Preparations Paid

"Now, the Disillusionment Charm is a heck of a lot easier to perform on yourself than the full-body Invisibility Charm," Siria's seemingly bodiless voice explained to Dumbledore's Army. "As you see, or, don't, I suppose, there are benefits to the Invisibility Charm that the Disillusionment Charm doesn't have." Siria walked before a floral curtain. Colin Creevey gasped and pointed. She nodded, then remembered he couldn't see. "Right," Siria said. "You'll take on your surroundings, if Disillusioned, so someone actually searching for you will find you."

"But you're absolutely Invisible if you can master the Invisibility Charm," Hermione said.

The two girls reappeared and set about the Room, with Ron, to help people individually. Siria kept a smile on. For as much as they fought to keep the dying out D.A. together, Umbridge cracked down on them further. She formed an Inquisitorial Squad from handpicked "Ministry sympathetic" students— Draco Malfoy and Daphne Greengrass among them. Siria nodded encouragingly at Colin Creevey, who swore he Disillusioned his head for a second.

When the doors of the Room of Requirement opened, Siria turned, with the others. They saw, not a late comer, but Dobby the house elf. His tennis ball sized green eyes scanned around him, though he headed right for Siria, who met him part way.

"Dobby," Siria said as she knelt. Her stomach sank even lower than her head. "What is it?"

"Siria Potter-Black," Dobby glanced over his shoulder. "She…" Siria squeezed her eyes.

"She's finally caught on, hasn't she?" Siria asked. Dobby nodded. He made to run into the wall, but Siria swept him into her arms, like a doll. [B5, 607-608]

"The library and owlery are close by— there's a girl's bathroom down the stairs to the left and a boy's this floor to the right," Siria instructed. She repressed rolling her eyes as theirs remained fixed on her. "GO!" Siria shouted.

Siria hurried Dobby to Hermione and Ron. She placed Hermione's hand around one of Dobby's and one of Ron's around Dobby's other. "Dobby, please, take them to the kitchen and keep them there— don't you dare hurt yourself," Siria rushed out in a breath. Before Hermione or Ron could protest, Dobby gave a nod then there was a CRACK and they were gone.

She glanced around the empty room. Siria pointed her wand at the blackboard. "They're just things," Siria told herself. "Pefynd Beignis!" She summoned forth a monstrous wolf and equally twisted stag made of fire. They charged down the dummies, the blackboard, and Siria made them vanish when the door crashed open.

Siria turned on her heel. A pale, pointed face peered in from the doorway. "What are you doing here?" Malfoy snapped at Siria. It was the first time they'd spoken since she told him his father used the Imperius Curse on Bode. He closed the door behind him. She raised her wand. He stopped and raised his.

"Is this where we stand?" Malfoy asked, his nose scrunched. Siria rose to her full height.

"You're the one—" but the door opened again.

"We've got Potter!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked. "Professor! Malfoy caught Potter."

"Potter-Black," Siria slipped her wand into her robes. Umbridge knocked into Parkinson in her hurry to see.

"Very good, Draco," Umbridge said. She placed a grubby hand on his shoulder with a pat of approval. "Come now, Potter."

"Potter-Black," Siria said with full confidence. If she were going to be expelled, points for 'lack of respect for authority' were small potatoes. Umbridge took Siria's arm in a vice grip. She glanced around the room.

The mirror was all that remained. "What's this?" Umbridge asked with a rotten grin, as she dragged Siria to the mirror.

"That'd be a mirror," Siria said, flatly. "You may be used to them breaking—" Umbridge pointed her wand to Siria. Siria arched an eyebrow. What could Umbridge try that Voldemort had not? Though Umbridge lowered her wand, she snatched the photo of the old Order of Phoenix and the seemingly blank parchment. Umbridge told Parkinson to check the girls' bathroom and for Malfoy to check the boys'.

As Umbridge pulled Siria from the room, Siria could feel Malfoy's eyes on her. Siria rose her head high. She wasn't sure if it was her or him, but one of them burned that bridge and its ashes wouldn't be cleaved back together.

Rather than Umbridge's own office, which Siria assumed was their destination, they were on the path to Dumbledore's. Siria sighed. "That's right," Umbridge said, as though she'd won a prize. "We've got you now." Siria rolled her eyes. Dumbledore's refusal to look at Siria, him insisting Siria take Occlumency with someone that hates her, and his general lack of involvement, were off putting to Siria.

