"One hour remaining, ladies and gentlemen." The rickety old voice of of exam Proctor Tofty floats over the fifth year's hunched backs as they continue to scribble down names of moons, planets, and stars onto their northern hemisphere spring star map. Harry took particular pleasure in finding the brightest star that could be seen from earth within the Canus Major constellation and labelling it 'Sirius' with a small flourish of his quill. He sent a quick mental 'thank you' to Danny, since he was close to finishing his chart, with just under half the testing time to go.
Danny was inadvertently an incredible tutor to them for astronomy. Inadvertent, since he was never really prompted to give them lessons and stories about stars or planets or satellites (the orbiting contraptions still gave Ron headaches to think about, having grown up thinking the world beyond their own sky to be untouchable.)
Allowing his eyes to stray over the edge of the astronomy tower for a moment, Harry could just make out the darker shadow that was Hagrid's cabin. He fancied he could just see a sliver of golden light that was peeking through the edge of the closed curtains, and he smiled at the thought that Danny was with Hagrid having tea and rock cakes, instead of sitting by himself in the Common Room, not allowed to take part in the exam for his favorite subject.
Harry finished his star map with another confident quill stroke, and one last look through his magically enhanced telescope that was far clearer and far stronger than any muggle telescope of this size was, or so Danny told him.
After letting his mind wander for a bit now that he'd finished his exam, Harry noticed Ron and Hermione seemed to be finished as well, Ron gazing up at the sky with a faraway look, and Hermione meticulously going over her star map to make sure it was perfect. As the exam proctor quietly reminded them that fifteen minutes remained, Harry's attention was caught by the castle doors creaking open and flooding the front lawn just below the astronomy tower with light. There were six ripping shadows as the people they belonged to walked out of the castle and out into the darkened grounds, closing the doors behind them.
As the other examinees returned to their exams after a soft reprimand from Mr. Tofty to focus, Harry was joined by Ron and Hermione at the edge of the tower, knuckles white and breath hitching... for they'd all recognized who the shortest leading shadow had belonged to. Harry's eyes were just beginning to adjust to the dark once again after that burst of bright light, when his stomach dropped as he spotted the prowling figures heading straight for Hagrid's cabin.
They couldn't- She couldn't possibly know Danny was there tonight, right? Even if that were true, why would Umbridge and her band of aurors visit Hagrid at such a late hour, during OWL exams no less?
He hadn't much time to contemplate it, as they all held their breaths in anticipation. There were suddenly faraway, echoing barks booming. Someone had knocked on the door, and Fang was as good a guard dog as ever it seemed.
There was another brief flash of light as the door to Hagrid's cabin opened, a moment of stillness, and then shadows flickered as people entered Hagrid's home, closing the door behind them. Please let Danny be out visiting the thestrals... please let Hagrid be able to fend off anything the toad has planned... please let his friends be alright...
Harry, Ron and Hermione all stoically ignored the proctor trying to get their attention, which was drawing more and more attention from the other students. More and more were turning away from their telescopes and quills in the last few minutes of the exam to figure out what was going on.
Draco joined them at the edge of the tower, glancing confusedly out across the grounds then back at them, eyebrow raised in question. Harry's eyes never left the far-away cabin, but he could feel Ron's tense posture and hear Hermione's quick, panicked breaths.
Harry could only wait a breathless moment in increasing tension for something to happen- before the night was rent apart with screams and shouts and flashes of light.
The door to Hagrid's home had been blasted open as he barreled out of it, followed closely by the shouting aurors. Thin threads of light told Harry that they were attacking Hagrid with stunning spells and tripping jinxs, but with a deafening roar that echoed across the grounds, Hagrid angrily began swiping and bashing away his attackers, the spells glancing off of his back, Fang barking loudly and trying to defend his master.
"No!"
"What are they-"
"Hagrid!"
Harry, Ron and Hermione were deaf to the other gasps of horror and outrage around them, and Harry's white knuckled grip on the edge of the tower was the only thing keeping him from uselessly trying to run and help as he kept his eyes glued to the fight he couldn't stop. And then...
Then his heart stopped when a familiar glow entered the fray, lighting up the already chaotic far-away scene with blasts and shields of that dreaded green, keeping Hagrid and Fang safe from the onslaught.
He couldn't fault Danny for joining the fight and helping Hagrid. He would have done the same if he could, since he and Danny both seemed to have a 'saving people thing' according to Hermione, but Danny wasn't allowed out of the castle... wasn't allowed to transform, let alone use his powers. And now here he was, out of the castle and attacking aurors and the toad, risking his own safety to protect a friend.
