Under Her Spell - Book Five - Edward Masen in: Growing Pains

by Bubbleybear

Minister Fudge has buried, not only his head in the sand, but the entire ministry. Meanwhile someone at the Ministry for Magic is playing a dangerous game with the entire wizarding world. What happens when the ministry infiltrates Hogwarts and they come up against the only ones that can save the wizarding world from themselves?

26. Chapter Twenty-Five - Control

For those of you in our facebook group - Bubbleybear & Pienuniek's Story Nook - this news will come as no surprise. But I recently lost a very dear friend to cancer who was also an unofficial Pre-Reader for the Under Her Spell Series. Leonie Price, I miss you, so very much but I hope that you are free from pain, wherever you are.

In her honour, I am dedicating this entire book to her. Her enthusiasm helped me continue to write on many days where I felt ... lost. In fact, one of the last emails she sent me was that she wished that these books had been on the big screen; that they were better than the originals. I know it will never happen, but the thought was enough to encourage me. Please keep her in your thoughts as we continue with this story. Cheers.

---

I'm so glad that I can finally give you the next in the series. Just know I've already read Book Six and have taken my notes. Now ... I can say that I've started to write!

Thanks must go out to my team. My pre-reader Pienuniek and my Beta Alice's White Rabbit. I would be lost without the pair of you, truly.

I don't own Twilight, or Harry Potter, I'd be a richer person if I did. But I do so love to create my own places for them out in the world. No copyright infringement is intended.

See you at the bottom ...

---

Chapter Twenty-Five ~ Control

"Are you going to start on that potion tonight?" Bella asked me as she stepped over the knee knocker.

I nodded slightly when she looked back at me. "I was thinking about it."

"Oh." That one word held so much meaning. It could convey so much about what someone wanted to say.

"Why?" Bella just shook her head to my question. "Bella?" I pulled her to a stop, only to smell her tears. I spun her around to see that she wouldn't look at me. I cupped her cheeks and tilted her face up so I could look in her eyes. What I saw there took me by surprise. "Baby? You okay?"

I'm gonna head up to bed. I think you're in for a long night. Harry smirked at me as he darted past. Have fun.

I kept my eyes on Bella's. Instead of the usual brown I loved so much, her pupils were blown, and her eyes were almost black. "Feeling okay, baby?"

Bella shook her head, nodded, then shrugged. "I don't know. I don't even really know what's wrong with me."

"You need me, Bella?" She nodded to my question. "You need to be wrapped around me, kissing me, loving me?" Bella nodded again. "It seems you're taking on some vampire traits." I reached down and picked Bella up by her ass. She wrapped her legs around me while her hands threaded into my hair.

"How so?" she whispered, beginning to kiss me on my neck and jaw.

"Because right now, you're experiencing some uncontrollable urges. Although they're manifesting themselves differently." I shrugged when she looked at me. "That might be the difference in our natures." I kissed her softly as I jumped over the edge of my trunk. "For now though …" I laid her out on the bed and kissed her with a little more urgency. "Are you feeling needy, my girl?"

"Uh huh," Bella replied with a moan as I slipped my hands up under her shirt, pushing it up as I reached for her boobs. "So, so needy."

She arched her back as my mouth followed my hands, her head and shoulders lifting slightly as I finished removing her shirt. "Mmm, how convenient," I whispered, undoing the front clasp of her bra. "Did you plan this?"

Bella's head shook frantically. "No." She groaned as I pushed her breasts together with my hands before laving a nipple with my tongue. "Not this."

"Hmm, so you didn't plan this … neediness," I murmured as I continued to play with her nipples with one hand while my other smoothed down her belly toward her skirt. "But you did plan on spending time with me, yes?"

"Yes." Bella hissed as I undid the button and zipper on her skirt. "God, Edward … need you."

"I know, baby girl," I crooned, removing her skirt and panties. "I'm gonna take good care of you." My girl moaned again as I laved my tongue around her belly button and dipped it inside. "You will feel me for days, Bella."

"Ungh!"

The snicker I let out was a little dark. The thoughts I had running around in my head were depraved and twisted. Things I wanted to do to her, things I wanted her to do to me, and things we could do together. Some of them were even illegal in a few states back in the USA. "What do you want, Bella?"

The string of words Bella let loose was unintelligible. She was so far gone that she could barely even say my name let alone what she wanted from me. Instead of teasing her further, I wriggled down the bed farther until I was level with her drenched pussy. She was so wet that she was glistening. I couldn't help the deep breath I took, just to breathe in the scent of her wanting me this much. "Mmm, Bella, you do want me."

"Ugh, you have no idea." She groaned. "Please, it hurts."

"I've got you, Bella. I'll help you." I didn't tease her any further. Instead, I leaned forward and licked her from bottom to top, circling her clit with the tip of my tongue.

"Oh!" With that one simple exclamation, Bella's body jackknifed off the bed. I snaked one arm under her left leg and up over her hip and onto her stomach to help secure her to the bed.

I slipped a finger inside her, reaching for the spot that would set her off. My girl needed a quick release, then I could take my time with her. My gaze wandered from where I was, up my girl's body, over her voluptuous tits, only to linger on the bottom of her chin. Bella's head was thrown back, her head digging into the pillows. It didn't take but a few minutes for her to give in to her orgasm. It was long, loud, and strong. I couldn't wait to be able to experience her neediness later … after we were married.

Bella sucked in a deep breath after panting for a few moments before relaxing back onto the bed. "Mmm, thank you," she breathed. "That was amazing."

I slowly crawled up the bed, kissing different parts of her body, including each nipple as I did so. Once I reached her glorious face, I kissed both eyelids and her nose before placing a soft one on her lips. Bella's eyes slowly opened, revealing her still very needy eyes. "You're welcome," I whispered softly. "But it doesn't look like you're satisfied yet, my girl."

