Chapter 13
AN: Sorry about the delay even in Iso I've had a lot going on. Thankfully me, and more importantly, my Mum have remained negative so I should be out tomorrow and after rescheduling I will be seeing FBSOD on Thursday, after reading Grindeldore spoilers I am very excited, and I have a few ideas.
Hope you like this chapter. I have to say I do very much like this one.
After all of the seventh years who were involved in Lily's party had a pretty lazy Sunday, mainly due to hangovers, they have joined the rest of the castle for castles on Monday morning. Having already had a pretty relaxing charms class Mie, who was very glad to be able to briefly meet eyes with Regulus in the corridor, Severus, James, Lily, Frank, Alice, Sirius, Amelia, Edger, Emmaline, Marlene, Mary, Remus, Dorcus, Isaac, Peter, Avery Rosier, Wilkes, Mulciber and a few other students from each house, are all waiting for Defence Against the Dark Arts to begin.
For Mie this is the first DADA class she will be experiencing in the past, and considering her history with Defence Professors she can't help but feel a little apprehensive, especially because Remus never told her anything about his seventh year Professor and she never thought to ask.
Looking around the room Mie sees that no one has their textbook out and so she doesn't get hers out. Out of all the classes she has had in the past Mie feels the most out of her element in Defence Against the Dark arts as it is the class she cannot predict because it has been taught so unevenly.
"Morning," Professor Cabot says, waking into the room and Mie sees that he is fairly young for a professor, has fair hair and fair skin. "As you are all aware we will be using our double lesson tomorrow for a dueling competition," Professor Cabot says. "We will use this experience to develop your skills and understand just what you are each capable of," Professor Cabot says, and Mie finds something strange about those words, but isn't sure why. "Miss Dumbledore," Professor Cabot says.
"Professor?" Mie asks, not at all phased about being called on as she constantly is.
"I know that you are new but you will be taking part in our competition," Professor Cabot says. "I for one am… very interested in learning your technique," Professor Cabot says, and Mie finds something rather unnerving about the look on his face, but she can't be completely sure she's not imaging it. "Spend the rest of the lessons studying your books, developing your plans, the duels will be randomized tomorrow and because of that it is possible that not everyone will get a turn," Professor Cabot says. "Any questions?" He asks, looking around the room, and no one raises their hands. "Get to work," Professor Cabot instructs and that's exactly what everyone does.
Even though experience tells her that you can't really plan a duel, Mie follows the instructions and opens the text book which she starts to read. As she reads things that she already knows Mie gets the feeling that someone is watching her, a feeling that she has gotten rather used to lately, but this feeling causes her hair to stand up, it's almost like someone is watching her in a creepy way.
An hour and a half later the Seventh years leave what, even by Mie's standards, was a rather boring Defence Against the Dark Arts class, heading to lunch. As the others are happily talking Mie is hanging back and going over everything she has been feeling. Due to the fact that she isn't really paying attention Mie doesn't even realise when the others get further and further in front.
"Mie? You okay?' Remus asks concerned as when he noticed Mie was trailing behind he hung back.
"Huh, yeah," Mie answers, not sounding at all convincing.
"Anything you want to talk about?" Remus asks curious.
"No," Mie answers as she can't think of a way to explain what she is feeling without sounding incredibly paranoid.
"You sure? You know you can always talk to me," Remus offers, and Mie knows that that is true.
"I know, thanks," Mie says, deciding that she will see how things go before talking about it with anyone.
"Okay, if you're sure everything's okay," Remus tells Mie, not sounding at all convinced.
"I am," Mie responds and the two of them continue to walk to catch up with the others.
For the next day Mie feels apprehensive about Defence Against the Dark Arts, and as she walks into the Defence classroom with the other seventh years after lunch on Tuesday Mie has a pit in her stomach, a feeling which tells her that this is not a good idea.
