Disclaimer: Aurora Sinistra belongs to JK Rowling.

Chapter 9: Sinistra

The Midnight Duel

Professor Sinistra took the book next and, like most of the others, gave it only a cursory inspection before beginning to read, having long since accepted that there was no getting out of this. "Chapter Nine: The Midnight Duel," she began.

"Mm hmm," Umbridge said smugly. "And naturally, duelling in the corridors and being out of bed at midnight are both serious violations of the school rules."

"Except when it's for my classes, Professor Umbridge," Sinistra said testily. "Just trying to be thorough since we're doing everything strictly by the book."

"Of course, Professor Sinistra."

McGonagall took that as an opening. "And Dolores, since we are doing things by the book, I remind you that punishments cannot carry over between years."

"They can if a crime has been committed, Professor McGonagall," Umbridge replied with a smile.

"In which case, I'm sure Auror Shacklebolt will be happy to investigate, but there will be no need to assign detentions or take points for the events described in that book of yours."

"Very well, if you insist, Acting Headmistress," she shot back with a dangerous edge to her voice. "Please continue, Professor Sinistra."

"Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy."

"'Uncle Vernon's still got him beat, though," Harry whispered to his friends, but they didn't take it in the good humour he'd intended it.

"'Typical,'" said Harry darkly. 'Just what I always wanted. To make a—'" Aurora stopped and laughed. "'To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy.'"

Most of the school laughed at that now that they'd seen Harry flying for years with Malfoy usually being the one to make a fool of himself. Harry wasn't laughing much, though. He didn't need another reminder about being banned from the sport, but it looked like he would have no such luck as Professor Sinistra was gearing up to recount his eventful first flying lesson. He was, however, pleased when Kingsley coughed conspicuously and made a note when Malfoy mentioned evading helicopters on his broomstick.

Honestly, Neville was more embarrassed than Harry at the moment, as the book seemed to like pointing out his general clumsiness and forgetfulness for comic relief, including his disastrous first flight where he lost control and fell off his broom in seconds and broke his wrist, to mockery from the Slytherins.

"Sorry, Neville," Harry said.

"It's okay, Harry. I'm kind of used to it," he said.

"It's still not fair. You're not really incompetent like the book says."

"Yeah, you're doing great in the You-Know-What," Hermione agreed.

"You don't have to make me feel better," Neville insisted. "I know I was a total klutz before this year."

"You weren't really that bad," said Parvati.

"'Shut up, Malfoy,' snapped Parvati Patil.

"'Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?' said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. 'Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

"Merlin, I can't believe I was ever friends with her," Parvati muttered.

"You were?" Harry said in surprise.

Hermione nodded sagely: "She and Padma were friends with Pansy before they started Hogwarts. But then they went to different houses, and…"

"And Pansy started listening to what all the other Slytherins said about Gryffindors being reckless and stupid and uncultured and didn't want anything to do with me," Parvati said.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, Parvati," Neville said.

"No problem, Neville," she told him.

Malfoy jumped on his broom to throw Neville's Remembrall into a tree in blatant disregard for Madam Hooch's warning that anyone who left the ground would be expelled, and Harry followed at once. However, while Malfoy was pretty good, Harry was better.

"And yet, Mr. Potter was not expelled for this offence?" Umbridge spoke up.

"Nor was Mr. Malfoy, Dolores," Professor McGonagall said. "I think we can excuse Madam Hooch a bit of hyperbole in a stressful situation. Although I must admit to being surprised that Mr. Malfoy was the first to flout the rules in this instance."

Harry wasn't sure if McGonagall was really surprised by that or was just playing the part, but the look on Malfoy's face was worth it. He'd been alternately glaring at him and McGonagall for most of the chapter. He smiled as he remembered catching Neville's Remembrall coming out of a fifty-foot dive, but then he frowned as he made the connection to what happened next.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"McGonagall," he said.

"What about her?"

He shot her a half-grin: "The same thing you complained about at the time."

"Oh?" She made the connection. "Oh! Yes, this could be bad."

"'Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?'

"Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him?"

"No, but that's an excellent suggestion, Mr. Potter," Umbridge cut in with an evil grin.

"We don't practice corporal punishment in this school, Dolores," McGonagall said sourly. "And frankly, I'm more concerned that Mr. Potter thought we did."

"Just keep listening, Professor McGonagall," Umbridge said. "I want everyone to hear this."

