Chapter 9
- Lies -
"What's going on?" Teddy asked. Students were running into the courtyard all at once.
"It's Professor Trelawney." He spun around, surprised to see Arkie walking beside him. It'd been the first time she'd talked to him in weeks. There was no time to talk though as they were both pushed along with the crowd. Teddy could just see over the heads of his class mates. A high pitched whimper escaped the Professor's lips as Filch carried the last of her luggage to her.
The doors opened and Professor Umbridge trotted out, dressed in her usual pink attire, except she had a pink checker coat on and a large red velvet bow in her hair.
"Sixteen years I've lived and taught here. Hogwarts is my home." Trelawney moaned. "Y-you can't do this."
There was no pity in Umbridge's eyes as she held up a scroll of parchment. "Actually, I can." Teddy was shoved to the side as Professor McGonagall made her way to soothe Professor Trelawney who was blowing her nose in her handkerchief. "Something you'd like to say?" Umbridge asked.
"Oh, there are several things I would like to say." Her voice was wavering too.
Bang!
The doors to the school opened again, threateningly, and Dumbledore came sauntering out. "Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sybil back inside?"
"Sybil, dear. This way." McGonagall said gently.
"Thank you." She whispered in a croaky voice over and over again, shaking the Headmaster's hand as she shuffled by. "Thank you, thank you."
Umbridge puffed out her chest. "Dumbledore, may I remind you that under the terms.. of Educational Decree Number-"
"You have the right to dismiss my teachers." He interrupted, surprising the Professor. It annoyed Teddy how used to power she had gotten. The wall outside the Great Hall was now covered in small framed Ministry decree's.
'No Music is to be played during study hours.'
'All Weasley products will be banned immediately.'
'Proper dress and decorum is to be maintained at all times.'
They were all petty things, but each one of them gave the new 'High Inquisitor' more and more control over the school and its staff and students. Dumbledore stared down the offended Umbridge with a stone gaze. "You do not, however, have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That power remains with the Headmaster."
"For now." There was a sourness behind the sweet tone in her voice.
Dumbledore turned around, walking back to the castle. "Don't you all have studying to do?" As if on cue, all the students rushed back into the school. Teddy looked to his side where Arkie had been, but she was gone. "Teddy!" Hermione and Ron were motioning to him.
Teddy made his way across the Courtyard, in which Umbridge was still standing. She watched him pass, her dark eyes lit up in loathing. His heart raced but he simply glared back, running towards his friends and walking out of her view. As usual they let him into the Gryffindor common room and Harry soon joined them. Soon they were by themselves.
"That foul, evil, old gargoyle." Hermione ranted, passing back and forth in front of the fire. "We're not learning how to defend ourselves. We're not learning how to pass our OWLs. She's taking over the entire school."
The radio beside them crackled and Fudge's voice blared out. "Security has been and will remain the Ministry's top priority. Furthermore, we have convincing evidence that these disappearances are the work of notorious mass murderer Sirius Black."
"Harry!" Teddy jumped, a face had appeared among the flames of the fire place.
"Sirius." They all gathered round the hearth. "What are you doing here?"
"Answering your letter. You said you were worried about Umbridge. What's she doing? Training you to kill half-breeds?"
Ron groaned. "Ha! We wish- sorry." He apologized to Teddy, who had shot him a killing glare.
"Sirius, she's not letting us use magic at all." Harry explained.
"Well, I'm not surprised." Sirius sighed. "The latest intelligence is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."
"Combat?"
Ron leaned forward in his armchair. "What does he think, we're forming some sort of wizard army?"
"That's exactly what he thinks. That Dumbledore is assembling his own forces to take on the Ministry. He's becoming more paranoid by the minute." Sirius looked left and right, as if checking nobody was around. "The others wouldn't want me telling you this... but things aren't going at all well with the Order."
Teddy turned pale.
"Fudge is blocking the truth at every turn... and these disappearances are just how it started before. Voldemort is on the move. We've been trying to get followers, Moody's acquired a few more Aurors, but it hasn't been easy. Remus was badly hurt after trying to convince-"
"Dad?" Teddy looked confused. "I thought my dad was simply on recon missions, he said so himself." Sirius struggled to respond. "Sirius... What aren't you telling me?"
Sirius looked hesitant. "I... don't think it's my place to say-"
"Sirius!" He pounded his fist on the mat. "What is he doing?" If Sirius wasn't made of flames Teddy would've grabbed him by the robes.
"Teddy, calm down." He whispered. "Your dad..."
"Is he there?"
"No, he isn't here... he's in the Dark Forest right now."
"The Dark Forest?" Teddy glanced at the window, but the rain was too heavy to see through. "Right now?He's near the school?"
"He's far away from the school, too far to visit you, even if he could..."
"What's he doing in the Dark Forest?"
Sirius paused again, the fire in which he was in crackled in the silence. "He's... He's currently negotiating, with Fenrir Greyback's pack."
Teddy blinked. "Pack? Like... like Werewolves? Other Werewolves?"
"He's trying to convince them not to join Vol- You-Know-Who's army."
By now Teddy's heart was pounding and a cold sweat had broken out on his forehead. "But... But that's... He didn't tell me... Is he okay?"
"Between you and me, Teddy. Your dad wouldn't want me to tell you this but... he hasn't been looking to good when he's returned to Headquarters."
"How long has he been doing this?"
"Since you and him arrived at Headquarters, it's why he brought you there to begin with."
"He lied to me?"
Suddenly, Sirius' head jerked and he looked around quickly. "Someone's coming! I'm sorry I can't be of more help. But for now, at least, it looks like you're on your own." And he was gone.
Thunder exploded outside and Hermione stood up, walking towards the window. "He really is out there, isn't he? We've got to be able to defend ourselves." She sighed. "And if Umbridge refuses to teach us how... we need someone who will." She turned around and they all looked at Harry.