ruins ; harry potter [1]

fourteen ; the horrible headmaster

Diana stood up, her stance rigid and ready to fight if need be. She moved her wand to her sleeve when no one watched so it would be easier to get at. She sensed danger.

"Diana, this is none of your business. If you'd please leave, we would like to resolve this without any trouble," Umbridge said, though it was more of a sneer than anything.

"Like hell," she retorted. "If you want me to leave," she leaned closer, her eyes narrowing, "you'll have to make me."

Umbridge's face didn't change, though she made no move to make Diana do anything. She merely stared for a few seconds before she turned her eyes back to Hagrid. Diana noticed Dawlish watching her warily. She winked at him, and he scowled.

"Unfortunately, I, as Hogwarts Headmaster, have come to the decision to officially terminate you as Hogwarts Gamekeeper," she said, and Diana's eyes got darker. "Furthermore, I have instructed these men to escort you to the Ministry, where you will be evaluated on your...status..." she said. Her eyes had been reduced to slits, her lips curled over her sharp little teeth. Diana clenched her jaw tightly.

"On what grounds?" she asked, making eye contact with everyone behind Umbridge until her eyes finally settled on the stubby woman.

She gave a shrill little laugh, which caused everyone behind her to chuckle lowly. "Oh, dear, I didn't realize you were so dim. I am the Headmaster, now," she said with far too much joy, "and I am in close contact with the Minister, of course. I am acting on the Ministry's behalf, rightfully so—"

"Shut up," Diana snapped, causing Umbridge's eyes to nearly pop out of her head.

"Do not speak to me like that!" she hissed. She turned her head back to Hagrid, who was furious. "Now, if you would come with me—"

"I'm not comin' with yeh," he growled. Some of the men behind Umbridge took a step back.

Umbridge narrowed her eyes, and she smiled a disgusting grin. "Very well. Dawlish, will you please forcefully escort him out of this hut?" She peered around the room with disgust. Dawlish pulled out his wand.

"I'm warning yeh, Dawlish," Hagrid warned. Fang growled loudly.

Dawlish sent a spell at Hagrid, but it just bounced off. Hagrid roared in fury, and in a very large commotion, pushed the other out of the way and grabbed Diana, pulling her out of the door. Everything was going so fast as six spells were shot directly at them with a loud bang, and it was a miracle that Diana was able to whip out her wand and set a barrier in front of her. She knew that with Hagrid's giant blood, he could manage on his own.

More and more spells were being shot and Diana and Hagrid, but Diana grinned wickedly, casting spell after spell at the lot. This was her territory, her domain. She could fight like she was born to do it, and she loved it.

The Stunning spells were bouncing right off of Hagrid, and he continued to roar and swing his arms at anyone who dared come close.

Fang tried desperately to defend Hagrid and Diana, gnashing his teeth and attempting to attack them, but someone shot a Stunning Spell at poor Fang and he fell to the ground and didn't move. Hagrid yelled and picked up the man who had Stunned Fang and threw him. The man didn't get up.

"Be reasonable, Hagrid!" Dawlish yelled through the fight.

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

Diana Stunned one of them, and he fell to the ground in a heap. Most of her wandwork was spent on deflecting and shielding, but it was fun. She hadn't been as exhilarated as this in years.

Diana Stunned another one, and another one, and her attention was pulled to the front door of the castle.

"How dare you!" McGonagall yelled furiously, running towards Umbridge. "Leave them alone! Alone, I say! On what grounds are you attacking them? They have done nothing to warrant such—"

"Minerva!" Diana screamed, her voice tearing through the crisp air. She heard more screams, too, which she knew were coming from the Astronomy Tower. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the other Gryffindors were taking their Astronomy exam.

Multiple Stunners were shot towards her, hitting her straight in the chest. She was lifted off of her feet with the force and thrown backward onto the ground.

Diana couldn't contain it. She saw McGonagall's unmoving body on the ground and lost control. The world was moving in slow motion, and all sound had been drained until it felt like she was watching from underwater.

She swiped her wand through the air, and a fire erupted from the tip, swirling and writhing until it had become the shape of a snake. The fire lit up the grounds in the blackened night, and she watched the reflection of her snake in Umbridge's eyes as it was sent sliding towards her and the last of her colleagues.

"HAGRID! GET FANG AND GO!"

The snake moved slowly, but they watched it, rooted to the spot. Her colleague tried to walk backwards, but tripped over another unconscious body on the ground.

"Yeh'll be all alone here!" he yelled back, scooping fang. She knew what he meant. She would be the last of the Order in Hogwarts if he left and McGonagall didn't wake up.

"GO!"

He ran off into the Forbidden Forest with Fang in his arms, not looking back until he was at the tree line, then disappeared.

The snake approached Umbridge, who weakly raised her wand and sent a stream of water out of the tip, but it did nothing to deter the predator.

The snake of fire opened it's mouth and seemed to have swallowed her until it disappeared with a flick of her wand, and she saw Umbridge unconscious on the ground. She wasn't burned or harmed in any way. Diana cast one look at the last remaining Ministry official and Stunned him like the rest.

She knew she only had about a minute before Umbridge would wake up, but it was just enough time.

"Oi!" she yelled, loud enough for the students at the top of the Astronomy tower to hear her. "McGonagall will be okay. Get the word out that Umbridge is in full power now, but I'm going to handle it!"

Without another word, she sprinted up to the castle and sent a Patronus to Madam Pomfrey about McGonagall, and ran to her room where she changed the password and set up a few extra security measures to the door.

She fell asleep for the rest of the day, but this time, her dream was of Sirius Black, writhing on the floor like a wounded animal, tortured and bloodied by Lord Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries.