Family Ties

Chapter 16 - Magical Mischief Making

Dean and the other Gryffindor members of the DA were all huddled around the fire in the Gryffindor common room. An hour had passed since the DA meeting had been raided, and Harry had not returned. The atmosphere was glum. Hermione looked as though she was trying hard not to cry, Ron's jaw was set, and his face very pale. "HOW did she find out?" he said through clenched teeth.

Parvati looked up, her face ashen. "There was someone missing tonight... Marietta - Cho Chang's friend."

Hermione's head whipped around. "You think she tattled on us?"

"Maybe... She didn't want to be there most of the time; I heard her arguing with Cho."

Hermione's mouth twitched, like she'd almost smiled. "If she did, she'll be sorry, she probably already is."

The portrait hole opened and Harry stumbled in. The whole group fell silent and stared at him. He took them in with one glance and headed quickly for the stairs to the dorm rooms. Ron and Hermione rose and followed him. Seamus made to stand, but Dean shook his head at him. "Maybe we should leave him alone for now."

"But how else will we know what happened?"

As one, the boys in the group rose and pelted for the stairs, then simultaneously stopped and started creeping up, slowly and quietly. They stopped outside the dorm door and all eight of them tried to press an ear against the door. They need not have bothered, Harry was yelling at the top of his lungs. "... SHE TOLD HER! SHE TOLD HER! NOW DUMBLEDORE IS GONE AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!"

Dean froze in shock. Dumbledore is gone?

Hermione's voice was one of reason, but with an undercurrent of fear, and anger. "Harry, calm down, tell us what happened."

There were several bangs, and then a yelp of pain, suggesting Harry had kicked something in frustration. "Marietta told Umbridge about us. Dumbledore took the fall, saying he invited us to join 'his army', that tonight was the first meeting. They found your list Hermione, if it weren't for him, we'd all be out on our ear tonight."

Hermione gasped. "Tell me at least that it worked."

Harry let out a short, sharp bark of a laugh. "Oh it worked all right, and they can't seem to cure it!"

Dean wondered what on Earth they were talking about. "Fudge was there... and there were two Aurors, and Percy-"

There was a snort of indignation, most likely from Ron.

"Don't worry; Dumbledore hexed him good before he left. They were going to expel me, but Dumbledore was a juicier prize."

Harry's voice was full of bitterness. "I expect that old hag will be in charge in the morning."

Dean felt a rush of anger and trepidation. God only knows what this place will be like now.

* ~ *

By the morning, the notices were up all over the school, announcing the replacement of Dumbledore with Umbridge. The Weasley twins appeared to have gotten over their shock, Dean heard them whispering outside the portrait hole on his way down to breakfast. "...we'll waste the whole stock, we'll have to start all over."

"We'll manage... it'll be worth it... think of the chaos!!"

When Dean emerged from behind the fat lady, they stopped talking, but looked really excited.

Throughout the day, Dean heard many variations of Dumbledore's departure. He also heard from Hannah Abbott that the Headmaster's office had locked Umbridge out. Dean chuckled to think of her trying to get past the gargoyle to no avail.

He was recounting the story to Seamus as he rounded a corner and walked smack into someone a lot taller and sturdier than himself. "Watch yourself Mudblood! Ten points from Gryffindor for walking into a member of the Inquisitorial Squad."

Dean looked up at the Slytherin Quidditch Captain Montague. "What's the Inquisitorial Squad?"

"Mostly Slytherins who are prepared to help the new headmistress. Get out of my way, you dirty blooded freak."

He barged into Dean's shoulder as he passed, almost knocking him down. Dean looked after him angrily. He spotted Fred and George coming out of a passageway half way down the hall, and as Montague approached them, they stopped, they heard Montague start to yell "Twenty Points from-" when the twins, as one, grabbed him and shoved him into a nearby cabinet.

The noise instantly stopped. The twins roared with laughter and pelted down the corridor towards them. They streaked past, Fred still roaring with laughter, George shouting after him, "Wasn't that the vanishing cabinet?"

