The Disturbing Dreams of Delores Umbridge Chapter 7, a harry potter fanfic

Chapter 7 – Educational Decree #24

Monday. August 27th, 1995

The people waiting to see Healer Jagiss that morning were quick to spread the tale of a wild-eyed babbling witch that barged her way past the receptionist's desk and threw an elderly patient who was suffering from spattergroit from the healer's personal office. Delores bolted, locked, sealed and threw a privacy spell on the offending door before she turned quickly to fall on her knees and beg her healer to do something to help her.

Ellena Jagiss barely recognized Delores Umbridge. Half of her hair was impeccably groomed while the other half looked like it had been caught up in a violent windstorm. Her clothes looked very rumpled and her shoes did not even match – one was a brown and black oxford while the other was a standard 2 inch black wedge. How Delores had made her way here to here office without falling down or turning her ankle Ellena couldn't begin to comprehend. She did however help the woman to stand and escorted her to the seat by her desk. "So what has disturbed you so much Delores?"

Delores started to speak once but then looked around wildly as if to see if someone or somebody was going to attack her. 'Very strange behavior' the healer thought to herself. "Have you been sleeping badly Delores? I thought I gave you some sleeping potions to take care of that."

Umbridge nodded. "I've taken the ones you gave me and bought a few more at the Apothecary's. It hasn't help any and my condition…errr, sleep has suffered. I'm having horrible, awful nightmares every night that disrupt my rest and throw my whole day off. And I don't know what to do about it. I'm sorry to have barged in like this but I had to see you. I almost feel that I'm being driven totally balmy. I need to get some sleep."

Ellena poured a cup of tea with some calming powder in it to give to her distraught patient. While she was sipping it Healer Jagiss asked a number of questions about her activities over the last couple of days and whether she had upset someone that might want to hex her.

"So I've been spelled?" Delores asked a little hopefully.

"I've already run some diagnostics with my wand but I can't finds any evidence of jinxes or curses on you. I think that other than missing some sleep there's nothing physically wrong with you."

"Nothing physically wrong?" Delores said disbelievingly.

"Nothing I can detect anyway." Ellena pulled a pad toward here and began writing. "I've got a few things to give you. One is prescription for a Dreamless Sleep Potion; you can fill that here at the Hospital's apothecary. The other is a reference to Healer Dotty; you'll find him up on Ward 49.

"A Mind Healer?" Delores blurted out.

"He's a good healer; very experienced with a variety of metal diseases and difficulties. I'm sure he can get to the bottom of this and figure out what is wrong with you. If anything is wrong with you that is. My personal opinion is just a bad case of nerves but we must double check every possibility. Finish your tea Delores and let me get back to my regular patients."

A slightly less nervous Delores limped her way back to the lift and rode it up to the floor that contained Ward 49. It took a few questions to be directed to Healer Dotty's office after she cast some Disillusionment and Masking spells on herself to try and keep her identity hidden. Rapping on the Healer's door, Delores was issued into his office and took a seat. She handed the healer the parchment she had gotten from Jagiss and the witch tried to calm her racing heart as she watched the man read.

Healer Dotty reminded Delores of noting more than a crane. He was tall, thin with a prominent nose, long arms and big feet. He seemed to glide across the floor as he had walked across the office and settled into his chair with a minimum of fuss. Turning the reference sheet from her healer face down on his desk, Dotty gazed at Delores calmly for a long number of seconds. "Healer Jagiss writes you've been having some unusual and very disturbing dreams. Would you mind telling me when they started and what you remember of them?"

Delores looked around as if to confirm that they were the only people in the office. This was a very touchy subject for the witch and she really didn't want to speak of it.

"There are silencing spells on the doors and anything you say to me is covered by patient-healer confidentiality. I can't begin to help you if you don't confide me."

Delores started slowly with the assignment that the Minister of Magic had given her (but not specifically about Potter and Dumbledore) and picked up speed and agitation as she went through the various dreams she had had since then. Dotty listened and wrote a few notes as Delores described the ordeals she had experienced while sleeping.

