Note: Sorry for the late post. School became hectic then after the semester my mother decided she was going to move out so I've been dealing with that, not to mention horrible depression. I hope you like this chapter though!

Chapter 19

It was cold out as the snow came down. There had been no Quidditch games but Slytherin was out practicing every couple of days before the snow began to fall. Nyx wanted to go and find Hermione, she wanted to tell her what she was doing with Draco that day she found them but everytime she caught the trio in her sight she chickened out. She wasn't good enough to speak to them. Hermione was right, she was a Slytherin.

She packed up her books and was just about to leave her potions class when Professor Snape's voice stopped her. She hesitated in the doorway, all of the other students gone heading to their next class when he stopped her. "Miss Fairbourne," She stopped looking back at him.

"Yes sir?"

"I see you're starting to get along better amongst the Slytherins." He brought to her attention. She inhaled deeply and laid her books on one of the desks. He sat at his own desk, his head propped up on his hands. He motioned for her to sit down. Hesitating she bowed her head lightly and took him up on his offer, sitting in a pulled up chair next to his desk. "You don't confide in me anymore." He replied looking at her seriously. She bit her lip staring at her folded hands which she laid carefully in her lap.

"You sound like you're upset by that sir." She looked back up at him, tossing her head so her hair was out of her face.

"Not really, it's been quiet without your incessant pestering and griping." He sat back in his chair. She said nothing only allowing her head to fall back down.

"I'm glad to service you." She whispered at last. He sat there for a long time watching her before he spoke.

"What's bothering you Miss Fairbourne?" She didn't say anything, shaking her head. Leaning over his desk he tried to use his presence to intimidate her into talking like he did with most of the other students, but when it didn't work he sat back and began rummaging through his desk drawers. The noise made her look up, but he paid her no mind. Pulling a cup out he filled it with a slightly red colored liquid and slid it over to her. "Here, drink this." Taking the cup she smelled it. It was a rather pugnant odor that made her grimace.

"What is it?" She questioned putting her lips to the edge of the glass.

"Poppy juice with raspberry and Veritaserum." She stopped and spit the drink at him, getting his face wet.

"What the hell!" She threw the cup outraged as she spit repeatedly on floor. "Sir with all due respect what the fuck!" She snarled.

"Language Miss Fairbourne." He retrieved the glass from her and poured the rest of the concoction down his portable sink then proceeded to wipe the liquid from his face.

"If you wanted to know just ask!" She snarled again, wiping her mouth.

"Alright, What's bothering you, Miss Fairbourne?" He questioned once more, turning to face her. She hesitated for a long moment then sighed, biting her lip.

"I feel like I'm falling to the dark side of Hogwarts. The more time I spend with Draco, the farther from the light I'm dragged. The Slytherin's like me now, yes, but all of the other houses are wary of me. Hermione and Harry's gang won't talk to me, Neville won't look at me and Bria…well…" She trailed off. He stared at her for a moment then looked out the window. He thought of what to say, but when he opened his mouth to reply she interrupted him. "Dark times in Hogwarts professor." He turned and looked at her, his forehead crinkled.

"What?" She looked at him sternly, her jaw clenched tight.

"The Dark Lord is back. He's back and Umbridge is drilling us into a cesspool of bullshit because the Ministry can't admit it." She forced through her teeth. "Hogwarts is a school meant to teach you how to use your magic but all we've done since that fat toad came was twiddle our thumbs and count the cracks in the wall. When the Dark Lord strikes we're all dead and there's nothing we can do to stop it because we'll have spent the entire friggin' remainder of the school years studying for some stupid test. She's interfering with our ability to learn. When the time comes we'll receive no help from Durmstrang, Beauxbaton or any other school like that."

"How do you figure, Miss Fairebourne?" He crossed his fingers in his lap, his elbows rested on the armrests of his chair.

"I've had contact with Fiske ever since the Tournament, his headmaster is making it a very valid point to remain off the list of potential targets, even telling the students 'If the Dark Lord ever does come back he'll head straight for Hogwarts, it would be in our best interest to remain out of his way.' Like the filthy coward karkaroff is."

"I will not permit your insults aimed at a headmaster, even if he is of a different institution." Severus warned her.

"Just like you not doing squat to get that squatty, slime ridden toad out of here?" She countered. He stopped and looked at her in silence for a long moment then sighed.

"What am I supposed to do? If I intervene the Ministry will have my position let alone my head."

