Holy guacamole! Fifty reviews! I've never had close to that many! I'm glad everyone seems to be liking this, and that no flames have erupted. You're all like my own cheerleaders (or, if you don't like that analogy, you're like my own pep band)! Thank you so much for your patience with me! We're almost done, don't worry! I dare you all to go back to the first chapter and see how crazy this has become.

Yeah, also, I realized that Draco dreamed stuff about Ember he shouldn't have known, so, until I figure out how to actually explain it, I'm gonna say it was magic. There. Answer to everything.

. . .

- By Order of -

The Ministry of Magic

Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus

Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft

and Wizardry

The above is in accordance with

Educational Decree Number Twenty-Eight

Signed:

Cornelius Oswald Fudge

Minister of Magic

The notices had gone up all over school by next morning. Everyone seemed to know what had happened in the office by some degree, though there were many variations on the details. Of course, though everyone was cheered by the fact that Dumbledore escaped two Aurors and the Minister himself, it was still a gloomy sight to see the fliers on every wall.

However, every notice had been obscured by a new rebel poster by the end of lunch. This one read, "JUST BECAUSE THE ARMY HAS FALLEN DOESN'T MEAN THE FIGHT IS OVER! STAND UP, STAND STRONG, STAND TOGETHER!" The picture was split horizontally, the top box depicting a fallen wizard, and the bottom showing the wizard looking battered, but still standing among other magic users, their wands raised. This poster, in my opinion, had a different feel than the others. This one was more determined, and just a little bit more defiant. The rage in Ember had come out into this new image, showing that she wasn't backing down, and that Hogwarts was welcome to stand with her. She was done with the new system, and she was ready to take on anything.

As for me, I could only hope she wouldn't actually take anything on. Some things even she couldn't handle.

The best part about the day? That would have to have been watching Umbridge try and remove the posters from the walls. That was another thing that showed Ember's last shred of patience ebbing away; she'd put them up with an Unbreakable Sticking Charm. She would be severely punished for that, I knew, but it was still quite entertaining to watch the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's face turn slowly from red to purple.

I'm sure she had been in a bad mood to begin with, as I'd heard students spreading a rumor that the Head's office had locked her out. Score one to Hogwarts. Umbridge still had nothing.

. . .

"Ember, stop!"

"No!" I snapped, not slowing my pace. "I'm finished with that hag! There is no way I'm going back into that castle, and nothing you say or do is going to make me!"

"Wha's all this, then?" asked a familiar voice. I stopped and looked over to see Hagrid, holding a stack of firewood by his hut.

"The toad is the new Head." I snarled, not even bothering to mask the hatred in my voice. "Because she got Dumbledore kicked out." As I said the last few words, Harry and Ron caught up to me, both panting slightly.

Hagrid looked at me reproachfully. "Ember! I've ne'er heard you talk like tha' before!"

"That would be because I'm finished!" I said pointedly. "I'm sick of everything that's going on! Harry being made out as a liar, Voldamort roaming free, Umbridge controlling every damned thing in the school, Dumbledore going missing, you constantly getting beat up by your own stupid projects, and the fact that Ginny won't leave off pestering me that I'm in love with a Death Eater!" My voice rose to a shout by the end of my rant, and I could feel the heat of anger and hatred bubbling up within me. I'd never felt this way before. Never had I had a reason to be this worked up over something. Another thing adding to my stress level was that I was afraid of what this might do to me. Both my parents were Death Eaters, which made me think that maybe years living under their roof would come out of their dark place in my mind if I lost control.

"She wants to go into the forest." said Harry, obviously wanting Hagrid to reason with me.

"Yeh can't!" said the half-giant. "Yeh'd get killed in there!"

"Oh, believe me, I'm far too angry to let anything get that close." I told him testily.

"But what would Umbridge do to you?" Ron asked. "The forest is out of bounds."

I turned on him. "It can't be worse than what she's already done to me!" I said scathingly. Tiring of going in circles with this argument, I looked at Harry. "Just leave me alone, alright? I'm ready to lose it, and I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"At least let me go with yeh," Hagrid admonished.

"No!" I snapped. "Just leave me the bloody hell alone! That's the only reason I'm going into the Forbidden Forest!" Shaking my head in frustration, I walked away, storming into the thick mass of trees.

The moment I was under their canopy, everything went dark. I instantly began rethinking my decision to go there, but dismissed the feeling. Just a little walk, that was all. If I got lost, I could always turn my wand into a compass.

There were many sounds and smells in the Forbidden Forest. It was a highly dangerous and stupid place to be at any time of day. Any number of creatures, named and unnamed, that could attack me at any moment. Still, I walked. The purpose of this wasn't for me to have time to think; I could do that whenever I wanted. This was solely so I could cool off and get away from the now-oppressive atmosphere of Hogwarts.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes, and my anger instantly turned to ice-cold fear. I froze, staring at foliage I could barely see. There was a lot more rustling, until finally, a tiny purple animal tumbled out of the bush. I stared at it for a moment, watching it uncurl itself at my feet. It looked like a little cat, but thicker. Like a panther cub, or something. Are baby panthers called cubs?

I knelt down to get a closer look, because I'm moronic like that. The little thing caught sight of me and stopped squirming as though petrified. We stared at each other for a long moment, then it moved hesitantly in my direction. Its glowing green eyes were wide and curious; not at all like it would hurt me. So I stuck my hand out.

Get this: The little bugger turned into a little purple bird and sat on my finger. If it hadn't done that, I would have tumbled backward in surprise. What in the name of Merlin's pants was this?

"It's a shape-shifter."

I turned to see a centaur with chestnut hair and bright green eyes. This I could see clearly through the gloom. "Er... hello..." I said, looking at him uncertainly. It was a known fact that centaurs varied spectacularly in personality. Some hated humans, some didn't care, others were mean, a few were kind. It was a bit like humans, but on a more extreme scale... And with hooves.

"Ember Greyson, am I correct?" he asked.

I nodded. "Centaur."

"You may call me Iledred."

"Then I have a question, Iledred." I said. "Are you a human-friendly centaur, or are you going to kill me politely?"

The ghost of a smile crossed his face. "I do not partake in the rivalry between my race in yours, if that is what you ask. I merely heard a disturbance in the underbrush and came to investigate."

I raised an eyebrow slightly. "What? No prophecy that a Daughter of Eve would be wandering the forest at noon?"

"Not every action taken in the world is because of fate, young human. The stars may be numerous, but there are not so many as to tell all that."

I suddenly felt a bit stupid. "Ah. Well... that there's as good a reason as any..." I said awkwardly. The little purple bird was now a purple ferret, lounging on my shoulders. "So... what exactly is this thing?"

Iledred looked at the creature fondly. "His name is unknown to your people. But he seems to have bonded with you. He can shift into any living form, whether on your command or his. Take good care of him."

"He's very... fidgety, isn't he?" I asked as he scurried down my arm.

"I must be going, Ember Greyson, but I must inform you of one more thing." said the centaur.

"What?"

He looked at me gravely. "Harry Potter will think he is needed, but it will not be so. Do not let him leave Hogwarts before holidays, or terrible things will happen."

Before I could respond, he'd disappeared into the gloom. I stared at the spot I'd last seen him, totally miffed and having completely forgotten my anger. Now, I had something bigger to worry about.

"Come on, little guy." I said to the purple pigmy puff in my hand. "Point me." I whispered to the wand in my hand.

. . .

I just wanted to ask... Did anyone else imagine Iledred to sound like Liam Neeson (Aslan, Qui Gon Jinn, Zeus... The man's done a lot with that voice of his)?