Jake stood there, in the Room of Requirement, on his own while Umbridge and several Slytherins had their wands trained on him. He felt flattered to have their wands trained on him, like it would do them any good, but unless they attacked him, he'd go along with what Umbridge wanted, it's what Hermione would want him to do, "You will, of course, be coming with me to Dumbledore's office. Malfoy, scan the halls, Parkinson, check the girls bathrooms, Goyle, check the boys bathrooms, Bulstrode, the libraries. Look for the students out of breath. Pendragon, be a dear and search this room for them, will you? There has to be some secret compartment that they escaped through," Jake quickly waved his hand subtly, not giving away anything, to have the list of names next to the wall show only his.
Logan nodded and looked at Jake, his face was clean from anything, 'As expected, Pendragon is not the Sneak.'
"Kidd, Headmaster's Office, now," Umbridge said and Jake quietly went with her. She tried to grab his arm, but he grabbed her own arm when she tried.
"I'm already going willingly, don't make me regret it," he said and let go of her. She straightened out her clothes and led him to the Stone Gargoyle. She spoke the password, which had been 'Fizzing Whizbee' and it moved aside, the wall behind it splitting open, and he ascended the staircase with Umbridge.
She didn't bother knocking as the door was opened and she led him into the room, which was full of people. Dumbledore sat behind his large desk, his expression serene, the tips of his long fingers together. Professor McGonagall stood rigidly beside him, her face extremely tense. Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, was rocking backward and forward on his toes beside the fireplace, until he saw that it was only Jake, no longer looking immensely pleased with the situation. Kingsley Shacklebolt and a tough-looking wizard that Jake didn't recognize with very short, wiry 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, apparently poised to take notes.
The portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses were all wide awake, watching what was happening below them, alert and serious. As Jake entered further into the room, a few of them flitted into neighboring frames and whispered urgently into their neighbors ears.
The door swung shut behind them, Cornelius Fudge looking at him with a hint of fear in his eyes. He quickly tried to muster up whatever courage he still had available, and tried to put on a tough-guy act, "Well, well, well..."
"He was found alone in a room called the Room of Requirement , preventing our entry, assumedly to hold us off so that other members of his little club could get away," Umbridge said.
"Was he now?" Fudge turned to him, "I assume you know why you are here?"
"You're gonna have to tell me," Jake said, straight-faced.
"I beg your pardon?" Fudge asked, looking appalled.
"I have no idea why I'm here. Have I broken any school rules?" He challenged the Minister.
"You broke a Ministry Educational Decree," Umbridge said slowly, seeing as she thought Jake actually had no idea.
"Which one?" Jake asked
" Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four ," Umbridge smiled evilly, "All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded. An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students-"
"I'm still waiting to hear which Decree I broke. Was I not the only one in the room when you found me?" Jake asked her.
"Well, yes, but-"
"Then I'm fairly certain whatever I'm a part of was not disbanded, as it was not an Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club. I was free to be in the Room all I wanted," Jake said, face stone cold.
"Then allow me to fetch the informant that says to the contrary," Umbridge's evil smile never left her face.
Jake already knew who it was, Marietta Edgecombe, Cho's friend. He couldn't wait to see her face.
"Nothing like a good witness, is there, Dumbledore?" Fudge asked the Headmaster.
"Nothing at all, Cornelius," Dumbledore said gravely.
There was a pause for a few minutes while Umbridge was gone, and the sound of Percy's quill against parchment was grating to Jake's ears. He was actually thankful when Umbridge came back with Marietta, because it distracted him from doing something to Percy or his parchment. Marietta was hiding her face, clearly ashamed of what it now no doubt looked like, "Don't be scared, dear, don't be frightened," Umbridge said softly, patting her on the back, "it's quite alright, now. You have done the right thing. The Minister is very pleased with you. He'll be telling your mother what a good girl you've been. Marietta's mother, Minister," she added, looking up at Fudge, "is Madam Edgecombe from the Department of Magical Transportation. Floo Network office - she's been helping us police the Hogwarts fires, you know."
"Jolly good, jolly good!" Fudge said heartily, his fear leaving for the moment, "Like mother, like daughter, eh? Well, come on, now, dear, look up, don't be shy, let's hear what you've got to - galloping gargoyles!"
As Marietta raised her head, Fudge leapt backward in shock, nearly landing himself in the fire. He cursed and stamped on the hem of his cloak, which had started to smoke, and Marietta gave a wail and pulled the neck of her robes right up over her eyes, but not before the whole room had seen that her face was horribly disfigured by a series of close-set purple pustules that had spread across her nose and cheeks to form the word 'SNEAK.' Internally, Jake was elated to see Marietta get what she deserved, regardless of her reason. She likely did it out of fear for her mother, but Jake just didn't care, because if Voldemort got the chance, her mother would be dead if she didn't submit.
