the arrow go and Harry and Chelly ducked though it moved straight past them towards Umbridge who deflected it easily, now more pissed than before. "How dare you, filthy half breed!" She waved her wand and a strand of rope wrapped around the centaur. He cried out, falling down the slope, the rope choking him.
Chelly ran forward, pulling the rope, trying to break it off of him. "Stop it!" she yelled at Umbridge. "You're hurting him." Hermione was on her other side, both pulling at the rope to loosen it from his neck.
"Please!" Hermione pleaded with Umbridge. "Please stop it!"
"No! Enough!" she screamed and emphasized her words. "I will have order!"
Harry looked just behind her at Grawp who had now appeared from behind the trees. He picked Umbridge up by the back of her pink suit jacket and lifted her off the ground. She let out a piercing shriek dangling in the air from the giant's fingers. The centaurs rushed forward and the rope around the one on the floor loosened and he moved to his feet, galloping up to where Grawp held her.
"Filthy animals!" she was yelling. "Do you know who I am?"
The centaurs below her were trying to get Grawp to drop her to them, shooting arrows at him. One landed in his arm and he removed it like it was nothing more than a piece of lint. He dropped Umbridge and the centaurs were quick to grab her. Hermione, Chelly and Harry took the opportunity to run around the other side of the chaos.
"Potter, do something! Tell them I mean no harm," Umbridge begged.
Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry, Professor. But I must not tell lies."
The centaurs dragged her off, galloping away into the distance while she screamed her refusal the entire way.
"Well," Chelly said with a satisfied grin wiping her hands together. "That's one down…one big one to go…"
"Thank you Grawp," Hermione took her time to thank the giant.
"Hermione," Harry grabbed her arm and tugged on Chelly's. "We got to go help Sirius."
The three took off running out of the forest as fast as they could, glad they didn't have to go too far in to begin with. They broke out of it a few minutes later and were across the bridge where they were reunited with the other seven, Ebony leading the way.
"How'd you get away?" Hermione asked them as Ron handed their wands back to their rightful owners.
"Fainting Fancies," Ginny answered. "And Ebony decked Malfoy."
"You did?" Chelly asked with a gasp. "And you didn't wait till I was there to see?"
"She sure did," Luis said with a chuckle. "I left him with a bit of a surprise when he wakes up to…he won't know what hit him…seriously because they erase your memory…its gonna be a dark week for Malfoy."
"Do I even want to know?" Chelly grinned.
He waved a hand at her. "I'll give you the details later."
"So how are we getting to London?" Neville asked.
"Look, it's not that I don't appreciate everything you've done, all of you," Harry addressed them. "But I've gotten you into enough trouble as it is."
"Dumbledore's Army is supposed to be about doing something real or was that all just words to you?" Neville argued as Harry walked past them.
Harry turned around to face the nine staring at him and Oliver spoke up. "Maybe you don't have to do this all by yourself."
"We're your friends, Harry," Ron added on.
Harry took a deep breath and nodded once. "So how are we going to get to London?"
Luna smiled. "We fly of course."
They all stared at her then at Chelly to see if she could decipher it. She held her hands up at them. "She's just my cousin, you guys. I don't think on exactly the same wave length as her."
"How do we do that, Luna Bird?" Luis asked her.
"The Threstals. They can fly us there unseen."
Luis nodded and glanced at Harry. "I'll be damned, she's got a point."
Harry agreed. "Let's go."
The ten hurried off to the end of the bridge and out towards the Threstals meadow hoping each and every single one of them came back alive from this.
NEW CHAPTER COMING VERY SOON...Question is...will they all come back alive and unhurt??...do I follow plot enough to guarantee it...find out...