The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

179. Debilitated

Althea tried and failed to stifle a yawn as she climbed the steps of the Astronomy Tower at eleven on Wednesday night. She had not taken a nap like some of her classmates since their Divination exam that afternoon. Instead, she had stayed awake, studying star charts.

"Begin setting up your telescopes," Professor Marchbanks said, beginning to pace among them.

Athea did as she was told, barely looking up as they were handed blank star charts.

"You may begin."

Althea worked quickly, glancing in her telescope every few minutes as she first filled in Orion before proceeding onward to the stars around it. She had been working for an hour in silence aside from the occasional creak of a shifting telescope, the scratching of quills - all of the usual noises of an Astronomy exam - she had even begun to feel rather at ease before light suddenly flooded the grounds below her.

Althea looked up in confusion. Five or six elongated shadows were stretching across the lawn, molding their creators to look rather like tall, gaunt monsters. As the door swung shut behind them, however, she returned to her chart, attempting to find her place again. She still had over a fourth of her chart to go.

It was a bright, clear night, so that when Althea shifted her gaze back to her chart to fill in the planet Venus, she caught sight of the figures again. She was almost sure the shortest and squattest of them was their darling usurper of a headmistress. She had just finished marking two more stars when a low, distant knock reached her ears. Althea looked up, instantly catching sight of the figures now facing Hagrid's hut. She could not bring her attention back to her exam anymore. Barking sounded next, doubtless Hagrid's dog Fang. Lights were turned on in the hut, revealing the siluettes of the six figures.

As the door opened and the figures went inside, however, Althea distractedly returned to her chart. She seemed to only be missing a few stars now. She had just filled in two more when a roar echoed across the grounds. Althea jerked, accidentally poking herself in the eye with her telescope in her haste to see what was happening.

Giving a little dry cough, Professor Tofty said, "Try and concentrate, now, boys and girls."

Althea gave the hut one more glance before she quickly filled in the remaining stars. Before she had finished writing the name of the last one, however, Professor Tofty said, "Ahem - twenty minutes to go."

She had just finished scribbling in the name when, with an echoing bang, the door to Hagrid's hut burst open, revealing his huge figure, struggling and brandishing his fists angrily against the six figures. Tiny red threads of light were shooting toward him, making Althea think they were trying to stun him.

"No!" Hermione cried in distress.

"My dear!" Professor Tofty exclaimed, scandalized, "This is an examination!"

No one was listening anymore. Each beam of red light seemed to bounce off Hagrid as he fought and yelled.

"Be reasonable, Hagrid!" a man yelled.

"Reasonable be damned, yeh won' take me like this, Dawlish!" he cried.

Althea gasped as Fang, in an attempt to defend his owner, jumped in front of him, subsequently putting him directly in the line of fire for one of the stunners. He instantly collapsed. Hagrid let out a great howl of fury that caused all the blood to drain from Althea's face as she watched in horror as he picked up the man who had done it and threw him at least ten feet.

"Look!" Parvati squealed, pointing.

Althea followed her gaze and saw the castle doors had opened again. Another figure was crossing the lawn.

"Now, really!" Professor Tofty said anxiously. "Only sixteen minutes left, you know!"

"How dare you! How dare you!" the figure cried.

Althea instantly recognized her as Professor McGonagall.

"Leave him alone, I say!" she shouted. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such-"

Althea screamed, covering her mouth with her hands as not one, not two, nor even three, but four stunners struck Professor McGonagall directly in the chest.

Instantly, she sprang to her feet, shoving her star chart at Professor Tofty as she ran from the tower, ignoring the shouts calling her back. She was breathless by the time she reached the ground floor and a stitch had formed in her side, but she didn't care. Soon, she was on the grounds by McGonagall's side. Hagrid was shouting again, but Althea didn't hear. She was pressing her fingers to McGonagall's throat, tears streaming down her cheeks as she breathlessly waited. A small cry of relief left her as she felt a pulse, but it was desperately weak.

"Get him! Get him!" Umbridge screamed, but Hagrid ran away, unstopped.

Carefully getting control of herself, Althea rose shakily to her feet, raising her wand. McGonagall began to hover in a few feet in the air. Carefully, Althea began to walk back toward the school, always keeping her eyes on her teacher.

"What are you doing?!" Umbridge shouted, finally catching up to her as she entered the hall.

Althea said nothing. She was too scared and angry to speak.

"Speak to me!" Umbridge shrieked, grabbing hold of her by the shoulders and beginning to shake her, but before she had shaken her much, a scream froze her in her place.

Madam Pomfrey had emerged in her dressing gown, staring with a bloodless face as McGonagall.

Ignoring Umbridge, Althea shakily explained, "She took four stunners to the chest, Madam Pomfrey. She needs to go to St Mungo's!"

"We'll do what we can in the meantime," Madam Pomfrey said, helping her to take her into the Hospital Wing. "Without your mother here, I'll need your help."

Althea nodded, following behind her and leaving the fuming Umbridge behind.