"Boo." Said a voice from behind her. Bree turned and found herself facing someone that looked like her but with claws, slit pupils, pointed canines, cat ears, and a tail.
"You're… me?"
"No, I'm Not-You." The Not-Bree replied.
"Right. We're in my head, aren't we?" Bree asked.
"Our head." Not-Bree replied.
"Right… So I take it you're the one who dealt with Micheals?"
"Yep, that's me." Not-Bree replied, grinning just a bit too wide.
"So... Why am I here?" Bree inquired.
"You've been neglecting your animagus training." Not-Bree said with a pout.
"I've been busy." Bree stated. "And I've never heard of anyone's subconscious reaching out to them because they haven't been learning to become an animagus."
"Well no one else has had a Cheshire Cat for an animagus." Not-Bree replied.
"So you just wanted to tell me to work on my animagus transformation." Bree stated.
"Nope." Not-Bree said cheerily. "Today we're going to work on improving your grin!"
When Bree woke up awhile later she reflected that it probably wasn't that healthy to be contacted by your own mind for a lesson in animagus transformation. She laughed it off, then grinned, pointed canines glinting in the firelight. So what if she was crazy? Her animagus form was madness incarnate.
She pulled off the fishnet glove on her right hand and examined the back of it. The words "I must not tell lies" stood out against her skin. The scars would never fade for as long as she lived. Umbridge would pay for that. With interest.
On Monday everyone in Gryffindor was surprised to find that a large sign had been affixed to the Gryffindor noticeboard; so large it covered everything else on it. The new sign was printed in large black letters and there was a highly official-looking seal at the bottom beside a neat and curly signature.
BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS
All student organizations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded.
An organization, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.
Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge).
No student organization, society, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor.
Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organization, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four.
Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor
She couldn't have known about the meeting, could she?
Harry was reading the notice through again.
"This isn't a coincidence," he said, his hands forming fists. "She knows."
"She can't," said Ron at once.
"There were people listening in that pub. And let's face it, we don't know how many of the people who turned up we can trust… any of them could have run off and told Umbridge…"
"Zacharias Smith!" said Ron at once, punching a fist into his hand. "Or - I thought that Michael Corner had a really shifty look, too -"
"I wonder if Hermione's seen this yet?" Harry said, looking round at the door to the girls' dormitories.
"Let's go and tell her," said Ron. He bounded forwards, pulled open the door and set off up the spiral staircase.
He was on the sixth stair when there was a loud, wailing, klaxon-like sound and the steps melted together to make a long, smooth stone slid. There was a brief moment when Ron tried to keep running, arms working madly like windmills, then he toppled over backwards and shot down the newly created slide, coming to rest on his back at Harry's feet.
"Er - I don't think we're allowed in the girls' dormitories," said Harry, pulling Ron to his feet and trying not to laugh.
Two fourth-year girls came zooming gleefully down the stone slide.
"Oooh, who tried to get upstairs?" they giggled happily, leaping to their feet and ogling Harry and Ron.
"Me," said Ron, who was still rather disheveled. " I didn't realize that would happen. It's not fair!" he added to Harry, as the girls headed off for the portrait hole, still giggling madly. "Hermione's allowed in our dormitory, how come we're not allowed -?"
"Well, it's an old-fashioned rule," said Hermione, who had just slid neatly on to a rug in front of them and was now getting to her feet, "but it says in Hogwarts A History, that the founders thought boys were less trustworthy than girls. Anyway, why were you trying to get in there?"
"To see you - look at this!" said Ron, dragging her over to the noticeboard.
Hermione's eyes slid rapidly down the notice. Her expression became stony.
"Someone must have blabbed to her!" Ron said angrily.
"They can't have done," said Hermione in a low voice.
"You're so naive," said Ron,
"No, they can't have done, because I put a jinx on that piece of parchment we all signed," said Hermione grimly. "Believe me, if anyone's run off and told Umbridge, we'll know exactly who they are and they will really regret it."
"You did what?" Bree hissed at her.
"Well I had to be sure that-" Hermione began. Bree cut her off.
"What happens to someone who tells?" she asked.
"Well, put it this way" said Hermione, "it'll make Eloise Midgeon's acne look like a couple of cute freckles."
Bree frowned and walked away.
