Chapter Text
"Harry, you simply must tell a teacher about what that-that hag is doing to you!" Hermione had been launching verbal attacks at random intervals, in an attempt to get her best friend, Harry Potter, to tell an adult about what he was enduring in Umbridge's detentions. This time, they were walking up to Trelawney's tower. Harry had hoped to go an hour without hearing Hermione questioning his reasoning.
"Hermione, I've dealt with worse. Really-", He didn't finish his sentence, because Hermione had interrupted him.
"But you shouldn't have to, Harry! She has no right to do this to you!" Hermione stated. Ron, who up until now, had been listening, chimed in.
"Really, mate, you should tell somebody, like Dumbledore, or McGonagall. You can't let her walk all over you!"
"Which is exactly what I'd be doing if I went running to a teacher!" Harry said through gritted teeth. He stopped walking and faced his friends. "I can't let her win! And, really? What could McGonagall or Dumbledore do? SHE has all the power here. You've seen her, she acts like she owns the place because she does! There is nothing that anyone can do about it!" After his rant, Harry's anger was spent. Looking suddenly vulnerable, he beseeched his friends.
"Now can we please go to Divination?" Hermione looked like she wanted to say more, but nodded her head. Ron slung his arm around Harry's smaller frame in a show of support.
"Yeah, mate. Let's go to Divination." The trio resumed their trek, with Harry and Ron branching off towards the North Tower, and Hermione heading towards the Ancient Runes classroom.
Ron and Harry slipped into the pungent room just as their bespectacled teacher, Sybill Trelawney, stepped from the shadows. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, another, distinctly shriller voice rang out through the room.
"Hem, hem. May I have your attention, please. This is your esteemed High Inquisitor, and DADA Professor, Dolores Umbridge. Students and Faculty of Hogwarts, please report to the Great Hall for an important announcement." The magically amplified message ended with another little 'hem, hem'. The room became filled with noise, as the students speculated what the "special announcement" would be, and put their books back in their bag. Professor Trelawney looked distinctly ruffled at having her lesson interrupted.
"Whad'ya think it is, Harry?" Ron asked as he packed up his homework (it was blank).
"I don't know Ron. I just hope it's not another 'educational decree'." He said those words with a sneer to rival Snape's. Ron shuddered as they climbed down the ladder from the Divination Tower.
"She's already taken Quidditch from you, and Defense. What more could she do to us?" Harry shook his head and shrugged.
"I don't know Ron, and don't say that. You'll jinx us." The two marched the rest of the way to the Great Hall in silence."
Harry and Ron slid into two empty seats on either side of Hermione. She barely acknowledged them, instead focusing on the staff table. Harry also turned his attention to the professors. Umbridge looked like the cat that caught the canary or the toad that caught the fly.
"Anything that makes her look that happy cannot be good for the rest of us." Dean Thomas said from across Gryffindor Table. Harry absentmindedly nodded his head in agreement, still studying the professors. Dumbledore looked worried, the twinkle in his eye barely present. He was looking directly at Harry, though he quickly averted his eyes when Harry tried to make eye contact. Harry quickly stomped down the annoyance and anger that threatened to swallow him, in favor of rational thought. 'What could possibly have Dumbledore looking so rattled?' All of the teachers looked apprehensive, sans McGonagall, Snape, and Trelawney. McGonagall looked furious, and from the numerous glares she shot at the pink-clad "professor" beside her, it wasn't hard to guess at who. Snape simply looked impassive, as he normally did. Trelawney however, looked completely oblivious and was cleaning her hands in a goblet of sherry.
"-arry, Harry, are you in there?" Dean had been trying to get his attention.
"Sorry, zoned out for a minute. What is it, Dean?" Dean glanced around as if checking for eavesdroppers. He leaned across the table.
"I was wondering when the next DA meeting would be. The enchanted galleons haven't changed in a while, and I don't want to fall behind." Harry smiled slightly at the reminder of his secret (and illegal) club.
"Don't worry, Dean. Our next meeting is real soon, Hermione just hasn't gotten around to updating the coins, what with all of her homework." Dean nodded and then went to sit with his friend Seamus, a few spaces down.
Harry's thoughts turned to the DA, and a small smile crossed his face. It really was the best thing that could have happened to him this year. Whenever he got moody, or angry (as was becoming increasingly more common) someone just had to bring up the DA, and he would feel his chest warm with secret pride, for himself, and for his students.
As more and more students poured into the Great Hall from their various classes, the cacophony of voices grew louder and louder. Hermione and Ron were furiously discussing what the purpose of this assembly could be, as was most of the Hall.
"I'm telling you, Hermione, it's got to be a Death Eater attack! Why else would the teachers have called us here IN THE MIDDLE OF CLASSES if it wasn't serious?" Ron looked genuinely frustrated with Hermione for not realizing the brilliance of his deduction.
"Ron, if we were being attacked by Death Eaters, we would be in the panic rooms. It says so in Hogwarts: A History-" She was interrupted by Ron.
"You and that bloody book!" Ignoring Hermione's exclamation of "Language!", he proceeded," Let's see what Harry thinks, shall we?" They both turned to Harry expectantly, who had been watching their argument like a tennis match. Personally, he didn't think it was a Death Eater attack, but he couldn't just say that. Ron would be offended, and Hermione would get that annoying 'I'm-right-and-you're-wrong' look on her face.
