Chapter 72
Flight of the Phoenix
Note from J.M. Jackson: I'm actually getting a chapter out when I intended! Time to celebrate! In all honesty, I do hope you enjoy this chapter, and as usual, please do keep writing your reviews, they encourage us and make us feel better, which is always needed.
Lily, true to her word, had gone to see Hagrid as soon as she and Lavender left the classroom, but he dismissed the warning, saying 'the attempt was coming on fine' although he wouldn't reveal anything about what the attempt was.
She had conveyed her concerns to her friends, all of whom were worried for Hagrid, especially since Umbridge would be looking to strike out at anyone she wanted, in revenge for Dumbledore hiring Firenze. None of them, however, had any luck in learning what Hagrid was doing.
With the next session of the DA coming up, Lily had decided to focus on the Patronus charm, especially with the recent news of a mass breakout from Azkaban. The Daily Prophet claimed it had been led by Peter Pettigrew, rather than accepting that Voldemort had returned.
"It's not like they can blame anyone else, although I bet they'd blame Remus if they could," Hermione said, over breakfast.
"Umbridge would probably be leading that charge," Lily added bitterly, feeling nothing but hatred towards the woman. A part of her hoped that the curse of the DADA Professorship would get her.
"Never mind that, how are you doing Lily? Are the meds helping at all?" Ginny asked, holding Lily's hand.
"A little, I think. Having to keep them hidden isn't easy, but Lana's been amazing in that sense," Lily replied. "She and Sirius make sure my meds come when no one is around, thanks to the map," she whispered softly.
"Moody helping, I take it?" Ron asked, his voice just as soft. Lily nodded.
"Have you told Sirius about… your hand?" Hermione looked around carefully before whispering.
"No, and I don't know how to. Knowing him, he'd come up here and actually kill her. You know how protective he gets," Lily replied. "I don't want him knowing this, I won't have him sent to Azkaban."
"Alright, just… be careful. I know she's trying to bait you more," Hermione told Lily. "Fred and George are already planning something, but they're being very careful."
"Mum's gonna kill me if they do anything ridiculous," Ron looked anxious as he spoke. "You know she wanted me to keep an eye on them, especially being a prefect."
"Yeah, as if anyone can keep those two out of trouble," Ginny scoffed, a smirk on her face. Lily couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of love and adoration whenever Ginny smiled; it was almost as if he was falling in love for the first time all over again. If anything, it was one feeling she was determined to keep alive, even as she still felt lost.
She had been keeping busy with the DA, of course, but she still doubted herself over the questions Sirius had asked her. Why couldn't she find an answer? She was still doing the DA, teaching her friends and other students, but she knew that was because everyone was expecting her to do so.
She also thought on what Firenze had told her, how he had noticed that there was something off with Lily when they had first met. She wished he had mentioned it before, but they had been busy, having just chased off Quirrell/Voldemort.
As she finished her breakfast, she stood up, wincing as she did. The action didn't go unnoticed by Ginny.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, frowning.
"It's… honestly nothing," Lily replied. "Just…"
"Just what? Mate, if You-Know-Who is trying to get into your head, we need to talk to Dumbledore," Ron replied.
"It's not my head that hurts, Ron," Lily replied. Ginny, Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati all nodded in understanding. Ron looked both confused and frustrated.
"Someone gonna share the secret with me?" Ron asked. Lavender rolled her eyes before whispering into his ear. "Wait, every girl feels that?" he asked.
"During certain parts of our growth, yes," Lavender confirmed.
"Let's see if Madam Pomfrey can help somehow," Ginny smiled softly.
"Good idea," Lily agreed, leaving the Great Hall with her.
"How long have you been feeling tender?" Ginny asked.
"I dunno, a few months now, I guess. I figured it was because the potion was working as it should be," Lily replied. Ginny chuckled softly.
"Yeah, that's about right for puberty, it still hurts every so often for me," Ginny admitted. "I guess we need to get you some new bra's, maybe with decent support."
"Good idea. Can we mail order?" Lily asked.
"Soon as we finish class today, we'll order some new clothes for you," Ginny agreed. "In the meantime, Madam Pomfrey should be able to give you a numbing potion; I've had to take one a few times."
"Where would I be without you?" Lily asked, smiling as they headed for the Hospital Wing.
"I don't even want to imagine," Ginny chuckled softly.
Madam Pomfrey did, in fact, give Lily a numbing potion, which immediately helped, something Lily was thankful for. She was able to focus on her lessons that day, including, unfortunately, Defence Against the Dark Arts, writing more of the book assigned to them. Every lesson Lily had with Umbridge made her more determined to teach the DA properly, and not with just words and copying from a book.
