***
— by order of —
The Ministry of Magic
Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight.
Signed:
Cornelius Oswald Fudge
Minister of Magic
The notices had gone up all over the school overnight, but they did not explain how every single person within the castle seemed to know that Dumbledore had overcome two Aurors, the High Inquisitor, the Minister of Magic, and his Junior Assistant to escape. No matter where Grace went within the castle next day, the sole topic of conversation was Dumbledore's flight, and though some of the details might have gone awry in the retelling (Grace overheard one second-year girl assuring another that Fudge was now lying in St. Mungo's with a pumpkin for a head), it was surprising how accurate the rest of their information was. Everybody seemed aware, for instance, that Grace, Harry and Marietta were the only students to have witnessed the scene in Dumbledore's office, and as Marietta was now in the hospital wing, Grace and Harry found themselves besieged with requests to give a firsthand account wherever they went.
"Dumbledore will be back before long," said Ernie Macmillan confidently on the way back from Herbology after listening intently to Grace's and Harry's story. "They couldn't keep him away in our second year and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me . . ." He dropped his voice conspiratorially, so that Grace, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had to lean closer to him to hear, ". . . that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gargoyle. The Head's office has sealed itself against her." Ernie smirked. "Apparently she had a right little tantrum. . . ."
"Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office," said Hermione viciously, as they walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall. "Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old —"
"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Granger?"
Draco Malfoy had slid out from behind the door, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His pale, pointed face was alight with malice.
"have you been hiding behind the door? waiting for us?" said Grace coolly.
"Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," he drawled.
"It's only teachers that can dock points from Houses, Malfoy," said Ernie at once.
"Yeah, we're prefects too, remember?" snarled Ron.
"I know prefects can't dock points, Weasel King," sneered Draco; Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad —"
"The what?" said Grace sharply.
"The Inquisitorial Squad, dear cousin," said Draco, pointing toward a tiny silver I upon his robes just beneath his prefect's badge. "A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, handpicked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points. . . . So, Granger, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new headmistress. . . . Macmillan, five for contradicting me. . . . Five because I don't like you, Potter . . . Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that. . . . five for darling Freya, because you're associated with these losers and because you annoy me. . . .Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a Mudblood, Granger, so ten for that. . . ."
Ron pulled out his wand, but Hermione pushed it away, whispering, "Don't!"
"Wise move, Granger," breathed Draco. "New Head, new times . . . Be good now, Potty . . . Weasel King . . . dear cousin. . . ."
He strode away, laughing heartily with Crabbe and Goyle.
"He was bluffing," said Ernie, looking appalled. "He can't be allowed to dock points . . . that would be ridiculous. . . . It would completely undermine the prefect system. . . ."
But Grace, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had turned automatically toward the giant hourglasses set in niches along the wall behind them, which recorded the House points. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had been neck and neck in the lead that morning. Even as they watched, stones flew upward, reducing the amounts in the lower bulbs. In fact, the only glass that seemed unchanged was the emerald-filled one of Slytherin.
"Noticed, have you?" said Fred's voice.
He and George had just come down the marble staircase and joined Grace, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ernie in front of the hourglasses.
"Malfoy just docked us all about fifty points," said Harry furiously, as they watched several more stones fly upward from the Gryffindor hourglass.
"Yeah, Montague tried to do us during break," said George.
"What do you mean, 'tried'?" said Ron quickly.
"He never managed to get all the words out," said Fred, "due to the fact that we forced him headfirst into that Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor."
"very good." said Grace. "should have hit him on the head with a broomstick too."
"Grace!" Hermione said before turning to Fred and George looking very shocked. "But you'll get into terrible trouble!"
"Not until Montague reappears, and that could take weeks, I dunno where we sent him," said Fred coolly. "Anyway . . . we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble anymore."
"Have you ever?" asked Hermione.
"'Course we have," said George. "Never been expelled, have we?"
"We've always known where to draw the line," said Fred.
"We might have put a toe across it occasionally," said George.
"But we've always stopped short of causing real mayhem," said Fred.
"But now?" said Ron tentatively.
