Chapter four: Rebellion

"Come on in, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said when it was time for Hermione's career appointment. On her way in, she passed Neville who nodded to her in a secretive and at the same time assuring way.

"You have this," he whispered as they exchanged.

Hermione hadn't been nervous, but she straightened anyway when he said that- her head held high when she saw Umbridge perched in a chair with her infuriating clipboard. And she understood why Neville was offering support. So she held her head higher.

"Miss Granger," McGonagall said, commanding Hermione's attention away from Umbridge softly. "We are here to discuss any career options you might be interested in, and advisement on how to achieve it. Have you... had any thoughts on where you would like to do after Hogwarts?"

Of course Hermione had. It was what she did, think. She thought ahead. She'd been thinking about career options in the magical world from her first year, and the one she'd settled on since her fourth. Hermione sat down in the offered chair, her back to the 'headmistress'.

"Yes," she said, trying not to think about what Umbridge could be doing while Hermione couldn't see her. She didn't trust the woman, and she used that term loosely, when she could see her. But McGonagall could see her, and Hermione trusted her.

"I'd like to find a position that would allow me to help rally for creature rights."

She saw pride shine in her mentor's eyes and felt even more emboldened. McGonagall smiled, glancing behind at Umbridge and Hermione resisted the urge to do the same. "Well, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is the second biggest department in the Ministry."

Hermione nodded. Of course she knew that. "I find myself hesitant to consider a Ministry position. I'd like to do some good in the world."

McGonagall was obviously trying not to smirk and failing, covering the whole thing with a cough. Umbridge sputtered. "Miss Granger! I will have you know that the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures does plenty good! We've pushed the centaurs back further away from the school-"

"I want to do more with my life than force creatures out of their rightful homes and make it harder for them to take care of themselves," Hermione said conversationally, aimed to McGonagall. "I would like to help werewolves and house elves to gain more rights."

There was an offended and outraged scoff from Umbridge.

"Is there anything you would recommend that isn't part of the Ministry?" Hermione asked.

Professor McGonagall moved her brochures around to find a few. "I'm sure you know about the dragon reserves."

Hermione grimaced, remembering Harry trying to outfly his Horntail in the tournament. "I don't think that is what I was looking for."

"Well, I'm afraid there isn't much outside of the Ministry. Curse-breakers work with goblins."

"I'm not one for banking, I'm afraid."

McGonagall looked disgruntled. "Well... it's a department of the Ministry, but it's fairly isolated. There are liaisons that speak for various creatures."

"Speak for them?" Umbridge asked, obviously confused. "Why would you want to speak for those beasts? They're dangerous!"

"You make them dangerous when you threaten and destroy their lives," Hermione defended, thinking about Remus. "I believe there are ways to help magical creatures and protect their rights in a way everyone can live together in peace. We are already fighting a war, whether you choose to see it or not, and there doesn't need to be another that you seem to be cultivating with such dangerous things as the Werewolf Registry!"

"You're one of Potter's friends!" Umbridge accused. "I suppose you'll tell me as well that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?"

"He is," Hermione insisted, "and his name is Voldemort."

"Rubbish!"

"Silence!" McGonagall said sternly, hushing them both up; Hermione in embarrassment and Umbridge in irritation at being told what to do. "Miss Granger, I think those are wonderful ideas. You'll need a NEWT in Care of Magical Creatures, of course, which I don't think you'll find difficult, and another in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

There was an interrupting cough from Umbridge and McGonagall spoke over it. "It might also be prudent for you to continue in your Potions as well. I would have suggested Divination to help with some of the creatures such as centaurs, but I understand you left that class at the end of your third year. Also, Astronomy. There are too many species to name that take that into consideration and as a liaison or speaker, you'll need to understand them all. I'm sure there are people you could speak to about that."

Yes, she could always talk to Hagrid. And Remus. Umbridge coughed again.

"Are you dying?" McGonagall asked sharply.

Umbridge sat up straighter and looked as close as she could to innocent. "No, but I'm afraid you've missed the part where you warn Miss Granger of the dangers, and explain why there is need for control."

"Control?" Hermione asked lightly. "Guidance and regulations, I understand completely, but the Ministry doesn't seem to want to guide so much as it wants to control and be tyrannical." She stood to leave, glancing in Umbridge's general direction without making eye contact that might have turned Hermione to stone. "Tyranny, I'm sure you'll find, Headmistress, breeds rebellion."

