Chapter 18: The Day Of Revelations!
Later that day, Rachel woke up to find herself back up on the fourth floor ward and found Lupin sitting next to her.
"Professor I think my dads stolen my wand. That stupid and deliberately unhelpful woman at reception told me my next of kin had signed for it." said Rachel urgently.
"No he didn't." replied Lupin.
"How do you know? Well if he didn't then who did if only a next of kin can sign for personal possessions?" Rachel asked.
"The reason I know this is because I signed for it. Here." said Lupin as he handed it back to her.
"Wha, huh, no wait, erm. What?" Rachel stammered.
"I'm your fathers half brother. We have the same father. Our father was married to his mother, but divorced her when he met my mother. We've never met each other even though we were at Hogwarts at the same time, he was two years above me. I know there is a strong resentment within him towards me and my parents." Lupin answered.
"What? Huh I don't get.." Rachel stammered.
"I'm your uncle." he said.
"Well I get that. What I don't get is why you didn't take me out of the orphanage years ago or try to make contact with me?" Rachel snapped.
"I couldn't." Lupin replied.
"Why?" Rachel shouted. "Forgive me if I sound like a brat but I think I deserve an explanation."
"Firstly there was no Wolfsbane potion then, therefore I would have been a threat to you three nights every month. Secondly there is a werewolf decree at the Ministry declaring that werewolves cannot look after anyone under the age of 16, regardless if they are family or not, and as you know any Witch or Wizard legally becomes an adult when they are 16." Lupin said sadly.
"Oh ok. Sorry I shouted." Rachel replied. "Where are the others? Are they all ok?"
"Yes they are all fine. They are on the ground floor. You can go down there now if you stop blowing things up." said Lupin.
"Oh you've finally decided to join us then." said Kirsti sarcastically.
"Yes I have, and that milk moustache you've got is most attractive." replied Rachel as she limped through the door.
"You missed the Weasleys, they were here yesterday." Harry said through a mouthful of chocolate.
"What happened with he-who-you-are-not-fond-of?" asked Amy.
"I was trying to see if committing murder runs in the family. Needless to say I didn't find out." Rachel replied directly.
"Did he get away?" asked Moody from the far corner of the room.
"Yep." Rachel replied as she opened a chocolate frog.
"Alive?" asked Tonks.
"Obviously." Rachel replied.
There was then a knock at the door. The door opened and in walked Amelia Bones, the head of the Magical Law Enforcement, and Dolores Umbridge.
"Oh Merlin, its back." Rachel said audibly.
"Good afternoon, I'm sorry to do this now but the Ministry has insisted that the matter be dealt with immediately." said Amelia in a sympathetic tone.
"Some of you may, by the end of this discussion end up in Azkaban." stated Umbridge.
"What are you croaking on about?" Sirius asked loudly.
"Well first of all we have the information of four illegal and unregistered animagi who happen to be right here in this very room." said Umbridge as she took her time staring at Amy, Kirsti, Clare and Rachel.
"Why is it looking at me. I don't like it when it looks at me." said Rachel.
"Shut up you silly little girl." snapped Umbridge as Rachel sat there glaring at her and flexing her fingers.
"That will do Dolores. Secondly we have an instance of underage, and therefore illegal apparating and thirdly we have three instances of underage wizardry." Amelia Bones finished.
"Well if I hadn't of apparated, I would be dead now." Rachel snapped.
"Then that was under exceptional circumstances but as long as you don't apparate before you take your test and gain your licence this matter will be forgotten. Now, can any of you apparate without a licence?" Amelia asked kindly. Clare, Kirsti and Amy raised their hands, "Then the same applies to you."
"Now we have the matter of the underage wizardry, I'd like to see you worm your way out of this." Umbridge said cruelly.
"Dolores please, will you let me handle this." Amelia pleaded.
"They were fighting against Voldemort, do you expect them to let him just kill them?" Moody said savagely.
"That is quite true. You will not be punished for wanting to live. Now we come to the illegal animagi situation, can you explain to me how you managed to learn this?" Amelia said.
"We kind of taught ourselves and with schoolwork and stuff we didn't have time to register." Kirsti replied.
"That is quite an achievement, however it was completely irresponsible but as you are already animagi, all I can tell you to do is register." Amelia said as Umbridge glared.
"Ok, thank you very much." Clare said.
"Here are your appointment cards to take your apparating tests. As we have finished we will leave you to recuperate." Amelia said as she practically had to drag Umbridge out of the ward but Umbridge pulled free.
"Well well well Remus Lupin. Tell me have you met the new head of the Beast Division of the Department for the Regulation of the Control of Magical Creatures? He's a very nice man, oh yes, has werewolves killed on sight." Umbridge sneered.
"Yoooou! You selfish, evil, foul, fat, waddling toad! You made all of those werewolf decrees, didn't you?" Rachel said as she walked towards Umbridge, forcing her into a corner. "Didn't you, do you deny it?" Rachel yelled.
"No, I'm proud of it!" Umbridge hissed. Rachel finally lost it and several windows and vases in the ward exploded.
"You have ruined my life and my Uncles!" Rachel said before snatching Umbridge's tiny wand, breaking it in half and ramming each bit up each of her nostrils.
"Calm down, we're going to lose limbs here and besides she's not worth it!" Lupin said calmly.
"Oh I suppose I'll calm down when she's gone!" Rachel replied. "Get out." Umbridge ran out of the ward quicker than lightning and pushed Snape out of the way as he was trying to get through the door.
"Wow, that was fantastic!" Amy said.
"Here, sign this!" Clare said, throwing her yearbook at Rachel.