Harry pulled another sandwich out of the basket and gnawed on it. Sandwiches were the limits of Hermione's cooking, but they were by no means bad. Her salmon cucumber sandwiches were more than palatable.

Hermione pressed herself a little tighter into his side. They were sitting under a large oak tree in the small park in Hermione's town. Around them, muggle children were enjoying their summer holidays, blissfully unaware of what was going on in a world that they neither knew of nor believed in.

'To think there's a war going on…' Hermione whispered.

'A part of me can't fathom how these people can have fun like nothing out of the ordinary is happening,' Harry said. 'When there's a Dark Lord hell-bent on taking over the world on the loose.'

'They don't know, and I hope they never will.'

Harry sighed. 'When I first learned about magic, I felt like one of these children,' he admitted. 'And then I realized how wizards are the same as everyone else. Only instead of guns and knives and clubs they use wands and potions.'

'So much for the fairy godmother fantasy,' Hermione said with a chuckle.

'I did meet my mystical princess, though,' Harry teased.

Hermione could not help but giggle and the two shared a furtive kiss. The afternoon soon began turning into evening, and they gathered up their picnic things to head home.

On the way back, they passed Rowntree and his little gang. They seemed positively afraid of Harry and Hermione now, a sentiment reinforced by Harry shooting them a lethal glare that promised severe violence and retribution if they so much as looked at Hermione the wrong way.

They were only two streets away from Hermione's home when Harry felt a sudden chill. He turned and shared a look with Hermione. By the look in her eyes and her rapidly paling features, Harry knew that she, too, knew the cause of the unnatural cold.

Without even needing to think, Harry's wand was in his hand. He whipped his head around and saw two dark, cloaked figures gliding towards them. Harry began to feel a sense of dread. He bolstered his Occlumency defences to stave off the flashbacks that would no doubt come if he did not. He pictured Hermione in his head, how she looked and how he felt the day they married.

'Expecto Patronum!'

Prongs shot out of the end of Harry's wand with an almost blinding white light. A second later, Hermione's otter joined in and the two shining silver creatures charged down the dementors, which immediately fell back and fled.

Harry and Hermione exchanged another look. Both understood immediately what the dementors were here for and who had sent them. Without a second word, they dashed off as fast as they could towards Hermione's house. The moment they were inside and their things put down, they grasped hands and apparated directly to the doorstep of Grimmauld Place.

They banged on the door, and seconds later, a very unnerved-looking Sirius opened it.

'What's going on?' he demanded harshly.

'It happened,' Harry replied breathlessly.

'What happened?'

'The dementors,' Hermione said. 'Umbridge. Get Amelia.'

Judging by Sirius's blanching expression, he understood the magnitude of what was happening. Without saying another word, he had dashed off into the basement kitchen. By the time Harry and Hermione caught up to him, his head was already sticking through the Floo.

Kreacher stepped up and delivered a bar of chocolate. Harry gratefully took it from the old house elf and snapped it in two, giving Hermione a half. The two nibbled nervously on the confection as Sirius remained kneeling on the ground.

Finally, he pulled back, and before he could say another word, Amelia Bones stepped through the fire, looking just as unnerved as Sirius.

'You were attacked by dementors.' It was not a question.

Harry and Hermione both nodded.

Amelia turned to Sirius. 'The behaviour of those dementors aren't that of ones that had "gone rogue", as you suggested, you realize that, do you not?'

Sirius shook his head. Harry saw a flash of dread in his eyes. It seemed like the talk of dementors unnerved him, reminded him of his years locked up in Azkaban.

'What do you mean?' Hermione asked.

'If those truly were rogue dementors, they would have Kissed muggles long before they found you. They would not be able to resist the temptation,' Amelia explained. 'No. They were ordered to specifically go after you.'

That was exactly what Harry wanted to hear. He exchanged a look with Hermione. Amelia believed their story without even needing to be told it.