The smirk Bella unleashed was just this side of deadly. "Oh, I'm satisfied, but I don't think you're done yet, Edward."

"No?" I kissed the spot behind her ear, causing a moan to escape her.

"Uh, uh. Now …" Here Bella pushed on the top of my head. "Get to satisfying me some more."

I nipped her belly as I let her push me, causing her to squeak, before laughing. "That's what you get for being cheeky."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," I replied. Only this time I nipped at her clit, making her jump then moan. "Now, lie back and enjoy."

"Oh, God."

~*~UHS~*~

It took several hours, but eventually, I was able to bring Bella down. From what I had learned from my family members, the first moment of complete neediness is usually the most intense. It lasts far longer than the needy ones that come after that. Though, they never really lessen in intensity; they don't usually take most of the night to come down from.

Although, I wondered whether Bella and I would be different. I certainly looked forward to sharing them together.

I smiled down at my girl, resting comfortably on my chest, and pulled her closer. She smiled and snuggled in more. At the moment, she wasn't dreaming. Her thoughts were blank, and even I could feel the contentment rolling off her. I managed to grab my wand from the floor—because at some point, Bella had managed to get me naked as well because she wanted to pleasure me too—so that I could call upon some of my potions books. Before this, I had wanted to get started on finding a way to stop the effects of the veritaserum. There had to be a way.

I had been reading my books for about half an hour, periodically checking in with our friends to make sure they were okay, when I picked up some stray thoughts from Harry. Since the last time Jasper had been here—helping me to see Bella as she should be—and had experienced one of Harry's dreams, we'd been teaching him some techniques to calm his mind so as not to let Voldemort's thoughts consume him.

Between the meditation to calm the mind, yoga to calm the body, and practicing stopping someone accessing his mind with legilimens—the Legilimency spell—Harry's dreams were few and far between. In fact, he'd had more control over them as of late. I believe he'd even managed not to alert Voldemort to the fact that Harry was accessing his thoughts. Tonight was no different; though, this dream was different from the usual ones of Voldemort searching the many doors of the ministry.

"You have my gratitude, Rookwood," Voldemort stated, his countenance smug and arrogant. Not many people could have pulled it off, but he did.

Rookwood nodded, almost bowing. "Thank you, master."

"You handled the situation with Avery and finished him with little fanfare. While I would have tortured him for more information, the situation was clean. There will be nothing to lead the aurors back to us." Voldemort paced slowly. Every step was measured. "You may go now, Rookwood. But send in our friend waiting out in the hall; I would like to have a word with him."

Rookwood nodded again and left the room where Voldemort was holding court. Just as Harry started to slip from the dream, a different man entered the room. One I recognized. I'd seen him the last time we'd visited Dad at the hospital. I wasn't sure of his name, but it made me wonder how many followers Voldemort had in all the different business around the magical world. Or how many he had throughout the ministry itself.

I didn't know what we could do about the rest, but I could write Dad and send him a drawing so he could keep, at least, an eye on this one. Hopefully, Dad would overhear something that would be helpful.

I'd have to remember to congratulate Harry on finally grasping a hold of his dreams and finding a way to watch Voldemort without him knowing.

~*~UHS~*~

It had been a quiet few days since Bella's talk with Umbridge. On top of looking for a potion to prevent the veritaserum from working, we'd had to study for our upcoming exams. Opi … and now Newt … had been putting Bella and I through the wringer. Fleur too when she joined us.

As such, we were spending a lot of time in the library, doing research. Writing papers. And generally reading all manner of books for our different lessons.

We'd been in the library for going on an hour and a half when a commotion started. First, it was just titters of conversation. Gabrielle, Fleur, Bella, and I heard it first. Eventually, the noise level grew enough that our friends also began to hear it. It rose so much that all we heard was screaming.

Bella frowned. "That sounds like adults. Our professors."

I nodded slowly. "It is. I know one is Umbridge, but the other? The thoughts are muddled."

"We should go see what's happening." Hermione stood and walked toward the entrance of the library. The rest of us standing to follow.

As we made our way out into the entrance hall, the noise level got louder. But the thoughts surrounding the incident also became clearer. It seemed that Umbridge was up to a new tactic for taking over the school. I rolled my eyes but followed Bella and the rest of our friends to the outer rim of students who were watching the fiasco happening.

In the center of the Great Hall stood Professor Trelawney. She was the one screaming and making as much noise as possible. Filch, Umbridge's ever present sidekick, was currently bringing trunks down the stairs to place at Professor Trelawney's feet. Upon the stairs stood the person who was causing all the problems. With her Inquisitorial Squad—Draco included, though he was rolling his eyes from the back of the group—was Umbridge. She was standing a few steps higher than Professor Trelawney.

"You can't do this!" Trelawney wailed. "For sixty years, I've been living and teaching at Hogwarts."

Is she drunk? Bella thought to me, but she wasn't the only one voicing that question.

"Yes. As soon as she received the letter from Umbridge she broke out her hundred-year-old brandy."

Dear God. This isn't going to go well.

Umbridge held up a copy of the letter she had sent to Trelawney as well as a copy of the first educational decree. "You'll find that I can, in fact, do this." The more Umbridge spoke, the more amusement lit up her face. From that, and her smug disposition, it seemed that she was enjoying the pain she was inflicting.

"She's evil," Hermione breathed.

"She has no conscience," Fleur agreed.

"How is it that someone like her can get so far?" Gabrielle asked.

"Because they have drive," I murmured. "Because they continue to reach for what they want."

"And they don't care who they step on to get it," Bella finished.

