A/N: Well this hasn't gone well at all. I've been ill, busy, all over the place. But I'll get it done. Thanks for sticking with me 3
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The detentions got worse and worse for Harry as the week went on. Umbridge's room was stifling and every night he would make his way back to the common room cradling his hand, and every night Hermione would meet him with her bowl of Murtlap solution.
"This is ridiculous," Hermione said to him on the last night. "You have to tell," she glanced around. "Máthair."
Harry didn't tell Ron or Hermione but something had happened that night that had not happened on any other night. As Umbridge had picked up his hand - bleeding, sore and swollen from her evil quill, a surge of something had run through him. He yanked back his hand and she grinned maliciously at him and mentioned something about lies again, although he was already packing up his things. It had scared him because he knew what Máthair's feelings felt like when they ran through him, and this was not one of them. This was something different.
Something terrifying.
He didn't know what to do about it either. That was the thing. He couldn't go to his máthair, who'd provided him with the most guidance about everything, and Hermione could only help so far. He wondered whether he should go to Albus before realising with a twitch that he wasn't talking to him anymore.
"I am going to bed," he said to the two of them. "Thanks," he said as an afterthought and wished it had been the first thought. It was his fault he was being punished and yet they'd been really good about it all week.
He moved slowly while he got ready for bed. Wrapping his hand in a bandage he'd found in his trunk from his many trips to the Hospital Wing. It throbbed horribly and he was so tired and confused he wasn't sure what he wanted more: to curl up in bed and sleep for a hundred days or to sneak out to his máthair's rooms and cry into her shoulder.
He decided that what he really wanted was both of these things and some advice as well. While he could, knowing that the pain in his hand was worse the day after detention, he slipped out of bed and grabbed a bit of spare parchment from his trunk and scrawled a letter to Sirius. Sirius would know what to do.
By the time he'd finished scrawling a few lines on a scrap of parchment, the sun was peeking over the horizon. He sat back with a huff, cradling his hand against his chest. While he'd been grappling with the letter, he'd also been grappling with the thought of seeing Máthair over the weekend and explaining the wound on his hand. It had gone about as well as the letter had.
Running his hand over his face, Harry decided to go for a wander to the owlery to send the note to Sirius. He wandered down through the empty castle, running his hands along the walls. He smiled as he thought about the one time he'd wandered through the empty halls, running his hands over the wall. How much his life had changed, thanks to that one night.
The morning was brisk, and he watched his breath on the air and took his time. By the time he had made it up to the owlery, he was tired, but ready for the day. He spent a few moments, tickling Hedwig, before sending her on her way. It was only when he turned that his heart simultaneously stopped and doubled in beats.
There, rising above the Forbidden Forest, there was the same grotesque winged horse that he'd seen on the first day they'd arrived at the castle.
"Hi Harry."
Cho Chang was standing in the doorway, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Er, hi," he said, waving, and rolling his eyes at himself. "I mean, hey. How are you?"
It was so stupid. She'd been Cedric's boyfriend. She obviously wasn't okay.
"Okay," Cho shrugged. "I remembered late, it's my Mum's birthday."
"Right," Harry nodded stupidly.
Their conversation didn't get much better until she asked about the new Gryffindor keeper.
"Oh yeah, my friend Ron."
Cho remembered him, judging by the look on her face and Harry wished Ron was a little better at getting along with people.
"Is he good?"
"Yeah, I," he shrugged. "Well, I didn't see it. I had detention."
"That Umbridge woman is foul," Cho said quietly. "Detention for telling people how -" she swallowed and Harry tried to figure out what she was trying to say. "How he died. You were really brave standing up to her like that."
Harry rocked on his heels as she spoke and tried desperately not to grin. They said goodbye to each other a little later, after watching the owl she was sending fly away and dealing with Filch who appeared not long after, wheezing about dungbombs.
He almost skipped back to the castle, realising that it was time for breakfast when he walked back through the doors. He checked to see if Hermione and Ron were there yet, and not seeing them, decided to wander back until he bumped into them.
It was only when he was yanked into a random classroom that he realised he needed to be on his guard, even here.
"Gerroff!" He swung his arms, trying to throw a punch
"Easy mo mhac [my son]," the voice chuckled. "It's just me. Easy."
Harry blinked as he looked at the perpetrator.
"Máthair?"