There was an echoing shriek and the direction of the attack shifted towards Danny specifically as Danny put up dome of green, protecting him, Hagrid and Fang from a barrage of spells.
"Run! Run away! Get out of there!" Ron was bellowing out towards the fight, Harry, Hermione and Draco quickly doing the same along with most of the other fifth years. Danny and Hagrid had to run away, they couldn't get caught by the Ministry. He shuddered to think of just what they would do to Hagrid. But if they got their hands on Danny? Half-breeds were already treated awfully, what would they do to a seemingly unique and incredibly powerful one that was immune to most magic?
His mind snapped out of his spiraling thoughts as the front doors opened once again, spilling light out towards the fight and revealing a single shadow exiting the castle.
"How dare you!" Professor McGonagall's shout drowned out the continued shouts and the sound of spells crackling and sparking off of Danny's shield. "Leave them alone! Leave them alone, I say!"
The noise of the fight and the fifth years shouting had woken enough residents within the castle proper that lights were beginning to flicker on in numerous castle windows. McGonagall was sprinting towards the fight, still shouting with wand already raised and ready, and for a moment Harry thought everything would be alright. McGonagall would sort this out, she wouldn't let Umbridge get away with this.
He should have known better.
It happened in quick succession, barely a breath between one horrible act and the next. Umbridge's unintelligible shout was followed by no less than six stunning spells being shot directly at their Transfiguration Professor, and despite the strong shield she threw up just in time, the force of the compounded spells crashed into the shield and shattered it, colliding with McGonagall and lifting her up and throwing her back. Their Professor's body glowed an eery red before it faded and she lay very still, sprawled on the lawn in the light of the still open doors.
A cry of anger, feral and furious, prompted their horrified attention to return to Danny as his shield dropped, revealing that Hagrid and Fang were gone, nowhere to be found. Danny flew, a shooting star in the dark, towards the attacking aurors, his attacks more viscous in his anger. Then, as if the night had quieted just for them to be able to hear the shouted spell-
"Fulmenor!"
Shocking, white-blue branches of lighting tore through the air, ripping it apart so quickly that the crack of sound only reached them after the spell connected with it's target.
Screams. Danny's screams shook the very ground, and rebounded through his mind with such concussive force that even covering his ears to protect them from the awful sound didn't so much to block it out. Windows shook and cracked and shattered as Danny was forced to the ground under the ongoing spell, the branching light still arching off of his body as he curled up from convulsive shocks.
Harry's mind was cast back to a late night of shared stories where Danny had grabbed his neck in remembrance of a collar, another night of storms and thunder where Danny flinched every time lighting flashed across the roiling sky.
As Danny's pained scream suddenly cut off, another flash lit up the present night. Danny's transformation rings appeared around his waist, illuminating the ground just beside Hagrid's now empty home. Dark lumps littered the ground where Danny had laid most of the aurors out, but one tall auror remained, and they stood beside the shortest figure, both standing over a now human and unconscious Danny.
Shivering silence descended on the grounds, now so still and quiet that Harry found it hard to even breath. Then came the shouts, the cries of outrage, horror and anger. From the tower where they watched and from within the castle, past the shattered windows. More shadows appeared in the light of the still open castle doors, their Professors spilling out onto the grounds, their House Heads leading the charge. The distinctive shapes of Professor Sprout and Flitwick stopped and crouched beside McGonagall's prone form, while Snape and Sinistra led the rest in a mad rush towards Hagrid's cabin. But-
They'd gone. Harry's eyes frantically searched the surrounding grounds, but the tall auror and Danny had both disappeared leaving Umbridge calmly waiting for the approaching Professors. Hermione, her tears falling and breath coming in gasps, suddenly gripped his arm and pointed out towards the gate at the edge of Hogwarts grounds. He just made out the outline of a figure carrying an indistinct lump leaving the gate, and then the faint crack of apparition seemed to numb his mind.
Surely, that hadn't just happened. The tears, the cries of horror and anger of his fellow students were surely only about an unfair test question. The Professors out on the grounds tending to the unconscious were just cleaning up after a student's duel got a bit out of hand. Professor McGonagall would congratulate them tomorrow morning on their passing marks and he, Ron, Hermione and Danny would sneak out to celebrate the end of exams with Hagrid, and he would tell them all of this fantastical and frankly horrible dream. If only that could be true.
They were shepherded off the tower by Mr. Tofty, their exams collected in silence, and Harry followed Ron and Hermione as if in a daze. It was only when they'd made it back to the Common Room, filled with all the students from other years who'd been woken up by his friends screams, that reality came back to him in full force.
