The Centaur and the Sneak
"I'll bet you wish you hadn't given up Divination now, don't you, Chrys?" Parvati smirked.
It was during breakfast, two days after the sacking of Trelawney, that Parvati curled her eyelashes around her wand and examined the effect in the back of her spoon. They were about to have their first lesson with Firenze that morning.
"Not really." Chrys said with a cold indifference, reading the Daily Prophet. "I was never fond of horses."
She turned a page of the newspaper and scanned the columns.
"He's not a horse, he's a centaur!" Lavender said, shocked.
"A gorgeous centaur…." Parvati sighed.
"Whatever, he has four legs." Chrys said coolly. "And I thought you two were upset that Trelawney had gone."
"We are!" Lavender assured her. "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, by the way?" Arthur asked.
"Not very good, poor thing." Lavender said sympathetically. "She was crying and saying she'd rather leave the castle forever than stay here where Umbridge is, and I don't blame her, Umbridge was horrible to her, wasn't she?"
"This is just the start of her being horrible, you'll see." Chrys said darkly.
"Just how can that toad be worse after that?" David asked, flabbergasted as he tucked into a plate of eggs and bacon.
"Because she'll want to get revenge on Dumbledore, that's how." Mike said. "He appointed a new teacher without consulting her, after all. And one that's also a half-breed, which we know she despises. Remember her face when she saw Firenze?"
After breakfast, Chrys departed to her Arithmancy lesson as Arthur, Mike and David followed Parvati and Lavender into the Entrance Hall, heading for Divination.
"So where is the class taking place?" David asked.
"We're in classroom eleven on the ground floor." Arthur replied.
Classroom eleven was on the ground floor, as Arthur said, along the corridor leading off the Entrance Hall from the opposite side to the Great Hall.
It was a classroom that wasn't used regularly, therefore it had a slightly neglected feeling of a cupboard or storeroom.
Upon entering, the three boys found themselves in what looked like a forest clearing, momentarily stunned.
"What?"
The classroom floor had become springily mossy and trees grew out of it; their leafy branches fanned across the ceiling and windows, making the room be full of slanting shafts of soft, dappled green light.
The students that have already arrived sat on the earthy floor with their backs resting against tree trunks or boulders, arms wrapped around their knees or tightly folded across their chests, all looking nervous. In the middle of the clearing, where there were no trees, stood Firenze.
"Arthur Pendergast." He said, holding out a hand when Arthur entered.
"Hello, Firenze." Arthur greeted back as he shook hands with the centaur, who surveyed him unblinkingly through his astonishingly blue eyes but didn't smile. "Good to see you again."
"And you." Firenze said, inclining his white blonde head. "It was foretold that we would meet again."
Arthur noticed that there was a shadow of a hoof shaped bruise on his chest, meaning that some kind physical confrontation happened with the other centaurs.
He turned to join the rest of the class on the ground and saw that they all looked at him in awe, very impressed that he was on speaking terms with Firenze, whom they found intimidating.
Once the door closed and the last student sat down on a tree stump beside the wastepaper basket, Firenze gestured around the room.
"Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us…" he said as everyone settled down. "...in imitation of my natural habitat. I would have preferred to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was - until Monday - my home… but that is no longer possible."
"Please - er - sir -" Parvati breathlessly said, raising her hand. " - why not? We've been in there with Hagrid, we're not frightened!"
"It is not a question of your bravery…" Firenze said. "...but of my position. I cannot return to the Forest. My herd has banished me."
That explained the bruise on his chest.
"Herd?" Lavender questioned in a confused voice, Arthur knowing she was thinking along the lines of cows. "What - oh!" Comprehension dawned on her face. "There are more of you?" She asked, stunned.
"Did Hagrid breed you, like the Thestrals?" Dean asked eagerly.
"DEAN!" Arthur said scoldingly as Firenze turned his head slowly to face Dean, who realised, thanks to Arthur, that he said something very offensive.
"I didn't - I meant - sorry." He said in a hushed voice.
"Centaurs are not the servants or playthings of humans." Firenze said quietly, leaving a pause until Parvati raised her hand again.
"Please, sir… why have the other centaurs banished you?"
"Because I have agreed to work for Professor Dumbledore." He replied. "They see this as a betrayal of our kind."
This made Arthur remember how, nearly four years ago, Bane, another centaur, shouted at Firenze for allowing Arthur to ride to safety on his back, calling him a 'common mule'.
