Chapter 27:
The sun survived for the entire weekend, and though Harry and Ron had to spend Sunday doing their homework to try and keep up, they moved outside into the sunshine to do it. They found a tree by the lake and lounged under the beech leaves, the boys spreading their books out.
Hermione, who of course was up to date with all her work, brought more wool outside with her and bewitched her knitting needles so that they flashed and clicked in midair beside her, producing more hats and scarves.
Alicia however had a pile of books and parchment in her arms as she joined them also, setting them down on the cool grass and pulling a piece of parchment out in front of her.
"What are you doing?" Ron asked her "I thought you were on top of your homework?"
"Oh I am." Alicia nodded "But I'm so ecstatic about yesterday that I couldn't help but start getting organised."
"Organised for what?" Harry asked her
"Our classes." she said obviously "I'm going to write down all the spells we've successfully done and practiced, you know, ones we'd be really good at and can teach others. Useful spells and jinxes to teach everyone." Alicia smiled "I brought all my charm and spells books to go through when I come at a loss of more to add and I'm going to see if there are any advanced ones that could be useful to learn to then teach everyone." she said
"That's a great idea." Hermione thought
"We'll as I have the free time I thought why not?" Alicia smiled and Harry looked at her almost annoyed
"What?" she asked him
"Well… it's that that… I've sort of—"
"Already started planning lessons?" she asked with a grin and he flushed slightly in the face.
"That's good." Hermione beamed
"Of course it is. But you're mind will only store so much and it's good to have a list of things in case there's something we miss." Alicia shrugged "Plus I really really want to." she beamed before putting her quill to her parchment and beginning to write.
"And this way we can sort of put them in order."
"In order?" Rona asked as he looked through a book to add some information to his essay
"Well there are some spells we probably shouldn't start off with right at the beginning." Alicia said as she wrote "Like the Patronus charm. I gather many people will be interested in that but perhaps stunning would be a better place to start, get them to know the easier ones first before we spend a few weeks on others you know? If something's going to take a while it's best not to do it first or you'll loose time to do the easier ones." Alicia said as she scratched some more spells down.
"Wow, you've really thought about this…?" Harry realised
"It's good to be prepared and have a sort of plan." Alicia shrugged grinning.
"It's almost as if you want to show off how much you know." Ron said and Alicia looked up in silence.
"Well I definitely don't want to boast, but I do love spell work." she grinned and Ron looked at her shocked. Hermione sighed and Harry chuckled slightly.
The day remained sunny and warm and the three stayed outside, Alicia deciding to summon some food instead of the four leaving for the Great Hall at lunch time.
Despite Monday's being a rather annoying day — though the girls had Arithmancy as a break while the boys had to go through Divination — Alicia was rather happy when she got up that morning for classes. Hermione was already getting dressed and Alicia began to do the same as they said good morning. The two girls paused however when they heard a loud, wailing, klaxon like sound from outside the dormitory door. Alicia started chuckling.
"Boys." Hermione said rolling her eyes
"I love it when that happens." Alicia grinned "Now we get to slide down the stairs!" and she took Hermione's arm to lead the way to the stairs, only now, they'd melted together to create a smooth stone slide.
"Er — I don't think we're allowed in the girls' dormitories," Harry's voice floated up the staircase and sounded rather hard as though he wasn't trying to laugh.
"Oooh, who tried to get upstairs?" said a few girls giggling happily as Hermione and Alicia reached the slide.
"Me," Ron's voice followed. "I didn't realise that would happen. It's not fair!" he complained as Hermione went first down the slide. "Hermione and Alicia are allowed in our dormitory, how come we're not allowed — ?"
"Well, it's an old-fashioned rule," said Hermione, who had just slid neatly onto a rug in front of them and was now getting to her feet, "but it says in Hogwarts, A History that the founders thought boys were less trustworthy than girls." Alicia came sliding down afterwards laughing as she laid on her carpet.
"It's such a better way to exit the dormitories if you ask me, increases our moods so much better." she said laughing as Harry, grinning at her, offered a hand and helped her to her feet.
"Anyway, why were you trying to get in there?"
"To see you two — look at this!" said Ron, dragging Hermione over to the notice board. Alicia followed and looked surprised.
A large sign had been affixed to the Gryffindor notice board, so large that it covered everything else on there — the lists of second-hand spell-books for sale, the regular reminders of school rules from Argus Filch, the Quidditch team training schedule, the offers to barter certain Chocolate Frog cards for others, the Weasleys' new advertisement for testers, the dates of the Hogsmeade weekends, and the lost-and-found notices. The new sign was printed in large black letters and there was a highly official-looking seal at the bottom beside a neat and curly signature.
— BY ORDER OF —
The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts
All Student Organisations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded.
An Organisation, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby 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 Organisation, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor.
Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organisation, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four.
