Hermione knew her plan to use Umbridge's fire in order for Harry to contact Sirius at Grimmauld Place was quite mad, but Harry wasn't listening to reason. He firmly believed Voldemort had Sirius at the Ministry of Magic, and was prepared to go barreling down to London based solely on a dream. Therefore letting him see that Sirius was safe at home was the best thing she could think of under the circumstances. That doing so was risky at best and downright mad at worst had not escaped her. It just seemed the lesser of two evils.

So with the assistance of Ron, as well as Ginny and Luna Lovegood -- who'd heard Harry shouting at her in an empty classroom and come to investigate -- Hermione had put together a plan. Ron was sent to divert Umbridge, Ginny and Luna were assigned to keep people away from the corridor containing Umbridge's office, and she herself would accompany Harry into the office while he contacted Sirius through Umbridge's fireplace, as he had once before. He said he'd need only five minutes.

At first, everything seemed to go so well. The crowd thinned as Ginny's fiction about Garroting Gas in the corridor got around, allowing Hermione and Harry to slink down to Umbridge's door under his invisibility cloak. He used the knife that Sirius had given him to get inside, just as he had when he'd sneaked in to look for Cedric's journal. And oh, how she wished Cedric were still here. He might have been able to talk Harry out of this. (Although privately, she doubted it. When convinced of something, Harry was as stubborn as any Hufflepuff.)

Finally they were inside, and no alarms went off, no extra security. Shutting the door, they pulled off the cloak. Prepared to stand guard, Hermione drew her wand while Harry hurried to the fireplace and lost no time in Flooing Grimmauld Place. Hermione could hear the vague echoes of Harry's voice, shouting at someone. She didn't think it was Sirius.

And oh, heavens -- what if Sirius weren't there? What if . . . what if Harry were right? What if Voldemort did have Sirius?

But she couldn't quite believe that. It made no sense at all -- too much the sort of thing the Dark Lord might try to convince Harry of, knowing Harry's propensity for rescuing people in trouble.

She was so busy thinking about all this that she missed the quiet turning of the doorknob. Then it burst open and a red-faced Umbridge entered to aim her wand directly at Hermione, Silencing her before Hermione could get out a noise to warn Harry, or cast a shielding spell. For that matter, there had been no warning chorus of "Weasley is our King!" either, and Hermione understood why in the next instant as not only Ginny and Luna were marched into the office, but also Neville and Susan Bones. How on earth had Neville and Susan got involved in this, Hermione wondered?

Umbridge nearly flew to the fire to yank a startled and white-faced Harry out of it. She had him by the hair and craned his head back so far Hermione feared she might snap his neck. "You think," she snarled, "that after two nifflers I was going to let one more foul, scavenging little creature enter my office without my knowledge? I had Stealth Sensoring Spells placed all around my doorway after the last one got in, you foolish boy."

And that was why Hermione hadn't felt anything when they'd entered. How utterly stupid of her not to check for such things, but in her fear for Harry -- and her desperate need to stop him -- she'd quite lost her head.

"Take his wand. Hers too."

Hermione watched Draco Malfoy slide forward to grope inside Harry's robes for his wand even as Pansy Parkinson yanked hers out of her hand while Millicent Bulstrode held her still.

Warrington had just entered, frog-marching Ron in front of him, "Got 'em all!" he crowed triumphantly, then pointed to Neville. "That one tried to stop me from taking her" -- he indicated Ginny, which explained Neville's presence. "And that one" -- he indicated Susan -- "told me I didn't have the 'authority' to grab anybody, so I brought them both along too."

"Good, good," Umbridge said, little pig-eyes watching Ginny fight against Goyle's restraint. "Well, it looks as if Hogwarts will soon be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?"

The Slytherins all laughed obediently as Umbridge settled down in a chintz floral armchair. "So, Potter, you stationed lookouts around my office and you sent this buffoon" -- she nodded to Ron -- "to tell me the poltergeist was wreaking havoc in the Transfiguration department when I knew perfectly well that he was busy smearing ink on the eyepieces of all the school telescopes, Mr. Filch having just informed me so."

And oh, that was why Hermione hadn't wanted to rush this! They should have checked better to get their story straight.

"Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? Or maybe Cedric Diggory? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she's still too ill to talk to anyone."

Which got laughs from the Slytherins and made Hermoine struggle in Millicent's grasp. How dare that horrible woman talk about Professor McGonagall that way!

"It's none of your business who I talk to," Harry snapped back.

"Very well," Umbridge replied in that maddening 'telephone voice' she adopted when she wanted to sound reasonable even while acting unconscionable. "Very well, Mr. Potter . . . I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco, fetch Professor Snape."

Hermione sighed and all her muscles relaxed. Umbridge had inadvertently called the one adult member of the Order still at Hogwarts -- the one person who could still help them. She struggled against Millicent, but more for show than in earnest. Time ticked by. No one spoke.

Finally Snape appeared behind Draco in the doorway. "You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" There was just a touch of a sneer in his voice, and his eyes were cold as he swept his gaze over them all, but Hermione didn't miss that he had noted each one of them as if ticking them off mentally.

