𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗢𝗬

ACT TWO, CHAPTER SEVEN
pretty much everything has
gone wrong.

THERE WERE NEW notices now.

━━ BY ORDER OF ━━
𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖞 𝖔𝖋 𝕸𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖈

Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The above is in accordance with
Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight.

Signed:
𝓒𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓾𝓼 𝓞𝓼𝔀𝓪𝓵𝓭 𝓕𝓾𝓭𝓰𝓮
MINISTER FOR MAGIC

These notices had gone up all over the school overnight. However, they did not explain how every single person within the castle seemed to know that Dumbledore had overcome two Aurors, the High Inquisitor, the Minister for Magic, and his Junior Assistant in order to escape. Everywhere Venus went the next day in the castle, the only topic of conversation was Dumbledore's flight. Even though some of the details might have gone awry in the retelling (a second year girl was telling her friend that Fudge was laying in St. Mungo's with a pumpkin for a head now), the rest of the information was surprisingly accurate. Everybody seemed aware that Venus, Harry, and Marietta were the only students to have witnessed the whole scene in Dumbledore's office. Since Marietta was now in the hospital wing, Venus and Harry found themselves telling the story over and over. Charlotte and Elijah had managed to pry it out of Venus very early on — in simple terms, they were basically waiting for her outside of Gryffindor tower the next morning.

"Dumbledore will be back before long," Ernie Macmillan stated confidently on the way back from Herbology after listening intently to Venus and Harry's recap, the couple holding hands like they normally did. "They couldn't keep him away in our second year and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me . . ." he dropped his voice and Venus, Harry, Ron, and Hermione leaned closer to him to hear, ". . . that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the Gargoyle. The Head's office has sealed itself against her." Ernie smirked. "Apparently she had a right little tantrum . . ."

"Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office," Hermione added viciously as they walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall. "Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old—"

"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Granger?" Malfoy's voice suddenly cut in.

Venus looked over. Malfoy had slid out from behind the door, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His pale, pointed face was lit up with malice.

"Oh my God, what do you want?" Venus complained.

Malfoy tutted at her. "Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff."

"It's only teachers that can dock points from Houses, Malfoy," Ernie replied at once.

"Yeah, we're Prefects too, remember?" Ron voiced.

"I know Prefects can't dock points, Weasel King," Malfoy sneered, and Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad—"

"The what?" Hermione demanded sharply.

"The Inquisitorial Squad, Granger." Malfoy pointed to a tiny silver letter I that was pinned to his robes just beneath his Prefect's badge. "A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, hand-picked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points . . . so, Granger, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new headmistress . . . Macmillan, five for contradicting me . . . five because I don't like you, Potter . . . Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that. . . . Black, five for being American . . . oh yeah, I forgot, you're a Mudblood, Granger, so ten for that . . ."

Ron instantly pulled out his wand.

Hermione pushed it away so he wouldn't use it. "Don't!"

"Wise move, Granger," Malfoy breathed out. "New Head, new times . . . be good now, Potty . . . Weasel King . . ."

More footsteps were then heard echoing throughout the entrance hall. All of them turned to see Penelope Lestrange strolling up to them casually. However, her eyes were blazing — evidently, she had heard every word. She approached Ron's side and crossed her arms.

"Attacking my boyfriend and friends again, are you?" Penelope demanded. "Well, let me tell you something, Draco. Just because you're all high and mighty with this new stupid cult you've joined—"

"It isn't a cult!" Malfoy protested, the tips of his pale ears turning the slightest shade of red.

"—doesn't mean it's an excuse to be rude." Penelope raised an eyebrow. "Bet you won't dock any points from Slytherin, so . . ." She leaned forwards threateningly. "Fuck you."

Malfoy opened his mouth. He obviously wanted to say something, but no sound was coming out. Crabbe and Goyle were also at a loss since their leader didn't know what to do either. Penelope, however, was triumphant.

"Run along," Penelope urged. "Go."

The three of them glared at Penelope before leaving. Her smirk widened and she turned back to the group.