"Never mind the spots now, dear," Umbridge said impatiently, "just take your robes away from your mouth and tell the Minister-" But Marietta gave another muffled wail and shook her head frantically. It was so hard to not laugh at her misfortune. "Oh, very well, you silly girl, I'll tell him," snapped Umbridge. She hitched her sickly smile back onto her face and said, "Well, Minister, Miss Edgecombe here came to my office shortly after dinner this evening and told me she had something she wanted to tell me. She said that if I proceeded to a secret room on the Seventh Floor, sometimes known as the Room of Requirement, I would find out something to my advantage. I questioned her a little further and she admitted that there was some kind of meeting there. Unfortunately at that point this hex," she waved impatiently at Marietta's concealed face, "came into operation and upon catching sight of her face in my mirror the girl became too distressed to tell me any more."
"Well, now," Fudge said, fixing Marietta with what he evidently imagined was a kind and fatherly look, "it is very brave of you, my dear, coming to tell Professor Umbridge, you did exactly the right thing. Now, will you tell me what happened at this meeting? What was its purpose? Who was there?"
But Marietta would not speak. She merely shook her head again, her eyes wide and fearful, and when she caught sight of Jake's gaze, she practically burst into tears; the look in his eye was malicious, telling her she got exactly what she deserved.
"Haven't we got a counterjinx for this?" Fudge asked Umbridge impatiently, gesturing to Marietta's face, "so she can speak freely?"
"I have not yet managed to find one," Umbridge admitted grudgingly.
"I thought the Ministry was against Counterjinxes?" Jake asked, causing all eyes on him, "Well, in Slinkhard's book, which I burned after the first class for Defense Against the Dark Arts this year, in Chapter Fifteen, he states that people call Counterjinxes as such to make them sound more acceptable. Are you saying that the Ministry is suddenly okay with Counterjinxes? Has the entire school year been a farce?"
"Watch your tongue, Kidd!" Percy shouted from his spot.
"Shut it, Weatherby, it was nicer when no one remembered you were here," Jake shut Percy up immediately.
"That's quite enough," Fudge said, filling the big shoes for a moment. Jake turned to him and he promptly stepped right back into his tiny slippers, "C-Carry on, Dolores."
"You'll remember, Minister, that I sent you a report back in October that Potter had met a number of fellow students in the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade-"
"And what is your evidence for that?" Professor McGonagall cut in.
"It's fine, Professor, there was a man with bandages on his head, that was who cowered back to you, wasn't it, Umbridge?" Jake asked her.
"How did you-"
"You'll find I know a great deal of many things," Jake smirked at her.
"Yes, Willy Widdershins, he reported every word Potter said and hastened straight to the school to report to me-"
"Oh, so that's why he wasn't prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets?" Professor McGonagall asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Imagine that, Government Corruption," Jake said in a bored tone. He was quite done with this foolishness.
"The purpose of Potter's meeting with these students," continued Umbridge, "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-"
"I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores," Dumbledore said quietly, peering at her over the half-moon spectacles perched halfway down his crooked nose.
Jake stared at Dumbledore, knowing exactly where the old Wizard was going with his objection.
"Oho!" Fudge said, bouncing on the balls of his feet again, "Yes, let's hear the latest cock-and-bull story designed to pull Potter out of trouble! Go on then, Dumbledore, go on - Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it Potter's identical twin in the Hog's Head that day? Or is there the usual simple explanation involving a reversal of time, a dead man coming back to life, and a couple of invisible dementors?"
'All which is true you stupid fuck,' Jake thought spitefully.
"Cornelius, I do not deny - and nor, I am sure, does Jake - that Harry was in the Hog's Head that day, nor that he was trying to recruit students to a Defense Against the Dark Arts group, I am merely pointing out that Dolores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that time, illegal. If you remember, the Ministry decree banning all student societies and such was not put into effect until two days after the Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules in the Hog's Head at all."
Fudge had stopped bounding on his feet, his mouth hanging open in awestruck stupidity.
"That's all very fine, Headmaster," Umbridge asked sweetly, "but we are now nearly six months on from the introduction of Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four . If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since most certainly are."
"Need I reiterate that you found only me in that room? As I said, it still isn't illegal, as I am just one student," Jake chuckled, "how can I, therefore, be part of an illegal society? What evidence do you have that, if I were not the only one there, the meetings continued taking place after the meeting in the Hog's Head?"
"Evidence?" Umbridge repeated with her horrible, wide, toadlike smile, "Have you not been listening, Kidd? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?"
"Oh," Dumbledore spoke up, "can she tell us about six months worth of meetings?" He raised his eyebrows, "I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight."
"Miss Edgecombe," Umbridge said at once, "tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod or shake your head, I'm sure that won't make the spots worse. Have they been happening regularly over the last six months?"
