EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WARNING: THIS CHAPTER WILL BE LONG AND BORING, BUT PLEASE READ EVERY SINGLE BIT OF IT AND BE SURE NOT TO SKIP ANYTHING, OR ELSE, YOU'LL PROBABLY MISS SOME IMPORTANT STUFF. THANK YOU, AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY READING THIS CHAPTER AS MUCH AS I ENJOYED WRITING IT.
DA members immediately started to panic. Three by three, they all started to clear off the Room of Requirment anxiously, until only Neville, Luna, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Nico were left. Neville and Luna were supposed to be leaving with Nico, he knew, but he was reluctant to leave.
"You go without me," he whispered to them. Neville and Luna looked like they wanted to argue, but Harry was gesturing at the doors, looking very, very annoyed and stressed. A few good moments after they walked out, Harry quickly turned on Nico, but before he could open his mouth to yell at him to get out- Nico's sharp ears caught distant footsteps.
He raised his hand and pressed a finger to his lips. Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly nodded and skipped out of the Room of Requirement.
"You and Ron, get a move." Harry whispered quickly to Ron and Hermione. "It'll be too suspicious if they see the four of us- Nico and I'll be close behind. Go!" The two didn't need to be told twice- they ran for it, just turning around the corner and leaving.
Nico could hear footsteps as well...He nudged Harry to try and warn him something was coming, and Harry, picking up on it, tried to look as innocent as he could be. They were just turning to leave, pretending not to be involved in anything too serious while..
Something caught Harry around the ankles and he fell spectacularly, skidding along on his front for six feet before coming to a halt. His eyes widening, Nico turned to see Malfoy, laughing. Harry rolled over on to his back and saw Malfoy concealed in a niche beneath an ugly dragon-shaped vase.
"Trip Jinx, Potter!" he said. "Hey, Professor - PROFESSOR! I've got two of them! Petrificus Totalus!"
But Nico's reflexes were too quick for him. "Protego!" Nico yelled, casting a shield charm that dissipated the spell.
He went to help us Harry, watching Malfoy warily in case he might be stupid enough to cast another spell.
"What the hell, Malfoy? You're not exactly on my Top Ten Favourite People list, but you've got no business jinxing us!" Nico shouted at him, putting on his best irritated expression as Professor Doll-O-Piss Dumbwitch came running up, looking ruffled.
"Drop the act, Di Angelo." Malfoy sneered. "We both know you were up to something." Malfoy raised his wand at Nico and Harry, clearly enjoying power right then and there. Nico lifted his wand at him, while Harry gripped his tightly. He glared at Malfoy to confirm that he, too, had a wand, and he wasn't afraid to use it.
Professor Umbridge's eyes had a wicked sort of gleam in them. She looked delighted, and the waves of her emotion affected Nico- they didn't weaken him or anything, he just felt them. The waves of glee radiating from her were enough to beat Leo's after an ice cream marathon, and somehow, Nico felt that if Dumbwitch was happy about something, that something was not likely a thing he'd like very much.
"It's them!" she said jubilantly at the sight of Harry and Nico, "Excellent, Draco, excellent, oh, very good - fifty points to Slytherin! I'll take them from here...come on, you two!" "You hop along and see if you can round up any more of them, Draco," she said. "Tell the others to look in the library - anybody out of breath - check the bathrooms, Miss Parkinson can do the girls' ones - off you go - and you," she added in her softest, most dangerous voice, as Malfoy walked away, "you can come with me to the Headmaster's office, Potter, Di Angelo."
Nico glared. He didn't have to listen that toad- he could prove her wrong. He could play innocent or whatever. And he would. Still glaring, Nico opened his mouth to argue- to speak out loud and tell Umbridge they did nothing wrong, or maybe try one of those spells he had learnt recently on her, but Harry put a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a look that said they had better , and since Nico knew very well that he could have been only digging them in deeper trouble, he silently agreed, and followed the fat toad.
