Emerald: Heh.

We're on the downward spiral, and I'm thrilled to almost be at the end of this project. Sorry this installment is so lengthy. It's essentially two chapters mingled together, but I just couldn't decide if and where to break it up. Thanks once again to everyone who took the time to review, PM, or favorite the story, and I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter!

It was just past noon in the Great Hall. Overcast skies hung outside the paned windows, lighting the room from floors to rafters and silhouetting the massive hourglass that loomed where the Head Table would normally be in a gentle glow. Every fifth-year in Hogwarts sat at a desk facing the ornate figure, equally spaced out in tidy even rows and hunched over booklets and parchment like gremlins. Quills scratched ever faster as the sand spiraled upward from the bottom bell into the top of the hourglass, an ever shrinking reminder of their approaching doom.

Harry himself had taken to ignoring the ornate figure long ago. He sat in the middle of the assemblage, paused over the same essay question on goblin diplomacy for who knew how long and struggling to keep himself focused. His fingers ached, his rump was sore, and his eyes stung from days of near constant reading. A daze was falling over him until the nearby clacking of Professor Flitwick's heels made him snap upright in his chair.

Harry rubbed his eyes and flipped the page, abandoning the details of goblin history as a lost cause. He turned to the last prompt in the booklet, a question on the primary factors influencing the fall of local covens as leading bodies in the twelfth century. Harry dug his knuckles into his temple, thinking back months ago to when they'd covered the time period in class. Expanding muggle development was an obvious answer, but he was distracted from his writing by Zacharias wrapping his knuckles against his desk one spot over. Parvati was sitting behind him, and he could hear her swearing to herself with growing vulgarity.

Swallowing his frustration, Harry began to write his best attempt at an answer. He remembered a part that had to do with a rowdy group of leprechauns, or was it gnomes? Now that he thought about it, there was something about a spreading plague of warts...

A thundering scrape of glass against metal cried out like nails on a chalk board. Everyone twinged with pain as the two bulbs of the hourglass spun in their casing and swapped places. Professor Flitwick shuffled forward during the commotion and waved his wand, lifting papers and feathers away from the hands of their defeated owners.

"That's time, everyone!" he called. "Quills up - yes, you too Goyle!"

Harry sighed and stood from his seat, grateful to have another test behind him. Neville still sat in front of him, slumped in his chair with his arm raised longingly toward his papers as they floated away. "I wasn't finished yet..."

Ron appeared at Harry's side and together they walked out into the entrance hall. "Rubbish, that test was. Couldn't end soon enough," he grunted. "At least it's only History of Magic, though. What's the next one again?"

"Astronomy, and it's tonight," Harry groaned. It was strange to think they were already four days into their O.W.L.s with the way the constant testing made time pass by. The wear on the students was beginning to show, however, and nearly every fifth-year looked somewhere between a nervous breakdown and a month-long coma. Even now, thinking about the next exam being only hours away made Harry want to collapse in his bed and never get up.

Ron halted mid step on the stairs between the third and fourth floors, staring into the distance and oblivious to the crowd shuffling around him. "Oh Merlin's beard."

His stricken look was a familiar one. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"Charms!" he shouted, hands clapped to his red hair in blossoming panic. "The Charms practical tomorrow, I thought that was the last!"

Harry grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him up the remaining steps and off of the staircase, ignoring the sidelong glances of the passing crowd. "It's alright, Ron. The test isn't until midnight, there's still plenty of time to get caught up."

Ron was growing paler by the second. "It's been weeks," he mumbled. "Weeks since I've looked at those bloody astronomy books. The constellations, the diagrams..."

"Look, worrying won't solve anything," Harry insisted. "There's nothing for it but to head up to the common room and make do with the time we've got. We'll skim through everything, skip dinner if we have to..."

"I'll have hair growing out of my ears before we cover it all." He shook his head. "Just leave me, Harry. I'm done for."

Harry was about to argue when he saw Hermione pass by up the stairs. "Ask Hermione for help! It wouldn't be the first time, and she's bound to have read everything a dozen times already-"

A sour grimace pulled at Ron's freckled cheeks and wrinkled his nose. "You go on and study with her, if you like! I won't stop you."

"Come off it," Harry said. "You're really still mad at her? Over nothing?"

"Oh, it's nothing, is it?" Ron dug his hands in his pockets and slouched back to the staircase, resuming the climb to Gryffindor tower.

Harry followed after him, his patience beginning to wane. "Yes, it's nothing! One minute you're cheerful as can be over winning the Quidditch Cup, and the next you're miserable and avoiding Hermione! Just because she-"

Ron rounded on him just as they reached the Fat Lady's portrait, his shoulders tensed and hands balled into fists.

"They KISSED, Harry!" he bellowed. "Her and that complete loon, snogging! Lips and all! Right in front of everyone, like...like..." He pointed an accusatory finger at Harry. "What if it was you, hm? If Smith or some other git was kissing Cho, right in front of everyone like that!"

Harry barely felt a twinge from the pointed jab and was surprised by his apparent lack of concern for Cho's romantic life. Still, the offensive intent wasn't lost on him. "Cho can kiss whoever she likes," he said. "Same goes for Hermione."

Ron blanched and squinted at Harry with mixed spite and dejection. He braced himself on the marble railings, leaning over edge and breathing hard through his nose like he was about to be sick.

"Besides," Harry added. "I don't think they've spoken a word to anyone since then. They're even worse off than you are, all things considered. If anything, I thought that would cheer you up a bit."

"S'pose," Ron groaned, resting his chin on the railing.

Harry fidgeted and put a hand on his back. "You know what, forget about it Ron. We've reviewed for tests and essays on our own loads of times before, right?" He watched Ron sigh and give a halfhearted shrug of his shoulders. It wasn't very encouraging, but it would have to do. "Right then," Harry affirmed. "Let's go in and get started, shall we? We'll need all the time we can get."

Ron grunted his approval and shambled over to the Fat Lady's portrait. "Graviora manent."

The portrait swung forward and the large, draped Fat Lady waved them forward. "Aren't the woes of youthful love simply enchanting?" she trilled, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. "Such passion sets my heart aflutter!"

"Oh stick a sock in it," Ron snapped.

At the end of the tunnel, the Gryffindor common room was near maximum occupancy. Even so, the room was held in perfect, eerie silence as the students continued their studying. Ron whispered, "You find a spot, I'll get the books."

"Right." Harry edged his way toward the far corner of the room and managed to jam two chairs against a window with a tiny side table between them. He watched Ron disappear up the dorm stairs and relaxed in his chair, resting his eyes for a precious moment. As exhausting as exams had been, Harry actually felt better than usual. His scar hadn't ached in days and his recent dreams had been pleasantly dull. Compared to the migraines that had plagued him for months, Harry's current fatigue was a drop in the bucket.

His thoughts were melting into fog when a voice brushed against his ear. "Taking a nap, Harry?"

"What the-" Harry flinched and looked blearily around at Fred's smirking face. George sat snickering in the chair across from him.

"Shouldn't you be studying for your astronomy O.W.L. tonight?" George asked.

Fred gave him a piteous look. "Looks like our little deviant's all tuckered out."

"And just when we were about to give him the good news, too," George said.

Harry rubbed his eyes and sighed. "The Chudley Cannons made it to the playoffs?"

"He really is out of it," Fred jibed to his twin. "That 'favor' you asked about? To get Professor Frogface out of her office? We were under the impression it was of some importance to you."

Harry jerked up in his chair. "You're ready for it then?" he nearly shouted. "How soon can we-"

"Keep your knickers on," George muttered, easing his hands toward the table and looking over his shoulder. "This is what some might consider a sensitive conversation."

