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The attack on Hagrid and McGonagall caused absolute havoc the next day. Students and teachers alike were angrier than Iris had ever seen. The girl hadn't gotten to bed until just before the sun rose, as she had spent the night in the hospital wing at Professor McGonagall's side. She was not doing well, but Madam Pomfrey was doing all that she could for the woman.

Luckily, their final exam, History of Magic, was not to take place until that afternoon. Iris would very much have liked to go back to bed after breakfast, but she had been counting on the morning to use for some last-minute studying, so instead, she sat with her head in her hands by the common room window, unsuccessfully trying to keep her eyes open. She gave up on studying after not long and let herself drift off. Harry, who was sitting beside Iris, was slightly stronger than her and kept awake, although was trying very hard not to doze off as he read through some of the notes stacked three-and-a-half feet high that Hermione had lent him.

The fifth years entered the Great Hall at two o'clock and took their places in front of their overturned examination papers. Iris felt exhausted. She just wanted this to be over so that she could go and sleep. After the exam, there was nothing left but to leave Hogwarts for the summer, which Iris could admit she was very relieved to do. She couldn't wait to see Sirius again; she thought perhaps they might be able to spend more time together this summer since they would both likely be doing stuff with the Order once again.

"Turn over your papers," said Professor Marchbanks from the front of the Hall, flicking over the giant hourglass. "You may begin..." Iris stared fixedly at the first question. It was several seconds before it occurred to her that she had not taken in a word of it; there was a wasp buzzing distractingly against one of the high windows. Slowly, tortuously, she began to write an answer.

She was finding it very difficult to remember names and kept confusing dates. Iris bit her lip, perplexed. She was certain she had failed the Astronomy exam last night, due to the circumstances, and was altogether not too keen about failing another. Just then, Iris made a decision to do something she had sworn, not only to herself but also to Dumbledore, she would never do— Iris closed her eyes and focused. She found what she was looking for in a nearby student: a glimpse of question four and the inky black words scrawled across the parchment beneath. Iris had never been a cheater, but she truthfully no longer cared about her academic integrity.

Maybe halfway through the exam period, a distant boom sounded. It was quiet enough that only a few students glanced up, but when the second one rang out from closer, even more looked around, a low murmur of confusion coating the previous silence. Iris' wandering eyes met Harry's where she rose an eyebrow in inquisition. He gave a very small shrug.

Umbridge, who had been proctoring the test alongside the official examiners, stalked down the middle aisle menacingly, determined to get to the bottom of the exploding noises. All of the fifth-years in the room looked up from their pages to silently watch as she walked past and opened the grand doors. When she stepped outside, there was only a second of peace before something small and sparkling went flying past her and into the Great Hall. It whizzed up toward the rafters before exploding and revealing itself as a firework.

Iris' face twisted in confusion, wondering who in the world set it off, but her question was answered not a moment later when two boys came flying full speed on brooms past Umbridge into the room, hollering and whooping, tossing more fireworks behind them. Fred and George Weasley took a lap around the room, all the while fireworks of every colour exploded above them. With the exam forgotten, every student in the room stood up to cheer them on. The twins each threw one last firework before making their exit, being chased by an excited mob of fifth-years and other students who happened to hear the commotion and come running.

Iris let out a genuine laugh, grabbing Harry by the hand and dragging him outside with her. In the courtyard, the Weasley twins turned around on their brooms to face the crowd and pumped their fists gleefully. George and Fred found Iris and Harry in the sea of students and waved goodbye to which Iris replied with a salute farewell. Hermione and Ron stood on her other side grinning from ear to ear and clapping.

She wasn't sure what tipped her off first. Something deep in Iris' stomach twisted darkly and the smile on her face slowly dropped. All the noise around her faded from her ears. She turned her head to look at her brother, but he was standing pale as a sheet, his eyes moving back and forth to look at things that weren't there.

"Harry?" Iris asked, worried.

She reached out her hand to lay it on his arm, but the second they touched Iris recoiled viciously. She stared at Harry in horror.

It had only been a flash, just a few frames of the movie playing inside her brother's mind, but it was the most terrifying vision she had ever seen. Three men: one lay unmoving on the floor, another writhing in unbearable pain, and the third— the cause. Iris recognized each of their faces. The torturer was the snakelike face of Lord Voldemort that had haunted her dreams for the last year, the one being crucioed was Remus Lupin, and the last... the one who did not move an inch... Sirius Black.

The second Harry snapped out of it, Iris had him by the sleeve and was running through the crowd back into the school. Hermione and Ron were just behind them, looking very confused.

"Harry, what was that?" Iris' voice cracked, not wanting to believe it.

He was breathing heavily, a wild look in his eyes, "We have to go help them."

The twins began jogging down the corridor towards the grand staircase, planning on heading back to the common room. Ron and Hermione ran after them, rapidly asking questions while Harry explained what he had seen.

"Harry, are you sure?" Ron asked somewhat sceptically.

He and Iris both nodded rapidly, "I saw it— just like with your dad! It's the same door I've been dreaming about for months— only I couldn't remember where I'd seen it before!" They didn't seem to understand right away so Harry went on, "Sirius said Voldemort was after something—something he didn't have last time— and it's in the Department of Mysteries!"

Iris' head was spinning. She felt sick to her stomach at the thought that Voldemort had finally gotten to the prophecy. The Order's efforts had been all for nothing, and now Sirius and Remus were paying for it.

