𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗢𝗬

ACT TWO, CHAPTER ELEVEN
harry faints.

AS IF IT couldn't been more of a relief, their last exam, History of Magic, was taking place that afternoon. Venus could practically feel the exhaustion taking over her body. It seemed that way for the rest of the fifth years as well — Elijah, in fact, looked like he was about to drop at any given moment from the amount of stress. At least after this exam she could go take a nap or just chill in the Gryffindor common room next to the window with Harry.

The fifth years entered the Great Hall at exactly two o'clock and sat down in front of their overturned examination papers. Venus took a deep breath and anxiously turned her quill around in her fingers. You got this, V, she reminded herself. This is the last one.

"Turn over your papers," Marchbanks instructed from the front of Hall as she flicked over the giant hourglass. "You may begin . . ."

Now, History of Magic involved a lot of names and dates, but Venus felt pretty confident in all of her answers. Every so often, she would glance up to look at the large hourglass to make sure she had enough time. Finally, when the hourglass was at a little less than halfway, she had reached her last question. Venus wrote down all the information she could about the question before finishing. Wow, she had actually done it! All of her O.W.L.'s were done. She wondered for a moment how her E.A.G.L.E.'s would've gone if she was back in Ilvermorny.

Suddenly, a yell and a thud was heard from the back of the Hall. Venus turned, but her eyes widened upon realizing who it was.

Harry.

Concern and worry immediately took over her. She stood up from her chair, completely discarding her finished exam and running towards him. Venus kneeled next to him once she reached his side and took his shoulders to sit him upright.

"Harry," Venus breathed out, brushing some hair away from his hot forehead. "Harry, come on, wake up."

He suddenly gasped and his emerald eyes shot open, staring at Venus in terror. Venus stared at him in confusion for a moment. What was going on? She then turned back to Tofty, who was watching everything unfold, also with a worried expression.

"I've finished by exam, Professor Tofty," Venus told him calmly, helping Harry stand up. "I can take him to the Hospital Wing."

Tofty looked like he was about to argue, but Venus sent him a pleading look and he sighed. "Very well, Miss Black."

Venus wrapped an arm around her boyfriend's waist and helped him leave the Great Hall. However, once the doors closed behind them, Harry removed her arm, grabbed her hand, and started to drag her up the marble staircase.

"Hey, hey, hey," Venus stated as Harry pulled her along. "Woah, Harry, stop! What's going on?"

"Hospital Wing," Harry elaborated briefly.

"Oh my God, you actually need the Hospital Wing?"

"No, we're going there for Professor McGonagall."

"Harry, she was moved to St. Mungo's this morning!" Venus revealed, and Harry stopped in his tracks at the top of the stairs. "Angelina told me in the bathroom earlier. Now, can you please just tell me what's going on?"

He whirled around to face her once they were at the top of the stairs, and the sort of wild, frantic look in her eyes made her stop in shock. "Voldemort's got Sirius. I had a dream about it. There, are you happy now?"

Venus instantly frowned. "But that doesn't make any sense. Sirius is still at Grimmauld Place and only the Order knows where it is. Why would Voldemort have Sirius?"

Harry squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. "I don't know, but we have to save him. We have to get to the Ministry of Magic—"

"Woah, okay, slow down, you're working yourself into a frenzy," Venus said soothingly, and even from that she could feel him breathe just the tiniest bit slower. "Let's just think about this for a second—"

"We don't have time to think about it!" he exclaimed desperately, and Venus' frown deepened. "He's at the Department of Mysteries."

Venus shook her head — this certainly couldn't be true, Voldemort just wouldn't sneak into the Ministry in broad daylight when he was trying to hide away from them. "Harry, you said earlier that it was a dream. What if it's only that? A dream? Voldemort could be messing with your head."

"I DON'T CARE!" Harry shouted, ripping his hand away from hers.

Venus raised an eyebrow. "I know you're frustrated, but yelling at me is not going to help your cause." She then shut her eyes for a moment and let out a deep breath. "Okay. Say Voldemort actually does have Sirius. What are we supposed to do about it?"

