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___
Coming back to Hogwarts was rough. The concept was supposed to be cheerful but knowing Umbridge was there, they couldn't find any joy in it anymore.
"Let's just keep our heads down, pass our NEWTs and get out of there, okay?" said Selena before they got off the train, and Sarah nodded. She stepped off and with knots in their stomachs and mentally preparing for atrocity, they made their way towards the last few months of school.
A few days after coming back, Hermione barged into the common room with a couple news papers in her hands. She gave them to the people gathered around the couch and desks, that would be Sarah, Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Selena.
They all almost got up from their seats in shock, "10 high-security prisoners escaped? Are they for real?" shrieked Sarah and Selena quickly turned the pages, reading more about the information.
"They're blaming Sirius for it," said Selena, looking up at Harry and he snatched the paper from Sarah who was closest to read it for himself.
"Bellatrix Lestrange escaped," whispered Sarah, and she glanced at Harry, both thinking of what Sirius told them when he showed them the picture of the original Order of the Phoenix. Neville's parents. They had been driven to madness because of her use of the Cruciatus Curse.
Seamus walked in then and they all ruffled the papers to hide behind them.
"Harry," he called, and Harry's head peaked from behind the paper.
"I uh- I wanted to apologize," said Seamus.
Sarah was sitting on the desk where Fred was writing, they both hid behind it and exchanged a look. "Didn't think he had it in him," whispered Fred.
"I know. But it's good it's happening," she whispered back, glancing to the side to see Harry look at Seamus, unknowing of what to say.
"Now even my mum says the Prophet's version of things don't add up. So," he stopped, like he was trying to collect his thoughts, "What I'm really trying to say is that I believe you."
Harry nodded, "All right. I guess, thanks, Seamus."
Seamus looked around at the people holding the papers to hide their faces, and Harry invited him to the next DA session, for which Seamus was grateful.
"That was unexpected," said Hermione when he walked away and Harry nodded.
"Yeah, that's for sure," he said, looking back at the paper. "So we were discussing the most upsetting news of prisoners and Death Eaters escaping Azkaban before-"
They read the papers, also scoffing and wishing to rip it up when they read about the information the Ministry was printing, all that conspiracy about Dumbledore and Sirius.
"He'll kill us all because he can't face the truth," spoke Hermione bitterly, shaking her head at the printed words.
_
During the month of February, the seventh years had mock exams prepared on the sixteenth, which led to George whining over spending the fourteenth in the common room with Angelina, Alexander, Lee and Sarah, studying for the exams in two days instead of alone with Selena.
Fred also walked in, pulled a chair next to the desk Sarah sitting on and she raised a brow when she saw him settling his books and parchment, "Really? You're joining us?"
"Of course," said Fred with a sly smirk.
"No plans for Valentine's Day, Weasley?" asked Alexander from across the room, exchanging a knowing look with Selena who'd understood the point of his question.
"I could ask you the same thing, Zeal, but I for one had planned exactly this," Fred boasted and spun on his chair to face the desk, glanced up at Sarah and winked at her.
She shook her head and bit on the inside of his cheek, "What've you got to revise?"
"I haven't done much, so all of my academically acclaimed NEWTs," Fred lamented, "The humble number of three."
Sarah laughed, "Right, let's see then," she reached for a book before him and opened it, started the revisions again for the night, although after every twenty minutes Fred would do something to distract her and make her laugh.
"Cut it out, Weasley," she chuckled, looking at her book while she talked.
"You have this intense look on your face, it's hilarious, what is it about Arithmancy?" said Fred genuinely.
"It's beautiful," Sarah ran her fingers over the written numbers on paper, "It's a puzzle, all the pieces falling into place with these formulas, something about the periodicity of it and the way it balances out your thoughts."
Fred looked at her intently, resting his elbows on the table and just listened, at one point she glanced up and they locked eyes for a little while, their friends voices had simply died down. Her heart tripped up, skipped several beats and she could feel herself get lost into his gaze, she felt as if he could simply see right through her, how was that even possible? She cleared her throat, and smiled down at her book, Fred did the same.
"So this wand movement-" he took his book and showed her, "I don't get it, the arrow points down, and when I do move it down, the spell doesn't work."
"Oh, right," she nodded and shifted a bit to face him, "There's a little hiccup in this edition, good eye. Turn in to the side."
She took the book from him and set it on the desk, turned it at a ninety degree angle. "Do you have a portable swamp with you?"
"Of course," he said mischievously, "We've also made miniature sizes," he reached inside his pocket and set it on the ground, a small area of the carpet turned green and gooey, Fred flicked his wand at it in the new movement and the whole thing turned to a drought.
"Hey," Sarah grabbed his shoulder and beamed at him, "You did it!"
Fred held up a hand and they high-fived, made her slide down from the desk and pulled her into a side hug, "Thank you."
