Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 137

Snape and Jenna glared at one another dangerously, until she finally lowered her wand. She didn't even mind if someone would see her this way, because at least she was still in the form of another witch.

"Stay out of my way, or help me," Jenna said sternly, her eyes boring into his dark ones. "Your choice, Severus."

Snape said nothing for long seconds, but he gave her a curt nod at last. With one last glare at his direction, Jenna turned on her heels once more and rushed up the hallway, making her way toward Umbridge's office with Snape by her side.

They both knew what they were supposed to do, even though they hadn't uttered a single word about it to one another. They had to get rid of Umbridge, if it meant protecting the Order and Harry. Jenna would've cursed Umbridge herself gladly, and then modify the memories of the witnesses if necessary.

Snape might not have cared about Harry himself, but he knew about the prophecy, and knew that Harry was the one who could bring Voldemort to his end.

Although the moment they neared Umbridge's office, Snape and Jenna both came to a halt and glanced at each other sideways as they found the office's door open, without a single sound coming from the inside.

On cue, the two ran forward to look inside. But Jenna gasped and Snape's dark eyes widened when they saw the office empty except for Draco and his Slytherin friends, all passed out on the floor.

"Where the hell are the others!?" Jenna questioned, looking around with wide eyes.

Without answering her, Snape moved forward to where Malfoy had fainted. With a wave of his wand, Snape casted the counter curse and the next moment, Malfoy shot awake, panting as he looked around in horror.

"What happened here, Draco?" Snape asked sharply.

"I — it was them — it was —" he started stuttering, not fully conscious yet.

"Get to the point faster!" Snape snarled.

"Granger told Professor Umbridge that Dumbledore had a secret weapon in the Dark Forest — so Professor Umbridge took Granger and Potter with her — but then — it was Weasley — he tricked us — and then they all ran for it! All of them! Along with the Weasley girl, Lovegood, and Hooper!"

A silence fell among them as Snape and Jenna shared another look sideways.

"Get yourself and the others to the hospital wing, Draco," Snape ordered, going to revive the other Slytherins as well with the counter curse

As soon as the Slytherins had left, Jenna finally spoke up, "What if they've gone to the Ministry on their own?"

"Impossible." Snape shook his head.

"You'd be surprised what Harry and his friends are capable of," said Jenna, trying to keep her breathing under control. "We should let the Order know."

"I'll do it," Snape said flatly. "You go search for them. Chances are, they're still in the castle."

Jenna nodded, leaving the office without a single second of delay. Once Snape was sure that she was gone and that nobody was around, he took out his wand and gave it a wave, muttering, "Expecto Patronum!"

The next moment, a silver doe appeared before him in the office. "Tell Sirius Black to summon the Order. Harry Potter and the others are going to the Ministry."

Snape then watched as the silver doe flew out of the office's window, vanishing from sight the next moment.

***

With her wand out and in her hand, Jenna rushed out of the castle and ran through the forest. Twilight had fallen upon the grounds and the tall trees of the forest had drowned the woods in their dark shadows.

Jenna passed a few students on her way who gave her odd looks, seeing as they couldn't recognize her. In fact, Jenna couldn't recognize herself either, seeing as she had taken the form of a nonexistent witch, who looked like her middle-aged neighbor in the Muggle town she used to live in those twelve years.

Jenna walked through the forest, jumping and raising her wand at every little noise that she heard among the woods. But there was no sign of Harry, Hermione, Umbridge, or any other one of the children.

But Jenna let out a loud gasp when she suddenly saw a woman in pink clothes laying down on the dirty and muddy ground, her furry coat torn in places and her hair messy, with fresh wounds all over her face.

It was Umbridge.

Jenna took slow steps toward the woman, her wand held firmly in her hand, stopping only once she reached her. Jenna pointed her wand directly at her as the woman laid motionlessly on the floor.

"What the hell did you do to them?" Jenna snarled, holding her now blonde hair from turning red at her sight.

But Umbridge appeared not to have heard her as she gazed up at the sky with wide eyes, too shocked to put two words together.

"They've already left..." Jenna muttered to herself, drawing back her wand. She ran a hand through her hair, feeling the panic washing over her. "Oh, no..."

It was only a question of how they had left. But just then, the answer appeared right before Jenna's eyes. Drawn by the smell of Umbridge's bloody wounds, a few Thestrals emerged from the woods.

And that was when it hit Jenna that they must've flown out of Hogwarts, whether it was by brooms or, even more unlikely, with Thestrals.