"Let us begin." Firenze said. He swished his palomino tail, raised his hand towards the leafy canopy overhead, then lowered it slowly. As he did so, the light in the room dimmed, now making it seem like they were sitting in a forest clearing by twilight and stars actually appeared on the ceiling.
This caused many oohs and gasps. Arthur looked absolutely speechless as he couldn't imagine a class ever being this cool before.
"Lie back on the floor…" Firenze instructed in his calm voice. "...and observe the heavens. Here is written, for those who can see, the fortune of our races."
Arthur stretched out onto his back and gazed upwards at the ceiling. There was a twinkling red star that winked at him from overhead.
"I know that you have learned the names of the planets and their moons in Astronomy…" Firenze said. "...and that you have mapped the stars' progress through the heavens. Centaurs have unravelled the mysteries of these movements over centuries. Our findings teach us that the future may be glimpsed in the sky above us -"
"Professor Trelawney did astrology with us!" Parvati said excitedly, raising her hand in front of her so that it stuck up in the air as she lay on her back. "Mars causes accidents and burns and things like that, and when it makes an angle to Saturn, like now -" She drew a right angle in the air above her. " - that means people need to be extra careful when handling hot things -"
"That…" Firenze said calmly. "...is human nonsense.
Parvati's hand fell limply to her side, much to Arthur's satisfaction. This was much more interesting than how Trelawney's classes went.
"Trivial hurts, tiny human accidents." Firenze said as his hooves thudded over the mossy floor. "These are of no more significance than the scurrying of ants to the wide universe, and are unaffected by planetary movements."
"Professor Trelawney -" Parvati began in a hurt and indignant voice.
" - is a human." Firenze said simply. "And is therefore blinkered and fettered by the limitations of your kind."
Arthur turned his head slightly to look at Parvati to see that she was very offended, as did several others around her.
"Sybill Trelawney may have Seen, I do not know…" Firenze continued on, and Arthur heard the swishing of his tail as he walked up and down before them. "...but she wastes her time, in the main, on the self flattering nonsense humans call fortune telling. I, however, am here to explain the wisdom of centaurs, which is impersonal and impartial. We watch the skies for the great tides of evil or change that are sometimes marked there. It may take ten years to be sure of what we are seeing."
He then pointed to the red star that was directly above Arthur.
"In the past decade, the indications have been that wizardkind is living through nothing more than a brief calm between two wars. Mars, bringer of battle, shines brightly above us, suggesting that the fight must soon break out again. How soon, centaurs may attempt to divine by the burning of certain herbs and leaves, by the observation of fume and flame…."
It had to be the most interesting and fascinating class Arthur ever attended. They did indeed burn sage and mallowsweet on the classroom floor, and Firenze told them to look for certain shapes and symbols in the pungent fumes, though he was perfectly unconcerned that none of them say any of the signs he described, telling them that humans were hardly ever good at this, that it took centaurs years and years to become competent. He finished by telling them that it was foolish to put too much faith in such things, regardless, because even centaurs sometimes read them wrongly.
He was so unlike any human teacher Arthur ever had. His priority didn't seem to be to teach them what he knew, but instead to impress upon them all that nothing, not even centaurs' knowledge, was foolproof.
"I'm genuinely concerned about this war we're about to have, any more details would've helped." David said in a low voice as they put out their mallowsweet fire.
The bell rang right outside the classroom door and everyone jumped. Arthur had to be reminded that they were still inside of a castle, being so convinced that they were in the Forest.
The class all filed out, looking a bit perplexed.
Arthur, Mike and Daiv were about to follow them when Firenze called "Arthur Penderast, a word, please."
Arthur turned, watching the centaur advance towards him a bit.
"You two may stay." Firenze told Mike and David. "But close the door, please."
David hastened to obey.
"Arthur Pendergast, you are a friend of Hagrid's, are you not?" The centaur asked.
"Yes." Arthur frowned, wondering why he's bringing up Hagrid.
"Then give him a warning from me. His attempt is not working. He would do better to abandon it."
"What?" Arthur questioned, seeing that Firenze just might've confirmed Arthur's fear that Hagrid brought a giant into the Forest.
"I would warn Hagrid myself, but I am banished - it would be unwise for me to go too near the Forest now - Hagrid has troubles enough, without a centaurs' battle.
"Just what is he attempting to do?" Arthur asked, hoping he could further confirm Arthur's fear.
Firenze looked at him impassively.
"Hagrid has recently rendered me a great service and he has long since earned my respect for the care he shows all living creatures. I shall not betray his secret. But he must be brought to his senses. The attempt is not working. Tell him, Arthur Pendergast. Good day to you."