"Keep it up," she grinned and clapped his back softly, Fred glanced at her hand, feeling the fabric of her jumper slowly slip away from him as she climbed back up. She had one of her own sweaters with the letter 'S' on it, it always stood out from his and his siblings' because it was purple, as it should, if it came to her. Her hair was held up messily by a claw-clip, and she was here, answering his questions, directing her attention at him and touching his hand. He got to look up and see her every time, it was a swell evening, a swell fourteenth of February as well.
_
Sarah walked into the Room of Requirement to find Neville standing before the photo of his parents. News about Bellatrix must have gotten to his ears, unfortunately.
"Hey," said Sarah softly, approaching him.
He gave her a quick wave and turned back.
She realized he probably isn't aware she knows about them, so she didn't ask any questions, she simply looked at her parents, too.
After a few moments, she heard him speak, "Bellatrix tortured them to a point where they lost their minds."
He stood up straighter, "They never gave in to her. I'm kind of proud to be their son. But I'm not sure I'm ready for everyone to know just yet."
"Of course," she said.
"I'm not ashamed, I-"
"I know you aren't," she gently squeezed his shoulder, "There are things, dreadful things that happened, that you don't want to shout from the rooftops. It doesn't make it shameful or less important in the slightest." She said that thinking of Neville's parents but also about hers, her mark, she didn't want to talk about it, but it was important, most relevant. It was just deeply personal. She understood that better than anyone.
Neville nodded, a small smile on his face and glanced back at the picture. "Your parents are next to Harry's, there," he pointed at them, "Right?"
"Yes," she said, looking at them, "They were killed a minute before Harry's."
"I'm sorry," said Neville shyly and she pursed her lips.
"I'm sorry, too, Neville, for what happened to yours."
She glanced back at the groups of people arriving in, "We'll make them proud. I promise."
And they started the session.
Harry approached her before talking to the people, "I was wondering," he whispered close to her ear, "If you wanted to take the lead on this with me. You managed it on the first try, Remus had never seen anything like it, what do you say?"
She stared at him for a few seconds with her eyes wide, then looked at the room, the people chatting, and nodded reluctantly, "Okay," she breathed out, unconvinced at first but took a deep breath and said it again with more conviction.
"All right!" said Harry loudly, clapping his hands. "Today, we're going to conjure a Corporeal Patronus. I've acquired an assistant today, as you can witness," he gestured to Sarah.
She shook her head, "I prefer partner, thank you very much," and she heard a few chuckles.
Harry smiled and continued, "A Patronus is useful in fighting off a Dementor. Everyone's Patronus is personal, a specific creature that will fight off Dark Creatures."
"Conjuring a Patronus is a powerful charm," continued Sarah, "It plainly states, 'I expect help'. And it produces, as Harry said, a creature, a guardian. Now, I could recite you the whole theory behind it, but it'll likely bore you to death," she discreetly winked at Fred, and he smiled, recognizing her words in the carriage on the ride back to Hogwarts last fall and rubbed his jaw to prevail his blush from becoming too prominent.
"What you need for a Patronus, is a powerful feeling," she continued, "It usually comes from an actual memory, the happiest you can remember. And that's the source of your power. Take a moment, think about it."
Everyone around the room closed their eyes and searched their memories. While they searched, Harry turned to her, "Split the room in two?"
"Works for me, yeah," said Sarah and people started opening their eyes and looking back at them.
"All right," said Sarah gesturing them to spread around, "Take up your space, let's start."
"Take your memory, think about it, allow it to fill you. On the first tries, the positioning is important, key really," said Harry.
"Can't both of you show us? I for one have never seen a Patronus," asked Seamus who'd shown up to the first session and was impressively eager. Everyone agreed with him, in a choir asking them to show them.
Harry and Sarah exchanged a look and shrugged, "The floor's yours, Harry," she grinned at him and stepped away to make some space.
Harry planted his feet in place and showed them the position they should be in, "Expecto Patronum"
From the tip of his wand flew strings of a glowing blue, illuminating everyone's faces. It took the form of a stag, running and jumping majestically around the room, letting all jaws drop.
"Sarah, if you will," said Harry, taking a few steps back, knowing her Patronus will fly and be ready to attack at its arrival.
Under the amazed gazed of the group, she moved her wand, casting the charm without speaking and the call of her Hawk resonated into the room. Urgent and determined. It flew fiercely and swiftly around the room, and rapidly around some people, leaving trails of the glowing blue behind it, throwing some others off balance.
"That right there is my best friend," Selena told the room, pointing proudly a finger at her then clapped excitedly.
"Bloody hell, McCauley," wondered Fred staring at her.
"A Hawk. As if you weren't cool enough already. You need to stop, you're supposed to be the bookworm, and us the cool ones in this friendship," whined George with his arms crossed.
