"Ah!" I cried out in sudden pain as my body was slammed back against the wall. Despite the violent hit, I did not loosen my grip on the Death Eater whose body I was wrapped around. I locked my legs tighter around his waist and squeezed my arms around his neck, holding his head in a lock. His hands clawed at my arms, scratching and thrashing, as I suffocated the life out of him. He slammed our bodies back against the wall, causing the dry wall behind us to crack on impact. I let out an aggravated yell as my entire body seared with pain and the air was knocked out of me. This had to be over soon, I wasn't sure how much more I could physically take.
I pulled back, forcing the Death Eater's head back and squeezed harder with my arms. Within a moment, the Death Eater started to loose his footing and he fell back, squishing me against the wall, and sunk down. His hands stopped pulling at my arms and eventually he stopped breathing.
I broke my grasp around him and sighed with aggravation because I was caught under his heavy body. I shoved the dead body off me, exhaled and pulled myself up off the ground. Throwing my hair out of my face, I looked down at the life I had just taken. My hands shook while my stomach twisted with discomfort and disgust. I was disgusted with myself. I leaned forward and tore the hood of the Death Eater's cloak off. The mask disappeared in a whirl of black smoke to reveal an older man, in his late fifties with salt-and-pepper-gray hair, chiseled features and age lines around his mouth and eyes. I sunk to my knee to get a closer look at him. My heart fell as his grey eyes, still wide-open and petrified, stared up at me.
Sudden movement behind me, creaking wood and rushed steps, tore me from my guilty thoughts. I rose quickly, wiped my wand out and brandished it at the door of the small bedroom that I was in. Gabriel came charging through, wand raised, ready to attack. He was wearing brown pants, black shirt and brown cloak. Blood stained his cloak and hands, which made my stomach turn. No doubt, he had killed the other Death Eater that we had found in the abandoned flat. When his eyes fell on me he lowered his wand, but kept a firm grip on it. He studied me for a moment.
"Who's basement did I betray you in?"
"The Jaspers," I replied to his security question. "Technically, it was their backyard though." I paused with hesitation as I stared at Gabriel. He looked like Gabriel, but that detail he should have known. I frowned, still holding my wand up at him. "What is your daughter's name?"
"Jennifer," Gabriel replied with a smirk. "I suppose you're right about the backyard."
"Uh huh," I sighed with relief and lowered my wand. As Gabriel approached me, I turned my attention back to the Death Eater I had just killed.
"Is it him?"
"No," I whispered with aggravation.
"What's wrong?"
"I didn't want to kill him," I shrugged. Gabriel frowned at me but nodded his head. He touched my shoulder gently and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"What of the women downstairs?"
"Dead," Gabriel said raising his hands to show me the bloodshed. I turned away from him to look back down at the body that was slumped against the wall. "Let's take a look around."
"We should get out of here," I shook my head. "Neither of them are the Death Eater that attacked me three months ago."
"Haiden's premonition wouldn't have brought us here if it didn't mean something," Gabriel insisted.
"Why do you trust that her vision is reliable?" I questioned looking at him sharply. My cloak and hair whirled around me as I turned to him. "Why do you trust that she is reliable?"
"Haiden sent me that dream, Cadence, not Divinity—"
"How can you tell the difference?"
"I just can," Gabriel said. "She is my charge—"
"I thought you feared that Penelope was her Guardian."
"I have to believe that I am," Gabriel was starting to get frustrated with me. His tone was sharp now. "Why else would I receive her visions in my dreams?"
"So that she can fool you and mislead us. Divinity is the stronger entity and she follows my father. I think it is foolish to trust in Haiden when she is so weak."
"She is stronger then ever before," Gabriel replied sternly. "And you should be ashamed that you've lost faith in her."
"Let's not go there!" I snipped in annoyance. Of all the people to accuse me of losing faith in my niece, Gabriel was out of line. He knew that I had never given up on her. She was always lost to me and I always wanted to help her. But now, I had accepted that she was the only person who could help herself. To be free of Divinity, of her multiple personalities, she had to regain control of her existence. Until then, she could just be a vessel for Divinity and my father to use against us.
"Just go look around," I shook my head.
Gabriel turned away from me and kicked some of the rummaged furniture in the room out of his way. I rolled my eyes at his aggression and turned away from him. My eyes fell on the Death Eater's body again and I quickly turned away towards a desk that was in the far corner of the room.
"What exactly are we looking for?" I asked as I made my way to the desk.
Gabriel lifted the mattress from the bedspring and flipped it over. When he found notion he turned to the nightstand and began to dig through the crowded drawer.
"Evidence that someone else stayed here with them," he sighed. "Paper evidence that someone was looking for you…anything suspicious."
Inside the desk drawers there was only random scraps of papers and writing utensils. I slammed the drawers shut and reached for the bottom one, but it didn't open. I pulled at the handle again, but it was locked. I frowned and pulled my wand out. I tapped the drawer a few times as I uttered spells in my head, but nothing happened. I stood up, tucked my wand in my pocket and took a step back. With one swift stomp of my foot, I smashed the handle clean off the drawer. When the handle was destroyed, the lock released and the drawer cracked open.