The happiness that Arthur felt in the aftermath of The Quibbler interview had now evaporated.
As a dull March blurred into a rather squally April, his life now became nothing but a series of worries and problems again, with Mike needing to calm him regularly.
Umbridge continued attending all Care of Magical Creatures lessons, which made it difficult for Arthur to deliver Firenze's warning to Hagrid.
Eventually, Arthur managed it by pretending to have lost his copy of Fantastic Beasts and doubled back after class one day.
Upon passing Firenze's message, Hagrid gazed at him for a moment through his puffy, blackened eyes, very much taken aback. Then he pulled himself together.
"Nice bloke, Firenze…" He said gruffly. "...but he don' know what he's talkin' abou' on this. The attemp's comin' on fine."
"Hagrid, you must stop!" Arthur said seriously. "Not just because Firenze warned you, but because you must be careful. Umbridge has already sacked Professor Trelawney and she's on a roll. If you're doing something that you shouldn't, you'll be -"
"There's things more importan' than keepin' a job." Hagrid said, though his hands shook slightly as he said this, making a basin full of Knarl droppings crash to the floor. "Don' worry abou' me, Arthur, jus' get along now, there's a good lad."
Arthur had no choice but to leave Hagrid mopping the dung up from all over his floor, feeling very dispirited and frustrated by Hagrid's stubbornness.
Meanwhile, as the teachers persisted in reminding them all, the O.W.L.s were drawing nearer and nearer. Most, if not all, fifth years were now suffering from stress to some degree, Hannah Abbott becoming the first to receive a Calming Draught from Madam Pomfrey after bursting into tears during Herbology, sobbing that she was too stupid to take exams and wanted to leave school now.
If it weren't for Quidditch, having Mike as his boyfriend and the DA meetings, Arthur would've been all kinds of unhappy and cold. He sometimes felt like he was living for the hours he spent in the Room of Requirement, working hard yet thoroughly enjoying himself at the same time, swelling with so much pride as he looked around at his fellow DA members and saw how far they all came.
He sometimes wondered how Umbridge would react when the DA members would receive 'Outstanding' in their Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.s.
They have finally started work on Patronuses, which everyone was very keen to get on with, though, as Arthur had to keep reminding them, producing a Patronus in the middle of a brightly lit classroom when they aren't under threat is very different to producing one when confronted by a Dementor.
"Oh, don't be such a killjoy." Cho said brightly, watching her silvery swan Patronus soar around the Room of Requirement during their last lesson before Easter. "They're so pretty!"
"They're not supposed to be pretty." Arthur said patiently. "They're supposed to protect you. If only there was a Boggart or something. I had to conjure a Patronus while a Boggart pretended to be a Dementor -"
"But that would be really scary!" Lavender said, shooting puffs of silver vapour out of her wand. "And I still - can't - do it!" She then added angrily.
Neville was also having trouble. His face screwed up in concentration, only getting feeble wisps of silver smoke to come out from his wand.
"You need to think of a happy memory." Arthur reminded him.
"I'm trying." Neville said miserably, who tried so hard that his round face shined with sweat.
"Arthur, I think I'm doing it!" Seamus yelled, who was brought to his first DA meeting by Dean. "Look - ah - it's gone… but it was definitely something hairy, Arthur!"
Chrys' Patronus, a shining silver owl, flew around her.
"They really are nice." She said as she looked at it fondly.
Elsewhere, David and Mike had their Patronuses circling around them. David's was a silver husky and Mike's was an impressive looking tiger.
Suddenly, the door of the Room of Requirement opened and closed.
Arthur looked to see who entered, yet there didn't seem to be anyone there. It took a few moments to realise that those close to the door have fallen silent.
Then something ended up tugging his robes around the knee. He looked and was surprised to see Dobby peering up at him.
"Dobby? What's wrong?" Arthur asked, seeing that his eyes were wide with terror and physically shook.
The members of the DA closest to Arthur all fell silent, everyone now watching Dobby. The few Patronuses that were conjured now faded away into silver mist, now leaving the room much darker than before.
"Arthur Pendergast, sir…." Dobby squeaked, trembling from head to foot. "Arthur Pendergast, sir… Dobby has come to warn you… but the house elves have been warned not to tell…."
He ended up running head first into the wall and Arthur, who had some experience with Dobby's habits of self punishment, tried to seize him, but Dobby bounced off the stone. Chrys and a few other girls made squeaks of fear and sympathy.
"What happened, Dobby?" Arthur asked, grabbing the elf's tiny arm and holding him away from anything that he could seek to hurt himself.