"Ron. Hermione." He spoke quietly to his friends, and despite the volume of incredulous voices explaining and talking about what had just happened to their friend, he knew that they both heard him and the cold fury in his voice.
They both looked at him, meeting his eyes steadily. Ron was pale and shaking, fists clenched and knuckles white with rage. Hermione had dried her tears, and her eyes were sharp and deadly, ready to take action. He nodded only once and just like that, Umbridge and the Ministry's downfall was underway, for the crime of daring to harm their friend.
Funnily enough it was Ron who stopped them from tearing off to the Ministry right there and then. He clearly hadn't bean happy about it, evident by the shaking anger in his voice, but he managed to convince him and Hermione that going straight to the Ministry wouldn't get them anywhere and would likely just make things worse for Danny.
"They'll see us come tearing in to defend him and bollux up some fake claim that he brainwashed us or something. I hate it, but we need to plan this out or he'll be even worse off than if we left well enough alone and hoped the adults took care of it."
Ron shook his head angrily, as Hermione huffed in disbelief beside them. Harry may have laughed at their obvious lack of trust in the adults in their lives,
"The toad will be expecting us to go and help him as well, so the security around the castle will be up and waiting for us to make a move." Harry added.
"And, if they find out that we've left, they'll be able to let the ministry know we're coming long before we make it there." Ron said with a furrowed brow.
"So," Hermione said slowly, "we need a distraction. A big enough distraction so that we can slip past their defenses and get to Danny."
"How can we help?"
Harry was so startled by the new voice that he went instinctively for his wand, whipping it up and glaring at the threat. What he found instead were determined faces of the Gryffindor members of the DA.
"Ginny?" Ron asked quietly, lowering his own wand.
"You lot are going after the Ministry to save Danny, right?" Ginny asked with a steely gleam in her eye.
"Well yes, but-"
"If you're about to tell us that it's to dangerous or some other type of dragon dung then let us save you the trouble."
"Ginny!" Hermione sputtered, but she was cut off once again. Neville was the one to step forward and steal the attention of all the watching Gryffindors; an impressive sight silhouetted by the raging fire in the hearth and expression dark as the star studded sky outside.
"No. Ginny's right. You took the fall for us; for all of the DA, when Umbridge found us out. You and Danny most of all." Neville said with a nod towards Harry. "Now, seeing as how you'll need to take on the Ministry help Danny, I'd think you'd want all the help you can get."
"And you'll have it." Angelina nodded determinedly. "From all of the DA's members, mind. Don't think our badger, eagle and snake friends will take kindly to being left out of this." She smiled sharply, the rest of the gathered lions laughing darkly and nodded in agreement.
Harry was stunned, and for a moment he couldn't say a word.
"Harry-"
"Okay."
"What?" Ron sounded utterly surprised, and Hermione as well as the rest of the gathered Gryffindors looked as if they expected more of a fight from him. Honestly, he was a bit surprised himself. But his dread far outweighed his common sense at the moment, so organizing a government coup to save one of his best friends who had taught and helped him so much? He would take all the help he could get.
"I said okay. We have no idea what the Ministry could be doing to Danny, we need help to get there as soon as possible without letting the Ministry know we're coming. We need to get him out, and then make sure they can't go after him again. So- let's get started."
After a beat of surprise, Hermione's gaze turned calculating and Ron broke into a dangerous grin.
"Oh, mate, I think I've got an idea that will make Fred and George regret leaving early."
"I'll be the judge of that." Lee Jordan said, "What do we need to do?"
And so it began.
.
.
.
Of course, as soon as their plans had come together, the toad just had to go and try to ruin it all. After the entire night and early morning spent planning, constantly pushing the terrible thoughts of what the Ministry may have been doing to Danny aside, Harry was reaching his breaking point. He breathed deeply through his nose; he couldn't blow it now. They'd been working hard to come to a perfect plan, the Hogwarts ghosts jumping on the opportunity to help them by passing messages to all the other houses and adding ideas of their own on how they could help Danny. He just needed to make it through whatever Umbridge had planned for them, and then they could get on to escaping to the Ministry and saving Danny.
He traipsed through the hallways along with the rest of the Gryffindor house, heading towards the Great Hall, keeping his head down and keeping well away from the hired aurors that were escorting them through the castle corridors. Hermione and Ron's steady presence at his sides were one of the very few things keeping his mind on what they needed to do, despite this unexpected wrench in their plans, they could still pull this off. They could make it to the Ministry to rescue Danny before anything else went wrong.
The sudden summons of the entire student body to Great Hall early that morning hadn't been altogether unexpected; it could have been from their general lack of response, whether Umbridge expected anger and rebellion at the attack or celebration and relaxation in the sunshine now that exams were finally over, she received neither and was likely suspicious of them being up to something.