"What was that?" Gabriel asked from behind me.
I knelt down and pulled open the drawer. "This drawer was locked."
I heard Gabriel move across the room towards me. "What's in it?"
"Nothing," I sighed with disappointment as I pulled out a handful of newspaper clippings and threw them on the desktop. "Just newspaper clippings. Maybe there is a hidden compartment…"
I reached my hand into the drawer, all the way towards the back, so that my entire arm was in the desk drawer.
"Cadence," Gabriel said from above me. I looked up at him with raised eyebrows. He was standing next to me, leaning over the desk, looking at the newspaper clippings.
"What?" I pulled my arm out of the desk drawer and stood up next to him.
Gabriel was organizing the newspaper clippings so that they laid out flat and everything could be seen. My heart sank into my stomach as I looked at the pictures he had spread out. Every picture was of me, Gabriel or Carrigan.
"I think this is what we were looking for," Gabriel said as he looked down at me. I leaned forward and picked up the picture of Carrigan that had been published almost two summers ago. It was a picture of her from the Quidditch World Cup, when she had stopped the flaming falling object over me.
I put it down with a grim expression and picked up a clipping with a picture of me from when I was much younger and at Hogwarts. "What does this mean?"
"They were obviously coming after you."
"Us," I corrected as I tapped a clipping with Gabriel's picture on it. "They're after us and our family….but why would they need these clippings? Who we are and what we do isn't a secret, especially since they work for my father."
"Maybe they don't," Gabriel said sorely.
"They just happen to work for my father and some other bad-guy?" I questioned. "That doesn't seem coincidence."
"Of course not," Gabriel said wisely. "Whoever this other bad-guy is, they want to overthrow your father too."
"And they need our help?" I asked.
"Maybe Haiden wanted us to come here to see who else is out to get us, she was helping us with the other bad-guy…maybe this has nothing to do with the man that attacked you in January."
"Why would she want us to go after this other guy?" I asked. "Which, we really need to figure out who he or she is—I don't want to call him the 'other guy' anymore."
Gabriel frowned. "I don't know…"
"Do you think it's possible that she sent you the dream in hopes that we would find this 'other guy' and take him out so he isn't a threat to my father?"
"I don't know," Gabriel repeated. "Let's get out of here. We can theorize at the house."
"Alright, but I'm taking these," I said as I collected the news clippings.
We Apparated to head quarters and quickly made our way down into the kitchen to further discuss what we had just found. When we arrived in the kitchen, I was not surprised to see Sirius and Remus sitting at the table drinking fire whiskey and eating soup.
"Hello boys," I said mildly as I laid the clippings on the table.
"What are those?"
"News clippings we found in a Death Eater's desk," Gabriel said as he took a seat next to Remus.
"Of what?" Remus asked as he pushed the bottle of fire whiskey to Gabriel, who graciously accepted it. He conjured himself a shot glass and poured the alcohol into it.
"Me, Carrigan and Gabriel," I replied as I took a seat.
"What?" Sirius leaned forward and started to look at the clippings.
"We're not sure what they mean," Gabriel said after he had taken his shot.
"Why would Death Eaters have news clippings of you?" Remus inquired.
"Don't know," I said standing up and taking off my cloak. I threw it on the back of the chair before snapping my fingers. A chalkboard appeared out of thin air. I snatched it and leaned it up against the wall of the kitchen. I pulled out my wand and pointed at the board as I continued to speak.
"First, Rickon Form attacks and makes multiple attempts on my life. He kills Mitchell to keep him quiet about Cepheus, the code-name for Voldemort's operation to capture and study Haiden," As I spoke blue writing began to appear on the board in the top left corner summarizing what I was said. I had to make a flow chart of the events that had happened and the connections to the people involved if I was every going to figure this thing out. "We know that Form worked for Voldemort and he suggested some other organization or person."
"You said when you interviewed him he denied that he was involved with anyone else under truth potion," Remus pointed out.
"I think we should keep an open mind," I said with a frank smile.
On the board, two vertical lines appeared under Form's name. One line pointed to 'Voldemort,' while the other pointed to 'Other.'
"An unknown Death Eater attacks me in January and burns down our brownstone," I continued. As I talked, the chalk continued to appear on the board, sketching my ideas as I spoke. I paced back and forth in front of the three men. "We assume him to be connected to my father. He said that he was sent to kill me, but did not. Why?"
"Then, two weeks ago, I receive a vision from Haiden in the form a dream," Gabriel said. "In the dream, I see two Death Eater's through a window of a flat with the address 1313 near the window. We went there today and found these."
"What about the Death Eaters?" Sirius looked up from the clippings and asked.
"Self defense," I whispered sorely as I turned to look at the chalkboard. Gabriel's comments had appeared on it as well. "There were two, a man and woman, but neither were the Death Eater that attacked me."
