Learning to Vanquish

Chapter Nine

Consequences

The morning after New Year's Day, Harry went to the Potions classroom immediately after breakfast. Snape was there and, after glaring at Harry, led the way to a room deep in the dungeons. It was a peculiar room, its stone walls completely bare but with many doors in all of the walls.

"What is this room, sir?" Harry asked.

"It's a training room," Snape answered. "It is specifically designed to shield the rest of the castle from any spells cast within its walls. There is nothing in it except what we bring or what we remove from the cupboards around it. It was designed to train . . . wizards with more power than control, how to channel their magic. Since you have no control, it is perfect."

Harry decided to prove Snape wrong. He began breathing deeply and slowly, nearly putting himself into a trance, something he'd learned how to do by reading about Occlumency. After several minutes of this, Snape's eyes narrowed. He walked behind Harry and stood still for a bit. Harry continued what he was doing until he heard a rustle of cloth behind him. He whirled around and dove, his wand out ready to cast a shield. Snape's Petrificus Totalis missed him by over a foot and Harry had his shield up before Snape could cast anything else. After staring at Harry for a minute, Snape lifted his wand and said, "Hold." Harry dropped his shield and stood, keeping his wand up and ready for anything. That caution brought a sour smile to Snape's face. "Not bad, Potter. Apparently, you've been listening to Moody. Your battle trance is . . . Where'd you learn it?"

"I'm sorry?" Harry asked. "I was just trying not to let you get me; the breathing was recommended by one of my Occlumency books to stay calm."

Snape stared but didn't say anything. "How far did you get in the text I gave you?"

"I've read it all the way through quickly. I'm on chapter three in my second read-through," Harry said.

Snape looked at him thoughtfully. Then, without any warning, he cast a curse directly at Harry. Harry didn't recognize it but remembered a general shield, more powerful than Protego, which should stop it. It did, but left Harry off-balance, easy prey for Snape's follow-up. They duelled like that for an hour. When Snape finally called, "Hold!" both of them were sweating, breathing hard and in pain from the curses that had defeated their shields. "Take out parchment and a quill," Snape said. When Harry had done so, he gave a full evaluation of Harry's performance. It wasn't as bad as Harry would have expected; Snape acknowledged his studying and didn't bother insulting him. He then gave him several curses and shields to learn by the next morning. "We'll take full advantage of the fact that the castle is nearly empty. We won't be able to get in much time when classes begin," he finished.

Harry nodded. "Thank you, sir," he said as he knelt down to collect his bag.

Snape was almost out the door when he suddenly stopped and gave Harry a piercing look. "Ask Madam Pomfrey for something for sore muscles. We won't be able to give your muscles a break and it will get worse before it gets better." He swept out of the room.

Harry hobbled up to the Hospital Wing and made his request to Madam Pomfrey. She tutted but gave him two potions, one to drink and another to pour into a hot bath. Since that sounded heavenly to him, he went straight to the bath.

This marked the pattern for the rest of the week. Snape and Harry would duel first thing in the morning, and then, after soaking in the bath for a bit, Harry would work on his holiday homework and go through through the stack of parchment the other Hermione had sent. He cleared his mind and practiced Occlumency at night and, whether it was because of his exhaustion or because he was better at it, his sleep was sound and peaceful.

The rest of the students returned on Sunday and the castle seemed to shrink and grow almost unbearably noisy. Although Harry had enjoyed the peace of the holiday, he was happy to see his friends return. As soon as he saw Ron and Hermione, he told them he needed to speak to them privately. Ron nodded eagerly, but Hermione seemed troubled. When Harry asked her what was wrong, she shook her head and looked away. "It's nothing for you to worry about," she said, when it became obvious he wasn't going to drop the subject. "My parents are very upset. They're getting the Daily Prophet now and the reports on the attacks are terrifying. They know they can't protect themselves and they're scared I can't protect myself."

"Isn't there some way we can get protection for them?" Harry asked as he thought about possibilities.

"There are Aurors being assigned to protect all Muggleborn students' families, but I don't see how it can be enough," Hermione said. "There's too many people to guard and not enough people to do it. I don't know what to do." Harry could now see the dark shadows under her eyes.