His answer was cut short by crowds of students rushing through the hallways because of the bell. As if on cue, Ron, Penelope, Charlotte, and Elijah suddenly joined them at the top of the staircase.

"Harry!" Hermione voiced at once, looking very frightened. "What happened? Are you all right? Are you ill?"

"Where have you been?" Ron ordered.

"Come with me," Harry announced quickly. "Come on, I've got to tell you something . . ."

He led their group along the first floor corridor. Venus kept her eyes on his figure worryingly until he, at last, dove into an empty classroom. Once they were all inside, Harry shut the door and leaned against it, facing them.

"Voldemort's got Sirius," Harry explained.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"How d'you—?" Ron started to say.

"Saw it," Harry interrupted.

"You saw it?" Elijah questioned. "In those dream things you have?"

Harry nodded in response. "Just now. When I fell asleep in the exam."

Hermione looked extremely pale. "But — but where? How?"

"I dunno how. But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls, and they're at the end of row ninety-seven . . . he's trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from in there . . . he's torturing him . . . says he'll end by killing him . . ."

Penelope then suddenly told Harry he was shaking. Venus looked, and sure enough, both his voice and knees were shaking. Her frown deepened even more. Never had she seen Harry this panicked.

Harry moved to a desk and sat down. "How're we going to get there?"

The room went silent.

Charlotte then raised her hand. "Get there? Get where? I mean, I'm all about field trips—"

Venus sighed. "Charlie."

"Okay, sorry."

"Get to the Department of Mysteries, so we can rescue Sirius!" Harry yelled.

"But — Harry . . ." Ron began weakly.

"What? What?"

"Harry, er . . . how. . . how did Voldemort get into the Ministry of Magic without anybody realizing he was there?" Hermione inquired, sounding rather frightened.

"How do I know?" Harry shouted. "The question is how we're going to get in there!"

Hermione took a tentative step towards him. "But . . . Harry, think about this, it's five o'clock in the afternoon . . . the Ministry of Magic must be full of workers . . . how would Voldemort and Sirius have got in without being seen? Harry . . . they're probably the two most wanted wizards in the world . . . you think they could get into a building full of Aurors undetected?"

"I dunno, Voldemort used an Invisibility Cloak or something! Anyway, the Department of Mysteries has always been completely empty whenever I've been—"

"You've never been there, Harry. You've dreamed about the place, that's all."

"They're not normal dreams!" Harry insisted loudly in her face, standing up and taking a step closer to her, Venus watching him very carefully. "How d'you explain Ron's dad then, what was all that about, howcome I knew what had happened to him?"

"He's got a point," Ron quietly admitted.

"But this is just — just so unlikely!" Hermione continued desperately. "Harry, how on Earth could Voldemort have got hold of Sirius when he's been in Grimmauld Place all the time?"

Wow, exactly what Venus was saying! Venus and Hermione were seriously on the same wavelength.

"Sirius might've cracked and just wanted some fresh air," Ron suggested, sounding worried. "He's been desperate to get out of that house for ages—"

"But why, why on Earth would Voldemort want to use Sirius to get the weapon, or whatever the thing is?" Hermione persisted.

"I dunno, there could be loads of reasons!" Harry exclaimed. "Maybe Sirius is just someone Voldemort doesn't care about seeing hurt—"

"You know what, I've just thought of something," Ron revealed in a hushed voice. "Sirius's brother was a Death Eater, wasn't he? Maybe he told Sirius the secret of how to get the weapon!"

"Yeah — and that's why Dumbledore's been so keen to keep Sirius locked up all the time!"

Penelope then chimed in, saying it didn't make any sense, and that this could've been a trap because Harry was connected to Voldemort. Venus nodded in agreement, but Ron then rounded on his girlfriend and insisted that Harry had seen them.

"Okay, I've just got to say this . . ." Hermione trailed off, looking frightened yet determined.

"What?" Ron demanded.

"You . . . This isn't a criticism, Harry! But you do . . . sort of . . . I mean — don't you think you've got a bit of a — a — saving-people-thing?"

Venus shut her eyes in frustration for a moment. That would not go over well.

