Chapter 25

Getting to the Ministry

We reached a clearing I wasn't familiar with…it was deeper into the Forest than mine and Draco's.

I turned to Hermione "Mione, where's this weapon?" I whispered.

Hermione smirked at me "There isn't one." she muttered back "It's just up ahead!" she shouted to Umbridge "But hang on, we need to get past Dumbledore's security measures…he didn't want the oaf Hagrid to set it off accidentally."

Umbridge nodded and Harry, Mione and I rushed over deeper into the Forest.

"Ok, there isn't a weapon, Hannah, but there is something that will get rid of Umbridge. Harry and I will get him and you can go and find the centaurs."

I gulped "The…the centaurs?" I squeaked.

Hermione nodded "Tell them that the giant in here's having a temper tantrum."

I gaped "What!?" I shouted "First centaurs and unicorns, now giants? Why is there a giant in here?!" I demanded.

Harry told me. Hagrid was gone so long because he was trying to befriend the giants on Dumbledore's behalf to keep them from joining Voldemort. And Hagrid decided to bring one back with him!

"Hagrid, you idiot!" I muttered "The hell would he do that!?" I demanded.

"He's his half brother." Harry told me "Just go get the bloody centaurs and leave Gwarp to us."

"It's got a name!?" I shouted.

"Shh!" Harry and Mione hissed "Go and get the centaurs…now!"

I rolled my eyes and rushed deeper into the Forest, looking for thoughts until I found some pretty intelligent thoughts.

I rushed into another clearing and found a huge herd of centaurs practicing shooting bows and arrows.

The centaurs stopped and turned to me, drawing their bow strings back.

"Um…hi?" I said, smiling nervously.

"State your business, human." one of the centaurs ordered.

"Uh…" I said, remembering what Mione told me to tell them. "the giant…he needs to be handled again. Thought you'd like to know."

The centaurs looked to each other. "Who be you, human?" a Black centaur asked.

I gulped "Um…Han-Hannah Lillian Isabella Marie Pot-" I started.

"A Potter!?" one of the female centaurs said "Lead the way!"

I smirked and started back towards the other clearing I left Harry, Umbitch and Hermione.

Suddenly I heard roaring "GWARP WANT HAGGER!"

I screamed as a bunch of arrows went flying towards an ogre looking thing that was taller than I think Gryffindor Tower (how Hagrid got it into the Forest and undetected was and still is beyond me.).

Some of the centaurs arrows got what I was thinking was Gwarp in the shoulder and it didn't seem to effect him too bad, just large drops of blood the size of a small car dropped on Harry, Hermione and me.

"UGH!" I screamed as my clothes were drenched in giant blood. "My clothes!"

Gwarp was being bombarded by arrows so much, he really wasn't able to manage without losing his eyesight, and was driven away by the centaurs.

I rushed over to Harry, complaining about my blood-soaked clothes.

"Quit bitching, sis." Harry said before gaping.

"State your business, human." the Black centaur that asked my name asked Umbitch.

"I am Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and Headmistress of Hogwarts school.' Umbitch snapped.

"What are you doing in our forest?" the centaur that asked my business in the Forest asked Umbitch.

"Your forest?" Umbitch scoffed. "You are only allowed here because half breeds such as yourself are given certain areas of land." she said "And another thing," she added, pointing to the bow and arrows "an attack on a human from part-humans with near human intelligence-"

Umbitch never finished her sentence, an arrow went flying and narrowly missed her head, it got caught in her mousy brown hair and Umbitch screamed.

"BEASTS! FILTHY HALF BREEDS! ANIMALS!" Umbridge screamed, making the centaurs charge.

I screamed and started running away, leaving Harry and Hermione alone with the centaur.

I turned around quickly and saw that Umbridge was being hauled off by all the centaurs, her still screaming as the black centaur and another centaur stayed behind with Harry and Hermione.

I ducked into a bush, smirking. I just helped bring down Dolores Jane Umbitch, the Toad Queen Headmistress of Hogwarts…and she was probably going to quit.

…

After another few minutes, I decided it was safe to leave the bush and, picking twigs and leaves out of my hair, I rushed out of the Forest to run into Neville, Ginny, Ron and Luna.

"Hey, Hannah." Neville, Ginny and Luna said together.

"You have twigs in your hair." Neville said, taking some twigs out, but leaving the rest in, flinching as if he was struck with a whip.

I smirked. He must have remembered when Draco decided to beat Neville unconscious for hitting on me in first year.

"Where's Harry, Hermione and Umbridge?" Ginny asked.

"Umbridge, your guesses are as good as mine, a bunch of centaurs carried her off screaming." I said, smiling as everyone started to cheer. "Harry and Hermione are-"

"Thanks for ditching us, Hannah!" Harry shouted at me as he came out of the Forest.

I smirked "Right there." I said, jerking a thumb behind me as Hermione and Harry walked to my side, Harry belting me one over the head.

"Ok, Sirius isn't at home." Harry said coldly "We're going to London…now."

"But how?" I asked "You don't have a broom!"

"I have a broom." Ginny said "And so do Ron and you, Hannah."

I gave Ginny a confused look, suddenly noting she was supposed to be with Draco and the Inquisitorial Squad "How'd you get out of-?" I started.

"Jinxed a couple Slytherins. Malfoy's probably in the hospital wing right now. I used the Bat Bogey Hex on him." Ginny said, laughing.

"Draco!" I said, starting back to the castle.

Harry held me back "More important things to worry about than Malfoy's face." Hermione said. "Ok, then how're we going to get to the Ministry, then?"

