A/N Another update! And this chapter you'll find out Amara's patronus - YAY! If you want to know my other OC's patronuses just ask and I'll put it up here on the next chapter (Like Tally's, Jesse's, Noah's etc.) Please R&R xxx
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Patronuses
The fact that a centaur was now teaching Divination seemed to please numerous amounts of people, most of them girls, and almost none of them boys. Amara did not see the attraction herself - how could half a horse, half man be something girls swooned over? Especially when they didn't look like Fred Weasley ... Amara shook herself and tried not to blush.
"I'll bet you two wish you hadn't given up Divination now, don't you, Hermione, Amara?" asked Parvati, smirking slyly at them at breakfast a few days after Professor Trelawney got sacked. Amara tried to remove the disgusted expression on her face when she asked this as Parvati was curling her eyelashes on her wand and seeing how well it worked on her spoon. And Amara could not believe that she was doing it. It seemed to work slightly, and Parvati was rather pleased.
"Not really," said Hermione indifferently, who was reading the Daily Prophet. Amara was fixing herself an egg, bacon and sausage sandwich and Ron was staring at it like it was the best invention ever. "I've never really liked horses."
She turned a page of the newspaper, scanning its columns. Parvati stopped curling her eyelashes and stared at her, horrified.
"He's not a horse, he's a centaur!" said Lavender, sounding shocked. She also was getting ready to swoon over Firenze, and Amara thought it was pathetic.
"A gorgeous centaur . . ." sighed Parvati, looking dreamingly up to the dull sky, which had been the same for a few days now.
"Either way, he's still got four legs," said Hermione coolly, turning the page tightly, and it was in danger of being ripped.
"Aren't you guys upset Trelawney got the sack?" Amara butted in, flicking Ron away from her plate. Lavender and Parvati had been sobbing a few days ago – now they were totally fine.
"We are!" Lavender assured them. "We went up to her office to see her, we took her some daffodils — not the honking ones that Sprout's got, nice ones. . . ."
"How is she?" asked Harry.
"Not very good, poor thing," said Lavender sympathetically. "She was crying and saying she'd rather leave the castle forever than stay here if Umbridge is still here, and I don't blame her. Umbridge was horrible to her, wasn't she?"
"I've got a feeling Umbridge has only just started being horrible," said Hermione darkly.
"Impossible," said Ron, who was now tucking into a large plate of eggs and bacon because he liked Amara's sandwich so much. "She can't get any worse than she's been already."
"You mark my words, she's going to want revenge on Dumbledore for appointing a new teacher without consulting her," said Hermione, closing the newspaper. "Especially another part-human. You saw the look on her face when she saw Firenze. . . ."
Amara nodded. It was true - Umbridge looked slightly murderous when she found another half-breed had entered the school. She had a feeling that it was not the end of Umbridge's reign of horror.
After Amara and Ron's rather large breakfast, which left Amara feeling bloated and Ron wanting more, the quartet split off for their different lessons.
Harry and Ron followed Lavender and Parvati to their Divination lesson, which was now on the ground floor as Firenze couldn't climb the rope ladder leading to the attic room, whilst Amara and Hermione went to their Ancient Runes class.
They met up with Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Ernie MacMillan, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones and Padma Patil, who were rather keen to talk about the interview and how many people now believed Harry in what he was saying.
"Roger Malone doesn't believe him," said Terry quietly as they queued up outside the small classroom. Professor Babbling was nearly always five minutes late to each class, because somehow she seemed to be preoccupied with something else. Normally it was drinking tea or finding an exciting rune she had found from an old tome in the library.
"Why?" said Amara, a flare of annoyance for the boy, who she went on a date with two years before. She had not enjoyed herself.
"He doesn't like him," said Anthony. "I think it's because Sophie thinks so highly of him."
"What, Harry?" said Amara, surprised. Sophie had never talked about Harry in the dormitory…
"Oh yeah, she never stops talking about him," said Padma. "Didn't Parvati tell you? She's in your dormitory."
"It's probably because she's best friends with him," said Terry wisely. "But they've hit a bad spot, because Sophie believes him and Roger doesn't."
"Roger isn't the same as he was," said Anthony thoughtfully. "He's changed since third-year."
The eight of them lapsed into silence as they tried to watch the boy mentioned inconspicuously. Roger seemed more irritated than usual and Oliver Rivers, his friend from Ravenclaw, and Wayne Hopkins, from Hufflepuff, seemed to have their own conversation. Amara wondered what had happened to the boy who had been unable to say anything other than 'oh' and didn't like Chocoballs.
