A/n: So since the last chapter was short and just a filler
chapter I figured I'd write a longer if not the longest chapter yet. I
like this chapter and wrote it fast to
surprisingly. I found though that Just Pretend by The Bens is a good
song to listen to while reading the end of this chapter.
So the next morning everyone had herd the news of course about the D.A. but all thought that Dumbledore had something to do with the start of it.
Apparently they caught Harry and a few others and the Ministry was flipping out and so Dumbledore took the blame and then disappeared. Worst part is that with that happening it seems that the Minister was looking for a bridge when they asked him who should be Headmaster and they just took that as him meaning that Umbridge was the new Headmistress, or at lest that's what I'm telling myself so I don't turn into one of those stupid people who always complain about their government. I always complain about those kinds of people so it would be hypocritical for me to rant about how dumb and evil it was to put her in charge of this place.
So in two days my best friend got arrested because I talked him into sneaking into school, the greatest wizard alive is now missing because I don't know how to understand secret codes, and the woman who caused all of this now has more power to ruin more lives, even though she seems to be pretty focused on only ruining mine and Harry's.
"You hear anything news about Oliver?" Ginny asked sitting down next to me with Fred and George.
"No, not yet…I'm not really expecting to." I answered
"Well I'll write to my dad this afternoon to hear if there is any news about his case." Fred said.
"There is nothing in the Prophet about it." George said skimming the paper for anything worth reading, a lost cause.
"Well that's a shocker, they find someone snooping in the school that has some fame and they don't make it a headline." I said sarcastically
"Yeah well he was some what over done by Dumbledore's escape last night so I imagine that will get more readers then Oliver being at his old quidditch team's end of the season party." Ginny said
"I think I'm going to go and try to get some real news out of dad because you can't really trust anything in there as these two beautiful young ladies just blatantly pointed out while we are being watched from every direction." Fred said at a whisper looking speciously around the table.
As we looked around we noticed that in fact our table was being watched by a handful of Slytherins, the wonderful woman herself, and a few other staff that had converted to her side.
When Fred got up I noticed two Slytherin boys get up as well, they are going to regret that. Suddenly Mrs. McGonagall tapped me on the shoulder.
"Miss Bell I was wondering if you would meet with me in my office before you head off to your first class I want to talk to you about the latest project you handed in." She said once she caught my attention.
"I have time now if you want, unless you have to do something first." I said I love talking in codes. But they aren't really codes; I always wonder why no one else ever understands what I was really saying.
"Now works I suppose." She said and I got up to follow her to her office. I saw Umbridge look at us in a weird matter and then signal to two Slytherins to follow us. I wanted to get that across to McGonagall but I couldn't figure out how. She likes quidditch right, how would Oliver put this….
"Do you ever wonder if bludgers have been hexed to follow you?" I asked she looked at me strange at first but then seemed to understand.
"In those cases you just have to know the sport well I suppose." She said with a smile as we entered into her office.
She held her wand up and a silvery bubble surrounded her office.
"It's a spell that basically plays a movie to any of those who are not inside of it." She said to explain the bubble.
"So they can't hear any of the things that we say in here?" I asked just to make sure.
"Correct, and because they are only fifth year Slytherin then they won't even know to expect this spell." She said
"Are you sure Umbridge isn't doing any classes on spells to look out for?" I said joking a little bit.
"Yes I'm sure, but to the reason I called you in here, I have to make a visit to the Ministry this evening to talk to Oliver and be questioned about Dumbledore's disappearance and I could easily sneak you out with me. I would invite all of team wood but it would be to suspicious if any of the Weasleys or Harry left because she will be keeping a close eye out for them." She said
"She seems to be keeping a close eye out for me to though so why don't you take someone safer like Angelina or Alicia?" I interrupted
"Because she can only keep so much of an eye on you and you're the closest one to Oliver so I figured it would only make since to bring you along." She continued.
"Well I'm not going to fight to stay in the same building as that thing so I'm willing I guess. Where do you want me to meet you tonight?" I asked.
"The common room, I'm going to be taking a package to Mr.Weasley for Ginny and so I will have a valid excuse to be going into the room." She answered.
"She has no spies in the Gryffindor common room yet, but if we get the feeling that she knows come see me after dinner to finish redoing your project because you can't seem to figure out how to correctly turn a broom into a purse." She said with a small wink when the bubble disappeared as she began to say after dinner.
"Alright I'll see you then thank you for the help" I said and walked out the door and passed the snoops in the hall to my first class.
"So Katie you seem pretty calm for your boyfriend being in Azkaban." A Slytherin boy said as I sat down in class. I have the fun opportunity to share my Herbology class with the Slytherins.
