It's been a while, but now that RL isn't nagging me so much, I finally managed to get back to writing. The DoM massacre comes with the next chapter, and I hope I'll manage to write it in the next few days.
Chapter 9
The return of the students also brought with it new meetings of the DA on top of classes and everything else.
Things were going well until one particular DA meeting when while they were practicing the Patronus charm, Harry felt a large group trip his outermost ward. Considering the location and the hour, there was only one reason for that many people coming here. Quickly blowing the whistle around his neck, he shouted. "We've been discovered. Everyone get back to your dorms."
By the time half of the people were out, Harry felt the secondary ward being breached, and when the third alarm sounded off, only he and Hermione were left.
They rushed out, the door vanishing behind them. They just turned around the corner when Harry felt an invisible force trip him. Thanks to centuries of training and inhuman reflexes, he managed to stop himself before he fell, and even managed to catch Hermione before she slammed on the ground.
A moment later, they were surrounded by Slytherin students, and from the nauseating smell in the air, Umbridge was with them.
"Oh, it seems we caught the ringleader. Well done Draco, fifty points to Slytherin. See if you can round up more, they couldn't have gone far."
Umbridge grinned widely as she searched them both, taking their wands and the DA contract from Harry.
Meanwhile, Harry was busy glaring at Malfoy, who seemed too smug for his own good. 'That's it. I don't care how, but by the end of the year, one of them dies. Hope I manage to get them both.'
Lantrisi were violent, but they did not kill without a reason. To get under their skin took monumental effort, and that was something that Umbridge and Malfoy had the unwanted honor of accomplishing.
As they were lead towards the Headmaster's office, Harry's mind was too busy with images of various methods of killing Umbridge and Malfoy to contemplate anything else.
However, when they walked in, and Harry saw who was in the room, his mind rapidly went over a series of possible scenarios.
Dumbledore was sitting serenely behind his desk, while McGonagall was standing, stern faced next to it. The Minister and his assistant, one Percy Weasley if he remembered right were oh the other side of the desk. A pair of Aurors were standing guard near the door, while a huddled figure with their robe over their head stood in the corner. He recognized one of them, having met the man at the Order headquarters that summer.
Harry caught Dumbledore's eye, and signaled to the hidden knife he wore that Dumbledore knew about. The man gave a negative signal just as the man in question spoke.
"So Potter, do you know why you're here?" The portly man asked with a grin.
"No sir." Harry replied in his usual calm tone.
"So, you're not aware you have broken any school rules? Or Ministry decrees?"
"Not that I'm aware of." Harry continued calmly.
"So, you are not aware that an illegal student organization was discovered within the school?" Fudge was getting angry from his calm tone.
"Not to my knowledge no." Harry sounded remarkably convincing, deciding to play ignorant to the whole thing. It seemed Dumbledore caught on to the game as well, as his eyes showed a light twinkle that wasn't present a moment ago.
"I think we'll have more luck with our informant, Minister." Umbridge pointed to the huddled figure.
After a minute of coaxing, the figure pulled the robe down to reveal the ugliest hag ever seen in the magical world, making more then one person gasp and step back.
"Unfortunately, Minister, the group apparently had some sort of contract, and all Ms. Edgecombe managed to tell me was that if I went to hidden room on the seventh floor tonight, I would find something useful. She admitted that there was supposed to be some sort of meeting, but at that point, this curse activated, with what I also believe to be a strong silencing charm." Umbridge said impatiently.
"Don't we have a counter-curse for this?" Fudge said impatiently.
"I have been unable to reverse either, so far." Umbridge admitted.
'Like an incompetent moron like you could undo a Lantrisi enchantment. Pity I couldn't make it permanent.' Harry grinned inwardly.
"It doesn't matter Minister, I can continue from here. As I informed you last October, Potter had met several students in the Three Broomsticks, as witnessed by plenty of patrons that day. Several people present that day informed me of this meeting.
I was informed that the purpose of this meeting was to persuade these students to join an illegal society, whose purpose would be to study spells the Ministry had decided were inappropriate for school age…"
"I think you'll find you're wrong here Dolores." Dumbledore interrupted her. Privately, Harry had a good feeling what he would say, and he was not disappointed.
"Let's hear your cock-and-bull story then, Dumbledore." Fudge seemed ready to burst.