It was immediately apparent on entering the Great Hall that Umbridge's sign had not only appeared in Gryffindor Tower. There was a peculiar intensity about the chatter and an extra measure of movement in the Hall as people scurried up and down their tables conferring on what they had read. Harry, Ron and Hermione had barely taken their seats when Neville, Dean, Fred, George and Ginny descended upon them.
"Did you see it?"
"D'you reckon she knows?"
"What are we going to do?"
They were all looking at Harry. He glanced around to make sure there were no teachers near them.
"We're going to do it anyway of course," he said quietly.
Bree smirked.
"Knew you'd say that"' said George, beaming and thumping Harry on the arm.
"The prefects as well?" said Fred, looking quizzically at Ron and Hermione.
"Of course," said Hermione coolly.
"Here come Ernie and Hannah Abbott," said Ron, looking over his shoulder. "And those Ravenclaw blokes and Smith… and no one looks very spotty."
Hermione looked alarmed.
"Nevermind spots, the idiots can't come over here now, it'll look really suspicious - sit down!" she mouthed to Ernie and Hannah, gesturing frantically to them to rejoin the Hufflepuff table.
"Later! We'll - talk - to - you - later!"
"I'll tell Michael," said Ginny impatiently, swinging herself off her bench, "the fool, honestly…"
She hurried off towards the Ravenclaw table; Harry watched her go. Cho was sitting not far away, talking to the curly-haired friend she had brought along to the Hog's Head. Would Umbridge's notice scare her off meeting them again?
But the full repercussions of the sign were not felt until they were leaving the Great Hall for History of Magic.
"Harry! Ron!"
It was Angelina and she was hurrying towards them looking perfectly desperate.
"It's okay," said Harry quietly, when she was near enough to hear him. "We're still going to -"
"You realize she's including Quidditch in this?" Angelina said over him. "We have to go and ask permission to re-form the Gryffindor team!"
"What?" said Harry.
"No way," said Ron, appalled.
"You read the sign, it mentions teams too! So listen, Harry… I am saying this for the last time… please, please don't lose your temper with Umbridge again or she might not let us play anymore!"
"Okay, okay," said Harry, for Angelina looked as though she was on the verge of tears. "Don't worry, I'll behave myself…"
"Bet Umbridge is in History of Magic," said Ron grimly, as they set off for Binns's lesson. "She hasn't inspected Binns yet… bet you anything she's there…"
But he was wrong; the only teacher present when they entered was Professor Binns, floating an inch or so above his chair as usual and preparing to continue his monotonous drone on giant wars. Bree doodled in her notes until the sound of something at the window caught her attention. It was Aries perched on the narrow window ledge. Many of Bree's classmates were pointing out Aries to each other.
"That owl has always frightened me." Lavender muttered to Parvati.
Bree got up and opened the window. She noticed that Aries was splattered in blood, especially around his beak and claws. Some of his feathers were bent at odd angles and he was holding his wing funny but he looked oddly triumphant. Bree picked him up and left the classroom. Binns didn't notice a thing.
Bree walked quickly to the staff room. Two stone gargoyles flanked the staff-room door. As Bree approached, one of them croaked, "You should be in class."
"This is important." Bree hissed.
"Ooooh, importantt, is it?" said the other gargoyle in a high-pitched voice. "Well, that's put us in our place, hasn't it?"
Bree knocked. She heard footsteps, then the door opened and she found herself face to face with Professor McGonagall.
"You haven't been given another detention!" she said at once, her square spectacles flashing alarmingly.
"No." Bree answered flatly. Why did people always think that she had done something?
"Well then, why are you out of class?"
"It's important, apparently," said the second gargoyle snidely.
"I'm looking for Professor Grubbly-Plank," Bree explained. "My owl is injured."
"Injured owl, did you say?"
Professor Grubbly-Plank appeared at Professor McGonagall's shoulder, smoking a pipe and holding a copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Yes," Bree answered, lifting the arm that Aries, "his wing's is all funny and he's covered in blood."
Professor Grubbly-Plank stuck her pipe firmly between her teeth and took Aries from Bree while Professor McGonagall watched.
"Hmm," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, her pipe waggling slightly as she talked. "Looks like something's attacked her. Can't think what would have done it, though. Thestrals will sometimes go for birds, of course, but Hagrid's got the Hogwarts Thestrals well-trained not to touch owls."
