Chapter 8 – Finding the Room

Monday, August 28th, 1995

It was the sense of smell that seemed to return to Delores first. It was an antiseptic smell that somehow combined with fresh linens, old stonework and a faint hint of lilacs. A combination that didn't make any sense to Delores; she tried identifying the smell by locations she was familiar with but nothing came to her unconscious mind. Hearing voices also induced a climb upwards from oblivion. Delores didn't know where she was but thought she wasn't home. The last thing she remembered was another dream – a duel between her and… half the entire student body of Hogwarts? Delores struggled to get awake – if for nothing else to complain to Healer Jagiss about her so-called 'Dreamless' Sleep potion.

It was a number of seconds until the voices spoke out again. Delores sort of recognized that they were whispering. She didn't know who the female voice belonged to but the other ignited a spark of familiarity. It was a voice she had heard before and one that she didn't particularly like. It was Albus Dumbledore.

What in Merlin's name was the Headmaster doing around her? She shook her head in protest and that seemed to be noticed.

"I think our newest comrade has awoken Poppy. I'll leave you to explain what happened to her and where she is. Good afternoon Professor Umbridge."

Delores opened her eyes just in time to catch the last of Dumbledore's purple and golden starred robe exiting the door out of the room. Delores looked around. This didn't seem to be any ward at St. Mungo's and it definitely wasn't her home.

"Oh good, you're finally awake." Delores turned her head to see an older witch clad in the green and white of a Healer's uniform. "Who? Where?"

"All in good time Professor Umbridge. I have a potion you should take now."

The healer held out a small vial of a pinkish potion. Delores took it but with a great deal of confusion. "I'll take this – AFTER you answer some questions."

"Well, I guess that fair. My name is Madame Pomfrey – Poppy to my friends and colleagues. And you are at Hogwarts, in the medical wing to be specific. Your house elf found you in a nearly catatonic state this morning. She contacted your old office at the Ministry who contacted Ellena Jagiss. She contacted me after apparating to your house. Knowing your reluctance to be admitted to a place where it would be a public record, she floo called me and sought permission to bring you here."

"I was supposed to…. I took a Dreamless Sleep potion last night before retiring. It didn't work – in fact I had the most horrible nightmares!"

"Ellena and I talk a bit about your recent sleeping disturbances and I reviewed the charts she brought over. The best thing we can figure out about last night was that you had an allergic reaction to one of the components of the Dreamless Potion. Do you know if you have an allergy to asphodel or powdered moonstone by chance?"

"Not a clue. How long do I have to stay here?"

Madame Pomfrey chuckled. "That sounds suspiciously like a question one of my more frequent student patients asks upon waking up from his latest disaster. In your case Delores, may I call you Delores? A simple stay overnight will suffice. I have an alternative to the Dreamless Sleep potion that I'd like you to try later."

"It's Professor Umbridge. Is it guaranteed safe?" Delores asked.

"I can assure you it is totally safe to consume. Professor Snape himself mixes up the majority of the potions I use for everyday problems and accidents."

"Sleeplessness and nightmares are everyday occurrences around here?"

"Yes, you wouldn't believe the state that some students work themselves up into for finals. Add in the natural pressures of taking the OWLs and NEWTs and you can understand how the sleep potions might be necessary at times.

"I suppose so. So what am I to do to pass the time here?"

"You are staying in that bed until at least tomorrow morning. You may send one of our elves to your residence to get some things to read or help set up your office. If you'd like something specific to read, I can go down to the Hogwarts library to bring a book or two back. There is a copy of the Daily Prophet in my office if you'd like to read that."

"Does the Minister of Magic know that I am here Madame Pomfrey?"

"I'm not sure if your healer notified him but I can send on owl to the ministry and inform him of where you are."

"That would be satisfactory" Delores said. Seeing the expression on the mediwitch's face, Delores asked if she had time for a chat. Poppy replied she would be happy to and brought out not only the paper but a pot of tea. Delores learned a lot of information about the school, Dumbledore and the rest of the staff as she carefully pumped Madame Pomfrey for information under the guise of learning about her fellow professors. She already had some lined up for dismissal before she yawned and fell back to sleep in the comfortable bed.

When she awoke again she saw a concerned Cornelius Fudge standing at the end of her bed. "I heard you had some sort of breakdown Delores."

"That is a gross exaggeration of the facts. I've been having a little trouble sleeping in the anticipation of…." Delores looked around before she blurted out something that might be considered incriminating.

"Pomfrey's gone down to see Snape; somebody you ought to cultivate as a friend. He has a shaky alliance with Dumbledore but does promote the pureblood sense of values and worth that we are looking for."

