I wish I could say the next few weeks were calm and that nothing out of the ordinary happened but that would be a lie. As the weeks passed I received several coded letters from my father, each signed by Tom, asking when I was coming for a visit as there were some old friends who wanted to see me.
Umbridge was growing more ruthless by the day as she could sense something was going on with Harry and his friends but was unable to determine exactly what. She'd questioned me several times and grew more frustrated each time my answer remained the same: "I don't know."
I was sitting in the staff lounge, having tea with several of the other professors, when another letter arrived. It was the same black envelope, but the handwriting on the front was different, more feminine.
Y/n Y/l/n
Hogwarts
I patted the owl on the head gently before giving it a bit of bread from a nearby bread bowl. It nuzzled into my hand before taking off and I opened the envelope.
Dearest Y/n,
Your aunty is looking forward to seeing you. I've missed you while I've been away. When are you coming home? We're all waiting for you, love. You know where to find us.
B
I sighed quietly, placing the letter back in its envelope and placing it under my napkin. Bella was careful with her words, making sure that anyone who intercepted the letter would be unaware of who had sent it. I could feel my eyes filling with tears and I fought to keep them down as Umbridge watched me carefully.
"Anything interesting, Professor?"
"Not unless you count a letter from an old friend interesting," I replied, trying to sound bored at the idea and hoping she would leave it alone.
"Oh, and what did this old friend want?"
I was fighting every instinct not to roll my eyes. "She saw Harry's article and wanted to make sure I was alright."
Before she could say anything more Filch came running into the room with a student. He quickly made his way toward Delores and whispered something to her, gesturing to the student. Her face grew red and she abruptly stood up, leaving the lounge without another word, taking the student with her. I looked around at the other professors and all eyes seemed to have fallen on me. I turned to Filch.
"What did you tell her?"
"Mr. Potter and his friends have been hiding out in the Room of Requirement. Delores tasked me with finding an entry point and confirming their meeting times. She's on her way to get them now."
I abruptly stood up, grabbing Bella's letter and placing it inside my robes, before making my way out of the staff lounge. I knew this school like the back of my hand and using the secret passageways Sirius had taught me about long ago I knew I would be able to get there faster than Umbridge but not by much. I reached the Room of Requirement and the door appeared. I quickly entered the room, slightly out of breath as I'd run all the way here.
"Aunt Y/n!" Harry greeted, a smile on his face. "We weren't expecting you until this afternoon."
"Harry, we need to get out now! Umbridge is coming!"
"Everyone out, now!" Harry called. "Use the back entrance!"
Suddenly a loud rumble caught our attention just before the mirror on the wall shattered and the cement began to crack.
I grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him toward the exit but the door wasn't budging.
"What the hell is going on?" Harry hissed, turning to Ron for answers.
"The door's sealed itself somehow... or someone else has sealed it."
"Aunt Y/n..."
I could see Harry was growing afraid as I searched my mind for something that would get us out of this but nothing came to mind. The room shook as Umbridge finally broke through the wall, a small opening revealing her irritating face.
"Hermione, start blasting through that wall!" I called as I pulled my own wand from my robes, aiming at the wall Umbridge had just blasted through. "Reparo!" I knew it wouldn't hold for long but I hoped it would give them time to get out. Hermione was struggling to blast through the exit as Umbridge continued trying to enter the room. I could see my skin beginning to glow a familiar dark blue as my wand slipped from my fingers. Before I could even register what was happening my hands were raised, aiming at the wall as I sank to my knees, trying to hold the wall together. I could feel myself growing exhausted as small cracks began running up the wall.
"Hermione, how's that wall coming?!"
"I'm trying but i-it's not breaking apart like I thought it would!"
"Keep trying, sweetheart!"
Harry moved toward me, his fingers lightly touching my arm as the blue glow began spreading. "Wha-... how are you doing this?"
Suddenly the wall burst open and the students began streaming out and down the hall away from Umbridge. Before the rest could make it out the wall gave way and Umbridge burst into the room as I collapsed onto the ground Harry shouted "Accio cloak!" Suddenly I felt a cloak being draped over me as Harry whispered to me: "Keep quiet. Don't let her find you."
With that I heard scuffling and yelling as several students tried to escape, though many seemed to be caught by Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad. I heard Umbridge say she was bringing Harry to the Headmaster's office before her footsteps receded down the hallway and I began to stand, holding the cloak around me just in case anyone came back. I slowly made my way out of the Room of Requirement and headed for Albus's office.