Walking into the defence classroom the class sees that all the chairs are sitting around the edge of the classroom with enough space in the middle for dueling.
"You okay, Mie? You've been quiet all morning," Lily notes, feeling that it is rather unlike Mie as she didn't even notice when Regulus tried to catch her eye during lunch.
"Yeah, fine," Mie lies as she still isn't sure how to explain what she is feeling without sounding paranoid.
"You know, chances are you won't get picked to duel," Marlene tells Mie, suspecting that that might be what Mie is concerned about, that she may be worried about meeting expectations.
"I'm not worried about duelling," Mie responds, as they all take their seats.
Over the next few minutes, the seventh year Gryffindors are joined by the other seventh years who are taking Defence Against the Dark Arts, and finally they are joined by Professor Cabot.
"Good afternoon," Professor Cabot says, walking into the room. "As I said yesterday, we will be randomizing duels, that means that you may not take part in any duel or you may take part in multiple," Professor Cabot explains, and Mie has to fight not to frown as while she can't explain why she has a feeling that she is going to be taking part in a lot of duels. "The duel will be to stun or knock out your opponent," Professor Cabot says, and several people exchange looks because of the words used. "I will intervene if I feel the duel is getting out of hand," Professor Cabot explains, without going into detail about what that would be considered to be out of hand. "Now, we only have three hours so let's get started," Professor Cabot says, conjuring a bag. "Our first duel will be…" Professor Cabot says as he pulls two pieces of paper out of the bag. "Avery and Dumbledore," Professor Cabot says, and Mie isn't sure whether her growing suspicion is fair or not.
After hearing her name Mie gets up and heads into the middle of the room, pulling her wand as she goes, meeting Avery in the middle of the room, noticing that her friends, especially those who read the books with her, are giving her concerned looks.
"You're not going to win this time," Avery hisses at Mie.
"Whatever you say," Mie responds, clearly not at all phased.
"Bow to each other," Professor Cabot says and even though he is clearly talking to both of them his eyes are solely on Mie.
Hearing Professor Cabot's instructions Mie and Avery both give the smallest bows before Avery sends a curse at Mie and as it is exactly what she was expecting Mie is able to block it. Wanting to put Avery on the defensive Mie uses several complicated spells to divert his attention, which results in her getting hit with a slicing charm that cuts her arm as she is a split second too late to block it due to the other spells she was casting. As Avery is distracted by being pretty proud of himself Mie, who doesn't let the pain distract her, is able to send a stunning charm, under her own arm, and knock him out.
"Very interesting technique Miss Dumbledore," Professor Cabot says. "Very interesting indeed," Professor Cabot says as he revives Avery while Mie walks back to her seat.
"Do you need me to heal that?" Alice asks concerned as Mie sits down.
"I'm not sure, how badly is it bleeding?" Mie asks, twisting her arm around to have a look, as a duel between other students starts.
"Pretty badly I'd say," Mary says concerned.
"I can heal it, my dad taught me," Alice explains, knowing that Mie knows about her Dad being a healer.
"Yeah, that will be good," Mie says, as she figures it would be best, as she trusts her friend.
"No problem," Alice says and she wordlessly she uses a healing charm that heals Mie's arm.
"Thanks," Mie says gratefully as the second duel ends.
"Well done, well done," Professor Cabot says. "Our next duel will be… Dumbledore and Edger Bones," Professor Cabot says.
"Again?" Sirius asks with a frown, and Mie, feeling quite reluctant gets up and heads to the middle of the room.
While the duel between Mie and Edger lasts a little longer than the duel between Avery and Mie it ends the same way, with Mie winning. Over the next three hours the Defence Against Class goes very similar ways, with various students getting called up to duel one another. While it is meant to random everyone notices that Mie gets chosen every few duels.
