Percy Jackson and the Department of Mysteries

144) ALMOST FORGOT A TITLE AGAIN

Harry had spent his career time with Professor McGonagall and, sadly, Umbridge. He explained that he'd told McGonagall that he wanted to be an Auror, and Umbridge had gotten pissy, so McGonagall defended him.

He seemed all the more guilty about the plan to speak with Sirius because of it.

I didn't know what to tell him. He seemed to want advice, but I didn't know enough on what was going on to offer anything solid. I knew he wanted to talk to Sirius about what he saw in the Pensieve, but I didn't know what he saw, so I couldn't tell him if it was worth the risk or not.

Ron agreed with me. Whatever it was he did, it was up to Harry to do, not us.

Hermione, however, was adamant that it was not worth it in the slightest. She kept nagging him and nagging him, telling him how horrible of a plan this was.

"Lay off a little, would you?" I groaned. "Hermione, I love you to bits, but sometimes, it's not about what you think is or isn't right. This is Harry's decision. Let him make it."

Hermione huffed and shot me a betrayed look. Usually, I was the voice of reason with her, unless practical jokes were involved. She didn't seem to know what to do when I didn't back her up.

We knew Harry had made his decision when the sound of a commotion echoed from the fifth floor, and Harry started running towards Umbridge's office.

"He's going to get into so much trouble," Hermione whispered.

"We'll find a way to get him out of it," I whispered back, patting her shoulder. "We always do."

Turns out, Harry didn't get caught. We made our way to the hot zone of trouble, and found that Fred and George had turned one of the fifth floor's wings into a swamp.

"I'm so proud of them," I wiped a fake tear from my eye. "They'll go on to do great things, they will."

"Filch!" Umbridge shrieked from the other side of the swamp. "Go get the whipping forms from my office. I'll catch them!"

Filch made some sort of happy sound in place of words, and ran off in the same direction as Harry.

"Let's go watch the show," I grinned, waving my hand and creating stepping stones in the swamp for us to get across as Umbridge booked it down the stairs, following the sound of two laughing pranksters. I let the swamp fall back into place once we were across, to make things worse for Umbridge.

She cornered them in the Great Hall, mostly because the students who had come to watch had created a wall blocking their escape. They didn't seem mad though, George going so far as to wink at a sixth year.

"So!" Umbridge triumphantly pumped her fist. "So... you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"

"Pretty amusing, yeah," Fred nodded, not looking the least bit threatened.

Filch elbowed his way through the crowd, "I've got the form, Headmistress." He waved around a piece of parchment. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting.... Oh, let me do it now..."

"Very good, Argus," she didn't take her eyes off the twins. "You two are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."

"You know what?" Fred turned to George. "I don't think we are. George, I think we've outgrown full-time education."

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," George agreed airily.

"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?"

"Definitely."

And, in beautiful unison, they raised their wands, "Accio Brooms!"

Everybody hopes for the day something truly chaotic and amazing happens at school. When a student decides to take charge, ruining the day of that one teacher. Hardly anyone ever gets to see it in a way that leaves you giddy and excited for the rest. Of. Your. Life.