That's exactly what happened when they left their Defense Against the Dark Arts class that afternoon, away from their silent reading and Umbridge's constant glare at their table. It took her and her friends a moment or two to recognize the screams, and what they were a signal of. It was Harry's diversion, the one that would hopefully keep Umbridge busy enough that Harry could speak to Sirius.

"Harry," Hermione tried weakly, knowing she wouldn't be able to stop him from going. "Please..."

But he hitched his bag higher on his shoulder and ran forward, disappearing into the crowd. Hermione and Ron watched him go for a moment, before Hermione sighed and ran after him.

"He can make up his own mind, Hermione," Ron called, following her- obviously under the impression she was still trying to stop him from doing it.

"We have to make sure he isn't caught," she insisted, running back to Umbridge's office. She could see Harry ahead of her, not having enough of a head start that she couldn't catch up. "Harry!"

They all stopped outside the door, the hallway it was situated in abandoned. Harry had his Invisibility Cloak out and Sirius' knife. "I'm doing it, Hermione."

"Well, go on then, and hurry. Ron and I will keep look out."

Harry was surprised that she wasn't fighting him anymore, but this year had changed everyone. So he watched she and Ron go to opposite sides of the corridor to watch for people and he ducked under the cloak. Her office was empty, aside from the awful kittens on the plates frolicking freely on the walls. On the mantle, was the jar of Floo powder. He glanced around carefully again before uncovering himself and grabbing a handful of the glittering dust.

"Number Twelve Grimmauld Place," he said clearly into the fire, dropping the powder and looking away from the too bright green flames until they settled and he carefully stuck his face in.

It was a strange feeling. He'd traveled by Floo before, and didn't like it, but it felt very similar on a smaller scale. He could feel part of his body in Umbridge's office, but he could see a man at the end of the long dining table in Grimmauld Place- reading a paper.

"Sirius?"

It was not Sirius, but Lupin that he obviously gave a fright. He jerked his paper down, mangling the thing, and jumped to his feet; settling when he saw Harry's face in the fireplace. "Harry? What's happened? Is everything alright?"

Harry felt insecure again. This wasn't exactly what one might call an emergency. "Yeah. I just wondered, I mean, I just fancied a- a chat with Sirius."

"Okay," Lupin said slowly, looking perplexed. "I'll go get him for you."

Harry waited awkwardly, his knees protesting at kneeling on the stone floor of Umbridge's office. A few moments later, Lupin returned with Sirius. Five minutes at least had gone by since he'd come into the office, Harry was overly aware, and Fred and George had only promised him twenty. So Harry barely said hello before launching into his story about finding his Glow, learning of his mother's friendship with Snape, and seeing Snape's memory in the Pensieve.

Sirius and Lupin seemed stunned at the end of it, both having smiled in the beginning about Daphne- an expression that turned into one of discomfort at the end of it. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes.

"I forgot," Sirius said quietly, looking haunted. "I forgot that she used to do that. She was always looking for a cause that needed her loyalty and defense."

"Harry," Lupin addressed him, giving Sirius a concerned look, "you mustn't judge your father for what you saw there. He was only fifteen."

"I'm fifteen," Harry said, hating that Lupin was talking to him like a child and quite unsure who he was defending.

Sirius seemed to snap out of wherever he was and tried to placate Harry. "Look, Harry, James and Snape hated each other from the moment they laid eyes on each other and Snape's friendship with Lily only made it worse. It wasn't very unlike the hatred you and Draco Malfoy have for each other."

"We don't hate each other anymore," Harry told him, thinking about their Veritaserum meetings in the dungeons. "He's Daphne's friend."

"Harry, everyone is stupid at fifteen."

"Hermione isn't."

Sirius sighed. "She's a bit of a special case, isn't she? And I meant all fifteen year old boys are stupid and beastly and should probably be locked up in a box from twelve to twenty until their hormones settle. James was a bit of an arrogant berk, we all were. It was easy to get carried away."

Harry tried to accept what Sirius was saying, and in some way he did, but another part of him wanted to say more in Snape's defense. But as they'd said his third year... Snape gave as good as he got. Harry knew from experiences with Malfoy, sometimes Malfoy won and sometimes he won.

