Chapter 13: The Plan

Gilderoy Lockhart is the most annoying first year in existence. He keeps following me and the other Marauders around, trying to see what we're up to. When it's just me, he badgers me about popularity and how awful it must be that I'm not the most attractive person in the school anymore. I wanted to turn him into a statue but Rose, nice person that she is, said that he was probably trying to make friends and didn't know how. I told her that if that was the case she could be his friend... I'm moderately certain that will bite me in the arse later.

Leo had recovered quite a bit by the time Monday morning rolled around. True, he was still quite tired and Hermione insisted on keeping his hand bandaged until it was completely healed, but he still managed to shower and make it down to the Great Hall without assistance, which he deemed was a win. Even so, he was immensely relieved when he recalled that he had History of Magic first thing – his favorite napping class. His relief quickly vanished when he recalled he had Umbridge as the last class of the day.

Draco met them in the entrance hall, where he was filled in on Percy's letter and the ominous warning of doom – at least, that's how Leo liked to think of it – it hinted at in regards to Umbridge. They all stared anxiously upward as the owls swooped in that morning, depositing the newspapers in front of Draco and Hermione and Leo's magazine in front of him. He absentmindedly dropped a sickle into the pouch of his owl before quickly leaning over Draco's shoulder to read what was in store for them.

His eyes narrowed as he scanned through the paper that had announced Umbridge's election to Hogwarts High Inquisitor. 'The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post, and we are delighted to say that she has accepted.' He read, his scowl becoming more pronounced. Of course she accepted. She wouldn't pass up a chance to increase her power... He wondered briefly if this new position would hinder his plans for her this afternoon. Doesn't matter. At the very least, McGonagall can put a stop to the quill. Dumbitch might be Inquisitor, but Minnie is the Deputy Headmistress. That has to carry more weight, right?

"So now we know how we ended up with Umbridge! Fudge passed this 'Educational Decree' and forced her on us! And now he's given her the power to inspect other teachers!" Hermione was breathing fast and her eyes were very bright. "I can't believe this. It's outrageous..."

"Yeah, my dad mentioned something about that decree thingy before we went back," Leo frowned. "He suspected that they'd appoint someone from the Ministry that was loyal to Fudge, but I was hoping we'd land an Auror or something."

"Don't know why you were expecting that, Black," Draco scoffed. "An Auror is still an Auror, regardless of their loyalty to Fudge. I doubt any one of them would be all right with how Umbridge is teaching the class – or not teaching, as the case may be."

"It doesn't matter how she got the job at this point," Harry said dully. "She's got it and – according to Uncle Cas – she's here to stay. With this new position, she'll be unbearable – and she wasn't even tolerable to begin with!"

But a grin was unfurling on Ron's face.

"All right, I'll bite. What're you so chuffed about?" Leo questioned him.

"Oh, I can't wait to see McGonagall inspected," said Ron happily. "Umbridge won't know what's hit her."

Leo grinned broadly, looking forward to his detention now. It would be quite a sight to see Minnie put that fat toad in her place. Still need to ask her first though... I hope she'll go along with my plan. He heaved an internal sigh.

"Well, come on," said Hermione, jumping up, "we'd better get going, if she's inspecting Binns's class, we don't want to be late..."

"It's history taught by a ghost, Hermione," Leo rolled his eyes. "What's there to inspect?"

Leo's prediction turned out to be quite true as Umbridge failed to turn up to History of Magic. The blonde took that opportunity to sleep, wanting to be as well-rested as possible in preparation for Snape's upcoming class. After the class ended, he met Draco halfway down the grand staircase, where the boy pulled him off to the side to change his bandages. Draco stared down at his hand for a moment, his eyes narrowing before he quickly bandaged his hand and led them down to Potions without another word. There, Leo's moonstone essay was handed back to him with a minuscule, spiky black A scrawled in an upper corner.

"I have awarded you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your O.W.L," said Snape with a smirk, as he swept among them, passing back their homework. "This should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in your examination."

Snape reached the front of the class and turned to face them.

"The general standard of this homework was abysmal. Most of you would have failed had this been your examination. I expect to see a great deal more effort for this week's essay on the various varieties of venom antidotes, or I shall have to start handing out detentions to those dunces who get D's."

