Chapter Forty Nine
They made there way slowly to Umbridge's classroom where the rest of the DA were anxiously waiting. Harry forced a smile and made his way to the front of the classroom, sitting at the front desk. Draco slid in next to him, Daphne, Neville, Hermione and Pansy filling the rest of the front row.
"What happened?" Cho asked, barely a whisper from her seat behind Harry.
Harry took a deep breath, "Dumbledore is gone. There will be an order publicly out for his arrest before morning."
There was a mumble of surprise around the room.
"Why?" Ginny asked, "What did he do?"
"This." Hermione said quietly, "They blame him for the DA, they say he was building an army against them."
"That's insane." William scoffed, "They have to know that that is ridiculous!"
"Apparently not." Harry said, far more calmly than he thought possible under the circumstances, he stood up and turned to face them all, "I'm sorry. We all knew the risks starting the DA but knowing them and expecting them to happen are two very different things. With Dumbledore gone, we need to prepare ourselves for Umbridge to be named headmistress, by tomorrow morning. We also need to prepare ourselves for whatever punishment she has in store for us, with any luck, it will just be lines. Also, just so you know for when she inevitably asks, we never had a secret club, we met twice. Once in the Hogshead where we gave you the coins and we activated the coins after the squid attack to warn you all of the dangers. That's all."
He sat back down and clasped his hands on the desk before him, there was nothing to do now but wait.
And make them wait she did. The first light of dawn was just peaking through the windows of the classroom when she walked in, slamming the door behind her and waking several students.
Harry rubbed his neck to try and relieve the ache that had formed there from sleeping at his desk for a few hours.
Umbridge strode to the front of the room and looked down at them. She was washed and dressed in a fresh set of almost florescent pink robes, Harry suspected she had also slept in her own bed for a few hours, leaving them to stew.
"Well done for staying." Umbridge praised them, "I am most proud."
She walked round to the other side of her desk and picked up a large wooden box, before walking through the lines of students and handing out the horrid quills.
"I have thought long and hard as to what your punishment should be," she said, "But in the end, the Minister and I agreed that simple lines were for the best. This way you can all learn your lesson and, assuming you break no further laws, this will be the end of it. You will be writing until breakfast, which is in three hours, if you write quickly, you wont have to come back tomorrow."
Harry took his quill and stared down at his parchment, "What do you want us to write?"
"Tut tut." Umbridge beamed down at them, "The polite way to ask would be, 'What would you like us to write?'"
"What would you like us to write?" they whole group parroted back to her.
"I must not break the law." Umbridge simpered, "Even with the best intentions."
Harry tried to ignore the scribble of the quills around him, focusing on the cutting pain in his own hand. Silence was soon replaced with cries and gasps of pain from the younger members of the DA and after not long, cries from several of the older ones as well.
The three hours felt like a life time, not only with the pain in his hand and the dripping of his blood on the floor but the general noise around him was torturer in itself.
"Quills away boys and girls." Umbridge smiled, "I have left cloths for you on my desk here, please clean up after yourselves before you go to breakfast. I don't want my classroom in a mess."
The cleaning solution she'd left felt like acid in their cuts. Harry and Daphne were the last ones to finish cleaning, Umbridge had insisted that as soon as their area was done the students left for breakfast as they 'must be very tired'.
"The Minister feels you have learned your lesson Mr Potter, I am not convinced." Umbridge said coolly, "You are… trouble. It's in your genes I suppose."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Daphne snapped.
Umbridge glared at her, "I believe your areas are finally clean. Off to breakfast with you."
Harry wasn't hungry as he pushed his porridge around his bowl. The Hall was alive with whispers, as predicted Umbridge had been named headmistress in Educational Decree number Fifty Seven.
Along with two other announcements, the first that any sighting of the wanted criminal, Albus Dumbledore, was to be reported immediately to the Headmistress. Secondly that Professor Umbridge had set up an institution for students who wished to help her run the school. It was to be known as the Inquisitorial Squad and would put each student slightly above Prefect in rank.
Harry was unsurprised that Gemini and Rodolphus were already showing off their badges. In fact several other Slytherins were as well, including Tracy and Millicent.
"You stupid traitor!" Ginny yelled. There was a loud splat that sounded like she'd thrown a large handful of egg at someone.
