Chapter15:
McGonagall was fuming, how could she have let the Carrows take Harriet? She sighed and strode out of the Ravenclaw common room. She heard Flitwich squeak behind her:
¡°er Minerva …" but he did not follow. She continued down the stairs and down onto the corridor beyond. There she could see a window, out of which she could see the main grounds, and right beneath her the great oak front doors. It was not until she had stopped in front of it and looked down did she notice the set of foot steps that were following her. Flitwich had obviously chosen to follow her after all.
But he was not who came down from the stairs. It was Miss Lovegood.
¡°what are you doing?"
¡°you have to get Harriet away from them, I came to help" Luna was sounding more matter of fact than McGonagall had ever heard her.
¡°but that is impossible Lovegood, we can not intervene with the law"
¡°but Harriet isn't muggle born"
¡°and would you like to explain to some death eaters that she isn't muggle born, but that she's Potters sisters instead" McGonagall snapped "frankly I think she's almost safer as a muggle born"
¡°but …" Luna tried to argue. She needed Harriet hear to counter McGonagall. "but couldn't we at least go to the hearing"
¡°what would be the point?" McGonagall snapped. She was becoming more and more irritable that she couldn't do anything.
¡°what do suggest then professor?" Luna asked.
¡°I don't know! I can't think of anything we can do!" she had not meant to shout at Lovegood, she knew she just wanted to help. But she felt hopeless.
¡°we need to see Snape, he had stop them" Luna suggested.
The moment she heard that McGonagall started walking. Luna hurried along behind her, holding an odd coin.
¡°what are you doing Luna?" McGonagall asked.
¡°contacting the DA, they need to know"
¡°no!" McGonagall snapped. "don't tell them anything until we're sure we can't do anything else."
Luna nodded. She realised that contacting the DA would just cause panic.
¡°look!" Luna suddenly cried pointing out of the nearest window.
Bellow them they could quite clearly see two people who appeared to be helping along another.
¡°it must be them. We have to go something!" Luna cried.
¡°Luna there is nothing we can do"
¡°yes there …" Luna fell silent at the sight of the two things that where moving towards the three figures on the lorn.
¡°how dare they!" McGonagall whispered. "a Hogwarts student, Dumbledore …" she never finished her sentence as she let out a gasp.
Luna saw them too and her eyes grew wide as the huge cloaked figure made there way towards where the Carrows and Harriet were. At the sight of the figures however the two cowardly Carrows turned and ran. Harriet was left lying on the damp ground.
¡°dementors" McGonagall whiskered next to her. "DEMENTORS!" she said more loudly. "Dementors at Hogwarts! How could they?"
the two Dementors bent down.
¡°NO!" shrieked professor McGonagall and something white shot from the end of her wand. It sped towards the two creature mow bending low over the uncontentious Harriet. Suddenly they straitened up and gazed with empty eyes at the approaching patroness.
¡°Go! Go! Go!" Luna was muttering under her breath.
The dementors left just as the tabby reached them.
¡°aaaaaaawww!" McGonagall let out a cry of pain.
Harriet was gone.
Harriet woke.
She was cold, cold, cold. Her mind was black, no she could hear screaming, fante, distant but still quite clear. Threatening to drag her back into darkness.
She could not move. She tried to lift her arm, something was holding her down.
She opened her eyes. She was in a room, it was dark, high ceilinged and cold, extremely cold. There were no windows, the brightest light came from above and in front of her.
Then she heard a noise, a slight high-pitched giggle. There was only one person Harriet knew who sounded like that; Deloris Jane Umbrage.
Then she began to speak:
¡°disciplinary hearing of the 12th September" her voice was hight and just as always. "accused, Harriet Dursley resident at Bulldog Cottage House, Yorkshire" she gave a little cough at this point, as though clearing her throat.
In the silence the distinct scratchings of a quill could be heard. "interrogator: Deloris Jane Umbrige. scribe: Mathalda Rose Hopkin" Umbrige giggled. "now we will begin, are you ready?"
Harriet sat up a little straighter, trying to banish the faint screams from her head.
Then she nodded.
¡°good" Umbrige giggled again. Harriet felt sick. "Miss Harriet Dursley, Parents unknown you are hear today on the charge of having stolen magic from a witch or wizard. Who was that?"
Harriet froze. How could someone steel magic?
¡°Miss Dursley id this your want?" Umbrige asked, her robes rustled as she held something up.
What should she reply? She couldn't see the wand, but what was the likely-hood of it being the wrong want? She didn't have a way to get out of this.
¡°yes it is" she replied, Harriet tried desperately not to make her voice shack, she did not want to seem afraid.
¡°from which witch or wizard did you take this" Umbrige enquired.
¡°I didn't take it from anyone" Harriet's voice was stronger now, but so where the screams in her head, the coldness seemed to be coming closer. "i bought it from Olivander's when I was eleven"
¡°no you didn't Miss Dursley, muggles can't buy wands" Umbrige was almost laughing now.
¡°I didn't steal it!" Harriet cried trying to free her arms, they were chained down.
¡°take her away!" Umbrige ordered.
The screaming get louder. "not Harry! Not Harriet!"
¡°stand aside girl! Stand aside!"
Harriet was falling, falling through darkness, cold darkness.
¡°not Harriet!"
she tried to cover her ears, she did not want to listen any longer.
But she could not move, she was trapped.
She could hear, the low padding of paws on carpet. The sounds came closer and seemed to speed up. Barks began, then more and more.
Harriet writhed, she did not want to relive those times.
She tried to think, to control her own thoughts. But nothing come.
Only the sound of Marge as she raged round the house.
The noises continued, a constant mass of misery and pain. The sound chair as it splinted above her head, Marge was in a rage.
The fantastic barks of ripper as he chased her round the garden.
The gearing cries of her primary school.
The ominous clank of Umbrige's brailing machine.
The cold breath of the dementors.