"Ah, Professor Snape!" Umbridge rose to her feet and simpered at him. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."

Veritaserum! Hermione nearly squeaked. That was . . . completely illegal to use on an underage wizard. Professor Snape certainly wouldn't --

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," he said. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."

Umbridge turned red and Hermione had to admire the fact that Professor Snape had the temerity to embarrass the woman, even while being horrified that he'd ever agreed to give her a bottle of the stuff in the first place. Whose side was he on? She knew Harry would say the other side, but Hermione was also well aware that Harry was blind when it came to Snape. Hermione had always been more willing to grant the man the benefit of the doubt, but this . . .

"You can make some more, can't you?" Umbridge was saying.

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

Umbridge's eyes bulged and Hermione had to bite her tongue to resist laughing. "A month! A month?" Umbridge shrieked. "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 drawled, appearing at once interested and amused. "Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules."

He was staring hard at Harry, who was staring equally hard back. Hermione wondered what he was thinking, or perhaps . . . wasn't Snape a Legilimens too? Could he read Harry's mind? Could he read hers if she could just catch his eye?

"I wish to interrogate him!" Umbridge was saying, like a petulant toddler convinced that her mere insistence would compel others to grant her desires. "I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"

"I have already told you that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter -- and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did -- I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling . . . "

It was sly and snide and perfect, and Hermione wanted to hug him despite the fact he really was a cruel and sarcastic bastard much of the time. But just now . . . just now, he was helping them and thwarting Umbridge, so she could almost forgive him for providing Veritaserum to Umbridge earlier. (Maybe it hadn't been real Veritaserum? Maybe he'd slipped her a placebo? Hermione didn't want to believe Professor Snape would have provided Dolores Umbridge with the means to break the law.)

"You are on probation!" Umbridge howled now, completely beside herself. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better; Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!"

Snape gave her an ironic bow before turning to leave --

"He's got Padfoot!" Harry shouted, his face a mask of desperation. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"

"Oh, no . . . " Hermione moaned beneath her breath. "Harry . . . "

Snape had stopped to glance around even as Umbridge appeared ready to pounce. "Padfoot?" she cried, gripping Harry's sleeve and looking at Snape. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What is he talking about, Snape?"

"I have no idea," Snape replied in a sepulchral voice, and Hermione couldn't tell if he really hadn't understood or were only pretending. "Potter, when I want nonsense shouted at me, I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little. If Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork, and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job."

Hermione gasped half in laughter at his cheek, and half in horror as he shut the door behind him, taking their last hope with him. Had he understood or not? He'd given no hint at all, but at least he knew they were in trouble, and both Remus Lupin and Lucy Diggory were not far away in Hogsmeade. Counting Snape, that made three members of the Order close by. However much Snape might hate Harry, he would do his duty, wouldn't he? He'd helped Mrs. Diggory enter the castle without Umbridge knowing it. Surely he'd fetch help now? Mrs. Diggory would know what to do if Snape didn't.

In any case, Umbridge was thwarted. Hermione watched the other woman pace and mutter as she realized she had no means to make Harry talk, and that, in turn, led Hermione to consider what they should do next. No doubt Umbridge would try to expel them all, which put her in mind of Cedric's sacrifice for her sake. She and Harry had trespassed quite a number of school rules by breaking into Umbridge's office, but Neville and Susan shouldn't suffer -- they'd been innocent bystanders who'd spoken up at the wrong moment. Perhaps even Ginny and Luna and Ron could be saved, although Umbridge had sounded eager to rid herself of all the Weasleys. Nonetheless, if she had a willing sacrifice in Hermione -- if Hermione admitted to having planned the whole thing (which wasn't even a lie), and claimed the other five weren't involved, perhaps Umbridge would be satisfied. Right now, she must hate Hermione only a little less than Harry and Cedric.

She opened her mouth to speak even as Umbridge raised her own voice as if having finally talked herself into something. "Very well, very well . . . I am left with no alternative." Pulling her wand, she aimed it at Harry, and Hermione felt her eyes widen. "This is more than a matter of school discipline . . . As with Diggory, this is an issue of Ministry security . . . Yes, yes . . .

"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 found herself shouting. The woman couldn't be serious? "Professor Umbridge, it's illegal -- !"

Wand raised, Umbridge ignored her. The woman's cheeks were flushed, eyes dilated, expression eager . . .

. . . and Hermione recognized that look. It was the same one Umbridge had turned on Harry in classes, or on Cedric when taunting him with Esiban. Yet till now, it had always been a bit muted so Hermione hadn't fully understood. In fact, until a few months ago, she wouldn't have known enough to identify it anyway. Now she did, and the hairs on the nape of her neck rose.

Umbridge was aroused. Sexually aroused. How positively revolting. And Fudge had loosed this woman on a school?

Fudge. Yes, Fudge . . . maybe the threat of being exposed . . . "The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!"

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him." Umbridge sounded almost transported as she aimed her wand at various parts of Harry's body, as if deciding what to hex. "He never knew," she went on, almost conversationally, "that I ordered dementors after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same -- "

"That was you?" Harry bellowed, taking the words right out of Hermione's mouth. "You sent the dementors after me?"