Draco leaned over to read what he got, smirking and showing off his own 'O'. Leo took that opportunity to inform him that it could very well be a zero. It was at that point that Draco told Leo he could cut up his own ingredients, otherwise he'd have to beg him to do so. Leo frowned, narrowing his eyes before resolutely turning to Hermione and giving her puppy dog eyes. Thankfully, she took pity on him and helped him get his ingredients sorted for his Strengthening Solution, which he turned in with a distinct feeling of pride as its colour matched both her's and Draco's.

"Well, that wasn't as bad as last week, was it?" said Hermione, as they climbed the steps out of the dungeon and made their way across the entrance hall toward lunch. "And the homework didn't go too badly either, did it?"

"Could've been worse," Leo shrugged. "I'm disappointed Umbridge didn't show. I don't really see Snape tolerating her nonsense."

Draco scowled in response but didn't comment. Leo couldn't help but wonder what he was so miffed about and resolved to question him later. He separated from the group to join Luna at the Ravenclaw table, receiving various looks from her housemates as he did so. He ignored them for the most part, keeping his focus on Luna as she told him about what had been in The Quibbler that morning since he hadn't had a chance to read it.

"By the way," she added, glancing at his hand. "What happened to your hand?"

"Long story, I'll tell you later," he promised. "Now, what were you telling me about this... Crumple-Horned Snorkack, was it?"

Luna abandoned her previous line of questioning and smiled brightly as she informed him that the beast's horn could explode and reform at will. Leo took that opportunity to inform her Fred and George had created paper that could do that. He paused at that moment, an evil grin unfurling on his face as he came up with a rather delightful plan for Umbridge at some point in the near future.

Following the end of lunch, he walked Luna up to her next class before heading toward Ancient Runes and taking his spot between Hermione and Draco, the latter of whom reapplied his bandage before anyone else showed up. The two were prepared to take pity on him and take notes in his stead when he informed the duo that he didn't even read his notes anyway – except to do homework. They felt distinctly less charitable after that.

Ancient Runes passed without incident, though it did give Leo his next brilliant idea for that day. Dad had a book under his bed covered in runes like these. Maybe he took Ancient Runes too? He wondered if he could send messages to the man using the runes they were learning and resolved to pay more attention as the class progressed.

The bell rang for the next class, where Leo walked anxiously next to Hermione as they headed toward Defense Against the Dark Arts. They met up with Harry and Ron on the way there and were informed that Trelawney's class had been inspected and the fraud had come out looking pretty bad by the end of it. Leo couldn't quite see the point of inspecting the woman considering she wasn't teaching them anything that would help build Dumbles's army. Maybe she's just trying to root out his followers and replace them with Fudge loyalists? He considered thoughtfully.

He didn't have much time to dwell on this as Umbridge had called them all to order and silence fell.

"Wands away," she instructed them all smilingly, and those people who had been hopeful enough to take them out sadly returned them to their bags. "As we finished chapter one last lesson, I would like you all to turn to page nineteen today and commence chapter two, 'Common Defensive Theories and Their Derivation.' There will be no need to talk."

Still smiling her wide, self-satisfied smile, she sat down at her desk. The class gave an audible sigh as it turned, as one, to page nineteen. Hermione handed Leo her book since his had spontaneously combusted a week ago and he propped it up in front of himself and began working on Snape's assignment, scowling as he tried to write with his left hand. He noticed movement to his left and blinked in confusion when he saw Hermione's hand in the air.

Umbridge had noticed too, and got to her feet and walked around the front row of desks until they were face-to-face, then she bent down and whispered so that the rest of the class could not hear, "What is it this time, Miss Granger?"

This time? Leo frowned in confusion.

"I've already read chapter two," said Hermione.

"Well then, proceed to chapter three."

"I've read that too. I've read the whole book."

Umbridge blinked but recovered her poise almost instantly.

"Well, then, you should be able to tell me what Slinkhard says about counterjinxes in chapter fifteen."

"He says that counterjinxes are improperly named," said Hermione promptly. "He says 'counterjinx' is just a name people give their jinxes when they want to make them sound more acceptable."

