Author's Notes
Chapter Sixteen
If Umbridge had expected the castle to fall under her rule quietly after the departure of Fred and George, she was woefully mistaken. For the next few weeks students across the school vied for the now open position of 'Troublemaker-in-Chief." The teachers were no support for her either, several of them quietly rewarding students for their mischief, and in one or two cases actually assisting them.
Homework had reached an alarming level on a daily basis for the fifth years, severely limiting any time that Harry, Hermione, and Ron could talk freely about the events of the last few weeks. When Hermione found out that Snape had cancelled Occlumency lessons, she was aghast.
"But he can't do that! Dumbledore wants you to learn how to close your mind."
"I know, and I mostly have" said Harry, trying to sidestep what he saw as being a long conversation about this.
"You can't tell me you've stopped having funny dreams. Ron's told me he's heard you muttering in your sleep."
It was true that the dreams about the corridor to the Department of Mysteries were now happening on an almost nightly basis. Harry had finally made it past the circular room with the blue lights, and felt he was getting close to what he was supposed to see. Hermione did not let the matter drop for days, constantly badgering Harry about going back to Snape. He tried his best to placate her, to say that he was in control of the dreams, but they both knew it was a lie. As much as he knew he was seeing this because Voldemort wanted him too, he kept almost wishing to see more.
If anything could break the air of tension that had settled over the school in the weeks before their exams, it was the last quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw. If Gryffindor could beat Ravenclaw, they would win the cup. No one was really holding out much hope for this, mostly due to Ron's lackluster abilities. Thankfully, few said this loud enough for him to hear it. Harry and Hermione left the oak front doors the Saturday morning of the match with the rest of the school and were soon seated in the packed stands.
They only got to watch the first goal, Ravenclaw scoring on Ron, before Hagrid appeared behind them. Quietly, but insistently, he got them to follow him out of the stands and into the Forbidden Forest. The secret he had been keeping since his return turned out to be his half-brother, a full-grown giant, that Hagrid had been keeping in the forest to teach him.
"It's just, I think I'm gonna be gettin' the sack and day now. And, I was hoping you two, and Ron, would be able to look after him."
"Look after him?" cried Hermione, gazing up at the towering figure.
"Yeah, it's not food or anything, he can get that easily enough. Just keep him company." Hagrid said, almost pleadingly.
Harry and Hermione shared a look, both at a loss for what to say. Neither of them exactly wanted to help civilize Hagrid's half-brother, but at the same time Hagrid had been there for them when they'd needed him. Resignedly, Harry turned back to his friend and said "Ok, we'll do it."
Wanting to get away from their new charge, the three of them made their way back out of the forest, hoping to get back to the match before anyone noticed they weren't there. It was already over when they reached the edge of the trees. In a display of sheer brilliance, Ron had kept Ravenclaw from scoring after their first goal, and Ginny had beaten Cho to the snitch. Ron was being carried aloft by a group of singing Gryffindors, who had co-opted Malfoy's lyrics into a song praising Ron.
May came to and end without Harry finding any more time to slip off to the Room of Requirement. With June began the time every fifth years had been dreading. Their exams were due to be sat the following week, lasting a grueling two weeks before being over. Hermione had reached a state of pure nerves, snapping constantly at any noise, and Harry wasn't much better. His plans on being an auror meant that he needed to do exceptionally well on five of his exams, two of which were in subjects he wasn't terribly strong in. Transfiguration had never been an easy subject for him, and Potions with Snape was almost always nothing short of a disaster.
Harry's fears proved to be mostly unfounded. As difficult as the tests they went through were, he found the answers to the questions for the written exams coming to his mind easier than he had expected. Every morning they had the written test for that days subject, and in the afternoon the practical exam, which proved to be more challenging. Several times his examiner was an old wizard by the name of Professor Tofty. Harry instantly liked the old man, he had a kind smile and put Harry's mind at ease before each test.
Time passed in a strange haze for those taking the tests. By the time the second week was done and only their History of Magic stood between them and the light at the end of the tunnel, most were ready to throw that exam away as a waste of time. Few had any real plans of passing it, or of needing it in their futures. Harry spent the night studying diligently with Hermione and, to both their surprise, Ron, thinking wistfully of their freedom the following afternoon.
Harry didn't manage to even get halfway through his paper next day. Exhaustion which had been hanging over all of them like a storm cloud for days overcame him as he tried to write about an ancient Warlock Convention. His head slumped onto his test paper and darkness swallowed him.
He was walking down the dark corridor from his dreams, a sense that this time would be different. Through the circular room he passed, and on into the room of dancing light and clicking. His heart raced in his chest, and he ran across to the door on the opposite wall. He found himself in the cathedral sized room, rows upon rows of shelves covered in dusty orbs facing him. Down the row he dashed, heart racing with a fever pitch, he was going to get there this time. At the end of the row ninety-seven he turned, and his blood turned to ice.
