Year Four, Part Seven
"It's very odd," Bellatrix said, wearing a small frown, "I would never have thought a memory to be capable of possessing people, or really of doing anything besides showing itself."
Ginny shrugged, listening with half an ear as she pulled on a pair of robes and glanced at herself in the mirror.
They'd woken up at least an hour previously, but for some reason, Bellatrix had wanted to hear about Ginny's experiences with the Dark Lord's diary.
Ginny didn't exactly mind talking about it; in fact, she quite enjoyed delving back into that time and remembering how incredible everything had been.
Still, this was at least the fifth time they'd discussed it, with Bellatrix asking more and more intricate questions each time, questions about how the memory of the Dark Lord had acted, what he'd said and done.
"It's just not how they work," Bella continued. "You can copy a memory and keep it safe somewhere, but it's really only useful if you're afraid of being Obliviated or for blackmail. It can't do anything, it's just a memory."
"Yeah," Ginny said, tugging at an errant knot in her hair. "But it's the Dark Lord. I'm sure he could make it do something different."
"But to give a memory sentience and independence, I would think it's impossible. It just...unless…"
Bellatrix trailed off, her voice slightly trembling on the last word.
Ginny turned, a question dying in her throat at the sight of Bella's face.
She was staring wide-eyed into space, her mouth working soundlessly, a look of exultant understanding brightening up her features.
"It must be," she said, her voice hushed and reverent. "And...The cup too. I-he trusted me with it. He trusted me!"
"What? Bella, what are you talking-"
Bellatrix shook her head, her eyes losing the mistiness that had snuck over them.
"If he wanted us to know," she said, still looking amazed and overjoyed. "He would have told us."
"But-"
"Knowledge can be dangerous, my pretty little toy. I would rather not see you die for knowing too much. Come. Let's go duel a bit."
Harry lay face down on the bed, anguished guilt twisting his innards around.
Only two days previously, he'd been sure that nothing he could ever experience would be as bad as Percy's funeral was. Arthur had looked like he wasn't quite sure what was going on, and Molly had been sobbing endlessly, while Ron and his brothers all stood around with grim, sombre expressions.
Fudge had been there as well, with a whole entourage including Umbridge, and the tension between them, the Hogwarts contingent, and the Weasleys had been thick and palpable.
It had been beyond terrible, and Harry knew that the sound of Molly's grieving sobs as Percy's coffin was lowered into the ground would stick with him forever.
But in some ways, Hermione's parents' funeral had been worse.
At least the Weasleys had each other.
Harry hadn't realised until her parents' funeral just how small Hermione's family was.
Her uncle had come, and so had a great-aunt and a few cousins, none of whom seemed particularly close to Hermione.
Oh, there'd been other people there as well; their whole year from Gryffindor and a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs as well, much of the Hogwarts staff and a few Order members too.
The Weasleys had all arrived a few minutes before it began, with Molly immediately beginning to bawl and seizing Hermione in a tight embrace.
Viktor Krum had been there as well. He'd mostly stood on the side, but Harry had distinctly heard him threaten to hex the reporter who tried to accost him when he made his way to Hermione.
The Muggles present had seemed very uncomfortable with the wizards and witches, staring at their strange dress as if their eyes would pop out.
The funeral hadn't exactly been quiet. Harry guessed there were at least a hundred people there.
But Hermione had seemed so alone.
He and Ron, Harry realized, were basically all Hermione had. She wasn't really close to anyone else at school, and it seemed like her relationship with her roommates was perfunctory at best.
All she really had was a friend who had gotten her parents killed and another who was himself grieving.
She hadn't said anything to him about the letter, so far. He knew that it must have been gnawing at her, but she'd pretended not to hate him, actually returning his hug when he'd gone up to her after her failed attempt at reading a poem.
That had been bad, the way she'd broken down after barely a few words.
The rest of the time, she'd been standing around looking lost and forlorn, but during that poem, her sorrow had come bursting to the surface.
Someone knocked on the door.
Sighing, Harry moved his face out of his pillow enough that he could call: "Come in."
Sirius entered the room gingerly, walking softly over to the bed and sitting by Harry's feet.