Signed:
Dolores Jane Umbridge
HIGH INQUISITOR
Alicia's eyes narrowed and her happy mood diminished into annoyance. Hermione's expression beside her became stony.
"Someone must have blabbed to her!" Ron said angrily.
"They can't have done," said Hermione in a low voice.
"You're so naive," said Ron, "you think just because you're all honourable and trustworthy —"
"No, they can't have done because I put a jinx on that piece of parchment we all signed," said Hermione grimly. "Believe me, if anyone's run off and told Umbridge, we'll know exactly who they are and they will really regret it."
"What'll happen to them?" said Ron eagerly.
"Well, put it this way," said Hermione, "it'll make Eloise Midgen's acne look like a couple of cute freckles. Come on, let's get down to breakfast and see what the others think… I wonder whether this has been put up in all the Houses?"
"Seeing as it's a decree I'm assuming it has." Alicia nodded "Clever to make it about all organisations." she grumbled before she paused.
"Hang on," she said "Groups of more than three people? Doesn't that include Quidditch!?" she demands angrily and the boys looked surprised and shared a look. "Oh I hate her!" Alicia snapped angrily as they walked down the corridors.
It was immediately apparent on entering the Great Hall that Umbridge's sign had not only appeared in Gryffindor Tower. There was a peculiar intensity about the chatter and an extra measure of movement in the Hall as people scurried up and down their tables conferring on what they had read. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had barely taken their seats when Neville, Dean, Fred, George, and Ginny descended upon them.
"Did you see it?"
"D'you reckon she knows?"
"What are we going to do?"
They were all looking at Harry. Harry turned to Alicia who looked more than annoyed beside them and her expression was determined.
"Don't you dare decide not to do anything." Alicia said
"We're going to do it anyway, of course," Harry agreed quietly.
"Knew you'd say that," said George, beaming and thumping Harry on the arm.
"The prefects as well?" said Fred, looking quizzically at Ron and Hermione.
"Of course," said Hermione coolly.
"Here comes Ernie and Hannah Abbott," said Ron, looking over his shoulder. "And those Ravenclaw blokes and Smith… and no one looks very spotty."
Hermione looked alarmed.
"Damn they're stupid." Alicia said looked surprised
"Never mind spots, the idiots can't come over here now, it'll look really suspicious — sit down!" she mouthed to Ernie and Hannah, gesturing frantically to them to rejoin the Hufflepuff table. Alicia was shaking her head at them as she did. "Later! We'll — talk — to — you — later!"
"I'll tell Michael," said Ginny impatiently, swinging herself off her bench. "The fool, honestly… Alicia."
They girl nodded and got up with Ginny to move off to the Ravenclaw table.
"What's going on?" Anthony asked "Did you see the notice?"
"Yeah it's up in all the houses apparently." Alicia answered
"So what?" Michael asked Ginny
"We're still doing it." Alicia said "I don't care about Umbridge's rules and anything to get under her skin, as long you're all still willing to go behind her back." her voice was low and quite as Cho sat down beside them.
"Did you see the notice?" she asked
"Yeah. Don't worry, Hermione, Ron, Harry and I'll have a talk about it over the day and we'll get back to you all later. We were already doing it behind Umbridge's back and in my opinion a decree doesn't change anything. Just stay low and tell any of the others if you can to hold out until we've properly thought it over." Alicia said to them and they all nodded "If one of you could tell Ernie or any of the other Hufflepuffs later on that'd be awesome." and she held her thumbs up.
Alicia turned to Anthony and he looked very surprised as she suddenly kissed his cheek before turning to go back to the Gryffindor table.
"What was that?" Harry questioned her
"Well wouldn't it look weird if I just went over and started talking to them lowly? I just gave a reason as to why I'd be other there." she shrugged as she sat down to begin eating her breakfast. Harry looked at Ron who was still watching Ginny at the Ravenclaw table with narrowed eyes.
The four left the Great Hall together after they'd finished eating to head for History of Magic before Alicia, Ron and Harry turned at the sound of their names.
Angelina was hurrying towards them looked perfectly desperate.
"It's okay," said Harry quietly, when she was near enough to hear him. "We're still going to —"
"You realise she's including Quidditch in this?" Angelina said over him. "We have to go and ask permission to re-form the Gryffindor team!"
"Yeah I guessed that earlier." Alicia grumbled
"No way!" Ron said, appalled.
"You read the sign, it mentions teams too! So listen, Harry… I am saying this for the last time… Please, please don't lose your temper with Umbridge again or she might not let us play anymore!"
"Or worse she might just kick us off the team!" Alicia said turning to Harry with horror. Alicia looked at her brother angrily and he shied away surprised.
"Just say nothing!" she decided forcefully at him.
"What about you?" Harry asked her
"Well as long as my Quidditch time, which is the only thing keeping my anger in check, is on the line I think I can manage." she said looking at Angelina. The girl looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"Okay, okay," said Harry. "Don't worry, I'll behave myself…"
"I'll make sure of it." Alicia nodded and Harry nodded in agreement.
