"Been watching them for weeks!" Umbridge screeched. She held up the piece of parchment with all our names on it. "And see, 'Dumbledore's Army.'" She handed the parchment to the Minister of Magic. "Proof of what I've been telling you right from the beginning, Cornelius." Here gaze turned towards Dumbledore and she pointed with an unmoving finger. "All your fear-mongering for You-Know-Who never fooled us for a minute. We saw your lies for what they were: A smokescreen for your bid to seize the Ministry."
All our eyes turned towards Dumbledore. We felt foolish for what we had done. It was necessary but we had been careless in calling ourselves Dumbledore's Army. It was all our fault for the turnings of what should've been just our explosions.
Dumbledore said with feigned interest. "Naturally."
I felt Harry grow rigid beside me. My eyes shot to him as he shouted as if his life depended on it. "No, professor! He had nothing to do with it. It was me."
Dumbledore looked at Harry with a look that could only be described as fathers pride towards a son. "Most noble of you, Harry, to shield me, but as it has been pointed out the parchment clearly says 'Dumbledore's Army' not 'Potter's.'" His gaze turned towards Umbridge and I watched as Harry's hope whisked out of him. "I instructed Harry to form this organization. And I, and I alone, am responsible for its activities."
"Dispatch an owl to the Daily Prophet!" Cornelius ordered to no one in particular. "If we hurry, we should still make the morning edition. Dawlish, Shacklebolt, you will escort Dumbledore to Azkaban to await trial for conspiracy and sedition."
"I thought we might hit this little snag." Dumbledore breathed in a voice both intimidating and reproachful. "You seem to be laboring under the delusion that I'm going to-What's the phrase?-Come quietly. Well, I can tell you this: I have no intention of going to Azkaban."
Cornelius was outraged. "Enough of this! Take him!"
Just as the men of the Ministry approached, Dumbledore clapped his hands above his head and smoke appeared to be consuming him as he Apparated in the room. The men grabbed nothing but air. Shacklebolt, a member of the Order, laughed and clamped his hand on Cornelius' shoulder.
"Well, you may not like him, Minister, but you can't deny Dumbledore has got style."
The Minister was still staring dumbfounded. He soon got his bearings and walked over to where Dumbledore had been minutes earlier. I felt Cedric's hand brush my own and I looked up at him with watery eyes. He sent me a sad smile just before turning to listen to what the Minister had to say.
"Dolores, I name you Headmaster of Hogwarts. If anyone can turn this school around it's you. Do with the children what you must to stop this nonsense from spreading. I'll leave you now to tend to it. Now, I must reach the Daily Prophet and find that fool, Dumbledore."
With that, the Minister left with his henchmen in tow. I saw Schacklebolt nod to Cedric while passing and I gave him a curious glance which he then shook off. Umbridge with her menacing smile stepped up on the platform that held Dumbledore's desk. She laughed annoyingly to herself before starring at all of us.
"Mr. Malfoy, please fetch Professor McGonagall and Filch, please."
Malfoy nodded and left the room. She admired her "new office" while all of us stood there defeated. She had yet to dismiss us and I thought this must all be part of her torture. Dumbledore was gone and Harry even though safely within the walls of Hogwarts was away from his most important ally. As long as Dumbledore was at Hogwarts Harry was safe. Voldermort couldn't touch him.
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Filch entered the room holding what appeared to be a cloak. He bowed slightly while holding the material out to Umbridge just as Professor McGonagall stepped into the room. Her eyes quickly fell upon us in surprise.
"Dolores? What is this all about?"
Umbridge chuckled. "These troublemakers were caught practicing for Dumbledore's army to take over the Ministry. Your precious headmaster has fled." She shook her head in delight. "Silly, me. Your old headmaster."
"Pardon?"
"Mr. Filch, if you will." Umbridge stated. Filch stood and walked behind her placing the dark pink robe around her shoulders. It fell to the floor and he smoothed out the material so that it flowed behind her. "Congratulate me on becoming headmaster of Hogwarts, will you, Minerva?"
McGonagall's mouth dropped in utter shock. She seemed to be trying to get a million questions out at once. Finally, she just mumbled her response and walked over to stand by us. She seemed to be searching our skin for signs of harm but after seeing none she stood in front of us and faced off Umbridge.
"Is that all you wanted me for, Dolores?"
