Harry spent the next week thinking over what his dad told him. The day after, he called Remus to get his side of the story. He wasn't happy that his dad really was that mean to Snape when they were at school, but apparently he grew up their seventh year so that Lily would go out with him.

"What did she even see in him?" Harry asked.

"She saw the James underneath the arrogant toe-rag. Lily hated James throughout our years at Hogwarts, but he changed his seventh year. He got over himself and started focusing more on the future. They were married a short time later." Remus said.

"Do you think he was a good man? Even with what he did to Snape?"

"I admit, what we did to Severus was cruel, but your father would never harm him. He was the one who saved him when Sirius told him to follow the tunnel underneath the Whomping Willow. Severus thought James was in on it, but he found out through Sirius and ran to save him. I think that is why Severus hates us so much, because if James hadn't saved him, he would have been killed…or worse."

"Sirius did that?" Harry gasped.

"He did, I don't think he ever told us why. James wouldn't talk to him for a month. It was James and I on one end with Sirius and Peter on the other. Sirius still holds a grudge against Severus, but I think James got passed it. Severus and Lily were friends before that moment. Since he married Lily, he probably would have attempted to make amends once the war was over."

Harry was silent as he let everything sink in. "Thanks Remus"

"Of course Harry, anytime."

/

Their next Quidditch game went better than the last. Ron was getting better at keeping. Instead of every quaffle getting through, only half did. The Slytherin's song 'Weasley is our King' was quiet and half-hearted that game.

Everyone praised Ron's improvement, even Fred and George offered Ron a congratulations after the game.

Ron's mood was bright the rest of the week. Until, of course, Hagrid asked to meet the trio after dinner one night.

"If it's another gigantic spider, I'm never speaking to Hagrid again." Ron grumbled.

Harry shivered as he remembered Aragog, Hagrid's friend that they had met in their second year. He agreed with Ron, he would rather not repeat that experience.

When they arrived at Hagrid's cabin, he was waiting for them. The half-giant looked anxious, occasionally wiping his hands on his pants.

"Good, yer here. Follow me" Hagrid said quickly and started walking into the Forbidden Forest.

Ron whimpered as the trio slowly followed him.

"C'mon now, be quick before we're spotted" Hagrid urged.

The trio ran to catch up with him. Hermione's eye caught the glint of Hagrid's crossbow on his arm. "Hagrid, why are you armed?"

"Precaution" Hagrid shrugged.

The trio shared a nervous glance but continued to follow Hagrid deeper into the forest.

"What are we doing here Hagrid?" Harry asked.

Hagrid sighed, "Umbridge's been lookin fer reasons ta sack me. You know tha'. It's on'y a matter o' time. I'm jus preparing if I have to leave. If I do, I need you three ta look after him while I'm gone."

"Who?" Ron asked, voice shaking slightly.

Hagrid looked back at them and smiled. "Him" He motioned towards the crowd of trees in front of them.

There, sitting amongst the tree's gnarled roots was a small giant.

"Hagrid" Hermione hissed, "Tell me that's not what I think it is. I thought no one came back with you."

"Well, he didn want ta. But I had ta bring 'im"

"Why?" Ron asked.

"He's my brother, well. Half brother."

The trio looked at each other again. "What do you need us to do Hagrid?" Harry asked.

Hagrid smiled and began telling them about Grawp and his trip to see the giants.

/

O.W.L.s came quickly, too quickly for most. The Gryffindor common room was almost always quiet; fifth years studying on every surface. Hermione was stressing, even though everyone knew she would do well in every exam.

Harry did fairly well in both his written and practical exams, excelling in Defense. He was mostly worried about Potions, which was the next week. Unfortunately for him, he would need a good score in Potions if he ever wanted to become an Auror.

When the time came to take his potions exam, he was thankful that Snape wasn't there breathing down their necks. Harry felt he did a well enough job to pass his exam. Maybe not an 'Outstanding' but hopefully at least an 'Exceeds Expectations'.

/

After their last exam, Harry, Hermione, and Ron walked into the common room to find a large group of people whispering.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Did you not hear?" Lavender asked. Her eyes were red and there were tear stains down her cheeks.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Hagrid was attacked last night" Parvati said.

"What!?" The trio exclaimed.

"Shh!" The group hissed.

They quickly sat down with the group, "What happened?"