"So, you just have more questions, not answers," Remus said.
"Yes," Gabriel nodded. "I think the two Death Eaters today are insignificant—"
"Except they were keeping clippings of Cadence and my daughter," Sirius snipped. "That doesn't seem insignificant to me."
"And we don't know why Divinity would send you that vision," I added.
"Unless it was simply to throw you both off of the trail of the first Death Eater," Remus pointed to the top left corner. "And Divinity is protecting your father's investments."
"So, the vision, two Death Eaters and news clippings were all a distraction," Gabriel repeated with a frustrated look. He poured himself another shot and took it quickly. I frowned and gripped the chair in front of me with a sad expression in my eyes. I knew it pained Gabriel to think that Divinity was trying to trick him. He wanted to believe so desperately that Haiden was taking control, and soon Divinity wouldn't exist. I wanted it too, but that desire for my niece to return to us could not blind the reality before me.
"What's next then?" Sirius asked. "Since tonight was pretty much a waste."
"Not a waste," Gabriel interjected before I could speak. There was a harshness to his tone that made my senses heighten. I didn't want to have to break up a fight between Sirius and Gabriel. "There are two less Death Eaters in the world."
"You're no better then Voldemort when you just kill people at random!" Sirius snapped.
"It was self-defense!" Gabriel yelled.
"Enough!" I shouted. "I'm going to see Dumbledore, to see what he thinks of all this." I motioned to the news clippings in front of me. "I don't want to rule anything out. If someone is actually after Carrigan to the point that they're keeping pictures of her, then that means they're probably planning on kidnapping her. We need to be careful. Dumbledore is right when he says that there are other evils besides my father out there."
"You think that there is someone worse out there?" Remus asked.
"I think that we should be prepared for anything," I responded. "I'm scared that we're so focused on my father that we're missing something else."
"I think you're just paranoid," Sirius sighed as he leaned back in his chair.
"This is not paranoia!" I hissed as I threw a handful of the news clippings at him. I turned on my heel as I snatched up my cloak and made my way out of the kitchen. In the foyer, as I pulled on my cloak, Gabriel appeared.
"Are you coming with me?" I asked as I buttoned my cloak.
"No," Gabriel frowned. "I have to be at the Ministry in an hour to relieve Tonks."
I nodded. "Of course," I responded. "Do you think I'm being paranoid?'
"I don't think there is anything wrong with suspecting that the entire world is out to get you, especially when it concerns your daughter."
I smiled up at Gabriel as he beamed back at me. His eyes were purple today, sparkling with mystery and affection. I clenched his collar and stood on my toes to kiss him passionately. He instantly wrapped me in his arms and kissed me in return, deeply, with such love that I felt I was the luckiest woman alive.
"We're a pretty neurotic couple," I said as I pulled out of the kiss. He smiled and stole another kiss from me.
"I prefer to think of us as prepared for anything."
I broke free with a lighthearted laugh. "Alright. I'll go see what Dumbledore thinks."
"Say hello to Carrigan for me," Gabriel said while stroking my hair behind me ear. I smiled again at him.
"I will. I'll also tell her to watch her back that someone may be looking to kidnap her, not just kill her."
"Speak to Benjamin as well then."
I nodded in understanding. "I'll see you in the morning."
Gabriel grabbed me before I went to the door and pulled me into a lustful, desperate kiss that took my breath away. I relaxed against him, kissed him gently in return and without a word Disapparated straight from his arms.
I Apparated into an alley in Hogsmeade village, which was dark and damp from the April drizzle. I pulled the hood of my cloak up over my head in an attempt to keep my hair dry as I made my way through the quiet village. By the time I reached the doors of Hogwarts, I was chilled to the bone from the cool rain. I pushed my hood off and shook the water from my cloak.
"Cadence Coleman," said a deep, slow voice that startled me. I jumped back and turned towards the voice. My eyes opened wide in shock as I stared up at a giant centaur with a beautiful brown horse body, and well-built muscular torso of a man. The centaur's face was middle-aged, with waves of blond hair and strong wise eyes.
"Do I know you?" I questioned in surprise. Of course I didn't know this centaur. I had never meet a centaur in my life.
"No," the centaur said, still in his slow voice that would comfort the fearful. "But I know of you. My name is Firenze, I have taken the Divination position here as a favor to Albus."
"Oh," I nodded. I fixed my cloak and forced a smile at Firenze. "Yes, my daughter wrote to me about it. That's very nice of you to do."
"What brings you here Cadence Coleman?"
"I'm here to see the Headmaster," I said slowly. I wasn't sure why the centaur had stopped me at the door, or why he was questioning my reasons for being at Hogwarts.
"He has great company tonight. You should move quickly if you wish to speak to him," Firenze continued in his dreamy voice. "I'm afraid he will not be here much longer…" His voice trailed off.
"What?"
"I am happy I saw you," he continued as if I hadn't questioned him. "I feel that I must warn you of a great tragedy that is on your path in the near future."