"Somebody had to act," Umbridge said, halting her wand tip an inch from Harry's forehead. "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? Not today, though, not now . . . "

Hermione could scarcely breathe. Any hope she'd had that she might reason with Umbridge had vanished when the woman had admitted to summoning the dementors. She wasn't just sadistic, she was completely depraved -- a murderer, or as good as. And she was going to torture Harry --

"Cru--!"

"No!" Hermione shrieked, pushed by desperation into a pellucid state of thought where her alternatives were as clear as fine, blown glass. "No -- Harry -- Harry, we'll have to tell her . . . "

"No way!" Harry objected, face enraged.

"We'll have to, Harry, or she'll force it out of you anyway . . . what's . . . what's the point . . . ?" She pretended to break down and sob, leaning against Millicent Bulstrode, who jerked away, face disgusted.

But it had worked. Umbridge's attention was away from Harry. "Well, well, well. Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!" She advanced on Hermione.

"Er-my-nee-no!" Ron gasped through Crabbe's choke-hold, while Ginny, Neville and Susan were all gaping. But behind Umbridge's back, Harry's expression had gone from white-faced shock to . . . something shrewder. Maybe he'd caught on.

"I'm -- I'm sorry everyone," Hermione said. "But -- I can't stand it. First Cedric, now Harry . . . "

Let Umbridge think she'd been pushed past her ability to cope. "That's right, that's right, girl!" Umbridge was gripping her by the shoulders and shoving her down into the ugly floral chintz she'd occupied herself earlier. "Now then . . . with whom was Potter communicating just now?"

Hermione used the excuse of wiping her eyes and face to finalize her thoughts. "Well," she said, voice a little sigh of defeat, "well, he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore."

And it was a very good thing Umbridge was watching Hermione's face or she'd have noticed the complete surprise on the faces of Ginny and Ron, Susan and Neville -- even Luna. Harry's face didn't change, but he'd already figured it out. Like Cedric, he had a touch of Slytherin in him.

And it was Lucy Diggory in the forefront of Hermione's thoughts: Think like Cedric's mum. Umbridge had no sense of morals, no limits. She'd have tortured Harry to get what she wanted, then Obliviated them all, or perhaps even killed them to keep them from talking. Right now, it was kill or be killed, as far as Hermione was concerned.

"Dumbledore," Umbridge asked now, all eager. So predictable. "You know where Dumbledore is, then?"

"Well . . . no!" Hermione replied, pretending a bit of hysteria. "We've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head -- "

"Idiot girl, Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the whole Ministry's looking for him!" Disappointment pulled at Umbridge's face and Hermione had to bite her tongue to hide her smile. Let the woman believe she was thick. It was what Umbridge thought of a 'mere Muggle-born' anyway.

Pressing hands to her face, Hermione sobbed, "But -- but we needed to tell him something important!"

"Yes? What was it you wanted to tell him?"

"We . . . we wanted to tell him it's r-ready."

Grabbing Hermione, Umbridge shook her. "What's ready? What's ready, girl?" Umbridge had yet to use her name, she considered her so unimportant.

"The . . . the weapon," Hermione gasped.

"Weapon? Weapon?" Umbridge sounded positively gleeful; she was so easy to lead. "You have been developing some method of resistance? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?"

"Y-y-yes," Hermione breathed. "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?"

"We don't r-really understand it." Umbridge thought them all idiots in any case. "We j-just did what P-P-Professor Dumbledore told us t-t-to do . . . "

"Show me the weapon," Umbridge demanded.

Hermione concealed her exultant grin. Now it remained only to convince Umbridge to dismiss her toadies by playing on her fears, her arrogance . . . "I'm not showing them," Hermione said, pointing to Draco and the others.

"It isn't for you to set conditions," Umbridge snapped.

"Fine." Hermione had doubted it would be that easy. "Fine . . . let them see it, I hope they use it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see! Th-that would serve you right -- oh, I'd love it if the wh-whole school knew where it was, and how to u-use it, and then if you annoy any of them, they'll be able to s-sort you out!"

And Umbridge reacted exactly as Hermione had expected -- with fear. People like her were always afraid of anybody who might gain enough power to be a threat. She eyed the rest in the room, then studied Hermione, finally saying, "All right, dear, let's make it just you and me . . . and we'll take Potter too, shall we? Get up, now -- "

"Professor Umbridge," Malfoy interrupted. "I think some of us 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?" Umbridge tried to glare imperiously at him, but being so much shorter, the effect was more amusing than threatening. "In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these" -- she gestured to the rest -- "escape."

Sulky, Malfoy agreed, "All right."

"And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way." Umbridge pointed her wand at Harry and Hermione. "Go on . . . "

On the way out the door, Hermione shot Ron, Ginny and Susan what she hoped was a significant glance. She was counting on them to get rid of their captors. But even if they couldn't, she had what she wanted -- Umbridge on her own and without support.

The doe was about to crush the snake.

Cedric was actually in the midst of his last exam when the door burst open to reveal Peter, Scott, Ed and Susan Bones. "What the -- ?"