"Conjure your own Patronus and reclaim the throne, then," said Sarah, dusting something imaginary off her shoulder.
She backed away and looked at her side of the room, "Okay, your turn, now."
_
Well within the session, some blue strings were shooting out of people's wands. Sarah and Harry walked around the people in the room, watching how they tried over and over again.
"You're all doing great, a full-bodied Patronus is most difficult to produce," said Sarah while she repositioned Angelina to the side, "Using it only as a shield is also useful. You don't need to cast a Corporeal Patronus every time," she continued.
Ginny managed to cast it, and Harry cheered, "Fantastic Ginny!"
She exchanged a look with Sarah then, and Sarah smiled knowingly, seeing how she turned a light shade of pink.
Her Patronus took the form of a horse that strutted around the room.
"The movement's circular and ample, Lee," said Sarah, arriving at his side. He hadn't managed to produce blue strings. "Do it with me."
She moved her wand and he did it at the same time, she nudged a bit his hand and then it was perfect. "Great," she gave him a thumbs up, "Now try it."
Lee took a second and did the same movement, and his Patronus shot out of his wand. He jumped up in joy, high-fived Sarah and celebrated from afar with Fred and George.
"Your Patronus can protect you as long as you stay focused," said Harry, walking around the room, too, "So focus, Luna. Try it again."
Sarah moved towards Fred and George, "How you doing? Okay?"
Selena was moving around, admiring her Patronus that was playful dog, barking and running around her.
George moved his wand and flying close to the ceiling appeared his Patronus.
"Great job, mate!" said Fred, shaking his shoulder, beaming at him.
"Try it, Weasley," said Sarah, tapping his arm with her wand.
He breathed in deep and moved his wand in a circular motion, "Expecto Patronum"
And blue strings flew out of his wand, but stopped. He threw his hands up, tried flicking his wand again and when nothing happened, he crossed his arms and turned to her.
"Nah-huh. Don't give me that," she chided, then her expression softened "It's great. The blue strings are a good sign. Focus on your memory, you need to feel as though your heart is smiling, in a way."
He shot her a quizzical look, "Hearts don't smile, what are you on about?"
She rolled her eyes and nudged his feet with hers, "Watch the placement of your feet, you could easily lose balance, lose focus and then, the Patronus won't help you, will it?"
Fred felt the corner of his mouth go up. She looked right at him with a smile and that made his entire face grow hot because of all the roads his mind led him on at the sight of her. He wanted to step closer, find out if he could make her blush, too.
"And the movement has to be ample. Try it again," she waited for him to try it and when he did, she took a step closer, guiding his hand in the movement, unintentionally set her other hand on his back. That was when he had to remind himself to breathe, only he caught a whiff of her perfume and he blushed again. He let out a breath when she stepped away, relief or disappointment, he didn't know which one it was.
Unaware of all that was going on almost a foot above her head, she turned to another student, "Practice," she ordered before leaving his side.
"You are aware you have hearts shooting out of your eyes, right?" said Ginny quietly with an amused smirk on her face.
"That's not news to anyone," teased George next to Fred.
"I'll hex you both," grumbled Fred, shoving Ginny's head to the side.
"Sure, we'll see about that, but first- Practice," Ginny playfully mimicked Sarah's voice and George snorted next to them.
"Don't you both have anything better to do?" spat Fred, annoyed, trying to hide he was also a little flushed.
"No," said George and Ginny, waggling their eyebrows at Fred.
He glared at the both of them and closed his eyes, Sarah's words resonating in his mind. What made his heart smile? It sounded stupid. But like an answer to this unspoken question, he heard her voice explaining something to another student and glanced at her. He moved his wand again, faintly feeling her touch from before, and did as she'd told him, spoke aloud the charm. This time, his Corporeal Patronus appeared before him, he took a few seconds to marvel at it.
"What are they?" he asked Ginny next to him, looking at his and George's Patronus flying together around the room, " Some type of birds?"
"Magpipes," Ginny told them.
Fred marveled a bit more at them, turning and twisting up at the ceiling.
Someone nudged his arm gently, "I guess your heart smiled, didn't it?" he heard beside him the voice that led him to producing the Patronus.
"Wouldn't have thought, but-Yeah,," he crossed his arms and grinned down at her.
"Great job, Weasley." Sarah tapped his arm with her wand and continued checking in on other people around the room, Fred's gaze following her.
"Oh," Ginny leaned against Fred, pretending to faint, back of her hand over her forehead.
Fred didn't let it slide this time, he grabbed her tight, "Hey, Harry!"
Ginny let out a shriek and got out of his grasp before Harry turned to Fred, "Okay, okay, I yield."
Fred snickered at her and Ginny passed him, shoving his shoulder forcefully.
