Percy Jackson and the Department of Mysteries

155) Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy

"How did you get away?" Harry asked in amazement as he accepted his wand from Ron.

"I'm very good at exploding things," Seamus said, twisting Dean's robes in his hands. "Also, Ginny got Pansy with a Bat-Bogey Hex. Anyway, we saw you heading into the forest from the window and followed. What've you done with Umbridge and Malfoy?"

"Umbridge got carried away by a herd of centaurs," I shifted on my feet. "And Draco's probably already made it back to my room."

"The centaurs left you behind?" Ginny blinked, shocked.

"No, they got chased off by Grawp," Hermione answered.

"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked curiously.

"Hagrid's little brother," Ron explained, as if that really cleared things up. "Anyway, never mind that now. Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You-Know-Who got Sirius or —?"

"Yes," Harry rubbed at his scar, "and I'm sure Sirius is still alive, but I can't see how we're going to get there or help him."

I wanted to scream. That was just another problem to add to the growing list.

"Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" Luna said, sounding strangely certain.

"Okay," Harry pivoted and glared at her, "first of all, 'we' aren't doing anything if you're including yourself in that, and second of all, Ron and Percy are the only ones with a broomstick that isn't being guarded by a security troll, so —"

"I've got a broom!" Ginny interjected.

"Yeah, but you're not coming," Ron said hotly.

"Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!" Ginny set her jaw.

"You're too —" Harry began.

"I'm three years older than you were when you fought You-Know-Who over the Sorcerer's Stone," she crossed her arms, "and it's because of me Pansy's stuck back in Umbridge's office with giant flying bogeys attacking her —"

"Yeah, but —"

We were all in the D.A. Together," Neville said softly. "It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn't it? And this is the first chance we've had to do something real — or was that all just a game or something?"

"No — of course it wasn't —"

"Then we should come too," Neville said calmly. "We want to help."

"That's right," Seamus said, smiling proudly at me, though he definitely had no clue what was going on. Dean's eyes widened and he turned to Seamus, glaring.

"You don't even believe Voldemort's back!" Harry argued.

Seamus shrugged, "I'll get my proof, then."

"No he won't," Dean said stubbornly.

Seamus turned to him, frowning, "I have been dragged into this mess, I plan on riding it out. Plus, I can't let PJ go without me, he'd lose his head."

"It was one time!" I cried. "I almost got decapitated one time!"

"They're talking about Sirius Black!" Dean waved his arms erratically. "The escaped convict! The murderer!"

"He's a good guy," I said simply.

"Yeah, see, I listen to Percy on these sorts of things," Seamus nodded happily. "He said Liam's a bad guy, so Liam's bad. He was suspicious of Moody, so I was, too. And if he says Black's a good character, then he probably is."

"Still, whatever's going on, it sounds dangerous."

"Yeah, probably," Seamus shrugged. "But it's not the first time. Keep an eye on Hogwarts for us, yeah?"