"Well, Dad and Mum were each other's Glow, right? So that would have settled things."

"Isn't Mate Animae Meae usually a seventh year potion," Lupin asked quietly, looking awkward. "We didn't brew it until seventh, that is."

Harry perked up at this. "You've both taken it? Did you find your Glows?"

Sirius seemed to shrink into himself and Lupin gave him a look that clearly said he wasn't going to explain it. Harry momentarily wondered if it was each other. But Sirius grimaced.

"Harry, you must understand that not all soulmates are romantic. You can have a soulmate that you only want to be friends with. It's not terribly uncommon."

"And it was a long time ago," Lupin interjected for him.

"Yes," Sirius said gladly, "a very long time ago. An age."

Harry eyed them both suspiciously. "Who was it?"

Sirius twitched his nose. "Well, you see, it was Lily."

Harry's green eyes widened before narrowing accusingly. "My mum! What about Dad? You-you-"

"Nothing ever came of it," Sirius said. "I would never have done that to James, and Lily was never more than a sister to me. They weren't even going out yet. Soulmates are very difficult things."

"You should have seen the shiner James gave him," Lupin said.

Harry felt sick to his stomach at the thought. He'd always thought that his parents fell in love at first sight, love written in the stars- or, that's how it seemed everyone like to describe it. Now he found that his mum hated his dad for the majority of their years at Hogwarts, and they weren't even meant for each other. "If you and Mum were mates, then who was Dad's."

"As far as I know," Lupin said, obviously thinking back as he spoke, "he never found his."

Sirius shook his head to confirm. "If you ask me, it's a meddlesome potion that doesn't need to be in the curricular. All it does is cause trouble."

"Daphne isn't trouble," Harry told him with an intense expression.

"Maybe not," Lupin said carefully, as though sensing danger, "but I know how James was after Sirius and Lily found out they were soulmates, even if they were only friends, and even more that he never found his."

Harry thought about Hermione, who also hadn't found hers, and how quiet it seemed to have made his friend. Sirius spoke suddenly and passionately. "I don't care what some potion said. James and Lily were soulmates. That's what I told James then, and that's how I feel now."

Lupin looked uncomfortable, looking from his friend to Harry to explain. "You see, Harry, whether soulmates are strangers or platonic or not- there's a sort of bond between them that is different from anyone. Daphne, you said it was? I remember her, her father is a good man. Tell me, do you have this strange feeling that you could always find her? That you always seem to know where she is even if you don't?"

Harry nodded slowly.

"No, Remus. He's too young to worry about that."

"That doesn't change, Harry," Lupin said sadly. "That's how Sirius knew something went wrong in Godric's Hollow. That's how he knew something bad had happened."

Sirius stopped him, pleading with Lupin to stop, but Harry understood. Sirius had felt it when his mother died, and he constantly felt her absence.

The story of Fred, George, and Angelina's departure became legend quickly, being retold over and over and each time with new additions. One day the twins were said to have dumped a bucket of hippogriff dung over Umbridge, other days they set her on fire, but each story was told with pride and a whisper of mutual rebellion. There were plenty of students vying for the leftover position of Troublemaker, each trying to outdo their peers in how angry they could make Umbridge and get away with it. There was never a shortage of people willing to make a diversion for other students when they needed it. This came in handy to allow Hermione and their group to sneak into the dungeons to meet the others.

"Took you long enough, didn't it?" Malfoy complained halfheartedly, in an almost friendly tone.

Hermione only smiled, watching him go back to his conversation with Ron about Quidditch- with Harry making remarks from his own conversation about the muggle world with Daphne. Lavender and Astoria had formed a strange friendship, built on talk of silks and satins and shoes. Ginny and Neville seemed to be humoring Luna with her talk of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.

"Who all is up to three drops?" She asked unnecessarily. She, Harry, Neville, Luna, and Malfoy were up to three drops of Veritaserum. Ginny, Lavender, Daphne, and Ron were at two. Astoria was still having trouble with one.

Once everyone was drugged, Helga and Godric asked their questions. It was a competition between Malfoy and Harry and even Neville as to who could progress faster. Surprisingly, it seemed Neville was faster at making it to the next mark.

"Draco," Godric began, with Malfoy having become his favorite aside from Harry. That was a competition between the two as well. "What is your boggart?"

