Hi everyone!

Sorry for the small delay, but I was busy (so was my beta)

But this chapter is a tiny little bit longer then the others, so no hard feelings, ne?

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As always thanks to my beta knitchick.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 20

Later in the evening of the same day Umbridge was 'mysteriously' turned into a toad, Harry could be found standing in front of said toad's office with an annoyed scowl on his face. He slowly raised his hand and knocked.

"Enter," came the sickly sweet reply and he opened the door.

Harry once again had to repress a shudder as he entered, and this time pointedly avoided looking at the ornamental plates on the wall when the technicolor kittens 'meowed' pathetically.

He smirked. "Good evening Madam High Inquisitor. How are you?"

Umbridge narrowed her eyes and he saw that her fingernails dug into some paperwork on her desk. "I'm well." He could see that she had to force the next words out of her mouth. "And you?"

He chuckled while sitting down at the desk in the corner. "That's good to hear after your little experience as a toad. And thank you, I'm faring quite well too."

Her eyes narrowed further and her face turned an angry shade of red. "I know it was you!" she hissed venomously. "But believe me when I tell you, that you won't be able to do as you please for much longer!"

Harry raised his eyebrows and looked her coldly in the eyes. "Was that a threat?"

"Start you lines!" she snapped instead of answering his question. "You know what you have to write!"

"Yeah," he murmured and looked at the blood quill in front of him and started to write 'I must show respect to my elders'. "I know what Ma'am… I know what…"

******

Hours later Harry put the blood quill down and looked at the back of his hand. The words hadn't disappeared after the first hour of writing and were now shimmering in the form of soft scars on his skin. He carefully made a fist with his hand and small drops of blood trickled down his skin and fell on the desk.

He looked over to Umbridge, who was looking at him from the corner of her eye with a small and sinister smile.

With a roll of his eyes he stood up and slammed the parchment on her desk. She looked at him with her watery eyes, then at the parchment and lastly at the back of his right hand.

"Well, well Mr. Potter. I believe the message still needs a little more time to sink in…," she said softly and traced one of the words on his hand with her stubby fingers.

Harry had to resist the urge to slap her hand away and instead chose to stay silent.

Umbridge looked up with a glare. "I won't tolerate you questioning my authority, remember that."

With a scowl Harry removed his hand from her grasp and stared at her. "I've got a quick question," he said with a voice as cold as ice. "What exactly did you say or do, that Fudge believes that you're a successful teacher?"

"Be careful, or it will be another week of detention on top of the one you already have." whispered Umbridge.

Harry snorted. "Do I look like I care?" He leaned forward and gave her a piercing stare. He noted with satisfaction that she fidgeted a little bit, and smirked.

"Let's make a deal then Professor," Harry whispered with a smirk. "If you're able to live through… the year, then I will personally ensure that you have your job for as long as you please. I'll do as you want me to do and I'll tell the Daily Prophet that you are the best teacher in the world and thanks to your help I'm able to take on ten Ministry Aurors at once."

Umbridge's eyes lit up with greed and Harry chuckled darkly when he flung his bag over his shoulder. "But… if I notice that the job is out of your league… that you're not able to handle it, you will get fired faster than you can say Quidditch!"

Umbridge glared at him and opened her mouth to retort, but Harry wasn't finished and grinned nastily at her.

"If you don't meet my expectations I can promise you… no, I can swear to you, that your life is going to be worse than hell. Add to that, that I'll have a nice chat with your dear Cornelius after I'm through with you. And the whole Wizengamont will know about the blood quill. I'll make sure the Daily Prophet gets wind of the story as well."

Harry could see sweat forming on Umbridge's forehead and quietly enjoyed the sight of her struggling. "And? Do we have a deal?"

She stared at him and he could practically see the wheels turning in her head. He waited and waited… until Umbridge finally huffed and shoved the paperwork she had been working on into the drawer of her desk.

She stood up and gave him her trademark sickly sweet smile. "Very well Mr. Potter. I don't see why we shouldn't play this little game. I have nothing to fear after all."