"Well, now —" said George.
"— what with Dumbledore gone —" said Fred.
"— we reckon a bit of mayhem —" said George.
"— is exactly what our dear new Head deserves," said Fred.
"You mustn't!" whispered Hermione. "You really mustn't! She'd love a reason to expel you!"
"You don't get it, Hermione, do you?" said Fred, smiling at her. "We don't care about staying anymore. We'd walk out right now if we weren't determined to do our bit for Dumbledore first. So anyway," he checked his watch, "phase one is about to begin. I'd get in the Great Hall for lunch if I were you, that way the teachers will see you can't have had anything to do with it."
"Anything to do with what?" said Hermione anxiously.
"You'll see," said George. "Run along, now."
Fred and George turned away and disappeared in the swelling crowd descending the stairs toward lunch. Looking highly disconcerted, Ernie muttered something about unfinished Transfiguration homework and scurried away.
"I think we should get out of here, you know," said Hermione nervously. "Just in case . . ."
"Yeah, all right," said Ron, and the four of them moved toward the doors to the Great Hall, but Grace had barely glimpsed today's ceiling of scudding white clouds when somebody tapped her on the shoulder and, turning, she found herself almost nose to nose with Filch, the caretaker. She took several hasty steps backward; Filch was best viewed at a distance.
"The headmistress would like to see you, Black, Potter," he leered.
"Why don't people get it it's Weasley." Grace hissed.
"We didn't do it," said Harry stupidly, probably thinking of whatever Fred and George were planning.
Filch's jowls wobbled with silent laughter.
"Guilty conscience, eh?" he wheezed. "Follow me. . . ."
Grace and Harry glanced back at Ron and Hermione, who were both looking worried. Grace shrugged and followed Filch back into the entrance hall, against the tide of hungry students.
Filch seemed to be in an extremely good mood; he hummed creakily under his breath as they climbed the marble staircase. As they reached the first landing he said, "Things are changing around here."
"we've noticed," said Harry coldly.
"Years . . . I've been telling Dumbledore for years and years he's too soft with you all," said Filch, chuckling nastily. "You filthy little beasts would never have dropped Stinkpellets if you'd known I had it in my power to whip you raw, would you, now? Nobody would have thought of throwing Fanged Frisbees down the corridors if I could've strung you up by the ankles in my office, would they? But when Educational Decree Twenty-nine comes in, Potter, I'll be allowed to do them things. . . . And she's asked the Minister to sign an order for the expulsion of Peeves. . . . Oh, things are going to be very different around here with her in charge. . . ."
Umbridge had obviously gone to some lengths to get Filch on her side, Grace thought, and the worst of it was that he would probably prove an important weapon; his knowledge of the school's secret passageways and hiding places was probably second only to Fred and George.
"Here we are," he said, leering down at Grace and Harry as he rapped three times upon Professor Umbridge's door and pushed it open. "The Potter boy and Black girl to see you, ma'am."
Umbridge's office, so very familiar to Grace from her many detentions, was the same as usual except for the large wooden block lying across the front of her desk on which golden letters spelled the word HEADMISTRESS; also her and Harry's Firebolt, and Fred's and George's Cleansweeps, which she saw with a pang were now chained and padlocked to a stout iron peg in the wall behind the desk. Umbridge was sitting behind the desk, busily scribbling upon some of her pink parchment, but looked up and smiled widely at their entrance.
"Thank you, Argus," she said sweetly.
"Not at all, ma'am, not at all," said Filch, bowing as low as his rheumatism would permit, and exiting backward.
"Sit," said Umbridge curtly, pointing toward the two chairs, and they sat. She continued to scribble for a few moments. Grace watched some of the foul kittens gamboling around the plates over her head, wondering what fresh horror she had in store for them.
"Well now," she said finally, setting down her quill and looking like a toad about to swallow a particularly juicy fly. "What would you like to drink?"
"What?" said Harry, quite sure he had misheard her.
"To drink, Mr. Potter," she said, smiling still more widely. "Tea? Coffee? Pumpkin juice?"