"You can't come in here," Madam Rosmerta snapped. "This is an exam."

"We know," Scott said, offering her his most charming grin. "But it's a bit of an emergency." He turned to Cedric, and his expression said enough. "How close are you to being done, mate?"

Cedric looked down at his exam. One question left past the one he was answering . . . "Give me a minute." Bending, he scribbled out three concluding sentences and offered the parchment to Rosmerta. "Done." He wasn't, but they wouldn't have come here like this if it weren't really a crisis. He'd left just one question unanswered and knew he'd done well on the others. It would pass. It might not be an O, but it would pass.

Rosmerta took the parchment, her lips pursed in disapproval, but she wasn't going to argue with him. With a glance at the others, she headed out. Cedric grabbed his crutches and stood, jerking his head to call them over to him. "What is it?"

"Umbridge has Hermione and Harry," Susan interrupted.

"What?"

"She took them off towards the Forbidden Forest. It's a long story, but Umbridge caught Harry in her office using her fire to talk to someone -- I'm not sure who -- and Hermione pulled out this cockeyed story about Dumbledore and a weapon and -- "

There were feet on the stairs -- his mother, most like, alerted by Rosmerta. She was bound and determined to take him to London, but there was no way in hell he was leaving if Umbridge had Hermione. "We've got to go," he said, adding softly, "Gate," hoping they understood. And with a set of his crutches, a step and twist --

-- he came out at the front gate to Hogwarts. Pulling his wand, he aimed it at the gate and blasted it open even as he heard pops behind him. Ed-with-Susan, Scott and Peter. "Run and hide," he told them. "She'll guess where we've gone." His mother was no fool. "We'll meet again behind Hagrid's hut in fifteen minutes." And with another twist and blur, he Transformed, wings beating as he zipped off low across the grounds towards the Black Lake. Maybe he couldn't run anymore, but he could fly.

His mother arrived, all right. He was soaring high, coming in from the west and north, hopefully throwing her off so she'd see just another bird, not make a connection to him. She was marching up the road to the front gate of the castle. Excellent. There was quite a lot of Hogwarts to search. Hopefully he could rescue Hermione before she found him, although from here he couldn't catch sight of either Harry or Hermione, or Umbridge. If they were in the forest, they were hidden by the canopy of leaves.

Spiraling down, he took human form again behind Hagrid's hut, then slipped inside, waiting for his friends to arrive. When they did, he motioned them in. "What happened?" he asked Susan as soon as they were all assembled around Hagrid's table. Susan related the whole story, including how she and those left behind had escaped and what Ginny had told her about Harry insisting on talking to Sirius and his fears that Voldemort had Sirius at the Ministry in London.

"Sirius Black?" Scott asked. "Isn't he -- "

"Framed," Cedric said, cutting off tangential debate. "It wasn't Sirius who betrayed Lily and James Potter. It was Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew's not dead. He's the one who almost killed me, last June." He looked at them all. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. Dumbledore made me promise not to." In fact, he still couldn't speak a word about the Order even if he thought they all deserved to know. A Fidelius Charm was no joke. "It was better if fewer people knew. But yeah, Sirius Black isn't who the papers say; he was loyal to the Potters. He's Harry's godfather and Harry would do anything to save him -- even something completely mental."

"Well, that explains it," Susan muttered. "Because he's certainly acting mental!"

"They went into the forest?"

"That's where they were last seen headed. Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna went after them. I went to alert Ed. But I don't know what Hermione's got up to in there. What weapon -- "

And Cedric suddenly knew. His brilliant, brave, completely brainless girlfriend was . . . it must be. "There's a giant in the forest."

"What?!" the others nearly shouted.

"Hagrid brought back a giant -- his half-brother. I think Hermione's going to lead Umbridge to him." Although why, Cedric feared even to consider.

The others were just staring, mouths agape. "There's an effin' giant in the forest?" Scott asked, as if he couldn't have heard that right.

"Yeah," Cedric replied. "His name's Grawp."

"Giants have names?" Ed asked.

Susan thwacked him. "So now what do we do?"

"I'm going flying -- see if I can spot him. If I can find the giant, maybe -- "

"Cedric," Peter interrupted. "I'm sorry mate, but I've got to be brutal here. You're not going to face a giant on crutches. That's just not realistic."

Cedric glared, but the others wore expressions that told him they were thinking the same even if they hadn't wanted to say so. "I'm not helpless."

"Far from it," Scott replied. "But a blind man can't fly a broom, and you can't run, Ced. We're not going to lie to spare your damn feelings if it might get you killed, right? There's a lot you can do -- but there are some things you can't."

"Fuck you," Cedric snapped back. "I can fly."

"If you can get in the air fast enough. Don't be thick and idiotically brave. Go up in the air, see if you can spot them, then come let us know, right? For once in your life, trust your friends, eh?"

"I do trust -- "

"No, you don't," Scott snapped back, almost rising from his seat. "You always keep your damn distance."

Cedric looked around the table, but found no support. "It's true," Peter told him.