'Yeah… except that you're gonna go airborne with that big head of yours…' Harry chuckled inwardly. On the outside however he looked serious and nodded. "Then it's settled. Good luck. You'll need it. I'm gonna make sure of that."

"Don't threaten me, Mr. Potter," she hissed. "Or you will serve more detentions with me."

Harry shrugged and turned around. "It was the truth. And I only stop the threats if you do. Oh… before I forget… if I have to show up for detention tomorrow, again… you know… I really like to crush toads when I see them… I just love to tear them apart limb by limb, so that they die a gruesome and painful death… no one there to save them..."

Umbridge paled and grabbed her desk to support herself Harry noted when he glanced back. "Have you no shame?" she hissed quietly.

"Nope."

Her eyes narrowed, but her face was still very pale. "You are a nasty ignorant fool. As if you could do anything."

He laughed softly when she regarded him with a look that could kill. "Remember, I like to torture toads. Have a nice evening!" he chirped and slammed the door shut behind him.

"You don't have to come tomorrow!!!" he heard a high-pitched screech behind the closed door and his smile widened as he started to walk towards his Common Room.

******

'I could use a drink right now…' he thought when he paced in front of the wall and looked at his hand and flexed it carefully. 'This actually hurts a little more than when I lost those feathers while flashing…'

When the door appeared Harry sighed, looking forward to his bed, and opened it – to stop in his tracks.

He shook his head and blinked. 'Do I still have all my cups in the cupboard? What in the name of Merlin happened to the Common Room?' He took some steps back and looked at the wall across the aisle to see if the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy really was there and if he was standing in front of the right room.

When he was sure that he hadn't gone the wrong way, he stepped back into the room.

Harry looked around slowly and tilted his head to the side. Instead of his Common Room he now stood in a large room that definitely looked more like a wine-cellar.

Hundreds of shelves full of various alcoholic drinks decorated the wall and he looked up to see the ceiling formed into a large dome. His eyes travelled back down to a large fireplace with a big sofa and two armchairs around it. This sure wasn't Hogwarts standard. Even a small bookshelf stood not far away from that.

"When I mentioned a drink, I didn't expect this!" he muttered when he walked fully into the room and traced bottles of firewhiskey, butterbeer, gillywater, elderflower wine, nettle wine, sherry, red currant rum and even mead with his fingers. "This sure is a large selection."

Harry shook his head when he suddenly realised what he had done that the Common Room had changed so dramatically. His desire for a drink suddenly forgotten, he exited the room and waited until the door disappeared, before once again pacing in front of the wall.

This time however he thought about his Common Room and the word 'Phoenix'.

"Harry?" asked a familiar voice and he stopped. "What are you doing here this late?"

He turned around and saw himself standing in front of Nicolas. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Would you believe me if I said I got lost?"

"Nope," came Nicolas' simple answer, and he folded his arms. "It's nearly midnight. Pray tell me why you're here?"

Harry looked at his watch with a raised eyebrow and then back at Nick. "You know that I had detention with Umbridge, so why d'you ask?"

Nicolas stared at him. "She… kept you with her until now? You had detention for five hours?" He frowned. "That's not even allowed. Are you sure you didn't do anything stupid?"

Harry threw him a playful glare, but then got serious. "Do you know a place where we can talk? It's not something everyone should hear."

Nicolas nodded his head towards the wall where the door to Harry's Common Room had just disappeared once more. "Why not use the Room of Requirement?"

"You… you know?" asked Harry and blinked. "You know that this isn't only the entry to the Phoenix's room? Why didn't you tell me?"

Nicolas shrugged before starting to pace in front of the wall. "I thought you already knew. You and Draco were the ones who found every hidden room in my Mansion after all."

"I guess so…," mumbled Harry. "I thought it might be something like that, because Dumbledore told me that he had once managed to find a room full of chamber pots. I guessed that it was the same room."

"Well your guess was correct," said Nicolas when the door appeared one more time.

"But how do you know about the room?"

The wizard opened the door and motioned for him to get in. "I found out about it when I was a teacher here."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You are a teacher here at the moment, Nick."

"I meant five hundred years ago."

"Oh…"

They now were in a room that looked like a mix of an office and a potions lab and something suddenly dawned on Harry.

