Chapter 24
Months later, Minerva stood back from the many students that made up Dumbledore's Army, listening to Harry as he tried once more to persuade her to teach this lesson. He had been trying to convince her to take the lesson the moment they had settled down in the tower after the days classes had finished. At first it had made her curious, for she knew he could cast the spell, but now she was seriously considering doing it. He had yet to tell her the real reason behind his badgering, but it had to be something important for him to continue after she had said no the first time. Sighing, she shook her head, her ponytail swishing side to side. "Harry, whatever it is that's bothering you, you can handle it."
Shoulders slumping, he glanced at her jumper before heading towards the front, mumbling, "It's not me I'm worried about."
Frowning, Minerva watched him from the back of the room. Surely it wasn't that bad. Was it? She was pulled from her thoughts by Harry starting the lesson. Standing up straighter, she listened, watching him closely.
"Today we'll be focusing on the Patronus Charm."
Looking him over, she noticed he didn't seem as nervous as before.
"It's a difficult spell to cast, you need to be focussed on the happiest memory you have and move your wand like this." He said, slowly waving his wand in a short spiral, "While saying the spell." Glancing at Minerva again, he took a deep breath, "Expecto Patronum!"
Minerva frowned in confusion at his slight hesitation, but that was soon replaced with awe as the silver mist took shape. All around her people gasped and cheered at the powerful magic, but Minerva stood still, her very core focused solely on the large silver stag standing proudly in front of her boyfriend. As it shooks it's head, Minerva slowly looked down at the cream jumper she wore. The silhouette of a stag was stitched smack bang in the centre. Looking up, she stared at Harry with wide eyes as she remembered the day she got the jumper.
"Oh Mrs Weasley you didn't have to get me anything." Minerva said, graciously accepting the present handed to her from the older woman.
"It's only a little something dear." She said, waving her hand, "Now go on, open it."
Smiling slightly, Minerva carefully opened the present, immediately pretending to be surprised at seeing the jumper she had known would be in there. "Oh Mrs Weasley," She gasped, holding it up, "It's wonderful."
Across the table, Harry choked on his food trying not to laugh. Beside him, Sirius and Remus didn't even try. Lowering the jumper, she glared at them, mildly annoyed when it didn't work like it used too.
"Turn it over dear." Molly instructed, ignoring the men.
Doing as told, Minerva became more confused. Surely they weren't laughing at the deer on the front. It was Christmas after all. Pushing the thought away, she smiled up at the red head once more. "It's beautiful, thank you."
Coming back to the present, Minerva locked eyes with Harry, whose face had gone red as a tomato. No wonder he had asked her to do the demonstration, he was embarrassed for her. He knew she wasn't an open person like Molly, so having something that blatantly acknowledged their relationship… Shaking her head, she forced down the irrational anger she felt and smiled up at him, letting him know she was fine.
Nodding back, Harry looked over the group of students, "Okay, partner up. Older students with younger ones."
Turning to her left, Minerva smiled at the familiar brown hair. "Hello Stephen."
Minerva watched with a proud smile as Stephen cast the charm, a silvery mist forming from the tip of his wand. After hours of practicing, he had finally managed to cast it. As the mist dissipated, she pulled him into a hug, manoeuvring him so he faced her and not the others. It hadn't taken the older students long to be able to create the mist, and most of the younger ones had managed it with the help of the older students, but Stephen, he had taken much longer, even with the added help of Minerva already being able to cast the charm.
"Well done Stephen." She whispered, "I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks Mindy." He smiled widely up at her, "Do you want to practice now?"
Blinking back tears at his thoughtfulness, she smiled, pulling him closer against her side. "I can already cast it, but thank you."
Little Stephen opened his mouth to ask her to show him when the room shook. Surprised, he edged closer to Minerva, looking around for the source, Minerva doing the same. After a few moments of nothing, the walls shook again, this time a few books falling from the shelves. Quicker than last time, another shock ran through the room, cracking the mirrors lining the back wall. Pushing Stephen behind her, Minerva cast a silent shield around the group as another shock shattered the mirrors. Lowering her arm, she dropped the shield, and peered at the small hole she could see in the wall. Before she could stop him, Stephen ducked out from behind her and looked through the hole.
"Stephen no!" She ordered, yanking him back just as the wall was blasted to bits. Turning around quickly, she covered the second year with her own body, protecting him from the shards of rock. Tightening her hold on the boy, she swallowed her cries of pain, her soft woollen jumper doing nothing to protect her from the sharp projectiles.
When the debris finally stopped pelting her, Minerva carefully stood up, making sure to keep the shaking boy behind her at all times as she turned to look out the gaping hole in the wall. As the dust cleared, Minerva's grip tightened on her wand and Stephen. She would not let anything happen to him.
"Well well, look what we have here."
Minerva couldn't help but stare wide eyed as Delores stepped through the dust, a sickening smile twisting up her lips.