"Yeah, sorry," Harry said, realizing how many angry stares he'd earned from his outburst. He ducked his head lower. "So what's the plan? What are you going to do? How soon can I get into Umbridge's office? How much time will I get?"

"We don't want to spoil everything," Fred said. "Still want you enjoy to the festivities with the rest of the school, after all."

"It'll be tomorrow morning, right after your Charms practical," George revealed. "Should get you fifteen, maybe twenty minutes."

"Tomorrow, after Charms, twenty minutes," Harry repeated, memorizing every detail. "How will I know it's time to go?"

George chuckled. "How will he know, he says."

"Reckon half of Hogsmeade will know," Fred laughed. The two stood and made their way toward the entrance tunnel. "We're off to dinner. See you tomorrow, Harry."

Harry stood for a while after the twins' departure, unsure of what to do with himself. Though the pressure of exams had managed to distract him, his final Occlumency lesson with Snape was once again at the front of his mind. Discovering the professor's dark memory, seeing his father's younger self, watching firsthand exactly why Snape was so bitter, Harry experienced it all again as if for the first time, hatred and shame included.

His head began pounding again, and Harry returned to his chair to try and collect himself. Tomorrow he'd have the chance to talk with Sirius and settle the matter once and for all, and he would just have to pacify himself until then. A glance at the clock above the fireplace told Harry he still had several hours before they would have to leave for the Astronomy Tower, and a squelching sound from his stomach reminded him that he hadn't had a thing to eat since breakfast. If he hurried he could run back down to the Great Hall, grab some dinner, and make it back with time to-

"There you are." Ron stepped between the tables and found Harry. A stack of books, papers, and parchment rolls tucked beneath each of his arms. He set each down with an ominous thud on the little side table and folded his arms. "What's wrong, I miss something?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah...we're definitely skipping dinner."

"Yeah...we're definitely skipping dinner."

Good, Jake thought, ignoring a growl from his stomach. I'm gonna hurl if I have to eat any more of that greasy food.

"Where do we even start with this mess?"

"Hand me that one there, I think-"

"That's it," Dean growled. He shoved a book off his lap and got to his feet. "I can't concentrate like this. Constellations be damned, I'm heading down for dinner. Anyone else coming?"

Jake looked up from his cushy recliner and shook his head, discretely holding the hood of his robes over his transformed dragon ear like he were using the bundled cloth as a pillow. Dean, Seamus, Neville, and him were all mashed together in chairs by the fireplace with a mound of school material gathered between them. While the others had continued slogging through their endless studies, Jake had kept an eye on Harry and Ron from a distance. The others were so consumed by their work that they never questioned why Jake hadn't turned a page of the textbook in his lap since they'd started, or noticed him scribbling in the leather journal tucked inside it.

"I'll go, ought to 'fore I jump out the window," Seamus said.

Dean nodded. "How 'bout it, Neville?"

Of all the fifth-years, Jake was convinced Neville was suffering the most form their exams. His face had become permanently crumpled with anxiety, and he'd been as silent as Jake himself for the past two days. Even now he barely managed a shake of his head, his eyes glued to book in his hands as he flipped through the pages.

Dean and Seamus shared a look and shrugged. "We'll see about bringing something back," Dean said as they waved and left.

Jake leaned back to resume his surveillance, tugging at his bunched up clothing. I hate these stupid bathrobes.

On their side of the room, Harry and Ron were deep in silent contemplation. Deprived of his entertainment, Jake shrunk his ear back into human form and dropped his hood, turning back to his concealed Replitome instead. Near the bottom of the page, a line of curved black letters was nearly finished drying.

"I take that as a 'no' then?"

Jake had forgotten what he and Stout had been discussing, and was confused by the new line of writing. He skipped back and reread from the top of the page.

I don't care if it's only another week, Benjy. You've gotta get me outta here pronto.

"Don't be ridiculous, you still have your O.W.L.s to finish."

In case you forgot, I'M NOT A WIZARD. Who cares!

"The knowledge is the same regardless. It's a good learning experience."

Me. Out. NOW, Stout.

"You seem abnormally worried, it's borderline suspicious. Anything happen that I should be aware of?"

It was then that Jake had stopped lost interest, unable to write any further. No matter how badly he wanted to leave, he couldn't bring himself to divulge his humiliating attempts at romance with Stout. It was partly because he knew his reasoning was irrelevant with respect to his primary task of monitoring Harry, and partly because he already hated himself enough without having to relive the embarrassment a second time.

Conveniently, Harry's entrance into the common room and subsequent conversation with the Weasley twins had served as a suitable distraction for Jake. It then occurred to Jake that it may also do the same for Stout's impatience.

He found his quill and skipped to the next page. Just kids pulling pranks on Umbridge. Harry's helping so he can get in her office tomorrow or something, but no killing sprees yet.

More words quickly appeared below his own. "And Granger?"

Fine. Jake was instantly annoyed with himself and wished he could erase the sloppy answer. No doubt Stout would interpret something from the rushed, messy response.

A moment passed before Stout's reply appeared. "Then unless the Dark Dragon himself arrives, you're to stay by Mr. Potter's side until the end. No exceptions."

Jake picked the Replitome up and threw it. The leather journal crashed into his group's tower of schoolwork and toppled it over to the ground in a spray of parchment and textbooks. He got up and strode toward the dormitories, remembered the last time he'd lost his Replitome, went back and dug it out of the pile of books, and then returned to climb up the tower. Neville didn't look up from his reading once.

I hate all the stairs. Jake pushed into his dorm and sat down on his bed, tugging at the frayed cord of the collar around his neck. I hate the weather, I hate this wack necklace, and I hate being stuck here.

Since the day of the Quidditch finals, Jake had successfully driven himself away from the people he'd come to Hogwarts for in the first place. Combined with Harry's unremarkable sanity and the approaching end of the semester, there was no reason that he could see to stay. Yet Jake also couldn't leave on his own without causing trouble. A dragon sighted flying away from the castle or the mysterious disappearance of a fifth-year student would hardly go unnoticed without Stout's help.

One option he still had, and which had tempted him for several days now, was to call in Professor McGonagall's favor. It'd mean letting one more wizard in on his secret, but in exchange he'd almost certainly get a one way ticket out of Scotland. Of course, that left only returning to New York and fessing up to the Dragon Council and his family.

Jake fell back on his bed and sighed. Going home was the only thing worse than staying within the cold stone walls of Hogwarts. It seemed for the moment that Stout was correct. Jake wasn't going anywhere. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place, he thought. This is as lame as it gets.

The sunlight shining into the dorm was begging to fade, and Jake stayed motionless on his bed thinking of nothing in particular. His thoughts trailed off to questioning his past decisions, wondering how things might have turned out differently had he never told the truth to Hermione, or if he'd refused Dumbledore's request by the frozen lake months ago. His mind had long grown hazy and incomprehensible when he felt someone shaking his shoulder. "C'mon, get up Long!"

Wha? Jake rolled over and blinked at the candle light. Seamus moved away from his bed and tugged on his black robes.

"Hurry up already," he said impatiently. "Professor Sinistra won't care if you're late, and everyone else's already gone."

Seamus stomped his shoes on and left the dorm. As he'd claimed, Jake was now alone in the room. Clothes and belongings were strewn about like their owners had left in a hurry, and a quick look at his watch told Jake why.

The Astronomy O.W.L. It's almost midnight. He jumped to his feet and checked the sky through his bedside window. The air outside was crystal clear and lit by countless stars and a single, bright moon. Of course, the one time I want it rain. No chance the test will be postponed like this.