Ron stared down at her in amazement. "Bloody brilliant, you are."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Penelope replied, her smirk turning into a smile as Ron kissed her forehead. "Sorry about them. They've been docking points all morning."

Ernie, however, still looked appalled. "He was bluffing. He can't be allowed to dock points . . . that would be ridiculous . . . it would completely undermine the Prefect system . . ."

However, Venus, Harry, Ron, Penelope, Hermione, and Ernie all turned automatically towards the giant hourglasses set in niches along the wall behind them, where the House points were recorded. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had been neck and neck in the lead that morning, but even as they watched, stones flew upward to reduce the amounts in the lower bulbs. The only glass that was unchanged was the emerald-filled one of Slytherin.

Penelope sighed. "Sorry, Macmillan, but Draco wasn't bluffing. Normally I like when Slytherin's ahead in points, but . . . not like this."

"Noticed, have you?" Fred's voice asked.

Him and George had just come down the marble staircase and joined the group in front of the hourglasses.

"Malfoy just docked us all about fifty points," Harry told them furiously as they all watched several more stones fly upward from the Gryffindor hourglass. "Well, except Pen because she's in his House, but still."

"Yeah, Montague tried to do us during break," George voiced.

"What do you mean, tried?" Ron questioned quickly.

"He never managed to get all the words out, due to the fact that we forced him headfirst into that Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor," Fred responded.

Penelope blinked. "Oh shit."

Hermione looked utterly shocked. "But you'll get into terrible trouble!"

"Not until Montague reappears, and that could take weeks, I dunno where we sent him," Fred reassured her coolly. "Anyway . . . we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble anymore."

"Um . . . have you ever actually cared?" Venus inquired.

"'Course we have," George answered. "Never been expelled, have we?"

"We've always known where to draw the line," Fred added.

"We might have put a toe across it occasionally."

"But we've always stopped short of causing real mayhem."

"But now?" Ron asked tentatively.

"Well, now—" George began

"—what with Dumbledore gone—" Fred continued.

"—we reckon a bit of mayhem—"

"—is exactly what our dear new Head deserves."

"You mustn't!" Hermione whispered. "You really mustn't! She'd love a reason to expel you!"

Fred smiled at her. "You don't get it, Hermione, do you? We don't care about staying anymore. We'd walk out right now if we weren't determined to do our bit for Dumbledore first. So anyway—" he glanced down at his watch "—phase one is about to begin. I'd get in the Great Hall for lunch if I were you, that way the teachers will see you can't have had anything to do with it."

"Anything to do with what?" Hermione questioned anxiously.

"You'll see," George responded. "Run along, now."

The twins then turned away and disappeared in the swelling crowd that was descending the stairs to go to lunch. Ernie, looking very concerned, muttered something about unfinished Transfiguration homework and scurried away.

"I'd better be off too," Penelope told them. "Tracey wants me to review some Potions things with her during lunch." She kissed Ron on the cheek and looked up at him. "I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Yeah," Ron replied, a lovestruck expression on his face. He watched her walk away for a moment before turning to see Venus, Harry, and Hermione smirking at him. "What?"

Venus shook her head in amusement. "Nothing, nothing."

"I think we should get out of here, you know," Hermione said nervously. "Just in case . . ."

"Yeah, all right," Ron agreed.

All four of them moved towards the doors to the Great Hall. Today's ceiling was full of sailing white clouds. Venus went to move towards the Gryffindor table, but Harry suddenly turned around and stumbled several steps backwards. She blinked in surprise before looking over to see Filch standing there.

"The headmistress would like to see you, Potter and Black," Filch announced.

"I didn't do it," Harry immediately stated.

Venus nodded in agreement. "Just going to lunch."

Filch's jowls wobbled with silent laughter. "Guilty conscience, eh? Follow me . . ."

Venus and Harry glanced back to Ron and Hermione, who both looked worried. She let out a small sigh and her and Harry followed Filch back into the entrance hall, holding onto each other's hands tightly against the tide of hungry students. Filch seemed to be in an extremely good mood. He hummed creakily under his breath as they climbed the marble staircase.