"The best way we can help Potter and Hermione is to work together," Ed added. "You find where the giant is, come back and let us know, and we'll head in that direction. Pass the Quaffle, right? The main point is getting them back safe."

For a moment, Cedric wanted to resist, but they were right. "Okay," he said finally. "I'll . . . pass the Quaffle."

Hermione watched with confused horror as the centaurs carried off Umbridge. She'd known she was playing with fire, but the situation had been desperate -- she'd had to stop Umbridge from torturing Harry, and had thought the centaurs might frighten Umbridge off, or even escort the woman to the edge of the forest and throw her out, letting Hermione and Harry get away. She hadn't reckoned on Umbridge's hatred of non-humans being so great she'd continue to say inflammatory things even when at an obvious disadvantage, but Hermione had never completely understood overweening ethnocentrism and it had proved to be a fatal flaw in her plan. Now, the herd of centaurs had picked up Umbridge and were bearing her off deeper into the forest and even if it wasn't what she'd intended, Hermione couldn't help but think Umbridge had been hoisted on her own petard.

So when the centaur's focus turned to her and Harry, she pleaded, "Please don't attack us -- we don't think like her; we aren't Ministry of Magic employees! We only came in here because we hoped you'd drive her off for us -- "

"You see, Ronan," a gray centaur interrupted. "They already have the arrogance of their kind! So we were to do you dirty work, were we, human girl? We were to act as your servants, drive away your enemies like obedient hounds?"

"No!" Hermione protested, appalled. She hadn't meant it like that at all; couldn't they see? "Please -- I didn't mean that! I just hoped you'd be able to -- help us -- "

"We do not help humans!" snapped another. "We are a race apart and proud to be so . . . we will not permit you to walk from here, boasting that we did your bidding!"

Harry lost his temper. "We're not going to say anything like that! We know you didn't do anything because we wanted you to -- "

"They came here unasked," said an older centaur, ignoring Harry entirely, "they must pay the consequences!" And that won a roar of approval.

"They can join the woman!"

Abject terror seized Hermione. Why couldn't the centaurs understand that she and Harry hadn't meant anything disrespectful, and neither of them saw the centaurs as lesser. After all, wasn't she the champion of house-elf liberation? She wanted equality for everybody. "You said you didn't hurt the innocent!" she shouted, tears of anger and fear pricking her eyes. "We haven't done anything to hurt you, we haven't used wands or threats, we just want to go back to school. We're not like her; can't you see that? Please let us go back."

"We are not all like the traitor Firenze, human girl!" It was the angry gray centaur, the one completely unreasonable in his hatred of humans, apparently. "Perhaps you thought us pretty talking horses?" Hermione shook her head violently, but he wasn't listening. It was so very unfair, she thought. Why wouldn't they listen to her? "We are an ancient people who will not stand wizard invasions and insults! We do not recognize your laws, we do not acknowledge your superiority, we are -- "

But a crashing in the bush and trees beyond kept him from continuing as Hagrid's half-brother Grawp pushed apart two small tree trunks and looked into the clearing. Hermoine wasn't sure if they'd just gone from the frying pan into the fire, but at least the focus of the centaurs was off of her and Harry.

Apparently, Grawp was looking for Hagrid, not realizing his brother had been driven off the night before, and he'd pulled himself free of his bindings in order to do so. Hermione might have been more astonished that the giant seemed genuinely to miss Hagrid, except the impromptu skirmish between Grawp and the centaurs provided her and Harry with the opportunity to escape. The centaurs had pulled bows and begun shooting at Grawp.

Harry pulled her to her feet from where she'd fallen, and they snuck off into the bushes to watch as an enraged Grawp swatted at the arrows pockmarking his face and upper body, then smashed through trees after the centaurs. "Oh, no," Hermione muttered, hand over her mouth as she sank to the forest loam. "That was horrible. And he might kill them all . . . "

"I'm not that fussed, to be honest," Harry told her, and Hermione stared up at him. How could he be so cold? But his face was twisted with irritation and worry and he turned it all on her.

"Smart plan -- really smart plan. Where do we go from here?"

Still feeling sick to her stomach and scared out of her wits, she replied, "We need to get back to the castle."

"By the time we've done that, Sirius'll probably be dead!"

That annoyed Hermione. She'd done all this to try and make him see reason about Sirius. "Well, we can't do anything without wands. Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?"

But it wasn't Harry who answered. "Yeah, we were just wondering that too."

She leapt to her feet and Harry spun around even as Ron made his way out of the trees into the clearing, followed by Ginny, Luna and Neville -- but not Susan.

"So," Ron continued, "had any ideas?"

"How did you get free?" asked an amazed Harry as Ron handed him his wand, then passed Hermione hers.

"Couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm, and Neville brought off a really nice little Impediment Jinx." Despite his obvious black eye, Ron was making it sound like a walk in the park. "But Ginny was best. She got Malfoy -- Bat-Bogey Hex -- it was superb, his whole face was covered in the great flapping things. Anyway, we saw you heading into the forest out of Umbridge's window and followed. What've you done with Madam Toad?"

"She got carried away by a herd of Centaurs," Harry replied, face grimly amused.