Professor McGonagall couldn't stand to see Professor Trelawney upset and in pain. She rushed across the entrance hall from her place in the doors of the Great Hall, only to wrap Trelawney up in her arms. The glare she sent Umbridge over her shoulder was lethal, to say the least.

"Is there something you would like to say to me?" Professor Umbridge asked as she looked down her nose at McGonagall.

McGonagall huffed. "There are a great many things I would like to say, but I'll settle on the fact that you shouldn't enjoy inflicting this much pain on people. It seems rather dark, don't you think?"

The smug look dropped from Umbridge's face. She didn't appreciate the fact that she had been compared to those who are darker. She knew that McGonagall meant Voldemort. "Be that as it may, Professor Trelawney has been fired and as such shall be removed from the school grounds."

There was a rather loud bang as Professor Dumbledore strode into the entrance hall from a door off to the side, many of the students around the hall jumped when the door slammed closed again. "Professor McGonagall, will you help Professor Trelawny back upstairs, and, Professor Flitwick, will you help with her bags?"

Both professors nodded their heads, McGonagall beginning to lead Trelawney to the staircase.

"Excuse me, professor, but under the terms of educational decree number twenty-three, as enacted by the minister …"

"You have the right to fire my teachers but not to banish them from the grounds. That power still lies with the headmaster," Dumbledore stated with conviction.

Umbridge fumed. "For now." She smiled again. "Then as you well know, educational decree number twenty-two leaves the ministry, and me, with the right to replace teachers should one not be found."

Dumbledore smirked. "That is true, yes. But it's a good thing I know a spectacular divination teacher."

Umbridge's mouth dropped open at Dumbledore's words. But it snapped closed when the sound of thundering hoof steps could be heard echoing around the entrance hall. Something that shouldn't be happening if the person, or creature, wasn't in the hall with us. I had a feeling that the hoof steps had been amplified to make them sound as if they were in the hall with us. Umbridge took two or three steps backward—up the staircase, pushing her inquisitorial squad out of the way—as the galloping almost reached the crescendo.

Children were covering their ears and trying to move from the edge of the entrance hall. What I didn't notice at first was that they were moving away from the door that Dumbledore had come through. They were moving because that's where the loudest of sounds were coming from.

As soon as it reached its peak, the door was thrown open and a shadow covered the door. The shadow was shaped like a man, but the aura it was giving off was of something completely different. Eventually, a large form came galloping through the door, causing several students to gasp when they laid eyes on the large half-horse, half-man creature that stopped in the middle of the entrance hall.

"A centaur," Bella breathed from next to me. "I never thought I'd see one in the flesh. They're supposed to be really dangerous."

"I have no doubt about that, Bella," I whispered. "He radiates the kind of presence vampires do in the muggle world. You just want to take a step backward to avoid them."

Bella looked up at me. "Even you?"

"I feel … something. I'm not exactly afraid of him, but I can sense that he could hurt others if he chose to."

Everyone around me nodded as we watched the centaur come to stand regally next to Dumbledore.

"Firenze, nice to see you again," Dumbledore spoke as he turned to face who we now knew was Firenze. I could see that Firenze was taking in the students and teachers around him as much as we were looking at him.

From my quick assessment, Firenze looked to have the body of a palomino horse, and he was big. I'm sure that if I stood next to him, my head would only be where his torso began. Not just big, but huge! Instead of the dark hair, or mane, you'd expect on a horse, Firenze had some of the most striking white-blonde hair I had ever seen. But that wasn't what had several students gasping. As Firenze turned in our direction, even Bella let out a gasp because the new divination teacher had the most astonishing blue eyes I had ever seen before.

"Oh," Bella breathed, "he's so pretty."

"No, Bella. That is an actual person not a pet you can own," I argued, causing our friends to chuckle. We all knew Bella had a habit of collecting animals. Her Veela nature made sure of that.

"I know that," she stated indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I wouldn't mind a horse though."

Gabrielle snorted. "We have a family of unicorns living at home, and you want a horse? Really?"

Even Bella couldn't help but laugh at that when our friends burst out laughing. "Okay, okay. A horse is a little redundant if we have unicorns."

We turned our attention back to the scene in front of us.

"You as well, Albus. Seems like you have a situation on your hands." Firenze was still surveying the room around him.

"It does seem that way, yes. Are you interested in helping me fix it?"

"He cannot. He's a creature!" Umbridge shouted from her place at the top of the stairs.

Dumbledore turned around to face her once more. "Yes, and? The rule from the ministry is that if I cannot find a replacement for a teacher in a satisfactory amount of time then the ministry shall replace them, yes?"

"Yes." Umbridge agreed. But it was said through clenched teeth.

"And there was no mention on whether the teacher had to be strictly human, did it?"

Umbridge only gave one short shake of her head. She didn't want to admit that Dumbledore was right. That there was no stipulation on the type of teacher because then she'd have to admit that putting Hagrid, or Esme, on probation wasn't what she was there for. Or the fact that she had banned Bella, Fleur, and me from our classes.

"Then Firenze can, and will, be teaching divination," Dumbledore stated with an air of authority. The one he used when he really wanted someone to listen. "There is nothing you can do about it for now, professor." Dumbledore spun around, seeing all the children watching from around the hall. "Now, children, back to what you were doing."

We all knew we'd been dismissed. I had a feeling Umbridge was going to come back harder and faster. The only thing I didn't know was who she was going to aim it at. Would it be the teachers, the headmaster, or the students themselves?

Only time would tell.

~*~UHS~*~

Easter was fast approaching, which meant our exams weren't that far away. The problem was the year five students were starting to crack under the pressure. The stress of learning, of studying, and of Umbridge pushing her agenda was starting to wear on everyone, but especially the students who were studying for their OWLs and their NEWTs.

