Chapter 7
Monday, 18 September 1995
Hogwarts Castle, Scotland
Things had gone quite smoothly the day before. Remus had already arrived and was waiting with Sirius in the parlour of Potter Manor when Harry, Katie, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Tonks, and Leanne had shown up. There had been a moment of some hysteria before Leanne was brought in on the secret of Sirius being innocent.
Hermione and Neville had chosen to explore the gardens of Potter Manor, while the rest of them set out to tour the estate at large both with an eye to settling Sirius and Remus into an appropriate home as well as to familiarize everyone with the layout of the trunks.
Sirius had chosen a medium-sized Victorian-era manor on the south coast of the sea in grid E4 that Harry called Coastview Hall for his temporary residence. Coastview, about seven miles east of the Italian villa Harry had seen the day before, was a copy of Brodsworth Hall in Yorkshire. Hermione had found Brodsworth in one of the books that Harry had gotten from the control room and suggested that Harry needed a Victorian manor in his collection of homes. The T-shaped classical white stone house featured a covered carriage entrance, large windows, and a stone railing around the roof. It was set back from the coast on the west bank of the delta of a large river that Harry had yet to name.
Coastview was quite far from Potter Manor and would be the terminus of one of the rail lines when they were completed. Harry had found Orym directing construction of the elf village and had a long conversation with him after noticing that the homes lacked sufficient furnishing. They'd cleared up some misunderstandings, and Harry had left Orym confident that the experienced elf finally understood what he wanted to accomplish for the elves.
Harry had also used the visit as an opportunity to hand out some more trunks, with both Tonks and Hermione getting one. Neville, Ron, and Leanne didn't need them, as they lived in a dorm with people who had them already. Tonk's technically lived in the fifth-year girls' dorm, but Dobby had taken her trunk to Tonks' flat in London so she could get places outside Hogwarts without raising suspicion.
Harry had also progressed in his relationship with Katie, who had spent several enjoyable hours in Harry's suite watching films with him after his other friends had left. They'd actually spent more time kissing than watching the movie, but Harry wasn't complaining at all. It had been just before midnight when Katie had finally left, which meant that when he'd awoken the next morning, he was not as well rested as he might've been otherwise.
The Great Hall was quiet that morning until the arrival of the post owls. Once they started landing, conversation picked up. At first, nothing seemed amiss. Then came exclamations of shock and outrage, first in ones and twos, and then spreading across the hall, as friends passed papers around. It was loud enough that Harry noticed it almost immediately, even through his sleepy haze.
For once, the cause of the students' ire wasn't the Daily Prophet, but the much less subscribed to Quibbler. The lower circulation slowed the spread but didn't dampen the sentiment. Indeed, Harry found, as he turned to his own copy of the Quibbler, quite unlike previous editions (he'd only gotten two others since starting his subscription the week before), the article and photos gracing the front page of the normally outlandish paper were of such journalistic quality that they might be at home in the Times had the subject not violated the Statute of Secrecy.
Torture at Hogwarts!
By L. Lovegood
The new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor and High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has a growing reputation among the students as both a terrible teacher and an unconscionable nuisance.
"She's a right bitch," one student said, requesting anonymity for fear of reprisal. That student's statement was one of the tamer responses when posed the question, "How do you feel about Professor Umbridge?"
While her teaching ability, or lack thereof, and her off-putting, simpering manner are well known to all students, what isn't widely known is that this supposedly Ministry-approved teacher and inquisitor tortures students who find themselves in detention with her.
Over the course of no less than fourteen separate detentions, at least four students were subjected to writing lines with a blood quill at the direction of Professor Umbridge. Professor Umbridge's detentions usually last approximately three hours, and she frequently forces students to sit multiple detentions, "so that the lesson may sink in."
This illegal use of a restricted dark instrument is a clear violation of students' rights…
Harry was surprised. He'd had no indication that three other students had had similar detentions with Umbridge. He quickly scanned the rest of the article, which detailed the effect of the detentions, but omitted the content that the students were forced to write, in order to preserve their anonymity. Luna did mention that at least one of those serving detention was a member of an ancient and noble house, while another was of a noble house.
Harry looked up at the head table, where Umbridge was calmly eating her breakfast, seemingly confused at the uproar tearing through the student body. Several seats away, Professor McGonagall was reading the Quibbler with interest, pointing out several sections to Professor Flitwick, who was sitting next to her.
"It looks like Luna did a good job," Katie said when she finished reading over Harry's shoulder. She squeezed his hand under the table. "Did you remember the documents?"