"Thestrals!" Luna squeaked "You, Harry and Hannah are covered in blood, so they'll be attracted to you." she explained.

I gaped "What!?" I said before feeling something tug on my shirt.

It was a skeletal horse, and it was eating my shirt.

"Hey!" I said, trying to wrench my sleeve out of it's grip.

"Hannah, no." Luna said "Thestrals are very tame animals. They won't rip your sleeve, they'll just suck the blood off your clothes!"

Another two Thestrals came and started eating Harry and Hermione's sleeves.

"Great." Ron said "That's one for each of us." he said.

"What about us?" Ginny and Neville asked together.

"You're not going." Harry said "Hannah will join you back to the castle."

"Why am I back on the 'Not going' list?!" I demanded.

"Because like I said before, it's too dangerous!" Harry snapped.

"Harry, Malfoy's in the hospital wing with bat winged bogeys. We helped you find out Sirius, so we should get to help."

"You mean Sirius Black?" Luna asked airily.

"Yes." I sighed. "Harry, I want Sirius saved as much as you, why can't I go?"

"Because…it's the Chamber of Secrets all over again!" Harry snapped.

"Didn't stop me from going into the Chamber anyways!" I snapped back, putting my hands on my hips.

"Yeah, risking your own ass when we didn't want you to!" Harry and Ron shouted together.

"You could have died!" Harry shouted at me.

"Will you stop treating her as if she's five years old and will die from a fall?" Ginny asked. "Lest you forget in that same year, Hannah got hit with a Bludger and knocked off her broom, and she was all right afterwards. Harry, you're being overprotective!" Ginny accused.

"I am not! I just don't want Hannah to get hurt!" Harry said defensively.

"Harry, Hannah and all of us want to help!" Neville said. "You're pushing away willing help!"

Harry looked to me, then to Luna, then to Ginny and Neville, then to Ron and Hermione last. Then he sighed as three more Thestrals came up.

He turned to the Thestrals and sighed again. "Ok…ok, we're wasting time. Get a Thestral and get on the damned thing."

I smirked and took the Thestral sucking on my sleeve and pulled the sleeve out. "It's ok." I said, patting the Thestral's nose "Can you take me to London with your friends?" I asked.

The Thestral bowed its head and let me hop on, gripping the Thestral's neck.

"Ok." Harry said "Can you take us to the Ministry of Magic Visitors Entrance, London? And fast?" Harry asked all the Thestrals.

The Thestrals gave a snort and shot up into the air, me feeling as if I was back on my broom, but on a creature as they all started flying.

It seemed that so many people needed saving that day. Sirius, Ivy, Sheila, She-Cat…what was I going to do?

Join the Death Eaters and let them go free? Or was that too late? Did something bad happen to my friends when I told Draco about what happened?

And what was in store for Draco now that he knows?

Ivy?I thought.

Hannah! Ivy thought back to me. Are you ok? How's Blaise?

I don't know, V. I haven't seen Blaise. I thought, looking ahead.

Why? What's going on? Ivy asked.

Voldemort's got Sirius in the Department of Mysteries. I thought to her.

The Department of Mysteries!? Ivy asked. That's where we're headed! Hurry Hannah!

I smirked. That's convenient. I thought turning to Harry.

"Hurry up, Harry! We've got more people to save now!"

Everyone gave me a look "Who now?" they asked together.

I looked to Harry "Ivy, Sheila and She-Cat. Scarlett kidnapped them and now they're headed to the Department of Mysteries."

Harry looked straight ahead. "Faster!" he shouted to the Thestrals.

The Thestrals obliged and before we knew it, we were landing in London by an old telephone booth.

"Everyone in!" Harry said, opening the booth doors.

"Ron, take the receiver and give the code. It's six, two, four, four, two!" Harry ordered Ron.

Ron did as he was told and suddenly a cool female voice sounded through the booth.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Harry and Hannah Potter, Ron and Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom." Harry said quickly "We're here to save four people, unless your Ministry can do it first!"

"Thank you." the cool female voice said as the change chute rattled and seven large purple buttons fell through.

I picked mine up and put it on:

Hannah Potter

Rescue Mission

I ignored all the crap the woman said and before I knew it, we were going down through the sidewalk and into another room.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening." the voice said when we rushed out.

"Harry, which way?" I asked.

"Left!" Harry shouted "Follow me!" he added, starting to run left from the huge room.

…

After ten solid minutes of running, we were standing by a large black with a polished handle.

"Harry…" I muttered "Is this it? The entrance to the Department of Mysteries?"

Harry nodded "You open it, Hannah." he ordered.

I gulped and reached for the door, twisting the handle.

Nothing.

"Oh, that was anticlimactic." I said sadly.

"Move!" Harry shouted, jostling the door.

Still nothing.

Harry took out his wand "Alohomora!" he shouted, jostling the door knob again.

Still nothing.

I was bored at that point, so I started moving around until I found a hidden door just as Harry was about to use the knife Sirius gave him that opened any door.

"Harry, stop!" I said, turning the handle. "This is a shortcut!" I said when it opened. "Ta-da!"

Harry beamed and walked to my side, tucking his knife away. "You genius!" he shouted "Come here, you!" he said, putting me in a headlock and giving me a noogie.

"Harry…" I said, choking "Sirius, Ivy, Sheila and She-Cat?" I asked, pulling away from Harry's death grip.

Harry nodded. "After you, sis." he said.

I took a deep breath and stepped through the door.