Happy new year to everyone! Hope it's happy and healthy for all!

the usual disclaimers apply, I hope JKR has a great new year as well.

Chapter 28

It had started snowing again, as Charlie walked with me to the Shrieking Shack. We were silent, just holding hands. I know that he was fuming inside, and worried, he was thinking that he'd never see me, or the kids alive, again. I turned to him as we stopped in front of the gate that surrounded the shack. "Don't worry about me, or the kids," I assured him. "Harry and I have a plan," I kissed him, once. "Everything will be fine."

"You better be right, woman," he said to me, "I'll be bloody pissed off if you don't come back. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Nott was waiting for me at the shack, he immediately confiscated my hazel wand, and ushered me inside. "This way," he ordered as he led me up a flight of stairs to what may have been a bed room at one time. Teddy and Victoire were sitting on the floor huddled together in a corner. Teddy held a crying Victoire protectively.

"Are you guys ok?" I asked them. Teddy just nodded.

"Don't speak!" I heard a screech behind me.

I turned around and saw the most ridiculous looking woman I'd ever seen, in my life. Ron had told me stories of the "old toad" my former, fellow DADA teacher. "You must me Dolores Umbridge," I commented, dryly. "Where's Jeunoit?" I asked no one in particular.

"Unfortunately, Madamoiselle Jeunoit will not be joining us," Nott explained. "She and Miss Umbridge apparated here, and Monique splinched herself." He motioned to a pile of flesh on the floor.

I'm very glad I have a strong stomach, I'd see apparation accidents in the past, this was the first time I'd seen a fatal accident. "You see," Not went on, "trying to apparate to a place where one is unfamiliar, is dangerous, trying to apparate to a place where one has never even been to is suicidal. She left some pieces of herself, including her head, behind."

"Enough!" Umbridge shouted. "Let's get on with this."

"Right," Nott said calmly. "Miss Umbridge and I want to be allowed to leave Britain, if you will provide us with 50,000 galleons and a portkey we will be willing to release the children."

"Is that all?" I asked.

"You will use that contraption you use to communicate with Weasley to relay our demands."

I pulled the two-way mirror out of my pocket. "OK," I said, and I pressed the jewel that would call Charlie. His face appeared in the mirror almost immediately.

"Glinda, are you alright? How are the children?" he sounded frantic.

"I'm fine, so are Teddy and Victoire, our two captors have some demands. They want 50,000 galleons and a portkey."

"By dawn," Nott ordered.

"By dawn," I added.

"I'll let Harry know."

Two hours later the familiar ring on my two-way mirror went off. "What is that?!" Umbridge screeched. That woman had a voice that would grate cheese.

"It's my two-way mirror," I explained, "It's probably Harry, wanting to discuss your demands."

"There will be no discussion," Umbridge insisted. "Our demands will be met or the three of you are dead." She waved her wand as if to cast a spell at the children. I inched towards the pouch on my calf.

Nott stopped her with a hand on her wand. "Answer it," he ordered.

I opened the compact, Harry's face appeared immediately. "How is everyone holding up?" He asked, I could hear the concern in his voice.

I glanced over at the children, still huddled together in the corner. Victoire had stopped crying, and appeared to be dozing in Teddy's arms, as he watched over her protectively. "You kids ok?" I asked him. Teddy just nodded. I knew that both of them must be exhausted, and hungry. "I'm ok, I said to Harry, I think Teddy and Victoire could use a few butter beers and about a case of chocolate frogs when this is all over, can't say the same for our hosts. Nott looks tense, Miss Umbridge looks like she might explode. I'm pretty sure that shade of red is not a healthy sign in the complexion of a woman

her age."

"Shut up, you filthy creature!" Umbridge shrieked. "I could destroy you right now. I just have to say the words."

"Calm down, Delores," Nott said. "I've seen her dodge spells cast by stronger than you. Glinda, please ask Harry if they are going to meet our demands?"

"Did you hear that, Harry?"

"Yes, tell him we're working on it, where does he want the portkey to send them?"

"They're working on it," I explained to Nott. "Harry needs to know where the portkey is going?"

"Berlin," he said. "At the wall ruins. We want the activation time open, we'll be leaving on our own schedule."

"You get that?"

"Yes, tell them we'll have their money and portkey in thirty minutes."

"Got it."

"Glinda, take care."

"Will do." I shut the mirror and turned to Nott. As I went to return the mirror to my pocket, I went for my spare wand.

"I heard him," Nott said.

"Excellent," Umbridge leered, and pulled out her wand, "we don't need you anymore. AVADA-" I didn't let her finish before my spare wand was out, and a full body bind was cast.

"You stupid old bitch," Nott shouted at her, as he aimed his wand at me. "Expelli-"

Theodore found himself on the receiving end of another body-bind. "You realize that I'll have broken out of this bind before Potter and his weasels get here."

Harry and Ron apparated into the room, wands out ready to do battle. "Actually," Harry said. "I think we're a bit late."

"You're right on time, gentleman." I commented. "Come on, kids, let's go see your families." I took Victoire and Teddy in hand and led them out of the shrieking shack, out to the waiting arms of their families.

"You know, I think I need a nap," I said to Charlie as he pulled me into his arms.

Harry and Ron came out of the shack with Umbridge and Nott in tow. Both were wearing shackles and silencers, I can't say that I was sorry to see either of them brought so low. Charlie reluctantly released me when Harry said, "Glinda, can we get your statement back at the castle? We're taking Umbridge and Nott to the Ministry, what? or who was that mess in the corner?"

"According to Nott, Jeunoit spilched herself on the way here, she left her head behind, you may want to question Umbridge to find their origin point, wouldn't want a stray head hanging around where some innocent muggle might find it."

"Right then," Harry agreed, sounding rather bland. "Ron, take care of that, will you?"

"Take care of what?" Ron asked as he released Umbridge to Alex Harkness and one of his fellow aurors, giving them instructions to take her and Nott straight to a holding cell.

"Monique Jeunoit spilched herself on trying to apparate to the Shrieking Shack, we need to find her head."

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered. "Why do I always get these jobs?" He apparated away, I would assume to question the prisoners. As Charlie and I walked through the snow, back to the castle.

Teddy, Victoire and I were sent to the hospital wing as soon as we re-entered Hogwarts. McGonagall insisted even after I told her I was all right, Poppy declared me fit to leave almost immediately, Teddy and Victoire were both given a calming daught, and put to bed immediately.

Victoire refused to leave her best friend. Bill informed Madame, that he would be staying with the children during the night, and there was nothing to worry about. It was two a.m. by the time our debriefing was done in McGonagall's office. Charlie had to practically carry me to my suite.