"Yeah. I wonder how long it'll be before Umbridge figures out what's going on," Harry said, glancing back at the high table, after double checking his big. The documents had arrived the night before by owl in his trunk.
Around him, Hermione was busy reading the rest of the Quibbler, with Ron talking to Fred and George about pranks they could pull on the pink toad. They had already managed to stick her to her chair one dinner time. They had also stuck her eating utensils to her hands at a breakfast and turned her hair and skin a muddy toad-like green the Friday before at lunch. Umbridge had never deduced the culprits, despite her rage.
Neville was eating and reading over Hermione's shoulder occasionally. Leanne, too, was eating, and engaged in a low-level conversation with Tonks. Harry shrugged and started eating.
It took two and a half minutes for Umbridge to twig to and then discover the cause of the unrest. When she did, the entire room, perhaps even the entire castle, heard about it.
"Mr. Potter! Mr. Davies! Detention," she shouted. Harry looked up at the high table. Now Harry knew who the member of a noble house who'd been tortured was. Umbridge was standing, though it was difficult to tell, her face redder than the Weasley hair. She looked furious. Harry glanced at Katie, imploring her with his eyes not to be upset. Then he stood and faced her.
"Why?" he asked loudly, the fog of sleep being completely sundered by a cool rage. "I shall not tell lies, Professor." He held up his hand defiantly, displaying the words etched there. The rest of the hall was shocked into silence.
"I thought you had changed, Mr. Potter," Umbridge snapped. "I suppose much as a tiger cannot change his stripes, so a half-blood cannot comprehend…"
"Go ahead, professor," Harry interrupted her. "Tell us what a half-blood cannot comprehend. After all, you'd know since you are one."
"How dare you!" Umbridge shouted. None of the other teachers moved to interrupt the confrontation, each both too timid and too awestruck to intervene. "That's a lie!"
"Not according to the Ministry of Magic Public Information Services," Harry said, pulling some of the paperwork out of his bag. "According to your birth certificate, which I was able to request a copy of, your mother was Ellen Cracknell, muggle. Now, I admit, I'm fairly new to the wizarding world, but having a muggle mother and a magical father makes you a half-blood, does it not?"
Up on the podium, Umbridge's eyes bulged, and her wand came out. Just as she started to point it at Harry, the doors to the Great Hall slammed open.
"Dolores Umbridge! You're under arrest," called out a loud male voice. Harry and the entire rest of the hall turned to see Madam Bones flanked by two Aurors. Harry recognized one as Kingsley Shacklebolt. It was he who'd spoken. The three members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement advanced on Umbridge, wands drawn. "Lay down your wand," Shacklebolt demanded.
"You don't have the right…" Umbridge scoffed, though she lowered her wand.
"You've broken the law," Madam Bones said. "I believe arresting lawbreakers is within our remit, regardless of who they are." The three of them arrived at the head table. Shacklebolt went around the end.
"I am the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister and the High Inquisitor," Umbridge blustered as Shacklebolt started putting handcuffs on her. "I am above…"
"Dolores do not finish that sentence," came a new voice. Harry looked, and couldn't be prevented from rolling his eyes. It was the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, himself. "Auror, release the Undersecretary." To his credit, Shacklebolt didn't move, but looked at Madam Bones.
"Minister, I have received reports that the Senior Undersecretary has used a restricted object as a means of torture," Madam Bones said calmly. "That is illegal, and as such, I'm placing the Senior Undersecretary under arrest."
"No, you're not!" the Minister replied angrily. "Just because you've read some garbage in the Quibbler doesn't make it true!"
"You think so little of me, Minister?" Bones sighed. "I've had an investigation running for a week. I have memory evidence from two people in secure storage back at the Ministry. All the Quibbler did was suggest there are more victims out there, and that my investigation needs to continue. What I have is more than enough to see Dolores Umbridge arrested."
"Who's memories?" Fudge demanded.
"Mine," Harry called out from where he still stood.
"Ah yes," Fudge scoffed. "The liar. I suppose Dumbledore put you up to it?"
"And mine," Tonks said, standing and morphing from Dora Thompson into her usual form. "How about the word of an Auror? Is that good enough, Minister?"
"I'd be willing to provide memory evidence as well," Roger Davies said, standing.
"And me!" said a seventh year Hufflepuff Harry didn't know.
"Me too," another seventh year Ravenclaw added.
"Umbridge is a bloody menace!" someone shouted out.