"Sweet I have a boyfriend…how did you know I had one before I did…I don't remember anyone asking me….must not be a good guy if he's in Azkaban though, I'm going to have to break up with him. I guess that answers your question though, I'm calm because I wasn't even aware that I had a boyfriend." I said sarcastically in a very girlie voice.
"I'm talking about Wood." He said obviously not enjoying my little scene; I guess I won't be able to take it on the road.
"Oh well in that case 'Wood' is not my boyfriend nor is he in Azkaban so I guess that would explain my calm attitude."
"How do you know that he's not in Azkaban?" He asked, boy this kid needs something better to do.
"Because they don't just send someone to Azkaban for going to their old quidditch team's end of the season party, and you need a better hobby then bothering me about what's going on in my friend's personal lives. Maybe you should take up knitting, I'd teach you but we would have to go ask Umbridge for permission because she might think I'm teaching you to make some form of bomb or something." I said almost laughing by the end of my turn in the argument because his face was priceless and I needed to have stopped to think about what I was blurting out.
Most of the day was full of conversations like this with different linkers, the name I'm giving to Umbridge followers, and it was starting to get annoying.(and Linkers because a bridge is a link between land and they are Umbridge's followers)It's like they all met up and decided to call Oliver my boyfriend until I snapped.
"Hey Katie, I didn't know you and Oliver were going out." Fred said as he came up to me at dinner punching me in the shoulder to signify that he was joking around with me.
"Yeah let's not go there." I said in my most pissed off sounding voice I could make.
"Hey guys where's the draw bridge?" George asked sitting down near us and looking up towards the head table.
He was right she wasn't sitting there. This was extremely odd being that she likes to watch us as much as possible.
"Probably off ruining someone else's life for a change" I said
"Well maybe not you but it's not someone new either, the trio isn't here." Ginny said.
"Who knows, but she's not here right now and won't be much longer." Fred and George said half and half like they do when they decide to be weird twins.
"Do I want to know?" I asked signifying that if it was anything that I would get dragged into I don't want to know about it.
"Have no fears Katie dearest you will sure enough find out what we mean with in the next few days." Fred said patting me on the head.
"Does anyone know where McGonagall is right now? I have to give her a package to bring to my dad." Ginny asked. I knew but also knew that we were being watched so I said what I could.
"She's probably off preparing her next class. I'm going to her office soon to work on my project more so I'll talk to her about it then if you want me too." I said giving Ginny a look to get her to understand my code. Luckily she did and then I stood up to go to talk to McGonagall.
As I was walking to her office I saw my favorite person in the world was walking my way.
"Miss Bell heading back to your dormitory so early?" She asked as we got closer.
"Well not right away I have to go work on a project for transfiguration. I'm trying really hard to figure out how to turn a broom into a cute purse so I can have one when I go out just in case I get the chance to play quidditch but I keep messing it up and the insides all full of solid wood. But then yes I am going back to my dormitory early, I'm not feeling so well tonight." I said completely convincingly. I should so be an actress.
"That's an interesting idea; if you ever pull it off you should bring it to the Ministry and get it patented so you can sell it. I'm sure many of the girls in this world who play quidditch would love to have one." She said, wow…is this a sign of her being nice to me?
"Oh and how are you doing, I herd about Oliver. Must not be easy to have a boyfriend get into so much trouble with the law." She continued she just HAD to continue!
"He never broke any law….WAIT he's not my boyfriend!" I said…almost slipped there.
"He's not…oh you two just are always hanging out so much I just figured that you two were an item." She's asking for it! It's always best to not start things with Irish girls.
"We'll you figured wrong. He's too old for me, and too full of himself." I said. It was oddly hard to find a reason to defend myself in this argument.
"Oh, well it was you who he was here to see when he got arrested in the first place was it not. Because it seems to be the reason he was snooping around my office that night." She said with a big smile because she thought she had trapped me into either agree that we were a couple or say that he was trespassing.
"He was here to celebrate with the team. Is there anything wrong with that?" I said starting my temper up…she IS asking for it.
"So then why was he in the halls so late at night?" she asked…damn this woman is determined to either get me a detention or find a better excuse to get Oliver into Azkaban.
"He was probably on his way home. He did play quidditch professionally before you got him arrested for no good reason and I think he even had a meet the next morning" I said snotty like. It's not my fault I just want to get to McGonagall's office so I can go see the bloody kid.
"You two seem to have pretty identical stories…you wouldn't happen to be meeting and talking to him some how would you." She said in one of those queer little voices people use to pretend they know one of your secrets.
"How could we possibly be seeing OR talking to each other! I'm trapped here and he is in bloody exile for all I know! You're completely mental!" I started screaming to make it more convincing. I'm telling you I would be a great actress. To make it even more dramatic I decided it would just add finishing touches if I started to cry. So cue the waterworks and I started to cry.