"A great tragedy?" My heart sank. There were so many things that could happen in the near future that I considered a tragedy: Gabriel dying, Carrigan getting kidnapped, getting pregnant again…
"Do not fear, it is not a child. You are not destined to bear anymore," Firenze said seriously. "Your daughter will bear the child you are meant to guide and protect—"
"Excuse me?"
"Reproduction is part of the human experience, I'm sure that does not surprise you," Firenze said to my retort. He seemed surprised that I would be shocked at the idea of Carrigan reproducing.
"No," I sighed, deciding to let it go. I had so many other things to worry about, I would worry about Carrigan having a child someday later. "No, I suppose it doesn't. But what about this great tragedy? Is Carrigan going to get knocked-up and that's the tragedy I have to worry about?"
"No," Firenz shook his head with mild frustration. "Carrigan Coleman is not destined to have a child yet, besides that path can always change, but the great tragedy that you face isn't clear to me."
"So, you're warning me that something bad is going to happen to me in the future?"
"Yes."
"Well thanks," I said with some bite. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to see the Headmaster."
"Of course, good evening Cadence Coleman."
"Good evening," I said as I moved past Firenze. As I walked away, I could only think that there were too many Seers in my life. I was tired to things being predicted and told me when they were vague and didn't really help me prepare for anything. Firenze wasn't kidding when he said Dumbledore had great company, though. Perhaps I should have taken that comment a little more seriously.
When I arrived in the office, it was full of people. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, his fingertips pressed together as his elbows rested on the desktop. He was wearing maroon robes, with gold embroidery on the hems. His moon shaped glasses were sitting on the bridge of his nose, as usual, in front of his crystal-blue, and rather calm, eyes. Professor McGonagall stood next to him, rigid and harsh looking. Her face gave nothing away, however. The Minister of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge, was present; rolling back and forth from the balls to the heels of his feet. He looked uncomfortably happy and in control (which I knew could only be an illusion of his own making). Kingsley Shacklebolt was present, standing near the door of the room where I had just entered, along with another Auror I recognized from the department but did not know. Percy Weasley was also present, standing in a corner of the room away from everyone else. He looked just like his boss; happy and in control, though I doubted they were.
"Hi," I said awkwardly. "I wasn't aware that you had an audience."
"Hello, Ms. Coleman," Dumbledore said waving me in. "Please join us."
"What's going on?"
"None of your business," Fudge said quickly. "You shouldn't be here—"
Before he could finish speaking the door to the office was thrown open and Dolores Umbridge barged in dragging Harry Potter by the sleeve. I turned in surprise as my godson was dragged into the office like some sort of delinquent.
"Harry," I stammered. Harry pulled himself free of Umbridge as the door slammed behind them.
"Well, well, well…" Fudge said with satisfaction.
"He was heading back to his dormitory. The Malfoy boy caught him," Umbridge said in her bittersweet tone with a cruel smile that I desperately wanted to slap off her face.
"Did he? I'll be sure to tell Lucius," Fudge said as he turned to face me. "Coleman, excuse yourself. You're not meant to be here!"
"I'm sorry Cornelius, I feel that it is necessary for Cadence to be here," Dumbledore spoke up from his chair. "You just dragged her godson into my office on disciplinary problems. She has every right to be here."
"Thank you," I said to Dumbledore. I glared viciously at Fudge. He was mistaken if he thought I was going anywhere now that Harry had arrived in the office.
Fudge didn't say anything to Dumbledore and turned sharply to Harry.
"You know why you're here, don't you?" he snarled.
I looked between Harry and Dumbledore; to my surprise, Dumbledore very discretely shook his head slowly from side to side. He wasn't looking at Harry, but I knew the signal was meant for him to see. I looked back at Harry.
"Yeh—no." I couldn't help but smile.
"I beg your pardon?" Fudge questioned.
"No," Harry nodded his head once to reiterate that he didn't know why he was in the headmaster's office.
"You don't know why you're here?"
"No, I don't," Harry responded.
"So, you're telling us you have no idea why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that you have been caught breaking school rules?" Fudge was red in the face with frustration and his voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Which school rules has my godson broken?" I asked.
"He's not just broken countless school rules, but also Ministry decrees," Umbridge retorted with a jeer at me. She looked like she was a big-fat cat who had just caught a mouse and was ready to swallow it whole.
"So, it is news to you Potter, that an illegal student organization has been discovered?"
"Yes, it is," Harry said with innocent surprise that wouldn't fool anyone. I frowned slightly. Obviously, Harry had not inherited his father's skill of lying.
"Let me fetch our informant," Umbridge said with aggravation. She pivoted and left the room, leaving it awkwardly quiet. I stared at Harry, who was looking straight at Dumbledore, begging him with his green eyes to look at him. I concentrated on Harry's mind and spoke to him with Legilimency.
Harry.
Harry physically jumped as if he was startled by something.
"What is it?" questioned Fudge.
"Nothing," Harry shook his head before looking straight at me.
Is this what I think it's about?
Harry exhaled. Yes, the D.A.