Umbridge walked over to the desk and sat where all the previous headmasters had sat. It was a sad feeling and my hand reached out to Harry's in an effort to show him that this changed nothing. That somehow we would get Dumbledore back and send her packing.
"I wanted you to bear witness to my first decrees as Headmaster. Mr. Filch?" Filch pulled out a piece of parchment and quill and prepared to write. "Boys and girls are not to be within eight inches of each other." With that she flicked her wrist that held her wand and Harry and I were separated (as well as Cedric and I). "Students will be submitted to questioning about suspected illicit activities. Any student in noncompliance will be expelled."
We listened to her ramble on and on before she dismissed us. McGonagall made sure we all returned to our quarters safely even those who weren't in Gryffindor. She made no protest when Cedric kissed my forehead. She didn't say anything the whole walk just watched as students disappeared and then she herself turned and walked away. I wasn't sure what she was feeling. Disappointment? Anxiety? Fear?
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At some point during the night I wandered down the stair and found Harry sitting alone by the fireplace. I know he longed to see Sirius' face pop from the ashes and tell him all would be fine. The Order was handling it. The fact was there wasn't much the Order could do.
"Harry?" I whispered.
His body showed no sign of having heard my voice but I knew that he had. I pulled my robe tightly around my waist and sat down on the carpet next to him. My legs were tucked under my body as I waited, imploring Harry to talk to me. But when he didn't, when his eyes stayed trained on the embers lighting up the darkened common room, I finally spoke.
"You did everything you could. No one could win against that old hag. Even Dumbledore didn't see this coming." I saw him flinch when I mentioned Dumbledore. "Harry, if it's anyone's fault it's ours. We talked you into it."
His voice was barely audible when he answered. "Yeah, but I agreed. I tried so hard to help and all it done is make matters worse." He stood quickly and seemed to be shaking himself out of a trance. "Anyways, it doesn't matter anymore. Because I don't want to play anymore. All it does it make you care too much. And the more you care, the more you have to lose. So, maybe it's just better to..."
Harry trailed off and I looked up at him. "To what?"
"To go at it alone."
I jumped to my feet and took his hands in my own. "Harry! You can't think like that. I said I'd be here until the end and I'm not about to give up now. Neither is Ron. You have to have faith, Harry. We'll figure it all out."
My arms didn't wait for him to answer. I released his hands and wrapped my arms tight around his body. He responded within second encircling my waist. Harry couldn't lose hope. He had to know he had friends and family here. We weren't giving up on him and he couldn't give up on us.
I heard the door creak and I immediately turned towards it wand at the ready. Thankfully, it was only Hagrid and he held his hands up in defense. I clutched my heart and dropped my wand, placing it back in the pocket of my robe. Hagrid put his hands down and stepped forward slowly trying not to creak the floor.
"Hagrid." I said in relief.
"Good to see you two up. We've got some urgent business. Harry, wake Ron and hurry."
Harry nodded and bounded up the stairs. Hagrid said nothing to me just paced along our common room cautiously throwing nervous glances towards the door as if expecting someone to walk in at any moment.
"Hagrid, what's this about?"
He ignored me. "Caught Cedric walking the hallway. He's waiting outside the painting. Heard the news and this couldn't wait much longer."
"What couldn't wait?"
I never got my answer for Harry and Ron came down the stairs and we all tiptoed out of the room. As Hagrid had said, Cedric was there waiting, wand out. When he saw me his arms quickly encircled my body and he held me close to him as we all walked down the stairs and out of Hogwarts. Hagrid and Cedric held lanterns but as we passed the hut and ventured into the Forbidden Forest I realized just how much danger we were really in.
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"What were you doing walking the halls?" I asked Cedric.
We were in the tail of the group. I spoke in a hushed tone so the rest of them couldn't hear me. Curiosity was getting the better of me and I didn't like the feeling of nerves that was creeping over my skin. Cedric must have known because his free hand began rubbing along my arm trying to send the feelings away.
"I was trying to send out an owl before Umbridge put them on watch. The Order needs to be aware of the happenings at Hogwarts. Do you know why Cho told on us?"
The million dollar question. I had yet to ask Harry how he felt about Cho's betrayal. But with everything going on I didn't want to bring up more reasons for him to go solo when he was already toying with the idea. He had to understand that relationships are what set him apart from Voldermort. Harry's ability to love and be loved was what would win this.