Lying bound on the floor near the end of the row was Sirius. As Harry watched a high, cold laugh filled the room, issuing from his own mouth.
"Take it for me." He said, pointing his wand at the man on the floor.
"You'll have to kill me." Sirius grunted, obviously in extreme pain.
"Oh, I will, I will. But first, you'll give me what I want. Crucio!" Harry said, still in the voice of Lord Voldemort.
Screams echoed off the high ceiling as Sirius writhed in pain and wish a start, Harry woke to find himself on the floor of the Great Hall, writhing much as Sirius had been.
Despite Professor Tofty's attempts to get him to go the Hospital Wing, all Harry could think of was getting to the small mirror in his bedside table. He had to see, to know, that Sirius was safe in Grimmauld Place. Tearing out of the hall and up the many staircases to Gryffindor Tower, the visions of Sirius being tortured filled his brain. As everyone he shared a room with was still taking their exam, Harry didn't hesitate before loudly shooting "Sirius Black!" into the little piece of glass. The mirror went dark as it always had, but no picture of Sirius appeared. With every second that Harry waitied, his panic rose to a new level. Sirius had never been away from his mirror this long before, never left him waiting when he called. After a whole minute, or it might have been a year to Harry, he let the mirror fall.
That's how Ron and Hermione found him ten minutes later, both of them done early with their tests.
"He has Sirius." Said Harry
"Who?" asked Ron
"Voldemort. Voldemort has Sirius in the Department of Mysteries." Harry replied, ignoring Ron's jump at the sound of the name.
"Harry, that's no possible" Hermione said, trying to console him and make him see reason.
"I know it's not!" Harry cried, not meaning to yell, "But it's true. I'm just seen it." He then went on to show them the mirror, which was still dark. Hermione, who he had hoped would see reason after this evidence, still hesitated.
"He might just be out of the room" he offered.
"Hermione, Voldemort has him and he's going to torture him until he kills him!"
"I'm just saying we need to be sure." Hermione replied, her face going slightly red.
"How are we gonna do that?" asked Ron, "There's no one left here from the Order and the fireplaces are being watched."
With a start, Harry remembered something Umbridge had told him months ago. She had brought him into her office the day after she had become Headmistress, trying to question him about Sirius, and had let slip that her fire was not being monitored. "Not all of them." He said and started telling Hermione and Ron what he'd just remembered.
An hour later, after roping in Ginny to help them, Harry stood outside Umbridge's office under his invisibility cloak, waiting for the all clear signal. They were going to spread the word that this section of hallway had been filled with particularly nasty gas, which also happened to be odorless and colorless, hoping that most students would choose not to risk exposure. At the same time, Hermione was tracking down Umbridge to tell her that Peeves was smashing up the Transfiguration department. Once there was no one in sight, Harry pulled out a magical pen knife that Sirius had given him and unlocked the door.
The office was as nauseating as ever. Pink walls a draped, with porcelain cat plates stared down at him from all sides. Over by the fire stood a small pot of black power and Harry cast it into the grate. Once the emerald green flames had ignited, he wasted no time in shoving is head into them and crying "Twelve Grimmauld Place!" After the whirling had stopped Harry found himself staring out of the fireplace into the dark and empty kitchen. "Sirius!" shouted Harry. No on answered but a small figured shuffled into view.
It was Kreacher. "The Potter brat's head is in the fire. Kreacher wonders why he is here."
"Where's Sirius, Kreacher?" asked Harry, who was staring to get pains all over his body from kneeling in this position.
"Master had gone out" said the elf, and there was almost a smile on his small face.
"What?" Harry yelled, but Kreacher did not answer. He turned and started for the stairs, "Has he gone to the Department of Mysteries?"
Kreacher stopped and turned back to look at Harry and this time there was no doubt of a smile. "Master will never return. Kreacher is alone at last."
Harry didn't have the chance to say anything else as a hand roughly grabbed the hair on the top of his head and pulled him backwards out of the fire. Umbridge, who was looking none to pleased, yanked his head back, exposing his neck. Apparently, she hadn't been distracted by Hermione, but had come straight back to her office.
"Did you really think that my office could be entered without me knowing, Potter?" she said, her voice having taken on the sickly-sweet tone that curdles milk. Against the wall stood Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny and somehow, Luna held in various uncomfortable poses by members of the Inquisitorial Squad.
"Who were you trying to contact?" asked Umbridge
"N-no one." Harry stammered in pain
"Liar. Your head was in my fireplace. Were you trying to reach the criminal Black? I know you're in contact with him."
With a cry Hermione seemed to break down and started weaving a tale about needing to reach Dumbledore, to tell him that his secret weapon was finished. Umbridge seized on this immediately, trying comfort the apparently crying girl, asking her where the weapon was hidden. Harry once again admired Hermione's grace under pressure. Fifteen minutes later Umbridge was leading her and Harry out of the castle and into the woods, too intent on finding a weapon to consider the danger she was putting herself in.