Which... they were, but it certainly made their job of coordinating with the other houses a bit harder, being packed together and unable to act while under her watchful eyes.
They finally made it to the Entrance Hall, and Harry nodded discreetly to Draco, Michael and Hannah, the pseudo-leaders of their respective houses who had been in charge of sending messages through the ghosts to help with the plan. They nodded back, both determined but with an edge of anger that the entire Hall seemed to be radiating. Harry felt it rumble through the gathered students and could almost hear the buzzing in very walls of the castle; a hive of angry wasps ready to defend their own.
The doors opened slowly, revealing Umbridge sitting primly in the high backed chair that dwarfed her even more than usual. Their Professors were standing off to the side, scowls and glares all directed at Umbridge, Professor McGonagall and Hagrid's missing forms driving another stake into the already angry nest of writhing emotions all tangled and-
Harry gasped sharply, drawing Hermione and Ron's attention, but thankfully no one else's as all the students were shuffling and clambering to sit down at their House tables.
"What? What's wrong?" Hermione whispered quickly as Ron kept his eyes on the nearby auror standing at attention in front of the doors. Harry shook his head trying to rid himself of the sudden pain and his rising panic. His scar hadn't hurt like that in a while, ever since he'd gotten better at Occlumency. He was by no means an expert in keeping his head clear, but he could tell that this attempted invasion into his mind was different than the ones before this. This one was deliberate. Voldemort wanted to show him something.
Hence his spike in panic. Because if Voldy was trying to get his attention now of all times...
Looks like their plan just went out the window. They needed to get to Danny. Now.
Just as he was about to tell Hermione this, the toad silenced the gathered students with one of her loathsome little 'hem hem's.
"Welcome students." Umbridge gestured around the Great Hall, with a wide smile. "I'm so glad you could join me here this morning."
"Like we had a choice." Ron muttered.
"First and foremost, I want to congratulate our fifth and seventh years on competing their exams. May your scores reflect the work you put into learning our blessed gift of magic."
Hermione scoffed, as did several others.
"But that is not the main reason I wished to talk to all of you." Umbridge continued, silencing the soft whispers, "No, I wished to put you all at ease and explain the events that occurred last night that you have no doubt already heard rumors of. Don't be so quick to believe fanciful stories, children. The truth is so often much simpler than you think."
Another stabbing, more insistent, pain in his head coincided with his pang of utmost shock. He pushed the attempted intrusion away, needing to be present enough to hear what Umbridge was on about now. Was she really-? Was she really trying to-?
"As you may have noticed, neither Minerva McGonagall nor the groundskeeper, Hagrid, are present for this announcement. This is due to the fact that last night, the Hogwarts Board agreed to terminate Hagrid's employment here as the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, and in an attempt at decency, I went to Hagrid's home after normal school hours to inform him of his termination so that he may preserve some dignity." Umbridge shook her head in some attempt at portraying dismay, but all Harry could see was hidden glee and a sense of triumph.
Harry clenched his hand into a fist, making the thin white scars on the back of his hand stand out starkly white; a permanent reminder of just how far people would go to discredit what they don't want to believe. Another viscous stabbing pain behind his eyes made it very hard to continue maintaining his concentration on the viscous lies burning away his self-restraint.
"Unfortunately, Hagrid, half-giant as he is, did not take kindly to the decision and I was very fortunate to have had enough foresight to bring my personal guard with me when the half-breed turned violent. In an act of self defense and in an attempt to detain him for assaulting me, a fight broke out. In the midst of the battle, the other supposed half-breed, Daniel Fenton as it likes to be called, joined the fray and began attacking me and my guard as well." Umbridge said with relish, clearly thinking the dead silence of the student body was their acceptance of the story she was spinning. "Brought out by the noise of the fight, Professor McGonagall was caught by a stray blast and was in such a bad way, she has been transferred to St. Mungo's for further treatment. I hope this shows you all how dangerous the creature we had been foolishly allowing to stay in this school was."
A low murmur of voices, hissing and whispering and buzzing throughout the hall.
"Now now, children, I'm sure all of you have a false impression of what that creature was. It told us it was a rare half-ghost," Umbridge paused and there was a moment of quiet anticipation, "but that was false."