Finally winding down with her descriptions, Delores clutched her purse nervously while the healer tapped his quill a few times on the parchment and thought. He held up one hand in a reassuring manner and stood up from his desk. "I need to cast some diagnosing spells on you Delores to see if what you have been experiencing has been the result of another person's jinx or curse. Or some mental attack."

"Is that what has been happening to me?"

"I'm not sure yet but we'll start with the obvious place as you have held a high position in the Ministry. One can sometimes never tell when one is the object of persecution or political maneuvering."

Delores sat silently as Healer Dotty walked around her and cast a few different spells on her. He seemed satisfied with the results as he came back to his desk and perched on a corner. "There's some good news. There is no Befuddlement or Confundus charm working on you. No evidence of an Imperious or any other external spell cast by a wizard or witch."

"None at all?"

"Not even a Jelly Brains Curse Undersecretary Umbridge."

"That's good news, right?"

"It means no other person has been causing this, yes. It also means I haven't discovered the root cause of your dreams yet. The next step will be to start with some basic Legilimency spells."

"Healer Dotty? Reading my mind?"

"It's entirely with your permission of course. I cannot force you to give up your memories but it is the next step to see if there is some emotional or psychological reason for your mind to manifest such disturbing dreams."

"Well, if that is the next step. I do want these dreams to end."

"So you wish to proceed?"

"As long as you think this is necessary."

"I do. Try to relax; both physically and mentally. Okay, we shall begin. Legilimens!"

Delores felt a gentle whispering and touch of something or somebody investigating her memories and emotions. She couldn't quite describe the feeling or the length of the contact but was very surprised when her shoulder was touched after a few minutes.

"There seems to be nothing wrong other than a need of wanting everything to be regulated and conforming to your particular standards of life. Because these dreams are so opposite to your normal view of things you are placing much more emphasis on the irregularities and concentrating too much on their wrongs. You've got to simply let them go as a product of stress and an irregular sleep pattern."

"Is that all there is to it Healer Dotty?"

"I'm pretty sure that is the course of it Miss Umbridge."

"Good, I would so like to leave all this unpleasantness behind me."

"Well, I have something here that should take care of most of your problem." The healer turned and went over to a cabinet at one side of his office, unlocked it and pulled out a white jug. He poured a measure of a white, milky liquid into a glass and brought it back to Delores.

"This is Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction. It will temporarily remove the memories of those bad dreams or make then fade away so that you may concentrate more on the day to day running of your life."

Delores Umbridge grabbed the glass out of the Healer's hand and downed the slightly bitter potion in one try. She immediately felt a little more relaxed and couldn't seem to focus on what the dreams that had been haunting her were about.

"I feel so much better already Healer Dotty. I can't believe how much better I can think now after that simple mixture."

"I see that Ellena has given you a Dreamless Sleep Potion. Make sure you take it tonight before you lay down and you will have at least 8 hours of interrupted rest. If somehow these dreams persist I want you to make an appointment or come and see me immediately."

"Thank you, thank you." Delores was almost gushing in her relief and her gratitude. She hauled a number of galleons out of her purse to pay the healer but Dotty just waved it away and told her to pay his receptionist. She left the office after shaking the healer's hand again. She gladly paid the price for the visit and the potion and went on her way even though she was late for her 10 o'clock appointment.

Inside the office, Healer Dotty wasted no time after Delores left to start a very important task. He placed aside the folder of Gilderoy Lockhart that he had been reviewing and started a new one. He placed Delores Umbridge's name on the outside and hurriedly starting writing down his observations and the conditions he had found upon on his reading of Delores' thoughts. He would have to make sure that this report came to the attention of the Hospital Chief of Staff when they had their weekly meeting. Dotty might have patient confidentiality but he also had a further responsibility to the safety of the public at large to think of.

Delores felt good enough after her appointment to become aware of the state of her appearance. She flooed home to change and make herself presentable for her meeting at Hogwarts. She flooed to Hogsmeade and got a quick sandwich and some tea at the Three Broomsticks before she walked up to the school. The soon to be Professor had been preparing her reason for the lateness of her arrival as a last minute consultation with Minister Fudge. She had no doubt that Professor McGonagall would consider it an insult that she hadn't owled ahead and related that she was being delayed. Delores wasn't very concerned about that however.