It was getting so bad that Madam Pomfrey was starting to hand out calming potions for the students who were ending up in the hospital wing. I was so glad that our family and friends had worked out how to handle the pressure they were under because I'm not sure I could have stayed sane had someone in our group—but especially my Bella—would have ended up cracking under the pressure.

The only place where the students of Hogwarts seemed to feel confident, seemed to feel as if they were succeeding, was in the Room of Requirement. The DA had come so far in the time that we'd been practicing. I couldn't be prouder of them, of us, but especially of Harry. He had really taken the role of teacher and made it his own. If he doesn't succeed at becoming an auror, I have no doubt he'd be a fantastic Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

For the last few lessons, Harry'd had Bella and me working with him to teach the others. We'd been teaching the DA how to cast their patronuses.

"Think about it this way." Harry was talking as he was walking around the room helping others. "All the great witches and wizards started somewhere." Harry helped to adjust a few stances and a few wand placements. "They started right here. If they can do it, so can we." He walked to the front of the room with a smile on his face. "So, take the happiest memory you have. Think about it. Feel it. Let the feelings that memory gives you flow through you, and then say the words and cast the spell 'Expecto Patronum'."

Bella smiled as our friends closed their eyes and thought about happy memories. I could see memories of family, of puppies, of the first time they knew they were magical, and even getting their first Hogwarts letters. I could see the first time Bella and I met float through her mind as that had been the happiest memory for her, right up until the moment I'd accepted her as my mate, my proper mate. That first kiss after my acceptance was now Bella's happiest memory. I couldn't help but agree with her because I felt something in that kiss that I had never felt before. And that feeling had made us indescribably happy.

Bella, Harry, and I continued to make the rounds, just giving others subtle directions, when two very distinct pops caught our attention. Not just ours but everyone's. We all spun around to see that Dobby and Kreacher had appeared by the door to the corridor.

"Quick, quick. You must leave," Dobby all but shouted. "You all must go."

Bella had already begun to move before the words were out of Dobby's mouth. She bobbed down in front of the elves and placed a hand on one shoulder of each of them. "What's happening? Why must we leave?"

"Draco sent Kreacher and Dobby, Miss Bella," Kreacher began, an urgency in his tone that I'd never heard before. "He said to tell you that Umbridge has found out where you all are and what you are doing. You must leave!"

I finally ranged out my hearing to listen only to find that they were coming up the moving staircases, fast, between levels six and seven. I flashed over to the door to open it. "Quick, everyone move; we have to go!"

I had intended on giving everyone directions so that they knew where not to run, but because of my urging, the DA completely forgot about decorum, and they all seemed to bolt to the door all at the same time. I was able to guide a few people—or at least tell them which way not to run—but others just panicked.

"Go, Edward!" Bella shouted over the noise. "Harry and I will be right behind all of you. But we have to shut this down. We can't let Umbridge know about this room."

"You'll get caught."

"Better me than you. She'll use any excuse to get you out of Hogwarts. If she tries with me, she still has Gabrielle and Fleur to fight through," Bella pleaded. "Just go. And watch through me."

I didn't like the fact that I had left Bella and Harry alone with no protection. But she was right. Being that I was the first vampire/wizard to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts, Umbridge would have no qualms about throwing me out. There was no precedent for us to stick to her. That wasn't the case for Bella and other Veela. Sure, they'd had their own school, but at least, they were magical.

I couldn't physically make myself leave them alone though. Instead, I jumped up into the rafters at the top of the corridor and waited for Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad to amble past.

I'm sorry, Edward. We weren't given much notice. We turned up for our assignments today only to be told about this. I did the best I could. Draco was worrying unnecessarily. There wasn't any way that he could have known about this. Not even I had caught it, and I'd been listening out for the most part. We can't catch everything that happens in this castle; there were just too many people, creatures, and in my case, minds to try to get it all.

I'd hoped that Bella and Harry could have made a getaway before the goon squad arrived, but that was for naught because just as they had shut the door to the Room of Requirement and sealed it, Umbridge came around the last bend with her wand held in their direction.

I smirked when Bella and Harry crossed their arms and stood in front of Umbridge with what could only be defined as resting bitch faces. They weren't going to give Umbridge anything if they could help it.

"What are you two doing?" Umbridge asked them, getting right in their faces.

I almost laughed out loud when Bella turned her head to the side and scrunched up her nose like she smelled something awful. But I managed not to when Umbridge thought something really unsavory about my girl. It was getting to the point where Umbridge didn't care if Bella was Charlie Swan's daughter; Umbridge had had about enough of Bella's attitude. "Rein it in, Bella. We don't need you getting into serious trouble."

Aww. You're no fun. Daddy's name should save me.

"Should, Bella. You don't know that it will." I shook my head when Bella's eyes glanced in my direction. She knew I was there.

Harry, however, smirked. "We were looking for a place to study, professor. Not that we found one around here."

Umbridge glared at Harry before turning to Bella. "Aren't you afraid of what Mr. Cullen might think if he finds you alone with Mr. Potter?"

"No." Bella snorted. "Edward knows who my heart belongs to. He knows that I would never, could never, stray from our bond. It would kill me to do so. Harry"—here Bella wrapped her arm around Harry's shoulder—"is my friend. Nothing more."

"Professor?" Draco interrupted when Umbridge was about to accuse my girl of something else. She knew I wouldn't be far from her. That I had an uncanny ability to appear when Bella was in trouble. Umbridge was hoping that I would come so that she could have the three of us. "Shouldn't we be taking them to the headmaster's office?"

Umbridge nodded. "Gather up your friends, Mr. Malfoy; we have a headmaster to visit." Umbridge swirled on the spot, giving one last glare to Bella and Harry while thinking not that he's going to be headmaster for much longer.