"We'll all do everything we can," Ron said as Harry tried to come up with something comforting to say. "The Order has wards up on any household they think is at risk; your parents are near the top of the list." Harry's stomach twisted as he realized that the reason Hermione's parents were in danger was because she was friends with him. "If we get any signs that there's trouble, we'll make sure your parents are safe. Okay?" Ron's face looked hopeful that Hermione would take the reassurance at face value, but Harry didn't know how much good it would do.

Hermione gave both boys a watery smile, and then took a deep breath, shook herself and asked in a more normal voice, "Let's go to the Room of Requirement so you can tell us this news."

While they walked, Harry asked Ron, "How are things with Percy?"

"It's hard," Ron answered. "It's good to have everyone together, but what he did to Mum and Dad . . . It's hard." He smiled. "Mum was really happy, at least, so that's good."

The Room of Requirement gave them a miniature common room, with squashy armchairs and a roaring fire. All three of them smiled when they saw this. After they were seated, Harry told them everything he'd learned over the holidays--the research Hermione's counterpart had been doing and the combat magics Snape was teaching him. "That sounds wonderful," Hermione said, reading over the parchments her counterpart had sent through the mirror. "Did anything else happen?"

A spark of mischief prompted Harry to add, "My counterpart advised me to kiss you; he says it's brilliant." He smiled at Hermione.

She sputtered, obviously unable to come up with anything to say, but Ron exploded. "You'll do no such thing. What are you thinking of?" he demanded, his ears bright red and his face quite ugly.

"You have no right to say anything like that," Hermione yelled back at him. "It's not like you're my boyfriend. You're my friend and I can kiss anyone I want to." Seeming determined to prove this, she grabbed Harry by the sides of his face and kissed him.

It was better than kissing Cho, Harry thought dazedly. It was even better than kissing Luna. Just as Harry was thinking he might open his mouth to thoroughly enjoy the kiss, he heard Ron say plaintively, "How can you kiss him when you know I love you?"

Hermione pulled back from Harry, an apology in her eyes. Harry did his best to smile cheerfully at her. He had known all along that it was Ron Hermione fancied, but that kiss had awakened a longing in him he hadn't expected. Then Hermione turned to Ron, her hands on her hips and said, "How am I supposed to know that, Ron? You've never said anything."

Ron's mouth opened and closed several times before he finally said, "I'm saying it now. I think I fell in love with you when you told me I had dirt on my nose. On the train when we first came to Hogwarts," he added when Hermione looked puzzled. When Ron folded her into his arms and stared at her, Harry quietly stood up and left. It hurt, more than it should have, but he knew it was better this way. If her parents were at risk because she was one of his best friends, how much worse would it be if she were his girlfriend? Having no desire to sit in the common room and answer his housemates' questions, he went straight to his dormitory and bed.

Harry was still awake when Ron came into the dormitory several hours later. When Ron whispered his name, Harry sat up and said, "I'm still awake."

"Are you okay, mate?" Ron asked, looking guilty. "I . . . er . . . "

Harry took pity on his best and oldest friend. "It's true about my counterpart and the Hermione in his universe, but I knew how you felt about her. It's okay."

"You're sure?" Ron asked. "We don't want to hurt you. Hermione's feeling awful about using you the way she did. I just couldn't take seeing her kiss anyone else. Whenever I think about the future, with a family and job and stuff, it's Hermione I see with me." He looked as if he was ready to go into a detailed description of what he could see. It was a description Harry didn't want to hear. It wasn't that he didn't want Ron and Hermione to be happy--he did, both of them--it was just that he couldn't see himself with a home and family and future. Ever since he had heard the prophecy, he had had this awful feeling that he wouldn't survive, that the best he could do was to kill Voldemort before he was killed. He knew better than to say anything to Ron; his friend would lose his temper and that was an argument Harry didn't want to have.

Finally, he shook his head. "No, I'm not hurt." He was able to smile and, judging from Ron's reaction, it was a normal one. "I was hoping that you'd finally get the idea. Y'know, Neville was calling you Ron the Thick?"

"Arrgh," Ron groaned, flopping back on his bed. "Would you please tell me the next time I can't see what everybody else can?" When Harry nodded, Ron stood up to go back down the stairs. "I promised Hermione I'd let her know how you're doing. Are you sure you're all right?" Ron asked again, looking worried again.

"I'm positive. Now, go down and tell her before she comes up here to check on me herself," Harry said. His smile and voice were enough to convince Ron; his friend walked back out of the dorm with a huge grin on his face.