I frowned. Harry's secret defense against the dark arts study group had been found out. That meant that anyone caught was going to be expelled. I looked to Dumbledore, who was looking straight at me as if he had sensed my communication to Harry.
All will be well, was all he said to me mentally. I nodded and looked away.
The door to the office opened as Umbridge guided a curly haired blonde into the office. I looked at her curiously because she had her robes pulled up over her face, right to the edge of her eyes.
"Don't be scared, dear," Umbridge said to the girl sweetly. "You have done the right thing. The Minister is very pleased with you. Marietta's mother, Minister," she looked to Fudge as she spoke. "is Madame Edgecombe from the Department of Magical Transportation. Floo Network office—she has been helping us police the fire here at Hogwarts, you know."
"Jolly good," said Fudge with a radiant smile. "Now, lower your robes, Marietta, tell us what you told Professor Umbridge."
But the girl didn't budge. She held her robes up firmly over her face. "Come now, Marietta," Umbridge insisted. The girl sighed and moved one of her hands, letting her cheeks appear. The word "SNEAK" was pimpled across her face. When the Minister saw it he jumped back with a yell of shock, which caused Marietta to cry and cover her face again. Umbridge exhaled an aggravated breath and pivoted to face Fudge and Dumbledore.
"Very well, you silly girl, I will tell him," she said. "Well, Minister, Miss Edgecombe here came to my office and told me that if I proceeded to a secret room on the seventh floor, I would find out something to my advantage. I questioned her further and she told me there was some kind of meeting occurring there tonight. But at that moment, this hex came into play and when she caught her face in the mirror in my office, she immediately stopped talking."
Fudge nodded and looked to Marietta with attempted kindness in his expression. "Marietta, you did something very brave. It was right of you to go to Professor Umbridge, but we need more details now. Can you tell us what the meeting was for? Who was there?"
Marietta would not speak, though. She shook her head quickly, causing the curls on her head to bounce back and forth, as she looked around the room with wide and fearful eyes. Umbridge rolled her eyes with frustration.
"You will remember, Minister, that I sent you a report in October that Potter had met a number of fellow students in the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade—"
"And what is your evidence of that?" McGonagall interrupted.
"I have a witness," Umbridge sneered. "Willy Widdershins, Minerva, who happened to be in the bar at the time. He was heavily bandaged, it is true, but there was no harm to his hearing. He heard every word of the plans Potter had and reported straight to me—"
"Willy Widdershins?" I questioned darkly. "The idiot who jinxed toilets to regurgitate on people once they used them?"
"Well, that explains why he was never prosecuted for that crime," McGonagall said with high eyebrows. "Interesting insight into our justice system!"
"The purpose of Potter's meeting," Umbridge continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "Was to recruit other students to join him in an illegal society, whose aim was to learn spells and curses that the Ministry has decided are inappropriate for school-age—"
"I think you'll find that you're wrong there, Dolores," Dumbledore said. His expression was still docile.
"Oh yes, let's here it Dumbledore! Another cock-and-bull-story, no doubt, to get Potter out of trouble. Well, let's here it! Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it Potter's evil-identical twin in the Hog's Head that day? Perhaps there is the usual simple explanation that requires reversing time, a dead man coming back to life, and a couple of invisible Dementors!?" Fudge was raging with frustration now.
I wanted to punch him for his comments regarding Sirius' escape. The man was so afraid to admit that he was wrong that he was starting to become paranoid and foolish. He was going to risk all of our lives just to keep his reputation alive. The truth was going to come out eventually that Voldemort had returned and I hoped beyond all hope that I was there when Fudge got the news. I wanted to see the color leave his face and regret fill his eyes as he realized he had wasted precious time that was necessary for us to survive.
"Cornelius," Dumbledore spoke. "I do not deny that Harry was in the Hog's Head that day and that he was trying to start a Defense Against the Dark Arts group. I am merely pointing out that Dolores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that time, illegal. The Ministry decree banning all student organizations was not put into effect until two days after Harry's Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules in the Hog's Head at all."
The shock on Fudge's face was priceless. But, where there was no mistake that Cornelius Fudge was an out-right idiot, Dolores Umbridge was not. She recovered quickly with a sweet smile.
"That's correct Headmaster," she admitted. "But we are now nearly six months from the introduction of Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four. If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since most certainly are."
"Well, they certainly would be, if they had continued. Do you have any evidence that those meetings continued?"
As Dumbledore spoke, holding the attention of Umbridge and Fudge, I caught sight of Kingsley shifting from his position behind the door so that he was closer to the girl, Marietta. I saw his lips barely move, but I was sure that he had cast some sort of spell on her.
"Evidence?" Umbridge repeated with her horrid bittersweet smile. "What do you think Miss Edgecombe is doing here?"
"Oh, can she tell us about six months' worth of meetings?" said Dumbledore with innocence as he raised his eyebrows. "I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight."
Umbridge's cheeks flashed red with fury. She turned to Marietta instantly. "Tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod or shake your head. I'm sure that won't effect the hex on your skin. Have the meetings been happening regularly over the last six months?"