"Yeah! Serve him right, the git!"

Dean decided to yell after them, "What are you two playing at? You'll get into so much bother!"

"You ain't seen nothin' yet mate! Talk to us in an hour or two!"

Dean looked at Seamus with raised eyebrows. "What are they gonna do in an hour or two?"

* ~ *

Dean didn't have to wait long. He'd just sat down to his lunch of baked potato when the whole castle shook with what felt like a nuclear explosion. The whole hall erupted with screams and people dashed out to the hall. Dean reached the door, saw what was coming and ducked quickly as a flaming red dragon comprised entirely out of sparks flew over his head, flaming at the mouth and melting most of the candles that floated above the nearest table. It was closely followed by screaming Catherine wheel of violent orange. The students still in the hall yelled in alarm before whooping in delight as the dragon swallowed the Catherine wheel and exploded into a gigantic phoenix, which started to sing.

Dean felt a grin creep onto his face as he turned to Seamus and Neville. "Fred and George!"

They squeezed out through the throng at the door and into the entrance hall, where groups were huddled together. A group of first years were giggling at some sparklers that were spelling out 'bollocks'. The fireworks were everywhere - all the way up to the ceiling of the entrance hall, and several dragons and rockets were heading down corridors and up stairs. Dean craned his head, looking for the twins to congratulate them, but he couldn't see them. He did see Ron and Hermione though - Ron looked joyous; laughing his head off while Hermione looked torn between amusement and dismay. Dean joined in the collective laughter of what seemed to be the entire population of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and went back to finish his lunch, despite the cacophony of noises from various loose fireworks.

The afternoon's classes were continually disrupted, but none of the teachers seemed to mind very much. Every time a firework came into the room, a student was sent to tell Umbridge. Dean was positive any of the teachers could have dealt with them, despite the fact that they bred when you tried to vanish them and exploded with tremendous force if they were stunned; they just wanted to see Umbridge running all over the place. Dean wished he could see Fudge's face when he found out how Umbridge's first day in charge went.

The Gryffindor common room was in uproar that night, none of the students wanted to work, not the fifth and seventh years, not even (Dean was shocked to see) Hermione.

When a small circle cleared around the twins, Dean approached them, looked both ways and said in a whisper. "Can I get some of those before we leave for the summer?"

* ~ *

The Easter holidays began with panic for most of the fifth and seventh year students, who were starting to realise how close their exams were. Dean had spent a week trying to organise notes and past tests so he could go over them and he had it mostly in order.

The Sunday after the first week of the holidays he spent the evening in the library; looking up ingredients for the Strengthening Solution, trying to memorise them and the required amounts. He was also looking up the ingredients for several potions they had learned years before; Pepper-Up Potion, Mandrake Draught and basic Antidotes. He was just putting Magical Draughts and Potions back on the shelf when he heard a voice screeching in rage. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING??"

Dean jumped about a mile and looked around to see who was getting yelled at, and by whom. He saw a levitating bag and books repeatedly whacking Harry and Ginny on the back of the head, chasing them out of the library. He felt a kind of protective annoyance at that, intermingled with amusement. I wonder what they did to get that kind of reaction out of Pince?

* ~ *

Towards the end of the week, another new notice went up in the Common Room. Dean and Seamus spotted it coming down for breakfast, and, fearing another bloody Ministry decree, they approached it with care. It was a list of times for Careers Advice meetings with their head of house, Seamus' was at half past ten, Dean's at four o'clock. I haven't even thought about a career yet. Dean thought with a sinking heart. What do I want to do with my life?

The common room that night was full of fifth years reading the numerous pamphlets that had been left there for them, detailing various careers. Dean immediately tossed aside the ones from Gringotts; he didn't want to work in banking. Besides, he didn't do Arithmancy. There were jobs in every Department of the Ministry, and he was quite taken with the one involving Magical Accidents and Catastrophes.

