A/N: Whoot! No Homework! No homework. (Our team lost the football game,) but no homework! Anywho, enjoy this next chapter.

Disclaimer: All credits go to J. K. Rowling.

Escaping With Amaranta

Draco Malfoy hated Harry Potter. This was a fact he knew to be true. There was just something he never really understood. Why did he hate him? He felt like he should. After all, this boy was his mortal enemy, and also the idol of his crush's affection. That's reason enough to hate him, right? Draco shook these thoughts out of his head. There was no need to be thinking about that now as he took Potters wand from his chest pocket, as Umbridge had ordered.

"I want to know why you are in my office?" Umbridge said, holding Potter by the hair.

"I was trying to get my Firebolt," he fibbed.

"Liar!" Umbridge shouted, shaking his head, so that a few of Potter's hairs were parting from his head. "We both know you had your head in my fire! Well, who was it? Who were you communicating with? Albus Dumbledore?"

"No one," Harry said through gritted teeth.

"LIAR!" Umbridge shouted and threw him so that his head met with her desk in a very ungraceful fashion.

Malfoy smirked wider. Something he knew for sure, Potter in pain always made him feel giddy. Maybe he didn't need to know why he hated this boy and just hate him. That made things so much simpler. Malfoy turned head when he saw his Slytherin friends holding back those pesky Gryffindor and that crazy Loony Lovegood. Now, all who had ever opposed him, Ron Weasley, and his filthy sister Ginny, Longbottom, Granger, Lovegood, and, of course, Potter were now all at his mercy. He wouldn't lie. It felt good.

Umbridge smiled at the sight of the struggling children. "Well, it seems Hogwarts will be Weasley-free very soon," she scoffed.

Draco let out an obnoxious laugh. The thought of those Weasels finally out of here made him feel twenty pounds lighter.

"You're friends are all captured, Mr. Potter," she spat at him, not even bothering to keep her voice sweet and girly. "There's no one left to help you now. So tell me, who were you talking to?"

"It's none of your business who I talk to," Potter snarled at her.

Umbridge didn't look all too happy at his continued opposition. "Very well," her voice was now so dipped in sugar that Malfoy could feel his blood pressure rise. "You leave me no choice, Mr. Potter. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco, fetch Professor Snape."

Malfoy soon returned with his favorite Slytherin teacher. "You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" he looked around at all of the struggling children with complete indifference.

"Ah Professor Snape," Umbridge smiled widely. "I would like another bottle of Veritaserum to interrogate Mr. Potter, here."

"You already took my last bottle, to interrogate Potter last week," Professor Snape said coolly. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you three drops would be sufficient."

Umbridge flushed angrily. "You can make some more, can't you?" her voice was nearing the danger point.

"Certainly," Snape's eyes were becoming even more icy. "It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I'd have it to you in a month."

"A month?!" Umbridge yelled. "But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just discovered Potter using my fire to communicate with someone!"

"Really?" Snape showed the first slight interest in all of this. "Potter never did respect the rules."

"I wish to interrogate him!" Umbridge told him again.

"I have already told you," Snape gave a slight sigh of annoyance. "It takes a month to-"

"You're on probation!" Umbridge squawked at him. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! Lucius Malfoy always spoke so highly of you. I'm ashamed. Now get out of my office!"

Draco was getting bored with this daft woman's shouting and power-crazed rants, until Potter shouted something very peculiar.

"He's got Padfoot!" Potter shouted desperately to Professor Snape. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it is hidden!"

Snape froze, before he could open the door. Umbridge glanced between the two, full of curiosity. "Padfoot?" Umbridge said. "What's Padfoot? Where what is hidden? what does he mean, Snape?"

"I have no idea," Professor Snape looked at him inscrutably and turned around, and left.

Umbridge seemed to have bought his answer, but Draco was more curious. Why had Potter just shouted something so random at his worst enemy? It made no sense. It must've been code for something, but why tell Professor Snape of all people. Draco was snapped back from his thoughts when he heard Granger scream, "No, Professor Umbridge, that's illegal! The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law!"

"What Cornelius doesn't know, won't hurt him," Umbridge said stiffly, she was pointing her wand at Potter's head. "You won't wriggle out of this one, Potter! Cruc-"

"NO!" Granger shouted, tears in her eyes. "Harry, we'll have to tell her! She'll get the answer out of you anyway. . .what's the point. . .?" Tears were pouring from her eyes, and Millicent Bulstrode, who had been holding her up against the wall, shrank back from her, looking disgusted.

"Well, well, well," Professor Umbridge smiled victoriously. "Looks like Little Miss Know-It-All is finally going to give us some answers! Come on then!"

"Hermoine, no!" Weasley shouted through his busted lip.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but. . .I can't stand it," said Granger. "We were trying to contact Professor Dumbledore, but we don't know where he is. We tried the Leaky Cauldron, the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head-"

"Stupid girl!" Umbridge shrieked, disappointment painted on her face. "Dumbledore would not be sitting in some pub when the whole Ministry's looking for him!"

"But-we needed to tell him it's ready!" Granger wailed.

"What's ready?"

"The. . .weapon," Granger said.

Umbridge seemed to explode with excitement. "A weapon? You have been developing some form of resistance against the Ministry? On Dumbledore's orders, of course?"

"Y-yes," gasped Granger. "We don't r-r-really understand it. We just did what Professor Dumbledore told us to do. . ."

Draco was paying full attention for the first time. The thought of a powerful weapon in his hands. The power he could have. . .

"Lead me to the weapon, girl," Umbridge ordered excitedly. "Just you and me. We'll take Potter along too, shall we?"