Marietta didn't move. She stared blankly forward, not willing to answer Umbridge's question. "Just nod or shake your head, dear," Umbridge urged desperately.
Finally, Marietta shook her head. I couldn't help but smile as I peered in Kingsley's direction. His eyes met mine and he winked.
"What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" Umbridge stammered with a testy tone.
"I would have thought it was quite clear," McGonagall said from behind Dumbledore's desk. "There have been no secret meetings fro the past six months. Is that correct, Miss Edgecombe?"
She nodded.
"But there was a meeting tonight!" Umbridge said with fury. "There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it! You said Potter was the leader, and he organized it—why are you shaking your head, girl?"
"That usually means no," McGonagall continued.
Umbridge seized Marietta, pulling her close, and began to shake her violently as if hoping to shake some sense into the girl. Kingsley and I both lunged forward, but Dumbledore had stood and pointed his wand. Before Kingsley or I could grab Umbridge off of Marietta, she pulled her hands back and shook them as if she had been burned.
"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores," Dumbledore said angrily as he moved around the desk to stand next to Marietta.
"You want to calm yourself, Madame Umbridge," Kingsley said in his slow, deep voice. "You don't want to get yourself into trouble now."
Thank Merlin, Kingsley was so political correct and good at his job. I would have beaten Umbridge to a pulp if I had gotten to her first.
"I—I forgot myself," Umbridge sighed as she stepped back.
"Dolores," Fudge said dryly. He appeared indifferent to her treatment to poor Marietta, who was standing exactly where Umbridge had grabbed her, looking blank and indifferent to what was happening. Kingsley had most certainly cast a spell on her, otherwise she would have been frazzled by Umbridge shaking her. "The meeting tonight, that we definitely know happened…"
Umbridge nodded as she pulled herself together. "Oh, yes…of course. I proceeded to the seventh floor after Miss Edgecombe tipped me off, with certain trustworthy students. It appears that the members of the meeting were somehow forewarned, when we arrived, there was no one left in the Room of Requirement. But, I sent Miss Parkinson into the room for evidence, and she provided me with this," Umbridge drew a piece of paper from her pocket. It was a list of names of students, under the title "Dumbledore's Army."
I frowned and looked at the ground with disappointment. Surely, Harry and Hermione hadn't been stupid enough to keep a list of the members of their group?
"Very good!" Fudge said as he took the paper from Umbridge. "Well, well, by thunder! See what they've called themselves? Dumbledore's Army!"
Dumbledore took the piece of parchment from Fudge and studied it, then he looked up with a broad smile on his thin aging lips.
"Well, the game is up," he said simply. "Would you like a written confession from me, or will a statement in front of these witnesses do?"
"Statement?" Fudge questioned daftly. "What—I don't—"
"Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius," said Dumbledore as he waved the paper in the air. He was still smiling with glee. "Not Potter's Army. Dumbledore's Army."
Understanding sprang across Fudge's face. He took a horrified step back and pointed his finger at Dumbledore. "You?" he whispered.
"That's right," Dumbledore had a pleasant tone about him.
"You organized this?"
"I did," Dumbledore beamed.
"You recruited these students for your—your army?"
"Tonight was supposed to be our first meeting. I can see that inviting Miss Edgecombe was a mistake."
"Then you have been plotting against me!" shouted Fudge.
"That's right," Dumbledore was still cheerfully in his demeanor.
"NO!" shouted Harry suddenly. I looked directly at Harry with warning eyes, as did Kingsley and McGonagall, but he didn't seem to care. "No—Professor Dumbledore!"
"Be quiet, Harry, or I'm afraid you'll have to leave my office," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Yes, shut up, Potter!" Fudge yelled. He was too blinded with his delight at catching Dumbledore to realize that it was all a ruse. "I came here expecting to expel Potter, but instead—"
"Instead you're arresting me," Dumbledore said, smiling.
"You will be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged and then sent to Azkaban to await trail!"
"Ah," said Dumbledore gently, but still with a smile. "I thought we might hit that little snag."
"Snag? What snag?" Fudge said.
"Well, I'm afraid I do," Dumbledore said with sincere sympathy.
"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 muttered.
"Yes!" Dumbledore pointed at me. "Come quietly. I am afraid I'm not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no desire to go 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 could be doing."
Fudge was speechless, he turned to look at Kingsley and the other Auror. Kingsley didn't move, but the other Auror, who had not spoken once since I entered the office, moved forward towards Dumbledore.
"Don't be silly, Dawlish," Dumbledore said quickly. "I'm sure you're an excellent Auror, but if you attempt to—er—'bring me in' by force, I will have to hurt you."
I couldn't help but laugh, which seemed mildly inappropriate, but the entire situation was funny. Dawlish blinked in puzzlement at Dumbledore and looked to Fudge for instructions.