Harry glared at her coldly. "And what's that supposed to mean, a saving-people-thing?"

Hermione now looked more apprehensive than ever. "Well . . . you . . . I mean . . . last year, for instance . . . in the lake . . . during the Tournament . . . you shouldn't have . . . I mean, you didn't need to save that little Delacour girl . . . you got a bit . . . carried away . . . I mean, it was really great of you and everything," Hermione reassured him quickly, looking absolutely petrified at the look on Harry's face, and frankly, Venus agreed. "Everyone thought it was a wonderful thing to do—"

"That's funny, because I definitely remember Ron saying I'd wasted time acting the hero . . . is that what you think this is?" Harry asked in a trembling voice. "You reckon I want to act the hero again?"

"No, no, no! That's not what I mean at all!"

"Well, spit out what you've got to say, because we're wasting time here!"

"I'm trying to say — Voldemort knows you, Harry!" Hermione stated. "He took Ginny down into the Chamber of Secrets to lure you there, it's the kind of thing he does, he knows you're the — the sort of person who'd go to Sirius' aid! What if he's just trying to get you into the Department of Myst—?"

"Hermione, it doesn't matter if he's done it to get me there or not — they've taken McGonagall to St. Mungo's, there isn't anyone left from the Order at Hogwarts who we can tell, and if we don't go, Sirius is dead!" Harry voiced.

"But Harry — what if your dream was — was just that, a dream?"

Venus went to say that she agreed, but Harry then let out a roar of frustration. She flinched at the noise in response. Hermione stepped back from him in alarm, Ron jumped, Elijah's eyes widened, Charlotte raised an eyebrow, and Penelope just continued to stare at him normally.

"You don't get it!" Harry yelled at Hermione. "I'm not having nightmares, I'm not just dreaming! What d'you think all the Occlumency was for, why d'you think Dumbledore wanted me prevented from seeing these things? Because they're REAL, Hermione — Sirius is trapped — I've seen him — Voldemort's got him, and no one else knows, and that means we're the only ones who can save him, and if you don't want to do it, fine, but I'm going, understand? And if I remember rightly, you didn't have a problem with my saving-people-thing when it was you I was saving from the Dementors, or—" he turned to Ron "—when it was your sister I was saving from the Basilisk—"

"I never said I had a problem!" Ron heatedly protested.

"But Harry, you've just said it," Hermione told him fiercely. "Dumbledore wanted you to learn to shut these things out of your mind, if you'd done Occlumency properly you'd never have seen this—"

Harry was now so angry his face was turning red. "IF YOU THINK I'M JUST GOING TO ACT LIKE I HAVEN'T SEEN—"

"Sirius told you there was nothing more important than you learning to close your mind!"

"WELL, I EXPECT HE'D SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT IF HE KNEW WHAT I'D JUST—"

"Harry!" Venus cut in, making all the yelling stop. He turned to face her, and Venus used all her willpower not to flinch again at the look on his face. "Stop for a moment, okay? Let's regroup—"

The classroom door then opened. Their group of six whipped around to see Ginny walk in, looking very curious, followed by Luna, who looked like she had accidentally drifted in, as per usual.

"Hi," Ginny began uncertainly. "We recognized Harry's voice — what are you yelling about?"

"Never you mind," Harry replied roughly.

Ginny raised her eyebrows at him. "There's no need to take that tone with me. I was only wondering whether I could help."

"Well, you can't."

"You're being rather rude, you know," Luna said serenely, and Penelope, with a shrug, agreed and reminded him that they were just here to help.

"Wait," Hermione interjected. "Wait . . . Harry, they can help." Everyone looked at her. "Listen, Harry, we need to establish whether Sirius really has left headquarters—"

"I've told you, I saw—" Harry responded.

"Harry, I'm begging you, please! Please let's just check that Sirius isn't at home before we go charging off to London — if we find out he's not there then I swear I won't try and stop you, I'll come, I'll d-do whatever it takes to try and save him—"

"Sirius is being tortured NOW! We haven't got time to waste—"

"But if this is a trick of V-Voldemort's — Harry, we've got to check, we've got to—"

"How?" Harry demanded. "How're we going to check?"