"A few people saw Umbridge walking around last night so they went to see what she was doing." Dean said. "They followed her to Hagrid's. Turns out, she had a bunch of aurors attack him in his own cabin."

"Is he alright?" Harry asked quickly.

Seamus nodded, "Everythin bounced off a 'im. Don't know why"

"It's because he's half giant." Hermione said. "Giants are like trolls, hard skin. It's hard to stun them."

"Thank Merlin for that" Ron sighed. "So what happened next? I'm assuming nothing too bad since nobody is talking about it."

Lavender nodded, "Someone came to save him. A woman came out with Professor McGonagall and fought them off."

"A woman?" Ron asked.

Ernie Macmillan nodded, "No one seems to know who she is."

"So what happened to Hagrid? Is he sacked now?" Ron asked.

Parvati shook her head, "McGonagall protected him. Professor Grubbly Plank also refused the position so there would be no Care of Magical Creatures class."

"Hagrid takes care of the grounds too" Hermione said. "That's not exactly something just anyone can take over."

Dean nodded, "And I heard the Centaurs would rebel if Hagrid was taken from Hogwarts"

"The Centaurs?" Harry asked.

Dean nodded, "Firenze told Seamus and I after our Divination exam. His herd is apparently quite fond of Hagrid, as are a lot of other creatures in the forest. Makes sense really."

"Well, at least Hagrid's safe." Hermione said. "We should go visit him"

Harry and Ron nodded.

/

After dinner, the trio went down to Hagrid's hut. Fang's barking could be heard behind the door. Hagrid opened the door and smiled, "Hello you three"

"Hello Hagrid" they smiled.

"We are so relieved you are alright" Hermione said. "We heard you were attacked."

Hagrid nodded gravely, "That woman decided ta give me tha boot in the middle o' the night. Guess she didn't wan' another spectacle like Trelawny."

"That's terrible" Hermione hissed. "It's bad enough that devil woman has driven Dumbledore away, now she's getting rid of all the staff."

"I'm fine now. And I still have my job." Hagrid said.

"But if it wasn't for that woman and Professor McGonagall, you would be arrested. Or driven off!"

"Who was the woman Hagrid?" Hermione asked.

"It was Aileen" Hagrid said.

Harry startled. He hadn't seen his older sister since last year. He hadn't even had contact with her since the dementor attack.

"She didn't stay long, jus' long enough ta bring the centaurs ta my cabin. I didn't even get ta thank her."

"Well, I'm glad she came to help. I wonder why she didn't stay though. Have you seen her at all this year Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head.

"Well, we will have to thank her when we next see her" Hermione nodded.

Harry rolled his eyes.

Ron gave him a weird look, but turned back to Hagrid to ask more about Grawp.

/

At the end of O.W.L.s the fifth years celebrated. The pranks against Umbridge had become more creative, more daring. Umbridge attempted to find the pranksters, but had no success. No one was afraid of her anymore, now that word had gotten out that her detentions were just writing lines. Lee Jordan found that was the perfect way to sneak things into her office for her to shriek at later.

Overall, the week wasn't as bad as Harry had feared. He thought he did well on most of his exams, much to his dad's delight, and his sleep had been unhindered by dreams.

He spoke too soon.

"Sirius!" Harry shouted as he sat up in his bed. His chest heaved as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Harry?" Ron asked groggily.

He turned to see Ron slowly sitting up in his bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"It's Sirius, Voldemort has him!" Harry hissed so that he wouldn't wake anyone else up.

"What?!" Ron jumped up. "Are you serious?"

"Of course, I just saw it!" Harry said. He quickly got out of bed and put on his dressing robe.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked.

"Going to get Hermione." Harry said.

"Harry, Hermione is in bed, where you should be." Ron said.

"What part of Voldemort has Sirius do you not understand. He's being tortured right now!" Harry exclaimed.

"I know, but Sirius can handle himself for a little while longer can't he? You-Know-Who won't want him for anything right now. Look, it's almost morning." Ron said. "We can just wait until Hermione comes down for breakfast and then you can tell us everything."

Harry didn't like it. He wanted to find Sirius now. But, Ron did have a point. Boys weren't allowed in the girl's dormitory. How would they even get to Hermione? It would be better to wait until morning.

"First thing in the morning." Harry said.

