Three days later, Bloom's still sleeping off her detention with Filch - from what Hermione can guess, she's gone into that trance-like state that can heal her from everything up to and including decapitation. It would explain why she hasn't even twitched yet, even when Hermione and Lavender tried the Sonorus spell and shouted for her to wake up at the top of their lungs. All she does is glow orange, something that's very noticeable at night, and occasionally mumble in her sleep to…someone, but she doesn't know who. Hermione did catch a word that sounded a lot like 'Daphne' once, though.
Draco's going out of his mind with worry once more - while Umbridge, meanwhile, has the biggest toad-like grin on her face all throughout the day. Which isn't helped at all by Hermione and Lavender telling the woman in Defense Class that Bloom's lying on top of her bed with Hedwig curled up on her stomach.
And it seems what happened to Bloom is the last straw for Hermione - that, or the sickly-sweet tone of voice Umbridge uses when asking why she's still asleep when she should be in class. It becomes clear to the entire class that Bloom's rubbing off on Hermione when the brunette witch snaps "One thing I've learned about Bloom, Professor, is that you can't force her to do something. She won't wake up until she's good and ready, and right now she isn't. No amount of detentions on your part or Minister Fudge badgering for her will speed it up! You'll just have to wait for her to wake up like the rest of us after what the detention you assigned her with Filch did to her."
Which resulted in both Filch's and Mrs. Norris' deaths - the only thing left of Filch that could be found was a fine ash, and Mrs. Norris only escaped that fate because she wasn't right next to Bloom. Amazingly, Hermione's outburst doesn't result in a detention.
When they all get out of class, Pansy asks "What about a Rejuvenation Potion? I know its supposed to give someone a burst of energy, but…"
Hermione grimaces, and shakes her head while saying "Not an option with Bloom. She tried that once during second year…right, now I'm not surprised everything caught fire."
Draco's eyes widen, and he says "The Rejuvenation Potion gives a person's body and their magic a boost, that's why its good for waking up first thing in the morning. Merlin, Bloom's magic interacting with the Potion, and whoever's magic was used to make it…"
Everybody goes silent from horror - no wonder it was almost like she had an allergic reaction back in second year. And that was before she sprouted her wings.
Ron asks "What if she made the potion herself? I know it won't work for right now, but hear me out on this. If she made the Potion herself, it would be her magic interacting with…well, itself. I can't really see much backlash from that, at least."
Hermione thinks about it for a minute, then says "I'll talk to her about it when she wakes up. Or go to the Room…"
That evening, at dinner, there's two unexpected arrivals - Sirius Black and Cornelius Fudge.
And the look on Sirius' face says he very well could murder Dolores Umbridge - when Bloom didn't wake up the morning after her detention with Filch, Hermione contacted Sirius via the Enchanted Mirror. It seems Sirius finally managed to force a meeting with Fudge - and Fudge is cowering behind the man, either because Sirius is an Ex-Auror or because he's Lord Black officially. Or, possibly, because he spent twelve years in Azkaban - while his mental state is fully recovered, that place changes a person. Add to it Bloom's recent treatment by the government, and he's terrifyingly furious.
Everyone goes completely silent as Sirius strides up to the professors' table, where there's a noticeable lack of a pink-wearing toad-woman - there's been an obvious retaliation in response to Bloom's last detention, so she's been eating in her office. Even the House-Elves have joined in on the rebellion, serving her only foods that she absolutely loathes.
And, her appearance keeps changing in ridiculously funny ways - the Twins may well be testing their joke products on her without her knowledge, slipping them into her food somehow. If they are, its perfect advertising.
Dumbledore mentally prepares himself for dealing with an angry, overprotective Sirius Black who has every right to be enraged about his Goddaughter's condition - this is not going to turn out well. "Where. Is. She."
Twenty minutes later, Dumbledore's - trapped - in his office with Cornelius Fudge, Dolores Umbridge, and a positively murderous Sirius Black. Who's threatening to pull Bloom from Hogwarts and just leave the country with her, going somewhere else for the remainder of both her schooling and the war that's brewing, making both Fudge and Dumbledore go pale and start stammering at once.