His same wrinkled robes from earlier already on and his bag over his shoulder, Jake raced out of Gryffindor Tower. The castle was barren at this time of night, and thankfully he ran into no traffic on his way to the Astronomy Tower. Jake reached the top of the stairs and walked out onto the ramparts to find the walkways lined with telescopes aimed at the black and blue expanse above. Nearly every device was already accompanied by a student and Jake was searching for a place when the wiry-haired Professor Sinistra bore down on him.

"Cutting it close, aren't we Mr. Long?" she scolded as she handed him a test booklet and writing materials. "Take the lens over there, we're about to begin."

Jake nodded and moved to take his place. He set his things down and was about to fiddle with the gears and levers of his telescope when he noticed Hermione was at the place just to the left of his. As if on cue, she looked over and made eye contact, and the two of them shared a moment of uncomfortable silence before they both looked away. Jake felt confused and conflicted, and chose to look out over the grounds and forests far below them rather than dwell on the first awkward interaction he'd had with Hermione in days.

"Alright everyone," Professor Sinistra called from behind him. "You have one hour to find, identify, and draw the requested cosmic bodies. You may begin!"

Paper seals snapped, pages flipped, and soon they were all turning and adjusting their telescopes in a symphony of squealing metal. The novelty of the subject had intrigued Jake when he first arrived, but the years of material he'd missed and the monotony of searching an endless abyss for very particular blobs of light had soon quenched him of any astronomical curiosity. He had been trained to appreciate the obstacles directly in front of him, not those of distant galaxies. For the sake of appearances, however, he tweaked his telescope as much as the others and filled his booklets with random shapes and sketches that could have passed as 'connect-the-dots' drawings.

He had about three fourths of his pages filled when an amber light in the fields below drew his attention. Jake leaned over the stone ledge and peered down at a group of four robed figures striding down the hills from the entrance hall. The two people in the back held torches to light their way as they walked in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

Jake placed a hand over his face. Eyes of the dragon!

When he looked again, the world was tinged with red but vibrant and clear. He found the torch-lit group and could now see their every detail. All had their hoods down, and Jake recognized the two in back from that day in Dumbledore's office when their Minister of Magic had tried to arrest the headmaster. Them and the third tall figure all wore the same thick clothing and ornaments of their Ministry, but the leader of the group was of another caliber entirely.

Her pink blouse and velvet bow set Jake on edge, and he had a bad feeling about the happy look on her face.

The Slytherin girl to Jake's other side had approached the ledge as well. "Who's down there?"

A few other students were starting to notice as well. Professor Sinistra announced, "Focus everyone, only ten minutes left!"

The group changed course and came to a stop outside Hagrid's hut, and Jake realized all too late their intention. Though they were nowhere near hearing distance, he could see Umbridge raise her wand with a threatening red glow. Her lips mouthed some sort of yell, and the wizards behind her raised their wands as well.

"Hey, that's Umbridge!" Someone yelled. "What are they doing?"

"Isn't that Hagrid's? another voice joined in.

"Pay attention, no talking!" Professor Sinistra said as nearly every student abandoned their exam.

Jake was growing anxious. I can't pull out my dragon ears, too many people, he thought. Suddenly, a trail a light appeared as the castle doors were thrown open, and another tall black figure came charging onto the lawns. The sight of Professor McGonagall was a relief to Jake as she headed toward Umbridge's group, lifting her wand out and touching it to her neck.

Magically amplified, her voice just reached the top of their tower as she shouted, "Just what do you think you are doing, Dolores? It is the middle of the night, and you bring Aurors to-!"

They all watched as Umbridge turned and yelled a command. Without hesitation, four bolts of red light shot out from their wands and struck Professor McGonagall square in the chest. Her voice hitched as she was lifted off of her feet and crumpled to the ground a foot away, motionless.

Clamorous outrage spread throughout the students. "My word!" Professor Sinistra cried with disgust. "How unnecessary! Four stunning jinxes at once, they could have killed the woman!"

In seconds, Jake had ripped the training collar over his head and had his foot planted on the ledge. Prepared to lunge, he stopped as Hermione's hand gripped his arm. "Stop, Jake. Don't do it!"

Tiny embers were starting to spark from his skin as he glared back at her. "Let go," he growled at her.

"I can't let you do this," she snapped.

"Hermione!"

"No!"

A beastly roar tore through the night. They looked back to the hut, where the front door exploded in a shower of wood and splinters. Hagrid barreled through the debris with a crossbow in his hands, a bloodhound at his heels, and charged Umbridge. Terrified, her group fired a few more stunning spells that brushed off the half giant like a light breeze. Umbridge dove aside as he slammed one auror to the ground and fired an arrow into the thigh of another. Hagrid got to his feet, whistled for his dog who was chasing the last fleeing wizard, and the two disappeared into the foliage of the Forbidden Forest.

"Five minutes!" Professor Sinistra trilled over the hollers of the students. "Come now, back to work!"

Jake felt another tug on his arm from Hermione. Reluctantly, he slid his collar back on and stepped down from the battlement. Hermione relaxed her grip and coughed, "Eyes," under her breath.

Jake returned to his telescope, closing his eyes and returning them to those of a human as he went. While the others all rushed to complete their booklets, Jake barely touched any of his things. No matter what he tried, no matter how many chances were given to him, everything just kept going downhill. Professor McGonagall was one of the last people he might have been able to trust if the he needed help, someone close, someone strong. Now she was gone too.

And I just stood there and watched.

When Professor Sinistra called for their exams, Jake handed over his booklet and made a beeline for the stairs. He shoved his way through the crowd, trying to avoid any conversation or discussion about their transfiguration professor.

A panting voice caught up to him. "I'm sorry, Jake, this is all my fault."

Not now. Jake clenched his fingers and walked faster.

Hermione matched his pace. "Please, can't we just talk for a bit?"

They'd made it through the Fat Lady's portrait and Jake was almost running to reach the stairs to the boy's dormitories. He'd opened the door when Hermione called, "You were right, you know."

Jake stopped and looked over his shoulder. Hermione was standing with her arms folded, looking just as uncomfortable as he felt. "You're mad at me. You said I'd know, remember? You were right." She folded her arms over her chest. "I'm such an idiot. Thinking back, it should have been obvious...but it never even occurred to me that-"

He held a hand up to her to stop and slipped his necklace off again. "Don't even go there, okay? Cause you know what? It's my fault, I'm the stupid one for slipping like that. I mean come on, why would you ever be into a Dragon like me, right?"

"Don't say such rubbish, it's got nothing to do with that!" she contested. "I like talking with you, spending time with you! I like being friends, don't you? Why can't we stay like that?"

Jake looked away and grimaced. "Friends? No...being a friend hasn't been working for me lately."

She was speechless for a minute, and Jake could see the hope draining out of her. "Something else, then," she said. "Do you remember that giant we found in the forest? It's name is Grawp, and it's actually Hagrid's brother."

"So what?" Jake sighed. He already felt overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions from the day, too much so to experience any new wonder or surprise.

"Well I thought you ought to know," she answered, her concern plain to see. "It might have been why Umbridge tried to arrest him tonight, though we can't be sure. Hagrid showed him to Harry and I during the Quidditch match, and I tried to tell you about it before-"

"Yo, you really don't get it do you?" he cut her off. When she just stared at him with a puzzled look, Jake exclaimed, "I don't care, Hermione! I don't care about giants, or Quidditch, or O.W.L.s, none of it! I'm sick and tired of all this business. All I want is to get through the rest of the semester, ditch this place, and never come back! Got it?"

Instead of the anger he expected her to throw back at him, Hermione just looked sad. They stood there for a while in the wake of Jake's outburst, and he could feel the flush in his cheeks beginning to fade when the Fat Lady's portrait creaked open and voices echoed from the tunnel.