"Why are you crying?" She asked looking at me like I was the mental one.
"Because all of these issues with you-know-who, Harry, and the Ministry is affecting all of us that have nothing to do with it and it's getting unfair! I just wanted to have a normal year with my best friends from quidditch and say good bye because this is their last year and I still have one more year left and I don't know where we will all be at this time next year. It's just not fair! And now one of my best friends is in trouble because I convinced him into coming to the party even though you had already yelled at him for being in the school and now everyone is saying we are going out even though it's not true and a girl as moody as me just can't handle all of this!" I made a HUGE scene. It was kind of funny though because not all of it was acting.
"I'm sorry honey. I never thought about how these recent issues have been affecting our students." Yeah right!
"Yeah, well I better get to McGonagall's office. She's probably upset that I kept her waiting." I said figuring this was the best time to try to escape with out it seeming like I was trying to hide what I was really about to do.
"Yeah, you better go she has to go somewhere tonight and probably wanted to leave as soon as you two got done. Oh and Katherine I'll get everyone else to stop hassling you about Mr. Wood." She said trying to seem all sincere.
"Thank you" I said and walked towards McGonagall's office
"Sorry I'm late I got stopped by Umbridge" I said as I entered her office.
"Its okay I figured you would because she was coming from my office." She said holding a small bag.
"Yeah and I should become an actress because I don't think she has a clue." I said laughing after bubble went over the room.
"Yes but still to be safe. This is an undetectable bag. You can fit inside it comfortably and the guards in and out of the school will not be able to detect you inside it. Bring it with you back into the common room. Talk to Ginny and find a way to make sure it's really her and not someone drinking polyjuice potion. Then when you know it's her tell her the plan and then go and point this at your bed." She said handing me a wand. "Then get into the bag, oh and make sure you and Ginny are the only ones in the room. Then Ginny will take you in the bag and her package and meet me in the common room so then we can leave together. Then we will Apparate to the Ministry and I will transform you to look older and some what like Oliver so they don't get suspicious and you can get into talk to Oliver. Oh and use the wand to put over you two so you can speak freely." She finished handing me the wand and the bag.
"You've though well into this" I said laughing at her intense plot.
"Yeah, you never know when you're going to have to sneak a student out of the school so it helps to be prepared." She said joking around.
I walked calmly back to the common room. Still slightly moody incase someone was to know about Umbridge and my little scene.
I got in to the common room and Ginny was waiting for me. So I need a way to find out if it's her or not.
I flashed back to everything I ever learned about the Weasley family threw being friends with Fred and George for so long.
"Hey Ginny keep any journals lately?" What it was the first thing I could think of that linkers wouldn't know about. Not many people did know about Tom Riddle's Journal being the cause of the opening of the chamber of secrets in my third year.
"NO! You very well know that I don't go near and form of journal or diary after T.R." She said. And I knew right away the way she said T.R. instead of Tom Riddle it was her. Because she decided that if she can't say Voldermort she should be able to say Tom Riddle being that they were pretty much the same name.
"Okay just checking if it was you." I said quietly
"Hey I want to show you my project, but let's go into my room so that no one copies it" I said in a more normal voice.
Once we got into my room I looked to see if anyone was in the room and the closed the door and locked it.
"What's going on?" she said.
I put a silencing spell over the room.
"Sorry if this is freaky but I have to be extra careful." I said
"Did you talk to McGonagall about my package?" She asked
"Yeah well that's what I kind of wanted to talk to you about. I'm going with McGonagall tonight and we need your help" I said checking her reaction to see if it really was her.
"I WANT TO COME!" Yep it's her alright
"No you can't it will be too suspicious. But will you help?" I asked
"Of course." She said
"Okay, so I need you most importantly to cover for me. If people ask why I went to bed so early it's because I had a small mental break down from Umbridge yelling at me earlier tonight and same reason if I don't get home until late tomorrow morning. Now I'm going to get into this bag and I need you to give it to McGonagall when she comes to get your package." I said telling her the plan.
"Okay sounds simple enough" She said laughing
"Yeah for you" I said thinking of how much shorter my explanation was then McGonagall's.
"So why are you going anyways?" she asked because you know Ginny and always wanting to know more then she needs to know.
"I'm going to get real news from Oliver. McGonagall says I'd be the easiest one to get out of the school." I said.
"Oh, I wish I could go on secret missions to the Ministry!" She said laughing because she was making herself sound extra little girlish.
"Okay so you know the plan and I'm going to get in the bag now." I said after casting McGonagall's spell on my bed to make it look like I was sleeping there. It's so much easier for witches and wizards to sneak out at night! You would think they would be able to detect magic like this. Oh well let's just hope they can't.