"I will keep that in mind. I am already aware of his history concerning the Boy-Who-Lived. He should be a willing ally in isolating and discrediting Potter."

"In case you didn't already know, Lucius's son Draco and a lot of the sons and daughters of my advisors and main contributors can be found in Slytherin House."

"I have plans to interview Draco, Miss Parkinson and a few others to get their views on things around here and to help me out if it comes to that."

"Excellent, excellent" Minister Fudge stated as he almost clapped in glee. "I shall expect regular reports Delores and will have a couple of my more 'sympathetic' Aurors on standby if you need more official backup to remove troublemakers."

"Thank you Minister but I anticipate no problems in assuming the proper position to run this school as it should be. And to have Potter confess to his lies."

"Madame Pomfrey said I shouldn't stay too long; I was just making sure you were not having any problems that would keep you from completing your assignment here."

"Thank you for your concern Cornelius but I shall be equal to the task you have given me."

Minster Fudge left then and Delores began thinking of all the places in school that she knew of where the students could privately congregate. Where lessons from Dumbledore could be held to teach those selected students spells that could disrupt or even overwhelm the Ministry. The idea of halfblood and mudblood students assaulting the Ministry of Magic was so ludicrous that it might be possible. At least that is what Cornelius Fudge thought might be happening and Delores did not doubt the Minister's intelligence or cautiousness.

It was a complete surprise when a Hogwarts house elf appeared with a covered tray and told Delores that it was supper time. She gazed at the clock on the wall and realized that the afternoon had obviously disappeared between her nap, the visit from Cornelius and her own thoughts about the possible threat to the safety and security of the Ministry and the Minister's position.

Madame Pomfrey returned and asked Delores if she would like company with her meal but Delores politely declined and asked to dine alone. Madame Pomfrey said that she was heading down to the Great Hall and a meal with the rest of the staff but would tell everyone that the newest DADA professor was resting comfortably and would be released the next morning. Delores smiled and thanked the mediwitch for her help.

It was no later than four minutes after Madame Pomfrey disappeared that Delores got out of her bed and began snooping….err, examining the contents of the mediwitch's office. She found the potion cabinet and examined the various jars and bottles to see if there were any proscribed or unauthorized mixtures that were present. Everything seemed to be above board but she would ask Professor Snape at some point to open up his storeroom and see what was hidden there.

Delores also found the cabinets that held the student records. While she was tempted to break the seals and look at the files, her curiosity could wait until she had the power and position to look through and see what kind of information on Harry Potter and his friends was held there.

Not knowing how long supper would keep Madame Pomfrey away from the medical wing, Delores merely took the Daily Prophet that Poppy had offered her and went back to her bed to read it. She was halfway through the entire newsprint when a sudden chill seemed to come into the room and halted her reading. She put down her paper and almost fell out of bed in shock. Surrounding her bed were ghosts – many ghosts – many, many ghosts! Some she remembered from her time as a student: the Bloody Baron, the Fat Friar, The Grey Lady and even that pathetic moaning and crying girl ghost that was usually stuck in the witches' loo on the second floor - Myra something-or-other. They were all here along with a number of other ghosts she wasn't familiar with.

"What do you want?" Delores shouted as she brandished her wand back and forth in front of her. "I am the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge and I demand you leave!"

That statement instead of making the ghosts scatter provoked an opposite reaction. "Little Nellie Fudges-a-lot? He made minister? Oh please tell me you're trying to put one over on us? The conniving little Hufflepuff couldn't even pass Charms or Muggle Studies when he was a student here."

"He is the Minister of Magic and has been for a number of years." Delores was astonished that none of the ghosts were believing her. She decided to remain quiet in the hopes that the specters would leave her alone.

"We just came to offer our congratulations to you Madam" said one of the ghosts that Delores finally remembered was named Sir Nicholas, 'Nearly Headless Nick', the Gryffindor House ghost.

"And to commend your courage" said the Fat Friar.

"Courage. I have no need of courage when dealing with children."

"Oh dear" the Grey Lady spoke. "She doesn't know."

Delores' head spun around rapidly. "Know what?"

Helena Ravenclaw, the Grey Lady glided forward so that she stood next to Delores' bed. "That the position of professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts is cursed."

"How preposterous!" Delores almost broke out in laughter at the absurdity of the statement from the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw. "I'm sure the Ministry or the press would have known about this and a curse breaker would have been called in."

"It was tried about twenty years ago under the time of then Minister Nobby Leach. It was unsuccessful but it did vanish the spirit of the giant runespoor that haunted the passageway to the Slytherin dorms. A failed potions experiment led to that particular creature haunting the dungeons."