Within minutes, they were at a stone gargoyle, which was were Nico guessed the Headmaster's office was."Fizzing Whizzbee," sang Umbridge; the stone gargoyle jumped aside, the wall behind split open, and they ascended the moving stone staircase. They reached the polished door with the griffin knocker, but Umbridge did not bother to knock, she strode straight inside, still holding tight to Harry, who was making sure not to let go of Nico incase he had a sudden change of heart and decided that it would simply be easier to hex Umbridge into oblivion rather than sort things out rationally or whatever, he knew. The office was full of people. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his expression serene, the tips of his long fingers together. Professor McGonagall stood rigidly beside him, her face extremely tense. A fairly plump man with weird clothes whom Nico did not recognize, was rocking backwards and forwards on his toes beside the fire, apparently immensely pleased with the situation; Kingsley Shacklebolt, whom Nico recognized as a member of the order was beside a tough-looking wizard with very short wiry hair, were positioned either side of the door like guards, and the freckled, bespectacled form of a strangely annoying, but even mroe strangely Weasley-looking man hovered excitedly beside the wall, a quill and a heavy scroll of parchment in his hands, apparently poised to take notes. With a sudden flood of comphrehension, Nico recalled Mrs. Weasleys sadness when he had left Grimmauld Place after talking with Charlie. She had said something about 'almost' the entire family being there, but Nico had simply dismissed that. Now, though, he had a hunch which he hoped was wrong...
The portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses were not shamming sleep tonight. All of them were alert and serious, watching what was happening below them. As Harry and Nico entered, a few flitted into neighboring frames and whispered urgently into their neighbour's ear.
Harry pulled himself free of Umbridge's grasp as the door swung shut behind them. The plump man, whom Harry had whispered to Nico was the Minister of Magic, was glaring at them with a kind of vicious satisfaction on his face.
" Well," he said. "Well, well, well..."
Harry replied with the dirtiest look he could muster, a look Nico had never seen on his face before, but Nico was not going to let Harry glare all by himself. Nico kept his cool, however, as he glared down everything and everyone who was looking at him the wrong way.
"They were heading back to Gryffindor Tower," said Umbridge. There was an indecent excitement in her voice, the same callous pleasure Nico had heard as she watched Professor Trelawney dissolving with misery in the Entrance Hall, the other day. "The Malfoy boy cornered them."
Cornelius Fudge's lips turned upward. "Ah, I see...I must remember to tell Lucius, yes. Do you know why you are here, boys?"
Nico remained silent. He wanted to let his wand do the talking, and Harry seemed much the same, but after looking at a strange-seeming Albus Dumbledore who Nico noticed wouldn't meet Harry's eyes, Harry seemed to have a change of mind.
"Ye-no." he said firmly.
"I beg your pardon?" said Cornelius Fudge, looking at Harry more intently.
Nico was really, really, really, annoyed now. He glared at the direction of the Minister of Magic of Magic, feeling very snappish, but deciding to keep calm incase his anger gave away anything.
"He said,no, Minister of Magic, sir. I think that would be clear enough of a respone."
"Ah," said the Minister, leaning back. "Mr. Di Angelo, was it? I see. You might want to cooperate better if you are enjoying your stay at Hogwarts, I dare say." That did nothing to keep Nico's irritation in check, and he had to struggle more to maintain a calm ad expressionless face, and to keep his hand from twitching toward his wand, which was getting really homey with him.
"Sir, I believe I will be staying at Hogwarts for as long as I have to, and nothing's going to change that, so you might as well drop the threats."
"Yes, yes." Fudge huffed. "But it is the Ministry that agreed to accept you here, and we can take back that offer, Mr. Di Angelo. Keep that in mind- I honestly don't know why we agreed in the first place, your presence is absolutely superfluous, I assure you."
"Not as much as you would think." Nico growled.
Fudge ignored him. "Getting back on track, Mr. Potter was hesitant, I noticed." he pointed out.
"But of course he was!" Nico said irritably. "You've brought us here and started question us randomly, why wouldn't we be hesitant?"
Harry nodded frantically, aiding Nico's point. McGonagall was giving Nico a slight proud, slightly disapproving look, and he knew that he was treading on thin lines, but he didn't care, in all honesty. The Ministry could do a thing to him. They couldn't expel him, even if they attempted to, because Hecate would not allow it. And what other option did they have besides that, really? "You don t know why you are here?" repeated Fudge suspiciously. "No,we do not," Harry and Nico said together, with such certainty that Nico almost managed to convince himself they were just innocent kids who happened to be out of bed and got caught.