"We'll have to use Umbridge's fire and see if we can contact him," Hermione revealed, looking absolutely terrified at the thought. "We'll draw Umbridge away again, but we'll need lookouts, and that's where we can use Ginny and Luna."

"Yeah, we'll do it," Ginny agreed despite not knowing what was going on.

"When you say Sirius, are you talking about Stubby Boardman?" Luna asked, but nobody answered her.

"Okay, okay, if you can think of a way of doing this quickly, I'm with you, otherwise I'm going to the Department of Mysteries right now—" Harry aggressively told Hermione.

Luna looked mildly surprised. "The Department of Mysteries? But how are you going to get there?"

Nobody answered her once more. Venus felt kind of bad, but then again, none of them had an answer to that question, because they didn't know.

Hermione started to twist her hands together and pace up and down between the desks. "Right . . . well . . . one of us has to go and find Umbridge and — and send her off in the wrong direction, keep her away from her office. They could tell her — I don't know — that Peeves is up to something awful as usual . . ."

"I'll do it," Ron offered immediately. "I'll tell her Peeves is smashing up the Transfiguration department or something, it's miles away from her office. Come to think of it, I could probably persuade Peeves to do it if I met him on the way . . ."

"Oh my God, let me come," Charlotte pleaded. "Dude, please."

"Yeah, Charlie. You can come."

"Wicked."

Ron then said that Penelope would come too, and she agreed as well.

Hermione continued to pace. "Okay. Now, we need to keep students away from her office while we force entry, or some Slytherin's bound to go and tip her off . . . er, no offense, Penelope and Charlie . . ."

Charlotte looked unbothered, and Penelope reassured Hermione that she took no offense.

"Luna, Eli, and I can stand at either end of the corridor and warn people not to go down there because someone's let off a load of Garroting Gas," Ginny suggested. Hermione looked surprised at the readiness with which Ginny had come up with the lie, but Ginny merely shrugged. "Fred and George were planning to do it before they left."

"Okay, well then, Harry, you, Venus, and I will be under the Invisibility Cloak, and we'll sneak into the office and you can talk to Sirius—" Hermione continued.

"He's not there, Hermione!" Harry reminded her.

"I mean, you can — can check whether Sirius is at home or not while Venus and I keep watch, I don't think you should be in there alone, Lee's already proved the window's a weak spot, sending those Nifflers through it."

"I . . . okay, thanks," Harry muttered after a moment of hesitation.

Hermione looked relieved that Harry seemed to have accepted the plan. "Right, well, even if we do all of that, I don't think we're going to be able to bank on more than five minutes, not with Filchand the wretched Inquisitorial Squad floating around."

"Five minutes'll be enough," Harry decided. "C'mon, let's go—"

"Now?" Hermione questioned in shock.

"Of course now! What did you think, we're going to wait until after dinner or something? Hermione, Sirius is being tortured right now!"

"I — oh all right. You go and get the Invisibility Cloak and we'll meet you at the end of Umbridge's corridor, okay?"

Harry was already on his way to get the Invisibility Cloak. Everyone left inside the classroom moved to huddle at the end of Umbridge's corridor, where they decided on a signal for when Umbridge was coming. Within a couple of moments, Harry had come back with the Invisibility Cloak in a bag.

He tried to catch his breath for a moment. "Got it. Ready to go, then?"

"All right," Hermione whispered as a group of loud sixth years passed them. "So Ron, Penelope, and Charlie — you go and head Umbridge off . . . Ginny, Elijah, Luna, if you can start moving people out of the corridor . . . Harry, Venus, and I will get the cloak on and wait until the coast is clear . . ."

Ron, Penelope, and Charlotte then walked away. Ginny, Elijah, and Luna then went in the other direction.

"Come on," Venus instructed, and she took Harry and Hermione back into a recess where the ugly stone head of a medieval wizard stood muttering to itself on a column. She then looked over at Harry worryingly. "Harry, you're really pale."

"I'm fine," Harry replied shortly while pulling the Invisibility Cloak out of his bag.

