Everything seemed to happen so quickly, but only when Harry looked back on it. In the moment, he understood everything that happened, as it happened. When he started to ask himself how it all happened, or how it went so far, that was when things became unclear. It was not as if he had been lucky for most of his life, but he had been lucky in his own mind, because for him, not seeing someone die right in front of him was luck. Cedric broke something in him, and for the life of him, he had never thought the same would happen with the witch who had disrespected his memory, and yet, there she was, choking on blood after an arrow pierced her lung.

He had no idea what Hermione was thinking when she dragged the two of them out to the Forbidden Forest, but from the expression she was wearing now, this was not part of the plan. She grabbed him by the shoulders and had him get up a moment after he had his wand back.

"Harry," she said. Perhaps it was hard for her to form words. "Harry."

"I... I didn't want her dead," he choked out. Why was he choking? Despite the Cruciatus, there was no blood in his throat. "I... they can't just-"

"Harry, there are two things... I didn't want her dead either, but they absolutely can-" She looked back at the centaurs, who were regarding them uneasily. "She attacked them with a wand on their allotted land. Killing her might be... garish, but it's perfectly within their rights." She frowned. "In 1588, they were granted this land specifically under the pretense that it was for their protection. I highly doubt they were meant to be protected in a land that would also become home to hags and acromantulae- but if the intent is that they were meant to be safe here, then it should hold up..." She trailed off, probably thinking of how it would all work out.

He and Ron had been skeptical about some of the things their friend had said about magical creatures and about how they should be treated, but it was not like she was just going to make up some historical event out of whole cloth. His first reaction faded, and a second response came, one of sympathy for the centaurs. Were they going to get completely shafted just because they were not human? They were clearly defending themselves; after a single spell from the self-appointed Headmistress, one hit her with an arrow that must have been flying too quietly and not as ostentatiously as the colorful flash of spellfire.

"She failed," he said as they started to walk away almost automatically, which was probably for the best.

"I'm sorry?"

"She failed in just about every possible way. She was supposed to be our teacher in Defense, but she couldn't defend herself. If she's always... believed that the centaurs are violent uncontrollable creatures, why didn't she let anyone say that they were a threat to us, and we needed to learn magic? She should have known that the real world wasn't the risk-free environment-"

"Harry, I can't explain it. Maybe she thought they would just bow to her because she was from the Ministry."

They said nothing else for a while. Seemingly random thoughts occurred to him as they trekked back across the grounds. Was it bad that he was trying to justify everything that had happened? It was not as if he and his friend had knowingly led their teacher into a death trap; there was no way they could have known they would run into centaurs, or that if they did, her immediate response would be to use magic on them. Technically, they were her captives the entire time; she had their wands until she dropped them after getting killed. Something like a sympathetic response fired when he dove for his wand as soon as he could regain it; it was like when Cedric died and he went for the cup. All of a sudden he was glad that none of the centaurs thought that he was getting his wand to avenge her or something mad like that.

"Harry, Professor McGonagall is Headmistress now. If she's returned from Saint Mungo's-"

"What?"

"I was just thinking of how the Ministry will respond and... even if they send someone else here in a few days, right now, there is no one who can oppose her. If Umbridge is dead, there is no way of saying that Professor McGonagall is not Headmistress; the position automatically goes to her. We can have her help to rescue Sirius, if-" She seemed to catch herself as they reached the castle, where they could regroup with the rest of the DA. "We couldn't get anyone to talk to us at Grimmauld Place, but she could simply apparate there- there's no one right now who can tell her what she can and can't do-"

It was all making too much sense to say no. His sense of urgency had all come from the fact that their worst nightmare controlled the school, and her lackeys were all over it, and their plan had been discovered, so they had to get out as soon as possible- the whole thing dissolved far more quickly than it had built up. Her squad of jumped-up Slytherins was no longer jumped up. Was everything really so simple, though?

"We'll just have to see," he said after a second. He could try to think everything out, but there were too many unknowns, and there was still a good chance that his one and only godfather was in danger, which should really take priority. With McGonagall, though, they could get there even more quickly- or at least she could. "Is she able to make a portkey?" he asked.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted as they went through the school. At the moment, there was no one to stop them. "She certainly is skilled with various magical arts, but I suppose I never saw her make one... I also suppose that I never saw her apparate, but I just assumed that was a general skill most adults have- Harry, are you thinking of getting us all to the Department?"