Leo didn't know whether to be impressed that she had remembered all that or disappointed that she hadn't made some sort of snarky remark.

"But I disagree," Hermione continued.

And there it is. Leo smiled to himself as Umbridge's eyebrows rose a little higher and her gaze became distinctly colder. That's my Hermione.

"You disagree?"

"Yes, I do," said Hermione, who, unlike Umbridge, was not whispering, but speaking in a clear, carrying voice that had by now attracted the rest of the class's attention. "Mr. Slinkhard doesn't like jinxes, does he? But I think they can be very useful when they're used defensively."

"Oh, you do, do you?" said Umbridge, forgetting to whisper and straightening up. "Well, I'm afraid it is Mr. Slinkhard's opinion, and not yours, that matters within this classroom, Miss Granger."

Motivational speaker of the year. Leo rolled his eyes, surprised when he found he had reached an all new level of loathing for the toad. Guess we're not allowed to have thoughts that don't fall in line with her beliefs. Prime material for a dictator she is.

"But —" Hermione began.

"That is enough," said Umbridge. She walked back to the front of the class and stood before them, all the jauntiness she had shown at the beginning of the lesson gone. "Miss Granger, I am going to take five points from Gryffindor House."

There was an outbreak of muttering at this.

"What for?" said Harry angrily.

"Don't you get involved!" Hermione whispered urgently to him.

"Keep your mouth shut, Potter," Leo hissed, desperately wanting to keep the boy from doing another round of detentions with Umbridge.

"For disrupting my class with pointless interruptions," said Umbridge smoothly. "I am here to teach you using a Ministry-approved method that does not include inviting students to give their opinions on matters about which they understand very little. Your previous teachers in this subject may have allowed you more license, but as none of them — with the possible exception of Professor Quirrell, who did at least appear to have restricted himself to age-appropriate subjects — would have passed a Ministry inspection —"

Leo's hand clenched upon the desk angrily and he saw Harry open his mouth to speak. He decided to beat him to the punch before he could get in even more trouble.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure you and Quirrell would've caught on swell and had a grand old time," Leo informed her, barely managing to keep his anger bottled. "After all, he too enjoyed torturing children."

He could feel everyone's eyes on him as he glared defiantly at Umbridge, whose face was fluctuating between stark white and angry red. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were staring at him with their mouths wide open in shock but, like everyone else, he ignored them, awaiting Umbridge's response. She did not disappoint.

"Double detentions for the rest of the week, Mr. Black," she eventually said before turning around and waddling back toward her desk.

Leo gave a shrug and, continuing to ignore everyone's stares, returned back to completing Snape's assignment before moving on to Professor Babbling's. He managed to complete his translations page just as the bell rang. He rushed out of the class as quickly as he could, taking the stairs two at a time as he ran down to McGonagall's office. He stopped in front of her door, breathing heavily before raising his hand to knock. He was surprised when her door opened, revealing McGonagall who was about to head down to dinner.

"Is there something I can help you with, Black?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I need to talk to you, professor, it's urgent," Leo informed her.

Perhaps it was the way he had said it – the urgency and undertone of pleading in his voice. Or perhaps it was the uncharacteristically serious expression on his usually smiling face. Either way, she nodded and stood back to allow him inside, closing the door behind him. She strode over to sit behind her desk as he sat across from her, not really wanting to accept a biscuit from her tin at the moment. He was silent for a few seconds before he spoke without prompting.

"I have another detention with Umbridge tonight and I want – I need – you to be there, Professor."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows higher than Leo had ever seen and her lips formed a line so thin it appeared to vanish. Off to a great start then.

"And why on earth should I be in attendance?" she inquired. "Professor Umbridge is well within her rights to assign detention and should not be interrupted by other teachers. Especially not now, given her position."

She looked at him meaningfully over her glasses.

"Because what she's doing is wrong," he told her, his eyes wide and begging her to understand as he placed his hands on her desk. "Not just wrong – illegal. Professor, please, I wouldn't ask this if I didn't have a choice – if I didn't really need your help."

McGonagall stared at him, her face impassive as her eyes darted to his bandaged hand before returning to the desperate expression on his face.

