Aurora | Harry Potter

chapter thirty

"I'm afraid you've used up all my stores interrogating students, the last of it on Miss Chang," Snape replies, making me feel somewhat relieved. "Unless you wish to poison him and I assure you, I would have greatest sympathy if you did. But I cannot help you."

He goes to leave, but Harry stops him. "He's got Padfoot! He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden," he says and I know that Snape will understand that he's talking about Sirius and Voldemort, but I'm not sure what he means by 'the place where it's hidden'.

Umbridge asks Snape what he's on about and Snape replies with, "No idea," but I know that he does. Then, Umbridge turns back around.

"Very well... you give me no choice, Potter. As this is an issue of Ministry security, you leave me with... no alternative. The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue."

I struggle against Draco's grip, but he just clings on tighter. "But that's illegal!" Hermione says, as Umbridge turns over her picture of Fudge and says that what he doesn't know won't hurt him. She then turns to Harry, pulls out her wand and aims it at him. 

"Tell her, Harry!" I shout, making people jump and Umbridge turns to me, asking me what I mean. "Well, I'll tell her where it is if you won't," I say, pushing against Draco. "Where what is?" Umbridge asks, her voice getting snappier. 

I pretend to reluctantly sigh and make it sound as believable as possible. "Dumbledore's secret weapon."

-

"How much further?" Umbridge asks as I lead her and Harry through the Forbidden Forest, her wand pointing at both of us constantly. "Not far," I say, "Dumbledore had to keep it hidden, so students wouldn't accidentally find it."

"What are you doing?" Harry whispers to me and I just respond with that I'm making it all up as I go. We reach where Grawp should be, but the end of the rope attached to the tree has snapped off. 

"He's escaped," I whisper to Harry, not looking away from the rope. "Well, where is this weapon?" Umbridge asks, walking around us as she keeps her wand raised. Then, she realises. "There isn't one, is there? You were trying to trick me. You know... I really hate children."

I hide a scoff. As if that wasn't blatantly obvious.

As I look at Umbridge, I see a group of centaurs amassing behind her and they do NOT look happy. She pushes us aside and hides behind us, her voice starting to shake. "You have no business here, centaurs... this is a Ministry matter." She then orders them to drop their weapons after several load up their bows with arrows.

"I warn you, under the law as creatures of near human intelligence--" But she gets cut of when a centaur fires an arrow at her, which she sharply deflects away. "How dare you! Filthy half-breed!" She snaps as she raises her wand and fires a rope at the centaur, which harshly wraps around its throat and starts to choke it.

I rush forward and try to untangle it. "Please! Please stop it!" I plead, but Umbridge just shouts over me. "ENOUGH! I will have order!"

Then out of nowhere, Grawp appears and lifts Umbridge into the sky, centaurs rallying around him, striking at his legs. The choking centaur manages to remove the rope around his neck and joins the group, who've began firing at Grawp. 

One arrow pierces his arm and he decides to drop Umbridge and she gets lifted up by the centaurs.

"Potter, do something, please! Tell them I mean no harm!" She pleads. "I'm sorry, Professor," Harry retorts, "I must not tell lies." We watch as the centaurs carry Umbridge away and after quickly thanking Grawp, we rush back the bridge leading to the castle, where the rest of the group meet us.

"How did you guys--"

"Puking Pastilles, it wasn't pretty," Ginny says as Ron hands both me and Harry our wands, explaining how he said he wanted some sweets but the Slytherins just scoffed them all themselves. 

"It was really clever!" Hermione exclaims, making Ron blush slightly. "It's been known to happen," he jokes, a giddy smile on his face. "So, how are we getting to London?" Neville asks. 

"Look, it's not that I don't appreciate everything you've done, all of you," Harry starts, which makes me roll my eyes, knowing what he'll say, "but... I've got you into enough trouble as it is." He goes to walk away, but Neville stops him. "Dumbledore's Army was supposed to be about doing something real. Or was that all just words to you?"

Harry sighs and turns back around. "Harry, you don't have to do this by yourself," I say, motioning to the group, "we're all aware of the danger we're getting ourselves into, but we all want to help you. You might need our help as well."

I smile at him and he heaves another sigh. "So how are we getting to London?" He asks. I look over at Luna to see her smiling, almost cheekily. "We fly, of course."

She leads us into the forest to where all the Thestrals are. She and Harry help everyone onto one, me being the last one to get on. Harry helps me up and I sit behind him, wrapping my arms around his stomach.

"Are you sure about this? You could get hurt," he asks, like he's even got a chance at persuading me not to come. "Harry, I'm coming with you, like everybody else. And if I do get hurt, then that's okay, as long as the end outcome is what we hope for."

He gives me a smile and a quick kiss on the cheek before we all lift off into the air, flying over the forest, away from the school and eventually, we find ourselves flying over London.

When we land, Luna sends the Thestrals to fly back to the school and we start to make our way to the Ministry.