CENTAURS

Cassiopeia loosens her tie, feeling quite overwhelmed. Harry, Ron and Hermione had gone to Umbridge's office and Cassiopeia didn't want to follow them to the Ministry.

She wanted to help, she really did, but she couldn't risk being seen by any of the Death Eaters that might be there. Especially being seen by Voldemort.

She could still hear fireworks outside, and as she turned the corner, she saw Draco from the far end of the hallway. He looked focus.

"Cassiopeia!" He yelled, when he looked up and saw his sister, "hurry up, I've been trying to find you. Where have you been?"

"Outside---why?" She questioned, lifting a brow as Draco grabbed her upper arm and pulled her towards a classroom door. Neville stood there, looking down, being held by one of the Slytherin boys, member of the Inquisitorial Squad.

"What exactly is happening?" Cassiopeia frowned, while Draco sneered at the boy, and then grabbing a hold of Neville.

"Come on, Potter and his gang are planning to go somewhere!" said Draco, walking inside the Defence Against The Dark Arts classroom, then up to Umbridge's office.

Cassiopeia followed Draco, Neville glancing at her, and she gave him an apologetic look. They walked in the office, and Cassiopeia saw Harry sitting in front of Umbridge. Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Luna are each held by a member of the Inquisitorial Squad.

"Caught this one trying to help the Weasley girl," sneered Draco, Cassiopeia walked beside him, crossing her arm around her chest, glancing at Hermione who looked quite scared.

Umbridge looked at Harry, "You were going to Dumbledore, weren't you,"

"No--" said Harry.

In an instant, Umbridge slaps Harry. "LIAR," Everyone flinched, including Cassiopeia who took a step forward, narrowing her eyes at Umbridge.

"You sent for me, Headmistress?" asked a voice, Cassiopeia turned to the door and saw Snape.

"Snape. Yes. The time has come for answers--whether he wants to give them to me or not," said Umbridge, "Have you brought the Veritaserum?"

"I'm afraid you've used up all my stores interrogating students; the last of it on Miss Chang..." said Snape, in his usual monotone voice.  "Unless you wish to poison him--and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy if you did--I cannot help you. If that will be all..."

Harry watches as he turns to go; blurts out desperately. "He's got Padfoot! He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"

Snape stops...slowly turns, looking at Harry.

"Padfoot? What is "Padfoot?" Where what is hidden? What is he talking about, Snape?"

Snape pauses for an excruciatingly long moment, then: "No idea," then he turned, walking away.

Umbridge pauses....then slowly turns back to Harry. "Very well. You give me no choice, Potter. As this is an issue of Ministry security, you leave me with no alternative..." she takes out her wand, "the Cruciatus curse ought to loosen your tongue..."

Cassiopeia's eyes widned, "Professor, that's illegal!" She almost yelled, but she tried her best to contain herself.

Umbridge picks up the framed photo of Fudge, regards it solemnly...then resolutely turns it face down on the desk.

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," said Umbridge, raising her wand. Cassiopeia looked at Hermione giving her a desperate look to try and think of something. "Cru--"

"Tell her, Harry!" yelled Hermione, Cassiopeia lets out a breath of relief.

"Tell me...what?" asked Umbridge, turning to Hermione, but her wand still pointed at Harry, who stares at Hermione, bewildered.

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

"Where what is?"

"Dumbledore's secret weapon," said Hermione.

"Show me," said Umbridge. She grabbed Harry's jacket, making him stand up, "Crabbe, let her go. And you Malfoy," Umbridge turned to Cassiopeia.

"You come with me," Umbridge said, her wand pointed at them, Cassiopeia nodded, taking Hermione's shoulder and pushing her outside the door, not too harshly though. Then she grabbed Harry. They all went out of the office Hermione in the lead.

Cassiopeia turned to Umbridge, seeing that she might won't notice, Cassiopeia's hand went from Harry's forearm and to his hand, she gave it a squeeze and Harry looked at her, letting out a shaky breath.

The walk was far, Hermione led them inside the Forbidden Forest, Cassiopeia formed a plan in her head. Maybe Hermione was doing this so that Cassiopeia could stun Umbridge, so they'll be able to run for it?

"How much further?" asked Umbridge.

"Not far. It had to be somewhere students weren't going to find it accidentally," replied Hermione. Owls were hooting, and rustling can be heard from the shadows.

They finally reached a clearing; Hermione stops and stares, Cassiopeia followed her gaze, and she sees a rope on the floor.

"Well?" said Umbridge, "Where is this weapon?"

Hermione looks helplessly at Harry.

"There isn't one...is there," Umbridge realizes, "You were trying to trick me."

Umbridge pauses--Harry and Hermione brace for the explosion--then, her voice quivering: "You know... I really hate children,"

Rustling from the trees were heard, they all turned around and saw a Centaur. There was a lot of them, Umbridge backs up in fear when she noticed their bows.

"Y-You have no business here, Centaur!" stuttered Umbridge, her voice shaking. "This is a Ministry matter..."