The incredulous voices rose in volume, anger rising and confusion rampant. Harry glanced at the gathered ghosts, hovering together off to the side, all looking at Umbridge in anger, some growing strangely more opaque
"I am more than happy to inform you of the truth, now that it has been rightfully captured and examined. The reliable personnel in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures has informed us that it is not a half-ghost but a rare case of an inferi gaining sentience-"
"Lies!" Sir Nicholas' echoing shout made the entire hall jump. "Slanderous lies against the rightful ruler of the Infinite Realms!" The ferocity behind his tone, and the subtle green tint seen in the usually pale group of ghosts made many shudder, but the Hogwarts ghosts were too busy glaring hatefully at the Ministry wizards to notice.
"How dare you try to lay claim to him! Capture him and hold him against his will! You will release him immediately!"
"Yeah! he didn't do anything wrong!" A single brave voice agreed from the Hufflepuff table.
And suddenly, the school's last shred of tolerance for Umbridge and everything she had done throughout the year snapped. The entire student body rose to their feet, shouting and angry and demanding justice for their friend. The Professors did nothing to stop them and many joined in. The ghosts swooped threateningly close to the aurors and Umbridge was yelling and gesturing, and shying away from the furious Hogwarts ghosts. And despite himself, despite knowing that they weren't tangible and couldn't really hurt anyone, Harry couldn't help but watch the deepening green colored aura surrounding them, fluctuating with their rage and indignation at Danny being treated so horribly.
Had being around Danny all year allowed them to get stronger? More like the ghosts Danny was used to dealing with?
Harry was forced to stop thinking about that and everything else as another, incredibly painful attempted intrusion into his mind nearly made him collapse from the pain of it. It felt like a cleaver had been swung with full force down onto his scar.
As the students of Hogwarts became more enraged, the tables and benches being pushed aside as they all converged angrily on the Ministry workers at the front of the Hall, backing them into a corner. He would have loved to join in, to finally put an end to the toad; but it was an awful fact that if he hadn't been keeping his jaw clamped shut, a horrible scream of pain would have escaped him by now and drawn attention to his current mental battle.
The hall raged around him and began to swim as he fought back the invading vision. The pain and the noise and the anger and it was too much too Much Too MUCH!
He grabbed blindly and grasped onto someone's hands in a desperate attempt to ground himself, but with only one more overwhelming surge of pain and emotions that weren't his, his surroundings fell away and darkness deafened the cries of outrage meant for a friend that could never know how much he meant to them.
.
When Harry opened his eyes again, he was sitting in a high-backed chair in a lavishly decorated room. A fire crackled and popped in the hearth beside him as Nagini encircled his shoulders.
Vindictive pleasure flooded the back of his mind as he was finally successful in gaining his unwilling audience. He dutifully ignored his detached fondness for Nagini, as he stroked a long, pale finger down her snout.
"It is time, Nagini. Let us go, now that everyone has arrived."
Harry stood up, much taller than normal, and Nagini slid smoothly from his shoulders onto the floor. She made her way smoothly past a line of waiting wizards in dark robes and masks, and into a magnificant emerald green fire. He stepped in after her and spoke clearly, "Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Office."
With a spin and swirling flame, Harry stepped out smoothly into what must have once been a lively office with large desks and open spaces, but now... Now the space was a horrific show of bodies on the ground and slumped over desks and chairs, quills still in hand. Harry wasn't able to tell if they were stunned or petrified or killed for his and his followers presence within the Ministry to remain unknown, but whatever the case, as his cloaked followers came out of the Floo themselves and filed into the office, he stepped over the bodies with ease and a complete lack of remorse.
"My Lord." The deep voice brought his gaze around to see the only people left standing within the too-still office.
"McNair. Malfoy. Everything is ready, I trust?" His commanding tone was revealed nothing of his mounting anticipation and want, well hidden behind a mask of disinterest.
"Yes, my Lord. It is this way."
Lucius Malfoy turned on his heel and led him out of the Ministry office and out into a deserted corridor. The bone deep chill that slowly seeped deeper and deeper into his very bones was explained by the veritable hoard of dementors around the next corner that Lucius led them around. They shied away from him now, ever since he'd first made- well he was protected from the dark creatures without the need of a patronus, at any rate.
Along a long stretch of an almost empty wall stood a single, dark wooden door; the swarm of floating creatures were all facing the single door, the scabbed hands and fluttering misty cloaks oddly still, while their ragged choking breaths seemed to be almost too loud. The ones closest, however, seemed to be hesitating, as if they wished nothing more than to get closer to the door but also no desire to go towards the being being held behind the dark paneled wood.
"The dementors; they're ours?" Voldemort asked, pausing briefly before the sheer number of them. It was strange... it was a rare occurrence to see the sheer number of them that were now packed together in one place; Azkaban notwithstanding.
His curiosity peaked and he could barely keep his mounting desire hidden behind a mask of authoritative calm. He had a reputation to keep after all, but the being that held all the answers and the powers he desired was just behind the door, a mere few meters away.