It took a long time for Harry to fall asleep that night.

Their first class the next morning was Potions. Harry walked to the dungeons with Ron and Hermione, listening rather wistfully to their happy chatter. They were waiting in the queue for Snape to open the classroom door when Malfoy walked by, looking as if he owned the world. As he walked up to the Gryffindors, Harry's scar first prickled and then felt as if it would burst open in agony. He clutched the scar, doing his best not to let Malfoy know how much pain he was in. He lost the fight just as Snape stalked up to open the classroom. Seeing Harry on the floor, moaning in agony and clutching his scar, Snape said abruptly to the rest of the class, "What are you waiting for? Giving Potter even more attention is hardly appropriate. Ten points from Gryffindor, Potter, and a detention to be served tonight. Up you go to the Hospital Wing. No, Weasley," Snape continued, "I scarcely think he needs help to walk up the stairs. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey has his regular bed ready for him." Harry could hear Snape scribbling something on a piece of parchment. He handed it to Harry, who held it without even looking at it. "Move," he said, as he strode into the classroom and shut the door.

As soon as the door closed, the pain in Harry's scar eased. He was able to concentrate enough to Occlude, which eliminated the rest of the pain. He stood shakily and looked down at the note Snape had given him. It was pretty crumpled, but Harry could still read what it said. "Don't bother with Pomfrey. Go straight to the Headmaster and tell him precisely what happened. The password is Canary Creams."

Harry followed his instructions and found Dumbledore in his office. He handed Snape's note to the Headmaster and explained what had happened. When he was finished, Dumbledore looked at him thoughtfully for a few moments. Then he asked, "You believe it was Mr. Malfoy's presence that caused the pain in your scar? Do you have any idea as to why this should be?"

Harry shook his head. "It felt nearly as strong as it did in the Department of Mysteries," he told the Headmaster. "Could he have been marked over the holidays?" Harry asked. "The word around Slytherin is that Voldemort is grooming him for something."

Dumbledore shook his head. "As far as I've heard, Voldemort is not yet Marking students. In fact, I believe that the Marking cannot be done on someone who is underage."

Harry sat quietly for a minute. "Do you know when Malfoy's birthday is?"

"Middle of June," came the quiet answer. Harry continued contemplating the information he had. He knew something had happened and that it had to do with both Voldemort and Malfoy, but he wasn't sure what it was.

After a while, Snape strode into the office. "Good. You didn't leave. Now, what on earth happened?"

Harry repeated what he'd told the Headmaster. "Do you know what Voldemort wants with him, sir? Has be been Marked early?"

"He hasn't been Marked," Snape said. "The Dark Lord does have some special use for him but it's being kept very secret. Even his parents know no more than that he's been chosen for some special honour; only Bellatrix is in the Dark Lord's confidence for this. One thing that is interesting," he continued, "is that the Dark Lord advised them this summer to get Narcissa pregnant, and to do what it took for the child to be a boy."

"That can be done?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Snape said, smirking. "The spells are Dark, so they're not used much, but it really isn't that difficult. At any rate, Narcissa is pregnant, with a boy, and the child is due at the end of May."

"It sounds," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, "as though whatever Voldemort has in mind will prevent Draco from being the Malfoy heir."

"Either that," Snape agreed, "or they're planning for one to be the Malfoy heir and one to be the Black heir. I don't know and I don't dare poke around too much. If it weren't that both Narcissa and Lucius feel I'm thoroughly loyal to them, I wouldn't even know that much." Snape sighed, his mouth twisting. "I had hoped to be able to convince Draco not to join the Dark Lord but, with this new development, I have no hope of that now."

Harry realized that, however he felt about Malfoy, Snape felt he was worth saving. Harry decided it was best not to argue the point. "Do you have any idea why my scar hurt?" he asked instead.

Snape shook his head. "None. Incidentally, I was able to confirm that there was a fourth ritual over the holidays. If I'm correct, there will be three more, and a fourth to complete whatever it is." At Harry's question, Snape rolled his eyes. "He's using the additional power of the calendar." When Harry still looked puzzled, he muttered something about the abysmal standards of the school and then said, "He's using the additional power of the Quarter and Cross-Quarter days. Since the first ritual was in August, on Lammas, I suspect the last one will be in June, on Midsummer's Night. Did you have any strange reactions to Draco after November?" he suddenly asked Harry.

