The Granger Son
Harry; Hermione; Dr. Grangerx2
Rated T
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling
The Granger Son
Chapter 28
Harry and Hermione stood in the Headmaster's Office, completely in trouble with not only Umbridge, but the Ministry. They weren't the only ones in the office with Professor Dumbledore, as Umbridge, Minister Fudge, Mr. Filch, Marietta Edgecombe, Percy Weasley, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were all present as well. While Umbridge told Dumbledore all about what they had been secretly up to for months, Harry stood defiantly as he glared at the pink toad for snitching. Even so, he knew that this was a direct result of Potter's Army being found out, just like Hermione's dream-vision had predicted. He wished it hadn't come to pass so soon, but he knew it was bound to happen.
While Harry was thinking of that, all Hermione could think was, This is it. This is the day I get my wand snapped. She looked over at Marietta and glared at her, her fellow Ravenclaw cowering and looking away from her in shame. It was all her fault. If she hadn't spoken to Umbridge like she had warned her and the others not to, they wouldn't be in this mess. No matter, though; she'd get her back for snitching on them. She did notice that Dumbledore sat quietly as Umbridge wrapped up her story, saying nothing as he listened. However, he didn't seem to be really surprised by the founded accusations, something she found interesting.
It wasn't long before Umbridge finally ran out of steam speaking, and she turned to Minister Fudge expectantly. Clearing his throat, Fudge spoke saying, "Well Albus, as you can see, Dolores has brought proof of her findings, and I must say it is very egregious what your students were doing right under your nose. Not only that, but it goes against the Ministry of Magic. Therefore, you will carry out appropriate punishments for this against Mr. Potter and Miss Granger. The way I see it, it was mainly these two that orchestrated and executed this secret defense club, going against the year's required curriculum; it is called 'Potter's Army', after all."
"Maybe if you and the Ministry hadn't tried to cover up Voldemort's return, as well as dictate a class by not teaching anything useful to us, we wouldn't have resorted to learning by our own means," Harry stated, practically spitting at Minister Fudge.
Percy gave Harry a rough jerk in response to his statement before saying, "Be quiet."
"Git."
Minister Fudge nodded at Percy before turning back to Professor Dumbledore. "Albus, we're waiting. I imagine wand-snapping would be appropriate here."
"Expulsion?!" Hermione couldn't help but exclaim.
"Yes, Miss Granger, expulsion. After all, this is grounds for it, don't you think?"
Before Dumbledore could say or do anything, the door to his office opened, and Minerva walked in with a stern expression on her face. Looking at everyone, she said, "Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but notice three students being escorted this way by the Ministry, not to mention the Minister himself. Would anyone be so kind as to fill me in, particularly if Mr. Potter is in trouble."
"And why would that matter, Minerva?"
"Because I'm his guardian, as well as Deputy Headmistress. Therefore, I should be here to help make a decision on what is going on."
She ignored Umbridge glaring at her as Dumbledore filled her in on everything that was going on leading up to Harry and Hermione being in trouble and facing punishment. To say that she was surprised by the revelation of what her charge, his sister, and their friends had bee up to would be an understatement. Yet, she also understood the predicament they were in and why they felt they needed to take matters into their own hands. Finally caught up, she said, "I see and understand the situation here given the evidence. However, I completely disagree with wand-snapping and expulsion being the route to take as punishment."
Umbridge stepped up and said, "We don't have to necessarily go that route with Miss Granger, though she will be greatly reprimanded. But perhaps that route is most appropriate for Mr. Potter."
"I don't think we should make any hasty decisions just yet," Dumbledore finally spoke up.
Fudge, his face turning red in anger and annoyance at the dragging out of this discussion, walked up to Dumbledore at his desk and placed his hands on it. Leaning down into the Headmaster's face, he threatened, "Albus, punish these children now. If you don't, I will have you in front of the Wizengamot for not accurately performing your duties as Headmaster if you refuse."
Hermione looked at Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Harry in despair. She thought this whole ordeal completely unfair. She and the other students were simply preparing themselves because the Ministry and other adults wouldn't. They weren't going to listen to Harry or accept that You-Know-Who was back, or that they would have to prepare themselves against him and Death Eaters in the near possible future. And now because they had simply done what the Ministry would not, she and her brother were facing expulsion. Angry tears began to form in her eyes at the unfairness of it all.
Her tears slipped out of her eyes and down her cheeks as she said, "You can't do this! We were simply preparing ourselves because You-Know-Who has returned."
"NO HE HASN'T!" Umbridge screeched and Fudge yelled, "He is not back!"
"Whether you like to believe it or not, the fact remains that the Dark Lord has in fact returned," a low, steady voice spoke up almost silkily.
Turning to the entryway of the office, everyone was surprised to see Professor Snape slink into the office, he sudden appearance making everyone wonder when he had actually showed up without being heard, let alone noticed. Stepping further into the office, Snape walked to stand nearly in front of Harry and Hermione, looking Minister Fudge in the eye as he continued speaking.