"Professor Umbridge, I think some of the Inquisitorial Squad should come with you," he said hopefully.

"I am a fully qualified Ministry Official, Malfoy, do you really believe I cannot manage two wandless kids alone?" she snapped at him sharply. "It doesn't seem like this weapon is something schoolchildren should see, anyways. You will remain here and make sure none of these brats escape."

"Alright," Draco backed down, disappointed.

"Lead on," she shoved her wand into Granger and Potter's backs as they walked out of the office.

Draco waited lazily, sitting in Professor Umbridge's large armchair, spinning about. Because he was spinning around, he didn't notice the flicker of hair near the office window. None of the Slytherins seemed to notice the small tip of wand that lay silently, like a snake ready to strike its prey. Without warning, a small stream of red light struck the sixth-year girl holding Ginny Weasley. The Slytherin girl fell to the floor in a heap, and the others turned to look to see what happened.

The Gryffindors, however, took this chance to revolt upon their attackers. Ginny shot a Bat-Bogey hex at Loony's captor, while Draco, realizing they were under attack, hid behind Umbridge's office chair. Soon the office was a battlefield, with the surprised Slytherins falling left and right, no one really knowing who caused it.

Draco was hoping he would go unnoticed, until he heard them all exclaim, "Amaranta! What are you doing here?!"

He flicked his head around from behind the armchair, and sure enough Amaranta sat on the windowsill, broom in her hand. When did she learn to fly?

"I came to rescue you all," she said, her face calm and blank. "I heard the shouting when I was walking down the hall, and I. . .just couldn't ignore it."

His heart skipped a beat, when her eyes flashed in his direction. She fell to the floor, and held her wand out towards him. "I'd like to say I'm sorry, Draco, but that would be a lie," she said before he was met with a Stunning spell.

While Draco lay unconscious, Amaranta and the others quickly ran down to the grounds, where they met up with Harry and Hermoine. They gave them back their wands, which they had retrieved from their Slytherin enemies. Harry looked at their battle-worn faces and even more at Amaranta's unmarked one.

"How'd you guys get out of there?" he asked Ron.

"Amaranta rescued us," he said. "Well, she knocked out that girl holding Ginny, and then we took care of the rest. Oh, but she hit Malfoy straight in the face with a Stunning Spell! That's gotta hurt! What've you done with Umbridge?"

"She got carried away by a herd of centaurs," Harry said.

"So, has You-Know-Who got Sirius or-?"

"Yes," said Harry impatiently. "And I'm sure he's still alive, so we need to leave now!"

"Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" Luna said in a matter-of-fact tone. "The thestrals have a great sense of direction, I'm sure they can help." Luna pointed over Harry's shoulder, and he turned around to see two of the winged horse zombies watching them from in between two of the trees. Soon more followed.

"Ok, fine, we'll get on the thestrals, but its too dangerous for you four," Harry said to Ginny, Neville, Luna, and Amaranta. "You have nothing to do with this. . ."

"Oh, I think we have plenty to do with it now," Ginny said angrily. "And I'm as worried about Sirius as you are, ya'know!"

"This is different!" Harry protested. "It's too-"

He stopped when Amaranta pointed her wand at him. "I'm going," she said, almost angrily. "Ron explained everything to me. If the Dark Lord is there, then I want to have a chat with him. I. . .want to break free from him once and for all."

Harry looked nervously at her wand, but then gave in. The others gave small cheers as Luna, Harry, and Amaranta helped the others mount the thestrals.

The Ministry was strangely empty. It's usual hustling crowd seemed to have magically vanished, leaving it deserted. Harry looked down the hall of the Department of Mysteries, staring at a door he had seen so many times in his dreams. With a jolt in his stomach, the plain black door swung open, and they entered a circular room. He followed the steps in his dream, walking purposefully toward the door opposite from where they had come. The others followed him, sticking close together in the darkly lit corridors.

"This it!" he cried excitedly, instantly recognizing the room from his dreams. He passed through rows of desks, the room dark. There was a strange blue glow coming from a crystal bell jar with an egg inside of it. Harry ignored it as he walked quickly through the room. There was only one door.

His heart pounded in his head. "It's through here," he told them, gripping his wand tightly as he pushed the door open easily.

They had found the right place. The chamber was as high as a cathedral with towering shelves of nothing, but dusty, glass orbs. The light reflected upon them dimly from the few candles that lit the chamber. He was jogging now, eager to get to the right spot. In his dream, they had been standing at row ninety-seven, the others following him cautiously.

He stopped when he finally found the row and looked down its lonesome row. There was nothing there.

"He's right down the row," Harry said, "You can't see him properly from here. Come on."

He led them down the end of the row, but there was only them standing there. He looked around. they were completely alone. "He should be around. . .here. . ." He began to look frantically past the shelves.

"Harry?" Ron said, he was staring at one of the glass orbs. "Have you seen this? It's got your name on it, mate."

"What?" Harry turned curiously to stand next to Ron. He looked up and tried to read the yellow label beneath the dusty orb. In spidery writing it said:

S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D.

Dark Lord

and (?)Harry Potter

He glanced along the other shelves, but none of the other's names were there.

"I don't think you should touch it, Harry," Hermoine said sharply when he reached out his hand to grab it.

"Why not?" he said. "It's got my name on it."

Feeling reckless, he closed his fingers around the dusty orb. He had expected it to feel cold, but on the contrary, it was radiating warmth, as if a light within had been heating it for hours. He had expected something dramatic to happen. Some flashing lights and colors, or a mystical creature to come out of it, but nothing whatsoever happened. The others moved in closer to star at the dusty orb.

And then, a familiar voice from behind them said, "Very good, Potter. Now turn around and give that to me."