"You're sure of what you saw?" Hermione asked. She, Neville, Ron and Tracey had finished their exams and found Harry and Daphne outside waiting for them. "I mean, You're supposed to be able to protect your mind…"
"Yes, but between exams, and Snape's new training regime, I'm exhausted. The last time I saw something was at Christmas, when I was really tired, remember?" Harry reminded her.
"But Harry, the Hall of Prophecies is deep within the Ministry. My uncle Algie is an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries, and that's where the Hall of Prophecies is located." Neville said. "How would Voldemort and Sirius get in there without being seen?"
"Polyjuice? Disillusionment? Invisibilty cloaks?" Harry responded. He looked truly frightened, and Daphne took his hand, making him look into her eyes. "Does it really matter? It's Voldemort for Merlin's sake."
"What you're suggesting is crazy, Harry. Going to the Ministry? I mean, how would we even get there?" Ron asked, looking halfway convinced and fearful.
"We fly. We get brooms and we fly there." Harry said quickly.
"Harry, It's not that I don't believe you, but this seems …" Hermione began
"Like some kind of trap?" Tracey suggested, looking at them all in turn.
"Fine." Harry said angrily. "I'll go by myself." He began walking back to the castle to get his broom when Daphne suddenly stepped in front of him.
"Hold on just a minute." Daphne said, putting her hand on his chest, and being surprised to feel his heart hammering within it. "You're not going to fly off to London on your own without help. We're with you."
"She's right, mate." Ron said firmly, crossing his arms. "There is no way you're going without us."
"We just need to be smart. We need to make sure it's not some silly trap." Hermione said wisely.
"And how do we do that?" Harry looked restrained. He wanted to be moving, to go and rescue his godfather. Why couldn't they understand the severity of the situation?
"We contact Sirius." Hermione said.
"How? The mirror was smashed, remember?" Harry scowled.
"I know." Hermione said, ignoring the venom in Harry's voice. "That's why we're going to use the floo."
"Ok, are you alright?" Ron asked. "All the floos are being monitored."
"Not the floo in Umbridge's office." Hermione smiled.
"She's gone mental." Ron said as he stared at Hermione's Cheshire like grin. "She's not going to just let us make a call."
"We'll have to distract her long enough for Harry to get in and make the call. If it turns out that Sirius is indeed missing, then we can figure out what we should do then. For right now, let's just make sure that this isn't a trap to get Harry.."
Harry mulled it over. It made sense. If it turned out that Sirius was alright, then there was no need to go off half cocked. However, Harry had rarely ever seen something through Voldemort's eyes that wasn't true. Was it possible that Voldemort now knew of their connection, and Harry wasn't strong enough to keep him out of his mind? Snape had told him often how terribly powerful the Dark Lord was supposed to be.
Yet, he'd not had any nightmares of visions except when he was truly worn down. And if old snake face really was aware of their connection, why show him what was happening? Did he know Dumbledore wasn't around?
It was all to confusing to think about for the moment, and every second he wasted, was a second that Sirius got closer to death. He needed to get moving. Harry took several calming breaths before turning to Hermione.
"Alright. What do you have in mind?
"Excuse me Professor, but some of the Inquisitorial Squad caught a few students setting up another Portable Swamp in the Transfiguration Corridor." Tracey said, looking concerned. "They asked me to come get you right away."
"Did they?" Umbridge asked looking delighted. "Who was it?"
"I'm not sure, but I think it was Weasley." Tracey said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Ah ha!" Umbridge said with glee as she picked up her wand. "Another Weasley out of this school. Take me to them."
Tracey turned and lead the Headmistress away from her office. As soon as they had turned a corner, Harry and Daphne emerged from under Harry's invisibility cloak and slipped inside the Headmistress office.
"We have to hurry." Daphne said. "Once she figures out that there's no swamp, she's going to come right back." She whipped out her wand and aimed at the fireplace. "Incendio."