"Who said that?!" Fudge demanded.
At that moment, another Auror entered and hurried to Madam Bones. There was a quiet discussion while Fudge sought out whomever had yelled out the insult against Umbridge.
"Minister," Bones said, holding up three blood quills the Auror had passed to her. "We just recovered these from the Defence Office. What say you now?"
"Dolores has my complete trust," Fudge said calming himself. "If she did anything, I'm sure she had the best intentions, and the safety and security of wizarding Britain foremost in her mind. I hereby pardon her for any crimes she might have committed."
"Nice try, Minister," Bones chuckled. "You can only pardon the Undersecretary after she's been convicted by the Wizengamot."
"Then I instruct you to release her on her own recognizance until such time as the Wizengamot can conduct her trial, so that she may return to her important work here," Fudge instructed.
"What important work?" Harry snapped, at the end of his patience. "Do you condone her torture of students?" Fudge turned purple and glared at Harry.
"I have received frequent reports from the High Inquisitor," Fudge said when he'd gotten his anger under control. "I am satisfied that Madam Umbridge has only acted with the best of intentions, and only done what was necessary to maintain order and discipline."
"So, is your official statement that you condone Umbridge's use of blood quills as a form of punishment for students?" Harry asked quickly. "Or perhaps it was your idea? Was Umbridge, in fact, acting on your orders?"
"Of course not," Fudge suddenly backpedalled.
"Which part?" Harry shot back. "The condoning of her lawbreaking, that it was your idea, or that she was acting on your orders?"
"All of it!" Fudge snapped.
"So, you were unaware that your lackey was torturing students with restricted black artifacts?" Harry clarified.
"I'm sure this will all be cleared up satisfactorily," Fudge hissed. "And Madam Umbridge will be returned to her duties as High Inquisitor soon."
"That's not an answer, Minister," Harry said softly. Fudge didn't reply, instead choosing to glare at Harry.
"Why are you so scared of me?" Harry asked, tilting his head to the side as he considered the angry official in front of him. "All I've ever done to you is tell you the truth. I'm sorry that that truth isn't something you want to hear. Voldemort's back and he's raising an army to overthrow the government." Fudge flinched and tried to speak, but Harry rode right over him. "I'm sorry if that conflicts with whatever story Lucius Malfoy is paying you to believe. Perhaps you should get a copy of my memory and watch as Lord Malfoy, the upstanding member of society, bowed and scraped before the half-blood Tom Riddle after he was returned to a body. Oh, sorry, you know him as Voldemort. Why are you so scared of Headmaster Dumbledore? All the Headmaster ever wanted to do was help you prepare for the war that is already on your doorstep. Cedric Diggory is dead because of Voldemort. So are at least two other people whose spirits came out of his wand while we were duelling. But no! You can't have your precious status quo disrupted. Besides, if you did something, Malfoy might stop paying you off, and you can't have that. God! Did you ever have scruples, or did your parents never teach you about honour, dignity, and justice?"
Around them the entire hall was stone silent. The two were the centre of everyone's attention. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw that Luna was taking notes. If looks could kill, Draco Malfoy would've murdered Harry a short while earlier. The entire Hufflepuff table was staring at Harry teary-eyed. The Ravenclaws were all mentally trying to figure out who Tom Riddle was, and about half the Slytherins were filing what Harry had said away for later investigation into the claim that the Dark Lord was a half-blood. Then there were the Gryffindors. If the look that Malfoy was giving Harry was bad, it was nothing compared to the looks that the entire Gryffindor table was levelling on the Minister. Had he been paying attention he might've wet himself in fear. Fortunately for him, his entire focus was on the… obstacle… standing right in front of him.
"Be careful," Fudge warned, attempting to appear calm. "You're meddling where you don't belong."
"Where's that?" Harry asked. "The school I attend? The government of my country? The Wizengamot? I think you'll find that I do, in fact, belong there, at least. Or did you forget about the Potter, Gryffindor, and Peverell seats? It won't be too long before I take those up, and I'm not half as forgiving as the Headmaster." Fudge reeled back as though struck. Then he glanced nervously around and realized that while he'd been talking to Harry, Auror Shacklebolt had silenced Umbridge and was escorting her out of the Great Hall, still in handcuffs.
"Where are you taking her?" Fudge shouted. "I demand she be released!"