"What she's doing, does it have something to do with what happened to your hand?"

"Yes."

"And you won't tell me what it is?"

"It's something you'll have to see for yourself."

She pursed her lips and stared at him over her glasses. Leo resisted the urge to fiddle with his hands as the seconds slipped by and she continued to say nothing. He silently debated what he'd do if she refused. I won't show up. He decided fiercely. She can assign all the detentions she likes, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to sit there and mutilate my own hand for her own sadistic pleasure. He blinked. That was a lot of big words. Draco and Hermione would be proud.

"I'm sorry, Black," she finally said, jolting him from his thoughts. "But I cannot undermine a teacher's authority by disrupting their detention. I repeat: Professor Umbridge cannot see me at your detention. Understand?"

"What're you – oh," he grinned, catching on. "All right, guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

She gave a brisk nod before dismissing him. He headed down the grand staircase, schooling his expression into one of blank impassivity. I'm guessing she'll be invisible. Will she use the Disillusionment Charm or wear an Invisibility Cloak? He pondered, tapping his chin thoughtfully as he walked through the entrance hall and into the Great Hall. Minnie doesn't seem the type to use a cloak, so she'd probably go the spell route. He nodded as he sat down beside Draco at the Gryffindor table. The pale blonde immediately swooped down on him, much like his Animagus form.

"You're an idiot, Black," Draco berated him. "Getting yourself double detentions for the rest of the week – you might as well lop off both of your hands."

"My day's going terrific, how about you?" Leo rolled his eyes, deciding to forego dinner in favour of scooping huge heaping globs of chocolate pudding onto his plate. He paused, looking around and frowning. "Where's the chocolate milk – aha!"

He reached forward to grab the beverage when Draco moved it out of his reach. Leo glared at him, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stared at them with varying degrees of apprehension.

"What exactly was going through your mind – if anything was actually going on – that made you think what you said was even remotely okay?" Draco demanded.

"That Harry was going to say something and get himself in detention, so I had to head him off before he could do so," Leo replied in a mildly irritated tone.

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Draco interrupted him before he could.

"And he would've earned it," he replied, before continuing as Leo looked like he was about to throttle him. "I'm not saying he deserves what Umbridge is doing, I'm saying you don't need to swoop in and save him every time he's about to get in trouble -"

"I don't -" Leo tried to vehemently deny.

"You do," Harry interrupted him, receiving surprised looks from everyone. "Any time I'm in danger, you always risk your life to try to save me – and I appreciate that, I really do. But I can take care of myself, Leo. I don't always need you to protect me, not when I'm strong enough to stand on my own."

Leo stared at him, his pudding now long forgotten. Without a word, he rose from his seat, walked along the Gryffindor table, and exited the Great Hall. He proceeded slowly up the steps of the grand staircase, processing Harry's words as he went. He knew he had a tendency to want to shelter and protect Harry – to live up to the promise he had made.

The vow he had made when he was barely over a year old was his earliest recollection and was the very foundation of who he was. Deep in his bones, he had always felt that protecting Harry was his sworn duty – a task that he had thrust upon himself and carried out to the best of his abilities since they were small. But... now Harry was saying he didn't need his protection anymore, that he could defend himself and walk his own path without Leo constantly there to make sure he didn't fall and hurt himself. If that's true... if Harry doesn't need me... what am I supposed to do? He stopped and stared over the railing of the staircase, unable to form any sort of response.

He took his wand out of his robes, holding it in the air with his left hand.

"Tempus," he muttered.

A faded, ethereal clock floated before him, revealing that he had ten minutes until his detention with Umbridge. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to skip off to bed or run around in the forest as Aslan. But I'm supposed to be there for Minnie. We have plans. He sighed, waving his wand to dissipate the spell before slowly continuing his trek up the stairs. He had five minutes to go when he finally arrived at her door and stared at it with a growing sense of anxiety.

He inhaled deeply, pausing and twitching his nose when he detected a faint hint of cat and Ginger Newt in the air. Minnie's here. He realized, feeling more relaxed knowing she had his back. With a firm nod, he raised his left hand and knocked on the door, hearing Umbridge's voice telling him to enter. He opened the door, standing off to the side of the threshold and feeling McGonagall slip by him, invisible. He fully entered the office, closing the door behind him and staring at the parchment and quill on the table.