"Arthur Pendergast… she… she…."
Dobby hit himself hard on the nose with his free fist, which Arthur seized as he realised who he was talking about since there's only one 'she' that could induce this much fear in Dobby.
"You mean Umbridge?" He asked in horror.
Dobby nodded before trying to bang his head on Arthur's knees, making him hold the house elf at arm's length.
"She knows, doesn't she? About the DA?" He asked, still in horror.
Dobby's stricken face was the answer he needed as his hands were held fast by Arthur, trying to kick himself and sank to his knees.
"She's coming, isn't she?"
Dobby then let out a howl.
"Yes, Arthur Pendergast, yes!"
Arthur straightened up and looked at the motionless, terrified faces that gazed at the thrashing elf.
"RUN!" Arthur roared at them all.
They pelted towards the exit immediately, forming a scrum at the door before people burst through.
Arthur could hear them sprinting along the corridors and he just hoped that they all had the sense to not go straight for their dormitories. It was only ten to nine and if they took refuge elsewhere in the library or the Owlery, which were nearer -
"ARTHUR, COME ON!" Mike shouted from the centre of the knot of people.
Arthur scooped up Dobby, who still attempted to injure himself, running with the elf in his arms to join in the back of the queue.
"Dobby, this is an order, go back to the kitchens with the other house elves and if she asks you whether you warned me, just lie and say no!" Arthur ordered. "And I forbid you to hurt yourself!" He added, dropping the elf as he made it over the threshold and slammed the door behind him.
"Thank you, Arthur Pendergast!" Dobby squeaked, streaking off.
Arthur glanced left and right, seeing the others moving so fast that he only caught glimpses of flying heels at either end of the corridor before they vanished; he ran to the right; there was a boys' bathroom up ahead, he could just pretend that he was there if he could reach it -
"AAARGH!"
Something had caught him around the ankles, making him fall and skid along on his front for six feet before he came to a halt.
He heard laughing behind him and so he rolled onto his back and saw Draco concealed in a niche beneath an ugly dragon shaped vase.
"Trip Jinx, Pendergast!" He sneered. "Hey, Professor - PROFESSOR! I've got one!"
Umbridge bustled around the far corner, breathless but wore a delighted smile.
"It's him!" She said jubilantly at the sight of Arthur on the floor. "Excellent, Draco, excellent, oh, very good - fifty points to Slytherin! I'll take him from here… stand up, Pendergast!"
Arthur got to his feet as he glared at them with the deepest loathing. He had never seen Umbridge look this happy before as she seized his arm in a vice-like grip and turned, beaming broadly, to Draco.
"You hop along and see if you can round up any more of them, Draco. Tell the others to look in the library - anybody out of breath - check the bathrooms, Miss Parkinson can do the girls' ones - off you go, and you…" She added in the softest, most dangerous voice as Draco walked away. "...you can come with me to the Headmaster's office, Pendergast."
They were at the metal gryphon within minutes. Arthur was worried about the others, hoping they weren't caught.
"Fizzing Whizzbee." Umbridge sang, making the gryphon jump aside and the wall behind to split open. They ascended the moving staircase and reached the polished door with the gryphon knocker, but Umbridge was disrespectful enough to not knock as she just strode inside, still holding Arthur tightly.
The office was full of people.
Dumbledore sat behind his desk, his expression serene, the tips of his long fingers together. McGonagall stood rigidly beside him, her face was extremely tense. Fudge, the Minister for Magic, rocked back and forth on his toes beside the fire, seemingly pleased with the situation; there was also Kingsley Shacklebolt and a tough looking wizard that Arthu didn't recognise with very short wiry hair, both positioned on either side of the door like guards, and there was the freckled and bespectacled Alan Clarke hovering excitedly beside the wall with a quill and a heavy scroll of parchment in his hands, ready to take notes.
The portraits of previous Headmasters and Headmistresses didn't bother pretending to be asleep tonight. They were all alert and serious, watching what was going on. As Arthur entered, a few flitted into neighbouring frames, whispering urgently into their neighbour's ears.
Arthur pulled himself free from the toad's grasp as the door swung shut behind the. Fudge glared at him with a viscous satisfaction on his face.
"Well." He said. "Well, well, well…."
Arthur replied by making the dirtiest look he could muster. Whilst his heart was drumming madly, his brain was cool and clear.
"He was heading back to Gryffindor Tower." Umbridge said with an indecent excitement in her voice, the same callous pleasure she had when Trelawney dissolved with misery in the Entrance Hall. "The Malfoy boy cornered him."
