Disclaimer: I don't own the material in this story, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. I only own what I come up with.
Vote and comment please!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 8
We have been back in school for at least two months since Christmas. It has been nothing but the same routine since we came back. Wake up. Go to class. Tell Draco I can't quit the D.A. Go to the D.A. Hate on Umbridge, and alll that crap.
Our D.A. lessons have become more intense. A few weeks after we returned from Christmas break there was a Daily Prophet about a mass breakout in Azkaban. My friends and I instantly knew it was the work of my father. Seamus finally came to his senses when he read the article about the mass breakout, he apologized to Harry about thinking he and Dumbledore were nutters and we let him join the D.A. Everyone in the D.A. were convinced that my father has come back, just from the article... we were all worried.
Even Hagrid is worried. We went down to see him when we came back. Hagrid said " You better be careful... the winds are changing....there's a storm brewing out there...and we best be ready when it hits."
It sent shivers down my spine when he said this. It sounded so creepy. I keep forgetting that I'm the only person that shouldn't be worried about my fathers return. He won't hurt me, and the Order won't hurt me.
Draco has been trying to drill it in my mind that I don't need to be in the D.A. He is really stressed out about the whole D.A. He is worried sick about me. He has achieved keeping the squad away from us at least 4 times now. For which I'm grateful for...but I know he can't keep doing it. He's going to end up having to catch us at some point. It was only a matter of time before it ended. Draco told me this over and over, nearly every day. But I can't bring myself to quit the D.A. They needed me, I needed to train them.
Harry's lessons in Occlumancy have been horrid on him. Every time he come back from a lesson he looks dead on his feet. I can't blame him, to have someone intrude on your mind over and over again must be extremely tiring.
" Come on everyone, try again! Just think of the happiest memory you can think of!" I shouted out as my fellow students lifted their wands, concentrating hard.
I walked around the D.A. room correcting students and watching their progress. Most of the students were able to do the patronus by now...but there was still a few who were only able to produce silver vapor.
" Can you show me the wand movement again?" Seamus asked me as I walked by him.
"Sure, you flick your wand this way...then here. Like this...Expecto Patronum!" I watched as an extremely powerful and white and silver light escaped my wand and a silver snake slithered out. It looked so magestic and exotic. It was utterly beatiful.
People gaped at the power of my patronus. It shown so bright, it made the one Harry did in third year look like a feeble whisp of air.
" That was amazing!!" Everyone shouted as they ran up to me happily like I was some celebrity.
" Thanks." I laughed.." Now get practicing."
They obeyed me and went back to chanting the incantation.
Suddenly I felt the room start to vibrate and I looked up at the ceiling where dust fell down.
I looked over at my friends with a puzzled expression.
" What's going on?" Lavender asked worriedly.
" I don't know guys...hang on." Harry said.
Harry walked over to the mirror wall where there was a small hole. He looked in it and quickly ran backwards. The wall exploded and everyone began to scream.
Rocks and mirror shards went flying into the air and landed on us as we all tried to run out of the room. Umbridge stood waiting on the other side with the Inquisitorial squad. Draco stood beside her and was holding Cho tightly on the arm. We made eye contact and he gave me the I-told-you-so look.
" Grab whoever you can!!" Umbridge shrieked as she aimed stunning spells at some running students.
I heard Hermione scream and saw that Blaise Zabini had his hand tightly enclosed around her throat.
" Hermione!" I screamed as I ran to help her.
I was a foot away from her when I felt someone grab my arm hard and yanked me backwards. I fell into a squishy chest and looked up to see Crabbe grinning evilly down at me. He looked like and evil chipmunk....it wasn't at all scary.
" Let me go!!" I screamed in his face.
Crabbe growled at me and grabbed my throat with his beefy and large hands, like Blaise did to Hermione. It made breathing a lot harder and I was fighting for air.
" AVA!!" Harry screamed. " You let her go, Crabbe!"
Crabbe sneered at Harry as Goyle held Harry back from running to me.
" Well, now....what's this!" Umbridge said as she saw the parchment with the names on it. " Dumbledore's Army?!"
She spun around and stared at, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I....who all managed to get caught.