I shook my head and Cedric continued. "When McGonagall dropped me off I quickly thought of the owls and that's when I saw her crying in the observatory. They used truth serum on her, Hermione. That's Umbridge's new method of getting information. What if she starts getting curious about the Order? Then were all in trouble."
"Oh my, God! We have to tell Harry! Did you get the owl out?"
Cedric nodded then his face turned solemn. "I don't know if I can sit there and do nothing while she hurts you. It's going to kill me."
"We have to be strong until we can figure this all out." I leaned up and kissed him cheek. My head nodded towards Hagrid in the front of the group. "Any idea where he's taking us?"
I heard Ron speak in a squeaky voice. "Hagrid, why can't you just tell us?"
Cedric and I jogged up so that we could be closer to Ron and Harry. All of us were clueless as to where we were going. Ever since Hagrid had come back to Hogwarts he's been nearly invisible. The three of us hadn't seen him much and we were hoping this little field trip would have something to do with that happened during his talk with the Giants. When the idea stuck me, Hagrid started mumbling.
"I've never seen the centaurs so riled. And they're dangerous at the best of times. If the Ministry restricts their territory much more they'll have a full uprising on their hands."
My voice was tentative when I spoke. "Hagrid, what's going on?"
"I'm sorry to be so mysterious, you four. I wouldn't be bothering you at all with it, but with Dumbledore gone I'll likely be getting the sack any day. And I just couldn't leave without telling someone about him."
When we stepped into the clearing I immediately looked up already knowing what and who I would find. Cedric followed suit and quickly stood in front of me, shielding me with his body. There stood a Giant with thick, tightly curling hair the color of bracken on his too round of a head. His features look as though they had been made from stone. He had only one ear and his nose was stubby atop a lopsided mouth that held his brick-sized yellow and misshapen teeth. He hardly had any neck and he was wearing a smock made of animal skins. It was then that I looked in his small, dull, greenish-brown eyes and saw the sadness there.
I pushed down on Cedric's arm, insuring him that everything would be alright and I stepped forward. Not enough to leave the group but just enough to get a better look at the creature before me.
"Grawpy!" Hagrid called getting the creatures attention. It looked around. "Down here, you great buffoon!" Grawpy bent down and stared at Hagrid. "Grawpy, I brought you some company." Hagrid turned towards us. "I couldn't just leave him because... because he's my brother."
"Blimey!" Ron blurted out.
"Well, half-brother, really. He's completely harmless, just like I said. Little high spirited, is all."
I walked forward a bit about to wave at Grawpy and show him we were friendly and that any friend... or brother of Hagrid's was a friend of ours. Just as I took my third step I was suddenly lifted into the air. That's when I realized Grawpy had picked me up with his massive hand and was now holding me several feet in the air.
"Grawpy!" Hagrid called. "That is not polite!"
I could hear Cedric's frantic voice from down below. "Hagrid, do something! Hermione, are you alright?"
"Get him to put her down!" I heard Harry order.
"We talked about this!" Hagrid said in an authoritative voice. "You do not grab, do you? That's your new friend, Hermione."
In all honesty, I was frightened. The fact that one wrong squeeze could be my undoing was something to deal with when suspended in the air by the half-brother of games keeper at Hogwarts. But I decided to treat Grawpy like one would a child or dog.
"Grawpy! Grawp!" That got his attention and the muddy eyes turned towards me expectantly. My voice was strong and firm and both my hands were on my hips. "Put me down. Now."
Reluctantly, as far as I could tell, he gently placed me on the ground then stood up looking like a child who had just been reprimanded. I released a nervous breath and shook out my clothes. Cedric had me in his arms immediately, kissing all over my face.
"You all right?" Cedric asked.
I looked towards Grawp who now had his hands on the handlebars of a bicycle and was flicking the bell with his forefinger. He looked so childlike and innocent for a Giant who was probably older than all of us combined.
"Fine." I breathed with a smile. "Just needs a firm hand, is all."
I looked up into the faces of four very confused and amazed boys and shrugged.
A.N: We are now halfway through the book so far. Trust me the last half of the book is soooo good. I'll be trying to upload chapters faster but school has been distracting me a lot recently cause um well.... I fucking suck at school. But anyways more chapters to come soon.