The Rise of Magic

by LunaEtSidera

The Giant War is over, the Greeks and Romans lived in peace. Everyone can sit and relax. But there is one person who hated the Greeks. He will get help from whatever he needs to bring Camp Half-Blood down. In Brooklyn magicians kicked back. What was there to worry about? Chaos is defeated. But the Kanes could only think of one glyph, on the palm of one demigod: Percy Jackson.

25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

ZIA

As soon as Percy, Jason, Leo, Harry and the twins walked into the Great Hall I knew there was something wrong. Leo, who was normally so animate and cheerful looked downcast, and the twins were even worse. There were bandages wrapped around their hands, and when Percy and the other sat down to eat I noticed how they favored their left hands and winced in pain every now and then. This behavior called for investigation.

Annabeth, Carter and I walked from the Ravenclaw table and joined Percy, Leo, Jason and Harry at the Gryffindor table. The twin separated and walked to the Slytherins, sitting apart from everyone in self-proclaimed isolation. If that didn't prove to Annabeth and I that something was wrong, nothing would. I dropped down, sitting next to Carter as Annabeth sat to the right of Percy and kissed his cheek. She examined his face a few seconds, and they seemed to have a silent conversation.

"Percy, what did Umbridge do to you guys?" She asked in a low growl.

Harry interrupted Percy before he could speak, shaking his head. "It was nothing. Just - lines."

I raised a Slytherin-worthy eyebrow and glared at Leo. Leo would crack, I knew he would. For some reason he thought I was scary. Of course, he was even more afraid of Thalia. Speaking of which, where was she? "What happened?" I pressed. "You guys walked in looking like Hades dropped by for a visit."

Nico glowered, poking his food. "Umbridge is terrible. Let's leave it at that."

Hermione wasn't one to be put off, though. She narrowed her eyes, glaring at them. "Harry, let me see your hand."

Harry rolled his eyes and offered her his right hand. It was clear and fine. Not a scratch. "See, Hermione, I'm fine."

"Other hand," she said in an exasperated voice.

Harry reluctantly showed her the top of his other hand. Annabeth, Carter and I leaned in for a closer look and we gasped. The words I must not tell lies were cut into his skin in Harry's hand-writing. Hermione's face turned as red as Ron's, who looked like he was about to explode. "Harry, we have to tell someone about this."

"No!" They all said sharply at the same time, earning a few curious glances. They quickly put up a silencing charm and leaned over the table. Their expressions were serious, and angry.

"Umbridge is holding Ivan and Aiden's heritage over their heads like blackmail. If we rat out, she'll let it out to Ministry that they were in detention the first day of school. That can't look good on their record." Percy explained in a hushed voice. Even though we had silencing charms up, it was still habit to speak in low tones.

"That's terrible!" Hermione gasped. "She can't get away with this! Even if it does get out that the twins were in detention - for what? Speaking in class? Everyone does that - it will also come to light that she used blood quills on students!"

Jason heaved a sigh. "I don't know. I'm not sure we can risk it. The Ministry will not be on Ivan and Aiden's side. You saw how violent they were during the hearing."

"And they're just looking for ways to discredit me and Dumbledore," Harry added in. "They don't want to believe that Voldemort is risen again."

Ron winced slightly when Harry said Voldemort. "Honestly, mate. Do you have to day His name so loudly?"

"Ron, that's the least of our bloody concerns," Harry snapped.

"I don't know," Leo chipped in, "but I've never felt so much hate for one person. She was rivaling Queen Dirt Face, and that's saying a lot. Try not to get into detention with her."

Annabeth suddenly gasped. "Oh no!"

"What?!" We exclaimed frantically.

"Theon, Reneta - they got into detention with her!" She said in a panicked tone. "He spoke in class without raising his hand too many times, he said. Reneta called her a fat pink toad. She called them in for detention!"