As she named each drink, she gave her short wand a wave, and a cup or glass of it appeared upon her desk.
"Nothing, thank you," said Harry.
"yeah, same." said Grace.
"I wish you to have a drink with me," she said, her voice becoming more dangerously sweet. "Choose one."
"Fine . . . tea then," said Harry, shrugging.
"Alright, Coffee." said Grace, her eyes suspiciously narrowed at her.
She got up and made quite a performance of adding milk with her back to them. She then bustled around the desk with it, smiling in sinisterly sweet fashion.
"There," she said, handing the cups to them. "Drink it before it gets cold, won't you? Well, now, Mr. Potter, Miss. Black . . . I thought we ought to have a little chat, after the distressing events of last night."
They said nothing. She settled herself back into her seat and waited. When several long moments had passed in silence, she said gaily, "You're not drinking up!"
She raised the cup to her lips and then, just as suddenly, lowered it. One of the horrible painted kittens behind Umbridge had great round blue eyes just like Mad-Eye's magical one, and Grace remembered Mad-eye telling her to not drink anything offered by a known enemy during one of her training sessions with him last summer.
"What's the matter?" said Umbridge, who was still watching them. "Do you want sugar?"
"No — " said Harry.
"actually, some sugar would be nice." said Grace, shooting Harry fervent looks.
Umbridge smiled in a dangerously sweet manner at her, before she stood up. Grace turned to Harry and shook her head looking at the drink. He seemed to understand what she was saying. Grace used her foot to nudge the pink frilly carpet out of the way, and poured some coffee onto the floor below. Harry made to do the same, before Umbridge turned back around.
"there we are." Umbridge said keeping a jar of sugar cubes on the table.
"thanks." said Grace as she took a cube and put it in her cup.
Grace raised the cup to her lips again and pretended to take a sip, though keeping her mouth tightly closed. Umbridge's smile widened.
"Good," she whispered. "Very good. Now then . . ." She leaned forward a little. "Where is Albus Dumbledore?"
"No idea," said Harry promptly.
"no clue," said Grace shrugging.
"Drink up, drink up," she said, still smiling. "Now, Miss Black, Mr. Potter, let us not play childish games. I know that you know where he has gone. You and Dumbledore have been in this together from the beginning. Consider your positions. . . ."
"I don't know where he is."
"Very well," said Umbridge, looking displeased. "In that case, you will kindly tell me the whereabouts of Sirius Black, you father, Ms. Black."
"I don't know," she said a little too quickly.
"Ms. Black," said Umbridge, "let me remind you that it was I who almost caught the criminal Black in the Gryffindor fire in October. I know perfectly well it was you two he was meeting and if I had had any proof neither of you would be at large today, I promise you. I repeat, Ms. Black . . . Where is Sirius Black?"
"No idea," said Grace loudly. "Haven't got a clue."
They stared at each other so long that Grace felt her eyes watering. Then she stood up.
"Very well, Potter, Black, I will take your word for it this time, but be warned: The might of the Ministry stands behind me. All channels of communication in and out of this school are being monitored. A Floo Network Regulator is keeping watch over every fire in Hogwarts — except my own, of course. My Inquisitorial Squad is opening and reading all owl post entering and leaving the castle. And Mr. Filch is observing all secret passages in and out of the castle. If I find a shred of evidence . . ."
BOOM!
The very floor of the office shook; Umbridge slipped sideways, clutching her desk for support, looking shocked.
"What was — ?"
She was gazing toward the door; Grace and Harry took the opportunity to empty their almost full cup of tea into the nearest vase of dried flowers.
Grace could hear people running and screaming several floors below. "Back to lunch with you!" cried Umbridge, raising her wand and dashing out of the office. Grace and Harry gave her a few seconds' start then hurried after her to see what the source of all the uproar was.
It was not difficult to find. One floor down, pandemonium reigned. Somebody (and Grace had a very shrewd idea who) had set off what seemed to be an enormous crate of enchanted fireworks.