Harry opened his mouth to voice his 'suspicions', but Amelia spoke again before he could even begin to talk. 'There is only one person in the country who has the authority over the dementors in that way. Do you know who?'

'Fudge,' Harry replied with certainty.

Amelia nodded. 'Yes, Fudge. Well…Voldemort could conceivably have done so, but as far as we know, there have been no rogue dementors reported. Fudge must have sent the dementors after you. As you know, he sees you as a threat to his continued grip on power.' She grew pensive. 'He wouldn't act himself though. That could incriminate him directly…no…'

'Dolores Umbridge?' Sirius suggested, knowing full well that it was she who had ordered the dementors after Harry and Hermione.

'Dolores Umbridge,' Amelia confirmed. 'Cornelius is not stupid enough to do the dirty work himself. No. He would do it through his toady.'

'So what do we do?' Sirius asked.

'The DMLE will raid Umbridge's office. This is attempted murder, not some petty theft.'

Harry shot Hermione another look. They had never once thought that their plan could go so brilliantly, but here Amelia was, thinking her way through to the truth without input from any of them.

'Dementors are controlled to carry out specific tasks by control medals,' Amelia explained. 'They're a sort of compulsion device tailored to specific dementors' signatures. Conveniently enough, since dementors have no memories, all the orders are permanently "stored" on the medal. If we can find them in Umbridge's office – which I'm sure we can – we'll have all the incriminating evidence we need for a trial before the Wizengamot. Even Cornelius can't stop this. Not when the trial concerns a member of his own office.'


'What's the matter, Amelia?' asked Kingsley Shacklebolt. By the look on Tonks's face, she, too, had the same question as to why they had been called to her office just fifteen minutes before their workday was to end.

'We're going to be conducting a search.'

'Oh who?' Tonks asked. 'And we?'

'Yes, we,' Amelia replied. 'We will be searching the office of Dolores Umbridge.'

'The Undersecretary?'

'Yes, Tonks.'

'What're we looking for, exactly?'

'Dementor control medals,' Amelia replied. 'And any other incriminating documents. There had been an attack by two dementors on Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. I suspect either the Minister or the Undersecretary to be responsible. They have known feuds with Potter, and Fudge is the only person in this country who has control over the dementors.'

For now, at least, she added in her mind. Harry's warnings about Voldemort taking command of the dementors held water – and they were unnerving.

'You believe that the Minister had used Umbridge to do his dirty work and eliminate Harry Potter?' Kingsley asked, putting the rest of the puzzle pieces together.

'That is exactly what I believe.' She stood up. 'That's all the probable cause we need. Let's get going.'

Amelia strode out of her office, followed closely behind by the two Aurors. They entered the lift and descended down to Level One. Amelia knocked on Umbridge's door and demanded entry when they arrived.

Umbridge opened the door a few seconds later. Amelia had to tilt her head down to see the squat toad-woman.

'Yes, Amelia?' she asked in a saccharine voice.

'Step aside,' Amelia ordered curtly. 'We are here to conduct a search of your office.'

The toad-woman smiled. 'For what, may I ask?'

'There was a dementor attack earlier today. We have probable cause to suspect you may have been behind it, given your closeness to the Minister. Step aside, Dolores.'

'I don't know anything about a dementor attack,' Umbridge said in what she must have thought to be a sweet-sounding voice. Amelia was not fooled. She could tell when someone was trying to hid their guilt, and Umbridge checked every box.

'We shall see when we've conducted a search of your office,' Amelia said. She began to step inside, but Umbridge blocked her.

'You will cooperate,' Amelia growled. 'This is an official investigation. May I remind you that the Minister and his staff are not above the law.'

'Cornelius will not allow this!' Umbridge shrieked.

'Unfortunately, Cornelius has no power here,' Amelia replied. 'The Minister cannot interfere with an active investigation. As the Undersecretary, you must be well-aware of this fact. Step aside or you will be made to by force.'