Professor Babbling finally arrived and let them into the classroom, nattering on about a Rune she'd found and she'd love to show them it, but exams were coming and they had to revise instead. This annoyed Amara as she would have quite liked to see what was on the Rune, as she found them rather interesting, and it was great when they solved one.
They were going through all the topics and runes generally propping up in every O.W.L exam. Hermione got rather stressed when Professor Babbling gave them a pile of parchment to work on for the next few weeks.
"I would've thought Marietta – you know, Cho's friend – would have warmed up to us now," Padma commented quietly as they were working. Marietta still didn't seem to like coming to the meetings even though they'd done it for more than six months. Amara was also concerned about this – why had Cho brought her when she could have gone on her own or brought a different friend?
"I thought Cho had lots of friends," said Amara. "Why didn't she bring one of them?"
"Marietta's like her best friend," said Padma. "I don't know why, she's really superficial. And irritating. And pretty stupid."
Amara and the other Ravenclaws snorted.
"It's true," said Terry. "I think Cho's friends would have been the same anyways. But I doubt anyone actually likes Umbridge …"
After the lesson, Amara and Hermione met up with Harry and Ron, who explained their weird Divination lesson, which included having a classroom like a forest and making a fire out of mallowsweet and sage to find patterns. But Harry also told them of a warning Firenze wanted him to deliver to Hagrid.
"What does that mean?" said Amara as they walked to their next lesson. " 'His attempt is not working. He would do better to abandon it.' I wonder if it explains where all his injuries came from …"
-OOOOO-
A damp March was followed by a blustery April and as the weeks went past, nothing much happened except that the worries they had had before resurfaced with double the amount of pressure and stress.
The interview Harry had done for The Quibbler was no longer a happy thought in their minds - they had far too many things to worry about, like the fact Care of Magical Creatures was still being watched by Professor Umbridge every lesson and their O. were coming ever closer, and Hermione and the teachers kept reminding them constantly.
Hannah Abbott was the first one to break from the stress - she got sent to the Hospital Wing when she cried that she was too stupid to do anything. Amara heard other people breaking down too, and even Lavender and Parvati stopped doing their evening gossip because they got so tired.
Luckily the D.A. was keeping them happy as they'd finally got around to doing Patronuses.
Harry wasn't lying when he said it was hard, even though he told them it was easier when there were no Dementors near them. He taught them the correct pronunciation of the words and what they had to do. Everyone was very eager to find out their patronus – they were all amazed that Harry could produce them, and it was like Susan had said, even grown wizards found it hard.
He also demonstrated his patronus, and they all gasped and clapped when a silver stag galloped around the room, brightening the corners and leaving a sliver mist behind it.
When they got to work there were a lot of frustrated faces as they tried to produce their patronus. Harry had told them to think of the happiest memory they had and use it to produce it. Seamus had been brought to the meeting with Dean, and was making good progress with his patronus – he yelled out happily that something hairy and big came out of his wand.
Luna, Cho and Hermione had made a hare, swan and otter respectively, but Amara and Ron were having trouble with theirs.
Amara couldn't seem to be able to think of a happy memory that produced it. Puffs of silver vapour kept coming out her wand, much to her annoyance.
Ethan was getting further than her - a silvery elephant's head had emerged from his wand before he'd dropped his wand in shock. Piper had produced a seal, and it was swimming around her joyfully. The whole room had jumped when a large roar had been made from Tessie's wand - though no shape followed it. Everyone guessed it was a lion, but as Harry had said, and eleven-year-old producing a patronus would be legendary.
Fred had managed to make a monkey, and it was jumping off of George's coyote with ease.
Amara screwed up her courage and thought of every happy thing she'd had in her life. Being accepted into Hogwarts; flying; Seeing Jesse, Noah and Tally as wizards and witches; Harry, Ron and Hermione ... She watched Fred and George and thought about the fun they'd had in the past, and the way Fred made her stomach flop every time. A rush if warmth came inside her and she decided to try again.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Instead of a silvery mist shooting out, and small creature bounded out of her wand and started jumping around her. It was a Fennec Fox, big eared and mischievous. Amara laughed as she watched it jump down to play with Fred's monkey.
"How did you do it?" Ron said, looking ruefully at his sliver puffs.
"Just think about the happiness in the memory," said Amara, grinning as Fred's monkey danced around with her Fennec.
It took a few tries, but Ron managed to produce a Jack Russell Terrier, which ran around him energetically. They were laughing together when the whole room seemed to still and turn to where Harry was.
Ron and Amara looked at each other and squeezed themselves closer with Fred and George to where everyone was looking. Dobby the house elf was standing beside Harry. When Amara had met him last year, he was normally happy and his ears wiggled with excitement when he was talking to Harry. However at that moment his eyes were wide with terror and he was trembling with fright.