"So you have no idea," said Fudge, in a voice dipped in sarcasm, "why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that you have broken any school rules?"
"School rules?" said Harry, in what Nico thought was an impressively unconvincing confused and innocent expression "No."
"Or Ministry Decrees?"amended Fudge angrily.
"Ministry Decrees? No, not last I checked." Nico huffed, not bothering to hide how harassing he found this situation.
"So, it's news to you, is it," said Fudge, his voice now thick with anger, "that an illegal student organisation has been discovered within this school?
"Yes, it is," said Harry, hoisting an unconvincing look of innocent surprise on to his face, that Nico almost winced at. He needed to teach Harry how to lie better...
"I think, Minister,"said Umbridge silkily from beside him, "we might make better progress if I fetch our informant." Nico felt his blood run cold, and his demigod instincts yelled at him, telling him something horrible was about to happen. Something horrible would happen to whoever spilled the beans to the pink witch.
"Yes, yes, do," said Fudge, nodding, and he glanced maliciously at Dumbledore as Umbridge left the room. "There's nothing like a good witness, is there, Dumbledore?" Nico didn't understand what that meant, but decided it didn't concern him.
"Nothing at all, Cornelius," said Dumbledore gravely, inclining his head.
There was a wait of several minutes, in which nobody looked at each other, then Nico heard the door open behind him. Umbridge moved past him into the room, gripping by the shoulder Cho's curly-haired friend, Marietta, who was hiding her face in her hands. Umbridge was reassuring her, telling her that the Minister himself would tell her parents what a very, good girl she was, Nico noticed, his blood boiling." Marietta's mother, Minister,"Umbeidge said, looking up at Fudge, "is Madam Edgecombe from the Department of Magical Transportation, Floo Network office - she's been helping us police the Hogwarts lines, you know."
'Jolly good, jolly good!' said Fudge heartily. 'Like mother, like daughter, eh? Well, come on, now, dear, look up, don't be shy, let's hear what you've got to - galloping gargoyles!'
As Marietta raised her head, Fudge leapt backwards in shock, nearly landing himself in the fire, which Nico really, really, wished he did. He cursed, and stamped on the hem of his cloak which had started to smoke. Nico smirked, until amusing thoughts of the Minister of Magic's robes of fire were interrupted as Marietta gave a wail and pulled the neck of her robes right up to her eyes, but not before everyone had seen that her face was horribly disfigured by a series of close-set purple pustules that had spread across her nose and cheeks to form the word 'SNEAK'. As much as Nico felt she deserved it, he was pretty made at Hermione at that moment- she should have taught him how to perform that curse. Harmless, but still very scarring. He found that his thoughts were a little too violent for his taste, sighed, and grudgingly stopped thinking. Umbridge tried to convince Marietta to accept her ugly face and spill the truth, but she didn't manage to.
"Oh, very well, you silly girl, I'll tell him," snapped Umbridge. She hitched her sickly smile back on to her face and said, 'Well, Minister, Miss Edgecombe here came to my office shortly after dinner this evening and told me she had something she wanted to tell me. She said that if I proceeded to a secret room on the seventh floor, sometimes known as the Room of Requirement, I would find out something to my advantage. I questioned her a little further and she admitted that there was to be some kind of meeting there. Unfortunately, at that point this hex," she waved impatiently at Marietta's concealed face, "came into operation and upon catching sight of her face in my mirror the girl became too distressed to tell me any more."
Fudge asked Umbridge if they had a cure for Marietta's pimpled-face, but Umbridge grudgingly said she didn't. Nico felt both pride ad annoyance at Hermione- how could she have kept such a handy jinx form him? He could totally use that to get back at Travis and Conner for making him recite poetry for weeks. He made a mental note to ask her later. But he didn't hold that grudge for long- Umbridge proceeded to tell them that she a sort of spy at the Hog's Head, who had heard every word they had hastened, to which McGonagall snapped a snarky response at. Harry looked shocked, and Nico was seriously considering the lying classes now...They would, of course, justify this little piece of evidence if Harry was looking disbelieving at their discovery, which would only make their situation ten times worse.