The toad seemed to contemplating whether she should fight for it, but seeing the Head of the DMLE accompanied by two Aurors made her think better of that idea. She stepped aside grudgingly with an ugly scowl on her face.

'Shacklebolt, search the bureau,' Amelia ordered, 'Tonks, the cabinets and drawers.'

Kingsley and Tonks did as she ordered as Amelia kept a personal eye on the toad to make sure she did not try to curse anyone in the back or make a run for it. As the Aurors rummaged through her desk and cabinets, Umbridge's scowl turned into a smug smile. Amelia knew at once what that meant.

'When you're done, look for any signs of magical concealment and search whatever you find!' she called.

Amelia knew that she had struck gold when Umbridge's smile turned into a gaping look of shock. As far as she was concerned, the toad had just incriminated herself with that reaction. Any evidence now was just a formality.

Kingsley's wand stopped right in the middle of a seemingly blank patch of wall. He cast a series of spells, and suddenly, the wall recessed, revealing a ladder and a ceiling-height filing cabinet.

'Tonks, over here!'

Tonks rushed over. With every drawer the Aurors pulled out, Umbridge's face grew uglier and paler. Finally, Kingsley stopped, staring into an open drawer. He reached into it and withdrew two large golden disks.

'Dementor control medals,' he said.

'Check them,' Amelia instructed. 'Find the instructions encoded on them and who encoded them.'

'False evidence!' Umbridge shouted, 'Planted by someone to frame me!'

Amelia did not deign to respond to her remonstrations. There was no way to fake a magical signature. If Umbridge had been responsible for instructing the dementors, then it would show clear as day.

Kingsley and Tonks waved their wands around the two medals for a few more minutes. Finally, Tonks looked up, white-faced with shock.

'Undersecretary Umbridge's magical signature is unmistakable,' she said tensely. 'The dementors were ordered by her with instructions to Kiss Harry Potter and whoever happens to be with him at the time.'

Umbridge stamped her feet. Whatever protests she was making were only incriminating herself in Amelia's mind. 'The girl is mistaken!'

'You will address my Aurors with respect, Umbridge,' Amelia snapped. She turned to Kingsley. 'Shacklebolt, can you verify?'

'Tonks was correct, Amelia,' he replied, his voice equally shaky as that of his companion's, 'The orders were to Kiss Harry Potter, and they were given by Umbridge.'

Amelia nodded and turned back to Umbridge. 'Dolores Umbridge, you are under arrest for attempted murder and misuse of a magical creature. Shacklebolt, Tonks, take her away.'

'I am Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge!' the idiot toad shrieked. 'You cannot arrest me! You Aurors have no power over me! Cornelius will – '

'STOP!'

Everyone turned towards the doorway to see Cornelius Fudge standing in it, his face red with anger and his lime-green bowler lopsided.

'What's going on?' Fudge demanded.

'They're trying to arrest me, Cornelius! It's unjust – '

'Your Undersecretary is in possession of two dementor control medals with orders to Kiss a certain Harry Potter,' Amelia cut across her, 'The magical signatures on them is that of your Undersecretary's. Do you have anything to say to that, Fudge?'

'Im-Impossible!' Fudge blustered, 'I will not allow Dolores to be used as a pawn in a political game! We all know that you're attempting to unseat me and take my place as Minister, Bones!'

'That is neither here nor there,' Amelia replied in a clipped tone. 'Shacklebolt and Tonks have confirmed my findings. You will allow the DMLE to do its business as it is meant to, or you will face the consequences in front of the Wizengamot.'

Privately, Amelia thought that whatever the outcome was tonight, Fudge was as good as finished as Minister. There was not a doubt in her mind that Fudge approved the dementor attack, perhaps even ordered it. There was no way he was going to survive by some miracle another motion of no confidence.

'Now, Amelia, Dolores here has my full confidence,' Fudge attempted a different approach. 'I'm sure she's innocent. Someone must have planted the evidence to – '

'Explain the magical signature.'