Everyone in the room was gazing at the top of Marietta's face. Only her eyes were visible between the pulled up robes and her curly fringe of hair. Jake made sure no one could glimpse his eye as he performed some wandless, non-verbal magic. To Umbridge and Fudge's surprise, Marietta shook her head.
Umbridge quickly looked to Fudge, then back to Marietta, "I don't think you understood the question, did you, dear? I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?"
Again, Marietta shook her head.
"What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" Umbridge asked in a testy voice.
"I would have thought her meaning was quite clear," Professor McGonagall said harshly, "there have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is that correct, Miss Edgecombe?"
Marietta nodded.
"But there was a meeting tonight!" Umbridge said furiously, "there was a meeting tonight, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Potter was the leader, was he not, Potter organized it, Potter - why are you shaking your head, girl!? "
"Well, usually when a person shakes their head," McGonagall said coldly, "they mean 'no,' unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign language as yet unknown to humans-"
Professor Umbridge suddenly seized Marietta, pulling her around to face her, and began shaking her very hard. A split second later, Dumbledore was on his feet, his wand raised. Kingsley started forward and Umbridge leapt back from Marietta, waving her hands in the air as though they had been burned.
"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores," Dumbledore said, and for the first time since last June, looked angry.
"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge," Kingsley said in his deep, slow voice, "You don't want to get yourself into trouble now."
"No," Umbridge said breathlessly, glancing up at the towering figure of Kingsley, "I mean, yes - you're right, Shacklebolt - I - I forgot myself."
Marietta was standing exactly as Umbridge had released her. She wasn't perturbed by Umbridge's sudden attack, nor relieved by her release.
"Dolores," Fudge said, with the air of trying to settle something once and for all, "the meeting tonight - the one we know definitely happened-"
"Yes," Umbridge said, having pulled herself together, "yes... well, Miss Edgecombe tipped me off and I proceeded at once to the Seventh Floor, accompanied by certain trustworthy students, so as to catch those in the meeting red-handed. But... it is true that Kidd was the only one in there, the door was being held together as we blasted it with spells. Then it suddenly dropped by itself into pieces. He was holding us back for a reason, to let the others get away, but there was no trace of them. I left Pendragon to secure the room and retrieve anything useful, which he did," Umbridge withdrew something from her pocket, the list of names, and handed it to Fudge, "However... Potter's name was nowhere to be found on it... only Kidd's name was on it... but look at what the group called themselves."
" Dumbledore's Army ?" Fudge said quietly, but there was a hint of triumph in his voice.
Dumbledore reached out and took the parchment from Fudge. He gazed at the heading scribbled by Hermione months before, and for a moment seemed unable to speak, until he looked up, smiling, "Well, the game is up," he said simply, and Jake knew exactly what he was talking about, "would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius - or will a statement before these witnesses suffice?"
Fudge had no idea what was going on, "Statement?" He asked slowly, "What - I don't-"
"Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, still smiling as he waved the parchment before Fudge's face, "Not Potter's Army, not Kidd's Army, Dumbledore's Army ."
'Although, Kidd's Army does have a nice ring to it,' Jake thought to himself. He decided to just stand idly and let Dumbledore do whatever he had planned.
"But - but-" Understanding blazed suddenly in Fudge's face. He took a horrified step backward, yelped, and jumped out of the fire again, "You?" He asked in a whisper, stamping again on his smoldering cloak.
"That's right," Dumbledore said pleasantly.
"You organized this?"
"I did," Dumbledore said.
"You recruited these students for - for your army?"
"Tonight was supposed to be the second meeting between myself and the ones Harry was talking to in the Hog's Head. They had still been undecided back then, but I let it brew in them, then last week I met with Mr. Kidd and asked him if he could round up the ones from the Hog's Head, seeing as he was there himself, and I see now that asking him to invite Miss Edgecombe was a mistake..." Marietta nodded, "this second meeting was just to see if they'd join me, but no one had the chance to show, that's why just Jake's name is on this list," Dumbledore said, quite convincingly.
"Then you have been plotting against me!" Fudge yelled.
"That's right," Dumbledore said cheerfully.
"Well... I came here expecting to expel Potter, then I had decided on Kidd, but instead-" Fudge was gleeful.
"Instead you get to arrest me," Dumbledore was still smiling, "It's like losing a Knut and finding a Galleon, isn't it?"
"Weasley!" Cried Fudge, now positively quivering with delight, "Weasley, have you written it all down, everything he's said, his confession, have you got it?"
"Yes sir, I think so, sir!" Percy said eagerly, whose nose was splattered with ink from the speed of his note-taking, which caused Jake to chuckle.
"The bit about how he's been trying to build up an army against the Ministry, how he's been working to destabilize me?"