" I knew it! I knew that's what Dumbledore was after! He wants the ministers job!" Umbridge said looking mad with joy and triumph.
" Take them with me to the headmasters office will you?? Draco, why don't you and the others go round up the others.... anyone out of breath or hiding in the library, or bathrooms...go now, hop along." Umbridge said.
Draco looked horrified at me for a quick second before he ran off with the rest of the squad.
We all walked quietly to the headmasters office. Crabbe was carrying me fireman style over his shoulder, Hermione was being guided by being held at the throat by Blaise, Ron was being yanked around by Filch by his hair, and Harry was being yanked by his shirt.
" Fizzing Whizbees" sang Umbridge when we arrived at the gargoyles.
The Gargoyles jumped aside and Umbridge ascended the stairs first. The Slytherins quickly followed and we entered the headmasters office.
The room was already full of people. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his expression was serene. Professor McGonagall stood rigidly beside him, her face tense. The minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was rocking backward and forward on his toes by the fireplace, looking immensely pleased by the situation. Kingsley Shacklebolt and a tough-looking wizard I didn't recognize with very short hair were positioned on either side of the door like guards, and the freckled, bespectacled form of Percy Weasley hovered excitedly beside the wall, a quill and a heavy scroll of parchment in his hands, poised to take notes.
All of the portraits of the headmasters and headmistresses looked very serious and unhappy. They were looking down at the scene with alert and serious expressions.
I struggled in Crabbes hold.... and McGonagall seething said sternly " Crabbe, let Ava down now! You do not handle students that way!"
" He was only helping me catch these naughty kids, Professor. Don't be so harsh on the boy, it's not his fault if the girl was wriggling around making it hard for him to hold her." Umbridge said sweetly.
McGonagall glared at her, but Crabbe dropped me to the floor and I lost my breath for a swift moment.
I glared up at Crabbe and he sneered at me before I stood up and walked over to Hermione who was still being held by the throat. I slapped Blaises hand away and Hermione look a deep and greedy breath.
" I expect you all know why you are here." Fudge said sounding grimmly pleased.
Harry was about to nod his head but I saw Dumbledore shake his head a fraction of a bit.
I quickly cut in before Harry could " No."
" No? You don't know why you are here?"
" No, I don't" I said strongly while I crossed my arms and stared defiantly at Fudge.
Fudge looked incredulously at me and said " What's you name?"
" Ava Wilson. An extremely naughty girl, Cornelius...she is Potter's close friend...she's just as bad as he is." Umbridge answered for me.
Fudge nodded at her and squinted at me.
" So you have no idea." said Fudge in a voice dripping with sarcasm, " Why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that you have broken any school rules?"
" School rules?" I said looking innocent " No."
" Or Ministry decrees?" Fudge added angrily.
" Not that I'm aware of." I said blandly.
My friends were sneaking me looks wondering how I knew what to say. They only nodded in agreement with me when I said something.
My heart was hammering. I could be expelled any moment, just like Draco predicted. It was almost worth it too, to see the blood rush into Fudge's face in anger.
" So it's news to you, is it?" said Fudge his voice now thick with anger, " That an illegal student organization has been discovered within this school?"
" Yes, it is." I said looking extremely innocent and concerned.
" Liar!" Umbridge snarled at me and said " Minister, I have a witness. Miss. Cho Chang told us about the Hogs head meeting and everything...you can't weasel out of this one, young lady! "
Harry looked up at Umbridge looking completely shocked and upset. Cho had betrayed us.
" The purpose of Potter's meetings with these students, was to persuade them to join an illegal society, whose aim was to learn spells and curses the Ministry has decided are inappropriate for school-age." Umbridge said excitedly as she looked around at Fudge and the other people of the room.
"I think youll find you're wrong there, Delores." Dumbledore said quitely.
"Oho!" Fudge said bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet again. " Yes, do let's hear the latest cock-and-bull story designed to pull Potter out of trouble! Go on then!"
" Cornelius, I do not deny... and nor, I am sure, does Harry...that he was trying to recruit students to a defense against the Dark arts group. I am merely pointing out that Delores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at the time, illegal. If you remember, the Ministry decree banning all student societies was not put into effect until two days after Harry's Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules in the Hog's Head at all."