"Did he, did he?" Fudge said appreciatively. "I must remember to tell Lucius. Well, Pendergast… I expect you know why you are here?"
Arthur made a quick glance at Dumbledore, who didn't look at him directly, but he shook his head a fraction of an inch.
"Not really." Arthur said, understanding what Dumbledore told him to do.
"I beg your pardon?" Fudge said.
"I said no." Arthur said firmly.
"You don't know why you are here?"
"That's right." Arthur replied.
Fudge looked incredulously from him to Umbridge. Arthur took advantage of this inattention to make another quick look at Dumbledore, who gave the carpet the tiniest nod and the shadow of a wink.
"So you have no idea…" Fudge said in a voice that sagged with sarcasm. "...why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that you have broken any school rules?"
"No." Arthur shook his head.
"Or Ministry Decrees?" Fudge said angrily.
"Not that I'm aware of." Arthur replied blandly.
His mind was racing as he enjoyed seeing Fudge's blood pressure rise. The only way Umbridge would've known was if someone snitched on them. And there was only one suspect that would do it.
"So, it's news to you, is it…" Fudge said, now with his voice being thick with anger. "...that an illegal student organisation has been discovered within this school?"
"All news to me." Arthur said.
"I think, Minister…." Umbride said silkily from beside him. "...we might make better progress if I fetch our informant."
"Yes, yes, do." Fudge nodded, glancing maliciously at Dumbledore as she left the room. "There's nothing like a good witness, is there, Dumbledore?"
"Nothing at all, Cornelius." Dumbledore said gravely, inclining his head.
The wait lasted several minutes and no one talked or looked at each other before Arthur heard the door open behind him.
Umbridge moved past him into the room, gripping the shoulder of Marietta, Cho's curly haired friend, who hid her face in her hands. Arthur held back a growl as she did indeed snitch on the DA.
"Don't be scared, dear, don't be frightened…" Umbridge said softly, patting her on the back. "...it's quite alright, now. You have done the right thing. The Minister is very pleased with you. He'll be telling your mother what a good girl you've been. Marietta's mother, Minister…" She added, looking up at Fudge. "...is Madam Edgecombe from the Department of Magical Transportation, Floo Network Office - she's been helping us police the Hogwarts fires, you know."
"Jolly good, jolly good!" Fudge said heartily. "Like mother, like daughter, eh? Well come on, now, dear, look up, don't be shy, let's hear what you've got to - galloping gargoyles!"
Marietta raised her head, which made Fudge leap backwards in shock, nearly landing himself in the fire. He cursed and stamped on the hem of his cloak that started to smoke.
Marietta gave a wail and pulled the neck of her robes right up to her eyes, but that was after everyone saw that her face was horribly disfigured by a series of close set purple pustules that spread across her nose and cheeks to form the word 'SNEAK'. Arthur felt this was a perfect punishment for what she had done.
"Never mind the spots now, dear…" Umbridge said impatiently. "...just take your robes away from your mouth and tell the Minister -"
Marietta made another muffled wail before shaking her head frantically.
"Oh, very well, you silly girl, I'll tell him." Umbridge snapped.
She then hitched her sickly smile back onto her face as she said "Well, Minister, Miss Edgecombe here came to my office shortly after dinner this evening and told me something she wanted to tell me. She said that if I proceed to a secret room on the seventh floor, sometimes known as the Room of Requirement, I would find out something to my advantage. I questioned her a little further and she admitted that there was to be some kind of meeting there. Unfortunately, at that point this hex…" She waved impatiently at Marietta's concealed face. "...came into operation and upon catching sight of her face in my mirror, the girl became too distressed to tell me any more."
"Well, now…" Fudge said, fixing Marietta with what he evidently imagined was a kind and fatherly look. "...it is very brave of you, my dear, coming to tell Professor Umbridge. You did exactly the right thing. Now, will you tell me what happened at this meeting? What was its purpose? Who was there?"
Marietta wouldn't speak, merely shaking her head again, her eyes wide and fearful.
"Haven't we got a counter jinx for this?" Fudge asked Umbridge impatiently, gesturing to her face. "So she can speak freely?"
"I have not yet managed to find one." Umbridge admitted grudgingly, making Arthur feel pride in Chrys' jinxing ability. "But it doesn't matter if she won't speak, I can take up the story from here. You will remember, Minister, that I sent a report back in October that Pendergast hd met a number of fellow students in the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade -"
"And what is your evidence for that?" McGonagall cut in.