"I think-" Thankfully, he wasn't able to finish his sentence before he was interrupted by a sugary, and overly-feminine voice.
"Hem, hem." Harry and Hermione both fell silent, not out of respect, but out of morbid curiosity. Ron continued chattering, as did most of the student body.
"Hem, hem. Excuse me, may I have your attention please?" The Hall was still filled with noise. Umbridge was becoming visibly more annoyed with the lack of respect being shown to her by the students. None of the other teachers seemed inclined to help her out, even the normally benevolent Dumbledore was remaining silent. Harry and Hermione leaned forward in anticipation of the inevitable explosion.
"SILENCE!" She screeched, waving her arms about like a windmill to get the Hall's attention. The students fell quiet, all staring at the fuzzy, pink thing before them. "I have NEVER been so disrespected in my life! When I say 'silence', you sit down and do just that! SILENCE yourselves!" Umbridge was red in the face and the little, black bow that used to be atop her head now hung by her chin. Little pink puffs of smoke were pouring from the tip of her wand. If Dolores Umbridge was trying to be intimidating, then she was failing miserably. The students were trying their best not to laugh, except the Weasley Twins, who outright guffawed.
Umbridge drew in a breath as if to say more, but froze when she made eye contact with her most hated student. Harry glared with all of the force he could muster, but this only seemed to amuse Umbridge. A cold, cruel smirk grew across her face. Umbridge began to speak again, this time in her normal cadence.
"Students, an important discovery has been made within the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. But before we get into that, please welcome The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and the Head of the DMLE, Amelia Bones." Very few people clapped, which seemed to confuse the Minister, who was well used to adoring crowds and fawning employees. Madame Bones simply sat down at the end of the table and observed the Hall.
Inwardly, Umbridge was squealing with glee. With the Head of Magical Law Enforcement here, she would surely be able to get Harry Potter arrested. Never did it cross her mind that her own actions would be recorded in the books. With everyone seated, and the students growing restless, Dolores Umbridge stepped forward.
"Students and Faculty, for too long you have been subject to the lies and manipulations of Harry James Potter," Dumbledore's Army glared just a little bit harder," but no longer," She reached into a small drawstring bag (pink of course), and withdrew book after book after book. The mouth of the bag grew to accommodate the size of the books, and then reverted back to the size of a pouch of marbles. Finally, seven books, each bigger than the last rested on the table. The trio exchanged confused glances, along with most of the Hall. Umbridge gestured to the volumes on the table like a salesman, a grinning like a madwoman.
"A series of books have been discovered by yours truly, and verified by the Department of Mysteries, detailing the life and lies of one, Harry Potter!" It took a moment for her words to sink in, but when they did, the Hall was filled with noise. Many people's attention was devoted to Harry Potter, who was massaging the bridge of his nose.
"Why me?" He asked. Ron rubbed Harry's shoulder in silent support, but was still staring at Umbridge, and answered.
"I don't know, Harry." But Harry wasn't finished yet.
"But seriously, why me? What the HELL did I do to deserve this?" Harry moaned. He rubbed his forehead harder. He could feel a headache coming on. Malfoy could be heard howling with laughter from the Slytherin table.
"This cannot be legal," Hermione was saying angrily. "She has no right to invade your privacy, this is insane-"
"SILENCE!" The shout came from Amelia Bones, who, though she understood the student's reaction ( God knows she had had a similar one when she heard about these books), was not one to tolerate disrespect against authority. The entire Hall quieted, for the Head of Magical Law Enforcement cut quite an imposing figure.
"Thank you very much, Amelia." 'Amelia" did not look happy with being referred to as such. "Now, for the next several days, until the conclusion of all five books, there will be no classes." Umbridge looked around as if expecting applause, but the Hall remained dead silent. Umbridge quickly regained steam.
"All actions recorded in this book that are against the law, will be punished by the full extent of the law, isn't that right Amelia?" The High Inquisitor looked to Madame Bones as if expecting her rapturous agreement. She was disappointed when Madame Bones merely spoke calmly.
"Any illegal actions recorded in this book, whether by a student or an adult, will be dealt with as I see fit." Harry, Ron, and Hermione made eye contact with each other, thinking about all the things they had done that could come back to bite them. Suddenly, Hermione sat up stock straight, her eyes gleaming with inspiration. She leaned over to Harry and whispered to him.
"Sirius, they'll find out he's innocent. And it'll prove that Voldemort is back." It was like a bomb had gone off inside Harry's chest. If everything in these books were true, then Sirius would be proven innocent, AND everyone would have to accept that Voldemort was back. Even if he did have to suffer the humiliation of having his life revealed to everyone, it would be worth it. Umbridge's own plan would be her downfall. Each concealing smiles, the three friends turned their attention back to the Head Table, where Umbridge was still speaking.
"Now, without further ado, let us begin reading." Umbridge conjured a large, overly puffy pink chair that looked like it belonged in the home of an old spinster. Facing the students, she sat down amongst the cushions, and primly straightened her obscenely stiff skirt. With a look of feral satisfaction on her face, she levitated the smallest novel off of the Head Table and into her lap.
"I believe I shall begin the reading," She said. The entire Hall leaned in, eager to hear about the life of the famed Boy-Who-Lived. Even Harry was interested, despite himself. 'I wonder just how much is in these books?' He thought to himself. After quite a few annoying 'hem, hems' Umbridge began to read.
//Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.//