"-I'm telling you, Fang ran off with one of his legs! I saw it!" Seamus yelled. The other fifth-year Gryffindors were pouring out of the entrance tunnel, deep in loud discussion and newly rejuvenated by the scene on the castle grounds.

"Those jelly legged, gutless gits!" Ron said. "I swear, if they did anything to McGonogall I'll-"

He cut off abruptly at seeing Jake and Hermione huddled together. The others followed his look, and together they all watched the two of them with silent curiosity.

Hermione turned away and disappeared up her dormitory tower. Jake stared at the door, finding it difficult to swallow his latest ball of regret.

Lavendar leaned closer to Parvati and giggled. "Looks like someone's had a domestic."

Harry could feel his wand beginning to tremble in his hand. He tried to raise it a bit farther, but the shaking was threatening to break his grip entirely. "There, professor. I think...that's it."

Down the length of the empty classroom, a black grand piano hovered about six feet off of the ground. It spun slowly in the air while Professor Flitwick stood beside it with a tape measure extending itself from the floor to the bottom of its leg. The charms professor read the measurement and scribbled across his clipboard. "Alright Mr. Potter, you may lower it!"

His palms sweating, Harry let down his wand and the piano with it. A gasp of air escaped him when it finally plodded down onto the stone floor.

"Okay, last task," Professor Flitwick said. He hobbled to Harry's side and handed a small golden pocket watch to him before conjuring a goblet from thin air and filling it with water from the tip of his wand. "I would like you to make that watch waterproof, please."

Harry tried not to look too relieved. It was not uncommon for Quidditch to be played through rain or storms, and waterproofing his goggles had been one of the first little tricks he'd learned. With confidence, he dangled the watch by its chain and tapped his wand against it. "Impervius!"

A tiny tremor shook the ornament. Harry handed it back to Professor Flitwick, who then swilled it around in the goblet and pulled it back out again. The watch was spotless, dry, and ticking just as before. "Not a second behind," Professor Flitwick complimented. "Very good, Mr. Potter. That concludes your practical, you may go."

"Yes, professor." Harry left the classroom and found the group of finished students lingering outside. Everyone was smiling and talking about plans now that their O.W.L.s were finished, but Harry didn't join in the revelry. He looked down the length of the hallway and listened for the sounds of celebrations, cheering, or panic he'd been waiting for. To his dismay, everything he could see or hear suggested that the day was thus far perfectly ordinary.

"Harry, over here!" Turning around, Harry saw Neville beckoning to him with Hermione by his side.

"Oh, hey guys," he called in his distraction. He had no idea how much time he'd have before Fred and George's scheme flew into full swing, and he was a ways yet from Umbridge's office. Walking over, he noticed Hermione still had a somber air about her while Neville actually looked somewhat joyful for the first time in days.

"So how'd it go for you?" Neville asked. "I turned the goose purple instead of green, and I forgot the incantation for the Summoning Charm too. But to be honest, I'm just glad we're finally done."

"I didn't do much better," Harry said. "How about you, Hermione?"

She was staring vacantly into the distance and twirling a finger through her curls. "Fine, just fine," she mumbled. "Ron just got called in, he should be finished soon."

"Er, that's good." Harry was unnerved by her despondency and was beginning to think he knew why. In the exact opposite direction of her fixated gaze, John was leaning against the wall and looking equally glum. His disinterested pout and posture were betrayed, however, by the curious looks he'd throw their way every so often. "Good thing the O.W.L.s are done," Harry said carefully. "You're looking better. How are things, between you and-?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Neville bounced on his heels like he desperately wanted to leave. "Alright," Harry said. "Just...thought I'd ask."

She returned to her silent gazing, expressionless. Resigned, Harry checked his watch again, and began to question if he'd have enough time to wait for Ron before the twins went to work. All of a sudden, crushing waves of exhaustion swept over him. His legs felt weak, and he grabbed Neville's shoulder before he collapsed entirely.

Neville latched onto him. "Woah - You alright Harry?"

"I'm fine," he moaned, rubbing his hand over an intense throbbing in his forehead. "I think...I'm just tired is all..."

All at once, Harry's headache, weakness, and fatigue vanished, along with all of his senses. He was enveloped in nothingness, but the more he concentrated on his murky surroundings the more he began to see a faint blue light. Cold seeped into his feet as he walked along a frigid floor, and the lights multiplied into an entire hall of glowing blue orbs. It was the same one that he had been dreaming of until a week ago, but none of his visions had ever been so clear, so real.

"Never," a voice hacked below him. Harry looked down from the rows of metal shelves to see a man lying on his back, broken and bloodied. A mat of black hair fell around his pale face, and dark tattoos pocked the exposed portions of his chest and arms. The man twitched with pain as he lifted his head and stared at Harry with defiant eyes.

Harry could feel himself grinning. "Give it to me," he whispered.

Sirius Black snarled up at him through blood stained teeth. "You'll have to kill me."

"Oh don't worry, we will." A slender figure bent down next to Sirius. Harry watched the woman as she tilted Sirius's chin to face her aged face, elegant headdress, and dull red eyes. "But first, you will tell us where it is. One way-" she leaned his head back toward Harry, "-or another."

His eyes widened as Harry produced a wand white as bone and pointed it at his chest. He trembled. "Please...don't-"

"Crucio!"

Sirius's body contorted with his screams. Tears streaked his grimy face as he gasped, "No...stop-"

"Crucio!" Harry watched him squirm, intoxicated by the power he held. "CRUCIO!"

The lines of Sirius's face blurred and the blue fog around him was fading back into black. Harry felt as if he were rising away from the scene with the sounds of suffering dimming into the background. He tried crying out and reached out into the darkness for the man writhing in agony.

"Harry!"

His body rocked back and forth. Blinking in bright daylight, Harry raised his head and found himself sitting against a wall. Ron was kneeling in front of him and shaking him by the shoulders while Hermione, Neville, and John watched anxiously. "Look, he's waking up," Ron said. "Harry, you there? C'mon mate, say something."

A cold sweat covered Harry, and a fear gripped his chest like he'd never known before. "It's him," he gasped with a crack in his voice. "He's got him, Ron! He's got Sirius! I...I have to go!" He clambered to his feet but was kept firmly in place by Ron.

"What are you going on about?" Ron laughed. He looked around at the other students, many of whom were watching them and conversing in low whispers. "Padfoot's back at Grimmauld Place. You scared me half to death, but at least it was just a dream. Imagine, coming out of that God awful test and seeing you passed out-"

"It wasn't a dream!" Harry almost shouted. "It was real, I know it was! And he's got him, Ron, Voldemort's got Sirius!"

"Harry!" Hermione hissed. She grabbed his and Ron's wrists and yanked them down the hallway and away from their observers. Neville and John followed duly behind.

"There's no time!" Harry demanded. "He'll die if I don't hurry!"

Hermione huddled them together and said with infuriating patience, "No one's going anywhere until you tell us what you saw."

"I told you! Voldemort's got Sirius and he's going to kill him if I don't-"

"Where were they," she asked. "What were they doing, who else was there? Tell us everything Harry, from the beginning."

Harry wanted to yell at her. Didn't she understand what was at stake? "It was in the Ministry of Magic, the Department of Mysteries. They were in that same room I told you about before, with the orbs. Voldemort was there, and so was the woman I saw round Christmas that attacked Mr. Weasley." Harry dropped his voice lower, fighting back the rage building inside him. "They were torturing him, Hermione, trying to make him get something for them. It has to be that weapon, and they're going to kill him if we don't do something!"

"But Harry, it's like Ron said," she questioned him. "Sirius hasn't left headquarters in months. Why would he be at the Ministry of Magic?"

