"Those who have mastered Legilimency are able, under certain conditions, to delve into the minds of their victims and to interpret their findings correctly." For Iris Potter, these words defined her whole life. Born with a natural talent for Legilim...
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It didn't take much for Hermione to convince Umbridge to follow her outside in search of 'Dumbledore's secret weapon.' The woman was all too eager to collect whatever it was for herself.
Hermione walked straight out of the oak front doors and down the stone steps into the balmy evening air. The sun was falling toward the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest now as Hermione marched purposefully across the grass, Umbridge jogging to keep up. Iris exchanged a quick look with Harry, neither of them quite sure yet where their friend was going with this. Their long dark shadows rippled over the grass behind them like cloaks.
"How much further?" demanded Umbridge angrily from behind him.
"Not far now!" shouted Hermione, as they emerged into a dim, dank clearing. "It had to be somewhere students weren't going to find it accidentally."
Owls hooted, and things rustled from the shadows. Umbridge flinched at every sound, growing more paranoid by the minute. Brambles pulled at their clothes, dirt falling on their shoulders and mud sticking to their shoes.
Harry leaned almost unnoticeably into Hermione to whisper, "What are you doing?"
"Improvising," she squeaked back.
The next clearing they entered looked all too familiar to Iris. Hermione stopped and stared. There was one thing missing from their surroundings: the young giant, Grawp. He was absolutely nowhere to be seen. The ropes that once bound him were on the dirt, frayed and broken.
"Well?" Umbridge probed nervously, "Where is this weapon?"
The three kids looked helplessly at one another.
Umbridge realised very quickly what was going on, "There isn't one... is there. You were trying to trick me." She paused, her wand still extended in their direction, and then, her voice quivering she said, "You know... I really hate children—"
An arrow flew through the air and landed with a menacing thud in the tree just over her head. The air was suddenly full of the sound of hooves. Iris could feel the forest floor trembling; Umbridge gave a little scream and whipped toward the commotion fearfully—
Around fifty centaurs were emerging on every side, their bows raised and loaded, pointing at Iris, Harry, Hermione, and Umbridge, who backed slowly into the centre of the clearing, Umbridge uttering odd little whimpers of terror.
"You have no business here, Centaur! This is a Ministry matter..."
Not one moved.
"Lower your weapons!" Umbridge demanded, her voice wavering nervously, "I warn you— any attack on a Ministry Official by a half-breed is—" Several of the centaurs shuffled in anticipation, muttering furiously. More centaurs stepped forward as Umbridge continued, " Under the law, as creatures of near-human intelligence—"
