The bad feeling that Sage had never really went away. In fact, it continued to intensify more and more as they marched through the ministry, disguised as middle-aged witches and wizards, trying to blend in among the working class of the wizarding world. She pushed past others trying to match her pace with Hermione's. They stopped at the gigantic fountain, trying to remain unnoticed. The bad feeling got worse. It was vibrating throughout her body as if it were an alarm. Something bad is going to happen, Sage thought to herself as she tried to ignore the sound of her heartbeat in her ears. Something bad is going to happen. Something bad is going to happen. Something bad. Something bad. Something ba-
"Is that-"
"Muggles." Hermione cut Harry off, looking ill as she stared at the statues at the bottom of the fountain. "In their rightful place."
Sage tuned back into the new conversation attempting to push the bad feelings away. The marble statue in front of the four of them made her feel nauseous. The others turned their attention to the shouting that emerged from the fireplaces. Snatchers pushed their way past civilians, dragging a struggling wizard with them.
"The ministry must be hiring young these days." Harry spoke, following the group as they passed.
"They're not ministry." Sage spoke, her voice not her own. She followed along quickly as they walked to the lifts in a tight group. "They're snatchers."
"Snatchers?"
"They hunt muggle-borns and blood-traitors for a price." Ron added, finishing Sage's thought as they pushed through the crowd of wizards and witches to get to the lifts.
"Cattermole!" A strong voice shouted, causing the four of them to jump. The voice caused Sage to push herself as far into the corner as possible, the familiar snap causing her to tremble. Yaxley, a Death Eater who Sage (unfortunately) had the pleasure of meeting over the course of her summer at the Malfoy Manor, marched right up to Ron.
"It's still raining in my office. Two days now."
"Really? Have you tried an umbrella?" Sage wanted to hit Ron across the head for his answer. Yaxley peered curiously at Ron.
"You do realize I'm on my way downstairs, don't you, Cattermole?" Yaxley leaned in menacingly as he studied Ron's confused expression. The bad feeling grew as Sage gulped back her nerves. "To interrogate your wife! If my wife's blood status were in doubt and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement needed a job doing, I think I'd make it a priority. You've got one hour."
Yaxley's gaze strayed from Ron, studying each of their faces. As his wicked stare met Sage's she could see a flash of familiarity within his cold and calculating irises. The lift closed in front of Yaxley, but his gaze remained on her, studying her for some flaw in her disguise. The bad feeling intensified. Something wicked comes this way, Sage, are you ready? The lift flew from it's dormant spot, taking them to their destination.
As the trio discussed a plan for Ron, Sage remained silent. Her thoughts were filled with the way Yaxley looked at her. It was like he could see through the polyjuice potion, as if he could feel that it was Sage. The bad feeling grew stronger making Sage feel nauseous. Maybe it was her dark mark, maybe he could feel it was her.
The lift arrived and let Ron off after he nervously gave a curt nod to the others. The lift then moved, taking the three of them to the first level.
"I say if we don't locate Umbridge within the hour, we go find Ron and come back another day. Deal?" Before Harry or Sage could answer, the lift clanged open and there stood in front of them in all of her glory was Dolores Umbridge.
"Ah, Mafalda! Travers sent you, did he? Good. We'll go straight down." She spoke tightly, joining them on the lift. Umbridge then eyed Harry and Sage curiously.
"Runcorn? Cicero? Aren't you getting out?" Sage looked at Harry and nodded mutely. She followed him out slowly, looking back at Hermione and giving her a subtle nod. The watched as Hermione's anxious face sunk out of sight.
The floor was bustling with noise, from the clacking of Sage's heels to the mutterings of wizards working, it was slightly nerve-racking. She kept her posture straight, walking through the office as she would the halls of Hogwarts. Her presence demanded attention, and that was the last thing she really needed at the moment. Harry stumbled alongside her, glancing suspiciously over his shoulder every now and then.
They had found Umbridge's door rather quickly. It stood tall and daunting, causing Sage to gulp back the nerves that bobbed in her throat. Harry looked at her with determination clear in his eyes. Slowly, he reached into his pocket, grabbing the Decoy Detonators that had resided in his pocket. He dropped them onto the floor and almost immediately, they sprang to life. Sage felt her heart pounded against her chest as she noticed the curious glances she began to receive. But, as her nerves grew, the Decoy Detonators exploded. Horns and smoke filled the air, sending the ministry workers into chaos. Harry quickly pushed open the door, letting Sage in before him.
Sage made her way to the desk, nearly vomiting at the pink that overpowered the room. She looked up and noticed that Harry had froze. He tightly gripped files in his hand, a glaze falling over the eyes that were not his own.
"Harry?" His head turned to her. She sighed and reached for the files. Reluctantly, he let her pull them from his grasp. She studied the pictures attached to each of the files. She felt her blood boil as she studied the crosses on the photos of Sirius, Mad-Eye, and Dumbledore. Soon, you'll be just like them. A file forgotten in the desk of some ministry worker.
Sage pulled herself out of her thoughts and sighed deeply.
"Put these back." She closed the drawer she was digging through and straightened the items on Umbridge's desk. "The locket isn't here."