'Faked!'

Amelia stared at the idiot Minister with a contemptuous glare. 'You know very well that magical signatures cannot be faked. Not by Polyjuice, not by any spell or potion known to wizards.'

'Dark Magic, then!' Fudge bellowed.

'Perhaps,' Amelia replied. She knew – and she was sure Fudge knew – that that explanation was near impossible. 'What is more likely, though, Cornelius: the fact your Undersecretary ordered a dementor attack or a dark wizard of Merlin-level skill managed to fake her magical signature to frame her? In which case, you should have plenty on your hands to investigate.'

'Both are equally unlikely!'

'We'll see what Dolores Umbridge says under Veritaserum, then,' Amelia said authoritatively. 'Shacklebolt, Tonks, arrest Umbridge and place her in a holding cell. Assign guards around the clock to prevent any breakout attempt.'

Fudge looked absolutely desperate now, almost as if he knew that Umbridge's testimony under Veritaserum would reveal his dark secrets.

'You're fired!' he shouted.

Amelia just laughed. 'Desperate to hide something, Fudge? Let me remind you that you have no authority to dismiss the Head of the DMLE when he or she is investigating a case involving you or your office. Get out of my Aurors' way or you will be made to by force.'

Kingsley stepped up to Umbridge and cast a Silencing Charm before taking her wand. He and Tonks each grabbed one of Umbridge's arms and frog-marched her from the office, her mouth opening and closing, spewing obscenities and insults that no one could hear.


The front door slammed shut. By the heavy and fast-paced sounds of footsteps from above, Harry knew that Sirius had returned.

He stormed into the kitchen and plopped down on an armchair. Harry and Hermione quickly rose from the table and sat down opposite him.

'What happened at the Ministry?' Hermione asked concernedly.

'Umbridge was taken into custody,' Sirius replied, 'Fudge's been banging on Amelia's door to demand her to let the miserable toad out. Spewing something about all the evidence being faked.'

'Will there be a trial?' Hermione pressed.

'Oh, there will be a trial,' Sirius said with vindictive pleasure. 'Fudge can't do anything to stop it. He can keep postponing Crouch and the rat's trials, but Umbridge? No. He can't interfere with criminal proceedings against members of his own office. Doesn't stop him from annoying the snot out of Amelia, though.'

'What're they planning to put her on trial for?' Harry inquired.

'Double attempted murder, of course. They're interrogating her right now. She's already admitted to ordering a hit on one of Fudge's political opponents two years ago. The woman survived. That's another attempted murder. Massive corruption just like Fudge. That's all for now. I'm sure more dirt will come up later. Open and shut case, really. Life in Azkaban at the very least.'

Harry smirked vindictively. 'And what'll become of Fudge?'

Sirius scowled in return. 'Fudge knew about the dementor incident. Approved it, actually. I'd like to see Fudge avoid Azkaban, much less hold on to power.'

'And Amelia will be Minister!' Hermione chirped excitedly.

'Ah…about that. I don't think Amelia wants to be Minister,' Sirius said. 'And I agree with her. She's better off where she is.'

Harry frowned. 'Who, then?'

'We'll need a hard-liner against the Death Eaters,' Sirius thought out loud, 'Augusta wouldn't even talk about the possibility of herself becoming Minister. Perhaps someone from the Auror Office.'

'Kingsley Shacklebolt?' Harry suggested. 'He's been one of Amelia's lieutenants, essentially, against the Death Eaters. He'll be a hard-liner for sure. And in the…uh, future…he was quite good at being Minister.'

Sirius nodded pensively. 'I've heard good things about the Kingsley bloke from Tonksie. Amelia's popularity is through the roof right now. If she nominates Kingsley…there might be no challenger.'

He turned to stare Harry directly in the eye. 'We've put this off for more than a month, Harry, Hermione, but now that we've got the possibility of someone…cooperative…in the Minister seat, have you thought about the little Voldemort problem?'

