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

183. Withering Hope

"Very well," Umbridge said finally after the door had shut behind Snape. She was trembling with rage now. Drawing out her wand, she resumed, "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..." Beating her wand nervously against her palm as she stared at Harry, she muttered, "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."

"No!" Hermione shrieked. "Professor Umbridge - it's illegal-"

Althea quickly looked at Neville. He had gone terribly pale.

"Would Fudge really want you to break the law?" Althea cried desperately, watching in horror as Umbridge shifted her wand to different parts of Harry's body as though attempting to determine what would hurt the most.

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," she said softly. "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..."

"That was you?" Harry gasped. "You sent the dementors after me?"

"Somebody had to act," she said breathlessly, moving her wand to point at Harry's forehead. "They were all bleating about silencing you somehow - discrediting you - but I was he only one who actually did something about it..."

"But," Althea said in shock. "You had no idea he could produce a patronus, did you? You wanted it to - to-"

She couldn't finish her thought.

As though she didn't hear her, Umbridge prattled on, "Only you wriggled out of that one, didn't you, Potter? Not today, though, not now..." Taking a deep breath, she cried, "Cruc-"

"NO!" Hermione shouted. "No - Harry - Harry, we'll have to tell her!"

"No way!" Harry retorted.

"Hermione, are you craz-" Althea began incredulously.

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

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

"Hermione, no!" Ron shouted.

Even Luna was looking at her in mild surprise. Neville and Ginny were both staring at Hermione in utter confusion, but Althea had just noticed something. Although Hermione was sobbing desperately into her hands, not a single tear fell.

"I'm - I'm sorry everyone," she continued, still fake-sobbing. "But - I can't stand it-"

"That's right, that's right, girl!" Umbridge cried, seizing Hermione by the shoulders and shoving her into a chair. Leaning over her, she demanded, "Now then...with whom was Potter communicating just now?"

"Well," Hermione gulped, still hiding her face in her hands. "Well, he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore..."

Althea's brows furrowed slightly as she glanced at Ron and Ginny. Quickly, however, they all shifted their expressions to look as though this wasn't surprising in the least.

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

"Well...no!" Hermione sobbed. "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!" Umbridge shouted, looking severely disappointed.

"But - but we needed to tell him something important!" Hermione wailed.

"Yes?" Umbridge said with regained eagerness. "What was it you wanted to tell him?"

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

"What's ready?" Umbridge demanded, grabbing hold of her shoulders. "What's ready, girl?"

"The...the weapon," Hermione said.

"Weapon? Weapon?" Umbridge repeated eagerly. "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 gasped. "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?" Umbridge asked harshly.

"We don't really understand it," Hermione said, sniffling loudly. "We j-j-just did what P-P-Professor Dumbledore told us t-t-to do..."

"Lead me to the weapon," Umbridge ordered.

"I'm not showing...them," Hermione said disdainfully, glaring at the Slytherins.

"It is not for you to set conditions," Umbridge retorted.

"Fine!" Hermione cried, pretending to sob again. "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!"

Althea held her breath as she watched Umbridge's face.

In a forced calm voice, Umbridge finally said, "All right, dear, let's make it just you and me...and we'll take Potter too, shall we? Get up, now-"

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

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" Umbridge snapped. "In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these-" She glared at Luna, Ginny, Neville, Ron, and Althea "-escape."

"All right," Malfoy said sulkily.

"Lead on," Umbridge snapped to Hermione and Harry.

When the door had shut behind them, there was a rather tense silence before Malfoy demanded, "What's the weapon like?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Neville retorted.

"How dare you talk to me like-" Malfoy spat, but before he could say more, Althea kicked directly behind her, sending him to the ground with a pained cry.

Before he could recover himself, she snatched her wand from his grip and quickly pointed it at Crabbe, who was holding Neville, shouting, "Stupify!"

As he collapsed, Ginny broke free and Neville grabbed his wand. Soon, the only ones still standing were Ginny, Ron, Luna, Neville, and Althea.

"Come on," Althea said, opening the door and rushing after their friends, their wands in hand.