~A few minutes earlier~ ~In a land far away~
.
Hermione was right. She is right rather a lot, but this really was something that he wholeheartedly agreed with. That ministry toad, that is Umbridge, being made High Inquisitor of Hogwarts was an absolute outrage.
Although, Ron had a point as well. Being able to watch McGonagall get inspected is something he would very much like to see. Umbridge didn't stand a chance.
When the Weasley twins told him that Umbridge had been sitting in on their Charms class that morning to inspect Professor Flitwick, he had wondered if she would be in any of his classes that afternoon.
He didn't wonder for long.
As he was sitting in a dark corner of the stuffy Divination classroom, pulling his dream diary out of his bag, Ron jabbed him in the ribs. Looking up he saw the toad herself climb the last steps, and through the trapdoor into the classroom. Dead silence greeted her entrance.
The tense atmosphere was heightened even more when Professor Trelawney stepped out of the shadowed corner behind her desk to 'greet' their guest. It was clear that she was trying her utmost to exude the same misty, whimsical presence that she upheld to further the image of future sight that she claimed to have. However, it was also clear that she was failing miserably, and only showing how nervous and angry she was at the situation.
Harry wondered how any of the professors could keep their cool around Umbridge, and her blatant power grabs. He wasn't surprised that Professor Trelawney was having a hard time reigning in her true thoughts and opinions of the toad.
What did surprise him was what Professor Trelawney did next.
"Alright now class, settle down. I have a very special lesson for you all today. If you would please put your dream diaries away, we will not be using our dreams today, but something much more exciting." She said, voice pitched higher than usual, and with a far less mystical demeanor than normal.
"Now, now Sybill. I thought I explained in my notice to you that this was to be a normal lesson in all intents and purposes" Umbridge interrupted, in her sickly sweet voice. "How am I to judge your aptitude for this position if this is not a typical day in your classroom?"
Nostrils flaring, and eyes narrowing slightly, Professor Trelawney replied "Well, this lesson was planned previously you see, Professor Umbridge. I looked through the veil and divined that this particular lesson would need to be used for a very special ritual. I apologize if this ritual has coincided, and therefore, interrupted your inspection of my 'aptitude for this position.'"
Ron glanced at him, and they both gave each other an incredulous and excited look.
Trelawney was sticking it to Umbridge! This was better than he ever could have hoped!
Umbridge, predictably, was not amused.
"Well, pray tell Sybill, what is this 'very important' ritual, and why can't it be performed on any other day, during any other class apart from the one I am inspecting?" She asked, danger creeping into the edge of her too girly voice.
Trelawney did not back down, "This ritual can only be performed with the precise alignment of the star Polaris, and the planet Nibiru. Nibiru has long been thought a myth, but that is only because it has not been seen for nearly three thousand and six hundred years. It is more of a phantom planet than anything else." She explained calmly, gaining back her usual air of mysticism.
"Yes, yes. But what is the point of the ritual?" Umbridge again cut in, annoyed at being given a lecture.
"Well, the ritual itself hasn't been performed in several millennium. But, according to the ancient scripts and lore of the ritual itself, it is said that the alignment of Polaris and Nibiru only occur during times of great need. Therefore, it has been thought that performing this ritual will summon a protector of sorts. A being that will help to bring back a balance that has been lost." Professor Trelawney finished impressively.
The entire class was speechless. Umbridge herself needed a moment before she could make a sputtering reply.
"Summon a protector? In times of need?" Umbridge laughs derisively, "Why ever would you try such a thing? Especially if you are not completely sure of what the ritual will actually do?"
"While it is true that my minds eye is shrouded to the results of the ritual itself, I believe it will be a welcome opportunity to review the portion of divination from the heaven's movements, and to teach the class the importance of being careful when performing ritualistic magic, as much of the practice is unknown in our modern times." Trelawney turns her back abruptly on Umbridge, ignoring the first portion of her question and carefully dragging her finger down writing scrawled on an extremely old and faded piece of parchment.
"Now, will you allow me to teach my lesson to this class today, or do you have any other questions?" Trelawney asks, not even looking at Umbridge.
The toad huffs indignantly and scribbles furiously onto her inspection clipboard.
The class was in awe. Many jaws had dropped during the explanation of todays class plan, including Ron and Harry's. Though, now, they both turned to each other and grinned, trying to stifle their chuckles.