"How should I know?" he snapped. "They could have baited him out, or maybe it was some mission for the Order, what does it matter?"

The only person who appeared as alarmed as Harry was John, who quickly wrote out a note and handed it to Hermione. "My thoughts exactly," she said, turning back to Harry. "What if it's trap? What if Voldemort's learned about your connection and is using Sirius to goad you into leaving the castle?"

"Who cares if it is?" Harry spat. "I'm not going to sit here while he's out there being tortured!"

Ron and Hermione shared a remorseful look. Even now, he could see they had no intention of helping him. He heard what sounded like an explosion from one of the lower floors and was growing desperate when a thought occurred to him. "I'll prove it to you."

They all looked baffled. "You'll do what?" Ron asked.

"I'll prove it to you," Harry repeated. "I'll use Umbridge's fireplace and Floo for Grimmauld Place to see if Sirius is there. If he's not, it means I'm right and he's trapped at the Ministry. Then will you help me?"

None of them had a ready answer except for Neville. "Sirius. He's your godfather, right?" he said.

Harry nodded. "He's the only family I've got left."

Neville set his chin and raised his shoulders. "I'll help you, Harry."

It was bold gesture, one Harry certainly never expected from Neville. He nodded. "Thank you Neville."

Hermione's confliction was apparent. "Prove it," she insisted. "Prove he's not at Grimmauld Place, and we'll go from there. But how can we get into Umbridge's office?"

Another loud burst sounded below them, followed by flashes of color and the sound of applause. Harry broke away from the group and started running down the stairs. "No time to explain, come on!"

Harry had plotted out his course ahead of time and led the group through the castle. By the time they were nearing their destination, the corridors had become cramped with curious students. Dust fell from the ceilings with every blast, and each was louder than the last. Struggling through the masses, they were making one of their last turns when the grand staircase came into view, along with the cause of the havoc around them.

Colorful haze drifted throughout the stairs lined with students, all of whom were whooping and marveling at an immense fireworks display. Sparks danced through the air and shot about in streaks of enchanted fire. Some would burst in a shower of light before whizzing away unharmed, while others spun their tails to spell out random profanity. Everywhere Harry looked there were snaps, pops, crackles and wheezes as the charmed pyrotechnics spiraled about.

"Wicked!" Ron applauded, clapping along and ducking out of the way of a passing flare. "And look, down there! It's Umbridge!"

Harry followed his guidance and sure enough found Umbridge's squat from on the ground level. She was chasing after the fireworks with Filch and a few students from her Inquisitorial Squad at her heels, all of them covered head to toe in soot. A blue spark shot out from her wand and struck a passing pinwheel, but instead of fizzling it emitted a high pitched squeal and threw out miniature copies of itself, all of which chased after Umbridge and nipped at her hair.

"Enough!" She slashed her wand out and drowned the sparklers in spouts of water. "ENOUGH! I demand to know who is responsible!"

There was a rush of air and the sound of jets. Answering their summons, Fred and Gorge flew in from above on broomsticks and swooped above the crowd with bulging leather satchels strapped over their shoulders. "That would be us!" they shouted in harmony.

"YOU TWO!" Umbridge took aim at them, snarling like a rabid dog. "Get down here at once! I'll see you both expelled for this! You'll never set foot in Hogwarts again!"

"Afraid we've already taken care of that for you," Fred called back. "In fact, we were just on our way out!"

George pulled another firework from his bag and tossed it into the air. It burst into a shower of violet stars that soared over the students to a thunderous applause. "You see, we've got plans beyond higher education. So we've decided to leave!"

Umbridge was turning purple in the face. "You'll go nowhere!"

"And for anyone who wants to sample our merchandise, come visit our shop in Diagon Alley! Any purchase of thirty galleons or more comes with a free pack of Wildfire Whizbangs!" George turned to his brother. "What do you say, Fred? Why don't we go out with a bang?"

Fred reached into his own bag and pulled out a round mass of packed paper the size of a bowling ball. "We always did have a flair for the dramatic."

Umbridge's eyes snapped wide open. "STOP THEM!"

Fred chucked his bomb and Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad cast a flurry of spells. They all met in midair and disappeared in an explosion of light and smoke. Amidst the haze, six streaks of dazzling sparks flared out and began circling the room, growing larger and brighter as they went. Their glimmering shapes evolved into bodies with limbs, heads, tails, and wings, and it wasn't long before Harry could look at their unique colors and identify each of the Dragons of Draco Isle.

"From our friends to yours!" George shouted, and the two of them dove straight towards Umbridge. "This one's for McGonagall!"

Umbridge and her group dove wildly out of the way, and Fred and George flew past and out through the entrance hall doors. In their wake, the six dragons above them broke from their circle and dove as well, breathing torrents of blinding sparks at Umbridge's group. An uproar of cheers and hollering chased them out as they fled the hall and shook the floor beneath their feet.

Another throb of pain in his forehead reminded Harry of their purpose. "Come on!" he urged, pulling the others away and through the applauding assembly. A few minutes and hasty turns later, they arrived at the Defense Against the Dark Arts hall and halted outside the classroom door.

"Okay, we're here," Ron said. "What's the plan?"

"We need lookouts, people to keep an eye out for Umbridge," Harry explained. "Ron and Hermione, you go back toward the stairs. Neville and John can take the other end by the Transfiguration wing. Make sure no one comes through, make up some lie to scare everyone off, got it?"

"But Harry-"

"There's no time to argue, Hermione," he barked. "Go, and stay there until I come back out!"

Neville nodded and ran down the opposite corridor. John looked between Harry and Hermione before following after him, and Ron dragged Hermione away back toward the stairs. His heart pounding in his chest, Harry entered the classroom and sprinted toward Umbridge's office at the front of the room.

"Alohomora!" Harry heard a satisfying click and the office door miraculously creaked open. The inside was exactly the same as Harry remembered it, doilies, drapes, and all. The fireplace was cold and dark, and on the mantle above it sat a small gardening pot filled with shimmering dust.

Harry took a pinch of the Floo Powder and clearly intoned, "Number Twelve Grimmauld Place!"

He threw the powder into the ashen brick maw and was rewarded with a spout of bright emerald flames. Though he'd only ever seen Sirius call through the Floo Network secondhand and had never attempted it himself, Harry could guess the general procedure and couldn't afford the luxury of feeling squeamish. Harry got down on his knees, sucked in a deep breath, and plunged his head into the fire.

While his knees and hands never left the floor, Harry felt his head spinning as though tumbling through a coursing river. The disorientation was nauseating, and Harry only felt worse when he suddenly appeared in the embers of a fireplace, coughing in the sweltering fumes. It was difficult to orient himself from his perspective near the ground, but he could see the cabinet-lined kitchen and long dining table of Grimmauld Place.

"Sirius!" he croaked as he struggled for breath. The aching in his knees and acute claustrophobia were helping Harry understand why Sirius so rarely used this mode of communication. "Sirius, where are you?"

There was no answer beyond the creak of the woodwork. Harry waited with every second more damning than the last until a door opened off to the side. His heart leapt into his throat. "Sirius? Sirius come here, I-!"

A frail, shriveled creature in rags sauntered around the corner, and Harry's excitement vanished. "Kreacher? Is that you?"

The old house-elf focused his beady eyes on Harry. "Harry Potter's head in the fire," he droned. "Mischievous this is. I wonder what it wants?"

"Kreacher, I need to talk to Sirius immediately!" Harry begged. "Where is he, Kreacher?"

For the first time since Harry had known the house-elf, Kreacher's face broke into a smile. "Harry Potter seeks Master Black? But the master left hours ago, to answer a summons from the Ministry. Kreacher begged master not to go, but master would not listen."