"You are here often, aren't you?"

"Yes. Penny and I looked for a suitable room where we could research and experiment in. This room is just perfect for that, because you don't have to worry about inflicting damage to the castle."

"As long as you don't blow up the whole room I'm okay with that."

Nicolas chuckled when they sat down near the fireplace. "That you better tell the Weasley Twins."

Harry blinked. "They… they know, too? And they're using the room? For what?" he frowned and shook his head. "Um… forget it, I know that they invent jokes… but why didn't they tell us?"

"Damn Harry," chuckled Nicolas. "You're the son of a Marauder, the godchild of another and the honorary nephew of a third. Don't you think they thought you already knew?"

Harry said nothing and as if on cue Nicolas' eyes caught sight of his hand. Faster than Harry could blink he had snatched Harry's arm up and was looking at the back of his hand more closely. After Harry silently let the man examine the scars Nicolas looked up and Harry knew once more why Nicolas Flamel was known as one of the most powerful wizards of all time.

"What… did... she... do?" he asked and his voice was nearly a growl.

With a sigh, Harry told Nicolas about the blood quill and after he finished the wizard and alchemist was seething. "And you didn't see fit to tell me after your first detention with her?"

Harry shrugged and gave him a small grin. "I don't think she will give me another detention for a while. I made a deal with her and she agreed."

"And what might this deal be?" asked Nicolas, but he was visibly more relaxed now.

"Oh…," chuckled Harry and stood up. "You'll see… I personally give her until Christmas, two weeks more if she's still alive then."

"Harry, Harry…," said Nicolas sighing, but a small smile was playing on his lips. "I don't know what you've planned and how you always come up with things like this, but… I think I would enjoy helping you."

"I learned from the best," said Harry and raised his eyebrows. "But Nick… you're a professor now. You can't really help me with that. Heck, for everything that's going to happen I should be afraid that you'll take points from me!"

Nicolas smiled when Harry reached the door. "So I guess I shouldn't do anything about your hand?"

"No," said Harry and waved at him. "I'll do something when the time's right. Goodnight Professor Edison."

Harry closed the door after him and then waited until it disappeared. Then he paced in front of the wall again and…

"Wicked!" he grinned as he looked at the perfectly normal Common Room. "Now that I have to tell the others tomorrow."

******

"Harry… why d'you have to drag us up here again after we just went down?" complained Ron when he, Harry and Draco walked up the stairs leading to the seventh floor.

"Cause I have to show you something," smirked Harry when he stopped in front of Barnabas the Barmy.

"And that couldn't wait until Hermione and Neville met up with us for lunch?" asked Draco with a raised eyebrow.

Harry shrugged. "We all have a free period after lunch, so they'll have enough time to join us. What should it be?"

"What should what be?" asked Ron perplexed.

"What should the room look like?" elaborated Harry as if it was obvious.

"But isn't that the entrance to your Common Room?" asked Draco curiously.

Harry said nothing and the blond sighed. "Fine… make it a room where we can train, the clearing in the forest will be rather uncomfortable once it gets colder outside."

Harry nodded and paced in front of the wall while thinking about somewhere to train.

"And now?" asked Ron when the door appeared in front of them. "D'you want us to see the Phoenix's room or what?"

"Open the door and see," smirked Harry, and Ron did so.

When the redhead entered, Harry mentally counted to three and wasn't disappointed.

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Ron. "That's bloody brilliant!"

Draco looked at Harry in surprise and slowly followed the redhead into the room.

"Well? What d'you say? Is this good enough for training?" asked Harry and both of his friends just nodded with their mouths slightly open.

"How…?" asked Draco. "I'm fairly sure that's normally your Common Room."

"Trade secret," replied Harry and chuckled when Draco glared at him.

Now he took his time and looked around. The room had everything you could dream of using for training, and was divided into four parts.

One part was a rather large library with a large fireplace and comfortable armchairs and sofas to rest on.

Then there was an area, to their left, where mirrors, hurdles and training dummies stood, moving around slightly. Harry could detect a slight golden shimmer around the rather large area and guessed that it was a shield to catch stray-curses.