"Bet Umbridge is in History of Magic," said Ron grimly, as they set off for Binns's lesson. "She hasn't inspected Binns yet… Bet you anything she's there…"
"Can she though? I mean can you really fire a teacher who had such a passion about his work that even his death didn't stop him?" Alicia wondered "And how that'll work, I mean she cant really stop him… he's a ghost." she said.
It turned out Ron was wrong. the only teacher present when they entered was Professor Binns, floating an inch or so above his chair as usual and preparing to continue his monotonous drone on giant wars.
Alicia pulled out her piece of parchment from the day before with her list of spells on it and began to add more to it while only just noticing Binns' draining voice.
"Alicia," Hermione muttered and she looked at the girl who pointed to the window. Alicia looked up and was surprised to see Hedwig perched on the narrow window ledge, gazing through the thick glass at Harry, a letter tied to her leg.
Alicia looked confused, they'd just had breakfast so why hadn't Hedwig come then?
Alicia nudged Harry who was doodling on his parchment and he looked at her before she nodded, her confused look still in place, to the window where he noticed Hedwig as well.
Many of their classmates were pointing out Hedwig to each other too.
"Oh, I've always loved that owl, she's so beautiful," Harry heard Lavender sigh to Parvati.
Harry looked at Alicia who shrugged as she looked at Binns.
"I don't think he'd notice." she whispered as the ghost continued to read his notes, unaware of the classes attention was even less focused on him than usual.
Harry slipped quietly off his chair, crouched down, and hurried along the row to the window, where he slid the catch and opened it very slowly.
Hedwig, in an unusual manner, hopped inside and hooting dolefully instead of allowing Harry to take the letter and then disappearing to the Owlery. Harry closed the window with an anxious glance at Professor Binns, crouched low again, and sped back to his seat with Hedwig on his shoulder. He regained his seat, transferred Hedwig to his lap, and made to remove the letter tied to her leg.
Alicia looked at Hedwig before her eyes widened with concern. Hedwig's feathers were oddly ruffled; some were bent the wrong way, and she was holding one of her wings at an odd angle.
"She's hurt!" Harry whispered, bending his head low over her. Hermione and Ron leaned in closer; Hermione even put down her quill. "Look — there's something wrong with her wing —"
Hedwig was quivering; when Harry made to touch the wing she gave a little jump, all her feathers on end as though she was inflating herself, and gazed at him reproachfully.
Harry and Alicia shared a fearful look for the snowy owl and instantly turned to Professor Binns.
"Professor Binns," said both twins loudly, and everyone in the class turned to look at them. "I'm not feeling well."
Professor Binns raised his eyes from his notes, looking amazed, as always, to find the room in front of him full of people.
"Not feeling well?" he repeated hazily.
"Not at all well," said Harry firmly, getting to his feet while concealing Hedwig behind his back.
"I've got cramps sir and it's really painful." Alicia said as she stood up and most of the boys winced and looked discouraged as the girl either looked sorry for her or chuckled at the boys reactions.
"So we'll need to go to the hospital wing." Harry said after glancing Alicia a look.
"Yes," said Professor Binns, clearly very much wrong-footed. "Yes… yes, hospital wing… well, off you go, then, Perkins…"
And the two left the room quickly, Harry returning Hedwig to his shoulder once they were outside the classroom.
"What could have happened?" Harry asked
"Well the only thing I can think of is someone tried to intercept your mail." Alicia said angry and fearful for the bird.
"What?"
"Well she would have put up a struggle, Hedwig's that kind of owl…" she looked at the white bird.
"What do we do?" Harry asked "I mean… usually…"
"Hagrid." Alicia nodded "But he's not back."
"But…"
"I guess we'll have to ask Grubbly-Plank." Alicia thought "She's the only one I can think of… other than Dumbledore himself." she grumbled and looked at Harry who pulled the same kind of expression.
Harry looked outside the window to the overcast grounds towards Hagrid's cabin but there was no one in sight. He looked at Alicia who nodded her head.
"Staffroom." Alicia nodded. "Quick." and they set off down the corridor quickly. Hedwig hooted feebly as she swayed on Harry's shoulder.
Two stone gargoyles flanked the staffroom door. As Harry approached, one of them croaked, "You two should be in class, sunny Jim."
"This is urgent," said Harry curtly.
"Ooooh, urgent, is it?" said the other gargoyle in a high-pitched voice. "Well, that's put us in our place, hasn't it?"
"Sorry but this is more important than classes." Alicia nodded as Harry reached to knock on the door. They heard footsteps and then the door opened and he found himself face-to-face with Professor McGonagall.
"You haven't been given another detention!" she said at once, her square spectacles flashing alarmingly.
"No, Professor!" said Harry hastily.