So I got in the bag and felt myself lift from the ground. I noticed we were in the common room when I herd a group of boys say good night to Ginny.
"Is it in there?" I herd McGonagall ask
"Yeah you're good to go" Ginny answered
I felt the bag lift up then herd the fat lady from the entrance of the common room saying good bye to McGonagall.
"Minerva heading out to the Ministry so late" I herd the voice of the devil say.
"They aren't expecting me until late." McGonagall answered
"Understandable" I could feel her stare glaring at McGonagall threw the bag. McGonagall is strong though so this shouldn't affect her much.
"If that's all I really must be off, shouldn't keep the minister waiting." McGonagall said in a strange firm voice.
"Very true, goodnight" and she began to walk away.
"She's on to us, we must be extra careful" McGonagall said.
We got to the door and I felt her put me down to be scanned. Some how McGonagall got it not to go off. It's always comforting knowing how easy it is to trick security here.
Finally we were out of the school and heading to Hogsmade.
"Are you ready to Apparate?" McGonagall asked me once we reached Hogsmade.
"I suppose" I answered
Suddenly it felt like my body was being squeezed threw a small tube.
When we got to London I finally got to get out of the bag.
"I have forgotten about Apparation, I need to start thinking about taking my test." I said once I got out of the bag.
"All right well lets get you to look different so we can get you into the ministry." McGonagall said pulling me into an alley and holding up her wand.
Suddenly I was close to a foot taller, my hair grew and had large bleach blonde highlights, my eyes turned deep brown with the ice blue color around the edges like Oliver's, the roots of my hair turned the same color as Oliver's, and I was in blue jeans and a teal halter-top. I looked as though I could be 23 years old.
"If they ask your Oliver's cousin." McGonagall said slightly laughing at the sight of me.
"Oh and meet back here in like three hours. That should be plenty enough time to convince the Minister that I don't know where Dumbledore is." She said with a tinkle in her eye.
"Where should I be from?" I asked thinking of my acting skills.
"How about Southern U.S., you can pull off as a Southern Bell." She said laughing at her own joke.
"And use the wand I gave you to get into the Ministry." She continued.
"Works for me" I said and we walked into the phone booth and were brought down to the lobby of the ministry.
"State your name, the reason you're here, and hand me your wand." The man at the front desk said as I reached him while McGonagall stopped to talk to someone to make it look like I didn't get there with her.
I handed the man the wand McGonagall gave me before.
"Katherine…Wood, I'm here to visit my cousin Oliver" I said in my best Southern accent. It was awkward to put his last name as mine. I saw McGonagall reach the desk and smile when I said it.
"Alright, wait a minute and I'll take ya to his cell." The man said and then looked at McGonagall handing me back the wand.
"Minerva McGonagall, I'm here to be questioned about the disappearance of Albus Dumbledore" she said handing him her wand. He gave it back to her shortly after.
"You know where to go." He said walking towards me.
"This way Miss Wood" the man said walking to the elevator.
It took me awhile to realize that he was talking to me.
We went up three floors and then walked down a large hallway.
"We weren't expecting anyone to visit this kid." The man said when the hall turned to a bunch of cell doors.
"Yeah the family was getting worried and there was no one else that could get away from their jobs to come visit." I answered in my southern accent. I mean if you REALLY think about I was telling some what the truth, only it was school not a job and they weren't busy they were just being held against their wills.
He opened a door and I saw a straggly Oliver Wood curled up in a ball in the corner. It looked like he hadn't moved in days. Not even to eat or shave.
"Do I have a limit?" I asked the guard
"Nope you can stay as long as you want sweetie" the guard said obviously checking me out.
I walked in and pointed the wand McGonagall gave me to the floor with out it being seen and the bubble surrounded the room.
"Now we can speak more freely" I said answering his distressed look.
"I honestly don't know who you are" Oliver said trying to figure out as he was saying the statement.
"Ha I didn't think you would recognize me. McGonagall did a good job making me over to look like one of your cousins." I said back in my normal Irish/British accent.
"Katie?" He said standing up in shock
"Really that gave it away already I was hoping to mess with your mind more." I said laughing at his jump up.
"How, Who…you're going to get caught!" He said giving me a hug. I didn't really enjoy it being that I don't think he has showered in over three days.
"McGonagall got me here and I'll be safe with her." I said sitting down on a bench in the room.
"So why are they keeping you here so long?" I asked because I only had three hours to get as much talking in as possible.
"I don't know…looking for a reason to put me in Azkaban I guess. Anymore I have just been sitting not talking during a trail. It's insane that Harry got off easier then me for actually doing something." He answered sitting back down.