Once the class finally ends everyone heads out of the room and Mie, who feels rather sore and drained, doesn't follow her friends and classmates in heading in the direction of the Great Hall, rather she goes across the hall and hides in an empty classroom, as she is now positive that she is not being paranoid. Once she is in the classroom Mie opens the door slightly and looks out at the door to the Defence classroom so that she can see if Professor Cabot leaves.
"Okay, Mie, what's going on?" A voice says and Mie turns to see Remus, who has come in from the other door as unlike the Defence Class the empty classroom Mie is currently in has two entrances, and for Mie, it's just like his older self, the person she is so comfortable talking to, is asking the question.
"I think Professor Cabot is a Death Eater," Mie tells Remus, who goes to say something. "I'm not being paranoid Remus, I go the feeling yesterday and today just proved it," Mie explains, as she looks out of the door and sees Professor Cabot leave.
"Mie, I don't think your paranoid," Remus tells her in a comforting voice. "If you think he's a Death Eater I trust your instincts," Remus tells her.
"Thank you," Mie says gratefully, as she was expecting to be told that she is paranoid.
"Do you know anything about him? Did my future self or Sirius tell you anything about him?" Remus asks.
"No, you never mentioned him," Mie admits. "And I never thought to ask," Mie admits.
"What do you want to do? Go to your Dad?" Remus asks.
"I want proof first, Dad will believe me, but for my own piece of mind we need proof," Mie tells Remus as she doesn't want to be wrong. While she believes in what she is saying she also knows that after everything she has been through, she is paranoid to a degree so the last thing she wants is to accidently accuse an innocent person.
"Proof of what?" Marlene asks, walking into the room with Lily and Sirius the three of them having realised that Mie and Remus were gone and felt concerned.
For a few moments Mie hesitates, for her telling Remus her suspicion was easy, talking to him is what she's always done, but talking to others, even Sirius, is something she's still not great at.
"I think Professor Cabot is a Death Eater," Mie reveals. "I want to get proof before going to Dad," Mie explains.
"Okay, do you have a plan to get proof?" Sirius asks, as he assumes she does.
"Searching the office is the only idea I've got for now, if that fails checking if he has the mark," Mie explains.
"So, it's true? Death Easters have a mark on their skin?" Marlene asks as she has heard rumours about that but nothing concrete.
"Yeah," Mie confirms. "A skull with a snake coming out of the mouth, just like the Dark Mark," Mie explains feeling that the more people who know about the dark mark the better. "Three of us should search the office, one should stay at the door into the office, and the other in the door to the classroom so we can get out quickly if needed," Mie explains.
"Sounds good, I'll take the hall," Marlene says, as she is the quickest runner out of them and that may come in handy.
"I'll take the office door," Lily says.
"That leaves us with the searching," Mie says to Sirius and Remus, feeling that that might actually be for the best as the three of them also know things about the future, things they could keep an eye out for.
"Let's do it," Sirius says, and the five students cross the hall and while Marlene stays in the corridor the others head up to the office, which is surprisingly unlocked.
"We should be quick, we don't know how long we actually have until he'll be back," Mie says as they start to search.
"So, what are we looking for?" Sirius asks as they start to search. "What will tell us that he is a Death Eater?" Sirius asks as he isn't sure about what could to that.
"I don't know," Mie says as she flicks through papers. "I just need there to be something to tell us if he's a death eater," Mie admits.
"Okay, so we search, see what we can find," Remus says, trying to be helpful.
"Thanks," Mie says, looking between Remus, Sirius, and Lily who is standing at the door.
"Mie, you don't have to thank us, we've got your back," Lily assures her, and Mie feels incredibly grateful for her new friends.
"I'm still grateful," Mie says, walking over to the desk an after checking the stuff on the desk she opens the top draw and as she does, she frowns.
"Mie? What is it?" Sirius asks, noticing the look, and seeing Mie look between the inside of the draw and the outside.
"This draw is shallower than it should be," Mie says, looking closely.
"Do you think it's a false bottom?" Remus asks, looking up from what he is searching through, as Sirius walks over to Mie.