"Harry, Iris, please, just listen," Hermione begged, looking to Ron for support, "What if Voldemort meant for you to see this?"

Iris turned to her best friend, fighting back the glossiness in her eyes, "I won't let them die, Hermione— not like last year."

 "What if he's only hurting Remus and Sirius because he's trying to get to you?"

Iris set her jaw, "Then I'll kill him myself."

Harry said desperately, "They're the only family we've got left."

Hermione looked truly torn. She turned to Ron and an unspoken agreement passed between them. When they both turned to the twins, the loyalty and resolve in their eyes said it all. Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. 

"What do we do?" Ron asked.

After a moment of thinking, Iris said, "We'll have to use the Floo Network."

"But Umbridge has all the chimneys under surveillance!" Hermione protested.

Harry looked like he had a revelation, " Not all... I have an idea."

Within minutes, the four of them arrived outside Umbridge's office. With a quick "Alohomora," the door creaked open and they ducked inside.

Harry dashed over to the fireplace, seized the pot of Floo powder, and threw a pinch into the grate, causing emerald flames to burst into life there. He and Iris prepared to step into the fire.

"Alert the Order if you can—" Harry was cut off.

"Are you mental?" Ron asked incredulously, "We're going with you!"

Iris agreed with Ron but Harry protested, "It's too dangerous!"

Hermione sighed, "When are you going to get it through your head, Harry— we're in this together!"

"That you are."

The quartet spun toward the door which none of them had been paying attention to, to find a wildly dishevelled Umbridge, a mad gleam in her eye and her wand extended.

"You foolish children. Take their wands," she barked and members of her Inquisitorial Squad ran forward to do so. 

They each scuffled in an attempt to resist, but for each of them was two Slytherin students. They were outnumbered.

"I want to know why you are in my office," said Umbridge furiously.

There was a commotion outside and several large Slytherins entered, each gripping Ginny, Luna, and Neville, who was trapped in a stranglehold by Crabbe and looked in imminent danger of suffocation. All three of them had been gagged. Iris was made even madder at that. They had just been trying to help her and Harry.

"Got 'em all," said Warrington, shoving Luna roughly forward into the room. "That one." he poked a thick finger at Neville, "tried to stop me taking her," he pointed at Ginny, who was trying to kick the shins of the large Slytherin girl holding her, "so I brought him along too."

"Good, good," said Umbridge before retraining her focus on the Potters. "You were going to Dumbledore, weren't you."

Iris tried, "No—"

Umbridge suddenly backhanded Iris across the face, "LIAR!"

There were footsteps in the corridor outside and then the office door cracked open once more.

"You sent for me, Headmistress?" said Snape, looking around at all the pairs of struggling students with an expression of complete indifference.

Iris' cheek was stinging, and she was sure it was turning redder by the second. While Professor Snape usually would not have been a happy sight, it momentarily brought Iris a piece of hope, realising that he was their only chance of communicating with any of the Order.

"Ah, Professor Snape," said Umbridge, smiling widely and standing up again. "Yes. The time has come for answers— whether they want to give them to me or not. Have you brought the Veritaserum?"

"I'm afraid you've used up all my stores interrogating students; the last of it on Miss Edgecombe," he said, observing her coolly through his greasy curtains of black hair. "Unless you wish to poison the Potters— and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy if you did— I cannot help you. If that will be all..."

"He's got Padfoot!" Harry suddenly shouted. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"

Snape had stopped with his hand on Umbridge's door handle. Iris stared at Harry with wide eyes.

"Padfoot?" cried Professor Umbridge, looking eagerly from Harry to Snape. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"

Snape looked around at Harry, and then his gaze switched to Iris. His face was inscrutable. His cold, dark eyes were boring into Iris', who met his gaze, concentrating hard on tearing her walls down and allowing him into her mind so he could see what Harry had seen in his dream. She willed Snape to read it in her mind, to understand... Iris could not tell whether he had understood or not, but he did not dare speak more plainly in front of Umbridge.

"I have no idea," said Snape coldly.

He closed the door behind him with a snap, leaving Iris in a state of worse turmoil than before: Snape had been their very last hope. She looked at Umbridge, who seemed to be feeling the same way; her chest was heaving with rage and frustration.

"Very well," she said, and she pulled out her wand. "Very well... I am left with no alternative... This is more than a matter of school discipline...This is an issue of Ministry security... Yes... yes..." She seemed to be talking herself into something. She was shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot, staring at the twins, beating her wand against her empty palm and breathing heavily. "The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue," said Umbridge quietly.

"No!" shrieked Hermione. "That's illegal—!"

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," said Umbridge, who was now panting slightly as she pointed her wand at different parts of Iris and Harry's bodies in turn, apparently trying to decide what would hurt the most. She crept forward, aiming first at Iris, who stared back unflinchingly. And taking a deep breath, Umbridge cried, "Cruc —"

"Just tell her!" Hermione shouted on the verge of tears, making Umbridge pause mid-curse.

"Tell me what?" Umbridge said hungrily.

Iris and Harry stared at Hermione, bewildered.

Hermione continued, "Well if you won't tell her where it is, I will!"

"Where what is?" The witch urged.

Hermione hesitated before saying confidently, "Dumbledore's secret weapon."

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i've been planning the next chapters until the end of this act for literally years atp, so i'm very excited and hoping everything pans out the way i envisioned!! i hope you guys are getting excited too!