_
Another half-hour had passed, nearly everyone had managed to produce a Corporeal Patronus, those who didn't, still managed to produce a shield. Their hard work was paying.
Suddenly, the chandeliers on the ceiling started trembling. They all looked up, and the Patronuses faded until they disappeared completely.
"What's going on?" asked Dean Thomas and Harry shrugged.
The walls trembled again, and a small whole into the wall appeared, and a sickly voice said, "Bombarda Maxima"
Harry shouted for them all to run. The twins and Selena ran quickly down the hallway to the Owlery, waiting for the hour to strike and to go back to their dorms. Some people followed them up here, they didn't see Sarah behind them, they just hoped she'd found a way out.
She'd been hit by a Jelly-Legs jinx by Malfoy and she stumbled, along with Harry and both got dragged out into Dumbledore's office where Fudge, Umbridge, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Dumbledore were all arguing, Percy standing in the corner, scribbling on a piece of parchment.
Sarah walked over to him, "What the actual fuck, Percy?" she spat at him, thinking of everything he'd done to Molly, ignoring Arthur, sending back her present, hurting his brothers and Ginny.
She didn't recognize Percy Weasley, the boy she grew up with when she looked at him, but when he turned to her, it looked like he was about to say 'I'm sorry' and she would have been fine with that, but he only said, "This is what occurs when you disobey the Ministry. I would have expected better from you, Sarah."
"You unbelievable piece of s-"
"Now, now, Miss McCauley. I believe you've lost your manners," said Umbridge with her awfully sick voice. Sarah and Harry were dragged by their robes by some hooligans that she guessed could only belong to the Ministry.
She glared at them and turned to a corner to see who'd betrayed them, her stomach dropped.
"AZ?" she gasped. He glanced at her, seeming equally hurt and completely exhausted, like he hasn't slept in weeks. "Alexander! What did you do!?"
Umbridge turned to him, "Get the boy out of here," she ordered and in a second he was gone. Sarah's heart had stopped, she couldn't believe that. How could Alexander do something like that?
"I know they are meddled into this," said Umbridge, "They have been both disrupting classes every time they find the chance with their lies about Dark Wizards and defensive magic."
Fudge glared at both of them, "Do you know why you're here?"
Sarah and Harry looked at each other, and decided to lie, just for the sake of watching his blood pressure skyrocket, "No."
"You aren't aware you have broken several school rules?" he asked, a vein appearing at his forehead.
They shook their heads, "School rules?" said Harry, faking confusion.
"Ministry decrees?"
"No, sir," said Sarah, internally grinning from the light shade of red of his face.
"This!" said Umbridge, holding the paper where they'd written the names of everyone involved, the jinxed paper. "It should make you understand plenty. This is the proof I was telling you about, Cornelius."
Fudge took the paper from her hands and his eyes went wide, turning to Dumbledore, "Care to expand on what this is?" he held up the paper, with trembling hands, but Sarah wasn't sure if it was from fright or anger. Maybe both.
"I believe the paper says everything necessary for your comprehension, you've read correctly," said Dumbledore with an unbothered calm.
"No! It was me!" shouted Harry, trying to free himself from the tight grasp of the tall man.
"Shut up," hissed Sarah to him and she turned to Umbridge, "I came up with that, the sole purpose was provocation."
Umbridge jolted towards her, digging her nails in Sarah's arms, "You daft sla-"
"Professor Umbridge," spoke Dumbledore in a terminal tone, making her snap out of it, "I will not allow you to manhandle my students."
"Gather yourself, Dolores, let her go," said Fudge, and Umbridge let go of Sarah, "I do apologize, the situation has gotten the best of me," her fake smile and silky chuckle put back on.
That doesn't exist, thought Sarah, itching to say it out loud. But the situation was bad already, without having her add to it.
"As you've read, Cornelius, the parchment clearly states, 'Dumbledore's Army', today was the first gathering to see who was interested," said Dumbledore before Sarah and Harry's bewildered gazes.
"Dispatch an owl to the Daily Prophet," said Fudge, "If we hurry, we should still make the morning edition."
Fudge folded the paper and put it in his pocket, looking awfully pleased with what was about to unwind, "Messrs, you will escort Dumbledore to Azkaban to await trial for conspiracy and sedition."
Dumbledore didn't seem fazed by that, "You seem to be under the impression I will simply abide. Let me tell you this, I do not intend on going to Azkaban."
And as if something out a legend book, Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix flew to him and made him disappear in a burst of flames, leaving the Ministry representatives mouth agape and their anger rising.
"Well, you may not like him, minister," said Shacklebolt, "But you can't deny Dumbledore has got style."
Sarah watched a few ashes fall on Dumbledore's desk, and realized what this meant. As soon as they leave this office, the school would be at the mercy of Dolores Umbridge and if the past months showed anything, it was that the concept of mercy was unbeknownst to her.