"Cornelius, no one here would deny that Harry was there that day, nor that he was trying to recruit members for a Defense against the Dark Arts group. I am simply saying that Dolores is wrong to say that this action was illegal, since the Ministry Decree banning such groups didn't come into effect until two days after this, so that would mean, Harry was not breaking any rules at the time." Both Fudge and Umbridge had a sour look on their face when they heard that, but Umbridge quickly recovered.
"That's fine Dumbledore, but if the first meeting was legal, all those that followed were not."
"I agree, if such meetings did indeed take place. Do you have any evidence of this Dolores?" Dumbledore asked amused.
"Evidence? Why do you think Ms. Edgecombe is here, Dumbledore?" Umbridge smiled.
"Oh, I was under the impression she was merely reporting a meeting tonight." Dumbledore continued serenely.
"Ms. Edgecombe, tell us how long have these meetings been going on. Just nod your head; I'm sure it won't make it any worse." Umbridge turned to the girl, who was trying her best to hide her face with her robes.
Harry was going to do something, but noticing Shacklebolt cast something at the girl, decided to stay put for the moment.
"Have they been happening for the last six months?" Umbridge asked.
Marietta stood still for a moment, then surprisingly, shook her head.
"What do you mean, my dear? There were meetings these last six months, right?" Umbridge was getting angry.
Again, Marietta shook her head.
"It appears that there had been no meetings, Dolores." Dumbledore smiled.
"Dolores, the meeting tonight, the one we DO know happened…" Fudge said in a tired voice.
"Yes, Minister. After Ms. Edgecombe tipped me off, I proceeded to the seventh floor with several trustworthy students, so as to catch them in the act. However, they appeared to be forewarned about my arrival, as by the time we got there, most of them were gone. But that doesn't matter, as we have all their names on this list, which I retrieved from Mr. Potter." She handed Fudge the DA contract.
"Excellent, Dolores, excellent, and, by thunder!" Fudge exclaimed.
"See what they named themselves. Dumbledore's Army." Fudge whispered.
Feeling that this has gone on long enough, Harry, who was standing close to the Aurors, moved like a flash and jabbed both men in a specific pressure point that would instantly knock them out.
Before anyone else could react to this attack, Harry had pulled his wand and stunned Percy and Marietta and disarmed Fudge and Umbridge.
"Phase one is complete, Headmaster. The army is standing by for phase three." Harry grinned evilly.
"Then we should proceed with phase two." Dumbledore grinned as well, not above a little fun at the expense of the man that's been giving him so much trouble lately.
"What is the meaning of this, Dumbledore?" Fudge hissed.
"Ask not for whom the bell tolls, Minister. It tolls for thee." Harry recited as he pulled out his combat dagger with his left hand from within his robes.
The man paled like a sheet and stared nervously at the vicious blade as Harry walked calmly towards him. He was just within striking distance when a pair of stunners hit them both.
"Spoilsport. I was this close to making him soil his robes." Harry pouted as he put his dagger away.
"As entertaining that was, I fear we can't waste time. I will need to alter their memories of this night." Dumbledore walked up to the Minister and pointed his wand at the man's head.
"So, what happens now?" Harry asked as he sat down, waiting for Dumbledore to finish.
"Now, I leave Hogwarts for a while, thanks to having my evil plot exposed. I trust you will be able to handle things by yourselves?" He turned to both Harry and McGonagall.
"We'll manage." Now get out, we'll wake them up." Harry grinned as Dumbledore grabbed his phoenix's tail and vanished in a ball of fire.
"Now that's an exit." Harry whistled as he and McGonagall revived the group.
"Where is he?" Fudge roared as he stood up.
"The stairs." The unknown Auror shouted and rushed down, followed by Shacklebolt, Umbridge and Percy.
"Well, Minerva, this seems to be the end of your friend Dumbledore." Fudge spoke nastily.
"You think so, do you?" She replied, but he didn't seem to hear as he looked around the office.
"You better get those two to bed." Fudge pointed at Harry and Marietta and rushed down the stairs.
"Come you two. Potter, before you go, could you…" She pointed at Marietta.
"I really shouldn't, but why not." He cast a few spells, and Marietta returned to normal.
"I can get back on my own, Professor. Good night." He said and him too, rushed down the stairs.
The fallout of Dumbledore's escape could be felt even weeks afterwards. Umbridge was quickly appointed the new Headmistress, but to her annoyance, the Headmaster's office had locked and refused to open no matter how hard she tried.