Percy, Jason and Leo slammed their fists on the table angrily. "That fat toad needs to be dealt with," Percy growled. "No one messes with my family." I remembered the theory of Reneta's parentage, and understood his anger.

Nico nodded in agreement. "I'm going to go join Ivan and Aiden at the Slytherin table. They probably wouldn't mind having some ambrosia. And we still need to tell Theon and Reneta about their parentage." He got up and left the table, walked across the Great Hall and sat next to the twins at the Slytherin table. To my surprise, the Slytherins started crowding around them curiously. Maybe they had more feelings then I initially thought.

Suddenly, as if on cue, the two first years of their topic waked in and settled next to us at the Gryffindor table. Reneta was wiping tears from her eyes and Theon wore a heavy, dark scowl. On Theon's hand the message I will respect my superior purebloods was written in his flesh. He obviously insulted her pureblood mantra. Reneta had I will never call people disrespectful names on the top of her right hand. She clumsily cleaned off the top of her hand, blinking rapidly.

"I can't believe this," Theon growled in a low voice. "I escape from my bloody home, expecting a a real home with professors that actually care about me, and what do I get?" He flung his hand in Percy's face. "This! It's not my fault that stupid, megalomaniac, blind, fat pink toad woman can't see the truth in front of her own eyes! She should be made to write with her own blood quill for the rest of her bloody life!" He stopped in his rant, panting angrily. "And all Reneta here did was back me up!"

"And call her a fat toad," Reneta added, smiling faintly.

Harry scowled. "I'm sorry your first year here is like this. She is worst professor we've ever had. The DADA teachers are usually really unstable. The best one we've had was our third year professor, but he had to leave. I wish Dumbledore would do something. He's been avoiding me constantly!"

"I've noticed that," I said. "He tried to walk out on the twins at their hearing at the end as soon as they won."

"What's up with that?" Ron asked in confusion. "Why would Dumbledore distance himself from you, Harry?"

Percy shrugged. "Have you tried to corner him?"

Hermione huffed over her cup of pumpkin juice. "You don't just corner the Headmaster, Perseus!"

I laughed lightly as Percy scowled. "Don't call me Perseus. Makes me sound old. Call me Percy, and we're demigods - we're all impulsive, ADHD crazy-people. I say we just back Dumbledore into a corner and make him talk to us. Or visit him in his office."

"Or," Hermione snapped. "We can report what happened to you."

Theon scowled, but then his expression lightened. "Hey, where's Ivan and Aiden? They were making that animagus potion. I was wondering when it would be done."

Reneta perked up. "Animagus potion? Isn't that illegal?"

Theon's eyes widened. "Don't tell anyone, Reneta!"

She smiled brightly, her toffee-brown eyes glinting. "Okay. As long as I get to be a animagus, this stays a secret."

"Bloody hell," Ron said, earning a harsh, "language, Ron!" from Hermione. He ignored her, though. "Are you sure you're not a Slytherin?"

She tugged her blonde hair gently. "Well, I did have to threaten the hat into putting me in Gryffindor . . ."

Harry smiled lightly. "I did the same thing during my sorting."

Ron did a double-take at him. "You did? And to think I thought I knew you!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Ronald. It's probably his inner Slytherin that's the reason we're still alive."

"Did I hear that?" Ivan and Aiden joined them, their former cheerful expressions on. "The Gryffindor Golden Trio admitted that Slytherin cunning is the reason they're alive!" A few yells went up from the Slytherin table, along with smirks from Malfoy and his cronies.

"Shut up," Ron muttered.

Ivan suddenly perked up again. "Theon, the potion's almost done! I had to alter a few things because we ran out of the ingredients that shortened it so much, but it should be done by next week. I know, that's not two days, but it's better than three months."

Theon nodded. "That's okay, as long as I get to be a an animagus."

"And me too," Reneta said. "After all, I'm keeping this a secret."

Aiden blinked at her. "How'd you get the bloody hat to put you in Gryffindor?"