"I think so," Mie admits, as she tries to find a way a way to open what she assumes is a false bottom.
"Let me try, I'm an expert at finding false bottoms and secret compartments," Sirius explains, and Mie takes a side step so that Sirius can have a look.
Looking closely at the draw Sirius checks a few things, and then finally the floor of the draw pops up so Mie hurriedly opens it.
"Anything?" Remus asks from across the room pausing from where he is searching.
"A journal," Mie says as she picks it up and starts to look inside.
"What it say?" Lily asks Mie curious.
"It's a list of every student," Mie explains, sounding confused. "Listen to this…. Sirius Black, blood traitor, Gryffindor, loyal to Dumbledore; Enemy," Mie says, looking at Sirius.
"He's got that right," Sirius says, looking through the draw to try to figure out what else is in there.
"I think it's an assessment of all of us," Mie realises, and she quickly searches the page for the name she is desperate to see. "Regulus Black, loyal, skilled, suitable for more responsibility," Mie reads, feeling torn because she is glad that Regulus's cover is still intact but at the same time, she is worried about him, and hearing Mie's words Lily walks over, wanting to see what else in the draw.
Wanting more answers Mie quickly searches the book for her name. "Annemie Dumbledore; highly skilled, genius, enemy; key target, elimination will cripple Dumbledore," Mie reads to herself, starting at the words, and feeling a sense of dread rise up inside of her.
"Uh Mie," Sirius says, and Mie looks away from the words on the paper to look at Sirius who is holding what is clearly death eater mask and robes. "I think we have our answer," Sirius says.
"Yeah, we do," Mie confirms. "Guess I'm not just paranoid," Mie says, honestly, she kind of wishes she was.
"Never thought you were," Lily assures her.
"Thanks Lil," Mie says gratefully, and as she does Marlene runs into the room, clearly ran as fast as she could.
"He's a corridor away," Marlene says, looking between the others.
"We've got to get out of here," Remus says, feeling worried.
"There's only one entrance," Marlene reminds him.
"We've got to comfort him," Sirius says. "He's just one person, one death eater, there are five of us, we can take him," Sirius argues. "We have the element of surprise,"
"What if that's not enough?" Lily asks concerned feeling that they don't know enough about what Cabot is capable of to know what the best thing to do is. "Mie what do you think?" Lily asks.
"I need a second," Mie says, pacing back and forth, quickly searching her mind for the best thing to do as plans in this kind of situation was always Harry's job not hers.
"That's all we've got," Marlene says, feeling concerned, and as she does Mie gets an idea.
"Sirius, Marlene, you two are the most athletic," Mie says it being a statement and not a question. "I need you both to go out of the window, climb along the side and get into the corridor through the window, get behind him, " Mie instructs, knowing that they will both be able to do that without a problem and if there is two of them they can help if one of them gets in trouble, her voice rushed as she knows they don't have long. "Remus, Lily, we'll try to buy them a couple of minutes before making our move so that he's surrounded when we act," Mie explains, looking between the others, as she is sure that that is the best way not to just protect them, but everyone. "Got it?" Mie asks.
"Got it," Sirius, Marlene, Remus, and Lily say.
After confirming that they understand the plan Sirius and Marlene hurry over the windows and climb out while Mie, Lily, and Remus head over to the door, Mie closing most of the door, but leaving it open a fraction so that they can look out.
Not wanting to put anyone else in danger Mie signals to Remus and Lily to stay back, as she glances out of the door seeing Professor Cabot walk into the classroom. As the professor walks into the room everything seems fine until Mie notices his wand drop from his sleeve into hand.
"GET DOWN!" Mie yells at Remus and Lily diving out of the way of the door as Professor Cabot cats a spell that when it hits the door causes it to explode. Due to everyone else in the castle being at dinner Mie knows that she and her friends are alone, and she can't help but feel incredible guilt as she dragged them into this.