What concerned Lily was how Umbridge seemed to have a genuine smile on her face during the lesson, and even gave Lavender ten points, something that none of the group expected.
As they were starting the DA session that evening, Lily looked at the others. "I've got a bad feeling about this. Umbridge is never that nice," Lily said.
"Agreed. She reminded me of Crookshanks, whenever he catches a mouse," Hermione agreed.
"What do you think we should do?" Ron asked.
"What can we do? I mean, let's face it, until we know what she's doing, there's nothing to do. We just have to keep going with the group, and be prepared for whatever she throws at us," Hermione commented, as the rest of the DA began to arrive.
Lily couldn't throw off the bad feeling, however, but began to teach the lesson anyway.
"So, I wanted us to continue with the Patronus charm. We can't exactly get a dementor, or even a boggart, right now, but the Patronus charm can be cast without one. Your Patronus is individual to you; sort of like a spirit animal," Lily explained.
"Can they be the same as others though?" Neville asked. Lily nodded.
"Of course; some people can share a similar Patronus to other people for a variety of reasons. Maybe it's because of a close friendship, maybe it's just who you are inside, or maybe it's because of love. My parents, for example. My mother's Patronus was a Doe, and my dad's was a Stag," Lily explained.
She could see a look of wonder and awe on many of the student's faces. She barely ever spoke of her parents; it was difficult to do so when all she knew, she had learnt from Sirius, Remus, Minerva, and a few others who knew them. She hated that she never knew them, but her Patronus was a Doe, like her mothers.
"Similarly, you could share a Patronus with parents. Mine, like my mother's, is a Doe," Lily explained, before summoning the Silver Doe, smiling as it stood there, like a cherished friend.
One thing Lily never explained to anyone; mostly because she wasn't sure how to do so, was that she felt a connection to her mother through her Patronus. She wondered how her mother had felt when first casting the Patronus. Had she felt a connection to someone else? Had she felt connected to the Doe?
Lily wished she knew the answers, but that wouldn't happen, not unless there was some magical object that could bring back the spirits of the dead, and if such a thing existed, Hermione would already know about it.
As the group began to cast their spells, Lily walked amongst them, giving them pointers and guidance, suggesting different stances, and how to clear their mind and think of happier moments in their life.
Lily felt a rush of joy as she watched Neville cast a Patronus; it wasn't a strong one, but he had managed it, and for her friend, that was a massive achievement. She could literally feel the joy emanating from Neville as he grinned.
"That was really awesome Neville, well done," Lily complimented.
"Thanks Lily. You're an awesome teacher," Neville returned the compliment. Before Lily could respond, however, a loud thud filled the room, which in turn, filled Lily with a deep feeling of dread.
"What's happening?" Lily asked, as Dobby appeared in the room.
"Lily Potter, Miss, you've been found out!" Dobby exclaimed.
"Dobby, start apparating the students to their dorm rooms, now!" Lily exclaimed, as she, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati, each stood near the entrance, immediately casting shield charms and mentally defending the room from being breached.
As more of the students were taken away by Dobby, Lily felt a little weakened from the effort she and the others were putting in, but she couldn't let anyone be caught; Umbridge would literally torture them, and she'd die before letting that happen. Her hand still stung from all the detentions, with a now permanent scar on her hand, saying 'I must not tell lies' which Umbridge had kept forcing her to write with that damned quill of hers.
"I… I don't think we can…" Ron gasped. Lily quickly turned around, seeing Dobby take Fred, George, and the last of the Gryffindor's.
"Everyone's gone," Lily let out a sigh of relief, just as the doorway was forced open with a loud bang. Standing outside the door, with a massive smirk on her face, was Professor Umbridge, along with Malfoy, and a number of other Slytherin students, all of whom were holding their wands.
"Miss Potter, what a surprise," Umbridge said, in a genuinely happy tone. Her smile faded when she noticed that the room was practically empty.
"Is there a problem, Professor?" Lily asked. "My friends and I were here talking and spending some time together," she replied.
"Where are the rest of them?" Umbridge demanded.
"The rest of who, Professor?" Hermione asked, trying to sound confused.
"Oh, you'll tell me everything I want to know, Potter," Umbridge sounded furious as she took hold of Lily, leading her from the room. Lily buried a smirk; at least she'd managed to protect the whole group. Whatever came next, she knew she could, and would, handle it.
Lily found herself dragged quite literally to Professor Dumbledore's office, where she saw Kingsley Shacklebolt, another man she didn't know, Percy Weasley, Aunt Minnie, Professor Dumbledore, and the Minister of Magic, Elpenor White.