"I have testimony from Willy Widdershins, Minerva, who happened to be in the bar at the time. He was heavily bandaged, it is true, but his hearing was quite impaired." Umbridge said smugly. "He heard every word Pendergast said and hastened straight to the school to report to me -"
"Oh, so that's why he wasn't prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets!" McGonagall said, raising her eyebrows. "What an interesting insight into our justice system!"
"Blatant corruption!" The portrait of the corpulent, red nosed wizard roared. "The Ministry did not cut deals with petty criminals in my day, no sir, they did not!"
"Thank you, Fortescue, that will do." Dumbledore said softly.
"The purpose of Pendergast's meeting with these students…" Umbridge continued. "...was to persuade them to join an illegal society, whose aim was to learn spells and curses the Ministry has decided are inappropriate for school age -"
"I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores." Dumbledore said quietly, peering at her over his half moon spectacles that perched halfway down his crooked nose.
Arthur stared at him. How in the hell could he talk him out of this, considering Umbridge had Widdershins hearing every word he said in the Hog's Head.
"Oho!" Fudge said, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet again "Yes, do let's hear the latest cock and bull story designed to pull Pendergast out of trouble! Go on, then, Dumbledore, go on - Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it Pendergast's identical twin in the Hog's Head that day? Or is there the usual simple explanation involving a reversal of time, a dead man coming back to life and a couple of invisible Dementors?"
Alan Clarke made a hearty laugh.
"Oh, very good, Minister, very good!"
Arthur desperately wanted to punch both Clarke and Fudge, yet he was astonished to see Dumbledore smiling.
"Cornelius, I do not deny - and nor, I am sure, Arthur does - that he was in the Hog's Head that day, nor that he was trying to recruit students to a Defence Against the Dark Arts group. I am merely pointing out that Dolores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that time, illegal. If you remember, the Ministry Decree banning all student societies was not put into effect until two days after Arthur's Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules at all in the Hog's Head."
Clarke looked like he was struck in the face by something very heavy and Fudge remained motionless in mid bounce, his mouth hanging open.
Umbridge was the first to recover.
"That's all very fine, Headmaster…" She said, smiling sweetly. "...but we are now nearly six months on from the introduction of Educational Decree Twenty Four. If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since most certainly are."
"Well…" Dumbledore said, surveying her with polite interest over the top of his interlocked fingers. "...they certainly would be, if they had continued after the Decree came into effect. Do you have any evidence that any such meetings continued?"
As Dumbledore spoke, Arthur heard a rustle behind him and heard Kingsley whisper something. He then felt something brush against his side, a gentle draught of something, which was in the direction of Marietta. He just cast a spell to ensure she doesn't spill anything.
"Evidence?" Umbridge repeated with that horrible wide toad-like smile. "Have you not been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?"
"Oh, can she tell us about six months' worth of meetings?" Dumbledore said with raised eyebrows. "I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight."
"Miss Edgecombe…" Umbridge said at once. "...tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod or shake your head, I'm sure that won't make the spots worse. Have they been happening regularly over the last six months? Just nod or shake your head, dear, come on, now, that won't reactivate the jinx."
Everyone gazed at the top of Marietta's face since only her eyes were visible between the pulled up robes, as well as her curly fringe.
Marietta then shook her head.
Umbridge looked quickly at Fudge, then back at Marietta.
"I don't think you understand the question, did you, dear? I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?"
Marietta shook her head again.
"What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" Umbridge said in a testy voice, like she wasn't getting what she wanted.
"I would have thought her meaning was quite clear…" McGonagall said harshly. "...there have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is that correct, Miss Edgecombe?"
Marietta nodded.
"But there was a meeting tonight!" Umbridge said furiously. "There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement. And Pendergast was the leader, was he not, Pendergast organised it, Pendergast - why are you shaking your head, girl?"
"Well, usually, when a person shakes their head…" McGonagal said coldly. "...they mean 'no'. So unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign language as yet unknown to humans -"
Umbridge then seized Marietta, pulling her round to face her and shook her very hard, shocking Arthur with disgust. A split second later, Dumbledore was on his feet, wand raised.
Kingsley then started forwards and Umbridge leapt back from Marietta, waving her hands in the air like they were burned.
"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores." Dumbledore said and, for the first time, looked angry.
"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge." Kingsley said in his deep, slow voice. "You don't want to get yourself into trouble, now."
"No." Umbridge said breathlessly, glancing up at his towering figure. "I mean, yes - you're right, Shacklebolt - I - I forgot myself."