"Yeah well he had Dumbledore's help" I said
"Yeah I was hoping to get Dumbledore's help too but my messages don't always seem to get threw to people." He said jokingly glaring at me.
"Sorry! I tried to figure it out, and I did... just after it was too late." I said
"It's okay I wish I wasn't being screened then I could have prevented all of things this last week." He said in a sad tone.
"I guess this place isn't the best for your ego, eh?" I said noticing that he seemed very upset.
"Ha yeah not really…if they get it their way and I get sent to Azkaban then I suppose I won't have any ego left, or sanity at that." He said…I guess I wasn't really helping
"They have no proof to get you into Azkaban." I said trying harder to comfort him.
"Yeah but you know as well as I that they like to make things up to make themselves to look better." He said
"I'm sure McGonagall will be questioned about you and that should help. I got questioned this evening." I said
"You did…what did they ask?" He asked finding it odd that I got questioned.
"She asked if I was going out with you, and then since I convinced her that we defiantly weren't she asked then why were you there to see me and I said your where there to see the team and then she asked why you were 'snooping' past her office and I said you were probably on your way out to get some sleep for your game the next morning and then made a big scene so that she would leave me alone." I said laughing and sticking my tongue out of the side of my mouth.
"You would. What was she trying to get you to say" he said
"That I was going out with you or that you were spying I suppose" I answered
"She is a messed up lady" He said with a small giggle.
"Did you talk to your quidditch coach?" I asked once he seemed to be in a better mood.
"Yeah I should be allowed on the team no charge as long as I'm let off." He said not getting all sad.
"I'm really glad you're here…I'm just not really showing it" He continued looking up at me.
"I know that…are you okay?" I asked
"Yeah…I just really want to get out of here…." He said looking into my eyes and the back down to the ground.
"I don't like this look for you…" he said after awhile of staring at the floor.
"Ha why not" I asked
"Because it's not you…I don't like it" he said.
"Well I don't like you being all serious" I said…I have good come backs…this is not one of them.
"Well you try being held against your will for no good reason." He said getting his stupid temper started up.
"Ever wonder what school is like these days?" I yelled back.
"Why are we yelling at each other…I don't want you to be mad at me" he said hitting himself in the forehead pushing his head against the wall behind him.
"I don't know this is just a bad part of the year…we should hang out this summer when things will be more relaxed." I said walking over and standing him up to give him a hug realizing that it has almost been three hours.
Suddenly the door opened up and a man came inside.
"I'm sorry to interrupt Mr. and Miss Wood but Mr. Wood is being called into to the dungeon. Minerva McGonagall has something to say about his case. You're welcome to come along as well if you want Miss Wood." The man said looking at the two of us. Oliver kept looking at me strange trying to think of why they were calling me Miss Wood.
We walked out of the cell towards the elevator with security all around.
"You gave them my name as yours?" Oliver asked me at a small whisper
"Yes well I am your cousin." I said laughing slightly
We got into the elevator and went to the dungeon.
Inside there were a hundred or so witches and wizards sitting around McGonagall. Oliver walked over and sat down in a chair that appeared next to McGonagall. He seemed to do this like he could do it in his sleep.
"Nice of you to show up" He said to McGonagall once the room went a bit calmer.
I stood back and kept an eye out for Umbridge who would be sure to figure out who I was if she saw me.
"Mr. Wood Professor McGonagall here has told us that you were invited to the team party by a certain Miss Bell. Is this true?" a man who seemed to be in charge said once the room was quiet.
"Correct that is true" Oliver said wanting to look back at me I could tell. I feel like I caused all of this.
"Then according to a talk her Headmistress had with her this afternoon Miss Bell went to bed and you left shortly afterwards to get home to get sleep because you had a quidditch meet the next morning. Is this also true?" the man asked.
"Yes that is exactly correct." Oliver said
"So then Mr. Wood how is it that you ended up near Headmistress Umbridge's office?" the man continued to ask questions
"There is an exit near by that some old teammates showed me in my fifth year that quickly takes me out of the school to Hogsmade so that I would not a track any attention walking threw the grounds. That way I could get there and Apparate quickly back home and get to sleep because I was beat." Oliver said
"Does anyone else know of this exit?" the man asked
"Well yeah they found it my sixth year because two Ravenclaws got caught trying to sneak out during school. They guard it now. I believe Professor Umbridge even knew that this exit was there." Oliver answered
"Do you know about this exit Minerva?" the man asked McGonagall
"Yes and Mr. Wood is correct Professor Umbridge is aware of this exit." McGonagall answered.
Suddenly there was a loud crash and Umbridge walked out of a fireplace in the back of the room. I was quick to hide my face.
"Minerva and Mr. Wood claim that there is a known exit near your office that goes straight from the school to Hogsmade near by your office. Were you aware of this exit?" The man asked Umbridge as she walked out of the fireplace.