"Can't blame him." Fred sneered, standing up next to Ginny, "He's just taking after fucking Percy."
"Yeah we had Perfect Percy and now we get Judas Ronald!" George hissed.
"I was doing as I was told!" Ron yelled back, slamming his hand on the table, "You've no one to blame but yourselves! Mum told you not to get mixed up in whatever Potter was playing at but you knew better."
"You're kidding, right?" George huffed, "It's one thing to listen to Mummy dearest about learning something that might actually come in useful, it's another to join her sick little gang."
Harry squinted at Ron and could just see the shiny 'I' badge sitting proudly on his chest.
"Mr Weasley, is there a problem?" Umbridge asked, walking over.
Fred, George and Ginny glared forcefully at Ron who looked awkwardly between them and Umbridge.
"Well?" Umbridge asked a little more forcefully, "I heard raised voices."
"My siblings were just confused." Ron mumbled.
"We weren't confused." Ginny hissed, "We know exactly what you're doing. You're pissed you didn't make Prefect and this is the closest you're ever going to get so you jumped at the chance. I'm sure Mummy and Percy will be proud."
"Stop comparing me to him!" Ron shouted, "I am not Percy!"
"Ronald Weasley!" Umbridge shouted, before pulling her cardigan straight, "That is no way for a member of the Inquisitorial Squad to behave, please control yourself. Fifty points from each of the three of you. You will talk more respectfully to your betters." she walked away a few steps before turning back to face them, "And for the record, you would do well to follow in your brother's footsteps, he is a wonderful example to you all."
Harry felt his heart sink, Hogwarts had never felt more threatening. He couldn't walk passed several students without them docking points, or giving him a detention. Ronald seemed to be convinced the fact his siblings at school hated him was due to Harry and nothing else so was determined to force Harry to suffer as much as he was.
The only good thing to have come from Umbridge raiding the DA and her new authority over the school was that Fred and George seemed to have lost all care over staying and were doing everything they could to make Umbridge and her little gangs' lives as difficult as possible.
Everyday there was a new trick or prank played and, strangely, none of the teachers seemed to be able to help.
Harry knew that something else was going down when a group of first year Hufflepuff girls ran passed him, coving their faces with their robes and giggling wildly. Harry was thinking of wondering down the corridor the way the girls had come to see what was going on when he felt a hand smack down onto his shoulder and spin him around.
"Mr Filch, can I help you?" Harry asked, shrugging Filch's hand away.
"Headmistress wants to see you." Filch grinned, showing his crooked and blackening teeth.
"Has she managed to get into the Headteacher's office yet, or should I go to her… normal, office?" Harry asked pleasantly.
Filch glared at him, "Her… teaching, office. Now, hurry up!"
Harry nodded and smirked to himself, following Filch through the corridors.
"Out of my way!" Filch barked, shoving several students out the way, "I've been saying for years that Dumbledore is… was, far too soft on you all, letting you students run wild! Umbridge will sort you out, mark my words. Her 'special' quills are nothing compared to what you deserve."
Harry rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath.
"What was that, boy?!" Filch hissed, spinning round on the spot.
"I said I do wish you'd use your head." Harry repeated, "You're a squib, as far as she's concerned, you are worse than mud. She needs you now, of course she does. The whole castle is against her and you're the only staff member stupid enough to follow her lead, but what do you think she's going to do when she doesn't need you?"
Filch looked dumbfoundedly at Harry gasping at the cuffs of his sleeves, "I… I don't…"
Harry took a deep breath and made sure to keep his voice level, "It must be very hard for you, working here and I'm sorry if I've ever made it harder for you but do you really think allying yourself with Umbridge is the way to go? She will dump you like a hot potato as soon as she gets the chance."
"Get in there." Filch hissed, pointing to Umbridge's office, "And keep your filthy, lying opinions to yourself."
Harry gave him a quick nod and walked into Umbridge's vibrant, pink office. She was sitting, flicking though a copy of Witch Weekly and smiled broadly at Harry. Nothing in the office had changed apart from the presence of a wooden name plate which read, 'Headmistress, Professor Dolores Umbridge'.
"Harry, how lovely to see you. Please, do sit down." Umbridge gestured to the seat at her desk across from her.
Harry slid into the chair and forced a smile. Umbridge straightened a stray pencil and looked sympathetically at Harry's hand.