The third area would have been a dream come true for their resident Potions Master. Harry glanced at Draco and noted that he also looked like he was in heaven.

In front of them was a large potions lab with shelves full of ingredients, which Harry was sure were quite hard to get under normal circumstances.

And lastly, the third part of the room. It was definitely the most stunning. It was an exact replica of Hogsmeade, except that there were no people on the streets. It would be perfect for practicing combat scenarios, and Harry smiled widely.

"Yep. This room is definitely awesome," he remarked.

"Shouldn't one of us go down and fetch Neville and Hermione?" asked Draco and grinned at him. "I bet your girlfriend won't like it if you forget about her."

Harry grinned back and Draco's face faltered. "Well, yes, of course! Draco it's wonderful that you volunteered for the task."

Draco groaned, while Ron chuckled and sat down on the sofa. "Bad luck ferret."

"This was so clear…," muttered Draco when he went to the door. "Now I have to run down seven floors…"

"See ya later!" Harry called after him and the blond threw him a nasty look.

After Draco exited the room – the door nearly fell out of it's hinges - Harry conjured two goblets of wine and flopped himself down on the sofa. He noticed Ron looking at him rather oddly, but ignored it. When he went to grab one of the goblets Ron's hand shot forward and caught his arm.

He turned Harry's hand around so that he could look at the back of his hand and the redheads eyes widened when he saw the scars on his skin.

"What did that bitch make you do?!" he asked loudly.

With a sigh Harry softly swatted Ron's hand away and once again reached for the goblet. "She just made me write lines."

"Just lines?!" exclaimed Ron with disbelief. "She… she tortured you! How did she do it?"

"I had to use a blood quill." replied Harry without a care.

"But they're illegal!"

"Really now?" drawled Harry and raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know that."

Ron sighed. "I may have said that she's out for your blood not long ago… but now it looks like she's cutting your skin open… to actually draw blood?"

"Funny isn't it?" remarked Harry. "You would think she enjoys torture."

Ron chuckled slightly and grabbed the other goblet. "So it's definitely official now. She's the stupidest, ugliest and craziest teacher we've ever had. Not even Lockhart was that much of a dunderhead. He was a capable Professor compared to her."

"Don't exaggerate," smiled Harry. "Lockhart was as dumb as a Troll who learned to speak. He knew how to fool people, I give him that, but that's all."

"Yeah… you're right," said Ron. "But Umbitch… I don't know how you're able to be so calm about it. You have to tell somebody about the quill."

He shrugged. "Nick knows about it. And I bet Penny knows about it now also."

Ron furrowed his brow. "Nick… Penny? Ah, of course! They're the Flamels, aren't they? I nearly forgot about that. Draco told us when you sent the Howler to Sirius yesterday. But… why don't they do something?"

"Because I asked Nick not to." Harry's bright emerald eyes darkened slightly. "You said Umbridge is out for my blood, didn't you?" Ron just nodded and Harry looked at the red wine in his goblet while swirling it slightly. The thin scars on his hand shimmering in the light of the fire. "Then I tell you, blood… is what she will get. And this time… it won't be mine."

Ron's head snapped over to him. "Um… mate? Are you serious about that?" he asked, his voice a little bit on the edge. "I know that she's a horrible… thing, but…"

Harry waved his free hand in a lazy manner and Ron quieted down with a sigh. Harry slowly sipped on his wine and smirked. "You can say I declared war on her yesterday. She just doesn't know it yet. She believes she's got the upper hand in this one, but the funnier it'll be to burst her bubble."

The redhead stared at him and started to retort, just as Draco, Hermione and Neville entered the room, the last two with wide eyes.

Harry just stared at his goblet and waited for them to finish their small exploration of the newly 'found' room. Draco flopped himself down on one of the comfortable armchairs and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, before watching Neville and Hermione.

Ron also watched them, but Harry could see from the corner of his eyes, that the redhead's eyes darted over to him from time to time.

"This room… it's awesome!" exclaimed Neville when they also sat down.

"I don't understand it," murmured Hermione while staring at the large bookshelves and then over to the potions lab and the Hogsmeade replica.