"Yes, sir, I've got it, yes!" Percy said, scanning his notes jovially.
"Very well, then," Fudge was now radiant with glee, "duplicate your notes, Weasley, and send a copy to the Daily Prophet at once. If we send a fast owl we should make the morning edition!" Percy dashed from the room, slamming the door shut behind him, and Fudge turned back to Dumbledore, "you will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged and then sent to Akzaban to await trial!"
"Ah," Dumbledore said gently, "yes. Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag."
"Snag?" Fudge asked, his voice still vibrating with joy, "I see no snag, Dumbledore!"
"Well," Dumbledore said apologetically, "I'm afraid I do."
"Oh, really?"
"Well - it's just that you seem to be laboring under the delusion that I am going to - what is the phrase? 'Come quietly' I believe, and I'm afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course - but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing with my time."
Umbridge's face was growing steadily redder, she looked as though she was being filled with boiling water. Fudge stared at Dumbledore with a very silly expression on his face, as though he had just been stunned by a sudden blow and could not quite believe it had happened. He made a small choking noise and then looked around at Kingsley and the man with short gray hair, who alone of everyone in the room had remained entirely silent so far. The latter gave Fudge a reassuring nod and moved forward a little, away from the wall. Jake saw his hand drift casually toward his pocket.
"Don't be silly, Dawlish," Dumbledore said kindly, "I'm sure you are an excellent Auror, I seem to remember that you achieved 'Outstanding' in all your N.E.W.T.s, but if you attempt to - er - 'bring me in' by force, I will have to hurt you."
Dawlish blinked, looking rather foolish for even trying to apprehend Dumbledore. He looked toward Fudge again, but this time he seemed to be hoping for a clue as to what to do next. "So," Fudge sneered, recovering himself, "you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores, and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?"
'I could easily, but I'm not going to ruin whatever Dumbledore has planned, no matter how much I don't like him,' Jake thought to himself.
"Merlin's beard, no," Dumbledore said, smiling, "not unless you are foolish enough to force me to."
"Enough of this rubbish!" Fudge yelled, pulling out his own wand, "Dawlish, Shacklebolt! Take him !"
A streak of silver light flashed around the room. There was a bang like a gunshot, and the floor trembled. Jake grabbed Marietta and hit the deck as soon as a second Silver Flash went off - several portraits yelled, Fawkes screeched, and a cloud of dust filled the air. Coughing in the dust, Jake saw a dark figure fall to the ground in front of him. There was a shriek, a thud, someone yelling, the sound of glass breaking, frantically scuffling footsteps, a groan - then silence. He stood up with Marietta in-tow, looking around at the chaos. He saw Dumbledore move over to McGonagall, "Are you alright?" Dumbledore asked her.
"Yes, quite alright," she said, getting up to her feet.
The dust was clearing, the wreckage of the office loomed into view: Dumbledore's desk had been overturned, all of the spindly tables had been knocked to the floor, their silver instruments in pieces. Fudge, Umbridge, Kingsley, and Dawlish lay motionless on the floor. Fawkes soared in wide circles above them, singing softly.
"Unfortunately I had to hex Kingsley as well, or it would have looked very suspicious," Dumbledore said in a low voice, "Jake," Dumbledore turned to him, "you were very quick on the uptake with Miss Edgecombe, modifying her memory like that. Don't worry, I was the only one to see your eye change.
"Now, they will awaken very soon and it will be best if they do not know that we had time to communicate - you must act as though no time has passed, as though they were merely knocked to the ground, they will not remember-"
"Where will you go, Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall whispered, "Grimmauld Place?"
"Oh no," Dumbledore said with a grim smile, "I am not leaving to go into hiding. Fudge will soon wish he'd never dislodged me from Hogwarts, I promise you..." Dumbledore then turned to Jake, "Can I ask you to give a message to Harry?" He nodded, "Tell him he must study Occlumency as hard as he can. Do everything Professor Snape tells him and practice it particularly every night before sleeping so that he can close his mind to bad dreams - he will understand why soon enough, but make him promise to close his mind!"
Dawlish had started to stir on the ground. He stepped back away from both Jake and McGonagall, and Fawkes circled the office and swooped low over him. He raised hand, and grasped the Phoenix's long golden tail. There was a flash of fire and the pair of them had gone.
"Okay, that was cool," Jake whispered to McGonagall, who couldn't help but smile.
"Where is he?" Fudge yelled as he pushed himself up off the ground, " Where is he !?"
"I don't know!" Shouted Kingsley, also leaping to his feet.
"Well, he can't have Disapparated," Umbridge cried, "You can't inside this school-"
"The stairs!" Dawlish yelled, and he flung himself upon the door, wretched it open, and disappeared, followed closely by Kingsley and Umbridge. Fudge hesitated, then got to his feet slowly, brushing dust from his front. There was a long and painful silence.