"So," sneered Fudge, who seemed to have recovered from his speechless shock. "You plan to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores and myself single-handed, Dumbledore?" When he said 'single-handed' his eyes wandered to me for a brief moment, as if he were unsure if I would stand by Dumbledore. Fudge knew that they really didn't stand a chance if I joined the fight.
"Oh, Merlin's beard, no," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Not unless you are foolish enough to force me to."
"He will not be single-handed!" said McGonagall loudly as she expelled her wand in their direction.
"Oh yes he will, Minerva!" Dumbledore said sharply. "Hogwarts needs you."
"Enough rubbish!" Fudge snapped. "Take him!"
There was a blinded silver streak of light that erupted in the room; the ground shook violently and there a loud bang like a gun shot. I grabbed Harry and pulled him straight down to the floor as another silver flash sparked in the room. Someone cried out, then there was the sound of toppling objects and people. Silence fell shortly after that.
Harry pried at my grip on him, desperately trying to break free of me. I looked up from the ground and saw dust beginning to settle. I released my godson and stood up. McGonagall was standing up with Marietta in hand.
"Are you alright?" Dumbledore asked us.
"Yes," said McGonagall.
"Fine," I nodded.
Dumbledore's office had completely been turned over. The desk and shelves were knocked over and all of his mysterious trinkets were broken, scattered across the floor. Fudge, Umbridge, Kingsley and Dawlish lay motionless on the floor. Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix was circling above the wreckage, singing softly.
"Unfortunately, I had to hex Kingsley too, otherwise it would have looked suspicious," Dumbledore said. "He was remarkably quick at modifying Miss Edgecombe's memory. Thank him for me, will you Minerva?"
McGonagall nodded quickly, she opened her mouth to speak, but Dumbledore continued before she could.
"They will wake up soon and it's best that they have no idea we had time to communicate. You must act as though no time has passed, as if you were knocked to the ground."
"Where will you go? Grimmauld Place?" questioned McGonagall.
"Oh no," Dumbledore replied quickly. "No, I will not go into hiding. Fudge will soon wish he'd never dislodged me from Hogwarts…"
"Professor Dumbledore," Harry began, but his voice trailed off because he did not know what to say.
"Listen to me, Harry," Dumbledore said urgently. "You must continue your studies with Professor Snape. They are very important. Promise me—"
Dawlish was starting to stir on the floor. "Albus, you must go," I hissed quietly.
"Close your mind, Harry," Dumbledore said as he clenched onto Harry's wrist. Harry's eyes overwhelmed with pain, which Dumbledore didn't seem to notice. "You will understand."
He released Harry and reached up to grab onto Fawkes. I went to Harry, who had bent over and was holding his head in pain. I touched his shoulders and he shot up in time to see Dumbledore and Fawkes disappear in a whirl of flames.
"Where is he!?" Fudge yelled as he stood up.
"I don't know!" shouted Kingsley as he jumped up.
"He couldn't have Disapparated!" Umbridge cried.
"The stairs!" Dawlish lunged forward, and the other two followed him out of the office. Fudge stood up from the floor and dusted his cloak off as he looked over to McGonagall and I.
"This is the end of your friend Dumbledore."
"You think so?" McGonagall snipped.
Fudge didn't seem to hear her. He was taking in the destruction around him. He dusted himself off and made to leave. "Better get those two off to bed," he added before exiting.
We stood for a few moments in silence, McGonagall and I stared at each other before looking around the office.
"I'll take Harry," I said. "If Carrigan is still up, I need to have a word with her."
"Alright," McGonagall nodded. "Come along, Miss Edgecombe."
She and Marietta left first. I looked at Harry with concern once we were alone.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine," he said roughly.
"I saw how you reacted when Dumbledore touched you, what was that?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing doesn't cause you to keel over in pain," I responded sharply. "I think I know exactly what it was, Harry because like you I have a connection to Voldemort."
Harry's eyes flashed up at me. "I'm not connected to him. He can't control me."
"Do you understand why Snape is giving you Occlumency lessons?"
"Yes," Harry growled as he turned and walked away from me.
"Fine," I snipped. "But Harry, I hope you know what you're doing and what is at stake."
Harry stopped at the base of the stairs. "You don't have to lecture me about what is at stake, Cadence. I understand what is at stake now that Voldemort is back."
"Then make sure you take what is at stake into consideration every time you make the decision not to practice Occlumency," I said rather harshly as I pushed past Harry. He sighed with frustration and caught up to me.
"It's not as easy as it looks."
"I know it's not," I responded sincerely. "I do know that, Harry. I know what it is like to have something inside of you that you can't control."
"I promise, I will do my best," he said very softly.
"Thank you."
"What does this mean for Hogwarts?" Harry asked.
"Things are going to get a little bit harder before they get easier Harry," I whispered sadly. "I suggest you keep your head low until the end of term."
"That shouldn't be too hard…there is only two months left," Harry admitted. "He'll come back right?"
"Just remember that Dumbledore is better use to us and the Order out there, not here," I said. "You and Carrigan will be safe, even if he is not here. But you'll have to watch after each other…all of you will."