"I threatened it," she deadpanned.

"That what we did!" They exclaimed in unison. "Bloody thing would let us," Ivan nearly pouted.

"So, I guess we'll have to modify the potion a bit, eh Ivy?" Aiden said teasingly.

"WHAT have I said about calling me that?" Ivan groaned.

I laughed at their "argument" and focused on my food before we retired to bed. As I lay sleeping my thoughts turned to Umbridge and her blatant torture. This was going to be a rough and interesting year. At least some of the teachers were on our side. Harry said McGonagall congratulated him for standing up against Umbridge in class in front of everyone. It's not often a teacher rewards you with a biscuit for back talking in class.

The next few weeks passed quickly.

Ivan and Aiden finally finished their potion, after it had been sabotaged several times. They finally had to settle to making it in the girl's bathroom, where Moaning Myrtle haunted, because no one would go in there. Draco Malfoy and his squad of spying lunatics were apparently trying to make the twin's lives as hard as possible. Thankfully, not all of the Slytherin house was inherently evil, so a few of their housemates were helping them stay undercover.

At least Slytherins weren't opposed to illegal things. Ivan and Aiden would have been lost in Ravenclaw.

We crowded in the girls bathroom, all of the boys looking very uncomfortable, except for Theon, who probably didn't care if a professor walked in, as long as he got his animagus potion. Theon and Reneta held up their vials of electric green potion, inspecting the color as Ivan and Aiden cleaned up their potions messes and wrote some notes. Honestly, those two were just a little too obsessed with potions.

I frowned at the vials Theon and Reneta were holding. "Weren't ours a different color?" I asked.

"I was thinking the same thing," Percy muttered.

Harry, Ron and Hermione - who at first held back but caved in when the twins offered to make them the potion - glared at the twins accusingly. "This better not be a cruel prank," Hermione snapped.

Ivan gave us a look of utter exasperation that rivaled Snape and sighed. "Honestly, are you all brainless? Annabeth, surely you can tell me why the potion's a different color." He looked hopeful, like at least one of us had a brain. I felt a little insulted.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "It is rather obvious, isn't it?"

"It's a different potion," I blurted. "So obviously, it's going to be a different color."

Carter nodded. "The other potion was a shortened, modified version. This one isn't."

Aiden clapped his hands. "Exactly! Five points to Ravenclaw for the answer, Twenty to Slytherin for no reason, and thirty points from Gryffindor for just standing there." The Gryffindors in the room spluttered in indignation at this.

"What are you all doing here?" A voice drawled from behind them.

We swung around, pure horror on our faces. Standing in the entrance of the bathroom was none other than yours truly, Professor Snape. His permanent sneer was stuck on his face and his beady black eyes peered out at us from behind his greasy black hair. His black billowed around him and strode into the bathroom, glaring down at all of us. He settled his gaze on the twins, who looked remarkably calm.

"Hey, professor." Ivan said nonchalantly. I almost had a coronary. Why is he so calm? I practically shrieked in my head.

"What is that?" He asked in a low bass tone.

Aiden laughed. "This? A perfectly brewed potion that will make Umbridge's life suck."

Snape rose an eyebrow. "Do you think you could fool me, a potions master? I know a perfectly brewed animagus potion when I see one."

Ivan grinned. "Perfectly brewed. Think we'd make good potions masters, professor?"

Snape mused under his breath. "Not many fifteen year olds can brew a perfect animagus potion, and make a modified version that works just as well . . . thirty points to Slytherin for cunning." He turned to the rest of us. "Ten points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for working around illegal potions." Then he walked out, ignoring the outraged cries for their taken points.

I gaped. "W-what just happened?"

"Snape's an unregistered animagus," Ivan said, cupping his head with his hands with a smirk. "He's not going to rat out on us when we've got that on him."

I rolled my eyes. "Now I know why they're called slimy snakes."