"Well, Minerva," Fudge said nastily, straightening his torn shirtsleeve, "I'm afraid this is the end of your friend Dumbeldore."
"You think so, do you?" Professor McGonagall asked scornfully, but Fudge did not even pretend to hear her. He was looking around at the wrecked office, a few portraits hissing at him, and two of them making rude gestures.
"You'd better get those two off to bed," Fudge said, looking back at McGonagall with a dismissive nod towards Jake and Marietta.
McGonagall walked up to him, "It's probably better you do," she said, hinting at the fact he has to tell Harry what Dumbledore said.
"Right..." he agreed so that he could mainly find Hermione and let her know he was okay.
Just as the door was closing behind him, Marietta, and McGonagall, he heard the portrait of Phineas Nigellus talk to Fudge, "You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts... but you cannot deny he's got style..." Jake smirked just as the door closed.
*******
After getting back to Gryffindor Tower, much later than Harry, Ron, Hermione, or anyone from the D.A., Jake explained what happened, and with great reluctance, told Harry what Dumbledore said about Occlumency with Snape. Harry, of course, was angry, but said he'd do it.
Hermione, who had been worried sick about him, had embraced him the second he appeared inside the Tower, not letting go for the longest time for fear of him getting expelled from Hogwarts. He told them that Fudge had wanted to expel Harry, then had settled for Jake himself, then was content to arrest Dumbledore when the ploy was played out.
By the following morning, a new Educational Decree had popped up all over the school:
----- By Order Of -----
The Ministry of Magic
Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus
Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The above is in accordance with
Educational Decree Number Twenty-Eight .
Signed:
Cornelius Fudge
Minister of Magic
But the notice itself didn't explain how many students, every single one of them in fact, knew how Dumbledore had overcome two Aurors, the High Inquisitor, the Minister of Magic, and his Junior Assistant to escape. No matter where the four went within the castle the next day, the sole topic of conversation was Dumbledore's flight, and though some of the details might have gone awry in the retelling, like a Third Year girl with starry eyes saying that Jake used his immensely powerful magic to freeze everyone in the room except for Dumbledore which allowed him to escape. Many Third Year girls giggled and sighed whenever they saw Jake, which prompted Hermione to stay extra close to him.
One thing that surprised Jake, though, was how surprisingly accurate the rest of their information was. Everybody was aware, for instance, that Jake and Marietta were the only students to have witnessed the scene in Dumbledore's office, and as Marietta was now in the hospital wing, Jake had at first been bombarded with requests to give a firsthand account for the first two hours of wherever he went in the Castle. Hermione could tell when he was sick of retelling it, because he practically suffocated anyone that walked within two meters of him with how thick the air was around him.
"Dumbledore will be back before long," Ernie said confidently on the way back from Herbology after listening intently to Jake's second retelling of the events. "They couldn't keep him away in our Second Year and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me..." he dropped his voice conspiratorially, so that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Jake had to lean closer to hear him, "that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gargoyle. The Head's office has sealed itself against her," Ernie smirked, "apparently she had a right little tantrum."
"Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Headmaster's office," Hermione said viciously, as they walked up the stone steps into the Entrance Hall, "Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old-"
"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Granger?" Draco Malfoy had slid out from behind the door, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His pale, pointed face was alight with malice.
"I'll finish it for her," Jake said, smirking, "the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old fucking cunt-bag."
Draco went white, but still said, "Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," he drawled.
"You can't deduct points off of other Prefects," Ernie said at once.
"Yeah, Ernie, Hermione, and Jake are all Prefects, like you, remember?" Ron snarled.
"I know Prefects can't dock points off other Prefects , Weasel King," Malfoy sneered, causing Crabbe and Goyle to guffaw, "but members of the Inquisitorial Squad -"
"The what ?" Hermione demanded sharply.
"The Inquisitorial Squad, Granger," Malfoy said, pointing towards a tiny silver I upon his robes just beneath his Prefect's Badge. "A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, handpicked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points... So, Kidd, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new headmistress..." Jake flipped Malfoy off with both of his Middle Fingers, "Macmillan, five for contradicting me... Five because I don't like you, Potter... Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that..." Malfoy said, then looked at Hermione maliciously, "Oh yeah, I forgot, Granger, ten points from you for being a Mud-"
It happened in less than a second. Jake had sprung forward, his fist colliding right with Malfoy's nose, a distinct crunch was heard, and Malfoy was punched at least twenty meters away. Crabbe and Goyle both, slow as ever on the uptake, didn't realize what happened until Malfoy cried in pain, "You finish that sentence if you want everyone to see just how violently and gruesomely I will end your miserable, pathetic life. You think just because you're a part of some Inquisitorial Squad that that makes you safe from me? You, and all of your little Squadmates , better think again, because nothing on this Earth will save you from me."