Harry laughed at the man-child's characterization of the Voldemort problem as 'little'. Truthfully, he had given the matter a lot of thought, and he thought, at least, that he had a plan.

'I have some idea,' he muttered, 'But I don't know how good…and plans change…as we've seen.'

Hermione rested a hand on Harry's thigh. 'Your instincts have always been good, Harry,' she said tenderly. 'And we don't need a blow-by-blow battle plan. What's your idea?'

'Well, Riddle will be after the Prophecy again, won't he?'

Hermione's eyes widened in understanding, but Sirius looked a little confused.

'Remember what we told you about the Prophecy, Sirius?' Hermione asked.

'"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches" and whatever?'

Harry nodded. 'Yes. But where's it stored?'

Sirius's look also gave away his understanding. 'The Department of Mysteries.'

Where you died, Harry thought with a pang of pain. He surreptitiously pinched himself to remind himself that it was all not real anymore.

'He'll want to go after the Prophecy,' Sirius continued, 'He can't resist knowing. And the easiest way to get it would be to have you get it and then find a way to get it from you. Just like last time. And if Kingsley is the Minister…'

'We can set a trap!' Hermione gasped. 'You can go…I don't know…listen to the Prophecy or something. Put it out in the Prophet. You can use Rita to spread some sensationalist bollocks about you being the "Chosen One" again. I can bet Riddle will try to attack the day you go.'

'And we'll be on home turf, so to speak,' Harry picked up. 'We'll have Aurors to take care of the Death Eaters, and it can just be me and Riddle. He's lost all his Horcruxes, he'll be gone once and for all.'

'Ahem,' Hermione cleared her throat. 'It won't be "just me and Riddle". I'm going to be there.'

'Hermione – '

'Don't protest!' she interrupted shrilly. 'I've been with you through thick and thin. I've travelled through bloody time with you. You're not going to succeed in keeping me away from a fight with Riddle. Not when I could possibly save your life!'

'But the Aurors will be there,' Harry reminded her, 'They'll deal with the Death Eaters.'

'You and I both know that we're more capable than three Aurors put together. Besides, the Aurors are trained to capture. Us, on the other hand…'

'No prisoners,' Harry said firmly. 'Those scum don't get another chance to live and kill.'

'Exactly. I'll be there with you. That's final! We can take down Death Eaters more efficiently than any Auror, and I'd pity anyone who tries to keep me away from fighting with you!' Hermione declared.

Harry squirmed. Deep down, he did not want Hermione anywhere near the fighting, but she was going to entertain no arguments.

'And so will I,' Sirius added. 'And Moony, and Andie, Cissy, and ickle Tonksie. The Blacks are going to take up arms and show everyone we're not just another dark family anymore.'

'Sirius, you died last time,' Harry protested. 'I really don't want you anywhere near that bloody place…'

'If Hermione's going, then so will I,' Sirius said. 'I cannot sit back and let you two do all the fighting. I can't. Besides, I want some Death Eater blood, too.'

The look on Sirius's face was scarily similar to that on Hermione's now. Harry knew that he had to give up. He hated it with every fibre of his being. He hated that the two people he loved most in the world were going to be facing danger.

But he knew that they would settle for anything else.


'Harry, Hermione, hurry up!' Tonks called from the basement, 'It's in twenty minutes!'

Harry hastily tried to straighten his hair and force it to lie down, but it would not budge. Perhaps he needed to do as Hermione did and try some Sleakeazy's Hair Potion. With a sigh of dejection, he gave up, accepting that he had no chance of controlling his hair in five minutes' time.

He finished putting on his formal robes – the same ones he had worn to the Yule Ball – and left the washroom. Hermione was already waiting for him on the second-floor landing. She was wearing a quite modest black dress. She seemed to have tried to tame her hair with mixed results. Several strands and ringlets seemed to have escaped her ponytail and were hanging loose around her face.