Ron nodded, "Of course mate"

Harry nodded and got back in his bed. Flashes of Sirius's pained faces raced through his mind until morning finally came.

/

The next morning, Harry pulled Ron and Hermione into an abandoned classroom to tell them what happened in his dream.

"But where? How?" Hermione asked. Her face was pale and her eyes wide.

"I don't know how," Harry replied. "But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls, and they're at the end of row ninety-seven…He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from in there…He's torturing him. He's going to kill him after it's done."

"And you know this for sure?" Hermione asked.

"I saw it Hermione" Harry replied.

"I know Harry, but what if it's just a dream? You've had them before." She said.

"Every dream I have had so far has come true!" Harry exclaimed. "The old man from last year, Voldemort killed him. The attack on Mr. Weasley during Christmas, that happened as well."

"He has a point there" Ron shrugged.

"How would You-Know-Who even get into the Ministry?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know! I just know that he's there with Sirius!"

"Even if that were true, how are we supposed to get there? It's not exactly a short walk away"

"I'll figure something out, I just need to think of something."

"Before we rush off to the Ministry, can we just call Sirius?" Hermione suggested desperately. "If we can't contact him, then we can think of doing something."

"Sirius is being tortured right now and you want me to wait until I have proof?" Harry exclaimed. "I have proof Hermione. I saw it last night."

"That was just a dream Harry." She said.

"THEY'RE NOT JUST DREAMS!" Harry shouted. "They're real, that's why I've been taking Occlumency lessons."

"It wouldn't hurt just to check, would it?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"This is probably a trap Harry, we need to be prepared." Hermione said.

"Fine" Harry hissed, "I'll call him, but if he doesn't answer then I'm leaving."

"We'll be right behind you mate" Ron nodded.

/

Harry had called Sirius on his phone several times, but there was no answer. Sirius seemed to have it off, since he went straight to voicemail.

When he told Hermione and Ron, they agreed to help him sneak into Umbridge's office to use her fireplace.

They had Luna and Ginny stand guard as the three of them snuck into her office.

As Harry suspected, Sirius was not at home. Kreacher answered instead, saying he didn't know the whereabouts of his master.

Before he could get any more information, Umbridge burst into the office with her Inquisitorial Squad. Warrington grabbed Ron and held him to the floor and Millicent Bulstrode grabbed Hermione and restrained her off to the side. Malfoy grinned as he stood by Umbridge who calmly walked to sit behind her desk.

"And just what are you three doing in my office?" She asked sweetly.

"We were just looking for a place to hide these" Ron said as he took a few Wildfire Whiz-bangs out of his pocket.

Umbridge's eyes grew large and her smile sharpened. "Very good Mr. Weasley, but I'm afraid I do not believe you."

"Isn't this proof? Right here?" He waved the Whiz-bangs a little.

"If you were the ones who have been sneaking into my office, why would you not know how to get passed my alarm system, hmm?" She eyes hardened and her voice went up in pitch, "And, Mr. Potter had his head in my fire. That doesn't seem like a prank; no that seems more like you were trying to contact someone."

"You're mistaken" Harry said.

"Umbridge's jaw seemed to clench, but her smile stayed wide and sweet. "Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore?"

"It's none of your business who I talk to," he snarled.

Umbridge's face seemed to tighten even more. "Very well," she said in her most dangerous and falsely sweet voice. "I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco — fetch Professor Snape."

Malfoy grinned and quickly left the room.

No too long after, Malfoy returned with Snape. "You wanted to see me Headmistress?" The man asked.

"Ah, Professor Snape," Umbridge smiled widely and stood up. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."

"I'm afraid I just ran out. Auror Moody needed it for one of his interrogations." he said, observing her coolly through his greasy curtains of black hair.

"You can make some more, can't you?" she said, her voice becoming more sweetly girlish as it always did when she was furious.

"Certainly," said Snape, his lip curling. "It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."

"A month?" squawked Umbridge, swelling toadishly. "A month? But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"

"Really?" Snape said, eyes wide in what could only be fake surprise. "Well, Potter was never one to follow the rules." He sneered at Harry.

Harry tried to communicate with Snape, pushing his thoughts toward the man, but it didn't seem to work.

"You are being most unhelpful!" Umbridge shrieked.

"I can only do so much Headmistress." Snape replied evenly.