She was not met, however, by an impatient Deputy Headmistress once she had arrived inside the doors to the school. A scruffy looking older man who introduced himself as Argus Filch, the caretaker no less (and a squib!), said that Professor McGonagall had been called away on official school business tending to an incoming student. He was the only one left at the school to escort her around.

Seething inside at the obvious insult, Delores followed the wheezy and slow moving man around to the various high points around the castle. She thought her office was small but would be acceptable after she had a chance to decorate it. There were only two factors that made Mr. Filch's presence even the least bit tolerable. The first was that he owned a long-haired cat that he said was indispensable in his rounds around the school at night catching students out after curfew. The second was his attitude about students and their inability to follow rules and keep the castle in an 'orderly state'. Delores was quick to determine that Mr. Filch would be an appropriate person to send troublemakers to in case of detentions.

The slow pace of the tour consumed almost two hours and Delores was hard pressed to mumble even the barest of thanks to Filch before she left the school. She flooed directly from Hogsmeade to her home and made a long entry in her personal, private journal about the indignity she felt at being given a tour of the school by its caretaker.

Delores house elf provided a good supper for her and she spent the hours before bedtime writing out the lesson plans she knew she would have to submit to the Board of Directors and Dumbledore. Not that she would follow them once she had submitted them however. Being High Inquisitor would mean that she could eventually do whatever she wanted under the auspices of the Minister of Magic. Taking care of Potter and derailing Dumbledore's plot against Minister Fudge.

She had never looked so forward to taking a potion before and Delores relished taking every last drop of the Dreamless Sleep Potion that she had been given by Ellena Jagiss. Delores extinguished the lights and fell into a fast sleep.

~Z~ ~Z~ ~Z~ ~Z~

~Z~ ~Z~

~Z~

The first order of business was to root out any subversive students and groups that might be in league with Dumbledore and supporting him in his efforts to take over the Ministry. Dumbledore obviously wanted to supplant Cornelius Fudge as the Minister of Magic. Delores had thought long and hard about this specific part of her plan. She had talked extensively with Cornelius about catching every one of Dumbledore's supporters flatfooted and to nip any rebellion right off the bat.

She had drafted the first of her measures accordingly and had Filch post it on the Great Hall doors after curfew so that all the students could see it first thing in the morning on their arrival for breakfast. Every student in every House would soon learn that the school was being governed by someone other than Albus Dumbledore. The Ministry of Magic, through her, would soon be turning out nice compliant citizens that would only have faith in Cornelius Fudge.

Delores stopped at the massive doors to survey her handiwork. There in big bright letters was the first of the restrictions she would put on the school to make them more orderly and eager to follow the Minister's wishes.

BY ORDER of THE HIGH INQUISITOR of HOGWARTS

All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups and Clubs are henceforth disbanded.

An Organization, Society, Team, Group or Club is defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.

Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge).

No Student Organization, Society, Group or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor.

Any student found to have formed, or belong to, an Organization, Society, Team, Group or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.

This is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four

Delores entered the hall and wondered when all the students were going to appear. There was a scattering of students scattered around the four tables but only Dumbledore and Snape were present at the teacher's table. There was a pile of small objects at Delores' usual spot at the table but she didn't realize what they were until she got closer. They were badges – Prefect Badges, 3 Quidditch Captains Badges and even the Badges for Head Boy and the Head Girl.

Delores was very confused. "What is the meaning of this?"

It was Professor Snape that replied in his usual snide way. "It would appear that there have been a number of overnight resignations Madame High Inquisitor. They evidently thought that giving up their appointed positions was an appropriate response to your Decree.

Delores turned in anger to the one person she blamed for all the wrongdoings of the school. "This must be your doing Headmaster."

"I'm afraid not. People are free to make choices of their own Delores. As I understand it, the prefects making rounds overnight saw your announcement, returned to their own houses and woke up not only the students but the individual Head of Houses. After some discussions, the students made some decisions. Turning in those badges was merely the first."