The twins shrugged. "Sometimes it pays off to be cunning and manipulative. Like Reneta, here, who just swallowed the potion while we weren't watching and almost gave me a heart attack." He deadpanned. "Thanks."

Sure enough, standing in Reneta's place, was a small wolf pup. She had fuzzy silver, white and black fur and her eyes stayed the same toffee-colored light brown. She bared her teeth, showing us sharp white canine teeth. She also had rather deadly looking claws on her large paws. Theon laughed. "Reneta, you're a baby wolf."

She morphed back into a human. "This is going to be so fun!" She exclaimed. "Theon, drink yours!"

He drained his without hesitation. He immediately started changing, transforming into an animal with brilliant golden fur. He landed on all fours, growing a thick long mane and slim tail. He had long frightening teeth, and his paws had huge claws. His bright blue eyes stayed the same, and I suddenly realized that he was a rather unusually large lion. I blinked in confusion as the small boy went from being just that, to a huge and deadly predator. He yawned, showing off his razor-blade teeth.

Percy and Thalia gasped. "Nemean Lion!"

Theon changed back into his human form and grinned. "How was it?"

"You're a Nemean lion!" Percy gasped. "Which is basically a large lion with a slightly longer-than-normal tail and sharp teeth. And deadly claws. I had to kill one a few years ago . . . You have one wickedly awesome animagus!"

Theon grinned. "Lion and wolf. How appropriate. What's your animagus?"

Percy changed into the black pegasus and changed back. "I'm a pegasus. It's pretty cool."

Leo inspected his fingers. "I'm a dragon."

Theon and Reneta's eyes widened. "No way!"

"Yeah!"

"Uh, we important things to discuss," I said. "You know, about . . ." I let my voice trail off.

Percy shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, yeah. That. You guys are missing at least one parent, right?"

"My dad," came the simultaneous answer.

"Yeah, well, that parent is still around." Percy said. "You know about the Greek myths?"

Reneta's eyes widened. "They aren't real are they?!" When Percy didn't answer immediately she gasped. "They are real, aren't they? They're real! What are you going say next? That we're demigods or something?"

Percy was silent, and then tentatively said, "Um, actually -"

"Oh my god!" Reneta shrieked. "I knew it! I knew it! We're demigods, aren't we?!"

"Uh, yeah -"

"This is SO COOL!" She cried out.

"That's great, but -"

"I mean this explains everything, the monsters, my dad and everything!" She gushed.

"I know, it's ama -"

"I wonder who my dad is?"

"Well, we're tr -"

"Huh, something to do with water. I'm good at it." She mused, cutting Percy off again.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same -"

"Then again, I'm really smart. So it could be -"

"STOP!" Percy yelled suddenly. She stopped talking mid-sentence and looked up at Percy wide-eyed. "We're trying to figure it out. I think your dad is -"

A glowing hologram of a trident suddenly blazed to life above Reneta's head. It sent out bright blue-green light that washed over our faces and gave us all - except Percy - a bit of a sea-sick look. Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, Percy looked better with green light. It must have been his son of the sea god parentage coming out. Reneta gazed above her head in awe. She looked at Percy, silently asking for an explanation.

"Should I do the honors?" Annabeth asked faintly. "Hail, Reneta Eidare, daughter of Poseidon, earthshaker, stormbringer, lord of horses, god of the sea."

Reneta blinked. "Well, that certainly clears a few things up."

Percy broke into a grin. "I have a little sister! My mom will be excited to hear about this."

Theon smiled faintly. "So, when's my dad going to get off of his lazy -" He was interrupted by a glowing caduceus hologram about his head. Two snakes playfully nipped at each other as the wings of the caduceus moved as if in a slight wind. Theon's face broke out into a wide grin. "Hermes, god of mischief, thieves and bunch of other stuff. I like the mischief part. It certainly explains a few things . . ." His voice trailed off. "I'm right, aren't I? My dad's Hermes."