"How're you doing?" He asked.
Snorting, Harry sat up, pulling his knees to his chest.
"Pretty shit, to be honest. How should I be doing?"
"That's to be expected," Sirius answered with a shrug. "Seeing your friends hurting like that...it's always tough. But you can't blame yourself, Harry. You can't feel guilty about this."
Something twisted inside him, a pit of acidic pain opening in his belly.
"She said it was because of me. That's what she said. To punish Hermione for being my friend. I think she told the Weasleys something similar. How the absolute fuck should I not feel guilty? It's my fault, Sirius!"
"No it isn't," Sirius said, quiet determination filling his voice.
"Yes it-"
"It isn't. Voldemort makes his Death Eaters prove themselves before they're really allowed to join. They need to show that nothing comes before him. My family-they were safe, they were practically Death Eaters themselves. But Regulus tried to kill me twice, when we ended up at the same place in a fight."
"She specifically targeted Hermione's parents-"
"You didn't. She did. You can't be blamed for what she did."
Harry shook his head dumbly, trying to find words to explain it.
"Harry," Sirius said, reaching out and putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "You did nothing wrong. You had nothing but good intentions when you and Ron became friends with Hermione. You had no way of knowing that Ginny was anything other than what she seemed. You did nothing wrong."
"It's still because of me!"
Sirius looked at him for a long moment, dark eyes growing intense.
"Do you blame me for your parents' deaths?" He asked quietly.
Harry floundered, shaking his head wildly and stammering out a "no."
"So why do you blame yourself for what Ginny did?"
"Because-"
"It's almost exactly the same," Sirius interrupted, standing up and beginning to pace. "Except that what I did was more direct. Harry, I've spent fourteen years blaming myself for what someone else did. It's not worth it. Trust me on this."
"It's different."
"No it isn't," Sirius said, coming to a stop in front of Harry. "It's just easier to blame yourself, and it feels terrible to know that your friends are being targeted. You've done nothing to deserve it. And you need to stop thinking that you have. Otherwise...well, it doesn't lead anywhere good."
"Sirius-"
"Just think about it. And remember that your friends need you."
With that, Sirius left the room.
"What was that about Lupin?"
The hubbub of conversation fell away at her question, the small crowd before her opening to let her in and reveal the man at the centre of them all.
He was slightly taller than average, wearing ripped robes that were still tight on him.
He smiled when she walked up to him, revealing yellowish brown teeth that poked through his lips.
His fingernails, she noticed, looked almost claw-like, the nails long and disgustingly dirty.
'It's that werewolf,' she realized, 'Greyback.'
"You're a pretty one," he said, in a low, almost hoarse voice, "Who do you belong to?"
Mulciber's harsh laugh grated against her ears, while the other Death Eaters chuckled.
"I don't belong to anyone," she growled, pushing back her sleeve and exposing the Mark on her forearm. "Now, what were you saying about Lupin?"
He sneered down at her, seeming to grow taller.
"Listen here you little bitch-"
"I would suggest answering the question, wolf."
Ginny turned her head, a small smile pulling at her cheeks as Bellatrix walked over. Bellatrix seized her around the waist, lowered her head, and locked lips with Ginny.
When they separated, Bellatrix turned back to Greyback, her face growing hard.
"Answer the question. Now."
Greyback knuckled his forehead, looking down.
"Sorry, mistress. I didn't realize she's yours. I-"
"Answer the question."
"I-I might have a way of capturing Lupin," Greyback said quickly, "the Dark Lord, he-"
"How could you capture him?" Ginny interrupted.
Greyback's shoulders stiffened for a moment, a flash of rage flickering over the visible parts of his face.
'How dare he?! He should answer me as quickly as her!'
"He's been trying to convince some of the loners that they should join Dumbledore's group. He tried to get Everett Plink, but Ev's one of my pack. I told everyone to act natural around him, and Ev's arranged to meet with Lupin in the next few days. We'll be waiting, and we'll get him."
"I hope you do," Bellatrix said, "He hasn't been too satisfied with you lately, wolf. You haven't kept half the promises you've made to him."