Aurora saw the danger coming, but there was no getting out of it. She remembered Umbridge pulling out her own copy of the book yesterday. Suppressing a groan, she read, "'Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood—I've found you a Seeker.'"

"And now we see why it was such a bad idea to have Potter on the Quidditch team from the outset," Umbridge said smugly. "You rewarded him for breaking the rules with a place on the team—a year early, no less. I think perhaps we should take a closer look at your management of the school as well."

"Aha! I quite agree, Dolores," Fudge spoke up. "At the very least, this calls your appointment as Acting Headmistress into question, Professor McGonagall."

McGonagall looked like she'd bit into a lemon, but she didn't respond. There really wasn't a whole lot she could say to defend herself. Even if she had still given him a place on the team, by rights, she should probably also have given Harry a detention for that.

"Oh, bollocks!" Ron whispered. "If they kick McGonagall out too, no one will be able to stop Umbridge."

"Plus there won't be anyone left in school from…er, the You-Know-What," Harry said darkly.

"Besides Snape, you mean," Hermione said.

"He doesn't count. We can't trust him."

"Wait, are you still talking about the D.A.?" Neville said in confusion.

"No, I mean the the other You-Know-What."

"But I don't know what."

"You don't need to know what."

"Harry!" Hermione hissed.

"Sorry…It's one of Dumbledore's things."

Neville backed off and nodded in understanding. "Oh, that's okay, then," he said.

Wood wanted to keep Harry's joining of the Quidditch team a secret, but word spread fast. He soon found himself congratulated by Ron, Fred, and George, among others. And the book mention in passing the Twins' habit of sneaking out through secret passages.

"Aw, crap," Lee, Fred, and George groaned in unison.

"Mr. Filch, do investigate that passage, will you?" Umbridge ordered. "And I think we should be keeping a closer eye on Messrs. Weasleys' movements."

"I've changed my mind, Harry," Fred said. "That book is bad news."

"Hey, I didn't write it," he said.

Malfoy wasn't done in the book either, though: "'I'd take you anytime on my own,' said Malfoy. 'Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only—no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel, I suppose?'"

"Ahem," McGonagall interrupted. "And once again, Mr. Malfoy was the instigator."

"And Mr. Potter should have known better than to take the bait," Umbridge shot back.

"Having no background in the magical world?" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "Cut the boy a little slack."

"Um, yes, about that…" Aurora cut in. "'Of course he has,' said Ron, wheeling around. 'I'm his second, who's yours?'"

Harry smacked himself in the forehead. At the same time, Hermione slapped Ron in the back of his head.

"'What is a wizard's duel?' said Harry. 'And what do you mean, you're my second?'

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die,' said Ron casually."

That got more laughs from the students, mainly from the purebloods, and this time, it was Professor Flitwick who smacked himself in the forehead. "Mr. Weasley," he said, "that has never been the purpose of a second. A second's job is to ensure that the terms of the duel are followed honourably. It is also the second's duty to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict, not to egg them on."

Ron turned bright red and ducked his head to the table.

"'And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?'

"'Throw it away and punch him on the nose,' Ron suggested."

Flitwick sighed loudly. "And this is why I wanted to bring back the Duelling Club," he said.

Hermione didn't get off unscathed either: "'think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you.'"

Hermione turned pink as well. "Was I really that much of a goody two-shoes back then?" she asked.

"Yes," everyone around her said.

"But we like you anyway," Ron added, patting her on the head.

"Stop that!"

Despite Harry's own growing reservations about getting caught in the story, he and Ron left the Common Room at half past eleven to go to their "duel". Hermione tried to stop them, but only succeeded in locking herself out of the tower, since the Fat Lady had gone visiting, much to the boys' consternation. And then Neville tagged alone because he'd forgotten the password.

"Tsk tsk, four students out of bed in one night, Professor McGonagall," Umbridge said. "How does that speak to your management of your house?"

"Only two of them by choice, Dolores," McGonagall said. "And while the portrait guardian may have some issues, that problem is far older than I am."

Their tense stare-down continued and Aurora continued reading, hoping things wouldn't get any worse. Entirely predictably, Malfoy not only didn't show up for the duel, but he'd also tipped off Filch to look for them.

"Ha, I can't believe you fell for that, Potter!" Malfoy called loudly from across the Great Hall and was once again ignored by Umbridge.

"Five points from Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy, and do be quiet," Aurora said. Minerva probably would have done it, but as she was reading, it was more her prerogative.

"I can't believe you fell for it and still didn't get caught," Parvati whispered to Harry and his friends. "You didn't get caught, did you?"