"Yeah," Annabeth smiled. "God of Medicine, Travelers, thieves, mischief, and pathways."

Theon's crooked smile widened. "Jack of all trades, master of none. That's me."

Percy's smile faded a little when Theon said that. There was a hint of something that passed over his face. I wondered if what Theon said brought back unpleasant memories. "You have a lot of siblings at Camp Half-Blood," Percy said. "Camp Half-Blood is the one of the only safe places on earth for us, except for here at Hogwarts - unless you count the demonic teachers - and New Rome, which is in California. Camp is in Long Island, New York."

"Hey," I called out. "Where are Ron, Harry and Hermione?"

We looked at three animals stand to the side, staring at us with bemusement - if animals could do that. They changed back to human form, so I could tell who was who. Hermione was a small tabby cat with golden eyes and eyes with long tufts, Harry was a golden-hair stag with impressive large antlers, and Ron was a hippogriff with sandy coloring. They grinned, giving each other high fives.

"Well," Percy said. "Now Padfoot has a good reason to call you Prongs Jr."

Harry laughed. "I need to come up with a better nickname."

"I'm firestar," Hermione blurted.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Warrior cats? Really?"

She flushed red. "Didn't think anyone else had read that series."

Theon pumped his fist in the air excitedly. "You know what this means?" He asked as we left the girl's bathroom for Great Hall. "I don't have to go back home! No more abusive foster parents!" He clamped his hand over his mouth, and muttered, "oh well, the cat's out of the bag."

"My mum abandoned me a few years back. Luckily I was discovered before I starved or was killed by a monster, funnily enough I was Dumbledore. I was taken in by my aunt and uncle, but I don't like to admit I'm related to them. I call them my foster parents, like how they do in the States. They're mean. They locked my up in a closet for most of my life, before I started Hogwarts where I threatened to tell them about all the times they starved me because I didn't do the chores good enough and punished me.

"My aunt and uncle's son - an irritating whelp who gets all of the attention - was horrid. He is cruel, and the problem is that his looks are really disarming. He looks normal - good looking even, I'm a guy and I can see that - but he is unimaginably brutal to everyone. He would torture things at home, animals, bugs, it was awful. I hate it when people do those kinds of things to nature. The world suffers enough.

"They always call me a freak and tell me my magic isn't normal - they once threatened to call a priest if I didn't accidental magic. They just don't like things they can't understand. My only relief was a kid next door that treated me nicely. The only problem was he was diagnosed with the Big C - that is cancer, I don't like to say the name - and died after his treatment. He had leukemia. And so ends my biography." Theon gave a little bow, and tried for a smile, but his eyes were sad.

Hermione was chewing her lip and blinking her eyes rapidly. I sighed. "We've all kind of got rough pasts," I said. "I grew up in Egypt, in a small village next to the Nile river. My father would help the archaeologists find artifacts to make a little money on the side here and there. One day he brought back an artifact with a demon trapped in it. He accidentally released the demon, and . . . and . . ." My voice choked off. I remembered the months of endless torture that Apophis inflicted on me.

Carter reached over and took my hand reassuringly and spoke for me, "the demon tore apart her home and killed the villagers. Zia was the only survivor, hidden by her mother. She was forced to relive the memory over and over. She was found by a man called Iskander who took her to her new home. She was raised as an Egyptian magician in the 1st Nome there." Before they could ask questions, Carter quickly said, "yeah, there's Egyptian magicians. Not wizards and witches, and we don't use wands - or we do, but they're very different - we're called magicians."

The twins gave a small smile. They flung their arms around Percy's and Carter's shoulders. "We've all got traumatizing stories, I'm sure, but I'm starving."

We laughed at that. Ron smirked at Hermione. "See, 'Mione? I'm not the only one."

She sniffed. "I distinctly remember you saying that already a few weeks ago."

"And I still stand by my declaration." He said.

"Whoa, Ron the hippo said a big word!" Aiden laughed.