"I am aware of a guarded exit in the same hall as my office why do you ask?" She said in overly calm voice.
"Mr. Wood claims that is where he was going because he had to leave quickly so that he could get to sleep so that he was rested for a quidditch game the next morning. Does this seem reasonable" The man said in a voice like 'can we just get this case over with'.
"I guess so…even though if he was completely innocent he wouldn't know about the exit in the first place." Umbridge said because she just doesn't want him to get off free of charge.
"Every student knew about it when the Ravenclaws got caught trying to leave in my sixth year and yes I had known about it before then but that's how secrets work in any school system!" Oliver yelled in protest because the jury like people seemed to be contemplating what she had said.
"He has a point there, even Dolores should agree that secrets spread fast in Hogwarts. The entire school knew about Dumbledore's arrest before we had even said anything at all about it. Possibly before breakfast was even over the next morning" McGonagall said
"Would you agree Dolores?" the man asked.
"I suppose I have to agree with that." Umbridge said
"Then I'm afraid that we have no other choice then to dismiss Mr. Oliver Wood free of charge because there is no proof that he was doing anything wrong while being inside the school. Those who agree said I" the man said
Suddenly the room was full of people saying I.
"Well then Mr. Wood you are here by declared Not Guilty" the man said and Oliver just sat there in shock. It was over he was free, he could go home.
Umbridge returned into the fireplace and quickly left. Most of the other people left one by one after her.
I jumped up and ran over to Oliver and gave him a large hug.
"You're off! This is wonderful" I said in my southern accent. You have to love that I'm still in character after all of this.
"I don't know what to do!" he said in a high pitch squeaky voice.
"We can go get your things and deliver you to your house if you would like." McGonagall said.
"I guess because I think I'm going to be in shock for like the next three days!" Oliver said putting this huge grin on his face like it was just hitting him that he was going home.
So the three of us walked back to the floor that Oliver was staying at and he went to get his belongings.
"Congratulations Mr. Wood you finally got off. We've dubbed you the longest pointless trial ever!" the guard said laughing at Oliver's grin.
So the three of us left the Ministry, when we got out of the ministry and back to the alley way McGonagall turn me back to myself.
"So that seemed to work pretty well I must say myself." McGonagall started to say.
"It's getting to be morning though… do you want to be safe and go back now or do you want to take the chance and help Mr. Wood back to his apartment." She finished asking me.
"You already know the answer to that question." I said laughing at Oliver's grin still pasted on his face.
"Alright well lets us be off then can you Apparate by yourself Oliver?" She said
"Yeah I should be fine…do you want me to take Katie or are you going to?" He asked coming slightly back to reality
"You can take her… I'm getting tired anyways so it would probably be hard for me to take her. So I'll see you at your flat" McGonagall said disappearing in front of us with a loud crack
"Well then Miss. Wood shall we be off" Oliver said in a mocking southern accent
"Ha ha very funny just Apparate before you start enjoying being this close to me" I said laughing at him
And then the feeling of going threw a straw was back and we were standing in a small flat in Scotland.
"Welcome to my humble abode. Not much but I really don't spend all that much time here." Oliver said smiling even more now that he was really home.
"We'll stay as long as you'd like Oliver." McGonagall said
"That's okay I just need to make sure everything is back to normal and then you can go back to the school…I guess" he said beginning to act like it felt weird to be free.
I started to fall asleep standing up and woke up to him laughing at me as I was on the floor.
"I guess I shouldn't keep you up this late." McGonagall said helping me up off the floor.
"No I've just had a busy day…any normal day and I'd still be wide awake. However you should give me permission to sleep threw your class…today." I said laughing as I stood up.
"You can go lie down on my bed and get some rest while McGonagall helps me get stable if you want." Oliver said pointing towards a bed in the far corner of the room.
"That sounds like a good idea and then I'll wake you up when it's time for us to get back to the castle." McGonagall said
So I walked over and plopped down on to Oliver's bed. This has been one of the weirdest and longest nights I have ever had.
Shortly after I fell onto Oliver's bed I must have fallen asleep because it feels like in minutes McGonagall was waking me up.
"Katie we need to get back to school before breakfast so that Umbridge doesn't catch you." She said shaking my arm slightly.
I opened my eyes to see Oliver and McGonagall standing over me, Oliver still had his goofy smile on his face.
"Now Oliver sent you a letter saying that he got off so that Umbridge doesn't get even more suspicious and you need to act like it's a big deal." McGonagall said once I sat up in the bed.