Fudge remained motionless in mid-bounce, his mouth hanging open.
Umbridge recovered first.
" That's all very fine, Headmaster" she said smiling sweetly. " But we are now nearly six months on from the introduction of Educational decree number 24. If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since most certainly are."
" Well," Dumbledore said, surveying her with polite interest over the top of his interlocked fingers, " they certainly would be, if they had continued after the decree came into effect. Do you have any evidence that these meetings continued?"
" Evidence?" Repeated Umbridge with that horrible wide toadlike smile." Have you not been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Cho Chang told us of these meetings."
" Oh, can she tell us how long these meeting have ben going on? Have these meetings been happening over the last 6 months?"
"She never told me that...but I'm sure that they have been happening. Why else have they been in the room of requirment today??" Umbridge said angrily.
Dumbledore looked over at me and I said to him " We were having a party...you see... a few days ago, it was Ginny Weasley's birthday. We wanted to give her a surprise party." I said innocently.
Dumbledore nodded and Umbridge grabbed me harshly by the shoulders and started to shake me roughly. " Then what was this paper doing on the wall?? Dumbdledore's army??"
Dumbldeore stood up looking angry and raised his wand. Umbridge suddenly stepped away from me shaking her hands like they had been burned.
" I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Delores." Dumbledore said looking extremely angry.
" You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge." Kingsley said from the door. " You don't want to get in trouble now."
I stood still, still feeling shocked that Umbridge reacted like that.
" Delores, what were you saying about Dumbleodore's army?" Fudge said completely ignoring what happened.
I looked quickly over to Umbridge as she took out the paper with all of our names on it.
" The moment I saw Potter's name on this list, I knew what we were dealing with." Umbridge said softly sounding proud.
" Excellent, Excellent Delores. And...by thunder..." Fudge said looking extremly pleased as he looked at the paper.
" They have named themselves..Dumbledore's army."
Dumbledore reached up and took the piece of parchment. He gazed at it and for a moment seemed unable to speak. I suddenly felt terrible... how could be have named the club Dumbledore's army?? The minister could fire Dumbldore... on no...that can't happen.
Dumbledore looked up smiling and said " Well, the game is up. Would you like a written confession from me Cornelius...or will a statement in front of a witness suffice."
Fudge looked lost for a moment and said " You planned this??"
" Of course." Dumbldore said " It says Dumbledore's army..not Potter's army."
" Very well then." Fudge said looking mad with happyness " Duplicate you notes, Weasley... and send a copy to the Daily Prophet at once. If we send a fast owl we shoule make the morning edition....Dumbldore you will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged and then sent to Azkaban to await trial!!"
My friends and I gasped in horror. No...No...No... Dumbledore being sent to Azkaban?? Crap doodles!!
" Ah." Dumbledore said gently " I Thought we might hit that little snag."
" snag?" Fudge said, his voice still vibrating with joy. " I see no snag, Dumbledore."
" Well," Dumbledore said aplogetically." I'm afraid I do... you see it's just that you seem to be thinking under the delusion that I am goin to ...ah...come quietly...I am afraid I am not going quietly at all. You see I have absolutely no intenion of being sent to Azkaban."
The smiling faces of Fudge and Umbridge grew closer to Dumbledore and Fudge yelled " Enough of this rubbish! Dawlish, Shacklebolt...Take him!!"
Suddenly Fawkes...Dumbldedores phoenix appeared above Dumbldore and he clapped his hands on her tail. Dumbldore disappeared in a giant flame and then all was quiet.
I inwardly cheered. That was epic!! GO DUMBLEDORE!!!
" You may not like him, Minister." Shacklebolt said breaking the fuming silence " But you can't deny...Dumbledore's got style..."
I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing and Shacklebolt sent me a secret wink.
There was an angry silence and Fudge said nastily " Well, Minerva... I'm afraid this is the end of your friend Dumbledore."
" You think so, do you?" McGonagall said scornfully.
Fudge didn't seem to hear her he was to busy glaring at the place Dumbledore last stood.
" You'd better get those students off to bed." Fudge said nodding at all of us.
She said nothing but marched all of us to the door.