The Patronuses faded out and Amara felt a shiver of cold rush through her as the room became darker.
"Harry Potter, sir . . ." squeaked the elf, trembling from head to foot, "Harry Potter, sir . . . Dobby has come to warn you . . . but the house-elves have been warned not to tell . . ."
He ran headfirst at the wall: Harry made to seize him, but Dobby merely bounced off the stone, cushioned by his eight hats that he was wearing. Hermione, Hannah, Susan and Lavender let out squeaks of fear and sympathy.
"What's happened, Dobby?" Harry asked, grabbing the elf's tiny arm and holding him away from anything with which he might seek to hurt himself.
"Harry Potter . . . she . . . she . . ."
Dobby hit himself hard on the nose with his free fist: Harry seized that too.
"Who's 'she,' Dobby?"
Amara's heart thudded as she realised who knew. Amara stared at Ron in horror, who was pale under his freckles.
"Umbridge?" asked Harry, looking terrified.
Dobby nodded, then tried to bang his head off Harry's knees; Harry held him at bay.
"What about her? Dobby — she hasn't found out about this — about us — about the D.A.?"
Dobby's face said it all - he looked so petrified he looked as though he was going to faint. He was shaking and his ears were twitching.
"Is she coming?" Harry asked quietly.
Dobby let out a howl, and began beating his bare feet hard on the floor, Amara jerked slightly at how scared he was. "Yes, Harry Potter, yes!"
Harry stopped looking at Dobby at looked at them, taking in all the terrified and frozen D.A. members surrounding him.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" he suddenly bellowed. "RUN!"
Amara was still slightly frozen when everyone pelted for the door. Then, Fred came out of nowhere, looking slightly nervous, and grabbed her hand quickly.
"C'mon Amara – we have to get out of here!"
Amara let him pull her along before a thought hit her.
"Tessie!" she said. "Fred – she's only a first-year, Umbridge can't catch her!"
Fred looked at her and nodded grimly.
"George!" he called to his twin, who was near the exit, ushering people through. Hermione and Ron had already vanished through the entrance. There were still a lot of people fighting to get out, and Amara and Fred joined them. "Get Tessie and her friends somewhere!"
George nodded and poked Lee Jordan so he could help. Together, they hurried through the doors to catch up with Tessie, Joey and Aubrey.
Fred and Amara managed to get out of the Room of Requirement with the others and started sprinting down the hallway. Everyone was darting in different directions down the hallways – Fred pulled her through a tapestry and they were soon running down a hidden passageway at full pelt.
"Where does this go?" Amara panted as they ran.
"Common room," said Fred. "We can get there quicker this way – hopefully everyone'll be there too – or in bathrooms near the Room of Requirement."
Amara nodded and they ran full pelt until they burst out the exit and skidded across the floor – nearly hitting the wall – and turning left so that they were at the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Snidget!" gasped Amara as they skidded to a halt (she was trying to pretend that Fred was not holding onto her hand still).
The portrait swung open and they rushed inside. The common room was relatively empty – and from one glance, Fred and Amara realised they were the only ones back.
They walked over to the sofas that faced the entrance and the fire and sunk down together on one. Amara was breathing hard from the running but she was still alert and looked at the entrance avidly.
"They must've gone to other places to hide," said Fred.
Amara nodded.
"Ethan and Tessie are going to be fine," said Fred, giving her a one-armed squeeze.
"But what if they're not? It'll be my fault for inviting them – Mum and Dad'll kill me if they're expelled! Tessie's wanted to go here since I started and now she's not going to –"
Fred put a hand over her mouth to shut her up.
"It'll be fine," said Fred earnestly. "Look – there's Ethan and Eddie now!"
Amara's head shot over to where the two third-years had entered. They spotted them and hurried over.
"Are you okay?" Amara said breathlessly, half-rising from her seat.
"We're fine," said Ethan. "Piper and Flick are hiding in the girls' bathroom until it's safe – their common room is a bit too far to run. Have you seen Tessie?"
"No," said Amara nervously, sinking back down and flopping restlessly against Fred. "George and Lee should be with them."
"Right," said Ethan. "Okay. I think I'll go to bed. Tell me if Tessie gets back – I hope she doesn't –"
He didn't finish, but instead walked up to his dormitory with Eddie, who was looking scared too.
"How did she find out?" whispered Amara.
"Someone obviously told her," said Fred, an ugly look on his face as he thought about it.
"Who?" said Amara. "Why now?"
"No idea," said Fred. "Everyone was there, weren't they?"