Marietta stood exactly where Umbridge released her, neither perturbed by Umbridge's sudden attack, nor relieved by her release, still clutching her robe up to her oddly blank eyes, staring straight ahead of her, confirming that Kingsley used a spell on her.
"Dolores…" Fudge said with the air of trying to settle something once and for all. "...the meeting tonight - the one we know definitely happened -"
"Yes…" Umbridge said, pulling herself together. "...yes… well, Miss Edgecombe tipped me off and I proceeded at once to the seventh floor, accompanied by certain trustworthy students, so as to catch those in the meeting red handed. It appears that they were forewarned of my arrival, however, because when we reached the seventh floor, they were running in every direction. It does not matter, however. I have all their names here, Miss Parkinson ran into the Room of Requirement for me to see if they had left anything behind. We needed evidence and the room provided."
Much to Arthur's horror, she withdrew the list of names that were pinned upon the Room of Requirement's wall and handed it to Fudge.
"The moment I saw Pendergast's name on the list, I knew what we were dealing with." She said softly.
"Excellent…" Fudge said with a smile spreading across his face. "...excellent, Dolores. And… by thunder…."
He looked up at Dumbledore, who still stood beside Marietta, his wand held loosely in his hand.
"See what they've named themselves?" Fudge said quietly. "Dumbledore's Army."
Dumbledore reached out and took the piece of parchment from Fudge. He gazed at the heading scribbled by Chrys months previous and was unable to speak for a moment before he looked up with a smile.
"Well, the game is up." He said simply. "Would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius - will a statement before these witnesses suffice?"
Arthur saw that McGonagall and Kingsley were looking at each other. There was fear in their faces, clearly not expecting Dumbledore to do this, as did Arthur.
"Statement?" Fudge said slowly. "What - I don't -?"
"Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius." Dumbledore said, still smiling as he waved the list of names before Fudge's face. "Not Pendergast's Army. Dumbledore's Army."
"But - but -"
Understanding now blazed on Fudge's face, taking a horrified step backwards, yelping as he stepped into the fire again.
"You?" He whispered, stamping once more on his smouldering cloak.
"That's right." Dumbledore said pleasantly.
"You organised this?"
"I did."
"You recruited these students for - for your army?"
"Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting." Dumbledore nodded. "Merely to see whether they would be interested in joining me. I see now that it was a mistake to invite Miss Edgecombe, of course."
Marietta nodded. Fudge then looked from her to Dumbledore, his chest swelling.
"Then you have been plotting against me!" He yelled.
"That's right." Dumbledore said cheerfully.
Arthur's eyes widened with real horror, what the hell is he thinking for tapping into Fudge's fears?
Fudge now had a look of horrified delight.
"Well, well, well - I came here tonight expecting to expel Pendergast and instead -"
"Instead you get to arrest me." Dumbledore smiled. "It's like losing a Knut and finding a Galleon, isn't it?"
"Clarke!" Fudge cried, now quivering with delight. "Clarke, have you written it all down, everything he's said, his confession, have you got it?"
"Yes, sir, I think so, sir!" Clarke said eagerly, his nose splattered with ink from the speed of his note taking."
"The bit about how he's trying to build up an army against the Ministry, how he's been working to destabilise me?"
"Yes, sir, I've got it, yes!" Clarke said, scanning his notes joyfully.
"Very well, then…" Fudge said, radiant with glee. "...duplicate your notes, Clarke, and send a copy to the Daily Prophet at once. If we send a fast owl, we should make the morning edition!"
Clarke dashed out of the room, slamming the door behind him and Fudge turned back to Dumbledore. "You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged, then sent to Azkaban to await trial!"
"Ah…" Dumbledore gently said. "...yes. Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag."
"Snag?" Fudge said, his voice vibrating with joy. "I see no snag, Dumbledore!"
"Well, I'm afraid I do." Dumbledore replied apologetically.
"Oh, really?"
"Well - it's just that you seem to be labouring under the delusion that I am going to - what is the phrase - come quietly. I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course - but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing."
Umbridge's face grew steadily redder, looking like she was filled with boiling water.
Fudge stared at Dumbledore with a silly expression on his face, like he was stunned by a sudden blow and couldn't believe it had happened. He made a choking noise before looking at Kingsley and the man with short grey hair, who had remained silent so far. The latter gave Fudge a reassuring nod and moved forwards slightly, away from the wall. Arthur saw that his hand was drifting casually towards his pocket.
"Don't be silly, Dawlish." Dumbledore said kindly. "I'm sure you are an excellent Auror - I seem to remember that you achieved 'Outstanding' in all your N.E. - but if you attempt to - er - bring me in by force, I will have to hurt you."