"I'll keep this one. Lupin's as good as in your hands already."
"How do I make them respect me?"
Bellatrix laughed lightly, twining a strand of Ginny's hair around her fingers and pulling at it, tugging Ginny's head until it was resting on her knees.
"They need to learn to fear you," she said, staring down into Ginny's eyes. "Fear is the most honest form of respect. Make them fear you."
"And how do I even do that? Should I have cursed Greyback or something?"
The fingers in her hair tensed, giving another harsh tug and making her gasp.
"If you have to curse him, you've already lost."
"So then what-"
Bellatrix moved suddenly, pulling her legs from beneath Ginny and lithely twisting so that her knees were straddling Ginny's waist.
"You show them how strong you are," she purred. "You play with muggles and show them how much you enjoy it. You make sure that you're high enough in the Dark Lord's favour to kill any of them without consequence, and you make sure that they know it. You practice duelling with them, and make sure they see how you win every single time."
"But I can't beat them!"
"Not yet. But soon, soon you'll be better than all of them."
"When? I haven't even beaten you once yet! They all look at me like I'm a child!"
She clamped her mouth shut, silencing the rest of her whine before it could turn into a full-blown tantrum.
'Way to go,' she thought bitterly. 'Now she'll think I'm just a spoiled brat.'
Bellatrix, however, just smiled, beginning to stroke Ginny's cheek.
"Be patient. You're improving, and before you know it you'll be good enough. More importantly, before you know it we won't have to hide anymore. You'll be able to show them what you're capable of, and they'll see how you treat the enemy."
Bellatrix's head snapped down, the movement almost too fast to track. A searing pain spread out from Ginny's shoulder, the familiar sensation of Bellatrix's teeth on her skin kindling a lustful warmth in her groin.
Groaning, she arched her back, trying to push her hips up.
Bellatrix's hand flashed, whipping harshly across Ginny's face.
Before the pain of her slap had time to do more than register, Bellatrix had moved her head again, seizing Ginny's lips with her own.
"It won't happen overnight," she said, releasing Ginny from the kiss, her nails digging into the teeth marks she'd left on Ginny's shoulder and eliciting a moan. "It won't be immediate, or even quick for that matter. But they will come to fear you. And in the meantime, they know that you belong to me. They'll learn to fear you for you, and in the meantime they'll fear you for me."
Ginny writhed, Bellatrix's hand scratching its way down her torso, a tingling, deliciously burning sensation flowing from wherever her fingers touched.
"Tomorrow," Bellatrix whispered, "We'll start on your non-verbal casting."
Hermione dropped into the chair opposite him with a sigh, her hands shielding her face for a moment as they ran through her bushy hair.
When she pulled them away, her face was blank again, the tears that had hung in the corners of her eyes gone.
She looked beyond exhausted, large, dark hollows under red-rimmed eyes, fatigue written in every line on her face.
"I need you to stop avoiding me and Ron," she said suddenly, her lower lip wobbling dangerously. "I know that you feel guilty, but-"
"Hermione-"
"Shut up, Harry." She said, her voice trembling with, he realized with a jolt, barely compressed rage. "I don't blame you. I know you saw her letter, and I know you think I do, but I don't. I don't regret becoming friends with you. The Weasleys don't regret practically adopting you. None of us blame you."
"You-"
"I said shut up," she snarled, putting her palms on the table and pushing herself into a standing position. "It's not fair, Harry. We're your friends, and we've stood beside you no matter what was happening. It's not fair for you to just...abandon us when we need you."
"I'm not! I just-"
"You've barely answered our owls. I know that when I'm talking to you, you don't say more than a few sentences, and Ron says you're the same with him. Don't you think Ron wants his best friend? Don't you think I do? Just stop feeling so bad for yourself, and be there for us!"
"Hermione-"
"No," she said, "Listen to me. I don't blame you. Can you get that through your thick skull? We don't blame you. I blame Ginny, and V-Voldemort, and the rest of them, but I don't blame you. If you go on with this-this guilt fest, I'm going to hex you."