Venus gave him a look. "I know you better than that."

He sighed. "I'm all right, Star. Seriously." He then threw the Invisibility Cloak over the three of them, and they listened carefully over the Latin mumblings of the bust in front of them. "Here."

"You can't come down here!" Ginny called to the crowd. "No, sorry, you're going to have to go round by the swiveling staircase, someone's let off Garroting Gas just along here—"

"I can't see no gas . . ." one voice complained louder than the rest of the complaints.

"That's because it's colorless, but if you want to walk through it, carry on, then we'll have your body as proof for the next idiot who didn't believe us . . ."

The crowd slowly thinned. News about the Garroting Gas seemed to have spread since people weren't coming this way. The surrounding area then was quite clear.

"I think that's as good as we're going to get, Harry — come on, let's do it," Hermione urged.

Together, the three of them moved forwards while covered by the cloak. Luna had her back to them at the far end of the corridor.

"You did great, Gin," Venus whispered as they passed Ginny. "Remember the signal."

"What's the signal?" Harry questioned as they approached Umbridge's door.

"A loud chorus of Weasley Is Our King if they see Umbridge coming," Hermione answered.

Harry then inserted a knife into the crack between the door and wall. At once, the lock clicked open, and they entered the office. The bright kittens were basking in the late afternoon sunshine to warm their plates, but other than that, the office was still an empty. Venus caught sight of a blood quill on one of the desks, and the scar baring the words blood traitor on the back of her left hand stung momentarily.

Hermione sighed in relief. "I thought she might have added extra security after the second Niffler . . ."

They pulled off the cloak. Venus took place by the door with her wand out while Hermione hurried over to the window. Harry dashed over to the fireplace, threw some Floo powder into the grate, and thrust his head in to reach Number twelve, Grimmauld Place.

Everything seemed to be going okay. And, of course, that's when everything started to go wrong.

The door suddenly burst open. Venus' eyes widened upon noticing Umbridge, Malfoy, and two other Slytherins enter the room. She raised her wand as the two other Slytherins approached her, and Venus backed up until she joined Hermione. Umbridge, however, went straight for Harry, and grabbed him by his hair. Venus let out a noise of protest as she dragged him, choking and coughing, out of the fire and bent his neck back as far as it would go to make him face her.

"You think that after two Nifflers I was going to let one more foul, scavenging little creature enter my office without my knowledge?" Umbridge whispered menacingly. "I had Stealth Sensoring Spells placed all around my doorway after the last one got in, you foolish boy. Take his wand. Theirs too . . ."

One of the Slytherins ripped Venus' wand out of her hand. Before she could protest, the Slytherin grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her. The other Slytherin then pinned Hermione against the wall. Malfoy, on the other hand, was leaning against the windowsill with a smirk while he threw Harry's wand into the air and caught it multiple times.

"I want to know why you are in my office," Umbridge demanded, shaking the fist clutching Harry's hair so that he staggered.

"I was — trying to get my Firebolt!" Harry lied.

"Liar." She shook his once more, and Venus fought against her captor in effort to reach him. "Your Firebolt is under strict guard in the dungeons, as you very well know, Potter. You had your head in my fire. With whom have you been communicating?"

"No one—"

"Liar!"

Umbridge then threw Harry away from her, and he slammed into the desk. Venus gasped and tried to get to him again, but the Slytherin only held her tighter.

There was a sudden commotion outside. Several large Slytherns then entered, each one gripping Ron, Penelope, Charlotte, Ginny, Elijah, and Neville (woah, where did he come from?). Neville was trapped in a strangehold by Crabbe and looked like he was about to suffocate.

"Got 'em all," Warrington revealed, shoving Ron roughly forwards into the room. "That one—" he pointed to Neville "—tried to stop me taking her—" he pointed to Ginny, who was currently trying to kick the shins of the Slytherin girl who was holding her "—so I brought him along too."