"I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores," said Dumbledore quietly, peering at her over the half-moon spectacles perched halfway down his crooked nose. Nico wondered curiously what the eccentric Headmaster would do the weasel them out of that situation- it seemed like a tricky one, he had to admitted.
"Oho!" said Fudge, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet again. "Yes, do let's hear the latest cock-and-bull story designed to pull Potter out of trouble! Go on, then, Dumbledore, go on- Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it Potter's identical twin in the Hog's Head that day Or is there the usual simple explanation involving a reversal of time, a dead man coming back to life and a couple of invisible Dementors?'
Percy Weasley, as Nico finally recognized, let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, very good, Minister, very good!" Nico could simply not disagree more.
"I think, Minister Fudge, that you should listen to what Professor Dumbledore has to say." Nico said, struggling to maintain calm. Harry nudged him, but he ignored the action. "Professor Dumbledore has yet to see what he wants to, and forgive me, because I don't claim to be skilled in political Minister-of-Magic-y things, but it's to my knowledge that people in general, especially someone as high-prestiged and well-respected as the Minister himself tend to let Headmasters, and ones that have agreed to host you in their school, no less-"
"I am the Minister of Magic!" snapped Fudge. "I am welcome where ever I go!" Nico ignored.
"complete their sentences and then very kindly look into their opinion before deciding anything."
Fudge's mustache was twitching, and he was looking very red in the face, where as Umbridge looked horrified, but her face took a look of sick satisfaction laced with surprise. Fudge was opening ad closing his mouth like a fish out of water, and looking like he had no idea how to respond to that. Nico turned to Percy Weasley next, looking at him with something like disgust as he put two and two together- Percy had abandoned his family. And for what? Being in a higher position? Or was Percy simply too cowardly to accept that what was coming was coming, and took a place under the ministry's wing? It was truly sickening. Percy betrayed the people who loved him while Nico had to work very hard to get a family in the first place. He stopped thinking of Percy as Percy, because that made it hard not to compare this Percy with Percy, his cousin, the Son of Poseidon whom family meant everything to. Nico really wanted to give Percy a piece of his mind- he really did- but now was not the time.
"I'm sorry...Mr. Weasley, is it? Well, if you are here to stay silently in a corner and take notes about this, I'll have to tell you you're not doing a very good job- make a better attempt, please." Nico growled at him, trying to add spite to his fairly polite words.
Percy Weasley blushed, but kept silent, where as Fudge did was just starting to form a sentence when a very amused-looking Dumbledore started saying that they didn't know for sure that D.A meetings were going on for the past six months. Umbridge asked Marietta about it, and Nico thought it was too suspicious to glare her into silence, so he didn't. Fortunately, though, she shook her head after a moment of though, and Nico could just see Harry, still alarmed, give a barely noticeable sigh of relief.
"What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" said Umbridge in a testy voice.
"I would have thought her meaning was quite clear," said Professor McGonagall harshly, "there have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is that correct, Miss Edgecombe?" Marietta nodded.
"But there was a meeting tonight!" said Umbridge furiously." There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Potter was the leader, was he not, Potter organised it, Potter - why are you shaking your head, girl?"
"Well, usually when a person shakes their head," said McGonagall coldly, "they mean "no". So unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign-language as yet unknown to humans - "
Nico smirked. He decided he was really glad McGonagall was Head of Gryffindor House.
Professor Umbridge seized Marietta, pulled her round to face her and began shaking her very hard. A split second later Dumbledore was on his feet, his wand raised, Nico immediately reached for his; Kingsley started forwards and Umbridge leapt back from Marietta, waving her hands in the air as though they had been burned.
"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores," said Dumbledore and, for the first time, he looked angry. Nico felt furious respect for the man- he was willing to hex the Hight Inquistor if it meant protecting one of his students, and Nico didn't know many people who would have done that.
"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge,' said Kingsley, in his deep, slow voice. 'You don't want to get yourself into trouble, now."