"Not by Filch," Harry said cryptically.

Indeed, the first years weren't caught by Filch, but they were by Peeves—although Peeves was equally unhelpful to everyone involved, so that was a wash. They ended up totally lost and hiding behind a locked door.

"I have a bad feeling about that door," Aurora said. "'Oh, move over,' Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, 'Alohomora!'

"The lock clicked and the door swung open—"

"Just a moment, Aurora," Filius interrupted. "Miss Granger successfully cast an Unlocking Charm with someone else's wand in her second week of first year?"

"Apparently so, Filius," she replied. "I'm sure she can tell you all about it next class."

"It seems these children are just full of surprises," he said proudly. "I always said Miss Granger should have been a Ravenclaw."

"Hem hem," Umbridge said. "Is this discussion really important?"

"Hmpf. Apparently not," Aurora huffed. Try to compliment a student, and look where it gets you. She kept reading as, entirely predictably again (at least if you were thinking like a dramatic storyteller), the locked room they hid in just happened to be the forbidden third floor corridor—a corridor that housed an absolutely enormous three-headed dog, described in graphic detail. She heard gasps as she read it, and she felt the same way. Coming face to faces with that in a darkened corridor would scare anybody.

"So that's what the horrible, painful death was!" Fudge exclaimed. "What was that thing doing in this school, I wonder? A Cerberus is a restricted and highly dangerous foreign magical creature—and it was hidden behind a door that a first year could open with a simple charm? Do you care to explain that, Professor McGonagall?"

"That's a good point," Hermione whispered reluctantly. "Anyone could've wandered in and been eaten."

"The dog was being cared for by Hagrid," McGonagall said nervously. "He isn't allowed the use of a wand, so we couldn't put a stronger locking charm on it."

"And there were no other precautions?" Umbridge questioned. "An Age Line perhaps—one that would at least keep the underage students from going in there?"

"I'm afraid on the matter of security, you'll have to take that up with Professor Dumbledore—but as he is no longer here—"

"You were his Deputy. You were responsible for the safety of the children as much as he was. What do you think, Cornelius? A case for child endangerment? Gross negligence?"

"Oh, no," Hermione gasped at the Gryffindor Table. "We have to do something!"

"Like what?" said Harry. "We can't just attack, can we?"

"I…I don't know…"

"Good point, Dolores; very good point," Fudge agreed. "Maybe not quite criminal. It's not as clear-cut as Dumbledore without more evidence, but it was definitely a dereliction of her professional duty, which calls into question her ability to serve as Acting Headmistress."

"Definitely. I've thought from the start that Professor McGonagall was overworked here, Cornelius."

"I handle my job just fine," McGonagall snapped.

"Jobs, you mean," Umbridge replied. "You're a full-time teacher, a Head of House, and Deputy Headmistress—and now Acting Headmistress as well. It's not surprising that you can't keep up."

"I think, Dolores," Fudge continued, "that it would be good idea to place you as Headmistress in her place."

Then, to everyone's surprised, Professor McGonagall laughed out loud. It was so jarring that a few people drew their wands before realising what they were hearing. "Pardon me, Minister," she said. "Perhaps I've suddenly lost the ability to count, but wouldn't she be the one doing three jobs, then? Professor, High Inquisitor, and Headmistress?"

But Fudge waved her concerns aside: "We can work out the paperwork this afternoon and appoint a new Defence Professor by morning."

"I'm sure I can think of a few names, Cornelius," Umbridge said with a smile. "And as for you, Professor McGonagall…you are back under review as of now. We certainly need to take a closer look at your record. And Auror Shacklebolt, I expect you to submit a formal report to the DMLE to investigate this incident tonight."

"Yes, ma'am," Kingsley said, and he mouthed to McGonagall, "sorry".

"Phew, that was close," Hermione said, but despite the circumstances, she still wrote down the question:

7. Why was there no Age Line or other protection for the students on Fluffy's door?

"No way it's over," Ron scowled. "They're still gonna try to get rid of her."

"I'm hoping the book says something to turn the tables on Umbridge before then," Harry said. "I mean, it's got to sometime, right?"

"I hope so, Harry," Hermione told him. "I hope so."

In the book, Hermione quickly figured out what the Cerberus was doing there, though: guarding the package from Gringotts Vault 713.

"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We all could have been killed—or worse, expelled."

Everyone laughed, and Hermione dropped her forehead down to the table: "Oh my God, I only said that once!"