"Neville and Hermione should be able to give us plenty of warning." Harry said as he went to the mantel and grabbed a pinch of floo powder and immediately tossed it into the flames. He got on his hands and knees and slowly put his head in the green flames.
"Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place."
Harry blinked his eyes and found himself staring into the kitchen of his Godfather's home.
"Hello?" He shouted. "Sirius?"
He was met with only silence. Harry called out several more times, but no one answered.
"Come on, anyone." Harry said getting increasingly worried. His heart beat raced in his chest and a cold chill crept up his spine. Could it all be true? Did Voldemort have his godfather? "SIRIUS!"
Finally Harry heard a low wheeze and a slow shuffle. Harry craned his neck as best he could until he saw Kreecher, Sirius' House Elf. The decrepit beast was carrying a basket full of trinkets that he had obviously pilfered from throughout the house, trying to save them from the purge.
"Kreecher. Where is Sirius?" Harry asked, panic in his voice.
"Master Sirius is not here." Kreecher said in a slow wheeze. "Master Sirius was fed up with Albus Dumbledore's insistence that he remain hidden. Master Sirius has been gone a very, very long time. Kreecher only hopes nothing bad has befallen his master."
Kreecher was smiling as he spoke, and Harry remembered that Kreecher had been missing for a long time during the Christmas holiday. Was it possible that Kreecher had sought out Death Eaters and told them any secrets he might have overheard.
"Kreecher, you'd better tell me where he is…"
"Kreecher has no idea where his master has been taken…"
"Taken? What do you mean taken?"
Kreecher shuffled off, chuckling to himself and muttering about what could be happening to his master. Harry started to call him back when he felt himself being pulled out of the fireplace.
Harry stumbled and fell on his hind end to find himself looking up at a very delighted looking Professor Umbridge.
"I knew warding my office was a good idea. And using Miss Davis to try and lure me away…Do you think I'm stupid?"
Harry glanced around and saw that Tracey was slumped in a chair, obviously having been stunned. Draco Malfoy and several other Inquisitorial squad members were there, each holding on to one of Harry's friends. All their wands were in Umbridge's fat little hand.
"I've finally got you, Mister Potter. Dumbledore isn't here to protect you. I am going to ask you questions, and you are going to give me answers. You are going to tell the truth, or you will pay the consequences."
"Consequences? Like what? You'll make me write lines in my own blood?" Harry asked incredulously getting to his feet. He had no time to waste on this waste of skin. Sirius needed him, and no one was going to stand in his way of helping his godfather.
"I've tolerated your outbursts and your lies all year, boy. The world thinks you're something special, but I know better. I know the truth. You are nothing more than a lying, no good, attention seeking mentally unbalanced murderer. You've sought to sow sedition, and conspired against the government but you've finally been caught. You were trying to contact Dumbledore, weren't you? Answer me you little liar!"
"What the in Merlin's name is going on here?"
It was Professor McGonagall. She was looking around at the Inquisitorial squad members holding students at wand point, and Umbridge staring coldly at Harry. "I was just informed you were marching students into your office. What have they done?"
"Professor. He's got Padfoot." Harry shouted as he suddenly realized the McGonagall could get word to help his godfather, she must know how to contact Dumbledore.
"Padfoot? What is Padfoot? Professor McGonagall, you had better tell me what is going on if you know what's good for you." Umbridge said threateningly.
"Dolores, I suggest you tell your goon squad to let these children go before you get yourself into serious trouble. My gods, Miss Granger is turning blue. The Minister won't be able to…"
"ENOUGH! I WANT ANSWERS NOW!" Umbridge shouted. "Tell me what is Padfoot, and where Albus Dumbledore is hiding this instant, or I will have you arrested for treason."
"Treason?" McGonagall looked astonished. "Have you lost your mind?"
"Do not think me a fool. I know that you and the other teachers have conspire against me. That's why these brats have gotten away with all the trouble they've caused. You've protected this boy, but you can't help him anymore. I caught him sneaking in here to use the floo to contact Dumbledore. Now where is he hiding?"