Malfoy's cheeks pinkened and he mumbled. "A niff- hippogriff."

He breathed heavily, again as though he had been holding his breath. Harry chuckled before he was asked, "What is your biggest regret?"

It was sobering to hear him say that it was leading Cedric to the graveyard when he said they should take it together. Daphne held his hand and laid her head on his shoulder, and Helga seemed keen to move on.

"Astoria, your favorite instrument."

"Cel- piano!" She groaned. "I'm never going to get to two drops."

"You're only thirteen," Daphne pacified. "No one expects you to be good at it immediately. And not everyone will get to six. You're doing fine."

Lavender was next, making it to three with saying she hated pink. Ron rewarded her with a kiss, following her shortly by saying that he wanted to be in Slytherin. Neville made it to four, as did Luna. Ginny made it to three, and just before they left the room, Astoria joined her sister for two drops.

"Harry," Daphne said to him before they left, glancing traitorously at Hermione. "I think you should go to Professor Snape and ask to continue your Occlumency lessons."

"You told her?!" Harry asked, somewhat forcefully. "Hermione!"

"Yes, she did, and I think she's right. You've told me about those dreams. They sound serious!"

Hermione felt slightly guilty about ratting him out to his... whatever their relationship was... but Daphne had come to her in concern about his health and dreams. Said he wasn't sleeping right because of them. And Ron had mentioned them in passing as well.

"I know you're not being truthful about why they stopped," Hermione said. "I don't know what happened, but you need to continue them."

"What are you lot talking about?" Malfoy asked.

Harry snarled, "None of your business!" and he left.

Daphne sighed. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I'll talk to him."

And she left too.

Hermione had had better days. She'd had worse days, of course, but being picked up by a young giant was not at the top of her bucket list. Of course, she couldn't blame him. Really, he was a child in giant terms, and children liked to grab things. Be it shiny objects... or tiny people. She'd never felt tinier than when she told Grawp to put her back down, his head bigger than an auto car.

"You'll come take care of him then?" Hagrid asked cautiously. "With Dumbledore gone, I don't expect I'll be here much longer. I'm expecting it any day now, but someone's got ter look af'er Grawpy here."

"Of course we will," Hermione promised, with Harry nodding.

Hagrid sniffed and pulled them both into a tight squeeze. "Proud o' yer both. An' Ron, o' course."

Harry pulled away, face red from lack of oxygen. "It won't be for long if it happens," he promised. "They can't keep Dumbledore away for long. He'll be back. You'll see."

Hermione hoped so. Umbridge was getting worse, though they hadn't thought it possible. She was giving people detentions left and right, at least ten a day and they all left her office rubbing the back of their hands. Hermione herself had I will hold my tongue etched eternally in the back of her hand. And exams were closing in.

"Don't worry so much, Granger," Malfoy told her at the end of one of their Veritaserum meetings. Now, everyone was at three or four drops. Except for Neville, who was at five. "Marchbanks is fair."

"I heard she's strict," Hermione argued nervously, a text book in her hand. She'd taken to reading as she walked.

"Bit like Gran, actually," Neville offered. "But fair. No nonsense- you'll like her, I'm sure."

If you knew where to go, who to ask, there was a large secret market of sorts selling aids to concentration, mental agility, and wakefulness. In confiscating all of the above, Hermione wouldn't admit to being very tempted. But there was no actual proof that any of it worked, and half of the things people were selling and buying wasn't actually what they were claiming it was. Like dried doxy droppings.

Their first exam, was Charms. Hermione read the text for it seven times in the two weeks leading up to it, reviewed as best as she could with their group, and reread the parts she still had problems with at breakfast the day of. No one seemed keen on talking, either still half asleep from late nights of review, or nervousness at their exams. Though, afterward Hermione wouldn't admit to Harry and Ron that it wasn't half as hard as she'd expected it to be. When she went to spout off about her answers, they both stopped her.

"Hermione, there are still more exams. Review after we're done with them all."

The first of their group to take their practical Charms, all standing together waiting for their names to be called, was Lavender. She looked as though she'd seen a ghost, shaking as Ron wished her good luck. She didn't come back when more were called, including Hermione and Daphne. Daphne didn't seem very nervous, her back straight and her head high in her aristocratic fashion. Hermione felt sick, though logically she knew it very unlikely she would fail.