"The first?" Delores asked.

"Many owls were sent out overnight to the parents and guardians of most students concerning the Educational Decree that was issued. Included in most of those letters was the statement that they would rather return home than spend even another day under the restrictions of that Decree and any other ones you might want to issue in the future. Professors Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall agreed with their assessment and opened up the floos in their individual offices to anyone who really wanted to go home."

"How dare they? I'll remove them all for insubordination! Where are they anyway?"

Dumbledore had the audacity to smile as he answered. "They and the rest of the staff are voluntarily spending their morning returning the muggleborn and those without floo connections to their families."

Delores' face was quite red and she had trouble focusing her anger at anyone besides Dumbledore. "As least you didn't join this madness Professor Snape. Please tell me your house had better sense than this."

"The Slytherins were notified of the Decree as soon as the other Houses were. Despite my conviction that you are heading the school in a favorable direction, fully a third of my House left with their trunks this morning after curfew was lifted to use the floos that were left opened overnight. What you see in the Hall are all of the students left in the school."

Delores looked around and noticed for the first time that only the green and silver house badges were presently eating a very nervous breakfast.

"I do not believe this is happening. This is an overreaction of the highest possible nature."

"That is not quite the situation Delores" Dumbledore said. "And you really have no one else to blame than yourself."

"WHAT? Explain that statement this instant!"

"I saw and talked to a number of students before they left for home early this morning. Your wording was quite precise but you listed no exceptions to the rules."

"Exceptions? Exceptions? There are no exceptions to what I wrote."

"Then you banned not only the Quidditch teams and the Hogwarts Choir practices but also the right for the students to eat together."

"But…"

"Classes could not be held except under individual instructions…"

"NO!"

"Even the right of students to sleep in their own beds as most dorms are made up of three or more students."

"Get them back here Headmaster! I want all of those students back in place for the evening meal!"

"I'm afraid I don't have the authority to do that Madame High Inquisitor as I believe I'm presently without a school to administer. Unless you want the Ministry to issue a Universal Truancy report and give Aurors the task and authority to go to every magical house in England and drag back the sons and daughters of the general public and members of the Ministry itself and the Wizengamot, I believe you shall be only making up rules for Professor Snape and Slytherin House from this point forward."

A totally gobsmacked High Inquisitor pulled out her chair and sat in it with a very confused face. This had not been the plan. The students were supposed to be intimidated. And obedient. This had not followed the plan that had been drawn up at all.

The house elves delivered another breakfast plate at that moment as Delores sat down. Her usual breakfast fare appeared on the small pile of badges in front of her and tipped over, spilling the poached eggs and kippers directly into her lap.

As Delores leaped back to her feet and started cleaning off her suit, the doors to the Great Hall swung open and a number of people appeared. A great many people. Some of the crowd she recognized because she had seen them at the Ministry of Magic. Amelia Bones, Amos Diggory, Arthur Weasley and too many others for her to recall all their names, walked forward together to come to within a few feet of the teacher's table. Delores gulped as she also recognized some members of the Wizengamot in the crowd – Augusta Longbottom, Henry Frobisher, Octavius Greengrass and many others. None of the people the Delores were acquainted with seemed to be in a very good mood this morning.

"What are all you people doing here?" Delores asked a tad bit more than a little defensively.

"We've come to see about this Educational Decree that forced all of our children home" a voice in the back yelled out.

"I've come to get a refund on the tuition that I've paid for my son for instruction this year" came a shout from a man that identified himself as Ignatius McLaggen.

Delores looked at the faces before her and sought out some official help. "Madam Bones are you going to let this rabble just cast aspersions and blame on me for doing the job I was appointed to do? Minister Fudge himself…"

Madame Bones took a step forward from the crowd. "Do you refer to the Minister Fudge that received so many owls and Howlers from student's parents that he decided to take an immediate week's vacation at an undisclosed site? That Minister Fudge?"

Delores began to get very uncomfortable at the amount of comments and anger that was directed at her. She made one more appeal to the Head of the DMLE.

