The fireworks were a huge success and I couldn't help but admire them every time I passed them. Overhead, giant glowing owls flew throughout the school to signify my own work where I'd helped wreak havoc and mayhem in every possible manner so that Umbridge could feel the full force of our frustration and wrath. No matter what she tried, she could not get rid of those fireworks, so the dragons and the Catherine wheels and the dancing leprechauns remained. It had been a satisfying day, seeing Umbridge tottering around, out of breath, sweaty and covered in soot from head to toe as none of the teachers ever raised a finger to offer their help.
It was great to know that they were on our side, but now, the real endgame was starting to appear. As it happened, Ginny approached us saying that Harry really wanted to talk to Sirius about something, and not just through a letter when I offered to transfigure one into a bird for him, but face to face. The only way that was going to happen was if he could break into Umbridge's office to use her fire, the only one not being watched in Hogwarts, and for that office to be left unprotected was for there to be a monumental diversion, so we each looked at each other, considering for a moment before then looking back at Ginny.
"We're in." And so we approached Harry with an offer to help, and so began our master plan. Fred and George were going to release a portable swamp on the fifth floor of the east wing, and whilst everyone became distracted with that, I was going to do my worst elsewhere. It was rather…masterful, to be honest. Almost artistic. The swamp was a huge success, making everyone scream as they were soon surrounded by a boggy marsh with a foul stench in the air, Fred and George crackling with laughter as I raced off to other floors to lay more traps and spells.
I placed charms on certain floor stones to make them extra springy or spongy, or make them sink like quicksand whenever someone stepped on them. Step on the wrong one and you could go flying or get stuck. More spells were placed to transform entire classrooms into a tropical paradise with all kinds of birds filing the treetops, another became a scorching hot and dry desert, one a frozen wasteland before I then filled one stairway with a pale, silvery mist which made people laugh hysterically whenever they entered it. Another classroom became filled with a thick, jelly-like consistency which you could walk through and breathe but it would be like trying to move through treacle. Another corridor I bewitched to create an underwater display where the light rippled as if underwater, with the smells and sounds of the ocean with real sharks, whales, fish, dolphins and aquatic creatures from our world joining the muggle specimens which swam overhead and through the hallway.
The octopi were quite a favourite of mine, as they would drop suddenly onto people's heads and cling onto them, whilst the sharks would chase others and I'd charmed them to target Umbridge, Filch and all her sympathisers. With a stroke of brilliance, I cast a disillusionment charm upon myself and raced up to Umbridge's office which had been left open after Harry stole away and I cast more spells inside. A storm cloud was now permanently glued to her ceiling so that it would constantly rain or turn into a blizzard depending on its whim, ruining everything in her office and soon causing it to flood, and I cast another spell on her window so that it was also stormy and rainy, thunderclaps of lightning bellowing every so often.
After that, I then fixed sticking charms to more of the floor leading to her office so that her feet would get stuck, marking them discreetly before then releasing a bright snowy white owl to fly overhead, circling the office as it did with all the other areas I'd committed my talents to. With water rushing everywhere now, I laughed cheerfully and raced away, avoiding Filch as I overtook him from the office, hopping over the stones that I'd cast charms on before hurrying to find that Fred and George had been cornered by the Inquisitorial Squad and Umbridge, who was red faced from running. Removing the disillusionment charm, I made my way to the front to see them beaming happily as Umbridge faced them.
"So! You think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?" She demanded as her hands trembled in anger, her voice now tight and squeaky and not at all domineering.
"Pretty amusing, yeah." Fred didn't even miss a beat with his response, catching sight of me and giving a quick wink just as Filch elbowed his way past, clutching something in his hand.
"I've got the form, Headmistress. I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting…oh let me do it now…" He begged as I straightened up in alarm, starting to take a step forward but Harry gripped my arm smartly. I hadn't even realised he'd been there. What's this nonsense Filch is talking about with whips? He can't seriously mean they're bringing back the whipping punishment? They just can't!
"Very good, Argus." Umbridge agreed, making my eyes widen further. "You two, are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school." Oh I seriously doubt that.