"No." Whatever hope Harry had conjured disappeared on the spot. "He's there, he's really there. Listen Kreacher, is anyone else from the Order there right now? I need to-"

A rapid pounding sounded behind Harry, distorted and warped. He knew at once that it had not come from Grimmauld Place and jerked his body back in panic. Once again his head traveled through a dizzying realm before he found himself sitting on the floor of Umbridge's office. The pounding was louder now and sounded like it was coming from the hallway outside until it suddenly stopped.

"That can't be good." Harry got to his feet and wiped at the soot on his clothes as he reached for the office door. He swung it open and was petrified by the sight of a manic Umbridge. She lifted her singed and dirty arm and poised her wand inches from his chin.

"Leaving so soon, Mr. Potter?"

Ink stained the tips of Jake's fingers and ran across the pages of his Replitome. He stood hunched over the book at the end of the hall where he and Neville were diverting passerby away from Harry's soon-to-be crime scene. It proved to be an easy job that Neville handled well enough on his own, allowing Jake time to discretely relay their turn of events to Stout.

This is it. He flipped a page and continued scribbling out every detail as fast as he could. Stout needed to hear everything; about Harry passing out, his vision of Chang, even the Weasleys' performance. After he'd nearly given up on fulfilling his quest to finally capture his greatest enemy, the world had given him one last chance in the form of a trap intended for Harry. It wasn't a chance he was about to pass up.

"No, you can't! There's er...stink bombs that went off down there. Head round the next corner instead," Neville said, guiding away a pair of Hufflepuffs. He stepped closer to Jake and lowered his voice. "I hope Harry's alright, he's been in there for a while now. What'cha writing?"

Jake shook his head and waved him off. Shrugging, Neville resumed his post while Jake finished off his last plea.

Chang's there, Stout. That means the Dark Dragon will be too. It's now or never. We'll never get a shot like this again, and you can't stop them all by yourself!

He stared at his mess of writing and watched for new words to appear. What was he supposed to do if Stout didn't respond soon? He could leave anyway and try to find him in London at his home or Diagon Alley. Yet even that could take too long, and their targets weren't going to politely wait around all day for them to show up. Jake heard more explosions down the hallway and saw the yellow and green firework dragons soaring along the stairs. It took the entire Dragon Council to snuff the dude out last time. What if we're not enough?

"Hello Neville." Luna Lovegood appeared with Ron's sister beside her. "You look quite worried. Is something wrong?"

"Luna!" Neville rubbed the back of his neck. "Nothing's wrong! Actually, everything's great! How, er...how about you?"

Rolling his eyes, Jake looked back down at his Replitome and found a fresh line of Stout's sleek writing. "My place, now. You'd better get flying."

Jake smiled. About damn time.

He stuffed the journal in his robes and turned tail, running back toward Umbridge's office. Even now, there was still one loose end he had to take care of. Gotta lock down Potter and then I'm out of here.

With any luck Harry would find this Sirius person he was looking for and be content to stay out of the way. Then all Jake had to do was meet up with Stout, get to their Ministry, knock some bad guys down a peg, and finally go home. Jake barreled on around the corner, his eyes shut tight with the sublimity of it all. The pieces of the past few months were falling into place, and just in time for-

"Oof - 'Ey, watch where yer goin'!"

Jake smacked headlong into something tall and solid. He stumbled backward and looked up to see Malfoy's larger friend sneering down at him. Behind him, Ron was pounding on the classroom door while Umbridge and her troupe of cronies were fighting to restrain him with Hermione trapped at their sides. Aw man...

"Get a hold of him!" Umbridge ordered before looking over at Jake. "Mr. Long as well? Grab him too, Goyle! Malfoy, take Ms. Parkinson and check further down for others."

Goyle grabbed Jake's shoulder with a meaty hand and shoved him into the classroom with the others. Their procession filed inside and continued to the front and into Umbridge's disgustingly pink office. They were packed like sardines around the edge of the room, each held in place by one of Umbridge's lackies. Harry himself sat in a chair by Umbridge's desk with the scorched woman herself keeping him in place with devious glee.

"You stupid little boy." She brushed a finger over the ash covering his robes and eyed her fireplace. With a flick of her wand, the mantle bricks slid and rearranged until there was nothing but a flat wall. "You really thought it would be that easy to break into my office unnoticed? That I wouldn't have an alarm in place?"

"Professor Umbridge, look!" Malfoy and Parkinson pushed Neville through the doorway and followed with the Luna girl and Ron's sister in tow. Neville scowled at them, his lip split and bloody. "Longbottom was blocking the other end of the hall, and these two tried to stop us as well!"

"Good work, Draco." Umbridge collected their wands and slid them into her desk, nodding to herself. "I always knew it would come to this, that it wouldn't stop with Dumbledore. I'm sure you all thought you were being so clever."

The room was deathly silent. When no one responded, Umbridge stepped beside Harry and glared down at him in his seat. "This ends now. You were trying to contact Dumbledore, weren't you? Tell me where he is."

Harry stared at her wide-eyed and shook his head. "I don't know."

They all jumped as Umbridge smacked him across the face. "Liar! You're lying again, Mr. Potter, and I will not have it!"

This is bad, she's a total basketcase. Jake looked to Hermione and found her watching him with equal alarm. He could see her desperation, the look that said they both knew he could stop her. But I can't, Jake struggled. The Ministry can't know. No matter what, they can't ever know.

"I'm not lying!" Harry spat back, a welt forming on his cheek. "And even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."

Umbridge took a step back. "So that's how it is?" She stood perplexed, wringing her hands together and looking at nothing in particular. "Very well then. I suppose I have no other choice," she muttered with a grim expression.

Harry leaned back in his chair as Umbridge raised her wand and took aim at him. "You're abetting a criminal, Mr. Potter, and this is a matter of Ministry security. If you won't tell me where Dumbledore is, then I shall have to make you tell me." She adjusted her grip. "The Cruciatus Curse ought to convince you."

"That's illegal!" Hermione yelled, aghast. "To torture an underage wizard, a student...if the Ministry knew-!"

Umbridge turned her wand on Hermione. "You forget your place, Ms. Granger," she whispered, jowls quivering. "I am the Ministry of Magic. But perhaps you'd rather take Mr. Potter's place?"

Parkinson shoved Hermione forward. She stumbled at first, but faced Umbridge defiantly with her arms at her sides. "You're wasting your time. I don't know anything."

Jake twitched and received a painful yank from his captor. She wouldn't dare.

"Leave her alone!" Harry pleaded. "She doesn't know anything!"

"Ready to tell me the truth, Mr. Potter?" Umbridge asked sweetly. "No? Then let's see how you feel after I've questioned Ms. Granger here."

Hermione closed her eyes and braced herself. Jake could feel the energy boiling within him. Hermione-

Umbridge turned back to Hermione and raised her wand. "Cruc-"

"STOP!"

Umbridge spun around at the outburst from the side of the room. "What was that, Goyle?"

Holding John near the wall with others, Goyle looked at her baffled. "I...I didn't say anything, miss."

"It's me," John said. He looked terrified and was holding a pendant of some kind in his hand. "I'm the one you want."

If the Minister himself had erupted from the fireplace in a kilt and sung the Hogwarts anthem, it still wouldn't have turned their heads like John's sudden speech. Not one of them said a thing, preferring instead to gawk with wonder at the nervous, former-mute.

"Did he just talk?" Ron wheezed. "Why's he talking?"

John looked sideways at Harry, but he was still too shocked to make a sound. Even Umbridge was stiff with silent rage for a moment before she slashed her wand toward him. "You've been hiding something from me, Mr. Long."