He avoided picking up the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and St Mungo's leaflets as long as possible. Though he did like the idea of Healing and helping people, he was worried he was being drawn to the jobs because of his father. He also knew that both jobs required extremely high marks, probably more than he could realistically manage. They required the same NEWT subjects, and you needed at least an Exceeds Expectations in all of them to qualify for the colleges.

Dean was taking all of them at OWL level, struggling with some and doing well with others. He was a bit worried about Potions and Transfiguration, but his Charms and Herbology grades were fine. Defence Against the Dark Arts was a bit iffy, under Umbridge. It was all boring theory, but his Defensive Spells were spot on thanks to Harry and the DA. Seamus elbowed him in the head from his position on the arm of the chair. "I've got a pounding headache mate, I'm going to bed."

"It's only seven o'clock!"

"I don't care, me heed is splittin!"

"All right, I'll be up later."

Dean moved on to the St Mungo's leaflet. It was drawing him more than the idea of being an Auror. Aurors did help people, but healing people who were sick and wounded seemed like a more satisfying job to him.

"St Mungo's? Got healing hands have you?" Dean turned to see Ginny standing beside him, smiling down at the leaflet in his hands. She perched on the arm of the chair.

Dean shrugged. "Dunno yet, never really thought about it to be honest."

Ginny took the leaflet from his hands gently. "It looks difficult to get into."

"It is. I'll probably need grades I'll never get."

Ginny looked at him seriously. "Anything is possible if you've got enough nerve. You can do it. If you want it badly enough, you'll find a way."

She put a hand on his shoulder and stood up. She went and sat down on the floor by the fire beside Fred and George. She was whispering to them, glancing at Harry every once in a while, as did the twins. After the scene he'd seen in the library, Dean felt a tiny spark of jealousy. She's his best mate's sister, there's nothing going on...

* ~ *

On Monday afternoon, Dean approached McGonagall's office with a feeling of anxiety. She's gonna tell me I'm aiming too high, or that I'm delusional. So it was with a heavy heart he knocked on the door and entered when asked. His heart leapt into his mouth when he saw that the meetings were being supervised by Umbridge. I don't want that old hag here while I talk about my future!! "Have a seat, Mr Thomas."

Dean sat down, tensely, on the edge of the seat in front of McGonagall's desk. No one spoke for a moment, and then Professor McGonagall looked over her shoulder at Umbridge. "Don't you have a class to teach Delores?"

Umbridge glared at her as though she wished her dead, packed up her stuff and left the room. Professor McGonagall visibly relaxed and exhaled deeply. "So, Mr Thomas, have you had a look through the careers leaflets provided in Gryffindor tower?"

Dean felt better; it was easier talking to Professor McGonagall about his ambition without Umbridge in the room. "Yes, Professor. I was thinking about... Healing college."

McGonagall regarded at him levelly over her glasses. "You will need to work hard for a position like that, Mr Thomas. You need to know the subjects?"

"It's Herbology, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions and Transfiguration isn't it?"

McGonagall extracted a sheet of parchment from the pile on her desk. "Yes. Your Charms and Herbology grades are well within the standards St Mungo's require, as is your Defence Against the Dark Arts grade, despite what Umbridge might say, she won't set your OWL and you are well capable of achieving an Exceeds Expectations. Your Potions will require a lot more work; you're averaging an Acceptable to an Exceeds Expectations in that field. However Professor Snape refuses to take students who get less than an Outstanding in their OWL. Your Transfiguration grade will need a little pulling up too; your recent work is edging towards Exceeds Expectations."

McGonagall gave him a piercing stare. "St Mungo's has a tough curriculum Mr Thomas; it will require a lot of hard work to keep up with the developing skills and methods. The course itself is a three year one, with a two year placement in St Mungo's hospital."

She took Dean through the whole three year curriculum, what he'd be studying each year. She then explained to him what would be expected during the placement at St Mungo's, and about further training for specialist fields such as Surgical Spells and Potion Research. She gave him a stern look through her glasses. "You are completely capable of getting there, if you apply yourself."