"Ginny said-"
"Ginny wrote exactly what she knew would hurt you," Hermione said with a sniff. "And one day, I'm going to kill her for what she did. But I need you, Harry. I lost my parents, Ron lost his brother. We don't want to lose our friend too."
Harry winced, his hand automatically rising and rubbing away the tears in his eyes.
"I know it's not my fault," he said hoarsely. "But-but that doesn't stop it from feeling like it is."
"Harry," Hermione said, dropping back into her chair. "I know it's hard. But it's harder for us. And we'd really appreciate it if you didn't forget that."
Harry winced again, feeling almost like he'd been punched.
"I'm sorry," he said. "Really, I am. I've been a terrible friend."
"Yes," she said with a nod. "You have. But it's alright. You just need to know not to repeat it in the future. You're not going to be avoiding us anymore, Harry. We won't let you."
"You know the theory of non-verbal casting," Bellatrix said, "and you've been doing Occlumency for long enough that you've certainly trained your mind. Now, we just need to put those pieces together and make it work. You haven't managed to cast any spell silently yet, have you?"
"No," Ginny said. "But I came close with Lumos."
"You just haven't had the right motivation," Bellatrix mused. "Do not attempt to block this. Silencio!"
Ginny felt the spell settling in on her and shifted her weight, the muddy ground soft between her boots.
"Good. Now, I'm going to start gently, with Disarmers and the like. After that, I'll move to Bludgeoning Hexes. Then Cutting Curses. Then I'll probably break one of your limbs. Then the Cruciatus as a punishment. After that, I'll heal you, and we'll start again. All you need is to cast one shield, or any other spell that would help in a fight. Just one, and we'll take a break. Otherwise, we'll keep going until you do. Understand?"
Nodding, Ginny gripped her wand tightly, her heart beginning to pound.
She emptied her mind, focusing on nothing but the Shield Charm she would soon cast.
"On three. One, two, three. Expelliarmus!"
Ginny shivered, ignoring the desire to rub her arm. The blood was running down in a solid stream, staining her fingertips before dropping to the ground.
They'd been out there for what seemed like hours, with Bellatrix casting spell after spell at her while Ginny stood there like an idiotic statue, failing to cast so much as a simple shield charm without speaking.
The wind howled, the old trees creaking as they shook under its force.
"Last time before the Cruciatus," Bellatrix yelled "I'm starting to think you want me to hurt you. I thought you were better than this."
Ginny blushed, hot shame joining the dozens of other complaints her body was registering.
'If I want their respect, I need to earn it. I need to do this.'
Gritting her teeth, she clasped her wand, the blood making it slick in her grip.
"Diffindo!"
'Protego!'
The bluish, translucent haze of a Shield Charm appeared in the air before her, yellow lines shooting across it like lightning where Bellatrix's curse had obviously hit.
Ginny's jaw dropped, the pain and embarrassment vanishing as elated triumph took their place.
'YES! I DID IT!'
"Well done!" Bellatrix called, bounding over to her with a sunny grin. "Finally, you managed! Well done!"
She tapped Ginny with her wand, removing the Silencing Charm just as Ginny threw her arms around her.
"I did it!" Ginny squealed, hugging Bellatrix to her. "I did it!"
"Yes, yes. You did it. And now that you've done it once, you should find it easier in the future."
Before she'd even finished talking, Bellatrix seized Ginny's arm, pushing it up.
She dipped her head, her tongue lashing out and running across the deep cut, lapping at the drying blood like a cat with a bowl of milk.
"You were wonderful," she whispered, "and now, I think it's time for your reward. Let's go to bed."
Ginny walked into the lounge, biting into the apple she'd grabbed on the way and paging through the book she brought with her.
She was about to drop into her favourite armchair, having just found the chapter explaining the theory of non-verbal casting, when a loud sniff interrupted her.
Dropping the book and fruit, she spun, grabbing for her wand and drawing it even as she recognized the woman behind her.
"Sorry," she muttered, lowering her wand and bending down for the book. "I didn't see you there."
Narcissa Malfoy sniffed again, rubbing at the corners of her eyes.
She looked like a woman who was badly trying to keep herself composed, even though she clearly wanted nothing more than to burst out crying.