"Good, good," Umbridge responded, watching Ginny's struggles with a sort of glee. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?" Malfoy laughed loudly at that, and Umbridge sat down in her armchair with a smile. "So, Potter. You stationed lookouts around my office and you sent this buffoon—" she nodded to Ron, and Malfoy laughed louder. Penelope then protested in a murderous voice saying to not call him that, but Umbridge's smile merely widened. "—along with Miss Thomas and Miss Lestrange to tell me the Poltergeist was wreaking havoc in the Transfiguration department when I knew perfectly well that he was busy smearing ink on the eyepieces of all the school telescopes, Mr. Filch having just informed me so. Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she is still too ill to talk to anyone . . ."

"It's none of your business who I talk to," Harry snarled.

Umbridge's face tightened. "Very well. Very well, Mr. Potter . . . I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco — fetch Professor Snape."

Malfoy put Harry's wand inside his robes and left the room with a smirk. The office was silent besides the fidgets and scufflings from the efforts of the Slytherins trying to keep everyone under control. Venus would manage to get the arms of the Slytherin off of her, but she was just recaptured every time. Ron's lip was bleeding onto Umbridge's carpet and kept glaring at the person holding Penelope captive. Ginny was still attempting to stamp on the Slytherin girl's feet. Neville was turning more purple in the face as time went on while tugging on Crabbe's arms in effort to breathe. Hermione was attempting to throw the Slytherin girl off of her. Charlotte and Elijah were next to each other, sharing grave looks. Luna, on the other hand, was standing limply by the side of her captor, looking vaguely out the window like she was bored with everything going on.

Footsteps were then heard in the corridor outside. Malfoy came back into the room and held the door open for Snape.

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" Snape inquired, looking around at all of the struggling students, not looking bothered in the slightest.

Umbridge stood up with a wide smile. "Ah, Professor Snape. Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter. Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."

Umbridge flushed, obviously embarrassed by the fact that she had used the whole bottle. "You can make some more, can't you?"

Snape's lip curled. "Certainly. It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."

"A month?" Umbridge repeated in exasperation. "A month? But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"

Snape then showed his first, faint sign of interest as he looked to Harry. "Really? Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules."

"I wish to interrogate him! I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"

"I have already told you that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter — and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did — I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling . . ."

"You are on probation!" Umbridge instantly shrieked, and Snape raised his eyebrows in response. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!"

Snape then gave her an ironic bow and turned to leave.

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

Snape stopped with his hand on Umbridge's door handle. Apparently, he had understood what Harry was talking about.

"Padfoot?" Umbridge cried, looking in between Harry and Snape eagerly. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"

Snape stared at Harry for a moment. "I have no idea. Potter, when I want nonsense shouted at me I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little, if Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork, and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job."

He closed the door behind with a snap. Venus blinked in surprise. Well, all right.

"Very well," Umbridge decided and 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 . . ." Venus raised an eyebrow as she watched Umbridge talk to herself. Umbridge kept shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot while staring at Harry, hitting her wand against her empty palm and breathing heavily. "You are forcing me, Potter . . . I do not want to, but sometimes circumstances justify the use . . . I am sure the Minister will understand that I had no choice . . . the Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue."

Venus was literally so shocked she didn't speak for a moment. Penelope's protest was the thing that snapped her out of her trance.

"NO!" Venus cried, fighting even harder for the Slytherin to release her. She glared at Umbridge harshly. "If you even think about touching Harry, you'll have to go through me."

Hermione protested as well. "No! Professor Umbridge — it's illegal—" Umbridge igored her with a nasty, eager, excited look on her face as she raised her wand. Venus fought again for the Slytherin to release her. She wanted to take his place, she couldn't let him get hurt . . . "The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!"

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," Umbridge told her, now panting slightly as she pointed her wand different parts of Harry's body like she was deciding what would cause him the most pain. "He never knew I ordered Dementors after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same . . ."

Harry gasped at the information. "It was you? You sent the Dementors after me?"

Umbridge rested her wand on Harry's forehead. "Somebody had to act. They were all bleating about silencing you somehow — discrediting you — but I was the one who actually did something about it . . . only you wriggled out of that one, didn't you, Potter? Not today, though, not now . . ." She let out a deep breath, and tears of desperation filled Venus' eyes. "Cru—"

"NO!" Hermione yelled in a cracked voice from her place behind the Slytherin holding her. "No — Harry — Harry, we'll have to tell her!"