Umbridge turned her wand on McGonagall, who had not drawn her own wand.
"I am going to give you one final chance Minerva." Umbridge said coldly. "Make things easy on yourself."
"Do your worst." McGonagall said, her tone turning to ice in an instant.
With reflexes that astonished Harry and every other student in the small office, McGonagall whipped out her wand just as Umbridge sent a stunning spell in her direction. The two women exchanged a volley of spells while the teens all took refuge behind the desk. Harry and Hermione pulled an unconscious Tracey to the floor with them.
"Don't get any ideas Potter." Draco said, shoving his wand up under Harry's chin. Harry took a quick look around, they were outnumbered and unarmed. This only served to make Harry angrier. To be at Draco's mercy was simply unacceptable.
"I'll give you one chance Malfoy." Harry said menacingly. "You can back off and let us go, or we can make you and your friends regret ever joining the toad."
"Do you really think you can beat all of us?" Draco laughed. "You don't even have your wands."
Harry didn't bother with an answer. He clasped his hands together and brought them up as hard and fast as he could right into Draco's jaw. Harry heard and felt a very satisfying crack as Draco stumbled backward. To his right, Neville tackled Crabbe, who was easily twice Neville's girth to the ground, knocking away Crabbe's wand. The two began a mad scramble for the wand, while Hermione and Pansy began struggling.
For the next few minutes it was pure bedlam as Harry and his friends struggled against their captors. Harry only had eyes for Malfoy. After knocking the blonde slime ball back, Harry lunged forward tackling Draco to the floor where he proceeded to wrestle his opponent into submission using an old reliable hold Dudley had often employed against Harry.
Harry got hold of Malfoy's wrist and managed to pull the blonde boys arm up and behind his back until it would go no further. Draco screamed in agony. He couldn't get a clear shot with his wand as Harry now had him face down on the ground, pinned to the floor.
"Let him go Potter!"
Harry turned to see Theodore Nott with his wand aimed at Daphne's face. He had apparently been able to bind Harry's girlfriend in ropes. Hermione was on the floor, with Pansy sitting on top of her, Wand aimed directly between her eyes. Hermione had blood trickling from her split lip. Ron was being held against the wall by two very large Slytherins, that Harry was sure were the seventh years. He looked as if both of the bigger boys had punched him in the gut and winded him. Both Crabbe and Goyle had managed to subdue Neville, who hadn't yet given up struggling. The three other Inquisitorial squad members all had their wands trained on Harry as well.
From outside there was a shriek of pain. Everyone turned at the sound. Harry took advantage and managed to get Draco's wand away from his rival, and sent a stunner at Nott, knocking the boy head over heels across Umbridge's desk. Unfortunately, that had gotten everyone's attention, and Harry wasn't hit by two stunners. He'd been focused on the three people in front of him, and was stunned by Parkinson, and one of the big seventh years.
"Wake Up, Mister Potter."
Harry opened his eyes to see a triumphant looking Umbridge staring down at him. Her hair was quite messy and there was a cut on her cheek, but she was smiling just the same. It unnerve red him somewhat. He had no idea how much time had passed since he'd been stunned, though he guessed it hadn't been too long.
"We still have things to discuss." Umbridge smiled.
"What happened to Professor McGonagall?" Harry asked angrily, still feeling a bit groggy. Umbridge allowed him to sit up, and Harry saw his friends still being held back. Hermione had been stood up, and Nott had been revived, though he still looked slightly loopy.
"Not to worry, she will be fine in time. She forced my hand, you see. I didn't want to have to do it, but she gave me no choice."
"What did you do to her?" Harry asked.
"It is none of your concern at the moment. Now. I am going to ask you a question. Answer it, and it will make things much easier. Choose not to, and I will have to punish you. What is Padfoot?"
"Piss off." Harry spat. Umbridge didn't even bat an eye. She lowered her wand at him and with a simpering sweet smile said…
"Crucio."
