Of Lions and Wards2 Chapter18

Chapter Eighteen: End of the DA:

School was getting harder for the upper classes, mostly the fifth and seventh years as they had homework piled on them and they found little time for anything else but studying. Still Harry managed to study, practice Quidditch and go to the defense class that had taken on the name of Dumbledore's Army. The students in the classes were learning fast and the one to improve the most was Neville. He had come to his element and was so good he was helping Cedric teach the classes now. He had a reason to be so good as he had heard of the escape of Bellatrix Lestrange and wanted to be the one to face her and make her pay for what she had done to his parents. It was at one of these classes, right when the hundred students here were learning to prefect their Patronus Charms Dobby came in looking scared and very worried.

"You must flee, you are betrayed!" He squeaked out terrified.

"What?" Cedric said stunned. "Who?"

"No time, she is coming this way!" Dobby said. "Umbridge!"

"Right, everyone leave, now!" Cedric said.

Harry stayed behind with Cedric and with his map helped make sure that the students got to safety. He saw Umbridge was on her way here but there was still time. He saw the Hufflepuff students get back to their common room, the Ravenclaw got to theirs and Gryffindors to there. Now it was only Cedric, Neville and Harry left and Cedric turned to Harry and handed him a silvery invisibly cloak. Harry had left his in his trunk and was grateful that Cedric had his but he did not want to leave Cedric to face Umbridge on his own.

"It's mine Harry, now listen, you must get back to your common room, she must not get you." Cedric said.

"But what will you do?" Harry asked him.

"Don't worry about me, just get back to your common room." Cedric replied.

"But…"

"Go, now as a prefect I order you Harry!" Cedric said pulling rank though he hated doing so.

Harry drew on the cloak and went out with Neville who did not go back to the common room with him at once. Harry could not say anything and so he made his way quietly back to his common room. He looked around and saw no-one around to stop him and so he gave the password and entered the common room. He took off the cloak once he was inside and saw twenty of the Gryffindor DA club here all looking grave. He still had his map but he had to keep it secret so he had no idea what was going on. He saw Ron and Hermione had got back safely but Neville did not come through the portrait hole.

"Who betrayed us?" Fred asked grimly.

"Whoever it was we will know tomorrow." Hermione replied grimly. "I put a charm on the pledge we all signed, whoever snitched on us will develop a hex on their face."

"I hope Cedric is okay." Harry said looking pale and scared. "He saved me, gave me his invisibility cloak. He saved me from her."

"That is a Hufflepuff for you." Ron said. "So glad he is on our side."

Time passed and Harry grew even more worried, what was going on? He wanted to leave and find out but he knew that would not be wise, he knew if Snape caught him he would be in for a spanking and he did not want that. Still he could not rest and this was true of everyone here. Finally after an hour (though it seemed like much more) McGonagall came in looking grim with Neville by her side. He looked very pale and scared and it was at that time Harry knew something bad had happened. McGonagall called the whole house, she was not going to wait until morning, none of the other heads of houses were waiting to tell their students the bad news. Soon the whole house was crowed into the common room looking at her with anxious faces.

"Professor Dumbledore has been relieved of his position." McGonagall began.

"What no way, why?" Harry asked.

"It seemed he formed a group of students to create an army." McGonagall said and held up her hand to quiet her house. "He said as much, minister Fudge was here to arrest him, I say was because Dumbledore managed to escape. Mr. Diggory, Mr. Longbottom and Miss Lovegood were there to witness the escape, or what they could of it."

"Who is in charge of the school now?" Harry asked looking fearful.

"Umbridge, I am so very, very sorry your parents are to be notified of course, if you wish to leave and go home I will understand." McGonagall said. "I cannot ask you to stay when that woman is in charge."

"We will stay." Fred said looking grimier than Harry had ever seen him.

"Yea, we will stay and support you professor." George replied.

"She will wish she had not taken over." Ron said.

"Kindly do not tell me what you are planning to do." McGonagall said warningly. "I would feel guilty not stopping you."

"Of course professor!" Fred said grinning at the good news he was being given free reign.

"We will be the best students we can for Umbridge." George replied with an evil glint in his eyes.

So it was the houses came to an understanding, they would unite to show Umbridge she did not belong here. It would be subtle and Harry was hoping that no-one got expelled or worse. He was not looking forward to the next day as he knew he was going to face Umbridge in her office. She was no fool he knew that even at his age he was scared though he refused to show it. He was surprised then how well he slept that night and when he woke the next day he did not remember why he felt so badly. Then it hit him as he headed down for breakfast with dread and found he could not eat hardly at all. Still he had to make a show of it, to not eat would draw attention he did not want and so he forced down his breakfast.

"Look at that toad." Harry murmured to Neville seeing Umbridge sitting where Dumbledore normally did. "She dares take his seat?"

"Don't do anything rash Harry." Neville said. "Please?"

"I will not, we have Fred and George to take care of her." Harry replied.

"Yea she will wish she had not done what she did." Ron replied darkly.

"Agreed and a welcome present is on the way for her." Hermione said shocking Harry and Ron, "I cannot stand her, she called me a mudblood as I was on my way to breakfast."

"Trying to rile you up no doubt." Harry said darkly. "She will get hers for that I promise you."