"Like you have the position you want." His eyes narrowed, not quite sure whether to take it as inspiration or an insult. Sliding forward in her chair she looked at him. "Sir you're a wonderful teacher. Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts and a whiz in Wizarding History not to mention Mythical Creatures. If I could choose a professor to teach me in any subject you'd be my professor for all, and it's not just because of your stunning good looks." He glared at her and snorted. "But here you are, sitting here doing nothing while that…that thing squats in your most wanted position and forces you out of work. She's making it so you have no job professor, we're not allowed to wave our wands, or make potions and even the paintings have been taken down."

"What are you getting at Miss Fairbourne, please don't drag it out even longer than it should be." He groaned. She looked at him for a second then stood up. Walking around the desk she slipped her hands through the loops his arms made and rested them on the arm rests. Leaning down so she was looking him in the eye she finished with a menacing option.

"Either defend your school, the place you can legitimately call home and lose your job honorably with the possibility of getting it back by Albus, or let that squatty toad take over and force you out of a job you'll never have the chance of being promoted in because the Dark Lord will have come and killed us all." Pulling away she looked at him and turned, heading for the door. "By the way, if you go to use Veritaserum on someone, don't tell them it's in the drink." Grabbing her books she grabbed the door. He thought about what she said for a second then looked at her.

"There was no Veritaserum in that drink," She stopped and turned looking at him through narrow eyes. "As I had said before, Veritaserum is forbidden to use on a student, have a good day, Miss Fairbourne." She stared at him for a second then turned slipping out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her.

She thought as she headed down the hallway, wondering if her words would strike a chord with him, although she knew why he didn't want to get involved. He was a professor, professors from Hogwarts were supposed to flow with the tide no matter what, if he retaliated he could lose more than just his job, he could possibly be trialed harshly for a considered attack against the ministry. So there was only so much he could do. But still, some help was better than none.

"Nyx!" She stopped hearing a familiar voice. Turning she noticed that it was Hermione was following her. Nyx felt her heart skip a beat. Was she coming to yell at her? Tell her how much of a Slytherin she was again? Call her a back stabbing, Umbridge ass kissing slab of meat? "Nyx, I need to talk to you, can you follow me to the girls room really quick? It's about the Owl exams." She grabbed her arm. Before Nyx could say anything she was dragged off to the prefect bathrooms.

"What's going on Hermione? Care to tell me why I just lost my arm?" Nyx whimpered rubbing her arm. Once the door was closed and Hermione looked around –possibly to make sure that Moaning Myrtle wasn't about- the Gryffindor girl looked at her. "We need your help."

"We? Neither of you studied for the Owl? Jeesh Hermione you're usually all over that-"

"No that's not what we need help with." Hermione quickly interrupted her. "The Dark Lord has returned and I'm sure you're aware of the situation we're in. We need to be able to defend ourselves against the Dark Lord when the time comes and the only person who seems to have the best of luck with that is Harry. So he's going to teach us some tips on how to protect ourselves against the Dark Lord, we need people, we need you." Nyx looked at her shocked at first then groaned, biting her lip.

"I can't Hermione," The Gryffindor girls face warped the moment the words escaped her lips.

"Why not?" Nyx shook her head and walked over, sitting on the floor. "You really are siding with the Slytherin's. You're taking Umbridge's side-"

"Don't you dare accuse me of supporting that disgusting whelp!" Nyx snarled. "I'll never support her, ever."

"Then why won't you help us?" Hermione whispered.

"Because, I'm a useless body." Nyx admitted. "I can't use my magic, I don't know how to, besides I'm not going to chance the Dark Lord being drawn to this necklace. I'm better use outside of your group." She explained.

"How so?" Hermione's forehead crinkled.

"Think of me as a double agent, I am a Slytherin after all. Umbridge appreciates the Slytherin's, and even supports them. I can be more useful outside of your group than inside." Hermione thought it over for a moment, thinking through all of the times Umbridge had allowed the Slytherin's off the hook with punishments, using spells and what not, then smiled.

"You're right. You can try to persuade her into changing her mind and allowing us to use magic!" Nyx frowned.

"I wasn't thinking that, even you of all people should know that that won't work." She took a glance around the room, thinking of a way to describe what she was thinking to her. "Being a member of Slytherin, and the Slytherin house thinking that I'm Malfoy's girlfriend I can get fairly close to her, and being able to accomplish that, she'll accept my defending you. I'll have to pretend that I dislike the other houses to make it believable, but if I pretend I'm siding with her, hopefully Harry will have some time to work without interruption, though I can only do so much. And from my end I'll find a way to break Umbridge."