It had been a while since Hermione had felt this kind of anger radiate from him. For a second, she wanted to let him rip into Malfoy, curious to know if he had an actual heart like the rest of them, but then stepped up beside him, "I think he gets the message."
Crabbe and Goyle both picked Malfoy up and took him to the Hospital Wing. Harry and Ron had turned to the Hourglasses that have the Points totaled, and when Hermione looked from her attention being on Jake, she saw that every Hourglass was lower, except for the Slytherin Hourglass, which stayed well above the other three.
"Noticed, have you?" Came Fred's voice.
He and George had just come down the Marble Staircase and joined Ernie, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and a heavily breathing Jake in front of the hourglasses.
"Malfoy just docked us all about Fifty Points," Harry said furiously.
"And it looks like Jake docked him an intact nose," Fred said humorously.
"Montague tried to do us during break," George said.
"What do you mean, 'tried'?" Ron asked quickly.
"He never managed to get all the words out," Fred said, "due to the fact that we forced him headfirst into that Vanishing Cabinet on the First Floor."
Hermione was shocked, but not surprised, "Still not caring about getting into trouble, are you?"
"Nah, we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble anymore."
"Have you ever really cared about that?" Hermione asked.
"'Course we have," George said, smiling at her, "never been expelled, have we?"
"We've always known where to draw the line," Fred said.
"We might have put a toe across it occasionally," George said thoughtfully.
"But we've always stopped short of causing real mayhem," Fred smirked.
"But now?" Ron asked tentatively.
"Well, now-" George said.
"-what with Dumbledore gone-" Fred continued.
"-we reckon a bit of mayhem-"
"-is exactly what our dear new Head deserves," Fred smirked wider than before.
Hermione thought a moment about their words, understanding, "What are you both about to do?"
"Something spectacular, I'd imagine," Jake said, finally having calmed down enough to talk normally.
"Exactly, we'd walk out right now if we weren't determined to do our bit for Dumbledore first. So anyway," George said, checking his watch, "phase one is about to begin. I'd get in the Great Hall for lunch if I were you, that way the teachers will see you can't have had anything to do with it."
Ernie muttered something about unfinished Transfiguration homework and scurried away as Fred and George disappeared into the crowd coming down the stairs, "Let's get into the Great Hall, I don't really want to be expelled along with them," Hermione said to the three boys.
"Yeah, alright," Ron said, and the four of them moved towards the Great Hall, when someone approached them and tapped Jake on the shoulder.
They turned to see Argus Filch standing there, "The headmistress would like to see you, Kidd," he leered at them.
"Can it not wait until after I've gotten something to eat?" Jake asked snarkily.
"Follow me, now..." Filch said, disappearing into the crowd of students, Jake following him.
Jake looked back to Hermione and smiled at her, telling her he'd be fine.
"Things are changing around here, Kidd," Filch said, seeming to be in a better mood than usual.
"Really? What gave it away?" Jake rhetorically asked, his patience for Filch already at Rock Bottom.
"I've been telling Dumbledore for years and years he's too soft with you all," Filch said, chuckling nastily, "You filthy little beasts would never have dropped stinkpellets if you'd known I had it in my power to whip you raw, would you, now? Nobody would have thought of throwing Fanged Frisbees down the corridors if I could've strung you up by the ankles in my office, would they?"
"It must be exhausting, having to do all of that without the ability to use magic," Jake taunted, causing Filch to turn around.
"You watch your tongue, Kidd," Filch snarled.
"Or what?" Jake challenged, and Filch backed off, realizing it was something he had little chance of succeeding in.
"When Educational Decree Number Twenty-Nine comes in, I'll be able to do all them things again, and you won't be able to stop me, Kidd," Filch said, grinning happily.
"A word of advice, you even think about touching a hair on Hermione's head for the smallest of reasons, and I'll sever both of your hands with magic that will prevent them from being reattached, do I make myself clear, you fucking Squib?" Jake said threateningly. He never said anything he didn't intend to follow through with where Hermione was concerned.
"H-Here we are," Filch said, trying to ignore Jake's threat. It was obvious Filch was more scared than angry, he just didn't show it. He rapped his knuckles three times on the door leading into Umbridge's Office, and he pushed it open, "the (L-L/N) boy to see you."
"Thank you, Argus," Umbridge said sweetly. Jake looked around in disgust at the bubblegum pink office before him. The surfaces all had drapes of lacy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a large technicolor kitten wearing a different bow around its neck. Normally Jake wouldn't be bothered with the assault on his visual sense, but this was overdoing it. There was also a laughable large wooden block lying across the front of her desk on which golden letters spelled the word HEADMISTRESS; also he saw Harry's Firebolt, and Fred and George's Cleansweeps, which were now chained and padlocked to the stout iron peg in the wall behind the desk. Umbridge was sitting behind the desk, busily scribbling upon some of her pink parchment, but looked up and smiled at their entrance.