She made a note on the page in front of her. "You may go."

It was almost five o'clock, the Defence Against the Dark Arts class would be letting out, so Dean headed for the Great Hall for dinner. He'd just gotten there when he saw the Weasley twins weaving their way through the crowded hall towards the shortcut through the tapestry Dean had taken the night Trelawney was sacked. Just as they swept back the tapestry to step inside, one of them turned back, cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "This is for Dumbledore, you sour faced old bitch!"

Dean had about three seconds to puzzle over this before, off to his left, from the direction they'd been running, something exploded with a noise like a bubble popping in hot custard, but amplified about ten times. A small blob of something slimy, clinging and smelling vaguely familiar hit him on the arm. He touched it and it came away in sticky strings. He and two or three dozen others were all exclaiming in disgust.

Dean spotted Seamus, Neville, Ron and Hermione coming down the staircase opposite. Hermione looked worried sick, Ron delighted and Seamus took one look at the uproar and started laughing hysterically. He caught sight of Dean with some of the stuff on him, pointed at him and laughed some more, bent almost double.

The twins had set something off, something they'd obviously invented; and, as Dean finally placed the smell, using Stinksap from Neville's Mimbulus mimbletonia.

Dean heard a yell of outrage from the throng at the bottom of the stairs. "What is going ON?!" The crowd parted, dispersing to the walls to watch the show, to show Umbridge standing on the third stair and glaring round at the assembled students. "Well? Who did this?"

She grabbed Seamus by the scruff of the neck and threw him against the banister; he stopped laughing and yelled in pain as the top of his head connected with a wooden post. He heard a sharp intake of breath behind him, and turned to see McGonagall striding past him, glasses flashing furiously. She stopped in her tracks, however, when the voice echoed off the high ceiling.

"GET OFF YOU MOANING OLD WANKER!!" Dean recognised the voice as belonging to either Fred or George. He hoisted himself up to stand on the base of a statue beside him to get a better look, and he was joined seconds later by Ginny and Colin Creevey. Dean could see Filch had the twins by the backs of their necks, and was shoving them towards Umbridge.

"Ah, very good, Argus, would you be so kind as to fetch that new decree from my office?" Filch shuffled up the stairs past Seamus, who was being helped to his feet by Neville and Ron. Hermione raised her wand and did some kind of incantation that seemed to revive him a bit more.

Umbridge glared at the twins. "So! So - you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp do you?"

"Pretty amusing, yeah." Dean admired them for their amused, completely fearless stance. Dean saw Filch hurrying back down the stairs waving a piece of parchment

"I've got the form, Headmistress, I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting... oh, let me do it now..."

"Very good, Argus, you two are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."

"You know what? I don't think we are."

Dean was impressed, as he watched them stand up to her. He felt a hand clutching a handful of his robes. Ginny moaned in his ear.

"Oh no... Mum is going to kill them... They're really going to do it!"

"What?" He whispered back

"Leave..."

Dean heard the twins yell, "Accio brooms!"

Dean spotted Harry for the first time as he looked around for the brooms, which missed Harry's head only because he ducked at the last minute. Dean watched in growing awe as the twins mounted them, said some famous last words to Umbridge, announced their new joke shop to the school and promised discounts to all students who'd use the products against Umbridge. They took off, every single student in the school watching them, as they rose up, they came eye to eye with Peeves, who was watching the proceedings with obvious glee.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves!"

Dean was amazed when Peeves, who never listened to anyone besides the Bloody Baron, saluted the twins as they swooped out the front doors and into the night. Dean whistled under his breath. "Now THERE are men who know how to make an exit."

Ginny laughed at him, but her eyes were full of tears. "It's not going to be the same here without them. It'll be so much duller."

Dean put a hand on her arm, trying to ignore the sparks it set off in his hand. "If it helps, what they just did will go down in Hogwarts history."