"Ye- Yes My Lord." Lucius stuttered, trying not to show how he shivered. "The Ministry still believes they control the few dementors they have here, but they all are loyal to you. When the creature awoke, the only- only thing that stopped it from trying to escape was the dementors' presence outside of it's- it's holding cell. However- there weren't this many here before..." Lucius trailed off and wrapped his cloak protectively around himself, while McNair grunted in affirmation, both men eyeing the dark creatures apprehensively.
He considered the implications of the new information for but a moment before sweeping his arm out, dismissing the former Azkaban guards. To his surprise, they did not leave immediately as instructed, but stayed put a moment before finally backing away from the door, and fading into the shadows.
Harry strode forward, purpose in his stride, his wand slashing at the door as he reached it, blowing the door inwards with a concussive force that echoed eerily down the nearly empty corridors, reverberating around the small space within.
He stepped into the empty entranceway, waving his wand absently and setting the torches on the wall alight. He turned then to the only occupant of the holding cell, chained to the floor at the very end of the room. He paid no mind to his followers trailing in after him as he strode forward, eyes roving the restrained creature below him.
He took in the dark, heavy shackles and collar around the creatures wrists, ankles and neck, obviously enchanted to keep the creature from moving too much. Dark circles under it's eyes and bruises trailing up it's arms, ink black hair that just barely hid tapered ears. He was taken a bit by surprise by the large muzzle forcing the ghost's jaw closed.
"The muzzle?" His cold voice masked his rabid curiosity.
"It shattered the castle windows and shook the school grounds when it screamed while it was being captured, My Lord." McNair's gravelly voice answered. "The Ministry attempted to be proactive in preventing it using it's abilities. The chains are pure iron and enchanted to shock the thing if it moves too much."
The creature eye's were flying over all of them standing before it before it's eyes land solely on him; and piercing, ice blue eyes met his own and refused to look away. He would have killed anything else that dared to maintain eye contact with him, and was tempted to punish the creature for its insolence, but then its eyes crinkled at the edges and it's shoulders shook, causing a jolt of electricity to pass through the chains pinning it down and making it flinch, but it did not stop.
It took a moment for him to realize that the ghost wasn't shaking in fear or horror... it was laughing. His followers, lined up behind him, became deathly silent as they realized what the creature was doing as well, waiting for his reaction to this blatant disrespect and unconventional reaction to the Dark Lord and his followers.
"Lucius." He kept his voice quiet, emotionless, as the creature's shoulders continued to shake with mirth.
"Yes My Lord."
"Remove the muzzle."
"But-"
"Are you questioning me, Lucius?" His voice snapped around the stone walls of the cell, and the small space was frozen for only a moment before the half-breed swiveled it's head between him and Lucius in some form of detached curiosity.
"No, My Lord." Lucius bows jerkily and then stepped closer to the chained up figure, wand appearing in his hand before pointing directly at the metal encasing the creatures mouth. The ice blue eyes found the tip of the wand pointed at it's face and didn't waver, still not betraying even a hint of fear.
Lucius slashed his wand through the air with a look of disgust, there is a wrenching squeal of metal and the creature's head is snapped sideways as the muzzle is torn off and then thrown against the wall with a clang by the force of the spell.
"Ugh." The half-breed groans and opens it's mouth wide to pop it's jaw, baring sharp teeth and gash on it's cheek from the rough removal of the muzzle. "Thanks for that, I've had so many things to say and eye-rolls and wiggling eyebrows can only convey so much."
It's accent was faint, but still clearly foreign, and clearly dim witted as it was chuckling to itself now, paying them no more mind than if they were a minor nuisance. His anger at the creature's insolence rose quickly but was stifled with amazement as he watched the gash on it's cheek knit itself back together leaving nothing but thin tracks of blood as evidence it was even injured in the first place.
It still had access to it's passive abilities then, and to heal so quickly without the use of magic...
"Half-breed. I am-"
"So you guys must be these 'Death Eaters' I've heard so much about." The interruption seemed to suck the air from rest of the room, his followers going deathly still at the gall of this creature as it both ignored him and spoke over him. "Man, are you guys giving me, like, the cliché creepy cult vibes. The black robes are a classic and creepy masks are a nice touch." Here the creature pauses and finally turns it's eyes back to him. It looks him up and down, as if sizing him up, and then to his and his followers utter shock, begins to laugh once more, and without the muzzle it was loud and echoing.