"Well then, why are you out of class?"
"It's urgent, apparently," said the second gargoyle snidely.
"It's Hedwig." Alicia said worried.
"I'm looking for Professor Grubbly-Plank," Harry explained. "It's my owl, she's injured."
"Injured owl, did you say?"
Professor Grubbly-Plank appeared at Professor McGonagall's shoulder, smoking a pipe and holding a copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Yes," said Harry, lifting Hedwig carefully off his shoulder, "she turned up after the other post owls and her wing's all funny, look —"
Professor Grubbly-Plank stuck her pipe firmly between her teeth and took Hedwig from Harry while Professor McGonagall watched.
"Hmm," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, her pipe waggling slightly as she talked. "Looks like something's attacked her. Can't think what would have done it, though… Thestrals will sometimes go for birds, of course, but Hagrid's got the Hogwarts thestrals well trained not to touch owls…"
"Professor…" Alicia said carefully "I don't want to jump to conclusions but uh… could it be that someone might have tried to… intercept her?" she asked and McGonagall looked at her and then to Harry.
"Well…" Grubbly-Plank thought it over before turning to Harry again. "Do you know how far this owl's traveled, Potter?"
"Er," said Harry. "From London, I think."
He met McGonagall's eyes briefly and knew that she understood "London" to mean "number twelve, Grimmauld Place" by the way her eyebrows had joined in the middle.
Professor Grubbly-Plank pulled a monocle out of the inside of her robes and screwed it into her eye to examine Hedwig's wing closely. "I should be able to sort this out if you leave her with me, Potter," she said. "She shouldn't be flying long distances for a few days, in any case."
"Thank you." Alicia said looking relieved.
"Er — right — thanks," said Harry, just as the bell rang for break.
"No problem," said Professor Grubbly-Plank gruffly, turning back into the staffroom.
"Just a moment, Wilhelmina!" said Professor McGonagall. "Potter's letter!"
"Oh yeah!" said Harry, who had momentarily forgotten the scroll tied to Hedwig's leg. Professor Grubbly-Plank handed it over and then disappeared into the staffroom carrying Hedwig, who was staring at Harry as though unable to believe he would give her away like this.
"Don't worry Hedwig." Alicia called after the bird, feeling really guilty for leaving her. Harry took her hand to leave the staffroom when McGonagall stopped them.
"Potter!"
"Yes, Professor?"
She glanced up and down the corridor; there were students coming from both directions.
"Bear in mind," she said quickly and quietly, her eyes on the scroll in his hand, "that channels of communication in and out of Hogwarts may be being watched, won't you?"
"I —" said Harry, but the flood of students rolling along the corridor was almost upon him. Professor McGonagall gave him a curt nod and retreated into the staffroom.
"Someone is really testing me by hurting Hedwig." Alicia cracked quietly as she and Harry were swept out into the courtyard with the crowd. Harry glanced at her before they he spotted Ron and Hermione already standing in a sheltered corner, their cloak collars turned up against the wind. Harry slit open the scroll as he hurried toward them and found five words in Sirius's handwriting:
Today, same time, same place.
"Is Hedwig okay?" asked Hermione anxiously, the moment he was within earshot.
"Where did you take her?" asked Ron.
"To Grubbly-Plank," said Harry. "And I met McGonagall… Listen…" And he told them what Professor McGonagall had said. Neither looked shocked but changed a significant look.
"What?" said Harry, looking from Ron to Hermione and back again.
"Well, I was just saying to Ron… what if someone had tried to intercept Hedwig? I mean, she's never been hurt on a flight before, has she?"
"I said the same." Alicia said glancing at Harry with an angry frown.
"Who's the letter from anyway?" asked Ron, taking the note from Harry.
"Snuffles," said Harry quietly.
" 'Same time, same place'? Does he mean the fire in the common room?"
"Obviously," said Hermione, also reading the note. She looked uneasy. "I just hope nobody else has read this…"
"But it was still sealed and everything," said Harry, trying to convince himself as much as her. "And nobody would understand what it meant if they didn't know where we'd spoken to him before, would they?"
"It is so simple that no one would be able to understand. And with no name, nickname or not, on it…" Alicia said hopefully. "Plus only Gryffindors can get to the common room anyway." she said trying to sound more reassuring with each word.
"I don't know," said Hermione anxiously, hitching her bag back over her shoulder as the bell rang again. "It wouldn't be exactly difficult to reseal the scroll by magic… And if anyone's watching the Floo Network… but I don't really see how we can warn him not to come without that being intercepted too!"
They trudged down the stone steps to the dungeons for Potions, all four of them lost in thought, but as they reached the bottom of the stairs they were recalled to themselves by the voice of Draco Malfoy, who was standing just outside Snape's classroom door, waving around an official-looking piece of parchment and talking much louder than was necessary so that they could hear every word.