Dragons comprised entirely of green-and-gold sparks were soaring up and down the corridors, emitting loud fiery blasts and bangs as they went. Shocking-pink Catherine wheels five feet in diameter were whizzing lethally through the air like so many flying saucers. Rockets with long tails of brilliant silver stars were ricocheting off the walls. Sparklers were writing swearwords in midair of their own accord. Firecrackers were exploding like mines everywhere Grace looked, and instead of burning themselves out, fading from sight, or fizzling to a halt, these pyrotechnical miracles seemed to be gaining in energy and momentum the longer she watched.
Filch and Umbridge were standing, apparently transfixed with horror, halfway down the stairs. As Grace watched, one of the larger Catherine wheels seemed to decide that what it needed was more room to maneuver; it whirled toward Umbridge and Filch with a sinister wheeeeeeeeee. Both adults yelled with fright and ducked and it soared straight out of the window behind them and off across the grounds. Meanwhile, several of the dragons and a large purple bat that was smoking ominously took advantage of the open door at the end of the corridor to escape toward the second floor.
"Hurry, Filch, hurry!" shrieked Umbridge. "They'll be all over the school unless we do something — Stupefy!"
A jet of red light shot out of the end of her wand and hit one of the rockets. Instead of freezing in midair, it exploded with such force that it blasted a hole in a painting of a soppy-looking witch in the middle of a meadow — she ran for it just in time, reappearing seconds later squashed into the painting next door, where a couple of wizards playing cards stood up hastily to make room for her.
"Don't Stun them, Filch!" shouted Umbridge angrily, for all the world as though it had been his suggestion.
"Right you are, Headmistress!" wheezed Filch, who was a Squib and could no more have Stunned the fireworks than swallowed them. He dashed to a nearby cupboard, pulled out a broom, and began swatting at the fireworks in midair; within seconds the head of the broom was ablaze.
Grace had seen enough. Laughing, she grabbed Harry's hand and ducked down low, ran to a door she knew was concealed behind a tapestry a little way along the corridor and slipped through it to find Fred and George hiding just behind it, listening to Umbridge's and Filch's yells and quaking with suppressed mirth.
"I think I'm going to cry." said Grace gleefully, clutching her sides.
"Impressive," Harry said quietly, grinning. "Very impressive . . . You'll put Dr. Filibuster out of business, no problem. . . ."
"Cheers," whispered George, wiping tears of laughter from his face. "Oh, I hope she tries Vanishing them next. . . . They multiply by ten every time you try. . . ."
The fireworks continued to burn and to spread all over the school that afternoon. Though they caused plenty of disruption, particularly the firecrackers, the other teachers did not seem to mind them very much.
"Dear, dear," said Professor McGonagall sardonically, as one of the dragons soared around her classroom, emitting loud bangs and exhaling flame. "Miss Brown, would you mind running along to the headmistress and informing her that we have an escaped firework in our classroom?"
The upshot of it all was that Professor Umbridge spent her first afternoon as headmistress running all over the school answering the summonses of the other teachers, none of whom seemed able to rid their rooms of the fireworks without her. When the final bell rang and the students were heading back to Gryffindor Tower with their bags, Grace saw, with immense satisfaction, a disheveled and soot-blackened Umbridge tottering sweaty-faced from Professor Flitwick's classroom.
"Thank you so much, Professor!" said Professor Flitwick in his squeaky little voice. "I could have got rid of the sparklers myself, of course, but I wasn't sure whether I had the authority. . . ."
Beaming, he closed his classroom door in her snarling face. Fred and George were heroes that night in the Gryffindor common room. Even Hermione fought her way through the excited crowd around them to congratulate them.
"They were wonderful fireworks," she said admiringly.
"Thanks," said George, looking both surprised and pleased. "Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs. Only thing is, we used our whole stock, we're going to have to start again from scratch now. . . ."
"It was worth it, though," said Fred, who was taking orders from clamoring Gryffindors. "If you want to add your name to the waiting list, Hermione, it's five Galleons for your Basic Blaze box and twenty for the Deflagration Deluxe. . . ."
Hermione returned to the table where Grace was in the middle of her Astronomy chart while Harry and Ron were sitting staring at their schoolbags as though hoping their homework might spring out of it and start doing itself.