"Hello darling," Minerva smiled. She opened her arms and he fell into them.
"I've missed you."
"I've missed you too, mo mhac [my son]," Minerva whispered into his hair. "How are you?"
What was he supposed to say to that?
"I," he shrugged. "I'm okay. Tired, I guess."
"You aren't sleeping?"
"I've had," he swallowed. "Detention. And homework. And this -"
"Shh," Minerva whispered, pulling him in again. "It's okay. I've been trying to get to you all week, but she has spies everywhere."
"It's okay."
"It's not. I want to be near you, making sure you're okay. And I haven't been able to, and it's killing me, Harry."
She scratched at her hand before cupping his face and his eyes widened as he saw the wound.
"Oh, don't worry about that mo gradh [my love], just a bite that's driving me mad."
He hummed in agreement, but his heart was racing.
"Harry? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he said, too quickly. "I mean. I just," he blushed. "I just saw Cho Chang. It was -"
Minerva grinned, pulling him into her side.
"You have a crush?"
"No! I, no," he fell silent. "Well, she's really pretty. And really nice. And -"
"So yes," Minerva said, grinning at him. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything to me," she paused. "But, I will say to you, be careful mo mhac [my son]. She has been through a lot, like you."
"I know," Harry sighed. "She's just a friend."
"It's okay," Minerva said. "But if you need to talk, we'll figure out how okay?"
Harry nodded and wrapped his arms around her middle, trying not to stare at her hand.
"Alright darling, it's time to go. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves."
He nodded and kissed her cheek, sighing happily as she let him feel her love for him.
"Thanks," Harry whispered. "I needed that."
"You're welcome. Keep your head down, okay? There's nothing I can do against this woman. She's the arm of the Ministry that we don't need and can do nothing about. Keep your head down, and your temper cool. I trust you. But you have to ignore her."
"I'll try."
"Harry, I cannot stress this enough. Keep your temper."
He nodded and watched as she slipped out of the room and into the now crowded corridors. He sat against the desk and considered what she'd said and looked down at his hand. There was nothing he could do about that now. It needed to heal and it needed to heal quickly. If it got any worse, Minerva would know, and it would only get worse.
By the time he'd realised how long he'd been sitting in thought, he realised he needed to get to breakfast.
"Hey," Hermione said. "We didn't know where you were!"
"I sent a letter to snuffles, but then I bumped into Máthair on my way back. She confirmed what we said about that woman. And she said absolutely that she can do nothing. So I was right, it wouldn't have mattered if we'd have told her about what is going on in detention. She can do nothing, and we cannot get her fired."
"I hate her," Hermione growled. "I hate how helpless we are."
"I just hate her."
"Well," Harry shrugged. "I'm concentrating on quidditch today. I've had a rubbish week, I need to make sure Angelina knows I'm a part of this team."
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Hermione said, looking over her bowl. "You're both already really behind on your homework."
"I'm not missing quidditch, Hermione. I can't. What else is there to look forward to."
Hermione didn't say anything but went back to her breakfast until the owls came in, bearing letters and parcels, and her Daily Prophet.
"What bad news do we have to deal with now?" Harry groaned, looking at her pouring over the paper.
"Nothing so far," she mumbled. "Oh! Sirius!"
Harry paled and leaned over Hermione's shoulder to see what she was reading. He quickly scanned the page and his eyes widened as he read the headline.
"Malfoy!" Harry hissed as Ron tried to read it.
"Wha-?" he asked around a mouthful of food. "What's'happ'nin'?"
"Someone tipped off the Aurors that Sirius is in London," Hermione hissed, letting Harry take the page. She read through the pages left and frowned. "And Sturgis Podmore has been sentenced to 6 months in Azkaban."
"For hanging outside a door?" Ron muttered.
"There's something bigger going on there, I just don't know what it is," Hermione mused.
"What, like a stitch-up?"
"Something," Hermione mused. "Mi -" she swallowed. "Máthair would know."
"She said it's probable that we'll have to keep to ourselves for a while, apparently," he frowned as he remembered something she'd said before about the Ministry. "Cluasan anns gach ceàrn [the walls have ears]."
Hermione and Ron thought for a moment before nodding in understanding.
"So we need to be careful," Hermione said, glancing up at the Top Table, where everyone was eating in silence. "Like we didn't know that already."
