Harry and Amelia Potter

5.10

"Mia!" Harry exclaims, sitting down next to me in the great hall. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" I ask.

"Your hand." He says, looking down and seeing the now scarred letters. "Why didn't you tell me?" He repeats.

"Because," I say, moving the sleeve of my sweater down, over it. "There's nothing you can do and I know you would have tried to do something."

"You're bloody right I would have!"

"Harry, calm down. It's okay." I say, grabbing his hand. "I'm okay."

Then we hear ruckus just outside the great hall. Students begin gathering around, so Harry and I start pushing our way towards the front. We see Professor McGonagall and Umbridge arguing.

"Pardon me, professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?" Umbridge asks.

"I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students... you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices."

"So silly of me, but it sounds... as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom... Minerva." Umbridge takes a step up the stairs so she's standing above McGonagall.

"Not at all, Dolores," McGonagall takes a step higher and is towering over Umbridge again. "merely your medieval methods."

"I am sorry, dear. But to question my practices is to question the Ministry... and by extension, the minister himself." Umbridge states and McGonagall steps down. "I am a tolerant woman... but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty."

"Disloyalty." McGonagall repeats.

"Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action."

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The next week the Minister made Umbridge the official High Inquisitor. Meaning she could make whatever changes to Hogwarts as she wishes.

She spent the next few days watching the teachers as they taught. Examining their methods and seeing if they are still a good fit for their job. Then one day, a crowd was gathered in the courtyard.

"Sixteen years I've lived and taught here." Professor Trelawny begs. "Hogwarts is my home. You can't do this."

"Actually, I can." Umbridge states, holding up one of her documents that states she has the power to sack any teacher she wants. Then McGonagall runs out to try and comfort Trelawny. "Something you'd like to say?"

"Oh, there are several things I would like to say." She puts her arms around the divination Professor. "There, There... shush." Then Dumbledore walks out.

"Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sybil back inside?" He asks. She nods.

"Sybil, dear. This way." They begin to walk inside and Trelawny takes Dumbledores hands.

"Thank you." And then the two woman walk back inside.

"Dumbledore, may I remind you that under the terms... of Educational Decree Number...." Umbridge starts to say.

"You have the right to dismiss my teachers." Dumbledore cuts her off. "You do not, however, have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That power remains with the headmaster."

"For now." she smiles.

"Don't you all have studying to do?" Dumbledore growls and walks back inside.

"That foul, evil, old gargoyle." Hermione states. "We're not learning how to defend ourselves. We're not learning how to pass our OWLs." She huffs out. "She's taking over the entire school."

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"Harry. Mia." We hear Sirius's voice as we sit alone in the common room.

"Sirius." We say moving closer to the fire. We see his face in the flames.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asks.

"Answering your letter, Mia." He smiles. "You said you were worried about Umbridge. What's she doing? Training you to kill half-breeds?"

"She's not letting us use magic at all." I inform him.

"Well, I'm not surprised. The latest intelligence is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."

"Combat?" Harry questions.

"What does he think, we're forming some sort of wizard army?" I ask.

"That's exactly what he thinks." Sirius says. "That Dumbledore is assembling his own forces to take on the Ministry. He's becoming more paranoid by the minute. The others wouldn't want me telling you this, Harry... Mia... but things aren't going at all well with the Order." Harry and I look to each other. "Fudge is blocking the truth at every turn... and these disappearances are just how it started before. Voldemort is on the move."

"Well, what can we do?" Harry asks him.

"Someone's coming." He says and we hear footsteps coming down to the common room. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help. But for now, at least, it looks like you're on your own."

And his face disappears in the fire. Ron and Hermione emerge from the hall and see us over by the fire. They move to sit by us.

"He really is out there, isn't he?" Ron asks and we nod.

"We've got to be able to defend ourselves. And if Umbridge refuses to teach us how, we need someone who will." Hermione says, looking at Harry and I.