"Yeah, Umbridge gave the Slytherin Quidditch team permission to continue playing straightaway, I went to ask her first thing this morning. Well, it was pretty much automatic, I mean, she knows my father really well, he's always popping in and out of the Ministry… It'll be interesting to see whether Gryffindor are allowed to keep playing, wont it?"
"Don't rise," Hermione whispered imploringly to Harry and Ron, who were both watching Malfoy, faces set and fists clenched. Alicia however was rising an eyebrow and her mind clicked over as she watched him seemingly unaffected "It's what he wants…"
"I mean," said Malfoy, raising his voice a little more, his grey eyes glittering malevolently in Harry and Ron's direction, "if it's a question of influence with the Ministry, I don't think they've got much chance… From what my father says, they've been looking for an excuse to sack Arthur Weasley for years…"
Malfoy made a grotesque face, his mouth sagging open and his eyes rolling. Crabbe and Goyle gave their usual grunts of laughter, Pansy Parkinson shrieked with glee.
"Oh Malfoy isn't that wonderful." Alicia said smiling and everyone looked at her surprised, Malfoy included "With Gryffindor out Slytherin might finally be able to touch the cup." she said and the Gryffindors grinned and some laughed "Then again," her expression turned concerned "You wont ever be able to see Harry… I wonder if you could live with such separation anxiety, as you're always searching him out to spend time with him?" and the Gryffindors howled with laughter as Malfoy looked at her angry. He turned to his fellow Slytherins and continued as thought trying to get her back.
"And as for the apparent Potters…" he sent Alicia a look, his teeth gritted as he tried not to let her words look as though they affected him. "My father says it's a matter of time before the Ministry has them carted off to St. Mungo's… apparently they've got a special ward for people whose brains have been addled by magic…"
Something collided hard with Harry's shoulder, knocking him sideways into Alicia who looked surprised. A split second later they realised that Neville had just charged past him, heading straight for Malfoy.
"Neville, no!"
Harry leapt forward and seized the back of Neville's robes; Neville struggled frantically, his fists flailing, trying desperately to get at Malfoy who looked, for a moment, extremely shocked.
"Help me!" Harry flung at Ron, managing to get an arm around Neville's neck and dragging him backward, away from the Slytherins. Crabbe and Goyle were now flexing their arms, closing in front of Malfoy, ready for the fight. Ron hurried forward and seized Neville's arms; together, he and Harry succeeded in dragging Neville back into the Gryffindor line. Neville's face was scarlet; the pressure Harry was exerting on his throat rendered him quite incomprehensible, but odd words spluttered from his mouth.
"Not… funny… don't… Mungo's… show… him…"
"Neville, stop." Alicia said to him, standing in front of him to block Malfoy from his vision,
The dungeon door opened and Alicia spun around to see Snape appear there. His black eyes swept up the Gryffindor line to the point where Harry and Ron were wrestling with Neville.
"Fighting, Potter, Weasley, Longbottom?" Snape said in his cold, sneering voice. "Ten points from Gryffindor. Release Longbottom, Potter, or it will be detention. Inside, all of you."
Harry let go of Neville, who stood panting and glaring at him.
"I had to stop you," Harry gasped, picking up his bag. "Crabbe and Goyle would've torn you apart."
Neville said nothing, he merely snatched up his own bag and stalked off into the dungeon.
"What in the name of Merlin," said Ron slowly, as they followed Neville, "was that about?"
Alicia and Harry shared a glance frowning. The two of them knew exactly what that was about. Why the subject of who were in St Mungo's because of magical damage to their brains was highly distressing to Neville. But both had promised to never tell anyone Neville's secret as promised by Dumbledore. Even Neville didn't know the twins knew.
Harry, Alicia, Ron, and Hermione took their usual seats at the back of the class and pulled out parchment, quills, and their copies of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. The class around them was whispering about what Neville had just done, but when Snape closed the dungeon door with an echoing bang everybody fell silent immediately.
"You will notice," said Snape in his low, sneering voice, "that we have a guest with us today."
He gestured toward the dim corner of the dungeon, and they saw Professor Umbridge sitting there, clipboard on her knee. Alicia and Harry shared a glance before looking sideways at Ron and Hermione. Snape and Umbridge, the two teachers the twins hated most… Alicia wasn't sure how to feel, whether they would both pick on her and Harry, whether Snape would put Umbridge in her place, or the other way around… it was hard to decide which she would prefer to triumph over the other.
Alicia looked at Harry who looked between the two teachers himself, perhaps wondering the same thing.
"We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today, you will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson, if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend — instructions" — he waved his wand again — "on the board. Carry on."
Professor Umbridge spent the first half hour of the lesson making notes in her corner. It seemed Harry's focus was all on Umbridge for be began to make mistakes with his potion as he had done in their first lesson.
"Salamander blood, Harry!" Hermione moaned, grabbing his wrist to prevent him adding the wrong ingredient for the third time. "Not pomegranate juice!"