Umbridge hopped onto the moving stone staircase. Siria sighed again. "Maybe it's that," Siria wondered. A small part of her blamed Dumbledore for Hermione being petrified in their second year. Dumbledore hired Lockhart, who was incompetent even before his mind was wiped.

The little toad pushed the door open without knocking. Dumbledore was not alone. Professor McGonagall stood beside his desk. Kingsley Shacklebolt and a man, who Siria figured was an Auror, flanked Cornelius Fudge. Percy Weasley closed the door behind Siria and Umbridge.

"Malfoy cornered her in the room," Umbridge told Fudge. She tugged Siria forward. Siria tsked and slapped Umbridge's hand away. Fudge paused in the middle of telling Umbridge how much Mr. Malfoy would enjoy hearing of Draco's success. [B5, 610]

"I expect you know why you are here?" Fudge asked (B5, 610). His nose was wrinkled, as Aunt Petunia's did whenever Siria walked by.

"Was there a new Decree that prohibits loitering?" Siria asked. She adjusted her clothes, as though wiping dust.

"Loitering?" Fudge repeated. Siria arched a bored eyebrow at him.

"Yeah," she repeated. "Dawdling," Siria said, as she tucked her hands in her pockets. "I've got my O.W.L.s this year, Minister, and it's quite a stressful time. Clearly, it's been awhile since yours." She added a small, unconcerned shrug.

"I know when O.W.L.s—" Fudge started. He adjusted his coat. "Are you saying you have no idea why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office?" (B5, 611)

"I imagine she's bored," Siria said and added an eye roll for good measure.

"The High Inquisitor does not have time for boredom," Fudge snapped. A smirk tugged at the corner of Siria's mouth. "You are not aware that you have broken any school rules?" Fudge asked (B5, 611).

"I haven't broken any school rules," Siria said. "The Hogwarts Herald—"

"Or Ministry decrees?" Fudge amended. He looked like someone was boiling him.

"Again," Siria said, annoyed, "unless one came out today banning alone time—"

"I know you were not alone!" Fudge snapped. "We have a witness that you were conducting secret lessons." [B5, 611-612]

"Do you?" Siria asked. "After Educational Decree whatever it was?" She glanced around the room. If there was one thing she knew, it was that no one was going to risk looking like Marietta Edgecombe. Fudge's silence spoke volumes.

Siria raised her hands in a small shrug. "If that's all, may I leave?" Siria asked. "This wasn't exactly the study break I was looking for."

"We have proof of what you were up to," Umbridge said and presented the photo and parchment.

"If I'm not mistaken," Fudge said with a confidence that implied he was not, "this is the Order of the Phoenix," he said with a grin. Fudge showed it to Dumbledore. Siria rolled her eyes. "What are you doing with such a thing?"

"My parents were in the Order," Siria said, "it gives me perspective."

"Perspective?" Fudge repeated like he never heard such a thing.

"Do you know what happened to most of the those people?" Siria asked. "Their whole families murdered, only 'bits' of them found, tortured into madness, some slaughtered by Voldemort—"

"Enough!" Fudge shuddered at the word.

"Well, what's this then?" Umbridge waved the paper at Siria. "It was tucked beside the photo, Minister." She placed the parchment down on one of Dumbledore's tables. Umbridge tapped her wand on it. Words started to appear, as though an invisible hand were writing (B3, 286).

"D presents her compliments to Professor Umbridge and would like to register her astonishment that such an idiot was made a professor." [B3, 287]

Umbridge's massive, toad eyes bulged liked someone pumped air into them. Siria covered her mouth and pretended to yawn.

"U would like to add that Professor Umbridge ought to do something about her warty toad face. There's a branch of magic called 'Transfiguration'."

Pride and stress mixed in Siria's stomach, as more words in other people's handwriting appeared. She wished she could record it for Sirius, but knew Remus would approve as much as he would disapprove. Professor McGonagall's face was stone. Dumbledore seemed to have expected as much from Siria.

"What Dark Magic have you used on this?" Umbridge asked through her teeth that chattered so much Siria hoped they would break.

"Dark Magic?" Siria asked with a roll of her head. "As the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, can't you at least recognize what is and isn't—"

"What is this?" Umbridge asked. She grabbed Siria's arm. Siria raised her hand to knock Umbridge off, but Umbridge released Siria, as though burned (B5, 616).

"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores," said Dumbledore. He had risen to his feet and withdrawn his wand. Umbridge shook her hands rapidly.