'You look handsome. Ready?'

Harry felt himself blush a little. He nodded. 'As ever.'

Hermione took his hand and began leading him down the stairs. When they reached the basement, they found Tonks and Kingsley already sitting there. Tonks had reverted her hair to its natural brown for the occasion. By the look on her face, she seemed more than a little annoyed.

Kingsley nodded solemnly in greeting and Sirius hurried quickly over to the two teens.

'Remember, don't lose your temper,' he reminded them – Harry in particular, it seemed. 'The toad's loathsome and will probably resort to dirty tactics and insults to keep herself out of trouble, but you'll only be giving the defence ammunition if you lose it. Stick to your story about the dementor attack and answer the bare minimum you need.'

Harry nodded absently. He had lost track of how many times Sirius had given them that speech in the week since Umbridge's arrest. Sirius was not going himself, for he had no part in the Umbridge scandal, and he seemed to be trying to make up for his lack of involvement by thoroughly 'advising' Harry and Hermione on proper conduct during the trial.

Sirius grasped each of their hands and sent them over to the two Aurors. Kingsley and Tonks gestured them into the Floo without a word of small talk. Harry and Hermione quickly stepped through to find themselves in Amelia Bones's office.

'Amelia is already in the courtroom,' Tonks said when she stepped through, 'Kingsley and I will bring you there.'

Harry and Hermione followed Tonks and Kingsley silently into the Wizengamot chamber. Harry gave a slight nod in Amelia's direction before taking his seat in the stands, Hermione right beside him. Amelia had a look of vindictiveness on her face as she poured over a huge stack of parchment in front of her. Harry noticed that Fudge was once again leading the defence, seemingly unaware that he was, in Harry's opinion, signing the death warrant for his own political career.

Hermione nudged his arm and tilted her head in Dumbledore's direction. The Chief Warlock looked incredibly disappointed that this trial was going on at all. When he saw the two teens, he kept trying to catch their eye. Harry and Hermione looked away, rebuffing his attempts at silent communication every time.

'Do you think he wants to ask us to defend the toad again?' Harry asked in a whisper.

'Probably,' Hermione replied with a sigh. 'He's probably frustrated. Sirius and Amelia kept him away from us all week. I'd bet you anything he wanted to spew more of his "forgiveness" nonsense again.'

'Does he not understand that we're talking about a bigot and attempted murderer?' Harry groaned.

Hermione shrugged. 'If he was comfortable with asking us to defend Lucius Malfoy…I don't even want to begin to think about what his definitions of right and wrong are.'

Not that she would have been able to think about it, for that moment, Dumbledore gave a blast from his wand. He turned to address the body with a grim and sad look on his face.

'Witches and wizards of the Wizengamot. We are gathered today for the trial of Dolores Jane Umbridge. Aurors, bring in the accused.'

Two Aurors that Harry did not recognize marched Umbridge into the room. She began screaming at once.

'I am the Senior Undersecretary!' the toad shrieked. 'You have no right! Cornelius will have all your jobs by nightfall!'

She turned to the Aurors. 'Let me go! You're fired! I'll make sure you're sent to Azkaban for assaulting a senior Ministry employee!'

The two Aurors ignored her rant and pressed her down into the witness chair. She continued spouting off as shackles were fastened over her wrists and ankles. Finally, the Auror on the right had enough and silenced her. The toad's mouth continued moving, but no sound came out. Her face grew redder and redder until its colour more resembled a deep shade of purple than scarlet.

Dumbledore gave a disapproving sigh. 'Dolores Jane Umbridge, you are hereby charged with attempted murder. How do you – yes, Madam Bones?'

Amelia stood up. 'The prosecution would like to add murder, use of Unforgivable Curses, financial and material aid to known Death Eaters, and corruption to the charges against the accused.'

Umbridge's face lost all its colour in shock as her darkest secrets were revealed.