Draco stepped behind and between Harry and Bella. The other members of the inquisitorial squad taking up positions around them. Draco gently grabbed Bella's arm, making a show of it, while poking Harry in the back with his wand. "I really am sorry about this," he whispered low enough that only Bella could hear him. "I had no idea."

Bella nodded in response but flicked her eyes in my direction. I wonder whether this is part of Lucius's attempt to keep in control but also to keep an eye on his son. Make sure that he isn't really being friends with us?

"That might be worth looking into," I whispered down to her. "But that would mean I'd also have to spend some time around Malfoy Manor this summer. Not something I want to do."

Me either, Bella thought with a shudder.

Once the group of them had walked underneath my hiding spot, I dropped silently to the floor. Instead of following them through the corridors and risk being seen, I used my memories of the Marauders Map and took off for the nearest secret corridor. I poured on all my speed, all while keeping an eye through Bella, as they traipsed through the castle. I couldn't help but snicker when I heard that Bella was sick of walking at human pace. She wanted this over and done with—whatever this was.

I paused at the base of the headmasters' tower, listening because it sounded like Dumbledore wasn't alone. I couldn't make out all of the voices, but I knew Percy was up there. And if Percy was there, you could bet your bottom dollar, so was Cornelius Fudge.

"This is not going to be good," I muttered as I stared at the gargoyle guarding the entrance. There wasn't a chance in hell I could get around that thing and up the side of the staircase without Dumbledore's caterwauling charm going off and alerting everyone in his office that someone was trying to break in. Instead, I stalked back to the secret corridor I had come through and waited for Umbridge's party to get there.

This woman needs to haul ass. Bella shook her head. I couldn't help but snort at her description. She was spending way too much time with Emmett. For someone who's trying to get all the power this school has, you'd think she'd move a little quicker. Bella saw me hiding in the shadows as they turned the corner and came down the corridor. Don't you think?

I nodded to answer her question but said, "Percy's up in Dumbledore's office, and if he's there, so is Fudge. There are others up there too, Bella, and I don't know why."

Guess we'll find out soon enough. You coming up?

"Yep." I sighed. "I'll be right behind you. But I'll stay in the stairwell."

Bella flashed me a smile as they walked past my alcove but leaned over to whisper to Draco and Harry. She managed to tell them my news before Goyle told her to stop talking.

"Fizzing whizzbee," Umbridge whispered, thinking that she was important because she had the password.

I snorted. She was so self-absorbed. She would have made a good death eater. I waited until the last possible second before I scooted past the gargoyle and climbed the staircase behind them. Not one of them, bar Bella, knew I was there. I leaned against the wall, hiding around the corner, once Umbridge opened the door to Dumbledore's office.

I had no idea how this was going to play out, but I had faith in my girl; she'd make sure I had all the information available from inside that office. Bella didn't disappoint. The second she walked through that door, she catalogued all the people in the room. Apart from Dumbledore, Umbridge, and Percy there was also Fudge, McGonagall, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. She also spotted another wizard. He had short, wiry hair, and he stood out a mile away.

"That's Willy Widdershins, Bella. He was the one who spotted us going into the Hogs Head the day of the first DA meeting."

Gotcha. Bella looked around again. Well, well, well … look who it is. Hermione's spell is strong.

There standing over by Willy was Cho Chang's friend Marietta. The one who had questioned us at that first meeting. She wasn't sure she had wanted to be part of a sneak study group. And now she had shown her true colors. But that wasn't the best part. It seems that the spell Hermione had placed on the list of people who signed up had made Marietta's face break out in pimples. It wasn't just a random pattern either. The pimples made up the word SNEAK across her forehead. In large, bold letters. I had no doubt you could see it from a mile away.

I could see Marietta's face change when she caught sight of Bella. I could only imagine the look of anger that Bella was aiming in her direction.

"What is the meaning of this?" Dumbledore thundered, gaining the attention of everyone in the office. "Why have you brought these students to my office, Professor Umbridge?"

"These students have been flouting educational decree number twenty-four." Umbridge walked forward and placed a piece of paper on the desk in front of Dumbledore.

"They have created an organization and have been getting together regularly. As well as breaking the rules I have set forth about practicing spells related to Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Dumbledore looked down at the paper. "And you know this how?"

Instead of answering, Umbridge turned back to Fudge. "He is amassing an army to take on the ministry."

"Again," Dumbledore interrupted before Umbridge could talk again. "How do you know this?"

Umbridge spun around. Bella could see the glare on her face from where Draco had placed her next to Percy. "I had a concerned student come to give me the information."

Bella snorted. She couldn't have held that in if she tried. It was loud, and it was ugly.

"Do you disagree, Miss Swan?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked, turning to her.

Bella nodded. "Our defense teacher has been behaving in a manner undeserving of her teacher status. She has been torturing students in detention, and she has been 'inviting' the students to have tea with her. Only she has been placing veritaserum in our tea to try and get the children to confess to what they have been doing."

Several faces snapped around to Umbridge, including Professor McGonagall and Cornelius Fudge. Umbridge, however, was glaring at my girl. Umbridge was hoping that the follow-up question wasn't …

"How do you know this?" Professor McGonagall asked, her eyes flicking between Bella, Umbridge, and Fudge.

Bella's lips lifted into a smirk. "Because I could smell the potion. She thought she was stealthy enough to tip it into my drink when she thought I wasn't looking. I have excellent peripheral vision, professor," Bella said to Umbridge when her mouth dropped open in shock, "and my sense of smell is as good as my mate Edward's. I knew the second you tipped it in my tea."

"But you drank it anyway!" Umbridge accused, pointing her pudgy finger at Bella.