Voices sounded outside of the room. Sage looked at Harry, who stared at the door in fear. Quickly, he put the files where they belonged and followed Sage as she made her way to the door. When they exited the room and shut the door behind them, all eyes turned to them. A man, who was trying to calm down the panicking employees, turned towards the door.
"Albert?" He questioned, tilting his head curiously.
Harry didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed Sage's wrist and pulled her along with him. Sage followed along, her steps quickening as Harry picked up his pace. Harry's grip on Sage's wrist kept her grounded as the bad feeling she had intensified. The walls around them felt as if they were closing in. Sage's breath got caught in her throat, she could hear her heart pumping in her ear. They stepped into an elevator and Harry let go of Sage.
But, Sage couldn't help it when her hand instinctively reached for Harry's. She needed the warmth and security that he provided. Harry looked at her and then down to her tight grip on his hand. It was then that he saw the fear that she desperately tried to hide from the world. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears and her lip quivered. He didn't say anything when she tightened her hold on his hand, nor did he say anything when she stepped closer to him. She was scared, hell so was he. In that moment, there was a mutual understanding between the two teenagers. They may have come from two completely different worlds, but they were still human. Sage tore her gaze away from Harry's and faced the closed elevator door as it flew to its destination. She let out a shaky breath and shut her eyes as she tried to collect her thoughts.
"Thank you." Sage whispered as the elevator slowed down and came to its stop. Harry didn't answer, instead squeezing her hand reassuringly before letting go. A part of him felt guilty for the anger and resentment that he had felt towards the Whitaker girl. He blamed her for a lot of things that were out of her control, but he couldn't help it. It didn't matter to Harry that she was doing the right thing now, it was too late. If she and Draco had just came to him for help, if they had just sucked it up and pushed their pride aside maybe they wouldn't be in this situation. But, as Harry glanced at the scared girl next to him once more, the anger and resentment faded. She was here, trying to right her wrongs, and for now that was enough. Harry may not have liked the girl, but he could see that she was trying to make things better.
As the elevator doors opened Ron, who was disguised and Reginald Cattermole, stepped in. He politely nodded at Sage and Harry, muttering a greeting.
"Ron? It's us." Sage spoke quietly, her gaze now on his borrowed face. Ron's eyes flashed towards her and then flickered to Harry.
"Sage? Harry?" Sage nodded silently, raising a brow. "Blimey, I forgot what you two looked like. Where's Hermione?"
"She's gone down to the courtroom." Harry started, his demeanor more relaxed than before. "With Umbridge."
Sage noticed Ron nervously gulped as he listened to Harry. Another sigh left her lips. The bad feeling was still there growing stronger as they descended into the depths of the ministry. Something bad was going to happen and Sage pleaded to whatever twisted god was listening that she was able to get to Hermione in time. When the elevator reached the final level, Sage pushed down the nerves and followed the two boys as they walked cautiously through the hall. Her hand twitched as it brushed against her wand, ready to use at any moment.
With each step she took, the feeling intensified. It spread through her body like a wildfire, her hands trembling as she said a silent prayer to herself. Umbridge's voice echoed through the hall as they reached the courtroom. The feeling took over all her senses. Her fingers drummed nervously against the side of her leg, itching to grab her wand and hex the pink-clad toad into oblivion. Umbridge's voice carried through the air as she read off the name of the poor witch that was under trial. An anger swelled within Sage's chest as she followed closely behind Harry.
There was a sharp pain in her left arm as she glared at the woman seated in the highest chair. Sage's jaw clenched as her hand twitched. The locket rested against Umbridge's chest, contrasting with the soft pink blouse she wore. The bad feeling pushed itself to the front of her mind. It consumed her, telling her to run as far as she could from whatever the hell was about to happen. But, Sage stayed planted in her spot, her hand gripping her wand as her knuckles turned a starch white.
It all had happened so fast. One moment Harry was right in front of her and the next spells were being thrown across the nearly empty courtroom. In a fluid motion Sage stunned Yaxley as Hermione snatched the horcrux off of Umbridge's unconscious body. Sage followed behind Harry, who now looked like himself, as they ran to an awaiting lift. The bone-chilling growls of the dementors that followed them made Sage pump her legs faster, stumbling over her feet as everyone pushed into the lift. The ghoulish hands reached between the bars of the gate, attempting to grab one of the heaving wizards. Sage felt a strong sense of dread that accompanied the coldness of the creatures sweep over her person. Melancholy replaced the fear she felt and left her feeling more empty than she had ever felt. She felt so, so tired. With a sudden burst of energy, Harry sent a patronus towards the dementors, warding off their unwanted touch. A breath of relief left Sage's trembling lips as the lift began to descend.