"Yeah, no kidding," John cringed. He seemed lost as he looked around the room and twiddled his fingers. "I, uh...well..."

He flinched as Umbridge scurried over until they were nose to nose. "Where is he?" she snarled. "Where's Dumbledore?"

"Right, that...well, funny story," John teetered. "I don't really know where he is, but I...uh..." A high pitched squealing drew his attention from the tip of Umbridge's wand jabbed in his face to the office window, where the pink and blue sparkler dragons were flying by and spiraling in the air. John suddenly perked up. "But I know how to find him!"

"How? Tell me at once!" Umbridge demanded.

John was deadpan. "We have to go to the Dragon Den."

"That cave by the lake?" Umbridge grimaced with disgust. "You don't honestly expect me to believe Dumbledore's been sitting in some filthy hole this entire time!"

"No, but there's something else there," John explained. "There's a...uh...portal?"

Umbridge squinted at him. "A...portal?"

"Yeah, that!" John nodded, his green-tipped hair bouncing. "Dumbledore had the Dragons use their magic to cook it up, just in case he needed a quick getaway." He folded his arms and shrugged. "It'll take you wherever he went, and I know how to get to it."

Harry was beyond lost, but didn't dare interrupt. Something seemed off, like he were missing something obvious. Umbridge examined John for a while before humming, "And just how do you know all of this? The Dragons were already banished when you arrived."

John didn't skip a beat. "That's why I'm here. Without the Dragons, someone had to be able to keep the portal working if Dumbledore left. Uncle Stout knew what was going down, so Dumble called him up and here I am. I've been keeping everything up and running, and I'm the only one who knows how to get to it." He dangled the necklace in his hand. "The guy even made me wear this Muting Charm so I couldn't blab about it."

Lips still pursed, Umbridge looked back at Harry. "And you, Potter? If not Dumbledore, then who might I ask were you calling?"

Over her shoulder, John gave Harry a sly wink. It was then that his plan donned on Harry. "Er...the Dragons. John told me about the portal, and I said I'd help Dumbledore and the Dragons come back. I was trying to contact them when you came in."

"Come back?" she warbled. "Back for what?"

"What do you think?" John asked sarcastically. "Dude's gonna take his castle back."

Harry was impressed by John's taunting. Umbridge's cheeks flushed and her knuckles blanched white as she gripped her wand tighter. "The only thing Dumbledore will be getting is the deepest, darkest cell in Azkaban!" she declared. "You two!" She pointed between John and Harry. "Take me to this portal and I shall disarm it. The rest of you, keep Potter's friends here until I return."

Umbridge flicked her wand toward the door, and Harry and John led the way out of the office. Dumbstruck by their success thus far, Harry couldn't fathom what they were to do after they'd gotten out of her office, let alone if they ever made it to the Den. Students turned to watch them in passing as they walked through halls and down stairs. When they'd reached the entrance doors and the fields beyond, Harry was no closer to a plan of escaping Umbridge's clutches.

"Normally I snag a broom when I go to check on the portal," John called back to Umbridge as they trudged over the grass. "We've gotta fly there somehow."

Umbridge squinted her eyes at him. "Indeed," she said, waving her wand over her shoulder. After a moment, Harry could hear a streaking sound reverberating through the air. Three brooms came soaring through the air and eased down to float beside them. Before he could grab the nearest one, a metal chain materialized between each broom and linked them loosely together.

"Not so fast, Potter," Umbridge mocked. "You didn't think I was going to just let you fly off on your own now did you? I shall take the lead, you two get behind."

It was another slight disappointment, but Harry obeyed and climbed on the middle broom in the line. Once airborne, their flight to the Den was surprisingly exhilarating for Harry, if short. He'd almost forgotten the bliss of riding a broom after being banned from Quidditch for so long, and he was reluctant to dismount when they arrived at the rim of the cave resting above the Black Lake.

Umbridge tripped tipping her leg over her broom and wiped her hands along her ruffled skirt. "Alright then, Mr. Long. We're here. Where is this portal?"

"In here." John strode into the dark cave without hesitation. The afternoon sunlight quickly died as Harry and Umbridge followed after him, and Umbridge lit the tip of her wand to guide their way. They walked a ways into the cave, following the gentle curve of the tunnel until John came to a stop.

He turned around and beckoned them closer. "Come here and grab my hands, both of you. I washed them, I swear."

"Did you hear that?" Umbridge was bug-eyed and looking at the darkness around them skittishly. "And what has this got to do with finding the portal?"

John sighed. "Dumbledore put up protective spells that keep out anyone except me. Look, either you take my hand or we don't get to the portal, cool?"

"If you say so," Harry said. He stepped forward and took one of John's hands in his own, confused how he could possibly know so much about the Den. His sense of foreboding was growing stronger, but his curiosity was stronger still.

They both waited for Umbridge, who glared at them with distrust before offering her hand to him. John snatched her fingers and together they walked further into the tunnel. As they went, a strange tingling sensation brushed over Harry's skin like he'd walked through a curtain of feathers, yet the tunnel was completely unchanged.

John stopped again and dropped Umbridge's hand to point further into the darkness. "And there it is. See it?"

Harry squinted into the darkness. "I can't see a thing," he muttered.

Umbridge jutted her wand out, her blue light doing little to lift the inky blackness. "Neither can I. What are you talking about, Long, there's nothing-oh!"

The wand light flickered, and Harry looked back to see Umbridge sitting in the dirt while John stood over her with her wand in hand. She jumped back to her feet with a look of savage fury. "How dare you? You give me my wand back this instant Mr. Long or I'll-!"

"You'll what?" he quipped, aiming her own wand back at her. "What're you gonna do, short stuff, take your shoes off and knock me out with your nasty toe stank? See, this is the problem with witches and wizards. You lose your toys and you're out of commission."

Harry edged his way beside John. "John, the others! Let's go!"

"Yeah yeah, chillax yo." John grabbed his arm and started walking him backwards, his other hand keeping the wand leveled at Umbridge. "Hear that, Hagzilla? I lied about the portal thing, it just sorta slipped out. Anyway, we're gonna head on outta here, so just sit tight until someone comes back to get you. Oh, and if the monsters back there find you, just scream as loud as you can. That'll get rid of them...probably."

"You insolent child!" She looked over her shoulder with terror, her features thrown into sharp relief by the wand light. "I am Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and High Inquisitor of-"

Harry felt the ticklish wave pass over him, and Umbridge's voice cut off. He watched perplexed as she continued walking toward them, mouth wagging silently in pantomime, when suddenly she smacked against a white burst of thin air. As stunned as Harry, she tapped the barrier again, and then smacked it, and then pounded against it, each time summoning the same wall of impenetrable fog with a soft thud.

"I should have told her, authority really isn't my thing." John turned back to Harry. "And I was just messing about the monster thing. Pretty good, huh?"

"Come on!" Harry urged. There wasn't time to ask about the fog wall or Umbridge's fate, and the latter didn't concern him in the least. Time was not on Harry's side, and so he jogged alongside John until they reached the mouth of the cave. Harry tried picking up a broom, but was impeded by the metal chain connecting it to the other two. "Hey John, toss me Umbridge's wand."

"Sure, here." He handed the instrument over, and Harry tried not to think on the cruel things it had helped accomplish as he pointed it at the chain.

"Relashio!" The chain severed with a sharp clang, freeing one of the broomsticks. Harry broke the other chain as well and then chucked the wand out of the cave and into the ravine below. He waited for John to pick up his broom before kicking off of the ground and soaring back up to the castle, dodging stray fireworks as he went.

Harry flew directly to the third floor parapets, dismounted, and started sprinting back toward Umbridge's office. Almost as soon as he set off, however, he ran straight into Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna as they turned the corner in front of him.