"It is no matter," she said, surprising Ginny with the evenness of her voice. "I had wished to speak with you. Do you mind?"
"Not at all."
Narcissa shut the door as she entered, and walked over to the nearest armchair before sitting in it.
She sat primly, staring at Ginny for a long while with her hands folded in her lap before she began to talk.
When she did, her voice had the barest hint of a hitch in it.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what Lucius did. With that diary. It was not right. I do not believe he has ever apologized, but he should have."
"It's fine," she said, waving her hand flippantly. She'd hated Lucius for it, once upon a time, but hadn't actually felt that for a very long time. If anything, she was grateful to him.
If not for the diary, she'd never have seen the truth.
Narcissa's eyes seemed to hone in on Ginny, boring into her.
"Nevertheless, you have my apologies. I have a-a favour to ask of you. You have the Dark Lord's favour and I-"
Narcissa stopped, her words catching in her throat, and pulled an elegantly laced handkerchief from her pocket which she used to dab at her eyes.
"The Dark Lord has-has ordered us to bring Draco to him," she said in a rush, sounding an inch away from tears. "He-we do not know why. Have you heard anything about this?"
"No idea," Ginny said, shifting uncomfortably. Merlin, but this was awkward. "Maybe he wants Draco to join, or to spy on Hogwarts?"
A sob wrenched its way from Narcissa, her face momentarily twisting into an image of pure misery.
She composed herself remarkably quick though, her normal regal expression returning in seconds.
"I-I am afraid that-that he wishes to use Draco to punish Lucius. If that is so, and you have a chance to intervene on my behalf…Please, I will forever be in your debt. Anything you want, anything, just please...do what you can to protect my son."
For a moment, Ginny just sat there, shocked that Narcissa was willing to bare herself so bluntly.
And that apparently, Ginny was known to have the Dark Lord's favour to such an extent.
'She must really love him. It's got to be incredibly embarrassing for her.'
"I'll do what I can," she said carefully, after thinking about it for a few minutes. She certainly wouldn't put herself in danger, or anything like that, but if she had the chance, it would definitely be worth having the Malfoys in her debt. "If I have the chance, I'll try."
"I can ask you no more than that," Narcissa said with a sigh, standing up. "Thank you."
Ginny nodded, opening the book and beginning to leaf through it again.
"I-I must ask you something else."
Ginny looked up, stifling a sigh. She really wanted to read that chapter again before her next duel with Bellatrix.
Narcissa seemed to be turning the words over, her mouth pressed into an absurdly thin line.
"Your relationship with Bellatrix. Did you truly enter it of your own free will?"
"Yes. I wasn't lying, the other day."
"I apologize. It is merely...I feel somewhat responsible for my sister's actions. Especially with regards to how they affect a child. If you ever feel unsafe with her, if you ever feel like she is forcing you to act in ways you do not enjoy, please, let me know."
Grinning, Ginny shook her head and told the absolute truth.
"I feel safer with her than I do with anyone else."
The compartment door opened, Ron and Hermione walking in with furious expressions, Hermione actually looking like she was ready to throw someone bodily off of the train.
Besides him, the compartment was empty. Barely anyone had tried to join when they saw him sitting there, and the few that had, most of whom were members of the DA, hurriedly left when he told them that Ron and Hermione would be coming back after their patrol.
"I think I might actually murder Malfoy," Ron said, dropping onto a seat and grabbing one of the chocolate frogs Harry had brought from the trolley.
"God, what did he do now?"
Hermione shook her head, a fire burning in her eyes that Harry had last seen when she'd berated him for avoiding the two of them.
Things were still slightly awkward between them, but their relationship seemed almost like it had been before Ginny's betrayal. The last few days of the break hadn't been enough to set everything right, of course, but they had been enough to make the three of them comfortable with each other again.
Spending time at the Burrow, strangely enough, had proved to be as helpful as anything else.
Obviously, it had been sad and depressing, but simply seeing how the Weasleys still accepted him, still treated him like part of the family. Well, it had really drummed it in that they didn't blame him.
"I'd rather not think about what he had to say," Hermione said, her hands now opening and closing restlessly. "I did want to discuss the DA with you, though."