"I found Potter exactly where we knew to look, Minister," Umbridge said. "I, along with students loyal to the school, found Potter and the group, although somehow, the rest had fled. I will, of course, investigate how that happened."
"Yes, of course Dolores," White said, a smile on his face. He then turned to Lily. "I expect you know why you're here, Potter?"
"No, I don't," Lily replied defiantly, meeting his gaze.
"I beg your pardon?" White asked, frowning.
"I said no, I don't," Lily repeated.
"You don't know why you've been brought here?" White demanded. "Why you've been brought to this office by Professor Umbridge."
"Not a clue," Lily answered.
"So, you're not aware of any school rules or ministry decrees that you've broken?" White asked. Lily shook her head. Her heart was racing, and she was focusing all her efforts on her Occlumency shields. Someone had told them about the DA, but she didn't know who.
"I suppose you're going to tell us that you know nothing about an illegal student organization that's been going on within Hogwarts?" White asked.
"That's news to me, Minister," Lily lied. She could feel a slight tingling within her mind and knew that someone was trying to read her mind. The feeling lasted for no more than a few seconds.
"Perhaps, Minister, we should speak to our informant?" Umbridge suggested.
"Yes, excellent idea Dolores. There's nothing like a good witness, is there, Dumbledore?" White asked.
"Nothing at all, Elpenor," Dumbledore, his voice grave and serious.
"I'm glad you agree," White told him, a look of glee on his face. It was the last thing spoken for a few moments, although Lily caught a look of concern from Percy; thankfully, only she noticed it.
When the door opened again, Umbridge returned with a student who was hiding her face in her hands, although Lily recognised her immediately at a friend of Cho's, Marietta Edgecombe. Lily felt sorry for Cho; this was going to hurt her deeply, and Lily hated to see her friends hurt.
"Minister, this is Marietta Edgecombe, her mother is Madam Edgecombe from the Department of Magical Transportation, and has been helping us police the Hogwarts Fires," Umbridge said, a smile on her face. "No need to be scared, dear, you've done the right thing."
"Indeed you have. You're to be commended, Miss Edgecombe, and I'll be sure to tell your mother how proud of you I am," White said. Lily wanted to be sick, the condescension was nauseating. "Come on, dear, look up, don't be shy, let's… Merlin's beard!" White exclaimed, practically leaping backwards in shock, stepping against a column in the large office.
As Marietta raised her head, she gave a small cry of despair and tried to cover her face, but not before Lily had seen what was wrong with her. Marietta's face was horribly disfigured by multiple close-set purple pustules that had spread across her nose and cheeks to form a single word; Sneak.
Lily felt a wave of pride for Hermione's spellwork, although she did wonder how Hermione had managed such a feat. It was definitely something Hermione would do, and Lily really wanted to learn that spell.
"Never mind the spots now, dear. Take your robes away from your mouth, and tell the minister," Umbridge insisted, but Marietta let out another sob and shook her head. "Oh, very well, you silly girl, I'll tell him," Umbridge snapped impatiently.
Umbridge took a breath and smiled her fake smile again. "Miss Edgecombe here, Minister, came to my office after dinner yesterday, and told me she had something she wanted to tell me," Umbridge began. "She explained to me that if I proceeded to a secret room on the seventh floor, often known as the Room of Requirement, I would find something to my advantage. Unfortunately, when I pressed a little further, she admitted there would be a meeting there, and then this hex came into operation. That's when she refused to tell me anymore, the sight of herself distressing her."
White looked at Marietta with what almost reminded Lily of when Sirius looked at her with pride and love. "That's very brave of you, Marietta, to tell Professor Umbridge what you did. Can you please tell me what happened at the meeting, and what the purpose was? Or who was there?" White asked.
Marietta was crying as she shook her head. Lily wanted to feel pity for her, but she had just betrayed everyone she had claimed was her friend, so she couldn't feel sorry for her.
"Haven't we found a counter jinx for this?" White asked impatiently.
"I'm afraid to say I haven't found one yet," Umbridge said, another surge of pride rushing through Lily. "But I'll continue from here. Back in October, we received a report of Potter and others were discussing a secret, illegal society, one that would teach spells and curses that the ministry has deemed inappropriate for school students to learn."
"Oh? What's your evidence for that?" Minerva spoke for the first time.
"I have testimony, Minerva, from one Willy Widdershins, who was at the bar, heavily bandaged but perfectly capable of hearing what was being said," Umbridge replied. Lily inwardly kicked herself; she should have never spoken aloud about it.
"Oh, so that's why he wasn't prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets," Minerva surmised coldly, glaring at Umbridge. "More evidence of how our justice system is being corrupted."
The portraits in the room began to roar and cheer at Minerva's words, calling out in support.