Professor McGonagall looked sharply at Bree and said, "Do you know how far this owl's traveled, Smith?"
"From London." Bree replied. Uncle Vince would had put the letter to Alice in with the regular post which would then to transferred to the American Magi Post because it was such a long distance.
Professor Grubbly-Plank pulled a monocle out of the inside of her robes and screwed it into her eye, to examine Aries' wing closely. "I should be able to sort this out if you leave him with me, Smith," she said, "he shouldn't be flying long distances for a few days, in any case."
"Right. Um,can I have to letter first?" Bree asked.
It actually turned out to be two letters. Grubbly-Plank handed them over and then disappeared into the staff room carrying Aries. Bree turned to leave but Professor McGonagall called out.
"Smith!"
Yes, Professor?"
She glanced up and down the corridor; there were students coming from both directions.
"Bear in mind," she said quickly and quietly, her eyes on the letters in Bree's hand, "that channels of communication in and out of Hogwarts may be being watched, won't you?"
Bree nodded before allowing herself to be swept out into the courtyard with the crowd. She found a secluded corner and opened to letters. The first was from Uncle Vince. It contained two words:
Sending Ben.
The other letter was from Alice.
C4G going well. I'll send over some of the profit next week.
Potions started off with Neville attacking Draco. The ferret-boy had said something that set Neville off but Bree was more concerned with the fact that Umbridge was sitting in a corner of the potions classroom holding a clipboard. Her hands and face were covered in bandages. When Umbridge glanced at her Bree grinned with sharpened canines then quickly set then back to human sharpness as the toad woman did a double take.
Professor Umbridge spent the first half hour of the lesson making notes in her corner.
Eventually Umbridge got to her feet. "Ha," he said softly, as she strode between two lines of desks towards Snape, who was bending over Dean Thomas's cauldron.
"Well, the class seem fairly advanced for their level," she said briskly to Snape's back.
"Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus."
Snape straightened up slowly and turned to look at her.
"Now… how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" she asked, her quill poised over her clipboard.
"Fourteen years," Snape replied. His expression was unfathomable.
"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Professor Umbridge asked Snape.
"Yes," said Snape quietly.
"But you were unsuccessful?"
Snape's lip curled.
"Obviously"
Professor Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard.
"And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"
"Yes," said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. He looked very angry.
"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" asked Umbridge.
"I suggest you ask him," said Snape jerkily.
"Oh, I shall," said Professor Umbridge, with a sweet smile.
"I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked, his black eyes narrowed.
"Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge, "yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers - er - backgrounds."
She turned away, walked over to Pansy Parkinson and began questioning her about the lessons.
Snape looked round at Harry and their eyes met for a second. Harry hastily dropped his gaze to his potion, which was now congealing foully and giving off a strong smell of burned rubber.
"No marks again, then, Potter" said Snape maliciously, emptying Harry's cauldron with a wave of his wand.
After assigning Harry an essay, he walked over to Bree's potion, which was now bright magenta and giving off hot pink smoke. Snape stared at it for a moment.
"None of the ingredients on this table could have produced this kind of reaction." He said after a long moment.
"Yeah, it was my blood that did that." Bree stated. Snape look up and stared at her. There was a trail of blood running down her upper lip.
"I was thinking about drawing some runes on my arms when some of the blood dripped into the potion and turned it and interesting color, so I added more." She explained. What she didn't say was that she had added more after activating her partial animagus transformation that gave her sharper teeth and a set of claws to see if that would change the nature of her blood and then in turn change the potion even further. Bree was rather curious about the magical properties of Cheshire cat blood.
Snape squeezed his eyes shut, covered his face with his hand and said "Go to the hospital wing, Smith."
He vanished the potion after Bree left. It wasn't until much later that he realized that human blood shouldn't have reacted that way. He pulled out a bottle of fire-whiskey and began drinking away that bit of information. Whatever bree was he didn't want to know, especially if there were more of them
91. If I get a nosebleed in class I am to go to the hospital wing, not use the blood to draw runes on my arms, or use it as a potion ingredient.
Bree missed part of divination because the bleeding just wouldn't stop. When she popped her head out of the trapdoor she saw Trelawney ranting about the establishment and so she silently went back down the ladder.
Bree went to the room that the castle had showed her and, since the next class was defense, stayed there until dinner.
When she finally went down to the Great Hall Ben was sitting at the head table.