"We agreed we're carrying it on," Harry said nervously, feeling like another Hermione lecture was incoming. "And we said we'd have the first meeting of term tomorrow night."
"I meant, I wanted to discuss the curriculum with you."
Harry shared a glance with Ron, both of them rolling their eyes.
"I think," Hermione continued breathlessly, "That we need to focus on, well... fighting. What we've been doing, it's wonderful, but it's not enough. You're teaching us how to survive, Harry. We need to learn how to win."
Ron looked thoughtful, Harry noticed, biting his lip in the way he usually did during a chess game.
"Uh, Hermione, I'm teaching the DA the spells I know. I'm teaching what's kept me alive."
"I know," she quickly said, "And it really is good. It could definitely save lives. But if we're fighting against-against Death Eaters, we're going to need more."
"You're not talking about the type of spells we would learn at school," Ron asked quietly. "Are you?"
"No. I think-even if it means the Dark Arts, we need-"
"I don't exactly know any of that stuff," Harry interrupted. "And as far as I know, you don't either."
Pink spots bloomed on Hermione's cheeks as she met his gaze, her throat working.
"I don't. But I'm pretty sure the Room of Requirement will give us whatever books we need. I don't mean that we start learning the worst curses out there. Just that we find something to even the playing field a little bit."
"I'm in," Ron said simply, his jaw clenched.
"I can't see us whipping that out at the next meeting," Harry said slowly. "And I don't-I don't want to touch any more of the Dark Arts than we need to. But you're right, we need something. The Death Eaters would walk all over us otherwise."
"We'll just learn some curses, spells more potent than what we usually use. Counter curses too, of course."
"And I don't want this to be for the whole DA," Harry said. "I think just the three of us for now."
"Definitely not," Ron said with a chuckle. "Remember how Smith messed up his Stunner? Imagine if that was something serious."
"Just us three for now," Hermione said with a nod. "Maybe we should just hang around in the Room after the meeting, take it from there."
"Sounds good."
"It seems that Draco has been tasked with keeping us informed about what happens at Hogwarts," Bellatrix said, conjuring a fine armchair with a wordless wave of her wand. "But Narcissa has reason to worry. The Dark Lord made it clear to Lucius that if he disappoints him again, then Draco will be punished."
Another wave of her wand, and a chair appeared for Ginny beside her own.
Gratefully, Ginny sank into it, relishing the chance to relax her muscles.
It was an unseasonably warm, sunny day, the crisp scent of winter having somehow vanished overnight.
As such, Bellatrix had dragged Ginny outside as soon as she was awake. They'd then spent over three hours duelling, interspaced with periods of the Silencing Charm being placed on her while she struggled to cast nonverbally.
Quite frankly, Ginny was ready to go back to sleep, with her wand arm and both legs feeling like lead weights were attached to them.
"If he does decide to punish Draco," Ginny asked. "Do you think there'd be any point in me asking for mercy?"
Bellatrix cocked her head to one side, absently reaching out and stroking Ginny's cheek.
"Maybe. He does like you. You were possessed by his...memory, after all. Maybe that's why you're so talented."
"Do you really think I am?"
Bellatrix chuckled, her eyes not leaving Ginny's even as she nodded.
"You have a flair for it. You take to new spells easily enough, and you manage most of them. You will be great, my sweet little pet. I won't let you be anything else."
Her heart swelling with pride, Ginny smiled, leaning forward and planting a kiss on Bellatrix's cheek.
"Thank you," she murmured.
The all-encompassing light faded, solid ground appearing under his feet as suddenly as it had vanished in the first place.
Stumbling forward, his shin collided with what felt like the edge of a table, making him drop to his knees with those horrendously bright spots of reddish-gold light dancing before his eyes.
"Dumbledore? Harry?! What's going on?"
Harry closed his eyes shut, shaking his head and trying to clear the streamers from his vision.
Apparently, Dumbledore had gotten Fawkes to bring them to Grimmauld place, escaping from right beneath Fudge's nose.
Strong arms seized him, pulling him to his feet as he opened his eyes again, Sirius' face swimming into clarity.