"Miss Granger," Professor Flitwick greeted with a grin, she knew very well she was a favorite of his, and pointed. "Professor Marchbanks is available. Good luck."

She gripped her vine wand tightly as she walked over to the woman. She'd give anything to be tested by Tofty, who was less known and looked a lot less intimidating. Daphne went to Tofty instead, sharing a nod with Hermione.

"Miss Granger," Marchbanks said flatly. "I've heard a lot about you, but I will not let that influence your grade just because you're a favorite. Now. Show me your color changing charm."

Hermione successfully made her rat blue, made her teacup dance when she was asked to, and her levitation charm was just as good as when she'd learned it. Their group made it through Charms fairly well, with only Ron giving cause for concern when he caused his plate to turn into a large mushroom- though he had no idea how he'd done so.

"I was supposed to make it dance," he explained, "and I couldn't decide if I wanted it to waltz or tango, then suddenly it was a mushroom!"

She had done, she thought, extremely well in their Transfiguration exam- her rat making a lovely silver goblet with no sign of fur or tail. Neville, it was very clear he could expect an O in Herbology. He'd helped her study for it, helped them all study as they had begun to meet in the dungeons to review and talk than just test themselves against Veritaserum. Harry, however, stole the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam with his Patronus. It seemed after he did that, everyone who'd been in the DA was offering to show theirs as well. Her Ancient Runes, was awful. It was her favorite subject, but one couldn't tell it was if she couldn't even distinguish 'defense' from 'partnership'.

"Someone's let another niffler into Umbridge's office," Ginny reported when she entered their room in the dungeons- late.

"How did they get it through the new door?" Lavender asked.

"Nifflers can squeeze through any type of door," Astoria told her. "It was in Care of Magical Creatures."

Hermione sighed. "What is Hagrid thinking, putting that on an exam when she already thinks it was him!"

Daphne pointed out that he was teaching when the latest one was let loose, but Umbridge wouldn't care about specifics. She'd make him leave for no reason more than he looked at her funny, which made Hermione wonder why he was still there. A question that was, unfortunately, answered the next night in their Astronomy practical.

"Harry," Daphne had whispered, bringing the scene to their attention.

Whispers rose around the Tower as everyone became aware of the situation in a wave. Down the hill at Hagrid's hut, there were at least a dozen people at his door demanding entrance. Hagrid came into view, only for him to be hidden behind each person shooting a red jet at him to Stun.

"No!" Hermione cried.

"My dear!" Tofty said, scandalized. "This is an examination! There needs to be sil-"

But no one was listening as the people seemed to be shouting down the hill. Hagrid was still standing, the curses seeming to glide off of him. Dawlish was down there, one of the people from Dumbledore's office when he left, telling Hagrid to "be reasonable".

Fang the hound came running from the house to defend Hagrid, only to fall victim to a Stunner. Hagrid roared, a sound that was loud even to the fifth years in the Astronomy Tower, and threw the person responsible- who landed ten feet away and did not get back up.

"Your friend is only making it worse," Malfoy insisted, not being able to look away even when Parvati drew their attention to McGonagall.

Hermione watched her run down the hill to Hagrid's aide as well, in an anger Hermione had never seen her in. "How dare you! Leave him alone! Alone, I say! On what grounds-"

Everyone in the Tower, even the Slytherins, screamed when no less than six Stunners hit her dead in the chest. The red light seemed to illuminate her, making her seem as an avenging hero, before she flew back off of her feet and landed with a sound like a hollow pumpkin. She didn't get up.

Everyone departed to their own common rooms, where in Gryffindor the story spread quickly. People at first accepted that it was about the nifflers being set in Umbridge's office, then recognized that she was probably jumping at the chance to sack him whether she had cause or not. Still, Lee Jordan (the niffler wrangler) seemed very upset that it might have been his fault.

Their last exam was History of Magic. And during it, just as Hermione was finishing her own exam, Harry fell to the floor shouting and grabbing at his scar. And, no matter what she overheard Tofty saying to him, she knew it had to be Voldemort. She let him go, leading the rest of their group to find him after the bell to end the exam rang.

"Voldemort's got Sirius."

A/N: So, obviously next chapter will have the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. If next chapter does have her Glow, then the chapter after that will. So... it's coming up. I hope you all liked this chapter. Let me know in the towel section.

Dasvidanya, Mia