"And they left you behind?" Ginny asked.

"No, they got chased off by Grawp."

"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked.

"Where's Susan?" Hermione interrupted.

"Grawp is Hagrid's little brother," Ron said, "And Susan ran to tell Ed Carpenter and the rest of Hufflepuff -- let them keep Slytherin busy. Anyway, never mind that now. Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You Know Who got Sirius or -- ?"

"Yes," said Harry, which riveted Hermione's attention. He was certain of that? "Kreacher as good as admitted it; it was him I talked to. I'm sure Sirius is still alive -- I'd know if Voldemort killed him, I think -- but I can't see how we're going to get there to help him."

They all fell silent, and Hermione turned the problem over in her mind. It was too bad none of them were old enough to Apparate, and she didn't think they dared try to Floo --

"Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" Luna said, as if it were the most sensible and obvious thing in the world.

"Fly on what?" Hermione muttered to herself, even as Harry rounded on Luna to ask the same thing. Yet Hermione would never have guessed the answer.

As it turned out, Cedric and his mates found what had become of Hermione and Harry without any need for Cedric to Transform. No sooner had they stepped outside and looked up into the glaring light of sunset than they were met by the astonishing spectre of six black thestrals rising into the sky above the forest -- headed south. To London? They were carrying riders and Cedric didn't even pause for thought before blurring into eagle form and taking off after them.

He hadn't counted on their supernatural speed. He might be an eagle, but even beating his wings as fast as he could manage, he was slipping behind -- and knew it was simply impossible for him to keep up at this pace all the way to the south of England.

One of the figures on the next-to-last thestral turned slightly, as if trying to see behind her. Hermione. He recognized her wild brown hair. Had she spotted him trying to give chase?

Apparently so, as she let go with one hand long enough to wave frantically at him, motioning him to go back. It almost caused her to lose her balance, and for one moment, his heart leapt into his throat as he prepared to dive after her if she slipped. But she righted herself and turned away, and the gap between him and the thestrals inched greater.

He followed stubbornly for a while but was losing them in the twilight, and finally gave up, turning back and cursing mentally. He was almost exhausted by the time he reached Hagrid's hut again. "Bugger those bloody idiots!" he bellowed the moment he was back in human form. Too tired to hold him up, his arms gave way and he wound up flat on his bottom, feeling helpless and scared to death. What did Harry think he was doing, running off to London?

Ed was hauling him up with the help of Peter. "Tell me again," Cedric said to Susan as his friends sat him down on a stump in Hagrid's back yard, "exactly what Ginny told you. Where they're going and what Harry thinks he saw?"

So Susan did. When she was done he rubbed his forehead. "What on earth had possessed Harry to think Voldemort would take Sirius? Could even get to Sirius?"

"Well, apparently they're afraid Sirius might have gone out of . . . wherever it is he's hiding. I didn't quite get that part. But they think he left and was captured."

Possible. Not likely, but possible. Even so, Cedric had his doubts. "How did he know anyway? Harry told me he wasn't getting the nightmares anymore." Bloody liar. "All right, I've got to go after them -- stop them before they can reach the Ministry somehow. Maybe Harry will listen to me. I can Apparate him right to Sirius' -- show him Sirius is fine."

"How the bleedin' hell do you plan to get to London, mate?"

"I dunno. Floo to the Ministry?"

"From where?"

"Umbridge's fireplace, where else?" Then he remembered that his mother had gone into the castle. If he went back there, she'd find him and haul him to London, all right -- but not where he needed to be. "Or never mind. I suppose I'll have to Apparate."

"You can't Apparate from here to London. Even Dumbledore might be hard pressed to do that."

"So what do you suggest?" Cedric snarled, growing impatient.

"We go through my house in Manchester," Scott said, as if it were the obvious solution.

"You're not going along -- "

"The hell I'm not! You aren't going without back-up."

"But this -- "

"Same song and dance as before, yeah?"

"It could wind up being a trap set by Voldemort!"

"What do you think we were in the D.A. for?" Peter asked.

"Not you too."

"All of us," Scott said.

"Except Susan," Ed added.

"What do you mean not me? You can't protect me, Ed Carpenter!"

"You can't Apparate."

"You can -- "

He shook his head, face reddening. "I can't Apparate well enough to take you side-along."

"Susan," Cedric said, "we need somebody to stay behind -- let one of the adults know what's going on."

"Why does it have to be me? Just because I'm a girl -- !"

"No, you being a girl has nothing to do with it. It's because you can't Apparate yet. Ed's right; this distance, even broken up, is going to be hard enough for any of us to manage. Taking you would be dangerous. We need you to go back into the castle, wait about half an hour, then find my mother and tell her everything, all right? I saw her go in there earlier; I'm sure she's looking for me. If you can't find her, find Professor Snape or Remus Lupin -- one of those three -- and tell them the whole story. They'll know what to do. Tell my mother I'm not playing at the hero. I'm going to stop Harry from playing at the hero."

Her face still appeared rebellious, and she was glaring at Ed, but she spun on her heel and stalked away. "Don't you ever try to 'protect' me again, Edward."