The toad-like grin on Umbridge's face when Sirius demanded to know why his Goddaughter was unconscious quickly dropped off her face when Fudge gave her a glare powered by pure terror - whatever it is Sirius said or did, it has him scared halfway through the Veil.
An hour later, Fudge is a shaking mess, Sirius and Dumbledore are heading up to the Gryffindor Tower, and Umbridge is doing the fastest planning of her life to keep her job. Because, if this goes public…there's no doubt in anyone's mind that the public will have Fudge's head, if not hers, they'll be calling for blood for sure. And, if he goes…well, Umbridge knows she's hardly the most popular member of the Ministry. If Fudge goes, she'll likely get sacked in a week, at the very latest.
She manages to convince Fudge she had no idea what Filch would do when she assigned Potter the detention with him, since it seems nobody found the whip she Cursed to teach the brat a lesson. Even so, its by the skin of her teeth - and only thanks to Dumbledore, for whatever reason, that Sirius didn't go through with that unspoken threat and done something that would've landed him back in Azkaban.
"Dolores, listen to me. Listen very carefully. Before Lord Black arrived for the meeting, he contacted Alastor Moody and Amelia Bones. They'll both be going over everything you've done over the course of your time here. One toe out of line, and your through. And I'm not going to save you and lose my position. If you truly made the bed Lord Black thinks you did, you've got to lie in it all on your own."
Arthur's standing guard in the Department of Mysteries, guarding the Prophecy about Bloom and the Dark Lord. Most all the Order members are going in shifts, guarding what Dumbledore believes to be a game-changing piece of information for the-
He's broken from his thoughts by a slithering sound. He turns around just in time to see a snake lunging at him, only…only for it to hit a bright orange shield around him that wasn't there a moment ago. Arthur watches what's surely the most horrifying thing he's seen in at least a month - as soon as the snake makes contact with the shield, it bursts into flames. Its entire body starts burning all at once, and a shrieking black mist rises up that can't be regular smoke before it, to, catches fire and burns away with a, frankly, traumatizing shriek that could shatter glass.
The last time anything happened on this shift, it was when Sturgis Podmore went absolutely insane because he tried to take the Prophecy a few days ago - the protective Wards on the Prophecy make it so only the people the Prophecy is about can take it, so either Bloom or the Dark Lord would have to come and take it.
And, seeing as Bloom shouldn't actually know about it - since Dumbledore insisted on not telling her, even though she really should have a right to know why the man tried to kill her time and again - its looking like Voldemort himself will have to sneak into the Ministry and take it.
All the Death Eaters in Riddle Manor scrape themselves off the floor after the searing agony that burned their Dark Marks yet again - they've all come to know it only happens when Bloom-Bloody-Potter has had a confrontation with something connected to the Dark Lord. Even though he was sitting on his throne-like chair at the head of the table, waiting for Nagini to get the Prophecy. He suddenly started smoking, and screamed in pure agony the likes of which they can't even imagine - only their Marks started smoking like that, feeling like they were set on fire somehow, or like they were turned into molten brands in their arms.
Most everyone that hasn't been Crucio'd into insanity yet comes to the same conclusion in a rather short space of time - they're so doomed. Either the Dark Lord will Crucio them to insanity or AK them in a fit of rage, or he'll send them on a suicide mission against a girl that can not only hold her own against them but can attack them from afar via their Dark Marks.
Bloody. Fuck.
Snape slides down the wall as the burning, searing agony finally fades in the Mark on his left arm - he'll be so thrilled to be shot of this brand! It was the single worst mistake of his entire life, though the fight with Lily was a very close second. It made him slave to a madman, and he instantly knew he'd done something awful when he was sent out on his first raid.
Unfortunately, until now, leaving hasn't been an option - not unless your dead, that is. And, even then, your body might still be useful to the deranged man.
As it is, he's done - done with all of it. With Dumbledore, with Voldemort - everything. He fully plans on having Bloom burn the Mark off his arm, no matter how painful it'll be - excruciating, according to Lucius and Narcissa - and then hiding out with his long-time friends for a few months after Bloom kills the Dark Lord.