"Not at all, ma'am, not at all... just watch out for this one..." Filch said, bowing as low as his rheumatism would permit, and exited backward.
"Sit," Umbridge said curtly, pointing toward a chair, and then said, "What did Argus mean by that?"
"Oh, that," Jake said, as though forgetting what he just did, "I just promised him with the threat of permanent hand loss if he so much as dared to even think about laying a finger on Hermione."
"Five Points from Gryffindor," she smiled sweetly, but Jake seemed unperturbed. She continued scribbling for a few minutes, and he took to watching the kittens gamboling around. He looked back to her when she finally spoke, "Well now," she said, setting her quill down and looking like a Toad about to swallow a particularly juicy fly, "What would you like to drink?"
He paused for a second, "To drink?" He quickly caught on to exactly why, and it made him positively burst inside with glee, because she didn't know. No one but Hermione and Merlin knew, "Oh, um... how about just some Tea?"
She got up and made quite a performance of adding milk with her back to him, but he knew what she was really doing. She bustled around the desk with it, smiling in sinisterly sweet fashion, "There you are, drink up now, before it gets too cold. Well, now, Mr. Kidd, I thought we ought to have a little chat, after the distressing events of last night..."
"You can ask whatever question you want, but I won't be able to tell you anything," Jake said, taking a drink of the tea. It actually tasted surprisingly good, maybe it was her special addition that made it taste so great. He briefly thought.
Her smile widened almost sickeningly, "Good, good, now then..." she leaned forward a little, " Where is Albus Dumbledore ?"
"You know it's the funniest thing..." Jake paused, then said, "I have no idea." Which would have been truthful, regardless.
"Drink up now, drink up," Umbridge said, and just to annoy her, he downed the entire cup of tea, setting it back on her table, "Look, I know you know where he's gone. He plays, or more accurately, played an important role here at Hogwarts. Surely you would know?"
"No idea where the Headmaster has gone," Jake said, leaning back in the chair, "could I have some more tea, if that's alright?"
She smiled sweetly, "Of course," and she jumped up to make another cup. When she handed it to him, she sat down and asked another question, "Would you kindly tell me where Sirius Black is?"
"If I had any idea, I still wouldn't tell you," Jake was getting on her last nerve, and he loved every second of it.
The look on her face said it all, This is not possible , she was thinking, but then she stood back up, "Very well, Kidd, I don't know how you have avoided answering my questions, but you are free to go, but be warned: The might of the Ministry stands behind me-"
"I'm shaking in my boots," he said, standing up as well.
"-All channels of communication in and out of this school are being monitored. A Floo Network Regulator is keeping watch over every fire in Hogwarts - except my own, of course. My Inquisitorial Squad is opening and reading all owl post entering and leaving the castle. And Mr. Filch is observing all secret passages in and out of the castle. If I find a shred of evidence-"
There was a loud explosion coming from somewhere else in the castle. The very floor of the office shook; Umbridge slipped sideways, clutching her desk for support, looking completely shocked.
"What was-?" She was gazing toward the door; they both could hear people running and screaming several floors below, "Back to lunch with you, Kidd!" Umbridge cried, raising her wand and dashing out of her office. His eye lingered on the fireplace for a second before turning to go and see what the commotion was.
Of course, it wasn't difficult to find. One floor down, pandemonium reigned. Somebody, pretty apparent who, had set off what seemed to be an enormous crate of enchanted fireworks.
Dragons comprised entirely of Green and Gold sparks were soaring up and down the corridors, emitting loud fiery blasts and bangs as they went. Shocking-pink Catherine wheels five feet in diameter were whizzing lethally through the air like so many flying saucers. Rockets with long tails of brilliant silver stars were ricocheting off the walls. Sparklers were writing swear words in midair of their own accord. Firecrackers were exploding like mines everywhere Jake looked, and instead of burning themselves out, fading from sight, or fizzling to a halt, these pyrotechnical miracles seemed to be gaining energy and momentum the longer he watched.
"Hurry, Filch, hurry!" Umbridge shrieked, "They'll be all over the school unless we do something - Stupefy !"
A jet of red light shot out of the end of her wand and hit one of the rockets. Instead of freezing in midair, it exploded with such force that it blasted a hole in a painting of a soppy-looking witch in the middle of a meadow - she ran for it just in time, reappearing seconds later squashed into the painting next door, where a couple of wizards playing cards stood up hastily to make room for her.
"Don't Stun them, Filch!" Umbridge yelled angrily for all the world as though it had been his suggestion.
"Right you are, Headmistress!" Filch wheezed. Of course, being a Squib, Filch was unable to do anything of the sort in the way of helping Umbridge deal with the magnificent display.