Delores frowned. "You're serious."

"The position has been cursed for over twenty-five years" Nearly Headless Nick said. "Even the house elves know about the problem."

"Surely the Headmaster should have done something about this curse. What exactly is the nature of this curse anyway?"

The ghosts looked at one another as if wondering who would step forward. It was a small oriental looking woman who stepped forward. "The curse is that no instructor who teaches DADA lasts more than one year. It usually results in a fatality."

"Balderdash" exclaimed Delores. "I don't believe you."

There was a sigh from the Bloody Baron and he pointed to the lady that had spoken up. "My name is….used to be Professor Kobayashi Hadaka but everyone calls me Hada nowadays. I was the second person to teach DADA after the curse started."

"And what kept you from returning to teach a second year?" Delores asked.

Instead of speaking, the small woman turned around and Delores saw a ragged burn mark that went through her robes and seemed to go through the middle of her shoulder blades. "A Confringo cast from a very disgruntled seventh year who had failed her Newts was the official story. She caught me on one of the higher stairs so between the spell and the subsequent fall I died."

"A student did that?"

"I was informed a few years later that she had been put under an Imperius curse to shift blame off the real perpetrator – a prefect named Mauger Malfoy."

"Surely this was an isolated incident. There really isn't a curse here is there?"

The Fat Friar shook his head a little sadly. "Let's do a review of the recent appointees to your position Madame Umbridge. Last year Barty Crouch Jr. who continuously took Polyjuice to impersonate Mad-Eye Moody ended up kissed by a Dementor. The real Moody is probably still in St. Mungo's recovering from his 9 month captivity."

"That's true. Cornelius told me all about it."

"The year before that Remus Lupin had the sense to resign the post a few days before the end of term."

"As well he should have. A creature such as that teaching purebred wizards and witches."

"Madame Umbridge, that creature as you called him was probably the best teacher in the subject in the last dozen years" the Grey Lady said.

"I don't believe you, a Pureblood, would say anything nice about a werewolf."

"I was speaking about the man. He's only cursed one night a month."

"Humphh."

"Let's get back to our history review" said Nearly Headless Nick. "The year before Professor Lupin…"

"He was not an accredited professor!" interrupted Delores.

"And neither are you Madame Umbridge" said Hada the ghost instructor.

"As I was saying" the Gryffindor ghost continued, "the year before Professor Lupin we had that marvelous example of wizardry – Gilderoy Lockhart."

A deep voice from the back of the spectral crowd spoke up. "And he's still in St. Mungo's after accidentally 'Obliviating' himself. He may never recover either as I heard it."

"Should we continue on Madame… excuse me, Professor Umbridge?"

"Surely this is just a run of bad luck" Delores said hopefully.

"Very well. Before Lockhart there was Quirrell. Nobody knows what happened to him but he was never seen walking out of Hogwarts alive. Some say that he was vaporized. Or was it dissolved? I'm afraid I've forgotten."

Delores looked at (and through) the serious faces of the ghosts around here. "And … the others?"

"Before Quirrell, there was Octavia Banderwithers, a retired auror. She was found at the base of the Astronomy tower one Sunday morning. A suicide note turned up three days later but nobody really knows if it was that or murder."

Sir Nicholas continued on from the Fat Friar. "And before the unfortunate Banderwithers, it was…hmm."

"Mister Cunningham" a voice from the rear of the crowd provided.

"That's right Cunningham. Thank you Jonathan. Mr. Cunningham got lost in the fog coming back from the Three Broomsticks one Hogsmeade evening. He took the wrong path and evidently wandered into the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid was too late in finding him; he had been killed and partially eaten by the Acromantulas."

"Acromantulas? That's horrid." Delores felt that her face had gone white with shock at the description of the fate of that previous DADA teacher.

"Would you like us to continue with the history Madame Umbridge?" the Grey Lady asked. "I'm sure the members of the ghost council can tell you about all the incidents that happened to the 2 dozen teachers before you."

"No, I've heard quite enough on that subject. I'm not sure I believe you all anyway; I think you are trying to scare me away."

There was a muttering from some of the ghosts and some just vanished. Some glided away through the walls and doors until there was just a handful left around Delores' bed.

"You may believe whatever you choose Umbridge" the Grey Lady stated. "You may consider it a warning or just a tale then. The choice is yours and you will see us around the school from time to time."

Then Helena Ravenclaw gathered up her ghostly robes and turned and walked through the nearest wall. That seemed to be a signal for the rest of the ghosts to disappear. Sir Nicholas turned around just before he reached the wall. "Since you don't believe us, you shouldn't mind that there will be a betting pool or two on you once the term starts."