"Uh-oh," Scott said with a grin as the three headed by back paths to the front gate, where they could Apparate. "Methinks you'd better come back with flowers, mate."

"Sod off," Ed replied.

Outside the gate again finally, they all looked at Scott. "You remember where my parents' house is?" Scott asked. "Then off we go. One, two, three . . . "

Apparating from Hogwarts to Manchester was half the distance to London, and somewhat greater than apparating from London to Ottery-St.-Catchpole. Cedric and Scott managed it without too much trouble although after his exhausting flight, Cedric felt stretched in every muscle, and Peter splinched some hair, but was otherwise in one piece.

Ed splinched his arm, and was howling more from shock than pain.

But that meant he had to go back to fetch the forearm left behind -- or rather he had to be taken back by Scott -- who returned forty-five minutes later without him. "I told him he wasn't coming further," Scott explained when he reappeared in the machine shed near the ramshackle house he'd grown up in. "He didn't argue."

"What took you so long?" Peter asked. Cedric and Peter had been sitting on bits of equipment, growing increasingly nervous as they waited.

"I had to get him back into the castle to Madam Pomfrey -- without being seen." Scott looked at Cedric. "Your mum's on a rampage, mate -- looked near frantic."

Guilt-stricken, Cedric sighed. "I have to do this. Hermione's down there. Susan will explain it to her."

"I thought you said you weren't playing the hero?" Peter admonished.

"I'm not. But Hermione's down there."

"You sound pretty much the same as Potter, to me."

Getting to his feet on the crutches, Cedric glared. "The difference is that Harry hasn't got a damn clue whether Sirius actually is at the Ministry. I know Hermione is."

Lips thin, Peter turned away. "Ever since you started dating her -- "

"What?" Cedric interrupted, getting right in front of his friend and feeling belligerent.

Scott stepped between them. "Stop it, both of you." He glanced at Peter. "I've got to side with Ced on this one. Harry's chasing Blibbering Humdingers; we're chasing Harry -- there's a difference. We've got to stop him before he does something really stupid. Like get himself killed."

"We could let the adults to do it," Peter pointed out -- very reasonably, which annoyed Cedric.

Scott spoke before Cedric could. "And miss out on all the fun?" Scott was grinning widely, and clapped Cedric's shoulder. "Ready?"

Cedric took a breath. "I think so. What about you? You've Apparated three times already." Despite the enthusiasm in Scott's voice, his eyes were looking tired.

"I don't think we have time to debate it, me."

"What if we Floo there? Just straight into the Ministry?" Cedric's mother wasn't at Scott's house to stop them. But it only occurred to Cedric after he'd suggested it that Scott's family might not have the Floo powder to waste. It wasn't cheap.

And indeed, Scott hesitated but then nodded. "Yeah, that's probably the wiser choice." But he peered at Cedric. "Can you Floo now?"

Cedric nodded. "If I'm sitting down."

"Okay." Scott glanced out the shed door towards the house. "Come on then -- put a Silencing spell on your feet and we'll sneak in. Better if we don't have to explain it to me mum, yeah?"

The downstairs was dark, although candlelight spilled from upstairs windows and down the staircase. Cedric had to move carefully through the kitchen and dining area, to avoid hitting furniture. He could hear the soft murmur of voices and was glad Scott's parents had apparently already eaten. Here at high summer the sun set late. "We're going to have to do this fast," Scott whispered. "They'll hear the Floo."

"No they won't," Cedric whispered back and pointed his wand up, casting a Silencing spell. Nodding, he turned back to Scott. "That should do it. But let me go first, since it takes me the longest to get situated."

"No way," Peter interrupted. "No telling what's waiting for us in the Ministry atrium. I'm going first, or Scott -- wand out."

Cedric glared but Scott was nodding and pulled a small pot down off the mantel, removing the lid and looking in, "Hope there's enough ..." Then he held it out to Peter, who took a handful, stepped into the fireplace and was gone in a flash of green.

Both Cedric and Scott glanced towards the staircase. Silencing spell or not, the flash of light might garner attention. "Go, hurry," Cedric said to Scott.

"But you -- "

"I'll be fine. Hurry."

Scott nodded, took powder and disappeared in green. Cedric was still watching the stairs. So far, so good. Reaching in his pocket, he fetched two galleons and slipped them into the jar of Floo powder before taking a handful and setting the jar back. It was a bit of a trick, getting himself inside the fireplace without falling, but he finally managed and, seated, pulled his wand before saying softly, "Ministry of Magic atrium," as he released the powder and felt the familiar sensation of falling in a spin.

When he rotated to a stop, he tipped over slightly, and his head was spinning a bit but his wand was out. Somebody gripped his wrist and hauled him up.

Scott. "Nobody's here," he said.

"Not Harry -- ?"

"Not anybody," Scott replied. "No security -- nobody."

"That's not good."

"No kidding."

Peter came back to join them near the fireplaces; the sound of his footsteps echoed in the large chamber and he was shaking his head. "Either they beat us here and are gone somewhere else, or they haven't arrived yet. Susan said Harry thought Sirius was being held in the Department of Mysteries."