"Harry, I know you want to know what's going on but you'll be in a right state if Snape removes your potion again." Alicia warned
"Right," said Harry vaguely, putting down the bottle and continuing to watch the corner. Umbridge had just gotten to her feet.
Alicia turned to her potion and added the next ingredient before turning to Umbridge who had strode between two lines of desks toward Snape, who was bending over Dean Thomas's cauldron.
"Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level," she said briskly to Snape's back. "Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus."
Snape straightened up slowly and turned to look at her.
"Now… how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" she asked, her quill poised over her clipboard.
"Fourteen years," Snape replied. His expression was unfathomable.
Alicia thought the number over… Snape had been at Hogwarts her entire life… As Voldemort had been done in with, accidentally, fourteen years ago. Does that mean he really was on Dumbledore's side…?
"You applied first for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Professor Umbridge asked Snape.
"Yes," said Snape quietly.
"But you were unsuccessful?"
Snape's lip curled.
"Obviously."
Professor Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard.
"And you have applied regularly for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"
"Yes," said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. He looked very angry.
"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" asked Umbridge.
"I suggest you ask him," said Snape jerkily.
"Oh I shall," said Professor Umbridge with a sweet smile.
"I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked, his black eyes narrowed.
"Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge. "Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers' — er — backgrounds…" Alicia glared and quickly returned to her potion before any damage could be done to it.
The man moved over to their table and noticed Harry's potion was giving off a strong smell of burned rubber as it congealed foully.
"No marks again, then, Potter," said Snape maliciously, emptying Harry's cauldron with a wave of his wand. "You will write me an essay on the correct composition of this potion, indicating how and why you went wrong, to be handed in next lesson, do you understand?"
"Yes," said Harry furiously.
Alicia released a breath, they had Quidditch practice that evening and already Harry was overwhelmed with homework. No surprise he'd be up the next few nights which meant worse performance during classes and probably more homework in her opinion.
"How are you going to manage this one?" Alicia asked as they returned to the courtyard after Lunch. "You can't stay up every night or you'll just end up getting more things wrong and get given more homework." she expressed her opinion and Harry looked glum.
"Maybe I'll skive off Divination," he said as the wind whipping at the hems of robes and brims of hats. "I'll pretend to be ill and do Snape's essay instead, then I won't have to stay up half the night…"
"You can't skive off Divination," said Hermione severely.
"Hark who's talking, you walked out of Divination, you hate Trelawney!" said Ron indignantly.
"I don't hate her," said Hermione loftily. "I just think she's an absolutely appalling teacher and a real old fraud… But Harry's already missed History of Magic and I don't think he ought to miss anything else today!"
"Personally I'd rather he skipped Divination then didn't sleep Hermione. Sleep keeps him healthy after all." Alicia said
It seemed however that Harry agreed with Hermione and ended up going to Divination with Ron as the girls headed to Arithmancy. But apparently the class wasn't compared to normal.
"You and Umbridge have got something in common," Harry told Hermione quietly when they met again in Defence Against the Dark Arts. "She obviously reckons Trelawney's an old fraud too… Looks like she's put her on probation."
"Better hope she doesn't get fired though, cause if Umbridge is allowed to pick who teaches the class after…" Alicia said and the boys shared a look, not sure if this was a good thing or not.
Umbridge entered the room as he spoke, wearing her black velvet bow and an expression of great smugness.
"Good afternoon, class."
"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted drearily.
"Wands away, please…"
But there was no answering flurry of movement this time; nobody had bothered to take out their wands.
"Please turn to page thirty-four of Defensive Magical Theory and read the third chapter, entitled 'The Case for Non-Offensive Responses to Magical Attack.' There will be —"
"— no need to talk," Alicia, Harry, Ron, and Hermione said together under their breaths.
"No Quidditch practice," said Angelina in hollow tones when Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the common room that night after dinner.
"But I kept my temper!" said Harry, horrified. "I didn't say anything to her, Angelina, I swear, I —"
"I know, I know," said Angelina miserably. "She just said she needed a bit of time to consider."
"Consider what?" said Ron angrily. "She's given the Slytherins permission, why not us?"
"I'll give you one guess." Alicia said angrily "Punishment. Just for sake of it."
"Punishment for what?"
"Harry and I. Or maybe just Gryffindor as a whole." she shrugged
"Hold it over our heads…" Harry said seeming to agree
"Well," said Hermione, "look on the bright side — at least now you'll have time to do Snape's essay!"
"That's a bright side, is it?" snapped Harry, while Ron stared incredulously at Hermione. "No Quidditch practice and extra Potions?"
"It is if you get to sleep instead." Alicia decided
Harry slumped down into a chair, dragged his Potions essay reluctantly from his bag, and set to work.
