Disclaimer: I wish it were mine, but it's not...
The corridors shuddered and the many portraits stared in shock as a respected Professor dashed past them as fast as she could, heading for the front of the school. Her robes whipped and billowed behind her and a few stray, black hairs came undone from her normally prim bun.
Professor Minerva McGonagall ran down the grand marble staircase and towards the enormous front doors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Blood was pounding angrily in her head as she quickened her pace.
How dare they attack him. How dare they! He hadn't done anything wrong. She had been watching. No one knew, but she had been watching from her office window. She saw the group of people walk across the lawn to Hagrid's cabin. Saw their blackened figures moving quickly, through Hagrid's hut window. Saw them emerge a few minutes later. Saw them attempt to Stun Hagrid. She noticed the squattest person in the group standing slightly behind the others, as though using them as a shield, but directing them into battle nonetheless: Umbridge. It was Umbridge that had brought a mantle of depression over Hogwarts. It was Umbridge that had forced Dumbledore's abrupt departure.
Minerva forced her thoughts away from that fateful night in Dumbledore's office. There were more pressing matters at hand now.
Minerva knew Hagrid well enough to know that he wouldn't get into such a towering temper for no reason. She had known him since their first year at Hogwarts. He had always been a kind, caring and friendly soul. He would never let anything get in the way of his friends and the animals he took under his care. Both of them had been good friends together but, she had never seen him this furious before. Even that time when he had been caught trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed in the boys' dormitory he had not looked so angry. Whatever had happened, Minerva knew that Hagrid would not have provoked or started it. She wondered what that Umbridge hag had done. But then it hit her.
"No…she wouldn't," Minerva whispered, quickening her pace yet again. But even as she said it, she knew it was true. Hagrid had been teaching much better this year. (With less dangerous creatures than last year's disastrous Blast-Ended Skrewts anyway, she added wryly.) However, it seemed as though the High Inquisitor didn't care about how well Hagrid taught. She seemed only to focus on two things: His closeness to Dumbledore and his parentage. It was power and prejudice that was running Hogwarts now. Half-giant or not, Hagrid was one of the kindest people Minerva knew and she wasn't about to let him bear the wrath of Umbridge himself. Not if she could help it.
Minerva smiled dryly. She supposed it was the 'Gryfindor part' of her that was making her rush to her old friend's aid. With Dumbledore absent, Minerva was looked at as the new leader by the school, even though there was a new Headmistress. By most of the school, she corrected herself, thinking of the Slytherins and that confounded'Inquisitorial Squad' What was Umbridge thinking? (Probably Minerva's theory about Umbridge having nothing more than hot air in her head was proven when she had introduced the Squad) It completely undermines the Prefect system! The nerve of her. Not to mention it was comprised fully of Slytherins. Headmistress indeed!
Minerva scoffed as she ran. Since when had Hogwarts had toads as Headmistresses? She couldn't even get into the Head's Office for crying out loud! Minerva found herself quite surprised. She usually never thought this badly about people, but she had to admit she had found a person who could test that limit.
Throwing open the front doors, Minerva ran across the perfectly kept, deep green lawn. She could see the pitched battle continuing even from this distance. She could see the thin beams of red light being shot at Hagrid, but his giant blood seemed to be making the shots rebound.
"Please let me get there in time," she thought desperately.
She started running in earnest, anger pounding through her veins. Who did they think they were? Ministry Hit Wizards and Aurors, indeed! They actually had the nerve to attack a Hogwarts teacher. The injustice. The blatant injustice.
"How dare you!" Minerva shouted. "How dare you!"
She saw the sharp outlines of six people all still engaged in battle.
"Leave him alone! Alone, I say! On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such -"
She stopped talking abruptly. The figures around the cabin had shot no fewer than four Stunners at her. Minerva saw, but didn't react. She didn't even have her wand out. She felt herself being hit by the Stunners and being lifted high in the air, glowing red. She heard far off screams. The last thing she thought was, "The students…I'm sorry Albus."
Then she landed hard on her back and everything went black.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that! Please review! The next chapter will be up soon!