"No," said Umbridge breathlessly, glancing up at the towering figure of Kingsley. "I mean, yes - you're right, Shacklebolt - I - I forgot myself." But Nico didn't shove it aside like most of the room did- if Umbridge would go as far as intimidating her students, she could do a lot worse, he knew.
Marietta was standing exactly where Umbridge had released her. She seemed neither perturbed by Umbridge's sudden attack, nor relieved by her release; she was still clutching her robe up to her oddly blank eyes and staring straight ahead of her.
Umbridge collected herself, spoke a few words, and then, to Nico and Harry's shock and terror, she pulled out from her pocked the list of names that had been pinned upon the Room of Requirement's wall and handed it to Fudge.
"Excellent," said Fudge, a smile spreading across his face, "excellent, Dolores. And . . . by thunder . . ."
He looked up at Dumbledore, who was still standing beside Marietta, his wand held loosely in his hand.
"See what they've named themselves?" said Fudge quietly. "Dumbledore's Army."
Dumbledore reached out and took the piece of parchment from Fudge. He gazed at the heading scribbled by Hermione months before and for a moment seemed unable to speak. Then he looked up, smiling.
"Well, the game is up," he said simply. "Would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius - or will a statement before these witnesses suffice?"
Harry saw McGonagall and Kingsley look at each other. There was fear in both faces. Nico's mind went blank all of a sudden as he began to comprehend what Dumbledore had said.
"No," Nico whispered, his cool facade dropping all of a sudden. Harry looked at him, ad mouthed, 'what is it?'. But Nico couldn't contain himself. He looked at Professor Dumbledore, and he had an emotion that he couldn't recognize flooding his veins and making him stop thinking for a few moments-
"NO!" Nico yelled. "Professor, please, you can't-" but Professor Dumbledore held up his hand to Nico, making him stop talking. Nico stuttered something incomprehensible while Harry seemed to be finally getting it, based on the look of horror starting to form on his face.
"Statement?" said Fudge slowly. "What - I don't - ?"
"Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, still smiling as he waved the list of names before Fudge's face. "Not Potter's Army. Dumbledore's Army."
"But - but -"
Understanding blazed suddenly in Fudge's face. He took a horrified step backwards, yelped, and jumped out of the fire again. Nico was too distressed to even find that amusing.
"You recruited these students for - for your army?"
"Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting," said Dumbledore, nodding. "Merely to see whether they would be interested in joining me. I see now that it was a mistake to invite Miss Edgecombe, of course."
Marietta nodded. Fudge looked from her to Dumbledore, his chest swelling.
"Then you have been plotting against me!" he yelled.
" That's right," said Dumbledore cheerfully
"WHAT? NO!" shouted Harry, finally getting it. Nico had already had his shout- his body seemed to have locked up instantly, ad he found himself unable to move.
"No - Professor Dumbledore - '!"
"Be quiet, Harry, or I am afraid you will have to leave my office," said Dumbledore calmly.
"Yes, shut up, Potter!" barked Fudge, who was still ogling Dumbledore with a kind of horrified delight. "Well, well, well - I came here tonight expecting to expel Potter and instead - "
"Instead you get to arrest me," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It's like losing a Knut and finding a Galleon, isn't it?"
"Weasley!" cried Fudge, now positively quivering with delight, "Weasley, have you written it all down, everything he's said, his confession, have you got it?"
"Yes, sir, I think so, sir!" said Percy eagerly, whose nose was splattered with ink from the speed of his note-taking.
" The bit about how he's been trying to build up an army against the Ministry, how he's been working to destabilize me?"
"Yes, sir, I've got it, yes!" said Percy, scanning his notes joyfully.
" Very well, will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged, then sent to Azkaban to await trial!"
"Ah," said Dumbledore gently, "yes. Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag.:
"Snag?" said Fudge, his voice still vibrating with joy. "I see no snag, Dumbledore!"
" Well," said Dumbledore apologetically, "I'm afraid I do." Nico's breath hitched in anticipation of what was going to happen.
"Oh, really?"
" Well - it's just that you seem to be laboring under the delusion that I am going to - what is the phrase? - come quietly. I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course - but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing."