There was an incredible amount of noise in the room while the three worked. Fred and George it seemed had finally perfected one type of Skiving Snackbox, which they were taking turns to demonstrate to a cheering and whooping crowd.
First, Fred would take a bite out of the orange end of a chew, at which he would vomit spectacularly into a bucket they had placed in front of them. Then he would force down the purple end of the chew, at which the vomiting would immediately cease. Lee Jordan, who was assisting the demonstration, was lazily vanishing the vomit at regular intervals with the same Vanishing Spell Snape kept using on Harry's potions. On top of this Hermione was heaving disapproved sniffs as she watched them to which Harry became quite irritated about.
"Just go and stop them, then!" he said irritably, after crossing out the wrong weight of powdered griffin claw for the fourth time.
"I can't, they're not technically doing anything wrong," said Hermione through gritted teeth. "They're quite within their rights to eat the foul things themselves, and I can't find a rule that says the other idiots aren't entitled to buy them, not unless they're proven to be dangerous in some way, and it doesn't look as though they are…"
She, Alicia, Harry, and Ron watched George projectile-vomit into the bucket, gulp down the rest of the chew, and straighten up, beaming with his arms wide to protracted applause.
"You know, I don't get why Fred and George only got three O.W.L.s each," said Harry, watching as Fred, George, and Lee collected gold from the eager crowd. "They really know their stuff…"
"Oh, they only know flashy stuff that's no real use to anyone," said Hermione disparagingly.
"No real use?" said Ron in a strained voice. "Hermione, they've got about twenty-six Galleons already…"
"Plus they do know things Hermione. They'd need to understand the mixes of potions, certain spells and all about different ingredients and their properties to be able to properly make what they are." Alicia believed.
It was a long while before the crowd around the Weasleys dispersed, and then Fred, Lee, and George sat up counting their takings even longer, so that it was well past midnight when Harry, Ron, Alicia and Hermione finally had the common room to themselves again. At long last, Fred closed the doorway to the boys' dormitories behind him, rattling his box of Galleons ostentatiously so that Hermione scowled. Harry, who was making very little progress with his Potions essay, decided to give it up for the night. As he put his books away, Ron, who was dozing lightly in an armchair, gave a muffled grunt, awoke, looked blearily into the fire and said, "Sirius!"
Harry whipped around; Sirius's untidy dark head was sitting in the fire again.
"Hi," he said, grinning.
"Hi," chorused Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all three kneeling down upon the hearthrug. Crookshanks purred loudly and approached the fire, trying, despite the heat, to put his face close to Sirius'.
"Well." Alicia said clearly still annoyed at him. The three looked at her as she crossed her arms and Sirius gave her a guilty smile.
"I'm sorry Alicia."
"You should be." She said before joining them on the rug anyway.
"How're things?" said Sirius.
"Not that good," said Harry, as Hermione pulled Crookshanks back to stop him singeing his whiskers. "The Ministry's forced through another decree, which means we're not allowed to have Quidditch teams —"
"— or secret Defence Against the Dark Arts groups?" said Sirius. There was a short pause.
"How did you know about that?" Harry demanded.
"You want to choose your meeting places more carefully," said Sirius, grinning still more broadly. "The Hog's Head, I ask you…"
"Well, it was better than the Three Broomsticks!" said Hermione defensively. "That's always packed with people —"
"— which means you'd have been harder to overhear," said Sirius. "You've got a lot to learn, Hermione."
Alicia looked at Hermione who avoided her gaze and Sirius and her shared a grin.
"Yes but we would have also had been really obvious as a big meeting group." Alicia said "It might have caught a little more attention." she said
"Who overheard us?" Harry demanded ignoring the girl's beliefs.
"Mundungus, of course," said Sirius, and when they all looked puzzled he laughed. "He was the witch under the veil."
"That was Mundungus?" Harry said, stunned. "What was he doing in the Hog's Head?"
"What do you think he was doing?" said Sirius impatiently. "Keeping an eye on you, of course."
"I'm still being followed?" asked Harry angrily. He looked at Alicia who looked innocently back, she hadn't know.
"Yeah, you are," said Sirius, "and just as well, isn't it, if the first thing you're going to do on your weekend off is organise an illegal defence group."
"Well what do you expect?" Alicia demanded "What with toad-face going about things her way."
Sirius however looked neither angry nor worried at this news of their plans. On the contrary, he was looking at Harry and Alicia with distinct pride.
"Why was Dung hiding from us?" asked Ron, sounding disappointed. "We'd've liked to've seen him."
"He was banned from the Hog's Head twenty years ago," said Sirius, "and that barman's got a long memory. We lost Moody's spare Invisibility Cloak when Sturgis was arrested, so Dung's been dressing as a witch a lot lately…"
"Plus, probably best people don't see us conversing with him in public." Alicia thought and Sirius nodded in agreement.
"Anyway… First of all, Ron — I've sworn to pass on a message from your mother."