"Of course, I did." Bella snorted. "There's not one person in this castle, besides Edward and me, who knows how to doctor a potion that would work on the pair of us. Besides, I had to see what torture devices you were using on my fellow housemates."

Then Bella produced something that not even I had known she'd gotten her hands on. From her pocket, Bella pulled out one of Umbridge's quills. The same quills that had I not tampered with them would have injured countless Hogwarts students. I couldn't help but chuckle at Harry though because as soon as he saw what Bella had pulled from her pocket, he lifted his hand out to show the result from using the quill.

"How did you get that?" Umbridge shrieked while Dumbledore stepped forward to gather the quill and look at Harry's hand.

"Never mind how she got it," Professor Dumbledore stated with finality as he looked at Harry's hand. Granted we were the only ones to realize that what was on there wasn't Umbridge's torture. "These devices have been banned from the magical community for centuries. Why have you been using them in my school?"

The whole room came to a standstill because with those words, Dumbledore had managed to bring the conversation back to what they had been discussing before Bella had derailed the conversation.

Fudge stepped forward. "I'll handle Professor Umbridge, Albus; you can be sure of that."

"What do you mean? Handle me?" Umbridge blustered. She was trying to assert her power once more. Instead though, she shrunk away as Fudge and Dumbledore turned to face her with their eyebrows raised. They both made it perfectly clear that she was interrupting a conversation between her superiors, and she was out of line.

Bella couldn't help the smug smirk when Umbridge's eyes flickered in her direction.

"But what about this army you've been gathering?" Fudge asked once he turned back to Dumbledore.

Before Dumbledore could answer, Harry spoke up, trying to escape the hold that Percy had on his arm. "Professor Dumbledore hasn't been creating an army. This was all me. It was my idea."

Dumbledore held up his hand before Harry spoke anymore. "You mean this army of Slytherins?" Dumbledore handed the list over to Fudge. "I don't know why Umbridge thought Harry and Bella were running it, their names aren't even on the list."

"What?" Fudge stepped forward and snatched the list from Dumbledore.

Well, that was rude. But goodness, Hermione is clever. Only she would have thought about this kind of spell. Bella knew Hermione had gone above and beyond in covering our tracks. Harry was especially in awe of his girlfriend. He knew she'd make a wonderful minister one day.

Bella and Harry smirked as Fudge looked over the list. I looked through the minister to see that Dumbledore was right. Every single name on the list was a Slytherin, with Pansy Parkinson at the very top.

Fudge turned around and stalked toward Marietta only to shake the list in her face. "What is this? This is not the list I was given originally."

Marietta only shook her head. She couldn't believe that the list had changed. She had copied it exactly as Hermione had it posted on the mirror.

I growled low. "It wasn't just because of the veritaserum, Bella. Marietta deliberately told Umbridge. She didn't think what we were doing was right."

It seems that she's learned her lesson though, Bella thought as she watched Marietta out of the corner of her eye. Marietta was shaking her head as Fudge demanded to know why the list had changed. He knew Harry had been on it—he'd seen it—as well as Bella and me.

"Why won't she talk?" Fudge demanded as he looked at Umbridge.

Umbridge sneered a little down at Marietta. "When she came to see me, she was able to talk, but once she had handed over the list, these bumps appeared on her forehead; once she saw her reflection, she stopped talking and hasn't said a word since."

Fudge and Umbridge continued to talk to Marietta. They changed their tactic by trying to be nice to her, looking at her as a concerned parent might. Not that they could pull that look off. That was until Fudge lost his temper. "WHO WAS AT THE TOP OF THIS LIST?"

I should feel for Marietta, I should, but she had betrayed her friend. She already knew that she'd been labeled a traitor. The entire school would know what she'd done. And now she was trying to backpedal. The whole time Fudge had been questioning her, she'd been shaking her head no, but now, he had scared her so much that she raised her hand and pointed in Harry's direction.

"When did you become aware of this group, Professor Umbridge?" Dumbledore asked before anyone else could say anything. Everyone turned to face Dumbledore.

"Back in October, I sent the minister a report saying that Willy Widdershins had overheard Mr. Potter, Miss Swan, and Mr. Masen organizing a meeting for a group of students at the Hogs Head. He came straight to the school to report it to me …" Umbridge began only to be interrupted by a scoff coming from Professor McGonagall.

"That's why he was never charged for all those regurgitating toilets," she muttered.

Umbridge ignored her and continued. "We assumed the purpose of this meeting was to convince the students of Hogwarts to join him in an illegal society whose aim was to learn spells and curses that were inappropriate for children of this age group."

"You assumed?" Dumbledore asked, pacing a little in front of his desk. "Did Mr. Widdershins not overhear that part?"

Umbridge pouted just a little. "Unfortunately, the meeting took place in another part of the pub, and Willy was not able to hear."

"Regardless of the fact that he didn't actually hear what their meeting was about, you're wrong about one thing, Delores."

Fudge snorted. "And how are you going to get Harry out of trouble this time? Was Mr. Widdershins lying? Does Harry have an identical twin? Or maybe there were invisible dementors there too?"

Fudge had also been pacing, and as those words left his mouth, Bella leveled him with a glare that should have made him wet his pants. As it was, Fudge stopped talking.

"Well, no, minister. I do not deny, nor will Harry, that he was at the Hogs Head that day. I'm also sure that neither Bella, Harry, nor Edward will deny they were there to recruit students for a Defense Against the Dark Arts group." Dumbledore smiled benignly. "I'm merely pointing out that this meeting was two days before such a group became illegal. At that time, they weren't breaking any rules."

Bella looked at McGonagall as Dumbledore spoke only to see her smirk at Fudge and Umbridge's open mouths.