"I'm a hippogriff, a hippogriff get it right!" Ron yelled.

"Bloody loud Gryffindors," Ivan muttered.

"Slimy Slytherin snakes!" Ron yelled back.

"I am not slimy!" Ivan said sharply.

I snorted. "Really? That's you cunning retort?"

"Shut up," the twins said.

We walked through the courtyard, breathing in the cool air of the outdoors. There was a group of kids crowding around something. We drifted over to see what they were doing, curiosity taking over. To my horror, I saw a bird that was struggling around, dragging its broken wing behind it. The kids . . . the kids were laughing! I stared in shock as they laughed at the poor bird's expense and weakness. What kind of sick people were they? And they weren't even Slytherin! They were a mix of the houses.

"What are you doing?!" Theon yelled. "Are you mad? How could you be so cruel?" He ran over to bird and held his hands out around it, protecting it from the kids. "I don't understand how you can just watch it and enjoy its pain." He slipped his hands under the bird's stomach and lifted it up, quickly striding out of the courtyard. I could here him muttering about making them pay with a few pranks.

No wonder he was so good at pranks. He probably used them to defend himself and get back at his enemies. We followed him as he quickly made his way to hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey was fretting over a kid that had broken his arm falling down the stairs. She went off to tell Theon the boy's broken arm was more important that the bird's broken wing. Well, not exactly like that, but basically that's what she said. And it was the wrong thing to tell Theon.

He went off into rant about how nature should be treated equally, and I heard Percy mutter, "We've got ourselves a mini-Grover."

We left the hospital wing, Theon still clutching his bird. Suddenly a warm breeze swept by, blowing away a few early snowflakes. Theon started to glow softly, and vines cracked up through the cobblestones. We watched in surprise as the bird's wing healed, and it started to fly around Theon. It landed on his shoulder, chirping animatedly in his ear. He smiled, and patted the bird's head. The bird leaned his head into the stroke and he smiled.

"That was interesting," Theon commented. "What was that?"

Percy frowned. "I recognize it. It - it felt like . . ."

"Pan." Nico said quickly.

Percy looked sympathetically at Nico. I remembered when the recounted the battle of the labyrinth, where they met Pan, and he'd blessed Percy and Tyson and given them, including Annabeth, an important piece of information. Nico, who was present as that time, hadn't been spoken to, or blessed. He was the child of death, and death didn't react well with nature and life and so on.

"Hm," Annabeth mused to herself. "Blessing of Pan?"

Theon shrugged and grinned. "Whatever. The bird's healed, though, and it's not going anywhere. I guess I'll name him Pan."

I glanced at my watch and groaned. "Ugh, history of magic next with Hufflepuff. You guys have DADA with toady." They groaned and noticed another, much larger, crowd around a staircase to the left of the Great Hall. I could hear Professor McGonagall arguing with the Pink Toad herself. I had never seen McGonagall looks so angry before. Her lips were pursed in a straight, thin line as she glared down at the toad. She looked like she was ready to throw a few curses - magical and inappropriate ones - at Umbridge.

" . . .what exactly are you insinuating?" Umbridge's high, overly-girlish voice reached our ears. We all gathered around the two professors and the stairs.

"I am merely requesting that, when it comes to my students, you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices." Professor McGonagall's Irish brogue sounded, making it clear she was upset.

"So silly of me, but is sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom." Umbridge said in an incredulous tone, taking a step up the stairs to gain height on McGonagall, who wasn't a short woman. "Minerva."

"Not at all, Dolores," Minerva echoed her name in same time Umbridge said hers, while taking a step up so she was standing above Toady again. "Only your medieval methods!"

"I am sorry, dear, but to question my practices is to question the Ministry!" She said. Great, I thought. There she goes with the Ministry ties and blackmailing. "And by extension, the Minister, himself."

Because we all know the Minister hates Dumbledore, Harry, and the twins personally. I thought angrily.