"You are charged with keeping the peace Amelia. I shall summon the Auror Corps myself if you will not help me out."

"In case you haven't noticed Miss High and Mighty Inquisitor, about half of the active Aurors are somewhere behind me in this grievance committee and a lot of retired aurors are also here in support of their grandchildren."

Delores pulled her wand. "You are not authorized to remove me from my position or from this school. I will report this.. Headmaster Dumbledore, surely you aren't going to allow this to continue?"

"Yes, I will not allow this to continue. Expelliarmus!" Delores's wand was wrenched from her grip and landed in the outstretched hand of the Chief Mugwump of the ICW.

Delores fell back a few steps in terror as the crowd took another step forward. "I was simply following instructions" she shrieked out as the crowd prepared to rush her.

"HOLD THERE!" A voice that brooked no disobedience came from the middle of the crowd and they all paused to look at who had shouted. The crowd parted as the man walked steadily forward. He was in uniform; a very snappy scarlet and gold uniform with many medals pinned to his chest and a white pith helmet tucked nattily under his arm.

The man stopped and did a formal bow to Madame Bones and kissed the back of her hand. "Nice to see you again Amelia" he said.

"And you also Bradley. Could you possibly be here officially?"

The tall man nodded somberly and Madam Bones turned to face the headmaster. "Headmaster I have the pleasure to introduce you to one of my counterparts from the Queen's Royal Marines. Senior Warrant Officer Bradley Pennington. Bradley this is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot."

Dumbledore stepped forward to greet the WO but was surprised when the marine saluted him and produced an envelope from his jacket. "Instructions from the Queen herself sir."

There was a gasp as the majority of the crowd had heard the Marine's voice. "The Queen?" "Merlin's Beard, what's up now?" "Why is Dumbledore getting a letter from Her Majesty?"

Delores screamed out her protests. "How did SHE find out about Hogwarts?"

With barely a glance in her direction, Pennington answered Delores' question. "She has always known about Hogwarts but has chosen not to interfere until complaints and reports from the sons and daughters of the members of Parliament were forwarded through the Prime Minister. He deemed it important and disturbing enough to bring it to Her Majesty's attention."

Dumbledore had taken the envelope and retreated to his seat to open the letter. Delores tried fleeing out the side door but she was caught and brought back struggling by a couple of furious parents. Her face was white as chalk and her lip began trembling as she waited for whatever was in the 'official' letter.

Standing up after finishing the letter, Dumbledore nodded to Pennington and handed the letter to Madame Bones. She scanned it and smiled and turned that smile at Delores. Her knees started shaking. Albus Dumbledore addressed the waiting crowd. "It seems the matter of authorization has been settled. This is a command from Queen Elizabeth to immediately remove Madame Umbridge from her position as a Professor and the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. She is under arrest pending a trial before a Joint Parliament and Wizengamot Committee of Justice."

The cheering from the various mothers, fathers and other concerned relatives of the missing students totally drowned out the screech of outrage and despair that came from the impeccably groomed and proper former Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"That still leaves me the problem of finding a Defense instructor" Dumbledore said.

"I believe I have an Auror or two in this crowd or back at headquarters that would gladly fill the position on a temporary basis" Madame Bones said.

"And I have been given permission to assist if such help would be desired Headmaster" the Warrant Officer declared.

"Please inform Her Majesty that we would be glad to have the counsel and advice from such an experienced member of the Royal Marines."

Dumbledore raised his voice to be heard throughout the Great hall. "As we have seemingly solved the problem concerning the excesses of a certain appointee, I invite the rest of you to enjoy the hospitality of Hogwarts and break fast with us this morning. Warrant Officer Pennington if you don't mind coming up to the teacher's table, I would like to talk with you while we eat."

The military man nodded and, while he stepped up to take his seat, Delores was led screaming and struggling out of the hall.

"You all wait until Minister Fudge hears of this outrage. You will pay; you shall all pay!" was the last threat that issued from Delores' mouth as the Great Doors closed and her protests faded away.

. . . . .

~Z~

While the Dreamless Sleep Potion had failed in one part of its described function, the sleep part of the concoction worked as advertised. Delores whimpered and thrashed in her sleep but never woke up to break the passage of continuing images in her mind.