Walking down the many hallways behind the short woman, Minerva held little Stephen to her side. She could feel him trembling, no doubt from fear, and wished she could do something to protect him from what she knew was going to be a severe lot of punishment. At the thought of the second year carving open his hand once again, her grip on him tightened. She didn't know if she would be able stop the scaring this time. Stepping into the Dark Arts classroom, she made sure Stephen stayed beside her. Looking around, she was happily surprised to see the older students doing the same with the younger ones.
"Hem Hem."
Clenching her jaw to keep from hissing, Minerva turned to look at the pink covered toad.
With a sickening smile, the plump woman looked around the room, making sure to catch her and Harry's eyes. "You'll be serving detention every night for the next month with me."
Some of the more courageous students spoke up, arguing that the younger students couldn't handle that kind of punishment. Beside her, Stephen cried and clung to her.
"Every one of you broke the rules, you must be punished." She looked around the glaring student, noting with a pleased grin that some of them were openly sobbing, "Starting tomorrow, you will come here and write lines before and after dinner."
Minerva glared at her.
"Be here after your final class tomorrow. Dismissed."
Slowly the group left the classroom, the sound of soft sobbing and angry mumbling covering the sound of Umbridges pleased laugh. She finally had them. She finally had Potter.
Outside, they all slowly made their way to the Great Hall for dinner. It didn't surprise her when the older students who had taken up comforting the younger ones made sure to sit with them for dinner, nor did it surprise her when Harry sat down on the other side of Stephen and started piling three plates high with food for them.
What did surprise her was the sudden outburst of harsh whispering from the Ravenclaw table. Even when the Headmaster called for silence, it continued, this time with some of the Hufflepuffs joining in. As the whispering grew, Minerva looked to Harry.
"What do you think it is?"
Harry shook his head, "No idea." He said softly, "I guess we'll find out later on."
Minerva nodded, and turned back to her dinner, resigned to wait until later to find out what all the fuss was about. Just as she was about to ask the still crying boy beside her if he wasn't hungry, as he had yet to touch his food, Minerva saw Ginny marching up to them, looking none too happy.
Sitting down in the small space beside Harry, she growled, "You'll never believe who sold us out."
Jumping at the angry tone, Stephen pressed himself against Minerva. Frowning, Minerva rubbed his back, but continued to watch Ginny.
"Cho. Cho sold us out to that toad." She tossed her hair over her shoulder, glaring at the Ravenclaw table. "That's what everyone's whispering about."
"How do you know?" Harry asked, his green eyes narrowed in anger.
Minerva didn't like the look Ginny got.
"Hermione jinxed the list. If you broke the secrecy," She laughed, "Well, see for yourself." She pointed behind them.
All three of them turned around to see Cho heading their way, head bent as she passed all the glaring Gryffindors. Stopping in front of Harry, she looked up.
"Harry," She cried, "I'm sorry."
Looking from the thick black lines that made up the word NARK written across her forehead to her eyes, Harry turned away, ignoring her as he picked at his food.
Sobbing, she glanced at the two girls before spinning around and running from the hall. Minerva shook her head and returned to her dinner, occasionally prodding Stephen to make sure he ate.
After dinner, Minerva and Harry walked on either side of little Stephen. He had continued to cry during dinner until he had finally worn himself out and fallen against Minerva. Looking down at him, she considered carrying him back to the tower, but before she could even think of picking him up, two men stepped in front of them. Glancing at them, she groaned when she saw Dawlish standing next to Kingsley.
"You four, follow us." He ordered.
Sighing, Minerva looked behind her to Ginny, "Can you make sure he gets to bed please?" She asked, gently touching his shoulder.
Nodding, Ginny took little Stephens hand and hurried past the two Aurors, quietly wishing everyone a goodnight. Once she disappeared around the corner, Dawlish turned and marched down the hall while Kingsley hung back.
"What's going on?" Minerva asked quietly, keeping an eye on the man in front of them.
"Umbridge had Fudge come to the school to show proof of Dumbledore's uprising."
"What are they going to do?"
"I believe they are going to remove Dumbledore from the school."
"They can't do that!" Hermione hissed from behind them. "He's the only reas-"
Not looking at any of them, Kingsley cut her off, "They can and they will. They found all the proof they need."
"What proof?" She growled.
"Dumbledores Army."
Less than an hour later the group were on their way to the tower. None of them could believe what had just happened. Dumbledore had fled and Fudge, in all his idiocy had proclaimed Umbridge the new Headmistress.
"We weren't learning anything from her, so we took it into our own hands, surely they could understand that!" Hermione complained, "It's unfair!"
Having put up with her complaining since they left Dumbledore's office, Minerva spun around, stopping directly in front of her. "Since when has life been fair Granger? We knew the risk when we started the DA, and now we've been caught. So we either suck it up and take our punishment with our heads held high, or we complain about the unfairness of it all and sound like children." Looking the wide eyed girl up and down, she sniffed, highly annoyed with the girl, "I don't know about you, but I will accept it and move on. I suggest you do the same."
Turning around, Minerva whispered the password to gain entrance to the tower, but not before giving one final warning to the three behind her, "We all need to be on our best behaviour from now on. We cannot risk upsetting her lest we be expelled."