"It is because of the fact that he has returned and the Ministry deciding to ostrich themselves did I encourage Mr. Potter and his friends to found Potter's Army. I even let them borrow old source material to help them in their ventures."
The Granger siblings looked at their Potions professor in shock before looking at each other. Snape, he had gracefully lied to the Minister to get them out of trouble while he got himself into trouble. This was definitely something that they didn't expect. Neither could Albus or Minerva, but they hid their surprise behind stoic masks as the Potions Master continued speaking. "They would not have been found out had Dolores not been snooping about trying to get Mr. Potter into trouble. And she would not have discovered the defense club had she not gotten Miss Edgecombe to confess due to underhanded methods."
Turning to Umbridge, Snape asked casually, "Veritaserum, perhaps?"
Umbridge seemed completely surprised that Severus had so easily deduced what she had done, but was unable to deny it when questioned by Minister Fudge. She glared at the Potions Master while Fudge looked at her disapprovingly, not at all pleased with the revelation of his colleague's actions. Having not spoken yet, Kingsley Shacklebolt cleared his throat before saying in his booming voice, "If what you have told us is true Severus, that means that we will have to deal with you accordingly for encouraging unprecedented activities without the knowledge or permission of the Headmaster."
He then turned to his boss saying, "Minister Fudge, the way I see it, Harry, Hermione, and their friends were simply acting with Severus's permission and encouragement. Nothing more, nothing less. There is no need to snap wands or expel anyone here."
"Yes, I agree," McGonagall said, Dumbledore agreeing, as well as Percy and Fudge, albeit reluctantly.
Seeing there was no further arguments to be made due to Snape's confession (a fake one at that, though Fudge and party did not know it), they were all dismissed from the Headmaster's Office. Umbridge, furious that she was not able to get Potter expelled, stomped all the way back to her office, blasting spells at anything that met her ire. As Snape was lead away by Shacklebolt, Percy, and Minister Fudge, Harry, Hermione, McGonagall, and Dumbledore all looked after them, not believing that he had taken the fall for what was ultimately nothing to do with him. It made Harry wonder why he would do that for them, why he would do it for him.
Time had passed since the discovery of the Room of Requirement and Potter's Army, and things had returned back to normal. All the participants of P.A. were given detention for the rest of the school year, a punishment that Mr. Filch took great pleasure in. For snitching to Umbridge, even if it was under the influence of Veritaserum, Hermione jinxed Marietta with painful boils that left a scar of the word 'snitch' on her forehead. When telling her friends about this event later, Blaise simply told her that it was very Slytherin of her before telling his girlfriend he was proud of her, Daphne and Draco commending her as well, though Harry not so much.
As for Professor Snape, because of his "confession", he had been suspended from teaching until further notice. Everyone was shocked when word spread that Snape had been taken by the Ministry and suspended from teaching for encouraging Potter's Army, something that had Harry feeling an immense amount of guilt behind. He still could not understand why the brooding man would take up for him and get him out of trouble when he had absolutely no reason to. But because Snape was no longer available to teach Potions, a substitute had been brought in, and everyone could agree she was much more pleasant to have around.
Exams were also upon them, and it wasn't long before everyone was taking their end of term exams with Fifth Years taking their O.W.L.s, and Seventh Years taking their N.E.W.T.s. The exams were hard, but Hermione had made sure everyone was on top of their studies with no reason to fail even one subject. Soon, they were all finished with studies and exams. To celebrate their hard work and the end of the school year, the Weasley twins put on one of the best firework shows that Hogwarts had ever seen. The best part to Harry was when the twins turned their fireworks into a dragon and chased Umbridge through Hogwarts with it, scaring her as a result while everyone cheered and laughed.
Harry watched as the twins flew away from Hogwarts on their brooms, throwing some more fireworks to explode at their departure, smiling and clapping with everyone as they cheered. Suddenly, he felt lightheaded and weak-kneed, a sudden vision coming over him. Hermione, seeing her brother sink to the ground, dropped next to him and grabbed his shoulders asking, "Harry, what is it? What's wrong?"
He couldn't answer, for what he was seeing was horrifying. It was Voldemort, Voldemort was making him have a vision. What he was making him see was torture in both the literal and figurative sense. In his vision, Voldemort was at the Ministry torturing his godfather Sirius Black. Not only that, but he was also torturing his parents. His mum and dad, his and his sister's parents...they were being tortured!
Pulling himself out of his mind, green eyes looked into worried brown as he spoke up over the loud cheering, "He had them! Voldemort has mum and dad!"
"What?" Hermione asked horrified, not believing what her brother had said. "Are you sure? How did he get them?"
Harry didn't answer her questions, instead climbing back to his feet from his place on the ground. Grabbing her hand, Harry pulled the brunette through the crowd and back into the school, the two of them running as he told her, "We have to save them, now! We've no time to lose!"