~Z~ ~Z~

~Z~

This seemed to be very, very familiar. Delores arrived in the Great Hall again and beheld the scattered Slytherins seated across the four tables again. It felt like she had been here before at another time. A feeling of deja vu descended on Delores and she looked around very cautiously. She did see a difference in this morning's train of events however as all of the other staff was present and waiting for her.

Looking around for Madame Bones or that muggle Pennington to come rushing it, Delores kept walking backwards until she stumbled against the step upward to the teacher's table. Delores turned around and regarded Dumbledore. "So the students have all left then?" she asked.

Professors Flitwick and Babbling chuckled at her confusion. The rest of the staff look at her like she had gone totally barmy. It was Professor McGonagall that stood and replied. "The prefects have informed me that the students from three of the Houses were having meetings in their common rooms to discuss the Educational Decree. I expect they shall be down presently to have breakfast."

Delores took her usual seat between Professor Snape and Professor Sinistra. She felt very nervous and couldn't touch any the food that had appeared on her plate. The rest of the staff ate in a normal manner until the shutter doors clicked open and announced the morning owls.

This morning there was only one flyer descending from the rafters and even Delores knew who the snowy white owl belonged to. "That's Potter's bird" she yelled out and prepared to pull her wand if the owl chose to attack her.

Hedwig circled the hall once and came to a graceful landing before Dumbledore holding a package with a note attached to it. Professor McGonagall threw a couple of pieces of bacon at the bird and the owl snapped them up hurriedly and then launched herself up and out of the hall.

Dumbledore unfolded the note and read it. "This is very interesting."

"What is it Albus?" Professor Sprout asked.

"I believe it is something for our High Inquisitor" Dumbledore replied. He unwrapped the package and passed the small oblong shaped box down to table. "The instructions request that you push the button marked 'PLAY'; the second one from the left."

Delores looked at it the small black object suspiciously. It was Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies instructor that recognized and identified the item. "It's just a tape player Professor Umbridge. It's a muggle device for recording voices but someone must have done some unusual Charms work on it for it to play here at Hogwarts."

Casting a detecting spell on it, Delores found no danger in the tape player. She pushed the button and found out there was at least a 'Sonorus' spell on it as loud music and a voice filled the Great Hall. Dumbledore smiled as he liked music and Delores saw that Flitwick was grinning widely as if he recognized the song. Delores knew she would never remember the song and tried to pay attention to the wild (and threatening!) muggle lyrics. She grew horrified as she heard this:

We're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore

We've got the right to choose and
There ain't no way we'll lose it
This is our life, this is our song
We'll fight the powers that be just
Don't pick our destiny 'cause
You don't know us, you don't belong

We're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore

Oh you're so condescending
Your gall is never ending
We don't want nothin', not a thing from you
Your life is trite and jaded
Boring and confiscated
If that's your best, your best won't do

Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
We're right, yeah
We're free, yeah
We'll fight, yeah
You'll see, yeah

We're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore

Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
We're right, yeah
We're free, yeah
We'll fight, yeah
You'll see, yeah

We're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore

We're not gonna take it
We'll fight the powers that be
No, we ain't gonna take it
Don't pick our destiny
We're not gonna take it anymore (Twisted Sister – 1984)

The last strains of the song faded away and the tape player clicked itself off. Delores saw that all of the staff with the exception of Dumbledore were regarding her with some amusement. She would not be cowed by such tactics however. Potter and everyone else who was involved in this vulgar and distasteful threat to her would be put in detention or expelled from the school as soon as she caught them.

"I want Potter and all of his friends" Delores all but screamed.

"Then you are in luck Madame High Inquisitor. The note discloses where they and the rest of the missing students are."

"Where?" Delores asked rising.

"The first through third years students are sitting in the Quidditch stands."

"And the rest?" Delores asked over her shoulder as she headed out the door.

"They are also at the Quidditch pitch."

"Good. Everyone there shall see what I do to the troublemakers."

"Delores, you probably should wait a second" Dumbledore spoke out.