"I can't authorize that until she's been processed," Bones replied calmly. "You can collect her from Auror Headquarters in a few hours. Oh, and I'm keeping the blood quills as evidence. I'll be investigating where she got them from, in preparation for laying more charges." She turned to Tonks. "Find out what Lord Potter knows about Voldemort." She glanced back at Fudge. "Good day, Minister." She left Fudge standing all alone in the middle of the Great Hall, surrounded by frowning students, a shocked staff, and a livid Harry Potter.
"This is all your fault!" the Minister shouted, rounding on Harry.
"Minister," Dumbledore said from where he stood in front of his seat. "I think you'll find that this was all your fault."
"You haven't heard the last of this," Fudge promised, finger shaking as it pointed accusingly at Dumbledore. "I've got your number!"
"Shut your gob, you wanker!" one of the students shouted. Fudge turned quickly, shocked by the language and vitriol.
"Yeah, fuck off, twat!" shouted another. Fudge turned again, looking increasingly perturbed, rather than angry.
"We don't want you here!" cried a third. Thereafter, a general uproar of catcalls and boos followed the Minister as he beat a hasty retreat, face the colour of a beet, but impotent before the mob of schoolchildren. Even some of the Slytherins were expressing their displeasure at the Minister, though Harry noticed that most of them were sitting in stone-faced silence, glaring at the rest of the school.
"I think that's this job sorted," Tonks said happily, remaining in her normal appearance. "Though I think I'll stick around to ensure the safety of the students until after Umbridge's trial. I might be able to gather some more evidence against the bitch." Harry grinned at her and sat back down. Katie patted his leg reassuringly and smiled at him.
Eventually, the Great Hall settled down, though it was a few minutes after the Minister's abrupt departure that order fully returned. Dumbledore, still standing, cleared his throat.
"Settle down, please," he said gently. "While what happened to Professor Umbridge might have been eminently satisfying, I do not believe we've seen the last of her. Each of us must prepare for her return, perhaps as early as lunch. And when she does come back, she will be most upset. Professor Umbridge is not a forgiving person. Unfortunately, I cannot repeal the Ministry's Educational Decrees, and I cannot prevent her punishments, however I will do what I can to assist you all. Please exercise caution in the coming days and weeks. Thank you." He sat down.
"Well, I'm fucked," Harry said to no one in particular.
"Harry, language," Hermione chided.
"Don't worry," Tonks consoled him. "That bitch won't have any student in detention without me there supervising. I'm making it my mission in life to prevent her from hurting anyone else."
"Thanks, Tonks," Harry said with a grin, and started eating again.
-oooo-
Umbridge didn't make an appearance in the castle until dinner, and even then, she was silent all through the meal. It wasn't until after the meal was over that she stood.
"Hem, hem," Umbridge coughed to gain everyone's attention. "The Minister informed me of how he was treated here after I left."
"The old toad makes it sound like she'd just decided to go," Fred snickered softly.
"Such… misbehaviour... must be discouraged," Umbridge announced. "Therefore, every member of Gryffindor House, Hufflepuff House, and Ravenclaw House will sit detention with me tonight, here and now. There will be no need to talk or move about."
"Oi!" someone shouted from the back of the hall. "What about Slytherin? Lots of them were with us!" Several other students loudly agreed with that statement. Umbridge was quick to raise her hands.
"Silence!" she cried. "Lies will not be tolerated. I know that no member of Slytherin House would ever stoop to heckle or disparage the Minister for Magic."
"But they did!" called someone else.
"Enough!" Umbridge shouted loudly. "I have spoken. Slytherin House is free to leave. Please do so now." With looks of clear relief on many of their faces, and righteous superiority on others, the Slytherins rose and filed out the door. Snape followed, as did Hagrid, Trelawney, and several other professors. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick remained behind. "You may leave as well," Umbridge told them.
"I'll stay," McGonagall replied flatly.
"You'll go," Umbridge told her. McGonagall looked about ready to comply when Umbridge's attention was entirely diverted.
"C'mon, Harry," Tonks said, standing. "Best start interviewing you now. Madam Bones won't want me to wait." Harry started to stand.
"Potter!" Umbridge turned and shouted. "You sit!"
"Madam Umbridge, Mr. Potter will be coming with me, as I've been instructed to interview him about a criminal matter by the Director of Magical Law Enforcement. You wouldn't happen to be attempting to impede an Auror in the performance of their lawfully appointed duties, would you?"
"You will postpone your interview," Umbridge directed imperiously.