Slowly, they approach. One of the Centaur raised its bow.

"Lower your weapons!" shouted Umbridge, as the other Centaur start to raise their bows as well, "I warn you---Under the law, as creatures of near-human intelligence--"

Umbridge did not finish her sentence when an arrow was shot at her, just in time Umbridge deflected the arrows.

"HOW DARE YOU! FILTHY HALF-BREED--!" Umbridge raised her wand, muttered a spell which Cassiopeia couldn't hear, and ropes came out of the tip of her wand, strangling the Centaur that shot the arrow at her.

The Centaur stumbles to the floor, crying out in pain, catching his breath. Hermione hurriedly kneels in front if him. "STOP IT! STOP!" Harry and Cassiopeia quickly joining her side.

"Enough! I. Will. Have. Order!"shouted Umbridge, just as she was about to raise her wand, Cassiopeia gasped as a giant grabs Umbridge by her shirt. The Centaurs start to run towards Umbridge and the Giant, Cassiopeia grabbed Hermione's arm as Harry pulled them to the side. The Centaur that was strangled with the rope stood up, pulling away the ropes.

"Unhand me, you animal!" screamed Umbridge.  Arrows were shot at the Giants's hand, and as Umbridge screams even more, he lets go of her. She lands on the floor with a thud.

The Centaurs start circling Umbridge, who sat there. "Malfoy! Help me!" She yelled.

"No, thanks, Professor," said Cassiopeia, giving her a soft smile. "Not worth my energy, really."

"No! No! Potter, Do something!" Umbridge continued to yell, "tell them I mean no harm!"

"I'm sorry, Professor," said Harry, "I must not tell lies."

Umbridge's eyes widen, as the Centaurs grab her arms, carries her away as she continued to yell.  Her screaming dwindles as she is borne away over the
ridge, the other Centaurs folding in behind her.

"Thank you, Grawp," smiled Hermione. Cassiopeia smiled at him before Harry grabbed Cassiopeia's hand.

"Cassiopeia, Hermione, come on!" He said, hurriedly. "Sirius!"

They all run through the forest, Cassiopeia feeling the sweat in her skin since, unlike Harry and Hermione, she still had her robes and uniform on.

As Harry, Cassiopeia and Hermione emerge from the trees they find Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna hurrying to meet them.

"How did you get away?" asked Hermione, out of breath.

"Told 'em I was hungry and wanted some sweets. 'Course they said bugger off and ate it all themselves," said Ron, smiling.

"Puking Pastilles," said Ginny, "it wasn't pretty."

"Ron! That was clever," said Hermione, truly impressed.

"It has been known to happen," Ron grinned, blushing.

"It was brilliant!" added Neville, "But how are we going to get to London...?"

Hermione and Ron's eyes go instantly to Harry, who looked at Cassiopeia. She shrugged.

"Look, it's not that I don't appreciate everything you've done, all of you," Harry spoke, "But I've got you into enough trouble as it is, and..."

Luna frowns, Cassiopeia just looks at him, terribly disappointed, and Harry frowns.

"Dumbledore's Army was supposed to be about doing something real," said Neville, slowly. "Or was that all just words to you?"

Harry hesitates. Ron looks at him; gently: "Maybe you don't have to do this all by yourself, mate,"

A long moment...he takes in their faces...then--an open appeal: "So how are we going to get to London?"

Everyone grins, except for Cassiopeia. Luna smiles, "We fly, of course,"

They all look at her with confused faces, and Harry realized. He nodded, knowing what she meant, and the others just agreed to it. At first, they all thought about brooms, but apparently it isn't.

As they all start to walk away, Cassiopeia grabbed Harry's hand. He stopped, looked at her confused.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't go with you," she said, the others stare at her confused as well. "I might see my parents, they'll kill me on the spot,"

Harry looked at her a moment for giving her a kiss on the cheek, "No need to worry, we'll be fine, Cas,"

He smiled, and then he turned away Cassiopeia letting go of his hand. She nodded, watching as they all started to rush away.

Half of her felt sad that she couldn't join whatever they'll be doing, but the other half of her was glad she wasn't. She wouldn't be hurt.

Letting out a sigh, she turned around, back to the castle.

As she walked, she suddenly felt like it was getting hot. She took off her black robes, and held it; When she finally entered inside the Castle, she turned the corner, walking to the dungeons.

Suddenly, her vision started to blur again. Cassiopeia cursed at herself, she didn't want to have a vision now. But she can't control it, not yet at least.

But as she stopped in the middle of the Hall to see whatever her vision is now. Her eyes widened when she saw that Harry was just set up to go to the Ministry by Voldemort.

"Damn you, idiot!" She mumbled, rushing into the Common Room, grabbing whatever sweater or shirt she has inside her trunk and changing her clothes. No one was in the Dorm Room, so that saved her so much time.

She ran out of the Common Room, and into Snape's office.

Cassiopeia opened the door, barging in, making Snape jump from his seat.

"Do you know how to knock?!" sneered Snape.

"I need your help," she said, breathlessly.