"It's what makes the most sense," he said. "Right after we confirm that he's missing, we need a plan to get over there. McGonagall can't stop Voldemort on her own-"

"Can she stop him with our help?" she asked as they went up the stairs. "What we did with the DA this year, that was important- without our efforts, or whole class would be a year behind preparing-"

"Preparing for what?" he asked, not turning around. "Hermione, I can't promise anything, but if we get ten or eleven wands on him- that's the best chance we have. We have to kill him at some point, and we know where he is. Sirius is in danger too, we can't just-"

"I'm not suggesting that we sit around- please Harry, I'm suggesting that when we get to the office, we use her floo to get in touch with other members of the Order if she hasn't heard of where Sirius might be- I want to believe you and I don't want to say it, but it's the elephant in the room- Voldemort could be tricking you; Dumbledore warned you all year that he knew about the mental connection you share with him."

"Why'd he show me Ron's dad getting attacked?"

"He doesn't care if Ron's dad lives or dies in the long run. He doesn't hate everyone as much as you care for them."

"It didn't feel intentional," he said.

"It might not have been. Now, though, now that it's been in the Prophet that Arthur Weasley was saved in the nick of time when no one could have known where he was- Harry, even Malfoy reads the news! I know I can't even guess why he wants you to go over there, but... it could be a trap."

They continued to run for a moment as he thought about her words when he wanted to think about saving his godfather. He was frustrated; it was terrifying how much was going on beyond his knowledge, and the only reason he could persuade himself to keep running for McGonagall was because whatever they were about to do, they had to do it quickly, and she was their best bet for instant transportation. He was trying to think of a possible rationale for why Voldemort wanted to do Sirius harm, but as important as the lost Black heir was to Harry, it was the same as the situation with Ron's father. The only reason the dark wizard could want to kidnap him was for use as a hostage, or maybe something to do with the Department of Mysteries. If he was restrained and presented no threat, there was no reason to kill him.

"Harry," Hermione breathed as they ran up to the level where they would find McGonagall's office. "I know you think that I'm just running to the authorities again, but-"

Nothing could be further from the truth about his friend; she was the same as he and Ron. They had violated more rules than he could count and the year was not even over.

"Hermione, it's not that- it's just... when I see something like that it's hard for me to just believe that it's fake. It didn't feel intentional. It didn't feel like he was putting on a show for me." He thought for a moment as they forced themselves to slow down. As urgent as the situation was, they could burn themselves out and there was no reason to get caught running by another teacher or a Prefect who failed to see the situation for what it was. Fortunately, when they got to the office, the Transfiguration teacher was there, if surprised to see them.

"Mr. Potter; I thought there was an order to apprehend you and your friends-"

"Professor, we're asking you to rescind it. Supreme Undersecretary Umbridge is no longer living, meaning the position goes to you automatically."

"Miss Granger, I need not ask if you killed her, do I?"

They gave a quick rundown of what happened as the Deputy Headmistress, or acting Headmistress started to write something on her desk. As the charges against Dumbeldore were unlikely to be dropped because a servant of the Ministry turned up dead, she would not be able to invite him back to the school, but as he gathered in glances at what she was writing, she could change quite a few of the rules and keep the entire student body from interfering with the scene of the death of Umbridge. There was no avoiding the fact that investigators would have to come and verify that the death was not a murder, but that was a problem for another day; he needed to know if Sirius was all right and jumped in as soon as there was a pause.

"Professor, I had another dream, just like the one that showed Mr. Weasley getting attacked, only this time it's Voldemort holding Sirius hostage in the Department of Mysteries."

"We've forbidden him from leaving his home, Mr. Potter. He resents it greatly especially given his history with the property and its former inhabitants, but we have convinced him that the best way of keeping you safe is not getting himself arrested or even seen."

"Why wasn't he there?" he asked. "Could the Death Eaters have broken in? Didn't some of them live there once?"

"Yes, but we thought of that when we decided to make Grimmauld Place the base of our operations. Sirius, the eldest son and heir, can deny entry to his cousins if he so chooses." She handed the letter to her owl and sent it out the window. "Still, the fact that he would send you a vision that takes place in the Department of Mysteries is concerning."