"You have no right to request that of me, Madam Umbridge," Tonks shrugged her off. "I'll conduct my interviews now. If you have a problem with how I do my job, take it up with Madam Bones. Otherwise, sod right off." She turned back to Harry. "C'mon. We'll use an empty classroom. Come to think of it..." she looked around as Harry stood. "Who was tortured by Madam Umbridge? Raise your hands. C'mon, Davies, I know you were." Three other students stood: the seventh year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw from earlier, and Terry Boot, from Harry's year in Ravenclaw. Harry shook his head. Of course, the Ravenclaws would be the most upset that Umbridge wasn't really teaching anything, and her textbook was rubbish.
"That's quite enough!" Umbridge said firmly.
"Actually, it'd probably be useful to have Luna Lovegood, Hermione, Ron..." Tonks continued, looking around the Gryffindor table. "Katie… and… Neville." Finished, Tonks started for the doors to the entry hall. The ten students she'd called out hurrying to follow before the iron fist of injustice could fall on them that day.
Umbridge sat, fuming in silence, having completely forgotten to continue dismissing the rest of the teaching staff. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick sat in stony silence and made sure that Umbridge did nothing untoward.
-oooo-
Tonks' interviews were really little more than an excuse to get the most put-upon students out of Umbridge's line of fire. Tonks took them all to an empty classroom, and everyone grabbed a desk. Harry waited while Davies, Boot, and the others who'd sat detention with Umbridge provided statements and memory evidence. Luna agreed to turn over all her research to the Aurors. Katie told Tonks about how she'd discovered Harry's injury, and gone to Susan. The rest Tonks knew. It wasn't until she got to Harry, Hermione, and Ron that things got interesting.
"Tell me about Voldemort," Tonks instructed. Every other person in the room was instantly locked on Harry.
"His real name is Tom Riddle," Harry said. "He was a Slytherin here in the 1940s; head boy."
"How do you know that?" Tonks asked.
"He told me," Harry said simply.
"When?"
"Two and a half years ago," Harry replied.
"That was before..." Tonks protested.
"I've met Voldemort four times in person," Harry said. "I met him when he murdered my parents in 1981. In my first year, he was hitching a ride with Professor Quirinus Quirrell." The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs eyes went wide at that statement. "Quirrell had picked him up in Albania over the summer, and Voldemort had been living in the back of his head from that point on until I killed him in June 1992."
"You killed Professor Quirrell?" Tonks clarified.
"Not on purpose," Harry replied. "Ron, Hermione, and I thought Professor Snape was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone, which the Headmaster had hidden at Hogwarts. We tried to get through the obstacles guarding the stone, but only I made it in the end. Ron got knocked out by a game of chess, and there was only enough potion for one person to go through some enchanted fire, so Hermione told me to do it. When I got into the last room, the Mirror of Erised was there – that's an enchanted mirror that shows you your heart's desire – and Quirrell was standing there, trying to find the stone. A voice told him to ask me, and Quirrell argued with the voice. Eventually, the voice told him to take off his turban, which he did. Voldemort's face was sticking out of the back of his head. Voldemort asked me to get him the stone. I refused and Quirrell tried to choke me but touching me burned him. Touching me caused Quirrell to die, and Voldemort left his body as a wraith."
"What about in 1993?" Tonks asked.
"Lucius Malfoy had passed Ginny Weasley an old diary of Voldemort's that wrote back the summer before that school year," Harry prefaced. "She didn't know what it was, and Ginny spent all year writing in it and started being possessed by it. When Voldemort possessed Ginny, he'd open the Chamber of Secrets and let out Slytherin's basilisk to terrorize muggleborns. None died, but some were petrified. When Ginny realized what was happening, she tried to ditch the diary. I found it, and wrote in it a bit, and learned some about Tom Riddle. Then Ginny got the diary back and eventually, Tom took her down in the Chamber and started using her life-force to return himself to a body."
"How'd he do that?" Tonks asked.
"When I got there, he was a spirit, and I talked to him a bit," Harry said. "He explained that Ginny had written in the diary enough, poured enough of her soul into the book, that he was able to use that to get a body back."
"How did you get there?" Tonks asked.
"Well, Hermione had researched what the monster was," Harry explained. "But before she could tell us, she got petrified. Fortunately, she'd torn a page from a book..." At that revelation, Hermione grimaced, and Katie smirked. "and Ron and I were able to learn the monster was a basilisk. That was right before Ginny went down into the Chamber that last time. Ron and I got Professor Lockhart, who was trying to do a runner, and we all went down into the Chamber together. That was when Lockhart stole Ron's wand and tried to obliviate us both. Too bad for him that Ron's wand got busted when he crashed his dad's car into the Whomping Willow at the beginning of the year. When he tried to obliviate us, the wand backfired, and he got obliviated instead. The magic caved in the corridor, and Ron and I got separated. I went ahead, while Ron tried to clear the corridor."