"No way!" Harry shouted.

"We'll have to, Harry, she'll force it out of you anyway, what's . . . what's the point . . ?"

Hermione then started to weakly cry into the back of the Slytherin holding her. The Slytherin stopped trying to pin her against the wall and dodged out of the way, looking disgusted at the tears.

"Well, well, well!" Umbridge voiced triumphantly. "Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!"

"Er — my — nee — no!" Ron exclaimed.

Ginny was staring at Hermione like she had just grown three heads. Neville was gazing at her as well while still struggling to breath. Venus, however, tilted her head in thought . . . Hermione was sobbing desperately into her hands, but no tears were to be found.

"I'm — I'm sorry everyone," Hermione told them. "But — I can't stand it—"

"That's right, that's right, girl!" Umbridge encouraged, seizing Hermione by the shoulders and thrusting her into her armchair before leaning over her. "Now then . . . with whom was Potter communicating just now?"

"Well, well, he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore . . ."

Ron froze with his eyes wide. Ginny stopped trying to stamp on the Slytherin girl's toes. Even Luna looked mildly surprised.

"Dumbledore?" Umbridge echoed eagerly. "You know where Dumbledore is, then?"

Hermione let out another pretend sob. "Well . . . no! We've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head—"

"Idiot girl, Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the whole Ministry's looking for him!"

"But — but we needed to tell him something important!"

Umbridge then got another surge of excitement. "Yes? What was it you wanted to tell him?"

"We . . . we wanted to tell him it's r-ready!" Hermione choked out.

"What's ready?" Umbridge took Hermione's shoulders again and shook her slightly. "What's ready, girl?"

Venus decided to play along as well. Hermione Granger was a genius, so she obviously had a plan. Might as well trust her.

"The weapon," Venus answered immediately.

Umbridge's head whipped over to her, and Venus kept her face straight. "Weapon? Weapon? You have been developing some method of resistance? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?"

"Y-Y-Yes," Hermione stuttered. "But he had to leave before it was finished and n-n-now we've finished it for him, and we c-c-can't find him t-t-to tell him!"

"What kind of weapon is it?"

"We don't r-r-really understand it. We j-j-just did what P-P-Professor Dumbledore told us t-t-to do . . ."

Umbridge straightened up, looking like a kid in a candy store. "Lead me to the weapon."

Hermione then looked at the Slytherin captors through her fingers. "I'm not showing . . . them."

"It is not for you to set conditions."

Hermione started to fake sob in her hands again. "Fine, fine. . . let them see it, I hope they use it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see! Th-that would serve you right — oh, I'd love it if the wh-whole school knew where it was, and how to u-use it, and then if you annoy any of them they'll be able to s-sort you out!"

The words Hermione had just said seemed to have a powerful impact on Umbridge. She looked around at her Inquisitorial Squad swiftly and suspiciously. Her eyes rested on Malfoy for a moment, who was too slow to disguise the look of eagerness and greed on his face.

Umbridge contemplated Hermione's statement for another moment. "All right, dear, let's make it just you and me . . . and we'll take Potter and Black too, shall we? Get up, now—"

"Professor, Professor Umbridge, I think some of the squad should come with you to look after—" Malfoy eagerly started to suggest.

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" Umbridge asked harshly. "In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that school children should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these—" she gestured to Ron, Penelope, Charlotte, Elijah, Ginny, Neville, and Luna "—escape."

"All right," Malfoy agreed, looking very sulky and disappointed.

"And you three can go ahead of me and show me the way," Umbridge ordered, pointing at Venus, Harry, and Hermione with her wand. "Lead on . . ."

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appreciate this moodboard bc I fucking love it

merry november! it's been the week of updates! I've updated all three of my books on their respective days three days in a row! please be proud of me!

also this book is almost over goodbye but then there's a SEQUELLLL OOOH

only my homegirl ana knows the title bc she made the cover and NONE of you will ever guess what it is hahahaha obviously it's a song off of lover but STILL