Umbridge's face was growing steadily redder; she looked as though she was being filled with boiling water. Fudge stared at Dumbledore with a very silly expression on his face, as though he had just been stunned by a sudden blow and could not quite believe it had happened. He made a small choking noise, then looked round at Kingsley and the man with short grey hair.
"Don't be silly, Dawlish," said Dumbledore kindly. "I'm sure you are an excellent Auror - I seem to remember that you achieved 'Outstanding' in all your NEWTs - but if you attempt to - er - bring me in by force, I will have to hurt you."
The man called Dawlish blinked rather foolishly. He looked towards Fudge again, but this time seemed to be hoping for a clue as to what to do next.
"Enough of this rubbish!" said Fudge, pulling out his own wand. "Dawlish! Shacklebolt! Take him!"
A streak of silver light flashed around the room; there was a bang like a gunshot and the floor trembled; panicking, Nico grabbed the scruff of Harry's neck (at least, he hoped it was Harry) and forced him down on the floor as a second silver flash went off; several of the portraits yelled, Fawkes the Phoenix screeched and a cloud of dust filled the air. Coughing in the dust, Harry saw a dark figure fall to the ground with a crash in front of him; there was a shriek and a thud and somebody cried, "No!" (which seemed to be the most repeated word that day); then there was the sound of breaking glass, frantically scuffling footsteps, a groan . . . and silence.
Nico blinked the bright light out of his eyes, ad looked beside him. He had ended up getting Marietta instead of Harry, but was glad to see that Professor McGonagall had pulled his friend out of harm's way.
"Are you all right?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes!" said Professor McGonagall, getting up and dragging Harry, Nico and Marietta with her.
The dust was clearing. The wreckage of the office loomed into view: Dumbledore's desk had been overturned, all of the spindly tables had been knocked to the floor, their silver instruments in pieces. Fudge, Umbridge, Kingsley and Dawlish lay motionless on the floor. Fawkes the phoenix soared in wide circles above them, singing softly.
|Unfortunately, I had to hex Kingsley too, or it would have looked very suspicious," said Dumbledore in a low voice. "He was remarkably quick on the uptake, modifying Miss Edgecombe's memory like that while everyone was looking the other way - thank him, for me, won't you, Minerva?"
So that's why, Nico thought. It wasn't because Marietta had had a sudden change of heart and decided she wouldn't betray her group- it was because Kingsley Shacklebolt had modified her memory.
"Now, they will all awake very soon and it will be best if they do not know that we had time to communicate - you must act as though no time has passed, as though they were merely knocked to the ground, they will not remember -"
"Where will you go, Dumbledore?" whispered Professor McGonagall. "Grimmauld Place?"
"Oh no," said Dumbledore, with a grim smile, "I am not leaving to go into hiding. Fudge will soon wish he'd never dislodged me from Hogwarts, I promise you."
"Professor Dumbledore . . ." Harry began.
"Listen to me, Harry," he said urgently. He leaned in next to Harry, and Nico shuffled to give the privacy. He started whispering frantically.
The man called Dawlish was stirring. Dumbledore seized Harry's wrist ad whispered more urgently.
Fawkes circled the office and swooped low over him. Dumbledore released Harry, raised his hand and grasped the phoenix's long golden tail. Before anything else could happen, Dumbledore's eyes landed on Nico, who was too shocked to move. He held out his hand.
"I'm sorry for the situation I've put you in, but there was no other choice. The Ministry will not want you here, now that they think you were willing to participate in an army against them. But I'm giving you a choice, Nico- come with me. We don't have much time- take my hand, and come with me. It's the best thing you can do to ensure your safety, for now, you are not only an ally of war- you are my student, and I will never be able to forgive myself should something harm you. I say, again- come with me."
Fudge groaned.