"So, what did you do?" Tonks asked.
"I went into the Chamber and found Ginny," Harry informed her. "She was unconscious, and Tom's shade was standing over her. I ran over and tried to get her to wake up, but she wouldn't. Then Tom and I had a conversation and he used my wand to fight me. Then he called the basilisk. Dumbledore's phoenix showed up with the Sorting Hat. I pulled the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat. Fawkes – Dumbledore's phoenix – clawed the basilisk's eyes out, and then the basilisk came at me. I stabbed it in the head with the sword, which killed it, but it bit me. Then Fawkes saved my life by crying into the wound, healing it. Tom wasn't well pleased by that, and Ginny still wouldn't wake up. I'd realized by that time, that the diary was important, and thought that might be a way to kill him, but he still had my wand. I took the basilisk fang I pulled out of my arm and stabbed the diary. That killed him, and Ginny woke up."
"Shit," Tonks swore, astounded. "And the only other time you saw Vold… Voldemort, was..."
"In the graveyard after the third task of the Triwizard Tournament," Harry finished for her. "Barty Crouch Jr., broken out of Azkaban by his father, had escaped his father's imperious curse and subdued Auror Moody, then impersonated him and taught Defence Against the Dark Arts here. He slipped my name into the Goblet of Fire registered under a fourth school and got me into the Triwizard Tournament. He placed the trophy in the maze, and added a portkey over the main portkey, so it would take me to the graveyard in Little Hangleton."
"So, he was in the graveyard?" Tonks asked.
"Yes and no," Harry said, trying to figure out how to explain it. "Cedric Diggory and I were transported to the graveyard and were quite disoriented. I heard Voldemort say, 'Kill the spare.' Peter Pettigrew killed Cedric with the killing curse using Voldemort's wand. Then he stunned me. I was tied to a gravestone. It was Tom Riddle Sr.'s grave, Voldemort's father. When I came to, I saw Pettigrew working over a large cauldron. He started a ritual that involved the bone of Voldemort's father taken from the grave, the flesh of a servant in the form of Pettigrew's hand that he chopped off, and the blood of an enemy: my blood."
"Where was Voldemort?" Tonks pressed.
"He was like… a baby?" Harry tried. "Like baby-sized, wrapped in a blanket, next to the cauldron. He could talk, but not do much else. Once Pettigrew had added the last components to the cauldron, he put Voldemort in. When Voldemort came out, he was full size. Pettigrew put a robe on him, and then he used Pettigrew to call his Death Eaters. Some of them showed up. I don't remember all the names, but I know Lucius Malfoy was one. I can get you a memory that should be able to tell you more."
"Then what happened?" Tonks asked.
"Voldemort let me loose to fight me, in order to prove to his Death Eaters how little of a threat I was," Harry told her. "We traded a few spells. Well, I mostly dodged. He hit me with a cruciatus curse. Then we both cast at the same time, and our wands locked. A big gold cage formed around us, and no one and no spells could get in. There was a ball of light between our two wands. I tried really hard and got the ball of light into his wand. A bunch of shades of people he'd killed came out." Harry paused, remembering. Wiping his eyes, he continued. "Cedric came out first. Told me to..."
"It's OK, Harry," Tonks said, rubbing his arm. "What else happened?"
"Some other people I didn't know came out next," Harry continued. "Then… my… my mum and dad..."
"Sweet Merlin," Tonks whispered under her breath. Harry completely broke down, remembering. Katie grabbed him into a hug as Harry sobbed into her shoulder. For over a minute the room was completely silent as Harry cried. When he could, he wiped his face on his sleeve, and sat up.
"They… they told me they'd help me," Harry said. "They all flocked around Voldemort, and the connection broke. The dome collapsed, and I ran for the portkey. I grabbed Cedric's body and the Triwizard Cup, and it took me back to the front of the maze. Madam Bones knows the rest."
"I'll need memories of all the times you just told me about," Tonks instructed. Harry merely nodded. She turned to Ron and Hermione. "Is there anything else you can add?"
"Well," Hermione prevaricated. "Neither of us were there when any of those things happened, so we can't directly corroborate his story."