"Yeah – no! Marietta!" Amara jolted up. "She wasn't there – I swear – I think – oh gods!"
Fred frowned.
"Chang's friend?"
"Yeah," said Amara, nodding. "She didn't seem to be glad she was part of it – I hope Hermione's jinx works …"
"Huh?"
"She jinxed the paper so that SNEAK appears in pimples all over your face if you tell," said Amara quickly.
"I hope to Merlin it worked," said Fred, grinning. "That would be utterly priceless."
Amara managed half a smile as they went back to looking at the entrance to the common room. Five minutes after Eddie and Ethan had returned, Ron, Hermione and Neville turned up, all looking shaken and sweaty.
They hurried over to where the two of them were sitting.
"Anyone else back?" said Hermione anxiously. "We ran to the library so that Malfoy and Parkinson couldn't get us – I think Umbridge set them up to it …"
"Eddie and Ethan," said Amara. "That's it."
"Oh no," said Hermione, sinking into a chair.
"But we saw some people go into bathrooms," said Ron. "They'll be fine. Have you seen Harry?"
Amara shook her head.
"I last saw him in the Room of Requirement with Dobby," said Hermione.
"Thank god Dobby warned us," said Amara feverently. "If not …"
They lapsed into silence until the portrait hole opened once more and Ginny, George, Lee, Tessie, Joey and Aubrey tumbled through.
"Tessie!" Amara said, jumping up and giving the smaller girl a hug. She seemed rather scared for once, and hugged her back tightly. "You're OK!"
"Yeah," said Tessie.
Amara turned to George and Lee and gave them massive hugs.
"Thank you for looking after her!"
"No problem," grinned George. "She was putting up a good effort – she didn't really need our help."
Amara shook her head and grinned. Tessie re-joined Aubrey and Joey in the corner as Amara sat down next to Fred again and George, Lee and Ginny sat with them.
Slowly, the other members of the D.A. turned up in dribs and drabs. Dean and Seamus came two minutes later, followed by Lavender and Parvati, then Angelina, Alicia and Katie turned up. Once the Creevey brothers had turned up, Amara's nerves doubled as there was still no sign of Harry.
"Where's Harry?" Amara said. "He should be back by now."
"You don't think they caught him, do you?" said Ron.
"No …" said Amara, not believing it herself. "Maybe he's still waiting it out?"
They all lapsed into silence. No one else bothered them – they were already a big group already, and if they all came over it would look strange. They stayed that way for nearly an hour and a half, nervous and jittery, until Harry walked through the portrait hole looking pale and shocked.
He noticed them and walked over to them quickly.
"Did you get caught?" said Ginny immediately.
Harry nodded slowly and Hermione gasped.
"Are we all – are we all expelled?"
Amara clenched her hands together with nerves and stared at Harry.
He shook his head and sat down next to Neville.
"No – no, everyone's safe in the D.A., eventhough they did find the list from the wall …" said Harry.
They all leaned forwards and he hastened to explain.
"Malfoy caught be – stupid trip jinx, and Umbridge took me to Dumbledore's office. Fudge was there, with two Aurors, and Percy," he paused as the Weasley's all looked angry. Amara grabbed Fred's hand in reassurance as she saw it clench in anger. Amara herself could have punched Percy in the face if he had shown up at that moment. "Anyway, Umbridge had found out about the meeting in the Hog's Head – Willy Widderskins or someone, the bandaged up guy at any rate – and she was accusing us of being illegal. Dumbledore shot this down by saying we hadn't been doing anything against the rules. He went on to say that we hadn't done anything wrong if we hadn't had any meetings since then. Marietta – Cho's friend – she was the one who told Umbridge –"
"Knew it," hissed Amara and Fred squeezed her hand.
"Yeah, Dumbledore said that she was only telling Umbridge of a meeting tonight – Kings – er, she said it was true, because she'd had her memory modified. Then – then, they found out it was called Dumbledore's Army – and Dumbledore took the entire blame."
"What?"
"He – why?"
Amara gaped in shock as Harry sighed heavily.
"He saved us so that none of us could get expelled," said Harry. "But Fudge tried to arrest him and he did this spell that made them all become unconscious. Then Dumbledore vanished with Fawkes and Professor McGonagall took me here and Marietta to the common room – they can't seem to get rid of the pimples …"
The group of six sitting around them stared at him in silence once he finished his explanation.
"So Dumbledore's gone?" Amara said quietly.
"This is bad," said Ron as Harry nodded. "Now Umbridge has free reign of the school – and now with Dumbledore gone, she can do anything she wants."
Amara's stomach flopped unpleasantly as the statement filtered into her brain. This wasn't good.