Nico felt a strange lump form in his throat. He stared at Dumbledore's outstretched hand, heard Fudge give another groan, and knew they wasn't much time. It was true, of course, and he knew it. Going with Dumbledore now would be his safest option. The other students were probably going to be excused, and taken as innocent victims who didn't know what they were getting into. But Nico was a different case. Nico was a demigod, and they would think he was involved largely, or perhaps even came up with the idea. They would most likely somehow twist the plot of events, and make it look dangerous to themselves- they would think Nico had not come to help in the war against Voldemort, but simply used that as a pseudo-excuse to be able to join Hogwarts and plan to form an army of students against the ministry alongside Dumbledore, and they would most definitely either deport, or imprison him, because wizards had so little trust in Nico took one look at Harry's face, and he found that he couldn't care. Harry was Nico's friend- he was supposed to protect him. And, Nico realized, that he wasn't just doing it because it was his quest- but because he owed it to Harry, as a friend. He couldn't put his quest aside and run along with Dumbledore. By the looks of it, once he went with him, it would be a point of no turning back, and he didn't know how long Dumbledore would need to stay in hiding. And he didn't care, not when Harry was looking at him with desperation. So many people there at Hogwarts had managed to befriend Nico, and although he slightly doubted the number may decrease if they got to know him a little better, he was still willing to protect them. Because no matter what the Ministry would do to him, he would always hop back in the game. Nico had made his choice.
"No," he said firmly. "I'll be fine, Professor." He swallowed a knot in his throat. "I'll...I'll protect Hogwarts. I'll stay here- because...because I feel like I have to. Go." Nico said, as he watched a smile playing on Dumbledore's lips, and he could have sworn he saw unshed tears in his eyes, too.
Fawkes chirped loudly,and Dumbledore nodded at his pet Phoenix.
"May the gods be with you, Proffesor." Nico said in Ancient Greek as the duo disappeared in a flash of red light.
At that moment, the adults and Aurors immediately, and quickly started looking for Dumbledore, coming to the conclusion that he couldn't have Dissapparated."The stairs!' cried Dawlish, and he flung himself upon the door, wrenched it open and disappeared, followed closely by Kingsley and Umbridge. Fudge hesitated, then got slowly to his feet, brushing dust from his front. There was a long and painful silence.
"Well, Minerva," said Fudge nastily, straightening his torn shirtsleeve, "I'm afraid this is the end of your friend Dumbledore."
"You think so, do you?" said Professor McGonagall scornfully, and Nico very much agreed with her.
Fudge seemed not to hear her. He was looking around at the wrecked office. A few of the portraits hissed at him; one or two even made rude hand gestures.
"You'd better get those three off to bed," said Fudge, looking back at Professor McGonagall with a dismissive nod towards Harry, Nico, and Marietta.
Professor McGonagall said nothing, but marched them to the door. Nico cast one last look at the ruined office. He sighed, knowing that it wouldn't take too much time for them to come to the conclusion he feared they would as he walked outside. However, as the door swung closed behind them, Nico could make out Phineas Nigellus's voice.
"You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts...but you cannot deny he's got style..."
Nico smirked.
-O-
Somewhere deep inside Hogwarts, Hermione Granger gently closed the door of the girl's lavatory behind her. A group of Slytherins had started chasing her and Ron, and they had had to separate. She ha found the loo, rushed in, and closed the door. Now, hear she was. She was alone, there, and no one appeared to be occupying any stalls...expect for the last one. She very cautiously approached in case it turned out to be that hag Pansy Parkinson, but quickly dismissed the thoughts as she heard sobs...Sob. Shaky, terrified, sobs that made her heart ache.
Hermione slowly and soundlessly made her way to the stall. She very awkwardly knocked on the door, holding her breath. The sobs stopped abruptly.
"Leave me alone," moaned the girl inside. "...Please, leave me alone."
"Come out, now." said Hermione, as softly as she could. "I-I can help you. Please. Let me try, okay?"
She could hear sniffling from the door. "No one can help me. Please leave, Hermione. You'll only make it worse for yourself."
"B-Briana?" Hermione whispered, recognizing the voice. "I-I just want to-"
"JUST GO! YOU NEED TO LEAVE, NOW! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"
Hermione sighed. She would have to use 'Alohomora' on the door if Briana kept refusing to open it. She quickly pulled out her wand, ready to whisper the incantation. Before she could do so, however, Briana threw open the door. Her face was pale and ashen- her eyes were tear-filled and somber, but her expression was stone-hard and emotionless. Hermione dropped her wand in shock- it clattered noisily and feel under a sink, but she couldn't care less.