"Mione? Care to join us over here?" asked Harry pouting slightly. "I'm here too, you know."

"I know that," answered Hermione and went over to them. "But I still don't understand it," she added when she snuggled down next to him.

Harry chuckled and put his goblet down on the table. He turned his body around so that he was leaning on the corner, and put one leg on the sofa. Hermione smiled at him and slid over. He slung one arm around her belly and she used his abdomen as a backrest while sitting between his legs.

He leaned forwards and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "What does our genius not understand?"

She crossed her arms. "This," she indicated the room around them. "We just came through the entrance to your Common Room… but we aren't in your Common Room. I'm certain of that."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "How d'you know what the Phoenix's common room looks like?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked over to him as if he was crazy. "I spent the first night here at the beginning of term. Did you forget that already? You and Ron talked about it for the last three weeks!"

"Right…," chuckled Ron. "So, I guess that this is where we are training from now on?"

They looked at each other and then Harry nodded. "Yep. This is going to be fun."

******

Harry groaned when they entered the Transfiguration Classroom after lunch. Professor Umbridge was sitting in a corner, clutching a red clipboard and a quill in her fingers.

"Excellent," whispered Ron, as they sat down in their usual seats. "Let's see Umbridge get what she deserves."

"I forgot that she has the right to inspect the teachers…," muttered Draco when all five of them sat down in the first row.

"I hope she doesn't open her m-mouth," whispered Neville. "I still… feel a little sick when I think about the fly she ate…"

Harry stretched his legs and looked blankly at the board. "At least the schedules are different now and we all have classes together. Imagine how it would be with only one of us is sitting in Defense with Umbitch?"

They all shuddered and then Professor McGonagall marched into the room without giving the slightest indication that she knew Professor Umbridge was there.

"That will do," she said and silence fell immediately. "Mr. Finnigan, kindly come here and hand back the homework - Miss Brown, please take this box of mice - don't be silly, girl, they won't hurt you - and hand one to each student -"

"Hem, hem," said Professor Umbridge, employing the same silly little cough she had used to interrupt Dumbledore on the first night of term. Professor McGonagall ignored her. Seamus handed back Harry's essay; Harry took it without looking at him and saw that he really had managed to get an O.

"Right then, everyone, listen closely - Dean Thomas, if you do that to the mouse again I shall put you in detention - most of you have now successfully vanished your snails and even those who were left with a certain amount of shell have got the gist of the spell. Today, we shall be -"

"Hem, hem," said Professor Umbridge.

"Yes?" said Professor McGonagall, turning round, her eyebrows so close together they seemed to form one long, severe line.

"I was just wondering, Professor, whether you received my note telling you of the date and time of your inspec-"

"Obviously I received it, or I would have asked you what you are doing in my classroom," said Professor McGonagall, turning her back firmly on Professor Umbridge.

Many of the students exchanged looks of glee. "As I was saying: today, we shall be practicing the altogether more difficult vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell -"

"Hem, hem."

"I wonder," said Professor McGonagall in cold fury, turning on Professor Umbridge, "how you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking."

Professor Umbridge looked as though she had just been slapped in the face. She did not speak, but straightened the parchment on her clipboard and began scribbling furiously.

Looking supremely unconcerned, Professor McGonagall addressed the class once more.

"As I was saying: the Vanishing Spell becomes more difficult with the complexity of the animal to be vanished. The snail, as an invertebrate, does not present much of a challenge; the mouse, as a mammal, offers a much greater one. This is not, therefore, magic you can accomplish with your mind on your dinner. So - you know the incantation; let me see what you can do…"

"I don't think Umbridge is going to be very pleased" Harry muttered to Ron under his breath with a grin.

"Yes…," muttered Hermione. "But what did you do to her? She always pales when she looks at you."

Harry looked at Hermione and then at Umbridge. She looked around and when she caught his eye quickly looked away again. He shook his head. "I'll tell you later."

For the rest of the lesson they worked in silence while Umbridge sat around in her corner, scribbling furiously on her clipboard.

"Well, it's a start," said Ron when the bell rang, holding up a long wriggling mouse-tail and dropping it back into the box Lavender was passing around. Harry meanwhile looked at the spot his fifth mouse had just disappeared and shook his head when Lavender held the box out to him.