Not only had Trelawney utterly destroyed any chance of Umbridge having any control of the classes plan and outcome, but the ritual that Trelawney had explained to them had been extremely interesting. Harry was especially interested in this protector that she had mentioned.
Would the ritual work? Could a possibly mythical planet really be in a precise position to summon something that could help them? It certainly was a time of need.
He didn't get much more time to think on it, as most of the class had picked up their dropped jaws and had happily begun to help Professor Trelawney clear a space at the front of the classroom by pushing chintz chairs and pouffes out of the way. Umbridge stayed seated in a corner, all but ignored save for the scratch of her quill on parchment.
Once space had been cleared, Professor Trelawney began to paint a large circle in white, explaining the significance of the shape in these magical rituals and how it helped to focus the energy. Harry began to zone out the tedious explanation from there, but continued to watch as she added more intricate symbols and designs within the summoning circle.
Once finished, Professor Trelawney asked for all of them to stand a ways away from the circle, and again explained the importance of being vigilant with these types of magical rituals.
Hmm. Harry had been suspecting, but now knew for certain seeing the look on Ron's face.
No one, not even Trelawney, knew what was about to happen. The anticipation was palpable as Professor Trelawney asked for quiet as she pulled out her wand. A tricky and complicated spell and incantation would complete the summoning ritual, or so Professor Trelawney said.
Harry glanced at Ron one last time before she began the incantation. There was still excited anticipation to be seen, but it was muted under a bit of fear. Ron met his eyes and they both nodded slightly. Whatever happened, if it upsets Umbridge, then it was worth the risk that Trelawney was surely taking.
As Professor Trelawney began speaking again, the class became deathly quiet. Everyone was alert and at attention, hands clutching wands in pockets just as an extra precaution. Even Umbridge looked somewhat uneasy, but was too stubborn and proud to put a stop to it.
Harry recognized that the language Professor Trelawney was speaking somewhat. It was similar to what they used for their everyday spells, a sort of subset of Latin, he thought. But as he listened, and saw her wand swish through the air in large sweeping motions, the language changed.
It became unknown. Otherworldly. Like static against snow. He didn't even know those sounds could be made by a human mouth.
Looking to the Professor he was surprised to see her eyes unfocused, but her stance and motions deliberate and strong. There was a strange sound getting louder in the background, something he couldn't identify, but that took less of his notice when he saw his breath curl in front of him. The normally humid tower classroom had sunken into a frigid cold. His classmates began to shiver and back further away from the circle. Either from the cold or from fear, he honestly had no idea.
Professor Trelawney was now shouting in that strange language, arms held high. A sharp wind whipped the classes robes around them for a moment, blowing out the fire behind Trelawney's desk. The summoning circle began to glow a bright toxic green.
Killing curse green.
The class fell on top of each other in their haste to get away from that glowing circle.
Suddenly, Professor Trelawney stopped. There was a shivering second of complete silence. Then, the entire class jumped at the sound of a scream. The wind whipped the class as the sound of the agonized cry seemed to emanate from everywhere, and from right beside them at the same time. They had all dropped to their knees, hands clamped tightly over their ears to try to block out the sound.
Then, the screaming faded sharply, as a bright ball of intense light appeared, hovering above the summoning circle.
Despite his shock at what was happening, Harry couldn't help but admire it. A ball of light wasn't really an apt description. It was more of a small, white, sun. Or a star.
As he watched, the little star seemed to grow in size, and then shudder. A heartbeat later, and a dark mist seemed to appear around the little star. It coalesced and began to form a structure around it, hiding it away. Then, to his horror, the structure condensed further... into a body.
A boy, curled around himself in the fetal position, was now hovering above the still glowing summoning circle.
When the boy's body seemed to completely put itself together from wherever it (he?) had come from, the lithe form fell to the ground. As abruptly as he hit the ground, all the surrounding wind, the frigid atmosphere, the almost choking intensity, all vanished as if it had never been. The entire class was frozen where they were, staring in shock at the strange looking being that had been summoned.
They all jumped sharply when the summoned on the ground suddenly took a large, gasping breath, and continued to gasp in and out, as he slowly uncurled himself from his tense position.
Everyone seemed to be coming out of their shocked daze as they realized that the boy they had summoned was coming around as well.
Suddenly, shocked gasps could be heard when there was suddenly a bright, shining ring of light surrounding the summoned boy. As the class watched with bated breath, the ring split apart into two. Time seemed to slow as the rings passed over the boy's body, transforming it as they went.