"Harry!" Hermione threw her arms around him and looked him over. "What happened? Where are Jonathan and Umbridge?"

He brushed her off and noted the bruises and cuts they were sporting. "We're fine. Umbridge is stuck back at the cave, and John's right behind me I think. What happened to you lot?"

"We escaped, of course," Neville said. "Ron tricked Crabbe into eating some Puking Pastilles, and then Ginny elbowed Parkinson in the face, took her wand, and used a Bat Bogey Hex on the rest of them!"

"Gave Pansy a good nosebleed to boot," Ginny added proudly.

"Did you find Sirius, Harry? Was he there?" Ron asked.

Like being doused by a bucket of cold water, Harry was once again sobered by the mortal danger Sirius was in. "No, only Kreacher was there and he said that Sirius went to the Ministry hours ago." He focused specifically on Hermione. "No one in the Order can help us, and we're the only ones who know he's in danger. He'll die if we don't go!"

"Nuh-uh, no way Potter! You're staying right here!"

"Jonathan!" Hermione embraced the boy with green-tipped hair as he turned the corner and ran to their group. "Thank goodness you're here. For a second there, I thought you'd gone off on your own."

"And YOU!" Ron shouted, his cheeks blazing. "What's all this rubbish about you working with Dumbledore? And what in the name of Merlin-"

"I have to go, John." Harry insisted. "Sirius's life depends on it! I'm not going to run away from this!"

John looked off into the distance and swore to himself. "I'm almost out of time," he mumbled before grabbing Harry by the shoulders. "Listen, I got a hold of my uncle and the Dragons are on the way, Potter. We'll take care of everything, but you have to promise me you won't leave the castle. I don't care what happens or what visions you get, promise me you'll stay!"

"But-"

"PROMISE me Harry!"

A surge of anger overtook Harry, and he smacked John's arms away. "I'm going, whether you like it or not."

John groaned with annoyance. "I should have just left you with Umbridge. Keep him here!" he ordered, turning on Hermione. "You know what's at stake, Hermione! You promised you'd help!"

She looked just as affronted. "You can't go either!" she argued. "Just you and Stout against all of them? That's nonsense, that's suicide!"

John shook his head. "You don't get it, Hermione, I-"

"No, you don't get it!" she shouted. John flinched from the scorn, but she carried on exclaiming, "You act like this is all your responsibility, like it's okay for you to throw your life away, but it's not! What about your family, your friends-"

"Hermione, I already left."

She blinked. "You...what do you mean you-"

Hermione cut off as John shimmered, turning slightly translucent for a split second. They all stared at the anomaly, but he appeared unconcerned. "Please, Hermione. Don't let Harry leave. And...sorry for being such a jerk."

With that, John faded entirely, leaving behind only a wisp of blue vapor. The silence that followed was of both awe and confusion, and Harry was again derailed as Jonathan Long melted into thin air.

Ron moaned, "Will somebody, anybody, please tell me what the ruddy hell is going on?"

"And...there it is."

Jake felt a like prick along his spine like a shock of static. He was just a little stronger, a little faster, now that he had his spent chi returned to him. It also meant, however, that his timed doppelganger had expired. Now leagues away from the Scottish moors, he could only hope that he'd given his magical clone enough time to get Potter locked up and safe with the others.

The sun was starting to set. Jake looked below and saw the lights of civilization springing to life one by one over the countryside. They streaked his vision as he flew South as fast as he could, far faster than what was comfortable or sustainable. His encounter with Umbridge had soaked up too much time, and for all he knew Chang and the Dark Dragon could have already escaped. Yet there was something about the approaching London horizon that urged him forward, a feeling that told him there was still hope.

His wings were beginning to ache when he finally landed outside Stout's townhouse, transformed, and burst through the front door. "Yo Stout! You home? It's Jake!"

The well built man appeared from the kitchen looking dapper as ever. There was a gauntness to his cheeks that Jake didn't remember, however, and his eyes were sunken and red. "You certainly took your time."

"Had to deal with a frog problem," Jake said. "You ready to kick some dragon tail or what?"

Stout nodded and waved him over towards his huge fireplace. He reached into an open teapot on the mantle, grabbed a pinch of what looked like sand, and hunched down in where the wood was normally burned. "Watch closely and do as I do," he instructed, and Jake nodded in understanding.

He took a deep breath. "Ministry of Magic!"

Stout threw the sand down and was immediately consumed by towering emerald flames. Jake covered his eyes, and was surprised to see the fireplace empty once again when the fire died down.

"Oh no way, I've gotta try this." Jake took a pinch of the sand, stepped over the ashes, and announced, "Ministry of Magic!" He threw the dust down, and at once felt like the floor had been pulled out from beneath him. He spun and spun in a shapeless void until he was suddenly stumbling out over a shiny lacquered floor. Stout was at his side, brushing the dirt from his clothes.

"On second thought, I'm cool with flying," Jake said, still fighting residual vertigo. They were in a cavernous hall that was lined with enormous fireplaces like the one they'd just come out of, and at the far end appeared to be a fountain and buildings of some sort. Jake couldn't help but notice that there wasn't a single person here other than the two of them. "Now, where to Benjy?"

"Follow me." He walked in the direction of the fountain, and Jake followed close behind.

"This place is huge," Jake marveled as he began to appreciate the scale of the buildings that were now obviously filled with office spaces. "You seriously work here, Stout? Seems like a pretty sweet gig."

Stout hummed, still fixated on their destination. "It suits me."

They were rounding the fountain and its golden statues when Jake asked, "Are you alright Benjy? You seem sort of...I don't know...out of it, I guess."

"Do I?" He looked back at Jake with a smile and laughed, "Well I have been working overtime lately, and you certainly haven't been making things any easier."

They reached a wall lined with old-fashion elevators, complete with golden grates, levers, and ceiling handles. Stout pried one of them open and guided Jake inside. He yanked a lever and twisted a knob, and in a flash their box was jerking and gliding in every direction imaginable.

"Come on Stout, I make everything more exciting!" Jake called as he struggled to stay upright. "The real problem is how are you gonna survive when I'm not around anymore?"

"What?" Stout snapped, suddenly looking furious.

"You know, when I go home?" Jake said carefully. "This is it! We go in, capture Chang and the Dark Doofus, and I go back to the Big Apple. All I'm saying is you might start suffocating from all the boredom once I'm gone."

The elevator was creaking to a stop, and Stout had gone back to having that distant, melancholy look from before. "Right, of course," he muttered.

The golden gate slid open automatically. A cheery voice announced, "Level Nine: Department of Mysteries."

They stepped out into a hallway completely made of polished black marble. Jake took the lead and was starting to feel the adrenaline pump through his veins. "I'm sure you're right, Jake. It will be difficult." Stout said. "But to be honest, I'll be better for it; better than I've been in a long time. And it's all thanks to you."

Jake laughed and looked over his shoulder, "Whoa, Benjy. The Am-Drag's pretty good, but-"

He froze in his tracks and raised his fists as hooded figures with silver masks appeared from the shadows around them. Jake stepped towards Stout as the circle of figures closed in on them. The fire inside him was burning bright, almost begging to burst from his fingertips. "Looks like these chumps are looking for trouble, Stout. Why don't you show me some of those slick skills you keep talking about?"

Stout breathed a heavy sigh. "Not this time, Jake."

A sharp blow struck the base of Jake's neck, and his world had gone dark before he even hit the ground.

And that's it for this chapter! As always if you have any strong opinions, feedback, or anything else, please feel free to review or PM! I love knowing when the story's really striking home. Follow for future updates, and stay tuned for the next installment!