As they filed out of the classroom, Harry saw Professor Umbridge approach the teacher's desk; he nudged Ron, who nudged Hermione in turn and so on, and the five of them deliberately fell back to eavesdrop.

"How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" Professor Umbridge asked.

"Thirty-nine years this December," said Professor McGonagall brusquely, snapping her bag shut.

Professor Umbridge made a note.

"Very well," she said, "you will receive the results of your inspection in ten days' time."

"I can hardly wait," said Professor McGonagall, in a coldly indifferent voice, and she strode off towards the door. "Hurry up, you five," she added, sweeping Harry, Ron, Neville, Draco and Hermione before her.

Harry could not help giving her a faint smile and could have sworn he received one in return.

******

"I still reckon you should complain about this," said Ron in a low voice and Harry saw that his eyes were once again on the scars on the back of his hand.

The five were once again sitting in the Room of Requirement. It had - in the short time between lunch and now – officially become something like their own personal Headquarters.

"No," said Harry flatly.

"Dumbledore and McGonagall surely… they won't like that and go nuts…," said Neville quietly.

"Yeah, they probably would," said Harry dully. "And how long d'you reckon it'd take Umbridge to pass another decree saying anyone who complains about the High Inquisitor gets sacked immediately? I told you already that Nick and Penny know about it, but they agree with me not to do anything – yet."

Ron opened his mouth to retort but nothing came out and, after a moment, he closed it again, defeated.

"She's an awful woman," said Hermione annoyed while caressing Harry's hand. "Awful. You know, we should do something about her."

"I suggest we poison her," said Draco grimly and Harry smirked.

"No… I mean, something about what a dreadful teacher and person she is, and how we're not going to learn any Defense from her at all," said Hermione.

"Well, what can we do about that?" said Ron, yawning. "It's too late, isn't it? She's got the job, she's here to stay. Fudge'll make sure of that."

"We haven't got anything to worry about anyway," added Draco. "We're already training for ourselves."

"Well," said Hermione tentatively. "I said it some time ago as well. We may have nothing to worry about. But what about the other students?"

"They have no clue," said Neville softly.

"I know what you mean," sighed Harry. "But what should we do?

"We could teach them," said Hermione.

"You're not serious, are you?" groaned Ron. "It's bad enough as it is with the five of us."

"Yeah," said Draco. "Now that you three have nearly caught on you suggest getting more people involved?"

"But it can't be that difficult," insisted Hermione.

"Hermione," Harry sighed quietly and adjusted his position a little bit. "I understand what you mean and that you want to help the other students, but… we're already walking on very thin ice as it is."

"What… d'you mean?" Neville wanted to know while Hermione and Ron looked at him curiously.

"We're learning dark magic," Harry said calmly. "We're delving into the deepest of the Dark Arts. And we're learning how to use them. This is not something just anybody should be doing." He looked down at his hands and clenched them to fists. "The temptation to use a dark curse on someone who angers you is strong… and it's not easy to withstand it…"

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione slightly worried.

"While Draco and I were training in Romania, I nearly used a dark curse on someone who annoyed me …," said Harry quietly. "The words had already formed on my lips, but Narcissa - intentionally or not - arrived just at the right moment to let me clear my thoughts."

Hermione hugged him tightly and Harry smiled slightly while enjoying her warmth and her smell.

"Harry?" asked Ron slowly. "What… what was the curse?"

He shook his head. "Sorry, but I won't tell you. You first have to catch up to where Draco and I are."

Draco glanced at his watch and sighed. "To get back to the subject at hand… listen Hermione.

If you really want to do what I think you want to do, then we could be in deep shit. If only one of the students we decide to include in the training tells somebody what exactly we're teaching them… we're dead meat. What you're suggesting is basically a one-way ticket to Azkaban."

"You may be right…," sighed Hermione. "But there must be some way to help the other students."

Harry and Draco looked at each other for a short while. Both were thinking the same thing and simultaneously sighed.

"We'll think of something."

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Dark Phoenix of Slytherin