"Why? I'm going to assign some many detentions that you might as well hand the House Cup to Professor Snape right now."

"The first through third years are sitting in the stands because the fourth through seventh years have challenged you to a Wizard's Duel."

"WHAT! HOW DARE THEY? No matter; I accept. I'll show those…those children what happens when you defy authority. Who is their representative?"

It was Professor McGonagall who was holding the note now. She had a very smug little grin on her face when she spoke out. "You don't understand Delores. They don't have a representative. They have ALL challenged you to a Wizard's Duel."

"That is preposterous. I am not going to raise wands against that many children."

Dumbledore shook his head but not in a sad way. "I'm sorry Delores but you have already accepted. It is a binding magical contract. If you back out of it, you will probably lose your magic. Or you may die. You must appear and duel."

Delores was headed out the door to contact the DMLE and have Aurors come to the school to take care of this… this revolt. She made it one step outside the Great Doors and was turning toward her office when she felt herself frozen and lifted off her feet.

"Get me down from here! How dare you cast a spell on the High Inquisitor?"

"I can assure you Madame Umbridge that none of the staff cast any spell on you. It is magic itself that is making sure that you arrive at the duel."

Before she could retort against Dumbledore's statement, Delores was floating through the entrance hall, through the outer doors and on her way down the path toward the Quidditch Pitch. The staff of Hogwarts followed along behind her at a leisurely pace discussing the last Wizard's Duel they had witnessed.

Delores floated through the entrance to the stadium and students cheered as they saw her yelling out her indignities. A ring of wand-bearing students parted to let Delores go through them. Delores floated to the middle of the pitch and was set down in a ring of almost a hundred students. Delores felt herself released and tried to apparate away. With no success.

"She obviously hasn't even read Hogwarts: A History" Hermione Granger cried out. "Everyone knows you can't apparate from the school."

"Shut your mouth, you filthy, lying mudblood" Delores yelled as she pulled her wand and pointed it at the bushy haired fifth year student.

There was a 'whoosh' of the gasps that came from the students in the stands and Delores just began to swerve her wand and turn in a circle as she tried covering all the members of the circle. Delores noted that there were even a few students with the green and silver badges denoting that they were members of Slytherin House pointing wands at her.

Dumbledore's voice echoed around the stadium as he must have cast a Sonorus charm on himself. "We are here to witness a Wizard's Duel. The challenge was issued by students from all the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh year students here at Hogwarts and accepted by High Inquisitor Delores Umbridge. The use of Unforgivables is forbidden in this duel. Participants, please bow to one another."

Exaggerated measures of respect must have been the order of the day as most of the witches and wizards did a deep bow toward the person in the center of the circle. Delores did not respond.

"At the count of three, the duel may commence. One!"

Delores didn't know where to aim her wand first; there were too many choices. "Wait! This isn't fair!"

A pair of voices were quick to respond to that cry. "Imagine that George; she pretends she knows what fair is."

"I don't think she understands the concept dear brother of mine. Didn't she hear what she's been preaching to our dear little Harriekins all year? I must not tell lies."

"TWO!"

"I cede the contest. I surrender!" Delores held her hands up in the face of overwhelming odds.

There were groans throughout the stands and most of the students forming the circle lowered their wands. Some students moved aside to let Delores walk out of the circle and the Quidditch stadium.

Laughter was the response to her first steps and something inside of Delores snapped. She had one more chance to make things right and prove herself to Cornelius Fudge.

"Reducto!"

The blasting curse headed directly for Harry Potter's head. Delores watched it go and smiled – until he ducked nimbly out of the way and the spell hit one of the goal posts gouging a big hole through a side of it. The goal post sagged dangerously to one side but did not topple over.

Delores eyes were wide open as she heard many scores of voices all calling out their own spells and an incredible number of different colored hexes, curses and spells came at her.

Delores screamed in anticipation of all the hits and….

… woke up again in her own bed to find she had loss control of her bladder and any reasonable expectation to speak coherently. She was still frozen in that position and in shock when her house elf found her in the morning to tell her that breakfast had been prepared.