"Professor, it might not be what we think it is, but we should still go over there," Hermione said. "If we know that Voldemort is there-"

"The risk of playing into his hands is great, but we can minimize it with a coordinated strike, our members who are active Aurors opening certain doors for us-" She was writing again; perhaps it was a letter; perhaps it was just a way of organizing her thoughts. "I must object to endangering you and your friends, Miss Granger. As sure as I am that you would come with us, we must avoid verifying the claim that the school exists as a training camp for child soldiers. That aside, going up against several Death Eaters that Lord Voldemort may bring with him is entirely too dangerous in the first place. I hope that was not your original plan before the untimely demise of our acting Headmistress."

"We didn't have any other way," he said after a moment. "If we know where he is, someone has to go and fight him, and we weren't getting through to anyone at Grimmauld Place when we tried to make a firecall. If we had come to you, Umbridge would have known about it; she has patsies all of the castle." He had thought she was still recovering after being hit with four stunners, but it seemed rude to bring that up.

"We already reached out to Professor Snape," Hermione added. "Harry told him... in code, the substance of his vision. It's unclear whether he believed it or not-"

"It's the kind of thing he would take seriously, Miss Granger."

"Yeah, if he doesn't jump for joy-"

"It will take only a moment to verify if he has already informed the rest of the Order," McGonagall said, disapparating. Hermione blinked a few times.

"I rather thought that you are not allowed to apparate or disapparate within the wards of Hogwarts."

"So did I," Harry said. Sure enough, though, the Headmistress was back almost immediately.

"Excellent. Mr. Potter, your rare demonstration of trust in Severus has put us roughly an hour ahead of where we would be if I had to arrange everything myself. Moody, Tonks, Lupin, Sirius, Podmore, and Shacklebolt have all been activated and called away from other responsibilities."

There was no point in saying he had been the only Order member around.

"Sirius was all right the whole time?"

"Yes, fortunately. I doubt that your claim made any sense to him, but as your instructor in Occlumency, he was aware of Voldemort's proclivity to send you visions, and estimated that he wanted you to send someone to the Department of Mysteries, else go there yourself. Fortunately, it seems my responsibility, once I was informed of it was to be lying to the late Undersecretary and keeping you from leaving the castle."

"I can't just not help in any way-" he objected, trying to think of how he could help. "I'll bet he can sense my presence, just like I can sense his- if he realizes I'm not there-"

"I'm afraid I have my orders, Mr. Potter," she said, interrupting him. "While I can see the strategic advantage in keeping Lord Voldemort from realizing that you have not fallen for his trap, I primarily cannot use you as bait, even with your permission, and secondly he may be able to use Legilimency against you at a close range, which would rather expose us. It seems, while you have been in the castle, he has only been able to invade your mind while at rest, and putting you in close quarters with him presents more risks to us than potential benefits. The worst case is that he simply backs away from the Department, and we are no worse off than before."

"What does he want there?" he asked. "Why would he want me to go there and not some random place where it'd be easier for me to get? If he just wanted me dead, he would have gone to Hogsmeade."

"Yes, and I fear you would already be there," Professor McGonagall estimated. "I only just returned from Saint Mungos; I would never have known you left. There remains one thing that may be more valuable to him than your life, and most likely, it is somewhere in the Department. He most likely is not aware that some of our people are watching the village, but he might be aware of undercover Ministry personnel there, possibly explaining his choice not to go to a place easier for you to reach, and then dragging you to his true destination." She thought for a moment. "He must have wanted you to know where you were going, though."

"He's been showing me the Department for weeks," he said. "It's always the door, and I can never get beyond it. That might have been- I don't know what it was, but he wants something back there. This time, I saw all these crystal balls; I don't know where it is-" The teacher's eyes widened momentarily.

"I had not suspected you were familiar with the interior of different parts of the Ministry. It may well have been that Voldemort has had someone working for him who told him about the Hall of Prophecy."

"That's what it is?" he asked.

"I should have thought you would guess, from all the crystal balls. Mr. Potter, allow me to be plain. If I agree to tell you what he is trying to get from the Department, will you agree not to go there?"