So I shook my head in agreement and stood up. McGonagall handed me the bag and I gave Oliver a hug and crawled into the bag. Shortly after followed the compressed feeling of Apparating and then I herd McGonagall walk into the school. Soon came the voice of the fat lady's portrait greeting McGonagall. We were inside the common room and there didn't seem to be any other voices. So when I felt the bag set down I got out of the bag.
McGonagall smiled at my very tired expression and picked up the bag.
"Go to sleep, you still have three hours until breakfast starts." She said laughing at my slow turn towards the stairs.
I got up to my room and remembered the fake me that was sleeping in my bed, it would be weird if one of my roommates were awake and I walked in and the one of me that was sleeping disappeared. So I waved the wand that McGonagall gave me and the fake me stood up and walked out the door. I used the wand to change into my pajamas and then walked very sleepily into my bed and passed out.
Next thing I know I'm waking up to one third of the Weasley family standing over me.
"Katie wake up!" Ginny yelled jumping on to my bed.
"I'm up, I'm up!" I yelled back in fear that it was the twins turn to try to get me up next.
"You made it threw okay last night!" Fred asked in a whisper
"Well yeah I was only sleeping" I said thinking that there is always the chance this isn't who I think it is.
"It's okay Katie it's us. McGonagall told me to come wake you up. And Fred and George followed so I explained." Ginny said understanding what I was doing
"We need your help after lunch" Fred said with a large evil grin.
"Oh no what are you two up to now?" I asked in a very tired voice
"We'll talk to you about it later but as for now you need to get to class before Umbridge comes looking for you." George said with an equally evil grin.
So I got up grabbed my wand and changed into my robes, put perfume on so I smelled like I had been up for awhile, and threw my hair up as I was walking to class.
I struggled to stay awake threw all of my classes. McGonagall let me sleep threw her class though so it was all good. When I got into Defense against the Dark Arts class Umbridge seemed to be waiting for me.
"You weren't in breakfast this morning?" She asked in an accusing voice.
"Yeah I still wasn't feeling well this morning so I stayed in bed for a bit longer." I answered more casually then I thought I was even trying to sound.
"Oh well how are you feeling now?" She asked
"Not much different… I'm still really tired and I don't know why." I said in a concerned voice.
"Well that might be signs of depression but I think this will cheer you up." She said handing me a letter.
Dear Katie,
They let me off last night. McGonagall was here for questioning about Dumbledore disappearing I guess and at the end of her questioning she asked if they wanted any answers about me so they called me in \and we told them where I was really going and then called Umbridge in to ask her some questions and eventually let me off! I talked to my coach too and he said that I'll be allowed back on the team for next year. I'm extremely happy right now, like too happy to put into words. Well I have to write close to eight more letters so I'll talk to you later.
Love,
Oliver
I screeched when I finished reading the letter to show that I was excited. It's really hard to act when you're tired. But I continued with a large smile and walked with a skip in my footing to my seat where I sat with a big smile on my face all threw class.
Then was lunch time so I went to go find Fred and George to see what it was that I was helping them with. Some how though they seemed to find me.
"Katie!" They yelled when they saw me walking their way.
"Freorge!" I yelled to them. I was too lazy to say their names individually. They looked at me strange for a bit but then laughed at it
"So we need your help!" They said pulling me into another random hallway that we always seemed to be by.
"Okay, I got that but what do you need me to do." I said, I can't believe I'm getting myself into this
"So Harry needs to get into Umbridge's office to contact Sirius about something and we need to set a distraction so that Umbridge leaves her office." Fred said with his evil grin
"We need you to help us by making sure that you know where Umbridge is at all times and that she never returns to her office." George finished while him and Fred automatically made puppy dog faces to try to convince me to help them.
"So do you want me to talk to her while following her or just follow closely?" I asked
"Whatever becomes necessary to make sure she doesn't catch Harry." They said and then stood up and walked a ways down the hall to where Harry and some other of his friends where standing.
I got up and walked up to Umbridge's office and got a good hiding spot. Almost right after I got snug in my hiding place I herd loud blast and a mixture of laughs and screams. So I guess we have started war. And to think, Oliver got out because we proved that we were going to do this.
I saw Umbridge go zooming by at a fast speed and as she was some what out of sight I started to get out from my hiding space when Harry and his friends appeared in front of Umbridge's door. I snuck away after Umbridge and almost got knocked out by an out of control firework. This is crazy! I have been worrying about Quidditch and Oliver for so long I have no idea what's going on anymore. Fred and George are most defiantly going to get expelled!
You know those times when you're standing still and everything seems to be zooming past you. Well this was defiantly one of those times. I felt like I couldn't move and everything around me was almost fast forwarding. If Fred and George get expelled then my last year with them is even shorter then I had thought. And it was all just so that Harry could get past Umbridge, the women will stop at nothing to ruin our lives, Harry and mine that is.