"Oh man, you're Lord Voldemort, right?" There were gasps of shock and horror at his name being so casually uttered by this chained and lowly creature, but it still continued without noticing the peril it was now in. "What a weird name, but I heard you made it up yourself, so that tracks." The ghost then began to laugh, "Oh my gosh, you know I didn't really believe Harry when he told me what you looked like, but you really don't have a nose!" And with that it dissolved into even more laughter.
It was a moment before he could even begin to comprehend the situation. This creature, this muggle, dared to make light of his appearance and laugh in his presence?
"You would dare-"
"Hey, you're the one who took off the gag, now you get to live with the consequences."
In his anger he almost didn't notice that despite the half-breed's cheery tone and laughter, the amusement never reached the creatures cold, cold eyes. They were calculating and sharp, roving his followers and the door left open behind them, no doubt having noticed the absence of the dementor's chill.
The ghost nodded once and then broke out into a sharp toothed grin, completely ignoring the shock pervading the room at it's audacity to not only interrupt him but speak condescendingly to him as well.
"So Riddle me this Voldy, how many tries did it take you to get 'I am Lord Voldemort' from a name like Tom M-"
His wand was drawn and pointed at the half-breed in the space of a heartbeat.
"Crucio!"
The Unforgivable curse did not have the intended effect of unimaginable pain and ear splitting screams, but instead caused the creature to grunt in discomfort and then shake it's head in bewilderment.
"Oof. Was that meant to be like the magical equivalent of a punch to the gut? Sorry dude, didn't even hurt, you might want to work on your technique."
This wasn't what he'd been expecting. This wasn't what he'd wanted. He'd wanted to see the power of a creature both alive and dead at once. That had attained power over death, beaten it in a way that no one had ever achieved, had ever even thought was possible before; even if it was muggle filth. But what was chained to the ground before him was nothing but a magicless oaf with no regard for the fact that it was inferior in every way to himself. And it would- not- be- quiet
"Of course, you probably aren't here out of the goodness of your shriveled up, evil little heart. So what do you- OH MY GOSH A SNAKE!"
Nagini had slid across the stone floor towards the half-breed, and now that it had noticed her, it's eyes tracked her movement with eyebrows furrowed in concentration and... something more. Then realization flared in the creatures expression and with a gasp it's eyes flashed the color he wielded like a fine instrument and yet feared more than anything else.
Now, finally, he was getting what he wanted.
"You..." He hissed, striding forward, "are mine."
A mix of emotions passed over the half-breed's face before settling onto-
"Ew. No way." Disgust. "Why is it that every weird old guy I meet wants to claim me as theirs? It's so gross. What is it that makes you think you can do that? Is it because of my magnetic personality? No, no, wait, is it the black hair and hero complex? Is that why you've been chasing Harry Potter around like a creeper and utterly failing to get him to do what you want, too?"
One of his masked death eaters near the door had the audacity to try and muffle a snort of laughter, and his body hit the ground before the green flash and sound of rushing death had stopped echoing around the small stone cell. Finally, there was utter silence born of fear; he could feel the shock and horror of the chained creature as he lowered his wand and reveled in the fact that he'd taught the ghost exactly what it was dealing with.
He turned back to the half-breed, ready to finally continue with his plans, but found that it was completely still and staring at the body of his incompetent follower.
"Now, you will be silent, half-breed. You will do as I say, or we shall find out what, exactly, will kill you completely." He paused as the creature slowly raised it's head, and met his eyes.
In that moment, he could almost hear the screams of those he'd killed when he'd made his bid for immortality. As green swirled ominously into the chilling blue of it's eyes, the creature spoke and the small room seemed to shake with it's sudden anger.
"Trust me Mr. Dark Lord... death is far from the worst thing to happen to me." It growled lowly in it's chest and bared it's sharp fangs as it struggled forward, against the chains pinning it to the ground. The metal creaked and groaned and his cowardly Death Eaters shifted back in fear at the display, but Harry stood rooted to the spot. Finally, he watched with a grim satisfaction as the creature got shocked by the enchanted metal for it's trouble, laid low by the indirect magic.
After a moment, he turned to his pathetic followers.
"Is Bella in position?" After an affirmative nod from Lucius, he turned to McNair. "Bring it to the Hall of Prophesy. I shall not be denied my destiny any longer."
He turned briskly, stepping over the body of what was once his follower, allowing Nagini to climb onto his shoulders once more, making his way assuredly towards the Department of Mysteries.
.
Harry gasped as he came back to himself, and was immediately disoriented by deafening shouts and cries of anger. Raging and screaming, all making the pounding behind his scar ten times worse. He felt awful and out of place, as if his very skin wasn't his anymore. And that voice. A voice that came with graveyards and fiery cauldrons and the death of friends. The voice that had come out of his own mouth.