"Things are changing around here, Potter and Black," Filch wheezed once they reached the first landing.

"I've noticed," Harry responded coldly, his grip on Venus' hand only tightening, telling her that he was trying to control his anger.

"Yerse . . . I've been telling Dumbledore for years and years he's too soft with you all." Filch chuckled nastily. "You filthy little beasts would never have dropped Stinkpellets if you'd known I had it in my power to whip you raw, would you, now? Nobody would have thought of throwing Fanged Frisbees down the corridors if I could've strung you up by the ankles in my office, would they? But when Educational Decree Twenty-nine comes in, Potter, I'll be allowed to do them things . . . and she's asked the Minister to sign an order for theexpulsion of Peeves . . . oh, things are going to be very different around here with her in charge . . ."

It was obvious that Umbridge had gone to some sort of lengths to get Filch on her side. The worst part of it was that he had knowledge of all the school's secret passageways and hiding places — well, maybe not all of them, because Fred and George probably knew more than he did.

"He we are," Filch announced, leering down at the couple as he rapped three times upon Umbridge's door and pushed it open. "The Potter boy and Black girl to see you, ma'am."

Umbridge's office was still the same as it had been from Venus' memory due to her detentions. The only difference was the large wooden block lying across the front of her desk where golden letters spelled the word HEADMISTRESS. Harry's Firebolt and Fred and George's Cleensweeps were also now chained and padlocked to a stout iron peg in the wall behind the desk. Umbridge sat behind the desk, busily scribbling on a piece of pink parchment, but looked up and smiled widely at their entrance.

"Thank you, Argus," Umbridge voiced sweetly.

"Not at all, ma'am, not at all," Filch replied, bowing as low as he could before exiting backwards.

Umbridge gestured to their interlocked hands. "Let go of each other, please."

Venus and Harry glanced at each other. Hesitantly, their hands dropped back to their own sides. Her hand feeling very cold and empty now, Venus clasped her own hands together.

"Sit," Umbridge instructed curtly, pointing towards two chairs. Venus and Harry obliged. As Umbridge continued to scribble on her parchment, Venus wondered what this meeting was going to be about. Finally, Umbridge set down her quill and looked at the two of them. "Well now. What would you like to drink?"

"What?" Harry inquired, Venus also agreeing — what was this woman doing now?

"To drink, Mr. Potter and Miss Black," Umbridge continued, smiling widely. "Tea? Coffee? Pumpkin juice?"

As she named each drink, she gave her short wand a wave, and a cup or glass of the drink appeared upon her desk.

"Oh no, I'm okay, thank you," Venus reassured her.

"I wish you to have a drink with me," Umbridge urged, her voice becoming dangerously sweet. "Choose one."

Harry shrugged. "Fine . . . tea then."

"Same," Venus added.

Umbridge got up. She made quite a performance of adding milk to their tea with her back to him. Umbridge then bustled around the desk with the two cups, smiling in sinisterly sweet fashion.

"There," Umbridge stated, handing the two cups to them. "Drink it before it gets cold, won't you? Well, now, Mr. Potter, Miss Black . . . I thought we ought to have a little chat, after the distressing events of last night."

Neither Venus nor Harry said anything. Umbridge settled herself back into her seat and waited for the conversation to start.

"You're not drinking up!" Umbridge exclaimed once several long moments had passed in silence.

Venus raised the cup to her lips. However, she pretended to take a sip. One, never would she drink anything Umbridge gave her. It could've been poisoned or traced with something, and her parents always warned her not to take drinks given to her by strangers. Two, she wasn't the biggest fan of tea. Venus knew from the start that the drink thing was a big part of Umbridge's plan, so she chose tea so she wouldn't actually have to drink it.

"What's the matter?" Umbridge asked, still watching them. "Do you want sugar?"

"No," Harry answered.

Both Venus and Harry raised the cup to their lips again. Venus glanced over to see him keeping his mouth tightly closed, just like she was. Umbridge's smile widened.