Also, the school erupted in pure chaos as prank after prank followed Umbridge like she was the harbinger of chaos.
In the midst of all this havoc, Harry remained his usual calm self, not letting anything disrupt his activities.
After all the mayhem the students had endured since Dumbledore's departure, the chaos of the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams came as a gentle reprieve for the fifth and seventh year students.
For Harry, passing the tests was incredibly simple, and the exam week passed in his usual relaxed nature.
It was during the last exam that he was interrupted by a vision from Voldemort. It didn't take him long to discern the validity of the vision, and the realization that the whole thing was a trap made his face split into a wide grin, which fortunately, no one saw since his head was ducked over his test.
"Is something wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked once the History exam was over.
"Nothing much. Just had a vision sent by Riddle." Harry said calmly. Hermione, on the other hand, did not show such restraint, and gasped out in shock.
"You need to tell Dumbledore…" Her body froze in horror as a sickly sweet voice spoke from behind her. Harry had of course, already caught her scent, and had therefore timed his revelation to Hermione well, knowing the girl well enough to anticipate her reactions.
"Tell him what, Ms. Granger?" Umbridge had a huge grin on her face.
"No point in hiding it anymore. We need to tell him the weapons are ready." Harry sighed deeply.
"What weapons?" Umbridge frowned along with Hermione.
"The ones for the attack on the Ministry. Not a word, Hermione, you can't talk me out of it. I don't want to go to jail over this." Harry silenced the girl before she could ask what the hell he was talking about.
"Where are these weapons?" Umbridge asked quickly.
"In the forest. Should I take you there?" Harry asked.
"You shall, but first, give me your wands." They both complied and were soon out of the castle and into the forest.
"Are we close yet?" Umbridge asked after five minutes of walking through the forest.
"A bit further, Headmistress." Harry grinned.
"What are you planning, Harry?" Hermione whispered harshly.
"You'll see." Harry stopped in a small clearing and seemed to sniff the air. Then, to everyone's surprise, four arrows burst from the leaves and buried themselves into Harry's torso.
"Begone, beast, or we will finish you." A group of centaurs followed the arrows and soon had them surrounded.
"You think mere arrows can kill me?" Harry growled as he tore the arrows from his chest, flinging them away with disdain.
"Then we will try other means." One centaur rushed him, holding a massive spear in his hand. Just as he was about to impale him, Harry dodged the strike with inhuman speed, and using the spin of the dodge, rammed his fist in the centaur's chest.
A loud crunch was heard as the power of the strike and the centaur's momentum collided and caved in its chest. The centaur collapsed and remained still.
"Who's next?" Harry grinned as the centaurs seemed to have lost their bravado. After a few tense moments, they turned and galloped away.
"Harry, I don't feel so good." He turned to the source of the voice, and for the first time in months, his face changed from its usual calmness to an expression of shock and fear.
Hermione was lying on the ground, and on her face he saw a thin splatter of blood. More importantly, his blood.
"No." He whispered as he rushed towards her, but in his mind, he knew he was too late to do anything to stop the conversion process.
"Potter, wha…" Before the shocked Umbridge could continue, a dagger suddenly embedded into her throat, silencing her forever.
"Sorry I had to make it quick, but I have more important things to take care of." Harry retrieved his blade with little ceremony, and once the woman was dead, he transfigured her body into a fallen log that matched the surroundings. Then, he picked up a shivering Hermione and vanished with a very soft pop.
"Harry, what are you doing here? What's wrong with her?" Sirius got the shock of his life when his godson burst into HQ with a shivering Hermione in his arms.
"No time to explain." Harry rushed into one of the bedrooms, where he transfigured the bed into a steel table with thick leather straps attached to it. He deposited Hermione on it and strapped her in tightly.
"Harry, what the hell are you doing?" Sirius couldn't contain his shock anymore.
"I'll explain later. Right now, I have to go to the Ministry. Voldemort has an ambush waiting for me in the Hall of Prophecies." He locked the door to Hermione's room with a Lantrisi locking spell and turned towards the door.
"And you're actually going to go there? Are you crazy?" Sirius grabbed his hand, only to receive Harry's wand between his eyes.
"When you wake up, alert the Order and send them there." With that, Harry cast a spell, stunning him for at least a couple of hours. He figured it would be enough to take care of the ambushers by that time.
"They have no idea what is coming at them." His face split into a sinister grin as his fangs elongated at his thoughts of carnage.