"Oh yeah?" said Ron, sounding apprehensive.
"She says on no account whatsoever are you to take part in an illegal secret Defence Against the Dark Arts group. She says you'll be expelled for sure and your future will be ruined. She says there will be plenty of time to learn how to defend yourself later and that you are too young to be worrying about that right now. She also" — Sirius's eyes turned to the other three — "advises Alicia, Harry and Hermione not to proceed with the group, though she accepts that she has no authority over either of them —"
"About time she figured that out." Alicia said
"— and simply begs them to remember that she has their best interests at heart. She would have written all this to you, but if the owl had been intercepted you'd all have been in real trouble, and she can't say it for herself because she's on duty tonight."
"On duty doing what?" said Ron quickly.
"Never you mind, just stuff for the Order," said Sirius.
"Probably guarding the weapon." Alicia said and the four looked at her. "What?" she asked but grinning slightly
"Well, because of that, it's fallen to me to be the messenger and make sure you tell her I passed it all on, because I don't think she trusts me to."
"That's a surprise." Alicia smirked as Crookshanks, meowing, attempted to paw Sirius's head, and Ron fiddled with a hole in the hearthrug.
"So you want me to say I'm not going to take part in the defence group?" he muttered finally.
"Me? Certainly not!" said Sirius, looking surprised. "I think it's an excellent idea!"
"You do?" said Harry, his heart lifting.
"Of course I do!" said Sirius. "D'you think your father and I would've lain down and taken orders from an old hag like Umbridge?"
"But — last term all you did was tell me to be careful and not take risks —"
"Last year all the evidence was that someone inside Hogwarts was trying to kill you, Harry!" said Sirius impatiently. "This year we know that there's someone outside Hogwarts who'd like to kill us all, so I think learning to defend yourselves properly is a very good idea!"
"And if we do get expelled?" Hermione asked, a quizzical look on her face.
"Hermione, this whole thing was your idea!" said Harry, staring at her.
"I know it was… I just wondered what Sirius thought," she said, shrugging.
"Well, better expelled and able to defend yourselves than sitting safely in school without a clue," said Sirius.
"Hear, hear," said Harry and Ron enthusiastically.
"Wait, first, Sirius, I just remembered." Alicia said quickly and everyone looked at her confused "While we're on the subject of killing and interference…" she said "It's Hedwig." she said and the three around her remembered "She came back injured and her feathers ruffled rather badly, and she came after breakfast while we were in History of Magic."
"What?" Sirius asked concerned
"Hermione and I think someone tried to intercept her and read your letter. It was still sealed so we don't know if anyone had but I figured I should probably tell you and say, no more fire visits after this. We couldn't risk sending a letter back in case that was intercepted as well to tell you not to come." she said
"And McGonagall said that Hogwarts is being watched." Harry added
"It wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't." Sirius muttered annoyed "Is Hedwig alright?" he asked
"She's being taken care of by Professor Grubbly-Plank." Harry admitted
"But I suggest not using her or Noel for a while, they're too easily recognised." Alicia frowned and Sirius nodded in agreement before the grim faces disappeared when Sirius changed the topic.
"So," said Sirius, "how are you organising this group? Where are you meeting?"
"Well, that's a bit of a problem now," said Harry. "Dunno where we're going to be able to go…"
"How about the Shrieking Shack?" suggested Sirius.
"Hey, that's an idea!" said Ron excitedly, but both Alicia and Hermione made a skeptical noise and all three of them looked at them, Sirius's head turning in the flames.
"Well, Sirius, it's just that there were only four of you meeting in the Shrieking Shack when you were at school," said Hermione, "and all of you could transform into animals and I suppose you could all have squeezed under a single Invisibility Cloak if you'd wanted to. But there are twenty-nine of us and none of us is an Animagus, so we wouldn't need so much an Invisibility Cloak as an Invisibility Marquee —"
"Fair point," said Sirius, looking slightly crestfallen. "Well, I'm sure you'll come up with somewhere… There used to be a pretty roomy secret passageway behind that big mirror on the fourth floor, you might have enough space to practice jinxes in there —"
"Fred and George told me it's blocked," said Harry, shaking his head. "Caved in or something."
"Oh …" said Sirius, frowning. "Well, I'll have a think and get back to —"
He broke off. His face was suddenly tense, alarmed. He turned sideways, apparently looking into the solid brick wall of the fireplace.
"Sirius?" said Harry anxiously.
But he had vanished. Harry gaped at the flames for a moment, then turned to look at Ron and Hermione.
"Why did he — ?"
Hermione gave a horrified gasp and leapt to her feet, still staring at the fire.
A hand had appeared amongst the flames, groping as though to catch hold of something; a stubby, short-fingered hand covered in ugly old-fashioned rings…
Alicia pushed on Harry and the three jumped to their feet following her lead and ran for it, the girls going straight up the staircase without a second glance.