"I was in the Chamber," Ron protested. "I mean, up until the cave-in. But then I saw Harry with Ginny, and the ruined book, and Fawkes. And I was with him first year until I got knocked out."
"Yes," Hermione agreed. "And I was with him until the potions, and then I saw the aftermath of him and Quirrell. And everyone who was at the third task saw the aftermath of the graveyard."
"What about what Harry's told you?" Tonks asked.
"Pretty much what he told you," Hermione shrugged. "I mean, we did get some more details, I suppose, but that was mostly because we talked right after it happened, and he remembered more."
"I'm going to need something in addition to a story and some memories," Tonks told the three of them.
"There's a plaque in the trophy room with Riddle's name on it," Ron said.
"His name's an anagram," Harry added. "'Tom Marvolo Riddle' and 'I am Lord Voldemort' are anagrams. He showed me that in the Chamber. You could also go to the graveyard in Little Hangleton."
"What about that diary?" Tonks asked.
"Erm… I put a sock in it, then gave it back to Malfoy," Harry said, remembering. "He chucked it at his house elf, now my house elf: Dobby. Since he was free, Dobby was able to prevent Malfoy from doing me in with the killing curse by banishing him across the corridor. I think Dumbledore has the diary now. I suppose I could take you down into the Chamber of Secrets. The goblins are coming on Saturday to harvest the basilisk for me. I could show you then." That letter had arrived the day before from Gringotts, confirming that the goblin rendering team would be available on Saturday. Harry had replied that that was agreeable.
"That would be good," Tonks agreed.
-oooo-
On Friday morning, when Harry and his friends went down to breakfast, an announcement was posted on the door the Great Hall.
Educational Decree 24
Students and Faculty are forbidden to correspond with anyone outside of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry without first submitting the correspondence to the High Inquisitor for inspection. Incoming owls will be diverted to the High Inquisitor's office for inspection prior to their arrival in the Great Hall. The Hogwarts Owlery has been closed. Floo access has been deactivated.
"Galloping Graphorns!" Neville shouted when he'd finished reading. Harry was trying to puzzle together why this directive had been necessary.
"Is this because of me?" Harry asked Katie, confused.
"I don't think so," Katie replied.
"No, Harry," Neville replied. "After Umbridge's arrest and detention, lots of us started writing our parents. I'd imagine that my Gran and other angry parents ripping through the Ministry in search of answers yesterday is what caused this abomination."
"Wait," Harry turned to Neville. "You wrote your Gran about detention?"
"That and I thought she needed to know about Umbridge's arrest," Neville nodded. "I mean, would you want to know if someone who'd been teaching your kid had been arrested after evidence came out that she was abusing other people's kids?"
"Yeah, I would," Harry agreed.
"So, yeah, I wrote my Gran," Neville finished.
"I wrote my mum," Leanne piped up.
"Me too," agreed Ron. Harry shuddered. He had no idea about Neville's Gran, but an angry Molly Weasley was not someone to cross.
"I know Hannah Abbott wrote her mum, too," Neville added. "She said most of Hufflepuff wrote their parents."
"I wouldn't be surprised if Ravenclaw didn't write en masse, either," Hermione added.
"I know some Gryffindors who did," Katie said. "I think all the sixth and seventh years did."
"I wonder how many Slytherins wrote their parents?" Harry mused.
"Probably none," Ron snorted.
"I bet some did," Neville countered. "A galleon says that Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis both wrote their parents."
"No bet," Harry laughed. "I bet even Malfoy wrote his father, if only to let him know not to bother buying anyone off."
"What did you say about my father, scarhead?" a familiar drawl came from behind the group. Harry turned to find Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle standing there opposite Harry on the far side of the entrance to the Great Hall.
"I said you probably wrote your father yesterday Malfoy," Harry repeated. "If you're going to eavesdrop, at least get the wax out of your ears." Malfoy's eyes narrowed.
"You watch yourself, Potter," Malfoy snarled. "You're making all the wrong enemies. No one crosses the Ministry for long. Umbridge will have you out of here by the end of the week."
"Minister, Malfoy, not Ministry," Harry shot back. "I think you mean, 'No one crosses the Minister for long.' Your father hasn't bought off the whole government. I'm not scared of Voldemort, I'm not scared of the Minister, I'm not scared of Umbridge, and I'm definitely not scared of you. Now, how's about you prance on into the Great Hall like a good little Lord Fauntleroy, and leave us normal people alone?"