"No," Harry shook his head. "And this is the first time since the holidays that I've seen him. Any ideas?"

"I believe we will have to research possibilities," Dumbledore answered. "For now, we know too little to make guesses. What class should you be in now?"

"Defence. I should probably at least go to the Hospital Wing so Madam Pomfrey knows I was supposed to be there," Harry said. Dumbledore nodded and wrote a note for the school's nurse.

That evening in the Great Hall, as Harry was telling Ron and Hermione everything that had happened, Luna Lovegood drifted over to their table. "Harry, may I speak with you for a moment?"

When Harry nodded, Hermione asked politely, "Would you like Ron and I to leave?"

Luna shook her head. "That's not necessary. My father's been hearing bits and pieces of what happened in detentions with Professor Umbridge last year and wondered if you'd give him an interview."

Harry stared at her, feeling stunned. "Erm, does he want me to do an interview like what I did last year or does he just want to confirm what happened?"

"Both."

"I promised the Headmaster I wouldn't say anything negative about the Minister without thinking it over carefully and talking it over with a responsible adult," Harry said slowly. "I need some time and the answer may still be 'No'."

"That sounds reasonable," Luna said. "Daddy may go with what he already has, but I'm sure he'd like to hear what you have to say. If you won't give him the initial story, will you confirm what happened?"

"I think so," Harry said. "I need to think about it."

After Luna left, Hermione turned to Harry and hissed, "Why did you promise not to say anything negative about Fudge? He's an idiot and he's dangerous."

"Because if Fudge is ousted, we don't know who will take over," Ron answered her. "There's no guarantee his successor would be a member of the Order. It could just as easily be a Death Eater, or one of their sympathisers." When Harry and Hermione both stared at him in surprise, Ron shrugged. "I listen to Dad. When he's not talking about Muggles, he's pretty sensible."

After Harry served his detention with Professor Snape, which turned out to be a simple make-up of the day's work, Harry returned to his dorm. He had a Transfiguration essay to do and Charms to practice but he knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate while thinking about Luna's question. He wrote a quick letter to Remus, explaining what happened and asking for advice. Before he was finished, two first-years and five second-years came to him for help with their Defence work. Since the Transfiguration essay wasn't due until next week, Harry practiced the Charms they were currently studying and went to bed.

Harry received a short note from Remus the next morning at breakfast. Remus gave no definite advice in the letter, but told Harry he had set up a meeting in Dumbledore's office that evening at seven o'clock.

That evening, Harry discovered that the meeting wasn't just Remus and Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall was also there. "Remus, you asked for this meeting. May I ask what it's about?"

Remus said, "Last year, Dolores Umbridge used a Blood Quill on at least two students and almost certainly more. Matthew Lovegood of The Quibbler has got wind of it and is trying to get information together. We may not want to destabilize Fudge, but this is more than we should sit on."

Dumbledore looked at Harry over his half-moon glasses. "I assume you were one of the students?" When Harry nodded, Dumbledore asked, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Harry shrugged. "At first it was because I didn't want to give in to Um, er, Professor Umbridge. Then, I thought if I told any of the teachers, she'd sack them. I didn't want that to happen."

Remus looked pained while McGonagall looked furious. "It is hardly your responsibility as a student to concern yourself with our positions. You are the child; we are the adults. If an adult is abusing you, you're to go to a teacher or other adult. How could you think we would have allowed this to continue?"

Harry sighed, wishing they'd get the point. "Of course I knew you, any of you, would do what you could to stop it. But there were all kinds of things she was able to do that none of you could stop. I especially knew Professor McGonagall would tell her off. Fudge was determined to take over the school and I didn't want to give either of them any help."

"First," Dumbledore said after thinking for a few minutes, "we need to find out to whom Professor Umbridge gave detention. Then, we need to interview all of those students to see which ones used the Blood Quill. I find it hard to believe that, if a large number of students were forced to use one, they wouldn't tell their parents."

"None of the Muggleborns would know what it means," Harry said. "Their parents wouldn't either. And, well, things here are very different than they are in Muggle schools; they might not realize how wrong a wizard would think it was."

"Add to that," Remus said, "that even those students who understood what they were would be uncomfortable at best telling their parents. As with most abuse, its victims conspire to keep the silence."