"I'm ok," he started, "Sirius, I'm-"
"Harry-"
"He has been expelled, Sirius," Dumbledore said quickly. "But we escaped before they could seize and destroy his wand."
"Expelled! What-"
"There is no time," Dumbledore interrupted, "Harry will tell you exactly what happened. For now, he will be staying here. I must go, there are urgent matters for me to attend to before the Ministry can act, but I will return. Harry,"
Harry turned his head, meeting Dumbledore's piercing blue gaze for the first time all year.
"Listen to me," Dumbledore said, "You need to stay here. You need to keep yourself safe. Practice your Occlumency. And I promise, Harry, I will explain everything soon."
Harry opened his mouth, desperate to say something, to ask for an explanation now, to apologize, but to say something.
As he was about to speak, however, he felt that familiar, snake-like urge to lash out and bite, to sink his fangs into Dumbledore's throat.
Sickened, he nodded, dropping his gaze.
"Albus-"
A loud crack sounded, announcing that Dumbledore had left.
"Harry," Sirius said in a strangled voice, sounding almost as shaken as Harry felt. "What happened? Merlin, what happened?"
"We got caught," Harry said, dropping into the couch behind him, the adrenaline still running through him making his hands shake as he lifted them to run through his hair. "The DA. Umbridge caught us."
"Slow down," Sirius said, "start from the beginning."
Sirius sat down, reaching out to put a hand on Harry's shoulder as he started to talk.
"We had a meeting tonight. We were almost finished, when Dobby arrived. I told you about Dobby, right?"
At Sirius' nod, Harry continued.
"He was acting like he was disobeying orders, punching himself in the face and all that. But he gave enough hints for us to figure it out. Umbridge was coming. So we all ran."
He paused, for a moment feeling that overwhelming panicked stress he'd experienced when he finally worked out Dobby's message.
"But it was too late. She was already arriving, with Filch and a bunch of Slytherins. They'd blocked off the corridor. She made me go with her to Dumbledore's office."
"What about the others?"
"She just told them to wait for her. It sounded-from what she said later, it sounded like they were just going to get detentions."
Sirius nodded, the candlelight turning his grim expression even harsher.
"Fudge was there, in Dumbledore's office. With a bunch of Aurors. Dumbledore and McGonagall were there too. Umbridge, she told them about the DA. They knew about us for ages, but they never knew when we were meeting or who exactly was in it. Until tonight."
"How did they know beforehand?" Sirius asked, holding up a hand for Harry to pause.
"Someone in the Hog's Head heard us," Harry said. "But they said-Fudge heard from some anonymous source that we were continuing. It must have been Ginny, they knew who was in it. And Umbridge got the names, and managed to convince this one girl to tell her when we next met."
Sirius growled softly, his hand momentarily tightening on Harry's shoulder.
"Dumbledore tried to talk Fudge and Umbridge out of it, but they didn't listen. They had a signed expulsion form, and Fudge told me to hand over my wand. I wasn't going to-"
"Good,"
"And one of the Aurors started walking towards me. Dawlish, I think. And then Dumbledore did…"
"What?"
"Some spell," Harry said, shaking his head. "I've never seen anything like it before. It was like this bright light that shot around the room and knocked everyone except me and McGonagall out. It was so fast I could barely see it, and louder than-well, louder than anything I've heard before."
Sirius nodded slowly, but if he was surprised or impressed, he didn't show it.
"Dumbledore said something to McGonagall, I couldn't hear what, and then he grabbed my hand and whistled. I saw Fawkes, his Phoenix, just for a second and then-then we were here."
Harry fell silent, feeling suddenly exhausted and very, very cold.
It was starting to settle in on him, an icy, lonely feeling appearing in his stomach.
He'd been expelled from Hogwarts. After everything, he'd actually been expelled.
Expelled, and with the way he and Dumbledore had escaped Fudge and those Aurors, he was probably wanted too.
He couldn't help the tears that appeared in his eyes, the thick frustrated, furious sorrow that seemed to coat him.
He'd been expelled from Hogwarts, and everything suddenly seemed gloomier than ever before.