Every nerve in his body felt as if it were on fire. His muscles contracted so hard that Harry thought he might break in half. He couldn't control himself. His body writhed and squirmed upon the floor as Harry felt he was being torn apart one tiny molecule at a time.
"STOP IT!"
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
"HE DOESN"T KNOW ANYTHING!"
Harry head the screams of protest from his friends from somewhere far away and then the curse lifted. Harry took several gasping breaths as his body relaxed and the pain ebbed away slightly.
"I'll tell you."
Umbridge turned to look at someone Harry couldn't see. He closed his eyes trying to clear his head. He had to get out of there. Sirius needed him.
"I'll tell you why Harry was trying to contact Dumbledore. We finished it, and we needed to know what to do with it."
"With what?" Umbridge asked, that disgusting smile still on her face.
"The weapon. The one we've been building for Dumbledore."
Harry recognized the voice as belonging to Hermione. He had no idea what she was talking about, and frankly he didn't care. He'd simply had enough. Anger surged through him like he'd never felt in his life. She'd tortured him, she'd harassed him. Everything bad that had happened to him that year was at her hands, and he'd taken it all.
"NO!" Harry shouted as he kicked both of his legs out, striking the fat woman just above her knee. There was a loud crack and Umbridge howled in agony. Harry rolled himself up and knocked the toad onto her back, snatching her wand away and snapping it before tossing the pieces into the fire.
"You broke my leg you insolent brat…You'll pay for this. I'm going to see you kissed by the Dementors. I should have sent more of them after you last summer. I should have sent a hundred of them to do the job right." Umbridge shouted at Harry who had already launched himself across the desk and knocked both Crabbe and Goyle away from Neville. Ron had not waited and kicked the legs out from under one of the gorillas that had been holding him.
Neville lunged for Umbridge's desk where their wands lay, and snatched up the first one he could reach, spinning on his heel and stunning Nott for the second time. Hermione shoved her elbow right into Pansy's gut, and also went for a wand.
Ron broke the nose of his second captor, and shoved the large teen away before stomping on the hand of the second boy, who was trying to get to his feet. Neville stunned both Crabbe and Goyle, before turning to Pansy, who Hermione had shoved on to the floor.
In a few more minutes, all of the Inquisitorial squad was stunned and bound on the floor. Tracey was being revived by Daphne, who Harry had freed from her bonds. Harry was now standing over Umbridge who was still on the floor holding her damaged leg. He held the wands of the Inquisitorial Squad in his hand as he stared at the woman who'd made his life so miserable for so long.
"You sent the Dementors after me?" He asked, his wand now aimed right at the toad. "Just what was it you hoped to accomplish?"
"I had to do something. I had to silence you. You were threatening the government, and no one was doing anything. I had to shut that filthy lying mouth of yours once and for all."
"STUPEFY!"
It had been Daphne who stunned the Headmistress. Harry turned to look at her face, eyes full of tears. She lowered her wand slowly as she looked up at him. Harry could see clearly that she was shaking badly.
"She's lucky she only got stunned." Daphne said, her voice full of bitterness. "I-I just couldn't stand watching her do that to you."
Harry enveloped her in his arms and held her tightly for a moment.
"How did she get all of you?" Harry asked.
"She didn't buy my story at all." Tracey said still sitting down. "As soon as we were out of the corridor she stunned me."
"Malfoy and the rest of these losers came and got us." Neville said, resisting the urge to kick Malfoy.
"Did you talk to Sirius?" Ron asked.
"No. He's gone. Kreecher said he'd left and mentioned he was caught. It was real. My vision was real."
"Then we should get moving." Tracey said, getting to her feet.
"What happened to McGonagall?" Harry asked.
The group left the Headmistress' office and found McGonagall lying on the floor, unconscious. Hermione reached her first. She check for a pulse first, and sighed when she felt it.
"She's alive."
Ron quickly left the Defense class and grabbed the first student he found and sent them for Madam Pomfrey.
"We need to get to the Ministry." Harry said. "As fast as possible."