Jake, of course, could've stopped them if he wanted to, and if Dumbledore were still Headmaster, he most definitely would have. He might have his disagreements with the Old Wizard, but he was infinitely better than some Ministry-appointed, half-baked buffoon, "Impressive... Fred, George, you both have completely outdone yourselves." He had decided he'd seen enough and went back to the Great Hall, smiling all the way.
The fireworks continued to burn and spread all over the school well into the afternoon. Though they caused plenty of disruption, particularly the firecrackers, the other teachers did not seem to mind them very much.
"Dear, dear," Professor McGonagall said sardonically, as one of the dragons soared around her classroom, emitting loud bangs and exhaling flame, "Miss Brown, would you mind running along to the headmistress and informing her that we have an escaped firework in our classroom?"
The upshot of it all was that Professor Umbridge spent her first afternoon as Headmistress running all over the school answering the summonses of the other teachers, none of whom seemed able to rid their rooms of the fireworks without her. When the final bell rang and the students were heading back to their respective House Common Rooms with their bags, Jake, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all saw, with immense satisfaction, a disheveled and soot-blackened Umbridge tottering sweaty-faced from Professor Flitwick's classroom.
"Thank you so much, Professor!" Flitwick said in his squeaky little voice, "I, of course, could have gotten rid of the sparklers myself, but I wasn't sure whether I had the authority ..." Beaming, he had closed his classroom door in her snarling face.
Fred and George were heroes that night in the Gryffindor Common Room. Everyone, even Hermione, which surprised many Gryffindor, made an effort to congratulate them on the mayhem they caused.
"They were wonderful fireworks, and the more trouble they cause Umbridge, the better, I say," she said admirably.
"Thanks," George said, looking both surprised and pleased, "Weasleys Wildfire Whiz-Bangs. Only thing is, we used our whole stock, we're going to have to start again from scratch now..."
"It was worth it, though," Fred said, taking orders from clamoring Gryffindors.
Hermione returned to the table where Harry and Ron were sitting across from Jake, staring and hoping that their homework would jump out of their bags and start doing itself.
"No homework again, Jake?" Ron asked, looking paler than usual.
"Nope, got it all done already," he said, content with himself.
"How, though? It was assigned literally just today..." Ron groaned in agony.
Jake shrugged, then Hermione said, "Oh, why don't we have the night off?" She said brightly, as a silver-tailed Weasley rocket zoomed past the window, "After all, the Easter holidays start on Friday, we'll have plenty of time then."
"Are you feeling alright?" Ron asked, staring at her in disbelief.
"Now you mention it," Hermione said happily, "you know... I think I'm feeling a bit... rebellious ," she smirked. In truth, Hermione had felt rebellious since Umbridge was appointed by Fudge to be their DADA teacher, but with Dumbledore gone, and the D.A. meetings no longer happening, she had a sudden urge for open rebellion that she had never felt before.
It was late into the night, most everyone had gone to bed, firecrackers and explosions still sounding in the distance and on the grounds, but Jake and Hermione were still in the Common Room, the former of which was deep in thought, but Hermione had no idea about what. She got his attention, though, when she kissed his jawline, "Hmm?"
"So I know I haven't had the time to really start wearing them, but the earrings you bought me for Christmas, I'm going to start wearing them tomorrow," she smiled at him.
He smiled back, "Now all I need is to buy you something with a Sapphire, and you'll have the Trinity of Gemstones," he smiled, already knowing what he was going to buy for her.
"I would tell you that you don't have to do that, but I know you will anyway," Hermione lay against him as she started to doze off, feeling immensely comfortable with herself.
"I will, but it'll be your birthday present, since I keep forgetting it," he smiled bashfully.
"Even if it's late, it has more meaning than most things, just getting something from someone not my parents, but the man whom my future lies with," Hermione got serious for a moment as she sat up to look at him, "and obviously that man is you, Jake."
"Well I would sure hope so, otherwise my attempts to romance you would have failed and I'd fall into a state of irreversible depression, but I know that won't happen, you're too good for me in that regard, Hermione..." he trailed off, his mind thinking dark thoughts.
"Oh please, if anything, it's you who is too good for me," she said with a sad look in her eyes, "you're incredibly handsome, magically powerful, and intellectually unrivaled... What on Earth are you doing with plain, boring, bookish Hermione Granger?"
"Don't be like that, Hermione. You are not plain, you are unrivaled in your beauty, even Fleur has nothing on you," he said, causing her lip corners to twitch, "I have more fun around you than anyone else, so you can't possibly be boring, and who cares if you're bookish? Not everyone can or will want to understand your obsession with books, and reading, and learning. It's important to find someone who will love you for those very reasons."
Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, she pushed him down on the couch and began to snog him senseless, not caring about getting caught.