Harry's p.o.v.

"Harry, you have to tell someone!" Hermione demanded. "It's cruel and barbaric! You have to go to Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore has enough on his mind right now." I told her, looking back at my book. We were seated in front of the fireplace. I was trying (and failing) to study for the Charms section of our O.W.L.'s.

"You can't go on like this, mate." Ron said.

"I can sure as hell try." I muttered.

"And what happens when Umbridge uses this method on other students? What if she makes first years do what she has you doing?" Hermione fought back. "What then?!"

I didn't answer. Hermione slammed her book shut and huffed in anger. She got up and went upstairs, saying that she had work to do. Ron yawned.

"I'm beat." He said. "I'm so tired I could sleep for a thousand years."

"Why's that?" I asked. What could he be doing that made him so tired? I mean, he didn't have detention like me, I thought. But Ron didn't immediately answer me. I shot him a quizzical look.

"I—uh, um, no reason." Ron made an excuse.

"Sure." I said. "I don't believe you."

"Fine! I thought I'd try out for the Gryffindor Keeper now that I've got a decent broom. There. Go on. Laugh." He confessed.

"Ron! I think that's brilliant!"

"You do?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course! We'll be on the same team!" I exclaimed. This was great!

"I've been practicing so much—that's why I've been so bloody tired lately." He told me.

I nodded then suddenly yawned. I was exhausted to. My hand throbbed from the night's earlier detention session. Tomorrow was Friday, which had the Quidditch tryouts as well as my last detention with Umbridge. I admit I was relieved. I wasn't sure how much more I could take. This entire week I had been barely surviving in my work.

In detention the next day I could hardly focus. Quidditch tryouts were happening right at that moment, and if I leaned forward far enough I could see out the window and watch what was going on. At that moment I was on my thirty-seventh sentence of I must not tell lies when someone knocked on the door. Umbridge looked up from her nightly tea, which contained three heaping spoonful's of sugar.

She cleared her throat and said, "Come in."

I was surprised to see Annabeth step in, shutting the door behind her. She began by saying, "Professor, I am here to discuss—" She noticed me. "Sorry. I didn't know you had company."

"It's just Mr. Potter, serving out his detention, as he rightfully should." Umbridge proclaimed, daring Professor Chase to contradict her. She rose to the occasion.

"Oh? And what method is being used?" Professor Chase inquired.

"Mr. Potter is doing some lines for me."

"Hmm." Professor Chase hummed, stepping through the pinkish office over to the small desk at which I was sitting.

"I must not tell lies." She recited. "And what lie has Mr. Potter told recently?"

"He is under the impression that a certain dark wizard is back once more and made his opinion known multiple times, quite forcefully, in my classroom. I am sure you agree with me, in that such a lie should not be told."

"I am sure I don't agree with you. Your personal beliefs, or in this case, wishes about Lord Voldemort's uncertain return must not affect how you teach in a classroom." Professor Chase said defiantly. It was like she had practice in being rebellious. She glanced down at the desk once more, and noticed the red welting on my left hand, opposite of my dominant right hand.

She breathed in air sharply at the sight of it. Her face hardened as she turned to face Umbridge again. Professor Chase said, acknowledging my hand, "I hope you know that this is a form of torture; and it will not go unnoticed."

Her voice was grave, threatening.

"Dear girl, I hope you are not suggesting—" Professor Umbridge started to say.

"Professor, the only thing I am alluding to is that you might just lose your job here if your medieval methods of punishment continue." Professor Chase threatened. "Now, if I may, I will be taking Mr. Potter to the Hospital Wing to get his hand checked out. I assure you, if he is not okay, you will be hearing more from me."

With a dramatic turn, Professor Chase spun around to the door and motioned for me to follow. I did, of course. I glanced back to see Umbridge's face turn a rare shade of the pink she was so fond of. I couldn't help grinning about what had just gone down. I couldn't wait to tell Ron and Hermione what had happened.

Suddenly Professor Chase stopped and held up her hand for me to stop too. I swallowed nervously. I hadn't ever seen Professor Chase act this way before, even when her friend Thalia had played that prank on her with the knife. The look on Professor Chase's face had hardened, and she seemed to be concentrating very hard on something.

"This isn't good" she muttered.

"Excuse me, Professor, but what isn't good?" I asked carefully.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I can't take you to the hospital wing. In fact, you won't be going there at all. I need to find Thalia, and quickly. Go to Dumbledore or McGonagall and tell them to send all of the students to their dormitories. Tell them that it is a Code 2."

I was confused by her orders, but I started to carry them out immediately. What was a Code 2? Why would we need to go to our dormitories? I ran down the hallways and staircases and was lucky enough to see McGonagall walking down the opposite side of the corridor.

"Professor!" I practically shouted. "Professor Chase sent me to tell you something."

"Well, what is it, Potter?" She asked me.

"Something about all students returning to their dormitories and a Code 2, whatever that means." I said. Her face drained of color.

"Go to your dormitory and stay there, Potter." She ordered, and walked away in a mad hurry. What was going on? Soon the staircases were flooded with everyone trying to return to their common rooms. All those off of the Quidditch pitch looked as though they had been forced to run all the way here.

I quickly found Ron and Hermione and told them all that had happened since I had last seen them. They were just as confused as I am. We were huddled up against a window overlooking the Forbidden Forest. Almost everyone in Gryffindor was crowded in the common room in case news came. That and no one wanted to go to bed yet. I couldn't blame them. It had started to rain outside, blurring my view of outside.

"It just doesn't make sense," Hermione stated.

"You said that already." Ron put in. I smiled and nodded when Hermione asked, "Did I?"

A sudden flash of light caught my eye from outside on the ground. It wasn't lightning. I asked, "What's that?"

Hermione and Ron moved to be closer to the window. Another flash of light originating from the ground occurred. Hermione answered in wonder, "It's a spell. I think it's supposed to be a protective enchantment."

"Why would Hogwarts need enchanting?" Ron asked her.

"I don't know." She replied with an obvious tone. I peered through the glass, trying to make out anything else in the dark landscape.

"Are those two people?" Ron pointed. Hermione and I stared at where he was pointing.

"Yes." I said. "But what are they doing out there?"

Suddenly even darker figures rushed out of the Forbidden Forest tree line. A flash of lightening was called down from the clouds right where the two people were standing. It didn't affect them the way it did the dark creatures. The lightning illuminated the area around the two people for just a second. We watched as they, two girls with black and blonde hair pulled out their weapons and stepped so they were back to back. They were surrounded, bracing themselves for the worst.

We watched on.