Harry did have one ray of light today, he did not have defense against the dark arts so he would not be facing Umbridge today. Mentally he gave a sigh of relief and went to his first class that day which was Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid looked worried but he handed his lesson very well and Harry knew he had a right to worry, last time Dumbledore was told to leave the school Hagrid had ended up in Azkaban, a cruel and evil place to send such a gentle soul. Harry was headed back to the Gryffindor common room to drop off his cloak and scarf and get some studying in before lunch and his next class when Umbridge came up to him and he felt trapped.

"Mr. Potter, you are not busy are you?" She asked sweetly.

"No ma'am." He said politely secretly wishing her to disappear.

"I would like to have a word with you." She said, "in my office?"

"Of course Professor." Harry said forcing himself to smile though he wanted to hex her off the planet, he kept his mind clear as he was not sure if she was a Legilimens.

He followed her into her office and took a seat across from her desk while she busily made some tea. Harry knew something was up but he could not refuse the cup she gave him. He pretended to take a sip letting the liquid drip down his robes instead. He looked around the office and the pinkness of it almost blinded him. The walls were covered in pink paper, the carpet was pink and dishes with frolicking kittens in bows and sweaters danced around on the walls. Harry saw on the desk a small white cat looking at him much as Mrs. Norris did and he did not much like the cat.

"You must be very worried now Harry." Umbridge said sweetly. "After all the headmaster was a good mentor."

"He helped out the students ma'am." Harry said. "I was one of the many he mentored."

"Yes but he had a special place for you did he not?" Umbridge said. "Maybe he trusted you hem?"

"Ma'am?" Harry asked puzzled.

She was about to respond when there was a loud boom from outside the room. Umbridge got up and went to the door and Harry dumped the tea into a potted plant with lurid pink flowers and he sat back up as Umbridge turned to him again. He kept his face neutral and expected her to speak to him again when she dismissed him as there was another boom down the hall. Harry wasted no time in leaving as he did not wish to stay around her and he ran to the stairs and saw a firework go off in the hall below. Harry grinned and knew exactly who had done this. He looked around and saw Fred motion him into the small closet that he and George were hiding in. Harry dove in just in time as Snape stormed by looking for two very dead boys as he knew exactly who had done this. He looked to where they were hiding and walked on as if he did not know where they were.

"Brilliant." Harry said grinning quietly.

"For that you get a free box," Fred said.

"Yes, our very own design." George said. "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, she tried to stun them."

"Yea they just doubled."

"I hope she ties to banish them next." George said laughing quietly. "They multiply tenfold!"

"We better get out of here before she catches us." Fred finished.

"Those are brilliant!" Harry said grinning.

The boys scattered and the rest of the day was very exciting. Though the professors were very capable and could remove the fireworks from their classes they called on Umbridge when the fireworks came into their classes as they were not sure (or so they said) that they were allowed to banish them themselves. Umbridge's first day as head of Hogwarts was spent running from class to class getting rid of these fireworks and she looked harassed and unhappy as she was covered in soot. The only place the fireworks refused to go (and Harry had a feeling it was because Fred and George made sure that they would not) was the dungeons so Snape was not bothered by the fireworks.

Still though with this moral raising day courtesy of the Weasley twins Hogwarts was becoming more like a prison than a school. Umbridge was not going to allow the students to have the freedom they needed to learn and grow. In fact new decrees went up that kept the students from talking about anything but their studies in the halls and the professors were not allowed to speak of anything but what their classes were about to the students. Most of the students were not even allowed to Hogsmeade and this got the villagers alienated against Umbridge as they needed the students to help keep their shops going. Things were getting worse at school for the students and were about to get worse for a few professors as well.

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It was Severus who was to take most of the brunt of her anger that first day. She wasted no time after the end of the day to call him down to her office and forced him to hand over his wand. It got worse from there, she began to torture him and he refused to beg or even cry out in pain. She Crucioed him so badly he nearly blacked out. Still he would not, could not give in to her, he willed himself to stay calm even when she called him every filthy thing she could. She hated him that much was clear and he knew why, she had been at his trial years ago and felt she had a right to do whatever she wanted to Severus. In fact as the head of the school she could do just about anything to Severus as he was still on parole and would be for life.

"You will find I am not as kind as Dumbledore was or as weak in dealing with your kind." Umbridge said coldly. "Your master cannot protect you now."

"If you refer to the dark lord he is dead by the ministries words." Severus spat at her.

"I should kill you but let me give you something to remember our meeting by shall I?"

She raised her wand and threw several dark curses at him causing him to gasp and moan in pain. Still he refused to scream or beg for mercy no matter how much pain he was in. Finally Umbridge tired of her sick game and gave him back his wand and ordered him out of her office. In horrible pain, weaker than he had been in a long time he staggered to the hospital wing. He clutched his stomach feeling blood seeping through his robes, before he could get into the hospital wing he fell to the floor and passed out to remember nothing more for a very long time...

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Umbridge is not a nice woman at all. She really does not deserve to be around children as she a cruel and wicked woman who uses a blood quill as punishment! Lines with a real pen and ink are fine but lines in your own blood is sick and wrong! That and torturing Severus Snape when he loses Dumbledore's protection when he has to flee the school she is sick and cruel and I had to show that here. I do not like torturing poor Severus but he is the one who would face her wrath I am sure. She would know his past allegiances.

Thank you so much for reading, and please leave a review to say you were here!