He turned to leave, but Harry, in one last desperate attempt, shouted, "He's got Padfoot!"

"Padfoot?" Umbridge asked gleefully. "Who is Padfoot?"

"I have no idea" Snape replied. He turned back to Harry, "Learn to use words people actually understand Potter. Not everyone understands gibberish." And with that, he left the office.

"Very well," she said, and she pulled out her wand. "You are forcing me, Potter…I do not want to, but sometimes circumstances justify the use…I am sure the Minister will understand that I had no choice. The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue."

"No!" Hermione shrieked. "Professor Umbridge — it's illegal"

But Umbridge took no notice. There was a nasty, eager, excited look on her face that Harry had never seen before. She raised her wand.

"The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!" Hermione cried.

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," Umbridge said. "He never knew I ordered dementors after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him."

"You did that!" Harry hissed. "Those dementors attacked my brother!"

"Collateral damage" She shrugged. "They were all bleating about silencing you somehow — discrediting you — but I was the one who actually did something about it…Only you wriggled out of that one, didn't you, Potter? You had your stupid muggle father fight for you. Not today, though, not now…" And taking a deep breath, she cried, "Cruc –"

"NO!" Hermione shouted in a cracked voice. "No, Harry – Harry, we'll have to tell her!"

"No way!" yelled Harry, staring at the little of Hermione, who was fighting against Millicent Bulstrode.

"We'll have to, Harry, she'll force it out of you anyway, what's – what's the point?" And Hermione began to cry weakly into the back of Millicent Bulstrode's robes. Millicent immediately dodged out of her way looking disgusted.

"Well, well, well!" said Umbridge, looking triumphant. "Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!"

"I'm – I'm sorry," Hermione said softly. "But – I can't stand it –"

"That's right, that's right, girl!" said Umbridge, seizing Hermione by the shoulders, thrusting her into the abandoned chintz chair and leaning over her. "Now then…with whom was Potter communicating just now?"

"Well," Hermione gulped into her hands, "he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore."

Ron, who had been trying to get Warrington off him, froze; Harry's eyes widened in surprise. Fortunately, the attention of Umbridge and her minions was focused too exclusively upon Hermione to notice these suspicious signs.

"Dumbledore?" Umbridge said eagerly. "You know where Dumbledore is, then?"

"Well…no!" Hermione sobbed. "We've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head – We've tried every place we could think of but we can't find him. And we need to tell him something important!"

"What was it you wanted to tell him? Speak girl!"

"What's ready?" Umbridge demanded.

"The – the weapon," Hermione said.

"Weapon?" Umbridge said, and her eyes seemed to pop with excitement. "You have been developing some method of resistance? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?"

Hermione nodded shakily, "But he had to leave before it was finished and n-n-now we've finished it for him, and we c-c-can't find him t-t-to tell him!"

"What kind of weapon is it?" Umbridge asked harshly, her stubby hands still tight on Hermione's shoulders.

"We don't r-r-really understand it," said Hermione, sniffing loudly. "We j-j-just did what P-P-Professor Dumbledore told us t-t-to do."

Umbridge straightened up, looking exultant. "Lead me to the weapon," she said.

"I'm not showing t-t-them," Hermione replied shrilly, looking around at the Slytherins through her fingers.

"It is not for you to set conditions," Umbridge said harshly.

"Fine," Hermione shrieked, sobbing into her hands again, "let them see it, I hope they use it on you! Th-that would serve you right"

These words seemed to give Umbridge pause. She glanced swiftly and suspiciously around at her Inquisitorial Squad, her bulging eyes resting for a moment on Malfoy, who was too slow to disguise the look of eagerness and greed that had appeared on his face.

Umbridge contemplated Hermione for another long moment and then spoke in what she clearly thought was a motherly voice. "All right, dear, let's make it just you and me . . . and we'll take Weasley too, shall we? Get up, now –"

"Professor," Malfoy said eagerly, "Professor Umbridge, I think some of the squad should come with you to look after –"

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" She asked sharply. "You will stay here and make sure this one," She gives Harry a cold stare, "doesn't escape."

"All right," Malfoy looked down, disappointed.

"And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way," Umbridge said, pointing her wand at Ron and Hermione. "Lead on"

Harry watched as Ron and Hermione left the office with Umbridge. He could only hope Hermione knew what she was doing.

Hope you enjoyed it!