Dawlish blinked foolishly, looking towards Fudge again, but now hoping for a clue of what to do next.
"So…" Fudge sneered, recovering himself. "...you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores and myself single handed, do you, Dumbledore?"
"Merlin's beard, no…" Dumbledore said with a smile. "...not unless you are foolish enough to force me to."
"He will not be single handed!" McGonagall said loudly, plunging her hand into her robes.
"Oh yes he will, Minerva!" Dumbledore said sharply. "Hogwarts needs you!"
"Enough of this rubbish!" Fudge said, pulling out his own wand. "Dawlish! Shacklebolt! Take him!"
A streak of silver light suddenly flashed around the room before a bang rang out like a gunshot. Then the floor trembled.
A hand grabbed the scruff of Arthur's neck and forced him down to the floor as a second flash went off; several of the portraits yelled, Fawkes screeched and a cloud of dust filled the air.
Coughing in the dust, Arthur saw a dark figure fall to the ground with a crash in front of him before a shriek and a thud was heard. Then someone cried "No!". Then there was the sound of breaking glass, frantically scuffling footsteps, a groan… and then silence.
Arthur struggled around to see who half strangled him and saw McGonagall crouched beside him; she forced him and Marietta out of harm's way. Dust was still floating gently down through the air onto them.
Panting, Arthur saw a very tall figure move towards them.
"Are you alright?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes!" McGonagall said, getting up and dragging Arthur and Marietta with her.
The dust was now clearing. The office was all kinds of wrecked: Dumbledore's desk was overturned, the round table with the silver instruments and the sword of Gryffindor was knocked to the floor. Fudge, Umbridge, Kingsley and Dawlish all lay motionless on the floor. Fawkes soared in wide circles above them, singing softly.
"Unfortunately, I had to hex Kingsley, too, or it would have looked very suspicious." Dumbledore said in a low voice. "He was remarkably quick on the uptake, modifying Miss Edgecombe's memory like that while everyone was looking the other way - thank him, for me, won't you, Minerva? Now, they will all awake very soon and it will be best if they do not know that we had time to communicate - you must act as though no time has passed, as though they were merely knocked to the ground, they will not remember -"
"Where will you go, Dumbledore?" McGonagall whispered. "Grimmauld Place?"
"Oh no." Dumbledore said with a grim smile. "I am not leaving to go into hiding. Fudge will soon wish he'd never dislodged me from Hogwarts, I promise you."
"Professor Dumbledore…." Arthur began.
He didn't know what to say, really, but before he could say another word, Dumbledore cut him off.
"Listen to me, Arthur." He said urgently. "You must study Occlumency as hard as you can, do you understand me? Do everything Professor Snape tells you and practise it particularly every night before sleeping so that you can close your mind to bad dream - you will understand why soon enough, but you must promise me -"
Dawlish was stirring. Dumbledore seized Arthur's wrist.
"Remember - close your mind -"
As Dumbledore's fingers closed over Arthur's skin, he felt a pain shoot through his scar and felt that terrible, snake-like longing to strike Dumbledore, to hurt and bite him.
" - you will understand." Dumbledore whispered.
Fawkes circled the office and swooped low over him. Dumbledore then released Arthur, raised his hand and grasped the phoenix's long golden tail. There was a flash of fire and the pair were now gone.
"Where is he?" Fudge yelled, pushing himself up from the floor. "Where is he?"
"I don't know!" Kingsley shouted, leaping to his feet.
"Well, he can't have Disapparated!" Umbridge cried. "You can't do it from inside this school -"
"The stairs!" Dawlish cried and flung himself upon the door, wretching it open and disappeared, followed by Kingsley and Umbridge.
Fudge hesitated before he slowly got to his feet, brushing dust from his front.
Then there was a long and painful silence.
"Well, Minerva." Fudge said nastily, straightening his torn shirt sleeve. "I'm afraid this is the end of your friend Dumbledore."
"You think so, do you?" McGonagall said scornfully.
Fudge acted like he didn't hear her. He looked around at the wrecked office. A few portraits hissed at him, one or two even making rude gestures.
"You'd better get those two off to bed." Fudge then said, looking back at her with a dismissive nod towards Arthur and Marietta.
McGonagall said nothing as she marched the two to the door.
As it swung closed behind them, Arthur heard Phineas Nigellus' voice.
"You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts… but you cannot deny he's got style…."
Time to prepare for Hogwarts to become more of a prison than a school.