"A betting pool?"

"A now time-honored tradition here at Hogwarts. Just the basics – how long you will teach and the manner of your 'accident'. Good evening Madame." Sir Nicholas tipped his almost disconnected head sideways as a formal goodbye and sank through the floor. Delores couldn't decide if she should be amused, shocked or angry at what the ghosts had been relating to her. She was still thinking about that when Madame Pomfrey came back from supper. She went into her office for a few minutes and came back out carrying a small mug full of a brown mixture.

"What kind of potion is this?" Delores asked a little suspiciously.

"Everyone calls it hot chocolate – it's supposed to relax you. I've added a titch of cinnamon and a few drops of brandy. Go ahead and try it."

Delores sipped from the mug and told the mediwitch that it was really comforting. She drained the last of the drink and handed the mug back. At that point, Madame Pomfrey set the mug down and pulled her wand out from a pocket in her skirt.

"What are you doing?" Delores asked in a sudden panic.

"I talked to Severus Snape over supper and there's a slight change of plans. Since we don't know if you are allergic or not to the ingredients of the Sleeping Potions, I was just going to cast a Sleeping Spell on you. It should give you a full night of good sleep."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Would you like to try a Dreamless Sleeping potion again?"

Delores shuddered as she remembered the nightmares that had resulted from that. "Very well, you have my permission to cast the spell on me."

"Good night Delores. Soporatus!"

Delores slumped back in sleep and Madame Pomfrey made sure that the blankets would remain in place over her for the night. She retired to her office and the lights dimmed and then went out in the medical ward.

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

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~Z~

It had been so easy to break one down. They just had to find and catch one of the students who became unaccountable for a couple of hours once or twice a week. The Inquisititorial Squad had finally found a Ravenclaw named Marietta Edgecombe to drag to the High Inquisitor's office for questioning. While originally steadfast in her denials of any illegal group activities, the girl had finally broken down. It was not a threat against her personally but when Delores threatened not only Miss Edgecombe with expulsion but the loss of her father's job at the Ministry and him being arrested as a 'subversive element', the girl finally broke down.

She had confessed that almost thirty students belonged to a group that studied and practiced Defensive spells and magic once or twice a week in a hidden room on the seventh floor of the school. Delores wasted no time in judging how evil and sinister this group was after the young witch broke out in some horrible looking purple acne that spelled 'SNEAK' across her face. Delores had a few members of her Inquisitorial Squad to drag her along and show her where this hidden room was.

It was Draco Malfoy that suggested having the Hogwarts house elves confined to the kitchens so that they would be unable to help the group of students. Delores was quick to award the smart (sneaky) young wizard twenty house points for helping her out.

It was a short time later that Delores, the Inquisititoriaal Squad, Filch and a crying Miss Edgecombe were facing a blank wall across from a portrait of Barnabas the Balmy trying to teach trolls to dance ballet.

Delores turned to Edgecombe. "Are you sure where this room is located? I don't see any door here."

"I swear Madame Inquisitor that this is where a door appears when Harry Potter or his two friends set up the meetings. I don't know how they make the door appear though."

"Bah, take her away. We'll open this room up and I don't need any door." Miss Edgecombe was thrown to the floor and crawled away from the group that was determined to catch and punish the DA.

Telling everyone to stand back, Delores raised her wand and cast a bludgeoning curse right in the middle of the wall. The corridor shook and a small dark smudged appeared. Delores cast the spell again and pretty soon every member of her enforcement Squad had their wands aimed at the wall and casting every destructive spell they knew at the wall that was concealing the traitors.

Inside the group had stopped their practicing at the first tremble and shake of the wall. It was Hermione that asked for a small viewfinder and she looked out at the hall and shouted out what she discovered. "Umbridge, the whole IQ-less squad and Filch are out there. It must be that they broke Edgecombe as she's crawling away."

It was Neville that asked the obvious question. "Harry what are we going to do now? I'm not sure we're up to fighting them all."

Harry gathered everyone close as the pounding on the wall continued. Even he flinched at a particularly powerful spell outside caused a lot of dust to shake down from the ceiling and a small crack appeared in a section of the wall.

"I was afraid of this and I'm not going to blame Marietta. Merlin knows what kind of punishments, threats and pain she had to face. But we're not going to stand here and let them break in and catch us."

"We're not?" said Fred with a grin.

"We're not" George replied. "Harry has a plan."

"Not exactly - Hermione has a plan and we tested it last week. Room, Operation Getaway!"