The main floor of the ministry was unphased by the commotion of the courtroom. Witches and wizards rushed to their day to day jobs, ignoring the fact that the most wanted wizard was pushing his way through the crowd followed by his loyal friends. Harry and Hermione led Sage, who finally regained her porcelain-like looks, and Ron, who still wore the face of Reginald Cattermole and had Cattermole's wife gripping his arm tightly, out of the lift. Sage caught up with Hermione as she bit her lip nervously. Sage rolled her eyes at the dramatic moment, biting her tongue as Reginald's wife kissed Ron who was morphing back into his own looks. Sage ran a hand through her hair as a burning sensation emerged as bile rose in the back of her throat. Hermione shifted uncomfortably, looking away from the strange scene before her. She looked towards Sage, whose pale skin immediately sent alarms ringing in her head. She reached her hand towards Sage's trembling one, linking them tight together. Sage's stare flickered to Hermione, reminding her of the secret glances she would cast towards Sage across the Great Hall.
"Are you okay?" Hermione whispered and Sage let her eyes flutter shut for a split moment of bliss. The moment was cut short though, her eyes snapping open as she felt the bitter twinge of fear bite at her conscience. The bad feeling began to mock Sage's short lived moment of bliss. Stupid girl, it said, happiness is not something you deserve to feel.
"We need to go." She spoke, her voice weak and her eyes darting around the group as if she were waiting for someone or something to attack. She felt as if they were standing there for too long, when in reality it had only been a handful of seconds that passed. She could see civilians passing by, sparing curious glances in their direction. The bustling aura of the main floor of the ministry was disrupted by shouts that echoed off of the towering tile walls. Yaxley and his followers pushed through the crowd attempting to find the fugitives. Sage pulled her hand from Hermione's, ignoring the loss of warmth.
"Harry, We need to go." He glanced at Sage, the worry of his face mimicked the sudden sound of her urgent voice. He nodded nonetheless. Ron shrugged sheepishly as the woman who had just kissed a stranger she thought her husband noticed that he no longer looked liked her betrothed. Sage looked towards the oncoming threat, her eyes watching as Yaxley's blond hair whipped around his as he looked around frantically. Subconsciously, she nudges Hermione closer to Harry and Ron, as she kept her stare on Yaxley. As if he felt her stare, his malice filled eyes found hers and a shout escaped his mouth as he pointed towards her. Her eyes widened and the bad feeling ignited her fight or flight response.
"Go!" Sage shouted, pushing Hermione and Harry who stood closest to her to start running. They did with no arguments, Ron leading as he shouted a string of apologies towards Cattermole who emerged in nothing but his underclothing. They pushed through the crowd of people who now gasped in a mixture of shock and disgust as they recognized Harry. Sage kept her pace steady as she kept up with Hermione. They rushed towards the chimneys, the green flame of floo powder casting a strange glow on the faces of the emerging witches and wizards. Hermione gripped her hand tightly as she pulled her closer to the group. Sage knew what she would do and she prepared herself for the twisting and pulling of apparition. A small wave of relief warmed Sage, but it faded as quickly as it came. Yaxley had caught up to them and shouted in protest as they moved farther away from the infuriated man. Sage didn't know what came over her, but the moment Yaxley gripped her wrist with brute force and yanked the Whitaker girl towards him, Sage let go of Hermione's hand just as she felt the touch of the apparition. She heard Hermione's call of protest, but she paid no mind to the heartbreaking scream that left her love.
Sage reeled back her arm and swung with all her might, striking Yaxley square in the nose. She felt a crack beneath her knuckles as blood trickled down Yaxley's top lip. As the platinum haired man stumbled away from Sage, snatchers surrounded her. A man with dirty smeared across his face lunged forward and captured Sage's arms before she could strike again. Sage flinched as she felt his heavy breath tickle her ear. An animalistic growl left Yaxley as he held his nose, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Bring her." Yaxley ordered, his words muffled by his hand. He turned and began to walk away from the fireplace the golden trio had vanished in.
They were surrounded and Sage felt her heart race wildly as she was pushed through the ministry. This was what the bad feeling was trying to warn her about, Sage had concluded with a heavy heart. She didn't bother to struggle against Yaxley's iron grip on her arm. Her dark mark tingled as she was pushed through the ministry, avoiding the curious eyes that watched her being lead away. Maybe what she did was dumb, but as long as Hermione, her beloved Hermione, was safe, she was fine with her choice.
A/N:
hi, i owe you all an explanation.
I have no good excuse for my lack of updates other than writers block. I have been writing Sage's journey for years, I have cried with her and laughed with her. Her story has played such a huge role in developing my writing style and i have obviously developed such a strong attachment to Sage's story.
Because of this, I have been fighting with myself for months as I tried to decide the fate of Sage. I have constantly restarted this chapter, tried writing the very last chapter, rewatched the deathly hallows movie, literally anything and everything to make a decision. Throw my recent and very tedious battle with my mental health into the mix, i just felt like nothing i wrote was good enough.I just want to do Sage justice, and I deeply apologize for the long period of time it has taken me to get back into the swing of things.
I appreciate all of the kind comments and support I have received from the loyal readers and followers of Sage's story. I hope this chapter makes up for the lack of updates!
Again, thank you so much. Please leave feedback on this story. What do you guys think will happen next? What do you want to happen next?
Make sure to comment, vote, and follow for more updates!
-outlaws
p.s.
thank you for 1K, i dont know how it happened but i'm so thankful it did. i love you all with my entire heart.