"Oh, why don't we have a night off?" said Hermione brightly, as a silver-tailed Weasley rocket zoomed past the window. "After all, the Easter holidays start on Friday, we'll have plenty of time then. . . ."
"Are you feeling all right?" Ron asked, staring at her in disbelief.
"Now you mention it," said Hermione happily, "d'you know . . . I think I'm feeling a bit . . . rebellious."
"woah," said Grace staring at Hermione. "Ron, I think we've been a very bad influence on her."
"very bad indeed." Ron agreed.
Grace returned to her Astronomy chart, but from the corner of her eyes she saw Harry throwing furtive looks at Hermione, who glanced at Grace before nodding. She stared at them suspiciously, as Hermione turned to Ron.
"Ron," said Hermione. "I think we should go to Dean and Seamus about — quidditch!"
"what?" said Ron confused. "quidditch? you —"
"Come on," Hermione stood up dragging Ron with her. "I want you to teach about quidditch —"
"Are you sick — "
"So I understand the game better," said Hermione frustrated. "and then I can help you."
She dragged a thoroughly astonished Ron, yanking him through the surge of people around Fred, George and Lee.
"What was all that about?" said Grace thoroughly confused.
"I wanted to talk to your alone."
Grace whipped around at Harry, "what do you want talk about?"
"Not here," he said as he stood up taking Grace with him. "Somewhere quiet."
"Where —"
He led her out of the Gryffindor common room and toward the empty space behind the stairs on the left corridor.
"What — "
"I know who I like." He cut her off.
Grace stared at him, her lips parted slightly in surprise.
"and?"
"I like you."
Grace blinked, but stayed silent.
"I made a very stupid mistake, Grace." he continued when she didn't say anything. "I was an idiot to not recognise my feelings for you. And I hurt you because of that. I'm so sorry, Grace. I was so stupid, an idiot. But Hermione helped me come back to me senses. I know now that I like you. I really like you."
"Do you mean it?" Grace asked quietly.
"Yes! Now that I look back, I realised that I've always liked you, I've liked you more than a best friend, but I was just stupid enough to not recognise it. I'm really sorry —"
Grace rolled her eyes, before grabbing his collar, and bringing his lips down to her. His wide eyes met her before, before closing. Her hands went into his hair as she pulled him close and his hands went around her waist, caging her in his arms. The didn't break apart until they were breathless.
"Pity you kissed Cho first," Grace whispered against his lips. "if you would've told me this before, your first kiss wouldn't have sucked."
"Do you — " he cleared his throat. "Do you have to mention it now?"
"Of course," said Grace. "I want you to know I'm a better kisser."
"No denying in that."
Then he captured her lips with his again.
+++
When Harry and Grace returned to the common room, it was empty except a few students, Hermione and Ron included. Both of them were doing their homework and looked up when they saw Harry and Grace enter.
"Where you've been?" Ron demanded.
"Somewhere." said Grace casually as she and Harry sat down on the couch.
"Why're you so red, Harry?" Ron asked suddenly looking confused.
Harry's eyes widened, before he looked at Grace, then back to Ron.
He cleared his throat. "It — It's hot."
"no it's not." said Ron confused.
But he was distracted as suddenly Hermione let out a small scream, clasping her hands around her mouth as she stared from Harry to Grace.
"You — you — "
When Grace nodded, she again squeaked happily.
"What?" Ron was staring from Grace to Hermione. "What is it?"
Ignoring Ron, Hermione rushed to Grace, "I need details," and started dragging her away toward their dormitory.
"I'll see you in the morning, Harry!" Grace called out as Hermione dragged her up the stairs and shut the door behind them.
"Now," said Hermione leading them to her bed. "Tell me. Are you two together? did you kiss? did he apologize —"
"Calm down, Hermione," said Grace amused as she settled on Hermione's bed. "I'll tell you everything."
She nodded and looked at Grace expectantly.
"He told me he like me." Grace began. "and then started apologizing and explaining everything. then I kissed him."
"It means you're together?"