Two dozen doors appeared around the edge of the room although one had the Gryffindor flag over it and the other had the Slytherin symbol.

"These all lead to broom closets around the castle but none on this floor. You can go together or separately but be careful. The Slytherin door leads to an empty cell 6 doors down from the Potions classroom. We cleaned it up when we went through it the first time. It's only a few steps from there back to your common room."

"Gryffs – our door leads to the vacant Head Boys room in Gryffindor tower. Don't crowd; it's been used for storage for the last couple of years. Everybody go, go! We'll contact you through the coins for our next meeting."

There was a ragged cheer as the witches and wizards headed out through the doors. The doors vanished as people went through them and Harry and Hermione watched as the Slytherin portal closed up and vanished.

"Time for us to go too Harry."

"You go ahead Hermione; I'll be right behind you but I want to leave a little surprise behind."

"Don't let them see or catch you Harry."

"I know Hermione. I'll just stay in the doorway until they get inside." Hermione patted Harry on the shoulder and took the three steps through the passageway until she came to another door. She opened the door and saw that the Weasley's were all gathered around the room waiting for her and Harry to appear.

The shocks and spells continued on through the outer wall. Harry took a deep breath and asked for a special training dummy. A scarecrow with the face of Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, appeared on the end of a tall stake in the center of the room.

"Slip and Slide, version one please. Extinguish lights and open corridor door."

Outside in the corridor, the various witches and wizards were taking a little breather to regather their strength to continue the assault. All of a sudden there was a sound of a large bell ringing and a crooked and battered door appeared on the wall.

"They've decided to give up" Draco cried out in delight.

"Try the door first. You Crabbe." Delores pointed her wand and the big Slytherin fifth year very cautiously touched the door with his wand before turning the knob and throwing the door open. He looked inside. "I don't see anyone."

"That's impossible. Get out of the way." Delores and the rest of the Inquisitional Squad passed through the doorway and lit up their wands when they came into the dark space. No one heard a door quietly closing or disappearing in the darkness.

Delores was incensed. "Search this room. You children cannot hide from me. If you give yourself up you may still not be expelled. I'm only interested in the leaders."

There was a solid click of a light turning on and a figure in the middle of the room was lit up. Delores gasped as she beheld the scarecrow. It had a note pinned to its chest and Delores stalked up to it and ripped the note off and kicked the stake that held up the scarecrow.

"What does the note say Madam Inquisitor?"

Delores unfolded the parchment. "You seem all hot and bothered from your workout. Maybe a nice relaxing swim would be good for you."

There suddenly came the sound of running water and the door they had entered by slammed shut and disappeared. Some of the Inquisitional Squad starting pounding on the wall and looking for other exits. The scarecrow of Cornelius Fudge started rattling in its space and suddenly dropped through a hole in the floor. Delores stared at the space and grew alarmed as it began to widen.

"Get back! Everyone get back!"

Everyone tried seeking the safety of the walls but it soon became obvious that there was no relief there. Additionally the floor started tilting down to the center of the room where the opening in the floor was getting increasingly bigger. It was as if the room had turned into a sort of funnel (not that any of the Pureblood inside had a notion of such a muggle device). It was Pansy Parkinson that lost her footing first and disappeared down the opening to places unknown. One by one and then by groups of two or more the Inquisitional Squad disappeared down the hole. It was no consolation to Delores that she was the last to fall to the floor and tumble through the hole.

The hole led to a ramp which had water running down it. The ramp narrowed off to a metal slide that was partially filled with cold rushing water. Nothing could be seen or felt in the darkness to stop the tumble downward. Delores heard the panic cries of her selected helpers in front of her but was unable herself to slow down her progress down the steep and twisting passageway. It seemed to be many minutes but then Delores felt the slide straighten out and saw an opening appear dimly in the darkness ahead.

It was only as she no longer felt the slide beneath her that Delores recognized where she was. Exiting the cliff Hogwarts stood upon. There was just enough moonlight to see the 20 story drop that was ahead of her. She heard the screams of Malfoy and the others as she fell and was wondering if she would survive the fall to the water from this height. A clamor of more frantic screaming was heard below her. A horrified Delores saw that the giant squid had risen to the surface of Black Lake.

Delores had only a second to scream herself as the mouth of the monster opened up directly before her and a good number of her prized students disappeared into that wide maw. Delores saw the huge jaw and teeth of the squid and begged out loud for Fudge to save her.

. . . .

. . .

. .

.

Delores woke up on the floor next to the bed in the medical wing. Madame Pomfrey was standing over her and asking her how she had become soaked.

Opening her mouth to explain, Delores promptly fainted.