"Blatant Corruption!" One of them roared out.
"Thank you, Fortescue, that will do," Dumbledore spoke softly.
"The purpose of the meeting was to plan for an illegal society that we mentioned," Umbridge said.
"I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores," Dumbledore said, almost cheerfully, as he looked at her over his glasses. What was Dumbledore going to say?
"Really? You're going to say Widdershins was lying? Or perhaps an identical twin, or someone using Polyjuice potion?" White asked, chuckling.
"Oh, very good Minister, very good," Percy laughed, although Lily could see the pain in his eyes.
"Elpenor, I do not deny, and neither does Lily, that she was discussing such a group. However, Dolores is quite wrong in saying it was, at that time, illegal. After all, the degree about banning all societies was not put into effect until after that meeting, so she wasn't breaking any rules at all," Dumbledore said.
Lily fought hard to bury a grin; the look on Umbridge's face was priceless, and even White was practically sputtering.
"That's all fine and well, Headmaster, but it's now months on from the decree being in place, and whilst perhaps that meeting, and any before it, were not illegal, the ones since then have been illegal," Umbridge pointed out.
"Yes, they would be, if they had continued after the decree was put into place. But do you have any evidence of that?" Dumbledore asked. Lily heard a soft rustle behind her, and thought she heard a soft whisper from Kingsley.
"Haven't you been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?" Umbridge asked.
"She wanted to speak about six months of meetings?" Dumbledore asked.
"I thought she spoke of a meeting tonight only," Minerva added.
"Miss Edgecombe, you can confirm that the meetings have been going on for months, can't you dear?" Umbridge asked, facing the girl. Lily almost burst into laughter as Marietta shook her head. Lily caught a quick glimpse of Marietta's eyes and knew what had happened; her eyes were oddly blank for a moment.
Lily knew that Kingsley had modified Marietta's memories without anyone noticing.
"What do you mean?" Umbridge asked.
"When someone shakes their head, Dolores, that tends to mean no," Minerva said. When Umbridge seized Marietta and shook her, Dumbledore was on his feet, his wand raised, as Kingsley started forward, with Umbridge leaping back, waving her hands as though they had been burnt.
"I cannot, and will not, allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores," Dumbledore said firmly.
"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge," Kingsley spoke deeply, and slowly. "You don't want to get yourself into trouble now."
Umbridge agreed, and Lily watched as Umbridge pulled out a roll of parchment, which Lily recognised immediately as the paper the group had signed when they had joined. Lily joined the dots, realising that had to be how Hermione had cast the hex.
"I do have the names of all the students here, Miss Edgecombe had handed it to me, and I knew what we were dealing with when I saw Potter's name upon it," Umbridge explained.
Lily was horrified as she realised her efforts that evening had been for naught; how could she have not noticed the list was gone?
White looked at the list. "Dumbledore's Army?" he asked, frowning, before looking up, and seeing a smile on Dumbledore's face.
"Well, the game is up," Dumbledore said. "Would you like a written confession, or merely a statement in front of these witnesses?"
"Statement?" White asked. His eyes then widened as he realised what Dumbledore was saying.
"That's right. Dumbledore's Army, not Potter's Army," Dumbledore said.
The next few moments went by quickly for Lily. She watched as White clearly became excited at the thought of arresting Dumbledore and not expelling Lily; she was practically forgotten, despite attempting to object.
However, as White, Umbridge, and the other auror, a man named Dawlish, was about to move towards Dumbledore, a light filled the room, with all three, as well as Kingsley, Marietta, and Percy Weasley, were on the floor, unconscious.
"Sir, I…" Lily began, but Dumbledore cut her off.
"Lily, you are an amazing young woman, and you have progressed greatly. I know of the inner conflict within you, but right now, you must focus on finishing this year. I will return, I promise you that. Stay strong, and focus on your path," Dumbledore insisted.
"I promise, sir," Lily replied, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Minerva, thank Kingsley for me; it was remarkably quick of him to modify Miss Edgecombe's memory like that," Lily had been right; Kingsley had done it. Moments later, Dumbledore, and Fawkes, had vanished in a flash of light, seconds before White and everyone else got to their feet, merely thinking they'd been thrown to the floor.
"Where is he?" White demanded angrily. White and Umbridge quickly spoke between themselves, with Minerva leading Marietta and Lily from the office. As she did, Umbridge spoke, just as White left the office.
"Well Minerva, this is the end of your friend Dumbledore," Umbridge stated.
"We'll see," Minerva said, her lips pursed thinly, before leading the students towards the common rooms. Lily knew what without Dumbledore, things were about to get much worse at Hogwarts.