"We also need a few things from the Room of Requirement." Neville said. "Your Invisibility Cloak would be good to have along as well."
"He's right. Harry, you get up to Gryffindor Tower and get your Broom and Invisibilty cloak. The rest of us will got to the Room of Requirement. We'll met at the front gates in fifteen minutes."
Harry was impressed at Ron's sudden take charge attitude. The redhead didn't even wait for Harry to confirm that he understood before he was leading the group out of the Defense classroom. Harry raced up the stairs and into Gryffindor tower. He realized that he still had the wands of Malfoy and the rest of Umbridge's henchmen in his hand.
"Might be good to keep these a bit longer." Harry thought. He threw open his trunk's lid and pulled out his Invisibilty cloak and his broom. He also grabbed the sword given to him by his godfather, shrinking it down and stuffing it in his pocket. As he ran back down towards the gates, it occurred to him that he was the only one with a fast broom. How were they all going to get to London?
Harry was the first one down to the gates. He watched as his friends emerged from the castle, running towards him. Not a single one of them was carrying a broomstick.
"We have a problem." Harry said, holding up his broom.
"Neville already thought of that. Don't you remember Hagrid's lessons?" Hermione smiled proudly at her boyfriend.
Harry arched an eyebrow, looking confused. "How are flobberworms going to get us to…"
"Thestrals." Daphne said, patting his cheek and walking past him towards the Forbidden forest.
"All we gotta do is tell them where we want to go, and they'll get us there." Neville grinned. "Hagrid said they have an amazing sense of direction."
Hagrid's lesson came back to him as the black skeletal horse he'd been seeing since his return to the school was finally explained. The Thestrals were attracted to the scent of blood, as they liked fresh meat. Before Harry could ask how they were going to go about getting the Thestrals attentions, he saw Ron running his hand along one of the swords from the Room of requirement. He then noticed all of his friends carrying swords.
"Thought it'd be a good idea." Neville said, answering his unasked question.
"Thinking ahead. Good. So was I." Harry smiled holding up his fistful of wands.
"Back up wands. Not bad, mate." Ron grinned taking on and testing it with a flourish.
"You guys need to pay attention, because none of the rest of us can see these things." Daphne reminded Harry and Neville. Both boys looked up and saw that indeed two of the spectral looking beasts were emerging from the wood. Harry went to the closest and allowed it to sniff him. Harry wondered if this was the same Thestrals he'd seen a few times before, as it nudged him playfully, snorting hard.
"I'll help you up." Harry said to Daphne. It was a very strange sight to see Daphne floating in the air. Neville helped Hermione onto the next Thestral, and as a few more came out to inspect things, they all had mounts in a matter of moments.
Harry set his broom down, sure he would not need it, and that he would be able to find it again when it was all over, not that he was all that concerned with it now. Mounting the last Thestral he announced their destination, and gave a slight kick to his mount.
Almost as one, the Thestrals all spread the great black reptilian wings and with startled screams from the girls, they were off. As they rose above the canopy of trees, Harry had only one single thought.
"I'm coming, Sirius."
"Minerva?" Madam Pomfrey shouted in abject astonishment when she arrived in the Defense Classroom. She had been told she needed to come quickly by Ginny Weasley, who had responded to her older brother's plea for help. McGonagall was lying on her back in the middle of the room, her wand still clutched in her hands.
"Enneverate." the matron said, brandishing her wand, but the Deputy Headmistress did not stir. Pomfrey ran a few diagnostic spells over her patient.
"Madam Pomfrey, there are more people in here, including Umbridge." ginny said, having gone to inspect the open office.
"She can wait." Pomfrey said, and then under her breath, "Stupid hag." She performed a few quick spells and tried again to revive her patient. McGonagall gave a soft moan, and very slowly opened her eyes.
"Poppy?"
"Minnie, what the devil happened?"
"Umbridge….crucioed me."
"Merlin's underpants." Ginny shrieked.
"Poppy, I need to speak to Severus. We have to find Albus. Something terrible has happened…"