"I do hope your hand has healed." Umbridge said, almost kindly.
"What?" Harry asked, confused by the sudden concern.
Umbridge frowned, "You were punished, Mr Potter. I didn't want to harm you, but you needed the lesson. I wish for no further suffering, for any of you."
"Well, I'm very glad to hear that." Harry said, forcing himself not to laugh.
"Would you like a cup of tea? Or coffee?" Umbridge asked, standing up.
"No, thank you." Harry replied, wondering what on earth this could be about.
"Pumpkin juice? Water?" Umbridge offered, slightly more forcefully.
"Really I'm quite fine." Harry said.
"Hot chocolate?" Umbridge asked.
Harry felt extremely uncomfortable at the idea of accepting anything from her but it was clear she wasn't going to drop the subject.
"Could I have apple juice?" Harry asked nicely.
Umbridge beamed widely at him, "Oh of course!"
She turned her back on him and placed a glass of apple juice in front of him a moment later.
"Thank you." Harry said, forcing a smile.
He picked up the glass and placed it to his lips, pretending to have a drink and making sure that he didn't swallow, he didn't even dare lick his lips.
"Lovely." Harry said, "I always have apple juice for my birthday breakfast, Mum introduced me to it when I was tiny. I love it but we only have it as a special treat, Danica isn't so keen on it though, she prefers pumpkin."
Umbridge looked very pleased at Harry's rambling, as Harry expected she would. Harry was sure that there was a truth potion in his drink. Severus had told him many times that there were truth potions that had no taste or smell; Umbridge would have had no trouble slipping one in his drink while she had her back turned.
"I do like hearing about your family." Umbridge smiled, "Have they seen Dumbledore lately?"
Harry shrugged and smiled, "I don't know. None of my letters are getting through. Been a very quiet year news wise."
Umbridge's smile stiffened, "Ah, I see. What about your family? Any news?"
Harry shrugged.
"Take another sip." Umbridge instructed.
Harry once again pretended to take a drink. He could see Umbridge looking at him, he knew she was watching the level of liquid failing to go down with slowly narrowing eyes, he took a mouthful, holding it in his mouth.
There was a knock on the door and Harry took the chance to spit the juice back into the glass and poured half of the juice into the nearby flower pot.
"What is it Mr Filch?" Umbridge asked impatiently.
Filch was looking rather flustered and fidgeted with his hands awkwardly, "There's been another incident."
"What?" Umbridge demanded.
"There's a swamp, in the school! A whole third floor corridor!" Filch gasped.
"Then deal with it. I will be with you shortly!" Umbridge huffed.
She turned back to Harry, looking rather red and flustered, "Shall we continue, where where we?"
"My family I believe." Harry smiled.
"Well you had a nice big drink." Umbridge beamed, "Did you like it?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah it was good, not the best I've had but far from the worst. There was one time, Dad-"
"Have you heard anything from your family lately? What is Mr Black up to? Or… Miss… DeGere is it?" Umbridge said, looking over some notes.
"Not really." Harry shrugged, "Sirius asked her to marry him but that was over a year ago, she said no and now she has to propose to him next time! I think she'll go big you know. Although she got fired from the Ministry last summer so she might be broke-"
"But what are they up to now?" Umbridge asked.
Harry grinned, this was exactly where he wanted the conversation to go, and as a result he knew exactly how to end this little meeting, "Oh, I'm not sure really. I think they're mostly just fucking."
Umbridge looked at him with wide eyes and gasped, "Excuse me?"
"Well you know, young-ish love and all that." Harry smiled, "Thankfully we've got thick walls at the house so we're not had to hear much but there has been so much kissing and no one could possibly sleep as much as they are in their room, let me tell you!"
"That is enough Mr Potter." Umbridge said quickly, turning very red.
"Once I came out of my room and she was sneaking out of Sirius's room." Harry continued, "I didn't think about it at the time but they'd definitely been banging just before, which is a little awkward now I think about-"
"I said enough!" Umbridge gasped, breathing heavily.
"Sorry, have I upset you Professor?" Harry asked innocently.
"Not at all." Umbridge said, with a clearly fake smile, "You can run along now."
Harry smiled and grabbed his bag, leaving the room before allowing his face to break out in a large grin.