I herd Umbridge yelling from the entrance hall so I went running. Fred and George were standing in the middle of a crowd and Umbridge was yelling at them. The twins just listened smiling at her like they weren't even concerned that they were going to get expelled.
I felt like I was watching a movie of my life for a second and then was brought back to reality when I herd a loud crash and to brooms with large chains started towards me. The twins hopped onto the brooms and flew off and like that they were gone.
I ran back to make sure that Harry was out of the office before Umbridge got there and I passed him on my way so then I went to find Angelina.
She was back in the common room.
"Did you know this was going to happen?" I asked once I found her.
"Yeah they have been planning a final good-bye like this for awhile now. After Dumbledore left they figured 'hey if he make a big scene like that so can we'." She answered
"At lest they did it for a good cause" I said.
She agreed but then just walked off.
So I went to my next class, then to dinner and then to bed early because I still was really tired.
It was finally Saturday, and I was back into one of my moody Murphy's Law moods. So I just wondered around school for a bit. Everyone was talking about Fred and George and Harry didn't even seem like talking to Sirius helped at all. He and a bunch of fifth years were cramming to study for their O.W.Ls that were coming up, so I didn't bother him. Boy I can't imagine trying to study for the O.W.Ls under all of that stress. It was hard enough for me to study with the tri wizard tournament going on, but that is nothing compaired to what he is going threw.
I walked up into my room because I couldn't find anything better to do then sleep. But when I got into my dorm my window was open and there was an owl on my bed. I got it and it had a note attached to it.
If I know anything about you you're probably going to just sleep and wonder around because Fred and George left early. So come down to the Quidditch pitch.
I smiled and then headed towards the pitch.
When I got there none other then Oliver Wood was standing near the locker rooms.
"I figured you'd need some cheering up. Come here I was to show you something." He said as I got to the pitch and walked into the locker room lounge.
In the lounge this old slide projector was in the center of the room and a stereo.
"What is this?" I asked as I got into the room
"You'll see, just sit down" he said with that goofy smile he always has.
So I listened and sat down and the projector started up and the room got dark except for the light coming from the projector. Suddenly a bunch of photos of my friends showed up on the tactics board. There was a fitting song in the background too.
They were pictures of my first year on the quidditch team. A lot seemed to be of us doing mean things to Oliver. There were some pictures of when we won the quidditch cup in my fourth year. A quick movie of me, Fred, and George chasing after Oliver with some substance we were going to dump on him, and I tripped and was cracking up on the ground and Oliver was laughing too but trying to stop laughing enough to ask if I was okay. A lot of pictures of different team members in the hospital wing and the rest of us making goofy faces around the person in the bed, a couple of pictures of all of us at Hogsmade, a really humorous one of all of us crammed into the train booth, then even more crammed into the cart on the way up to the castle in the beginning of the year. There was one photo of Fred and George bugging me while I was trying to study, and then one of us in my second year, we were all so little, and then the last picture was taken during the quidditch party.
Then it was over, I hadn't noticed but I had at some point started to cry. So now I was sitting with this goofy smile on my face remembering all of the pictures and when they were taken. Oliver began to laugh at the sight of me crying and smiling at the same time.
All of those memories, they all seem like they were just yesterday, and here I was watching them like it was good bye. Then it hit me, it wasn't really the end, this right now was a memory with Oliver that had left me two years ago. So we all will still get together after school.
"Thank you Oliver, You are getting to know me too well." I said wiping away my tears
"Well that's not necessarily a bad thing, because now there is someone that can stop you from getting into one of your moods." He said with a smile and then prepared to get hit.
"I'm sure there are a lot of people who will thank you for taking on this task." I said laughing
"Well you saved my sanity the other night it's only natural that I save yours." He says
"Yeah well I didn't exactly talk to McGonagall to get her to take me, she came to me." I said still laughing and crying at the same time, I'm an emotional child.
"So are you going to be okay?" Oliver asked
"Yeah thank you for this…where did you get all of the pictures?" I said
"It's not hard to find pictures when you're magic" he said laughing.
"Well we better get going before Umbridge arrests me again" He continued laughing
I gave him a huge hug and we walked out of the door.
"Oh, one more thing" He said and then pointed his wand towards the projector and something came flying at us.
"Here keep this to look at whenever you get depressed again." He said handing me the reel of slides.
"Oliver I don't know where I would be this year with out you." I said
"Probably right here" he said laughing.
"Goodnight Oliver" I said walking towards the now lit up castle.
"Goodnight Katie" Oliver said walking towards the exit of the grounds.
Hope you liked it. Thinking about it Just Pretend by The Bens is a good song for this whole story. Oh and those of you who don't know Murphy's Law is the law of science that states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