"we haven't decided whether we want to make it public knowledge or not."
"oh, well, anyway, I'm really happy for both." gushed Hermione. "you don't know how sick I was getting watching you two being so miserable. but finally you two are together!"
"shh." Grace whispered glancing at Lavender and Parvati who were sleeping. "I don't want to wake them up."
"sorry. so are you going to tell Ron?"
"I don't know." said Grace. "he won't take it good. I know it. and Harry's very afraid of his reaction; he said and I quote, 'I'm dating my best friend's sister, Ron'll kill me'. so as of now we aren't going to tell Ron anything."
The next day Harry and Grace continued on their plan of not telling Ron, but would hold hands when no one was looking and steal secret glances at each other. But Grace was worried about Harry's next Occulmency lessons and how Snape was going to react to it. There was so much going on since Dumbledore had left. Cho was now sending Grace acid glares in the hallways, and Umbridge was still looking for any reason to put Grace and Harry in detention.
Harry's set off for Snape's office after dinner, but left his bad behind. Hermione edged her to go and gave her suggestive glance. Rolling her eyes, Grace grabbed his bag and followed after him. She was just about to round a corner when she heard him talking to Cho.
"Are you okay? Umbridge hasn't been asking you about the D.A., has she?" came Harry's voice.
"Oh no," said Cho hurriedly. "No, it was only . . . Well, I just wanted to say . . . Harry, I never dreamed Marietta would tell. . . ."
"Yeah, well," said Harry moodily.
"She's a lovely person really," said Cho. "She just made a mistake —"
"A lovely person who made a mistake? She sold us all out, including you!" said Harry incredulously.
"Well . . . we all got away, didn't we?" said Cho pleadingly. "You know, her mum works for the Ministry, it's really difficult for her —"
"Ron's and Grace's dad works for the Ministry too!" Harry said furiously. "And in case you hadn't noticed, they haven't got 'sneak' written across their face —"
"That was a really horrible trick of Freya Black's," said Cho fiercely. "She should have told us she'd jinxed that list —"
"It's Grace Weasley, and I think it was a brilliant idea," said Harry coldly.
"Oh yes, I forgot — of course, if it was darling Grace's idea —"
"What have you got against her?!" exclaimed Harry furiously.
"Isn't it a bit odd that the daughter of Sirius Black, a death eater, is hanging around you — the boy who lived?" said Cho accusingly. "for all we know, she might be helping Sirius Black —"
Grace was ready to turn around and swing Harry's bag on her head, but something held her back.
"Don't you accuse her," said Harry in forced calm. "You know nothing about her."
"You can't even stand listening anything bad about her." Cho said furiously. "Do you love her?"
"Yes, I do. I love Grace. And I'm not going to stand here listening you badmouth her."
Grace felt her face grow hot and a wide smile spread across her face.
"fine." said Cho, and she steaked off past the corner Grace was standing.
Once Cho was out of sight, Grace came from around the corner to find Harry already walking down the corridor to Snape's office. Deciding it's be funnier to surprise him, Grace snuck up behind him and tapped Harry on the shoulder.
He whirled around, but relaxed once he realised it was only Grace and not Cho.
"You forgot your bag." said Grace sheepishly, holding out his bag to him.
"Oh, thanks."
"So — you love me?"
Grace could have laughed at the look on Harry's face.
"You — you heard it?"
"yep." said Grace grinning. "all of it."
His face suddenly grew hot. "I — I meant it, really, — "
"I love you too."
Harry blinked. Grace grinned.
Before he could say anything, Grace yanked on Harry's collar to bring him down to her height. She pressed her lips on his, as he placed his hand on her waist to tug her closer and her arms snaked around his neck to do the same.
"You need to practice occlumency." murmured Grace.
"I am practicing." said Harry between the kisses.
"I don't want to be the reason you get in trouble." said Grace pulling away. "C'mon, we can finish later."
Harry brushed a few strands of her red hair out of her face.
"Don't forget to empty your mind in your lessons." said Grace.
"After this?" said Harry gaping at her . "you made it impossible for me!"
"See you later." Grace winked at him.