"You know what to do, Mr. Black," Umbridge smiled at him widely.

Leo walked over and sat down, staring down at the parchment and quill and feeling nervousness and anxiety claw at his chest as his heartbeat quickened. He took a deep, steadying breath. Play this cool, Leo. Play this right. This is just another prank. He raised his eyes to meet hers.

"Do I really have to use your quill?" he questioned, already knowing the answer. "Can't I use mine?"

"Oh, no, Mr. Black," she replied, showing teeth that Leo was surprised to see weren't pointed. "I think the lesson I'm trying to impart on you will cut a little deeper with my quill."

"You're hilarious," Leo responded dryly. "And what lesson do you want me to engrave today?"

"The usual one: I must respect my superiors," she told him in her nauseatingly honey-sweet tone.

Leo nodded grimly and picked up the quill with his left hand, feeling quite awkward as he did so. He pressed the tip of the quill onto the parchment, trying to stem the flow of nerves that threatened to engulf him. C'mon, Leo. You faced Voldemort in that graveyard without getting scared once. You can carve one measly line into your hand. Show your Gryffindor courage. He mentally scolded himself. His hand shaking, – which he told himself was because he wasn't a lefty – he slowly but surely wrote out I must respect my superiors.

He pulled back his hand with a small hiss of pain, watching as the words appeared on the back of his left hand before slowly disappearing. Is that enough for you, Minnie? He wondered blithely. He really didn't want to do that again. If he had to... he was storming out of Umbridge's office and never coming back.

"I didn't say you could stop, Mr. Black," Umbridge smiled sadistically. "You're far from finished -"

"Oh, I'd say he's quite done here, Dolores," a cold voice spoke.

Umbridge jumped, her eyes widening comically as Minerva McGonagall appeared, removing her Disillusionment Charm and looking more furious than Leo had ever seen her. Once more, her mouth was pressed into the thinnest line he had ever seen. Her nostrils were flaring dangerously and she had a steely glint in her eye that almost made Leo feel afraid of her. Her hands were white and shaking slightly, tightly clutching her wand in her right hand.

"Minerva, what are you doing here?" Umbridge questioned, seeming to regain her composure. "You -"

"I believe I should be the one asking that question, Dolores," McGonagall interrupted her, a hard edge in her tone. "What exactly are you doing with Black? Last time I checked, torturing students is strictly prohibited on Hogwarts – on any – grounds."

"Torturing?" Umbridge repeated, and there was a definite undertone of nervousness in her voice now. "I'm simply having Mr. Black write lines -"

"With your quill," McGonagall cut across her sharply. "A quill that you are forcing him to use – a quill that cuts whatever message he's writing into his hand if my observations are correct."

"Yeah, that's about the gist of it," Leo nodded, suppressing a grin when Umbridge turned a glare onto him. "She made Harry do the same sort of thing – you can still see the faint scars on the back of his hand."

McGonagall looked as though she was about to breathe fire. Having one student being forced to endure this was bad enough – but two? Leo wouldn't be surprised if his godmother Transfigured Umbridge into an actual toad at this moment.

"I believe you're done here, Leo," McGonagall informed him. "Head up to the hospital wing to have your hand properly looked at. I shall be having a word with your father and Professor Dumbledore about this."

Personally, Leo didn't see much good in that. Dumbledore couldn't do anything since Fudge had made it practically impossible to fire Umbridge. Dumbles couldn't very well go out and say what Umbridge was doing as the newspaper reported him to be a daft old codger. As for alerting Castor Black... he wasn't really the type to get involved in others' problems. Leo only really saw him intervening if he asked for help. Which he didn't really need, at the moment. Nonetheless, he nodded and graciously thanked the Transfiguration professor.

He then collected his bag, rose from his chair, and quickly departed the room as calmly as possible. As he made his way to the hospital wing, he couldn't help but smile at the way things had gone. With any luck, I won't have any more detentions with that fat toad. If I do... well, I suppose that would be the best time to ask dear old Dad for help.