Because its going to come to a head, and he's certain the young Wi- no, Fairy will come out in the win. Nothing to do with Dumbledore, or Fudge, though. All because of her almost obsessive drive to learn all there is about magic.
He cracks a pained smile at the memory of when Dumbledore spoke to her after his class one day in second year, saying he was concerned for her wellbeing and wanted her to enjoy her childhood. Thinking back on it, her response should've sent up warning flags for him.
"If you were concerned about my wellbeing, Headmaster, you'd have let me stay over the summer. How I live my life is my choice, and I choose to learn as much about magic as I can. I'm more interested in surviving a psychotic spirit that killed my parents and tried to kill me than slowing down."
He could swear he heard a surface thought of hers by accident - a side-effect of learning Legilimency, passive surface scans are like breathing to him - and it also should've raised a few red flags with him. 'Besides, I don't have a childhood anyway.'
Back then, he brushed it off as childish exaggeration - even though she couldn't have known he heard her. In hindsight...well, hindsight is always 20/20, as the Muggles say.
Hermione and Lavender are staring at Bloom in equal parts shock and trepidation - nothing in all five of their years at Hogwarts, not even the adventures Hermione's gone with Bloom over the years, has ever prepared them for their roommate suddenly catching fire in her near-death-like sleep in the middle of the night. Which is exactly what Bloom's just done.
Three days of nothing but a low glow, and now she's suddenly caught fire! Were they not so scared of what that means for Bloom, the thought of what Seamus would give to learn to do that would be hysterical.
And then, just as suddenly, the fire goes out. Along with the glow that's been a constant for the past three days.
Lavender's just opened her mouth to whisper-ask if Hermione thinks Bloom's dead when they both hear a gasping sound. One deep breath, then another shorter one - and then more and more, quickly evening out into a regular rhythm. Followed by a groan and "Oh, my bloody head…"
Hermione's the first one over to Bloom, shouting her name even as the red-head makes a small fireball to see with - just as that happens, she gets tackled down onto her back. Lavender's shortly behind Hermione. When she's asked how she's feeling, the red-head replies "Like a cooked noodle. And really hungry. What time is it?"
Hermione laughs, more than a bit hysterically, and says "Too late by far to get something to eat. Unless…Dobby!"
There's a sudden pop, and Dobby's standing there. Resulting in another joyful exclamation, tears…and then an explanation of how the Weasley Twins went down to the kitchens and explained what happened to her.
Long story short, the House Elves are rebelling against Dolores Jane Umbridge as well.
The House Elf is hesitant to bring Ravenclaw's Diadem to Bloom in her condition, but she doesn't leave him much choice - Bloom passes back out, a newly-cleansed Diadem in a death-grip in her hand.
The very next morning, all of Gryffindor is waiting in line to hug Bloom after Sirius is finished.
Draco's reunion with her consists of dragging Bloom to an empty classroom, putting a spell on the door, and proceeding to snog her senseless while demanding she never scare him like that again.
AN: Hey, everyone! Happy 4th of July! Yes, Bloom has woken up - I decided I'd push Arthur's attack back a bit, but we're still in December anyway, so...
Anyway, I've been going back through the chapters I've written, and unless I've managed to miss one somehow - Locket, cup, diadem, diary, Nagini, ring, nope, all there! - we're good to go for killing Voldemort! Quick question, does anyone want to see the scene where Umbridge has to call in the Aurors to get rid of Hagrid? I'll have his return in a later chapter, after Christmas Break, but I'm not sure whether or not to have Umbridge limited in her power or just sack her at the end of the year and shove some Veritaserum down her throat via Moody. Honestly, I'm kinda torn here - both sound like things I could get creative with, such as having Madam Bones do a review of Umbridge, how ironic huh? Or having Umbridge come to the Great Hall after the final battle to find Bones and a squad of Aurors waiting for her.
Please review - and vote which option you'd like, as well as for Hagrid's attempted arrest. Enjoy! And enjoy Independence day! Ooh, you think I should write in a scene after Bloom leaves for Alfea of her doing her own little celebration of the day she left the Dursleys and gained her own independence? Just a thought I literally just had.