"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge," Kingsley said in his deep, slow voice. "You don't want to get yourself into trouble now." (B5, 617)

"It's a parchment designed to insult nosey prats," Siria said. "A simple combination of Leanne Wright's Insulting Jinx, Vanishing Ink, and the very late Sirius Black's Personality Charm— you may remember the Personality Charm was temporarily popular on mirrors in the 1800's." Though Siria didn't know why they introduced themselves as letters. She supposed it was better than their names or else one of the revealing spells working.

"And we're to expect you just go around putting all this work into your spare parchment?" Fudge asked. He scowled from the parchment to Siria.

"Well, it's funny," Siria said. Neither Fudge nor Umbridge were convinced. They tapped the parchment, which continued to insult them. Kingsley and the other Auror did the same. Siria massaged the bridge of her nose.

"Ah, ha!" Fudge shouted.

"...Some might say that you should something other than what is easy," was written in mixed matched handwriting. Siria's heart sank, as she squinted at the page. Though it was considerably paler and covered in different handwritings, it was plain to see. Like an acrostic poem, the first letter of each sentence, down the line, spelt it.

"Do you see what it has spelt? 'Dumbledore's'. Dumbledore's what?" Fudge rounded on Dumbledore. "Care to save us the time and confess?"

Fudge flared the piece of parchment like it was his ticket to victory. It looked like someone had crumpled and uncrumpled it a hundred times. Siria held her breath in an attempt to still her face as her eyes caught sight of the pieces that flaked off. Under Fudge's very fingers, the parchment crumbled. Ron's idea of limiting how much magic the parchment could take may have saved them all.

"What's spelt what now?" Siria bit back. She wanted to say it, but the little voice in her head that sounded like Hermione said, firmly "no!" Instead, Siria rocked on the
back on her heels. "They have no proof," Siria told herself.

"And what is it, Cornelius, that you believe I ought to confess to?" Dumbledore asked with as much calm and civility as if he offered Fudge pumpkin juice.

"To," Fudge paused, "to conspiracy against the Ministry!"

"On what grounds?" Dumbledore asked. Fudge looked to Siria then Umbridge, then Umbridge and Fudge stared at Siria. Siria gave a half shrug.

"I'm curious too," she said.

"Minister, High Inquisitor," Professor McGonagall's voice startled Siria. "If you're done with Potter-Black, I'd like to see her return to Gryffindor Tower before curfew." Fudge glared at Siria. She blinked innocently back at him.

"Fine," said Fudge. "We have other matters to attend to," he said. Without a farewell, he, Kingsley, the other Auror, and Umbridge left the office. Professor McGonagall pointed her wand at the door.

"Potter-Black,'' Professor McGonagall said, "what were you thinking? Underground defense lessons."

"That someone had to teach us," Siria said. "You can't tell me you're disappointed with me. Wouldn't you've done the same?"

"You could have been expelled," Professor McGonagall said. Siria sighed as she slouched. She clicked her tongue. "Maybe worse."

"Minerva, if I may speak with Siria alone," requested Professor Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall looked as though she had much more she wanted to say.

"Of course," she said instead. She waved her wand at the door as she stepped onto the staircase.

"Take a seat, please," said Dumbledore. Siria rose her head taller.

"I'd rather stand, sir," she said.

"Very well." Dumbledore said. He circled around and leaned against the front of his desk.

Even know, Dumbledore focused on a spot beyond or over Siria. She chewed her cheek, but raised herself to the peak of her height. "Professor Snape says that you have not continued your Occlumency lessons," said Dumbledore. A tray of tea appeared before him.

"I've kept up," Siria said. "Hermione's been helping me instead."

"It was my request that you learned with Professor Snape, regardless of what becomes of a young man's old love letters," he said, as he poured his cup. There was a small smile, but Siria ignored it.

"I'll be denying your request—"

"Preposterous!" Phineas Nigellus interrupted. "Students did not back talk their Headmasters in my day—" but he quieted at Dumbledore's raised hand. Siria crossed her arms.

"Sir, I didn't apply for Independent Study Potions because I thought it'd be fun— I did it to not have to see Snape," Siria said. She rolled her eyes when Dumbledore corrected "Professor Snape."

"He hates me, Sirius, and James. Nothing I do could ever be enough to change how much he hates them. To be perfectly honest, even if he didn't hate them, there isn't anything he could do to make me not hate him for how he treats other people."

Dumbledore gave a small, almost sorry smile at his tea. He continued to examine the spot of air just above Siria's head. She took a sidestep toward the door and held out her hand. When he did not protest, Siria placed her hand on the door. Dumbledore nodded. "Please remember that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those that ask for it. You may go, Ms. Potter-Black." [B2, 264]