"And what if I don't?" Malfoy taunted. Harry simply looked over his shoulder and made a show of counting his friends, then turned back and counted Malfoy's.
"Then, I think you've got a problem," Harry said with a wicked grin. "Seems there are six of us, and only four of you. Not only that, but we've got two sixth years, and you've got two rocks."
"Wait 'til my father hears about this!" Malfoy growled, before pushing past Harry's group, his sycophants following in his wake.
"Not without running it by Umbridge first!" Harry called to his retreating back.
"Why do you antagonize him?" Hermione asked as they followed Malfoy into the Great Hall.
"Pavlov's dog," Harry responded simply. Hermione looked shocked that Harry even knew that reference.
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked.
"What the heck are you talking about?" Ron asked.
"A guy named Pavlov had a famous experiment," Katie explained. "Every time he fed a dog, he rang a bell first. He did this for a long time, to accustom the dog to the bell-then-food rhythm. Eventually, the dog would start salivating anytime it heard a bell rung, anticipating being fed. In effect, Pavlov had trained the dog to expect food after a bell was rung."
"An acceptable description," Hermione allowed.
"So, what does that have to do with Malfoy?" Ron asked. "Harry didn't ring a bell."
"If he shoots off his mouth, and I do nothing, he'll continue to shoot his mouth off because he won't think there will be consequences," Harry said. "If every time he shoots off his mouth, I best him in a battle of wits, maybe he won't shoot his mouth off anymore."
"And maybe he'll curse you," Hermione pointed out, sitting at the Gryffindor table.
"And maybe he'll get expelled for fighting," Harry countered.
"Not with Umbridge around," Neville pointed out.
"Umbridge isn't the only one who can expel students," Harry replied. "Professor Dumbledore can as well. I think if Malfoy put me in hospital, that would be enough to see Malfoy out the door."
"Besides," Katie jumped in. "If Harry goes to hospital, Tonks'll have Malfoy in manacles within moments, to say nothing of expulsion. Harry's got the Aurors on his side."
"But Umbridge could just expel you for fighting," Hermione said urgently.
"She could, but if she did, Dumbledore would definitely expel Malfoy," Harry reasoned. "And that wouldn't be a fair exchange. As a lord of an ancient and noble house, I get to keep my wand and magic if I'm expelled before my OWLs. Draco doesn't, and that would effectively end the line of a noble house."
"Does she know that?" Hermione wondered.
"I'll make sure she does," Harry answered as he gathered a ham sandwich onto his plate.
He looked up at the head table. Umbridge wasn't there. She hadn't been there much since returning from the Ministry. Harry idly wondered why. She was effectively untouchable here; the Minister had made that clear. At the same time, her actual power at Hogwarts was severely curtailed, thanks to Tonks, who'd actually been assigned to shadow Umbridge around the castle, enforcing an injunction preventing her from most of her usual interactions with students.
Harry had actually seen Tonks step in and prevent Umbridge from harassing students outside of her class. According to the injunction, Umbridge couldn't talk to students outside of her classroom unless it was to correct improper behaviour. Furthermore, she couldn't correct behaviour unless it violated either an educational decree or the Hogwarts rule book. That wasn't to say that the pink toad hadn't tried, but Tonks would always step between her and the students and protest. Umbridge could usually throw Tonks off with bluster, but by then the students she'd accosted had usually scampered off before she could refocus her energies on them, which was probably Tonks' goal, anyway.
At breakfast that morning, Harry had been present when another Auror, Dawlish, had arrived from the Minister's office, and told Tonks to knock it off. Tonks had told him to take it up with Madam Bones, and that she was enforcing a legal court order preventing abuse of students. Dawlish had tried to force her, but she'd simply stunned Dawlish and locked him in a broom cupboard so he could think about where his allegiances lay.
As Harry was musing on the subject, Umbridge entered the Great Hall followed dutifully by her pink-haired shadow. As usual, Tonks had picked a different shade of pink from the toad's cardigan on purpose, in order to clash. As Umbridge mounted the stairs to get to the head table, Tonks peeled off and joined Harry and his friends at the Gryffindor table.
"Wotcher," Tonks greeted them.
"Hey," Harry replied. "You let Dawlish out yet?"
"No," Tonks laughed. The others smiled. "He's probably still stunned. I tried to get Bonesy up here to collect him, but the floos were blocked and there's no way Umbridge would let me use the floos to talk to anyone. It's OK though, 'cause she'll be here tomorrow to talk to you about Sirius. I'll just fob him off on her then."