When the rings dissipated, where there was once a strangely dressed, moderately human looking entity which they had summoned from seemingly nowhere; there now lay a rumpled, human teenager, dressed in ragged muggle clothes.
Thoughts assaulted Harry's mind, and he became slightly dizzy from all of the ideas and explanations he suddenly came up with for what he had just witnessed.
It seemed the entire class was just as stunned, as loud exclamations and conversations began to overtake the quiet of the classroom.
The only people who still seemed to be entirely focused on the boy was Professor Trelawney, Ron and himself. They watched as the boy began to tense up, uncurling himself further from his position on the ground. Dulled blue eyes could barely be seen as he gained more awareness, when suddenly...
"Stupefy!" The half crazed shout brought the entire classroom's attention to Umbridge. A flash of red, and the boy fell limply into unconsciousness. Harry had forgotten Umbridge was there in all the excitement, and he cursed himself slightly for it, when Umbridge began to speak, the entire classes attention fixed on her.
"THIS! This ABOMINATION" she screeched "that was just summoned, is hereby captured and detained, and will be sent to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where it shall be identified, studied and then indefinably contained, by the order and power held by me, Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, and Hogwarts High Inquisitor!" She panted slightly after finishing her declaration.
The class was stunned. This was obviously a human boy they had just summoned. Or, well, at least partly human. Umbridge was treating him as if he were a mindless beast, bent on destroying them.
That didn't sit right with Harry. And neither with Professor Trelawney.
"Hold on just a moment!" She called out, brandishing her wand. "You will do no such thing! This incredibly finicky and rarely, if ever, performed ritual has actually worked at summoning a being from the beyond! This is an incredible opportunity to learn from! And what do you mean Department of Magical creatures! This being we summoned is clearly, at least partly, human!" Trelawney advanced on Umbridge, placing herself between the toad and the summoned boy on the floor.
Harry was about to jump in and agree with the Professor, when Ron jabbed him in the ribs a second time. He looked at Ron questioningly, but Ron was staring at the summoned boy.
Looking himself, he had to stifle a gasp. The boy was stirring slightly. Coming round to the world of consciousness once again.
That isn't right, he thought, stunners keep you out for a few hours at the very least, unless someone counters it.
As the argument between the two adults continued to progress into a shouting match, the class watched silently as the boy slowly began to maneuver his arms and legs underneath him.
Getting up slightly on all fours, and then sitting back on his legs, the boy finally raised his head fully to look around. Harry notices that they look eerily similar. Black, messy hair fell into his eyes (a bit longer than Harry ever kept his hair). He was rail thin, and had a distinctly neglected look. The icy blue eyes sharpened suddenly, as if finally becoming fully aware.
The boy frantically looked around himself, at the students staring, the Professors arguing, the painted summoning circle he was crouched on, and finally at the window.
Harry realized what the boy was planning to do an instant before chaos reined in the classroom once more.
"AAHHH! IT'S AWAKE" the shrill scream of Umbridge startled both the students and the boy within the circle. Without a second thought Harry ran forward to place himself between the boy and the raging toad herself. There were screams and exclamations all around the room, and Harry heard Ron's distinct shout of "Bloody Hell!" beside him. Harry turned when the temperature dropped by a few degrees and there was a flash of light just behind him.
He saw a black suit, white hair, and a flash of glowing green eyes before the boy turned and all but flew out of the window. Umbridge was still shouting, Trelawney was trying to bring order to the classroom without success. Harry's classmates were all over the place. Some were panicking, others were excitedly discussing what they had just witnessed, and he and Ron were staring at the window that the summoned boy had fled through.
Wait a minute.
The window was closed, (and yet still intact?). And they were in one of the tallest northern towers of Hogwarts.
Harry scrambled to the window and scanned the outside for any sign of the boy. Spotting him, Harry realized with a jolt, that the boy hadn't seemed to fly at all. He really was flying!
He watched as the flying boy dashed into the Forbidden Forrest, disappearing almost instantly from view.
And another chapter! Bit of a longer read this time, but hopefully worth it! (I tried to channel my inner British person voice to add that subtle difference between Harry's and Danny's perspectives, hopefully it worked!)
As you can probably tell, I really, really, really don't like Umbridge, but who does?
If you guys have any notes about my writing so far, then please let me know! Thank you for reading!