"I am a tolerant woman," Umbridge started with her stupid I'm-giving-a-propaganda-speech tone. "But the one thing I won't tolerate, the one thing I will not stand for, is disloyalty."

McGonagall took a step back down, giving Umbridge an unbelieving look. "'Disloyalty'." She echoed.

Umbridge gave her a haughty look, and then took another step up so she was towering above us. I realized about over half of the student populous had shown up during their argument. Someone ratted out about the blood quill, I realized. Hermione, I added, sending her a glare. Things, judging by the look on Umbridge's face, were about to get much worse. She took another step, and looked down at all of us. I could tell she was preparing a speech.

"This at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared," she began in her girly dramatic voice. "Cornelius will want to take immediate action. Students are breaking rules, and being allowed to do so without proper punishment." She glared at Ivan and Aiden, and turned her glare to Harry. Then she turned and walked up the stairs. I feared what lay ahead for us.

In following days after than incident, several things happened. For one, a host of new rules were passed, along with Educational Decree #23, appointing Dolores Jane Umbridge as High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. Camera people and journalists showed up to interview Toady as she "revolutionized" DADA, and kept an eye on He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's "spawns" as she called the twins. It was now out to the public that yes, Voldemort's grandchildren went to Hogwarts. Ivan and Aiden were called out by yours truly and interviewed.

It was to our eternal shock that Rita Skeeter, who was previously the bane of Harry's existence, made the nicest article about the twins. While the other demonized them, Skeeter tried to show them as abused, poor children who were haunted by their heritage and wanted nothing more than to abandon the surname 'Riddle'. Which was actually the truth, to a certain degree. She forgot to add they had a heck of a sense of humor and were the scourge of the pranking world.

When we asked them how they got Skeeter on their side, they just shrugged and said, "I don't know. She said she felt bad for us and thought we were good kids. I guess it helps we actually took her questions seriously and laid the flattery on thick." They flashed identical grins at the last statement.

She would walk down the halls, her stupid pink shoes clicking on the stone floors, and flick her wand anyone within eight inches of each other, separating them with a painful shock. And she would smile the whole time. Percy got caught kissing Annabeth and zapped badly. He accused Zeus of making the shock worse for obvious reasons, and Thalia nearly shocked him again for insulting her dad.

The twins and Jason were walking down the halls once with their shirts untucked - gasp! the horror - and got the scare of their life when the devil herself waddled by and their shirts flew in, tucked, and their ties tightened spasmodically. The problem? Ivan and Aiden almost passed out due to asphyxiation because their wind pipes were cut off by their green and silver ties. I knew the woman had done that on purpose. We all did, and we were burning for revenge.

She went around questioning our teachers in every class. Now while I really didn't like Trelawney, I didn't think she deserved to be treated to a full-on Umbridge questioning. When Toady walked into our class, Percy, the twins, Jason, Thalia and just about everyone groaned. She held up her clip board and smiled that sickly sweet smile at Trelawney and held up her pen. I wished I could replace it with a blood quill.

Trelawney kept trying to do her class, speaking and so on, like how most normal professors do, but Umbridge was interrupting her at every turn. "Just one question, dear." Toady said, interrupting Trelawney yet again.

"Y-yes?" The divination professor asked.

"You been in this post, how long, exactly?" She questioned, stepping closer to Trelawney as the willowy woman tugged at her scarf nervously.

"T-twenty years." Trelawney stuttered back.

"Could you please . . . predict something for me?" Umbridge pressed.

Trelawney's eyes widened. She glanced around, and I saw Percy mouth, "Ring prophecy," for her. Trelawney looked like she was about to collapse from relief when she started quoting the Ring of Power prophecy from Lord of the Rings. I hoped that Umbridge would not know about it, but she hated everything muggle, so hopefully . . . Trelawney finished the prophecy and pretended to swoon and fall into unconsciousness. The twins leapt out and caught her, and I fanned her face with feigned worry.