"Good," Umbridge whispered. "Very good. Now then . . ." She leaned forwards on her desk a little. "Where is Albus Dumbledore?"

"No idea," Harry replied promptly.

"Drink up, drink up," Umbridge encouraged, still smiling. "Now, Mr. Potter, Miss Black, let us not play childish games. I know that you both know where he has gone. You and Dumbledore have been in this together from the beginning, and Miss Black has just joined. Consider your position, Mr. Potter, Miss Black . . ."

Venus pretended to drink again. "We have no idea where he's gone."

Umbridge looked displeased. "Very well. In that case, you will kindly tell me the whereabouts of Sirius Black."

Venus froze for a second before composing herself. However, Harry's hand began to shake so bad the cup rattled in its saucer. He brought the cup to his mouth with his lips pressed together and some of the hot liquid trickled down onto his robes.

"I don't know," Harry said just a little too quickly.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Black let me remind you that it was I who almost caught the criminal Black in the Gryffindor fire in October," Umbridge voiced. "I know perfectly well it was you he was meeting and if I had had any proof neither of you would be at large today, I promise you. I repeat, Mr. Potter, Miss Black . . . Where is Sirius Black?"

"I don't know how you expect me to know that information, Professor," Venus stated coolly. "We might have the same last name, but I just moved to England a couple of months ago. So, frankly, I have no clue where he could be."

Her and Umbridge had a staring contest. Venus was obviously winning, because Umbridge's eyes started to narrow.

Umbridge then stood up. "Very well, Potter, Black, I will take your word for it this time, but be warned: The might of the Ministry stands behind me. All channels of communication in and out of this school are being monitored. A Floo Network Regulator is keeping watch over every fire in Hogwarts — except my own, of course. My Inquisitorial Squad is opening and reading all owl post entering and leaving the castle. And Mr. Filch is observing all secret passages in and out of the castle. If I find a shred of evidence . . ."

BOOM!

The floor of the office shook. Umbridge slipped sideways and grabbed her desk for support, looking shocked.

"What was—?" Umbridge began.

While she was gazing towards the door, Harry grabbed Venus' teacup and emptied hers and his own into the nearest vase of dried flowers. Quickly, he handed it back to her. People running and screaming was heard from several floors below.

"Back to lunch with you, Potter and Black!" Umbridge cried, raising her wand and running out of the office.

After giving her a couple seconds' head start, Harry instantly reattached his hand with Venus' and dragged her behind him. They hurried after Umbridge to see what the source of the uproar was, which was not difficult to find whatsoever. One floor down, pandemonium was wreaking. Somebody — although Venus had an inkling as to who — had set off what seemed to be an enormous crate of enchanted fireworks.

Dragons made of green and gold sparks soared up and down the hallways, letting out loud fiery blasts and bangs as they went. Shocking pink Catherine wheels that were five feet in diameter whizzed lethally through the air like flying saucers. Rockets with long tails of brilliant silver stars ricocheted off the walls. Sparklers wrote swear words in midair of their own accord. Firecrackers exploded like mines everywhere Venus looked, and instead of burning out, fading away, or fizzling to a stop, they seemed to gain energy and momentum as time went on.

Filch and Umbridge stood transfixed with horror halfway down the stairs. One of the larger Catherine wheels seemed to decide that it needed more room to maneuver, so it whirled towards Umbridge and Filch with a sinister wheeeeeeeeee. Both of them yelled with fright and ducked. The firework soared straight out of the window behind them and left the grounds. Meanwhile, several of the dragons and a large purple bat that was smoking ominously took advantage of the open door at the end of the corridor to escape towards the second floor.

"Hurry, Filch, hurry!" Umbridge shrieked. "They'll be all over the school unless we do something — Stupefy!"

The jet of red light that shot out the end of her wand and hit one of the rockets. However, instead of freezing in midair, it exploded with such force that it managed to blast a hole in a painting of an emotional-looking witch in the middle of a meadow. She ran for it just in time and reappeared seconds later squashed in the painting next to hers, where a couple wizards playing cards stood up hastily to make room for her.