He shook his head furiously to stay present, to try to come back to himself, but it only led to making the pain in his head worse.
"Harry?"
A careful voice. Familiar and quiet amongst the deafening chaos around him making his head spin. He tightened his hands and found that he was holding onto something, and it was helping him ground himself back into his own body, his own thoughts.
"Harry, are you back? Are you alright?" He knew that voice too. Gentle hands on his arm and shoulder, helping him ground himself further.
He groaned, as he finally dared to open his eyes against the pain. But then the situation hit him, and the dreaded panic settled around his chest.
He gasped and tightened his hands, which he found to be desperately grasping Ron and Hermione's hands. He looked up then, finding the students of Hogwarts on their feet and shouting with all their might at Umbridge and the Ministry aurors at the head of the Great Hall. It seemed he hadn't missed much.
"Harry?" Ron asked again, both he and Hermione were crouched low, all of them completely ignored in the wake of the school's anger at the Ministry's injustices.
"Ron! Hermione! We have to go! Now! Right now!" He struggled to stand up, the pain behind his scar still burning, but now slowly subsiding. It seemed Voldemort had nothing else to force him to see. "Voldemort has Danny! They're taking him into the Department of Mysteries! We have to go right now!"
"What?! Harry, wait!" Ron said desperately, but still helping Harry steady himself.
"Harry, it's too dangerous! What about the plan?!" Hermione whispered panicked. "And the Department of Mysteries? Why would Voldemort take Danny there?!"
"And it's still morning! The Ministry will be packed! How will we make it without being spotted?!" Ron added.
"We'll just have to figure it out!" Harry ground out, finally getting a full grip of the situation. "Looks like we're going to work on a plan on the fly."
"Wha-" Ron was cut off as Umbridge seemed to finally have enough. Bangs like gunfire shocked the hall, and the students of Hogwarts were forced into silence under multiple silencing charms. It was then a very red-faced and flustered Umbridge took to opening her big stupid mouth once again.
"What utter insanity! You will all be severely punished for your insolence! And a new decree shall be drawn up that will ban ghosts and entities of death from these hallowed school grounds!" She shouted out, despite facing the dark and angry glares from students, teachers and ghosts alike.
"Now, you will listen to ME! That freak was nothing more than a magically animated corpse that somehow gained sentience! The Ministry will not rest until it is found out how to destroy it and prevent such a horrible thing from being created again! How dare you try to defend something that has done nothing but defile-"
"Danny did more for this school than you ever could!"
All eyes found him as he strode into the center of the hall, the students around him parting to let him through. His head still pounded, but it was clear and he was done.
"Potter! How dare you-"
"No. How dare you! Danny did nothing to deserve the way you treated him! You are the problem, not Danny!" His voice was raised in anger, reverberated around the silent Hall, Umbridge too stunned to interrupt him. "What lesson did you want me to learn again? What did you have me carve into my own skin until it scarred? Oh, that's right! I must not tell lies."
He could sense movement around him, Ron and Hermione at his sides, and more students coming to stand behind him, familiar crimson and emerald and sapphire and gold all mixing together in his periphery.
"How many lies have you told to get your way? To keep your power and position that you didn't earn and don't deserve? What lesson do you think that teaches us?"
The temperature was dropping as the Hogwarts ghosts descended closer to the gathered students, forms tinged green and expressions furious.
Umbridge sputtered in indignation and strode forward on stunted legs, pointing her wand menacingly at his chest.
"You will hold your tongue! How dare you speak to me that way! That dead, muggle freak didn't teach you brats anything worthwhile while it was here! And I'll be sure to tell it's handlers at Ministry to dispose of it quickly so it can't infect anyone else's minds with this nonsense!"
The hall stilled and slowed. Everyone seemed to have taken a breath and held it. Harry thought that time itself had stopped for just a brief moment, allowing his head to fully clear, leaving nothing but cool rage to rush forward.
When the silence stretched, Umbridge smirked, thinking she'd won.
Harry stepped forward, forcing the witch's wand into his chest.
"Didn't teach us anything?" He asked quietly, a whisper that carried throughout the silent Hall.
In an instant that lasted a lifetime, Harry grabbed Umbridge's wrist, twisted it until she dropped her wand and then his other fist struck.
He punched her. Hard.
Hard enough to send her sprawling to the ground with blood gushing from a broken nose. He stepped forward and snapped the fallen wand in half under his heel. There were gasps of shock and surprise from the surrounding audience, but he knew the entirety of the DA stood behind him, and they were ready for what came next.
"We are Danny's Army. Let us show you what we've learned."