For a second, though, Briana's face took an expression that only horrified her even more- terror. Absolute fear. She choked, "Help me." before her features turned steely again. She raised her wand again, and before Hermione could even think about diving under the sink to retrieve her own wand, she pointed it under her chin and whispered one, small, four-syllable word that caused a load of trouble.
"OBLIVIATE!"
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NEXT CHAPTER:
"NO!"
"LET HIM GO!"
-O-
"I've had enough of this...I'm not letting my emotions get in the way again!
Hm...6,791 words...My longest chapter yet. may write a longer one with enough encouragement and inspiration! Ah...The good old holidays when I had the opportunity to update once each day. I miss the good ol' times. Anyway, I'm thinking about this clip in year 7 when Leo does something wicked awesome, and I can't figure out what battle cry I want to choose, so YOU GUYS can choose for me!
1) HOT-SAUCE VALDEZ!
2) TEAM LEEEEEOOOOOOO!
Yes, I'm Team Leo, and PROUD! Anyway, I apologize if this chapter is kinda boring and whatnot, but I had to include all the parts that I did, and trust me when I say it could have been a LOT longer, had I not cut off some things I deemed unnecessary.
Review for more! At least, like, ten reviews! Or something unSPEAKABLE will happen.
Right...so, how the Matermind knew that Hermione knew? Here- Briana couldn't help but understand Hermione. Mastermind senses this and obliviates her...so, yeah. I also felt it's kind of too suspicious and unlike Hermione to keep something like this away from someone. She can't direct involve the staff because let's face it- what can they do? No one could have really accessed Dumbledore without catching Umbridge's attention, who definitely would have investigated or something if no one told her about it. Hermione tried to avoid telling her friends in case they made it too obvious, but they're her last resort and n the end she'd have to tell them. So. Now she's obliviated. Question: Will she get this memory back? Yes and No.
OMGs, we're getting closer to the end! Inf act, guess what? I think that we'll be over with this in less that five chapters if I double my effort, which I'll be willing to do if you guys give me enough encouragement.
But I gotta warn you guys- I've got exams on the 15th of March. Yeah, right after my birthday, which is the twelvth (weekend doesn't count since I'll have to spend it studying) and that seriously sucks, you know? I mean, how am I supposed to enjoy finally being thirteen if I've got exams! And I'm really sorry, guys, if I can't update like this next weekend- I'll bet you galleons and drachmas that mom will tak my laptop and anything basically modern and cool and non-boring away from my life until the exams are over on March 19th, but I promise I'll update after that. Ugh...Mid-term exams suck.
Love,
-Ambs
RR:
Finwich: GOOD JOB ON FIGURING THAT OUT! *Thumbs up*
Senkohasogaua: Not a lot, but enough. Nico's ability to raise the dead, perhaps.
Kerowyn6: Oh, I won't kill characters just because. I like a happy ending just as much as everyone, honestly, but I do have a reason to kill my characters off, and I'm not doing it because I enjoy it or because I think it's dramatic, or even because I'm in a mood *Glares at Jo Rowling for killing Sirius*. But I'm doing it because it will somehow change and enhance the series. Hope that answers you!
MarriaTodd: *smirk* Oh, we'll see about that! He can't just shadow-travel in front of witnesses, can he?
Matt: WHAT WHAT WHAT? THERE ARE ACTUALLY PEOPLE WHO SHIP THAT STYX? *Mentally gags* Oh, darn. Some people really, really, have messed up minds, don't they? Rest assured that I will NEVER EVER even CONSIDER such a terrifyingly horrifically stupid idea. Di AngRiddle...*shudders* Ah, now it's stuck in my mind!
Winterlover6: Uh...AH back?
Guest: I don't know- maybe. I don't do a lot of couples if I can help it, but I suppose it can spice things up. I've never tried writing slash before, and writing sappy romance honestly isn't my style...expect when it comes to Caleo...I'm just so happy for Leo that I can't quit squealing about it, but I'll consider your request.
Pokemonever1994: Ooooh, SHOUT OUT TO YOU! That may not even be a direct insult for Voldy, but you deserve it! Heh...Wormtail and Mc. Jck...Hehehe...