Umbridge was the first to recover. "Be that as it may, we are now six months post Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four; if the first meeting wasn't illegal, then every one since then has been."

"Do you have proof that these meetings have been taking place over the last six months?" Professor McGonagall asked. "What is your evidence?"

As the discussion had been happening, Kingsley Shacklebolt had moved over behind Bella, Harry, Draco, Percy, and Marietta. With a slight flick of his wand, he cast a spell over Marietta.

"Where have you been throughout this conversation, Professor McGonagall? What do you think we've been discussing?" Umbridge asked through her teeth. "Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?"

Professor Dumbledore turned to Marietta with a small smirk on his face. "Can you, Miss Edgecombe, confirm that you have been attending meetings these last six months?"

Marietta stood there silently, almost as if she didn't understand the question. Because she had been ashamed of the pimples on her face, Marietta had brought up a hood and mask to cover her face. The only part showing now were her eyes.

Look, Edward. Look at her eyes. Bella pointedly looked at Marietta. She's under a spell. If I had to guess, it's the Imperious Curse.

I snickered. It seemed that Kingsley was prepared for this situation. "She is, my girl, but I'm not sure it's the Imperious Curse. Would one from the ministry use that?"

No, probably not, Bella thought.

"Miss Edgecombe, can you confirm that you have been attending these 'sessions' after the educational decree?" Professor Umbridge asked with a bite to her tone.

Bella and I picked up just the merest hint of a whisper right before Marietta shook her head.

"That's not what you said earlier," Professor Umbridge nearly shouted at the poor girl. "You told me that you had been going to meetings for the last six months."

She's losing it, both Bella and Harry thought at the same time. Bella continued. She's not going to come out of this as unscathed as she was thinking.

Marietta continued to shake her head at the accusations Umbridge was throwing at her. "What do you mean when you shake your head?" Umbridge ground out through her teeth.

"When one shakes their head," Professor McGonagall began derisively, "it usually means that what you are asking them is wrong."

The look that Umbridge shot McGonagall would have made lesser mortals cry, but Professor McGonagall just looked a little smug. Umbridge turned back to Marietta, and in the sweetest voice she could muster, said, "Didn't you come to me earlier this evening, telling me that there had been meetings held in the Room of Requirement for the last six months, led by Harry Potter himself?" Once again, Marietta shook her head. "Why do you keep shaking your head?"

Professor McGonagall snorted. Quite loudly, in fact, that it caused Bella and Harry to snicker. "It usually means 'no', Professor Umbridge. I believe Miss Edgecombe has answered your question. Unless there's a version of sign language yet unknown to humankind."

Bella and Harry snickered again but stopped abruptly when Umbridge stepped forward and grabbed ahold of Marietta by the shoulders. I growled low and angry because the second Umbridge had her hands on Marietta, she started to shake her most violently.

"No!" Bella and Harry shouted as they reached for Marietta while Professor McGonagall and Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped forward, and Professor Dumbledore raised his wand in Umbridge's direction.

"You forget yourself, Professor Umbridge." Kingsley reached out for Umbridge's hands as she jumped back from Marietta, shaking her hands like they'd been burned.

"I will not allow you to manhandle my students!" Dumbledore stated angrily. It was the most animated I'd ever seen him. His calm demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

"You do not want to get yourself in even more trouble, do you?" Kingsley asked, looking around the room at those gathered there.

Umbridge did the same only to look back at Kingsley. "Yes … I mean, no, thank you, Kingsley. I forgot myself for a moment." She took a step back and looked nervously over at her boss, Fudge. "Regardless, after I was informed of tonight's meeting, I gathered my inquisitorial squad to head to the seventh floor. It seemed, however, that they were informed of my arrival because they had scattered everywhere." Umbridge huffed in annoyance before she continued. "As you can see, it's not just Slytherins making up this group because we caught Mr. Potter and Miss Swan."

Bella snorted but covered it with a cough when everyone looked over to her. "Carry on, professor. I want to hear how you caught us."

"You're here, aren't you?" Umbridge frowned as she wondered what Bella meant before waving the comment away. "But all the evidence is right here. Including that list." The professor walked around Dumbledore—he had really scared her—and reached for the list once more. She handed it over to Fudge, who looked at it again.

"You say this list has changed?" he asked, holding it up. Umbridge simply nodded to Fudge's question. "And Harry Potter was at the top of the list?" Again, Umbridge nodded. "Then it doesn't matter because look at the name of the Army."

Umbridge looked closer at the list. A slow, smug smile began to creep its way onto Umbridge's face. I could see Bella and Harry sharing a look. They weren't sure what Umbridge and Fudge were looking at.

"Ugh. We really should have thought of that." I groaned.

What? Bella very nearly screamed, causing me to wince.

"Just." I sighed. "Just wait, Bella. You'll find out in a minute."

"Oh, yes, Minister, Dumbledore's Army. That's all the proof we need right there."

I couldn't help but snicker when both Bella and Harry groaned quietly at where our unintentional pun had landed Dumbledore. They both spun around in his direction, only to see him already looking at them. He gave them a wink on the side where none of the adults were standing before turning back to Fudge, Umbridge, and the others. "I must say it took you much longer to reach this conclusion than I thought it would."

Everyone in that room looked at Dumbledore surprised. They weren't sure what he was admitting to, just that he was admitting to something. And that something could change the entire outcome of this school year.

Fudge seemed to stop for a second, just to speculate in his thoughts, before he asked, "What exactly are you talking about, Albus?"

"The fact that it is my army, and that I gave the students in my school permission to form it, of course." Dumbledore smiled pleasantly. "In fact, I had been recruiting for a while, just to see if the students would be interested in joining me. Tonight was to be the first meeting."

"Huh?" Fudge asked stupidly before what Dumbledore had said dawned on him. "You? You set this all up? You have been plotting against me!"