We had reached the dormitory. Harry said the password and let us in. The common room was empty, except for Hermione, Ron, Carrigan and Benjamin.
"Harry!" Hermione jumped out of her chair. She hugged Harry tightly around the shoulders. "Oh, thank Merlin! I was so worried that you would be expelled!"
"Mom? What are you doing here?" Carrigan questioned. She stood up and came to me, hugging me in greeting.
"I came to speak to Dumbledore about something," I whispered remembering why I had originally traveled out to Hogwarts. Now, all of that seemed unimportant.
"He's gone," Harry said. "He took the fall for the D.A. and ran to escape the Ministry that was going to arrest him."
"What?" Ron stammered. "He can't go…"
"He has," I said. "But I assure you that he will be back."
"What happens now?" Benjamin asked.
"You all go to bed," I said with a smile as I stroked Carrigan's hair. "Keep your heads down, stay out of trouble, study and protect each other."
Benjamin nodded. "Alright." He stood up. "I think we can all manage that."
"Easy for you to say," Ron sighed.
"Good night," Benjamin said with a bow of his head. Before he made his way to the stairs that lead to the boy's dormitory I saw his crystal blue eyes fall on Carrigan. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he turned and moved away.
"If you three don't mind, I need to speak to Carrigan in private."
"Sure," Ron and Harry said. "Night."
"We'll talk about this tomorrow," Hermione nodded. "Good night."
All three of them wandered off in the respective directions. Carrigan stepped away from me and looked at me with a bewildered expression. "What's going on?"
"I came here to speak to Dumbledore about a possible plot Gabriel and I came across," I said carefully. "We think someone may be planning to kidnap you. I did not get a chance to see what Dumbledore thinks of the theory, but I wanted to let you know, especially since when I arrived I ran into Firenze who warned me that a great tragedy is headed my way."
"What?" Carrigan questioned. She sank down into an arm chair behind her and looked overwhelmed with worry. "Do you think it's my dream? Do you think Voldemort is going to kill you?"
"No," I whispered honestly as I sat down next to Carrigan. She laid her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arms around me for comfort. I smiled and kissed her forehead. It was nice to hold my little girl again. I brushed my fingers through her hair as I continued to speak. "I think a great tragedy would be you being kidnapped."
"But I know you'd find me," Carrigan said sitting up with a smile.
"Either way, I want you to be careful. And I want you to tell Benjamin that we think someone is after you."
"How did you and Gabriel find this plot?"
"When we were searching for the Death Eater that burned down the brownstone."
Carrigan nodded, but said nothing. We sat quietly for a few moments before I dared to ask her something that might set her off in an angry rage.
"How is training?"
"Fine," she said sitting up to looking me in the face. Her dark blue eyes sparkled with mystery. They reminded me of the clear night sky, with stars twinkling brightly. "I have been getting better. Benjamin thinks I'm finally starting to improve from where I was just before we met. I'm not regressing anymore."
"Excellent," I smiled. "Can you control reading other people's minds better?"
"Yes," Carrigan nodded. "I still pick up stuff accidentally, but not nearly as much as before."
"Good."
"How do you think that power will come in handy?" she asked quietly.
"Well, I imagine it would come in handy like Legilimency does," I replied seriously. "Except, this way people don't know you've entered their minds. Legilimency leaves a trail, if you will."
Carrigan nodded. "I'm still not sure that I want all this power."
I laughed lightly. "I know exactly how you feel."
"Well, I guess I'm starting to understand why you never finished your training."
"There are many reasons why I didn't finish my training, Carrigan," I said seriously. "And most of them have to do with how I was not informed of how powerful I could become. Somewhere, deep inside of me, there is a power more dangerous then anything else. But that power was neglected and forgotten, which is more dangerous then if I had learned to control it. Basically, there is a ticking-time bomb inside of me that could go off at any minute because I never learned how to stop the timer."
"Do you think I have that much power?"
"I think you have more," I replied honestly. "That is why Gabriel, your father, Benjamin and I think it is so important for you to train." Carrigan nodded her head in understanding. "I also think that is why you have to be careful because if anyone else thinks you are that powerful, they will come after you."
"Alright," she said. "I will do my best."
"That is all I ask," I smiled and kissed her forehead. I squeezed her tightly in my arms and held her a few more moments. "I love you, Carrigan."
"We're strong girls, Mom," she said looking up at me with a smile.
"The strongest," I beamed. I pinched her cheek. "Alright, get to sleep. I will see you in a few weeks."
"Alright." Carrigan stood up and took my hand, helping me up from the armchair. "Tell Gabriel and Dad I miss them."
"I will, sweetheart. They miss you too."
"Good night, Mom," Carrigan said with one last smile before she made her way from the common room. I watched as she walked away with a warm smile on my face and feeling in my heart. But as soon as she disappeared into her dormitory, a swelling, nervous pain entered my stomach. After everything that had happened that night, there was more work to be done then ever before. I had to get back to headquarters to update everyone on what had happened.