A rebellious thought told him he could figure it out, and Hermione probably already had. At the same time, Snape would not be expecting him to be there; the last he knew, Umbridge had him in her office. If he went, he would be asking for the plans to be rewritten for his own protection.

"Fine. It's a prophecy about him, isn't it?"

"It's about you."

"That was my second guess." He thought for a moment. "How did he find out about it?" he asked. "A moment ago, you implied he had people working for him, who worked down there."

"Not in the proper offices, in our best estimate." She sighed. "Mr. Potter, I remind you that you have given your word not to flee here. I shall be very busy handling school business and I shall not have time to watch you. If at all possible, I would like to deputize you to help me, as you were a witness to the Supreme Undersecretary's demise, and this may spare you some of the dishonor you may fear in not going to London yourself."

"You're about to tell me something that's going to make me want to go there."

"Harry, please, just hear her out."

"The prophecy that concerns you was given shortly before your parents died, in the hearing of a few members of the Order, as well as a Death Eater, who was spying on us. He heard only a few lines, and ran to his master with what he knew rather than risking getting caught by staying to hear more." She sighed. "Without getting into the content of the prophecy, hearing even part of it is most likely what made Voldemort decide to kill you and your parents, as well as sending the Lestranges after the Longbottom family."

"So... so what's so important about it now?" he asked, trying to wrap his mind around it. "It already happened, didn't it? And why Neville?"

"The prophecy implies that either you or Mr. Longbottom may one day defeat him."

"I'm fifteen," he said immediately, practically instinctively. From the looks of it, Hermione was about to say the same thing.

"Yes, and when he went after you the first time, you were one, if I remember correctly. Voldemort does not seem to assess threats in a way that you or I recognize. While one might think he could spend the time he has before you become a threat to him on other priorities, it is most likely that he has decided to get rid of you first, while you are still young and unaware. There were some who thought that the prophecy had been fulfilled the first time he went after you, but it appears he considered that a mere setback, and not a defeat."

"Then he's just going to keep coming after me, isn't he?"

"Does the prophecy imply that no one else can defeat him?" Hermione asked after a moment.

"Unfortunately, that is correct. It also implies that Mr. Potter is more likely to be the subject than Mr. Longbottom, but that was not something that Voldemort knew at the time, and it is possible he still does not know."

He tried to take everything in, now that it seemed like he at least knew most of what McGonagall had promised to tell him. It was probably still possible to sneak out, especially if he agreed to go along with her plan so that she would not have to watch him, but Sirius was not in danger like he had thought. Silently, he found it was easier to back down from his mounting sense of panic after hearing the whole explanation about the prophecy, and perhaps that had been part of the point.

"Professor," he said after a moment of thought. "If the prophecy says that I can defeat Voldemort... how am I meant to do that?"

"That is a question for which I have no answer at this time, Mr. Potter. As your teacher I have done my best to instruct you, and presently, assigned to your protection, I have done all I can to ensure that you do not get yourself killed in the meantime." She sighed. "I am sure it has escaped your notice, but I insisted on returning to Hogwarts as soon as I regained consciousness at Saint Mungo's. So much as a stinging hex would likely give me a heart attack."

Harry was of two minds; he wondered if she would have tried to subdue him magically if it had been a better day for her and he simultaneously remember that she never had before, and she was asking him to do the right thing, now afraid he would suddenly have a change of heart. Hermione was looking back and forth between them.

"What would you have us do while we're here, Professor?" she asked. "We'll get right on it."

"I want everyone to stay inside the castle until investigators arrive. The High Inquisitorial Squad has no authority. To certify that these words come from the Headmistress, I shall unlock the office of the late Defense teacher, as now that is within my authority."

Instantly he thought back to the office, how he and his friends were all being held hostage in there. Nothing was likely to have happened to any of them, but diffusing the situation would need a careful hand; if Malfoy and his lot turned violent, immediately, McGonagall was going to be in serious danger, and they might have no other choice if they figured it was all some sort of trick, or worse, it was all true and they were going to get expelled.

"While we're on our way, actually, there's another part of the story we might've left out," he managed, opening the door while trying to sort out his racing thoughts. "The Inquisitor Squad, well, the good news is that they might all be in once place, and the bad news, well, let's get to that when we get to it..."