Dumbledore smirked. "Since you removed me from the Wizengamot and had my Order of Merlin, First Class, revoked."

I had been paying so much attention to the other thoughts throughout Dumbledore's office that when he dropped his occlumency, his voice shocked me. Get ready, Edward. I need your help keeping Harry from confessing any more.

I could see what Dumbledore was planning to accomplish; for what, I didn't know. But I also watched the horrifying realization of what Dumbledore was planning to do settle into Harry's brain. He knew what Fudge would want to do if Dumbledore confessed to this.

"Bella, stop Harry; he's going to ruin everything if he talks."

Bella, who had begun to lose faith in Dumbledore's methods, did exactly as I told her because she believed in me. Bella reached out and grabbed Harry's arm—hard—just as he opened his mouth. Draco had caught the movement and had turned to look at Bella at the same time Harry did. They both were confused when Bella shook her head. As the "adults" were continuing to argue over what Dumbledore had—or had not—said, she leaned in to whisper to Harry. "Edward says this needs to happen." Bella looked around to make sure nobody was paying attention to them. "We might not trust Dumbledore and his methods, but I trust that Edward knows more than we do."

I wish I did know, but I was going on blind faith at this point. I just knew that Harry couldn't be locked up in Azkaban; we were going to need him.

"Weasley, did you get everything down? His entire confession?" Fudge asked with no small amount of glee.

"Yes, sir," Percy answered. He wasn't nearly as ecstatic as Fudge and Umbridge were. "I have it all."

Fudge positively cackled, he was so happy. "Excellent; duplicate your notes and get them over to the Daily Prophet as quickly as you can. We want to make the morning paper."

Percy nodded. "Of course, sir. Right away." Without delay, Percy left, only to stop outside in the stairwell. "Edward, you here?"

I couldn't help the snicker I let out when I dropped down in front of Percy, scaring the crap out of him. "Sorry."

"No, you're not," Percy argued playfully before he sobered. "I don't want this to get to the Daily Prophet. This will be bad."

"You have to. If Fudge didn't know he'd sent you, or didn't have recollection of it, I'd say lose it. But if you do that now, you'll lose your job." I smirked at him. "You can, however, send it to Sirius and have it in The Truth too. If Fudge asks about that, you can say that you sent it via owl, and it may have been intercepted. It's what Umbridge is doing to the owls here at school."

Percy sighed. His shoulders dropping. "If I had known it was going to be this hard, I wouldn't have accepted this position. I miss my family."

I pulled Percy in by the shoulders, giving him the hug he seemed to need so desperately. "They miss you too, but they know you're in the right place, doing the best you can."

"Thanks, Edward." With a quick hug and a nod, Percy was off to do what Fudge had asked him to do.

"Shacklebolt, arrest Albus Dumbledore and take him to Azkaban." I tuned back into the conversation that was happening in Dumbledore's office.

"Ah, I thought we might hit this little snag."

"What snag?" Fudge asked. "I don't see any snag."

"I have no intention of going to Azkaban, Cornelius. In fact, I won't be arrested at all." As Dumbledore spoke, Kingsley—who had no intention of arresting Dumbledore—Fudge, and Umbridge started walking closer to where Dumbledore stood. "Minerva, I need you to continue my work here in the castle. You know what to do."

Professor McGonagall nodded as Dumbledore took a small step forward, which confused me a little. Bella too, if her thoughts were anything to go by.

That was when Dumbledore's thoughts opened to me again. Now … off to Little Hangleton.

Just as Umbridge, Fudge, and Dawlish—the other auror in the room—launched themselves at Dumbledore, Kingsley and Professor McGonagall pushed Harry, Bella, and Draco to the floor. Because in a spectacular display of magic—only something an accomplished wizard like Dumbledore and probably Opi, Newt, or Mad Eye could produce—Dumbledore raised his hands in an arc on either side of his body and clapped them together above his head as Fawkes swooped down to touch them. Both disappearing in a bright burst of flames.

Fudge, Umbridge, and Dawlish were all thrown backward onto the floor, with Umbridge knocking her head on the table that held Dumbledore's bowl of sweets and getting knocked out.

Bella, Harry, and Draco stood much faster than the adults in the room, as they had been pushed down before Dumbledore disappeared, and glared over at the minister and his undersecretary. Bella leaned forward. "I hope you're happy now. This school will go to the …" Bella paused and looked over at Umbridge with a look of pure disgust "... dogs. You'll be lucky if any students return from Easter break because Dumbledore is no longer here, and the ministry thinks that they can control what, and how, we learn." Bella then spun to face Professor McGonagall. "Can I be excused back to the common room, please?"

"Of course, Miss Swan, and take Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy with you." Professor McGonagall replied with a slight nod.

Bella simply grabbed their hands and towed them out to join me. By the time they joined me, Fudge and Dawlish had managed to clamber to their feet, and Umbridge was starting to come around.

"Where did he go?" Fudge growled as he looked around for Dumbledore.

Professor McGonagall shrugged. She wasn't going to answer to a man she had absolutely no respect for. Nor did she have any respect for the people currently running the ministry she used to love so much.

Kingsley stepped up beside Fudge. "You may not like him, Minister, but you can't say that Dumbledore doesn't have style."

Bella and I snorted into a quiet laugh before we towed Harry and Draco down the spiral staircase. Bella looked over at me as we stepped off the staircase and into the corridor. "I think this year would be a good one to go home for Easter. Don't you think?"

"Mmhmm. I also believe that there will be changes when we come back."

Draco snorted. "And not for the better."

~*~UHS~*~

---

Dumbledore got away. What did you all think of Marietta's punishment? Hermione is a genius.

See you all in a fortnight!