"Don't Stun them, Filch!" Umbridge shouted angrily like it had been him to suggest it in the first place.

"Right you are, Headmistress!" Filch wheezed.

From what Venus knew, Filch was a Squib, so he couldn't do magic. He couldn't have Stunned the fireworks, anyways. Filch then dashed to a nearby cupboard, pulled out a broom, and started to swat at the fireworks in midair. Within seconds, the head of the broom was ablaze.

Venus let out laughs of amazement at the fireworks. She shared a look with Harry underneath the sparks and the two of them laughed even harder. It was pretty, but they had seen enough. The two of them ducked low and Venus allowed Harry to lead her to a door behind a tapestry a little way along the corridor. They slipped through it to find Fred and George themselves hiding just behind it, trying to suppress their laughs as they listened to Umbridge and Filch's laugh.

"Impressive," Harry said quietly with a grin. "Very impressive . . . you'll put Dr. Filibuster out of business, no problem . . ."

"You should put on the Fourth of July back in America," Venus told them. "Seriously. You'd make it ten times better."

"Cheers," George whispered, wiping tears of laughter off of his face. "Oh, I hope she tries Vanishing them next . . . they multiply by ten every time you try . . ."

The fireworks continued to burn and spread across the school that afternoon. Despite causing plenty of disruption — particularly the firecrackers — none of the other teachers seemed to mind them very much.

"Dear, dear," McGonagall began sardonically as one of the dragons soared around her classroom during Transfiguration, emitting loud bangs and exhaling flame. "Miss Brown, would you mind running along to the headmistress and informing her that we have an escaped firework in our classroom?"

The best part of it all was that Umbridge spent her first afternoon as headmistress running all over the school to answer the summonings of the other teacher, none of whom seemed to get rid of the fireworks in their rooms without her — of course they probably could've, but it was more fun to see Umbridge struggle.

When the final bell rang and the students started to head back towards Gryffindor Tower with their bags, Venus and Harry shared a look of satisfaction s they saw a disheveled and soot-blackened Umbridge tottering away from Flitwick's classroom with a sweaty face.

"Thank you so much, Professor!" Flitwick exclaimed in his squeaky voice. "I could have got rid of the sparklers myself, of course, but I wasn't sure whether I had the authority . . ."

With a beam, he closed his classroom door in her snarling face. Venus and Harry fell into another fit of laughter.

Fred and George were the heroes in the Gryffindor common room that night. Even Hermione had fought her way through the excited crowd around them to congratulate them.

"They were wonderful fireworks," Hermione said admiringly.

George looked both surprised and pleased at her statement. "Thanks. Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs. Only thing is, we used our whole stock, we're going to have to start again from scratch now . . ."

"It was worth it, though," Fred added, who was in the middle of taking orders from the crowd of Gryffindors. "If you want to add your name to the waiting list, Hermione, it's five Galleons for your Basic Blaze box and twenty for the Deflagration Deluxe . . ."

Hermione returned to the table they had been situated at. Venus was writing her introduction to her Charms essay, but Harry and Ron were sitting staring at their schoolbags like they were hoping their homework might spring out of it and start doing itself.

"Oh, why don't we have a night off?" Hermione suggested brightly as a silver-tailed Weasley rocket zoomed past the window. "After all, the Easter holidays start on Friday, we'll have plenty of time then . . ."

Venus looked up from her essay in shock. "What?"

Ron stared at Hermione in disbelief. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Now you mention it, d'you know . . . I think I'm feeling a bit . . . rebellious," Hermione admitted happily.

Venus chuckled and put her homework down. "Amen, sister."

And as Venus went to sleep that night, having done none of her homework and still listening to the distant bangs of escaped firecrackers, she had a very strong feeling that the Weasley twins had the power to make Hogwarts just a little more bearable with their pranks.

» • » ✧ « • «

penelope def girlbossed really close to the sun