Cedric nodded although it wasn't a question. He stared at the fountain for a minute while he organized his thoughts. Peter and Scott waited. "I don't want us to split up. If something happened to one of us, we'd have no way to alert the others. Besides, given the fact I'm almost certain this is a trap of some kind, it's best if we stick together if we have to fight anybody. I wish I knew if Harry was already here."

"I think we should wait for the adults," Peter said. "Not wander off anywhere. Susan must have told your mum by now, mate." He was surreptitiously eying Cedric's crutches and while he didn't say anything, Cedric knew exactly what he was thinking. On crutches, Cedric was more of a liability than a help. "I'm sure they have ways to get hold of Dumbledore. You said he was there at the Three Broomsticks when you arrived with Bill Weasley."

"Yeah." Cedric found his throat still closed any time he even thought about mentioning the Order. "Somebody may show up, but I don't think we can count on it." He shifted his weight onto one crutch and scratched at the back of his head. "I wish I knew how fast thestrals can fly. Faster than eagles, that's for sure."

"Is that what you took off after?" Peter asked, and Cedric only then remembered he was probably the only one who'd been able to see them. "We just saw people sort of . . . flying through the air."

"Yeah, they were riding thestrals." Pulling out his pocket watch he glanced at it. Although he wasn't sure of exactly when Harry had left Hogwarts, it had been sunset, and that was almost two hours ago. He wasn't sure even supernatural thestrals could cover the distance from the middle of Scotland to London in two hours. "Let's wait a bit -- see if they arrive."

So they waited, and waited. Nothing happened. The atrium remained empty, the water in the fountain falling in hypnotic rhythm. They talked a bit, but mostly didn't. Cedric wished he had some idea how long was too long, and he was just about to give up and suggest they go down to the Ninth Floor and the Department of Mysteries when the lift at the end of the atrium rumbled to life. All three of them were on their feet, wands out, when the lift stopped and the door opened.

Harry stumbled out, wand extended. Behind him were Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna.

"Cedric!" Hermione exploded out from behind Harry to engulf him in a hug. For just a moment, Cedric wasn't aware of anything but the feel of her back in his arms. "What are you doing here?" she demanded when he let her go. "It's the 21st of June, you big idiot!"

Cedric hadn't even thought of that, or his mother's painting, and didn't have time to worry about it now. "Chasing down you six," he replied. "The larger question is what you think you're doing here?"

Harry's face had quickly transformed from surprise to anger. "Voldemort has Sirius. I know he does. Kreacher as good as admitted it."

Cedric resisted snorting; antagonizing Harry wouldn't convince him of anything. "What makes you think Kreacher wasn't lying?"

"I saw Sirius! In my dreams! The same as I saw Mr. Weasley. VOLDEMORT HAS HIM! Now either help us or get out of the way!"

The rest of them winced, even Scott. Cedric just met his eyes. "I'm not getting out of the way, Harry. It doesn't make any sense that Voldemort would have Sirius; it makes a lot more sense that he might try to trap you by convincing you he did have him. I have a better plan. Let me Apparate you to Sirius'. It'll take only a few minutes at most. I'll show you that he's all right. And if he's not," Cedric added, "we'll help you rescue him."

Both Peter and Scott shot him startled glances, but Cedric was virtually certain that bet was a safe one. Harry was clearly torn, however -- frustrated but perhaps a little less sure of himself. "It wouldn't hurt, Harry," Hermione urged. "Like Cedric says, it'll only take a minute."

"One more minute of Sirius being tortured -- like the time we're wasting standing here talking!"

Cedric pursed his lips. "Stop being a prick," he said bluntly. "I'm trying to help you. Let's go and see if Sirius is safe at home. If he's not, you've got three more wands on your side."

It seemed to take Harry by surprise that Cedric was neither placating him nor outright trying to stop him. He appeared to think about it for a few seconds, then nodded once, sharply. "All right, fine. But make it quick."

Cedric nodded and motioned Harry to his side.

Before Harry could move, however, a series of popping noises announced the arrival of caped and hooded figures all around them. A trap, as Cedric had feared. Scott, Ron, Ginny and Hermione all pulled wands, but the Death Eaters had their own already aimed. "Don't move," one said.

"You won't be going anywhere, I'm afraid," drawled a voice from behind one of the hoods. A voice Cedric knew and hated violently.

Lucius Malfoy.

Inside Cedric, everything went cold.

"Take the Weasley girl," Malfoy said to a shorter figure beside him.

The figure stepped forward to grab Ginny by the hair then shoved her wand tip to the base of Ginny's chin. "Move and I'll melt your brain, little one," said a woman's voice.

"Since you seem to doubt we have one hostage, Potter, you can be certain now that we have another," Malfoy said. "Come to the Hall of Prophecy in the Department of Mysteries if you want her back."

And the figures disappeared again -- taking Ginny with them.


Notes: As people can probably guess from the ending, things begin to diverge from here on out. No, Susan was not originally part of the group helping, but I've included her both for plot reasons and to give Hufflepuff some representation along with Ravenclaw's Luna.