Umbridge marked a few things down on her clipboard, and waddled away. Trelawney opened one eye. "I-is she gone?"

"Yup," we nodded.

I didn't see it, but I heard that in the chorus class practice Umbridge had the nerve to measure how tall Professor Flitwick was. Talk about rude. She herself, being incredibly short, should have known how insulting that was. He got his revenge when the Weasley twins - with the help of Ivan and Aiden - set up some fireworks in a few classes, including Flitwick's. Flitwick, eager to get back at Umbridge, called her in to fix the fireworks. When she was finished he admitted he could have done it himself, but wasn't sure he had the "authority" to do so, and slammed his door in her face, making a few embers stuck in her hair sizzle.

This resulted in another Education Decree, which banned all Weasley products from Hogwarts. I snorted when I saw that. Somehow I doubted that was going to help anything.

The funniest, however, was Professor Snape's class. Umbridge circled him with her clip board, smiling and talking in her ridiculous voice.

"You applied first you Defense Against the Dark Arts, correct?" She asked.

"Yes," Snape drawled coldly.

"But you were unsuccessful?" She added.

"Obviously," Snape said bitterly, not even moving his lips.

Ron and Harry dipped their heads, smirking. Ron snorted and coughed to cover his laugh. As Umbridge left the classroom, Snape moved his hand upward and swatted a book over Ron's head.

It was what happened later that week that set us off the edge. I was with Carter, Annabeth and Percy when I noticed a stream of students rushing towards the courtyard. There was something going on, and it probably had something to do with the Toad. I heard Harry stop Cho Chang and ask her what was going on, and she replied something about a tree lawn.

Trelawney, I realized. Oh no. Umbridge had not be happy with the divination professor's spectacle last week in class. I feared what the evil woman was going to do. We reached the courtyard to see Trelawney standing in the entrance to Hogwarts, boxes around her. Filch was heaving more cases to the entrance, while Trelawney stood, sniffling and struggling not to sob. Umbridge approached her, her heels clicking on the stone floor as she gloated over the fact she was ruining poor Trelawney's life.

"F-for sixteen years, I've lived and taught here." Trelawney sniffled. "Hogwarts is my home. You can't do this!"

"Actually," Umbridge said coldly, holding white paper with flowing elegant script. "I can."

Sybill Trelawney burst into tears, and Professor McGonagall ran out from the crowd, gently comforting Trelawney as she cried. Umbridge watched with faint disdain. "Is there something you'd like to say?" She inquired.

"Oh, there are several things I'd like to say," McGonagall said angrily. She turned back to Trelawney. "There, now . . . shh."

Suddenly the doors to Hogwarts opened with a bang, and Dumbledore stepped out. He quickly strode across the courtyard, surveying the scene. "Professor McGonagall, would you please escort Sybill back into Hogwarts."

Sybill looked up in surprise, her eyes shining with hope. McGonagall wasted no time to lead a trembling Trelawney back to the school, thanking Dumbledore through happy tears.

"May I remind that under Educational Decree #23, given by the Minister -" Umbridge started, but Dumbledore cut her off.

"You have to right to dismiss my teachers," he said, "you do not, however, have the authority to banish them from the grounds! That power remains with the Headmaster."

Umbridge smirked. "For now." The ominous words hung in the courtyard.

Annabeth nudged my shoulder. "We need to talk. All of us."

I followed her, where I found our entire group, including the Weasley twins, Hermione, Ron and Harry waiting. They stared at Annabeth and Hermione expectantly. Annabeth's gray eyes were stormier than normal, and Hermione was positively livid.

"It's time we do something." Annabeth started.

I knew this was going to be good.

A/N: I had to end the chapter there, because if I didn't it would be ridiculously long.

Next chapter they form the DA! Review what you liked, or if you want something added. How did you like the animagus? I don't think Harry, Ron or Hermione ever became animagus, which I always though was weird. So now they are animagus!