"I see, so you'll be a scout for Harry and work behind the scenes to can her, or at least limit her damage on Hogwarts." Hermione thought it over then smiled. "You'll need help." Nyx cocked an eyebrow.

"Help doing what?"

"Breaking Umbridge. Here," fishing through her robes Hermione retrieved a piece of paper and handed it to Nyx. The black haired girl hesitated, then reaching up took the piece of paper from the Gryffindor girl and looked at it.

"A blank piece of parchment." Nyx stated obviously, her voice flat.

"Watch this," Grabbing the piece of paper she rubbed it. "Reveal my next destination." Leaning forward Nyx stared at the piece of paper confused, then gasped as ink began to appear, swirling into directions of where her destination should be.

"Wicked," She stood and looked over Hermione's shoulder at paper. "The broom cupboard on the second floor?" She forehead crinkled. "Why do I need to go there?"

"You'll be meeting two people who will help you." She smiled, handing the paper back to Nyx. "Trust me, well, I'll see you around. Thanks for the help with my OWL." She turned and left, shutting the door behind her. Looking down Nyx stared at the piece of paper skeptically. Deciding it would be best to keep it with her, out of sight; she folded the parchment back up and slipped it into an inner pocket in her robes. Turning she pulled the door open and wandered out into the hallway. It was between classes and all of the students were walking almost like zombies to their next class, their books to study the OWL in their hands.

Nyx shook her head. The image before her brought her complete disgust, even though Hogwarts was now what she had prayed and prayed for it to be when she first became a student. A magic-less, boring old school. But now, she wanted it the way it was. The floating candles, the cheerful expressions on every ones face as they practiced their new spells they had learned in the class they just got out of. Now everyone was a lifeless, miserable zombie, all thanks to Umbridge.

Heading up the stairs to the second floor, Nyx looked around wondering if Hermione was correct on whether or not someone would meet her there. She stood in front of the broom cupboard, looked down each hallway, then carefully pulled the piece of parchment out of her pocket, opening it. "Reveal my next destination." She whispered. Carefully the ink swirled, revealing that she was indeed in the right place. Sighing she folded it back up and tucked it into her pocket.

"What'cha looking at?" A voice suddenly boomed behind her. She gasped pulling forward. She whirled around, expecting to see Filch or Malfoy, instead it was the Weasley twins, Fred and George.

"Oh God you scared the living bejeesus out of me." Nyx panted, her hand over her heart.

"Yeah we're good at that."

"Real good." They shared a look with each other, then looked back at her, smiling.

"Are you two the ones I'm supposed to meet here?" Nyx questioned, looking around to make sure that it was safe to discuss these matters.

"Supposed to meet you here?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." They looked at each other. She suddenly felt her heart sink as a little voice in the back of her head growled.

Way to keep things confidential and secretive. She felt herself pale as her stomach swooned. What if they told Umbridge? She already ruined the entire plan without even trying!

"Just kidding."

"We're the ones you're supposed to be meeting up with." They laughed. She didn't know whether to believe them or not, but when they both reached into their robes pocket and removed the same kind of parchment as her she glared at them.

"Way to give me a heart attack guys, as if I'm not jittery enough." She pouted a bit, but all that seemed to accomplish was getting them to laugh again.

"Sorry 'bout that. Come on." Turning they slipped into the broom cupboard and locked it after pulling her inside.

"So," She started out, her voice low so as no one could hear them. "We're having a meeting in a broom closet?"
"Safest place to have a meeting."

"Umbridge only shows up around lunch to eat the flies"

"And Filch only shows up to leave the flies for his darling to eat." They laughed.

"So do you have any ideas of what we're going to do yet?" She winced, shifting so that her neck wasn't as cramped. Shoving three tall kids into a short, cramped broom closet was uncomfortable and she was willing to get the plan out and in the open as fast as possible so that she didn't have to be in there any longer.

"Well like any plan," George started out then pulled out a list showing it to her. She looked at it for a split second before taking it, reading off some of the contents.

"Boom Boom Powder? Two Tongue Twizzlers? Donkey Legs?" She looked up at them once again, her forehead crinkled. "What are these?"

"Tricks"

"Treats"

"Tricks and treats." They finished together. "Only the finest pranks from Weasleys Wizard Wheezes." They finished together, beaming proudly.

"So we are going to prank her?" She looked at the list then smiled. "Count me in." They grinned, sharing a look with each other. She knew that if they were caught they'd be expelled, but there was something about the thought of making Umbridge squeal that made her excited. She was going to help get her school back, no matter what.