"You know what? I don't think we are." Fred mused with a scratch to his chin before looking at his brother. "George, I think we've outgrown full-time education."
"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself." George agreed airily, both of them still grinning.
"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?"
"Definitely." Then together, they raised their wands and yelled together the summoning spell to bring their brooms all the way from Umbridge's office, the distant sound of crashing and clashing began to approach until all at once, the brooms suddenly flew over our heads. Harry and I barely ducked in time to miss the chain and peg still on the end of one of the brooms, both of which the twins deftly caught and mounted.
"We won't be seeing you."
"Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch." George agreed as the two of them now looked around at the rest of us.
"If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley – Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, our new premises!" Fred called out to us all, making me grin and wave at them both as they prepared to take off.
"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat." Pointing at Umbridge, both of them kicked off the ground as Umbridge screamed for someone to stop them. The loyalists all dove for the twins but they were already far beyond reach, circling overhead before Fred then turned to Peeves who had been watching eagerly, completely silent the entire time.
"Give her hell from us, Peeves." Sweeping a bow, Peeves cackled as Fred and George flew off out of the castle and were swiftly gone from sight, leaving Umbridge in a complete outrage, so when she whirled around and happened to see me, she screamed and lunged for me.
"You! You were in on this! This was your doing as well, wasn't it?! I'LL HAVE YOU FOR THIS! ARGUS! TAKE HER!" I was so alarmed at suddenly being set upon that I didn't even react as Umbridge grabbed hold of me, though one of her hands missed as she groped for my robes and I suddenly felt four hot scratches upon my cheek as Harry immediately jumped in to wrestle her off me. There was a lot of confusing scrabbling and yelling, until with a burst from her wand, McGonagall strode forwards.
"Attacking a student? ATTACKING A STUDENT?! NOT WHILST I LIVE AND BREATHE!" McGonagall seized me roughly by the shoulders and pulled me back, out of Umbridge's reach as she fumed, the short, high pitched breaths sounding rather reminiscent of a boiling teakettle.
"She is a known conspirator of those boys! I have her this time, you won't be a student of Hogwarts for long, mark my words!"
"You have no proof!" McGonagall shouted, the two of them arguing right in the middle of an entire crowd of students as I just blinked dumbly until I finally gathered my wits back to me.
"I can't have had anything to do with the swamp because I was in the library." I told Umbridge bluntly before touching my cheek and drawing my hand away to find blood on my fingertips. "You scratched me!"
"Preposterous! You can't have been in the library, you have no evidence, no proof…"
"She was with me." A voice spoke up confidently and before I knew it, Cedric Diggory was striding forwards, making everyone gasp and whisper as he looked Umbridge directly in the eye as she went as pale as Peeves. "I was with her in the library, I can vouch for her. Loads of people can." Never had I appreciated humble, rule abiding Cedric Diggory more in that moment, doubly so because he was actually lying through his teeth.
"Yes that's all very well and good, but…" Thankfully we never got to hear anything else, because just then someone came running down the stairs screaming that one of the floors was flooding and it was raining in Umbridge's office, making her gasp and shoot off to go and see what was happening. Now everyone was talking in loud excitement, reliving what had just happened as McGonagall hastily turned me around to inspect my face.
"Wild temper…completely unreasonable…attacking a student…I'll have her for this…" She was muttering, making sure that I was alright before looking at me firmly. "Miss Black, did you have anything to do with the swamp upstairs?" Unable to hide it, I grinned at her.
"Well, not with the swamp." I heavily hinted to which she immediately understood my meaning.
"Very well. As you were then. In the words of Mr Frederic Weasley…'give her hell'. Mr Diggory, please help disband everyone gathered here. They are clogging up the corridor. Potter, take Miss Black to Madam Pomfrey, we don't want those scratches to leave a scar." Nodding his head, Harry quickly grabbed my arm but I stopped by Cedric to give him a smile, whispered thanks to him then kissed his cheek lightly to show my gratitude before Harry and I hurried away, whispering to him everything that I'd done and before we'd even touched the stairs to head to the hospital wing, he was beaming.