"On that note," the Headmaster nodded, "I think you should give the interview. If there are any conditions you need to feel comfortable, you should request them, but I believe it best to take this into the public eye."

"You should advise your interviewer to go to the Headmaster for a comment," Remus said. "That way he won't look as if he were trying to hide anything."

Harry nodded, trying to remember where he'd be most likely to find Luna at this time of night. "Is there anything more?" he asked. "Because if there isn't, I'd like to track Luna down now."

Harry found Luna in the library. "Luna, I've thought about it. I'll do the interview on two conditions. The story can't twist my words to make it look like I'm saying something different than I am and they have to ask Dumbledore for a comment and print it. All of it. D'you think your dad would agree to that?"

"Of course," Luna said. "Daddy only wants to print the truth. I'll write to him tonight; he'll be very happy." She smiled at Harry. "Did you know I've started dating Terry Boot?"

"Yeah?" Harry sat down next to her. "How's that going?"

"Very nicely. There's lots of sparks when he kisses me." Her eyes were dreamier and farther away even than normal, but then she gave him a penetrating look. "And you?"

"I don't know," Harry sighed. "I barely have time to sleep and eat, much less start dating someone. I don't even know who I'd want to ask." Even though who was with whom was one of the main topics of conversation in his year, Harry couldn't seem to get excited about the subject. He liked girls, he really liked kissing girls, but he couldn't see himself . . . "I guess I wonder why I should date anyone," he said, not even realizing he was talking out loud. "If Voldemort finds out there's some girl I'm in love with, he'll kill her. Or worse."

"Which girl are you closest to?"

"What?" Harry realized that he was still talking to Luna. "Oh, er, Hermione, I reckon."

"I think Ron would object to that," Luna said, smiling. "Next."

"You. Ginny." Harry thought for several minutes. "Maybe Susan or Parvati. It's been a long time since I really thought about it."

Luna nodded and looked up. "Oh, there's Terry; we're supposed to study together. OWLs, you know." She stood up, but then leaned down and kissed Harry's cheek. "I'll see what I can do."

Harry watched her greet Terry feeling more than a little alarmed. Hadn't she listened to a word he said? Then he shook his head. If he didn't ask any girls out, everything would be fine; he wouldn't need to worry about it.

The next day, Luna told him that her father would send a reporter to the school on Saturday. The rest of the week passed slowly. Harry was kept busy but found he was more able to juggle everything in his crowded schedule. He mentioned this to Hermione while they were studying in the library and she smiled at him. "You're just getting more efficient. And I think you're listening to me more," she said, teasing him.

"You're just happier because you spend all your prefect rounds snogging Ron," Harry teased back.

"We do not," Hermione said, shocked. "We only snog after our rounds are done. The fact that we're more efficient at making them is just a coincidence."

"Oi," Ron said, having just finished with his DA group, "you're going to make me jealous, sitting there with my girlfriend, Potter."

"That's the whole point," Hermione said. She smiled and the two of them gazed at each other, blocking out the rest of the world. When Harry got up, neither of them noticed.

"Too sweet for you, too?" Ginny asked when he sat down next to her.

"Just . . . I feel like I don't belong there when they're doing that," Harry said. He knew a lot of people were waiting for him to get angry or start feeling abandoned now that Ron and Hermione were a couple. He didn't think it was going to happen. Seeing the two of them together felt . . . right. Safe. He said this to Ginny, who laughed.

"It certainly makes life a lot quieter. Ron was horrible all Christmas holiday because he didn't hear from her once. She was a real terror on the train coming back. Face it, Harry; they've been bickering together for over five years. Don't they sound like an old married couple?" Ginny rolled her eyes, but she was also grinning.

"Actually," Harry said, "they sound a lot like your parents."

"Not such bad role models, wouldn't you say?"

Harry nodded, laughing with her. They both went back to their studying, Harry feeling calmer than he had in a long time.

At breakfast on Saturday, Professor McGonagall came up to Harry in the Great Hall. "Mr. Potter, As soon as you're finished your breakfast, please come to my office. And don't dawdle."

Harry was unsurprised to see Rita Skeeter in McGonagall's office, but he was surprised to see her photographer. "Why is he here?" he asked.

"They want a photograph of the marks left by the Quill," she said calmly. "I have agreed to allow Ms. Skeeter to conduct her interview here; however, it will be done in my presence as Harry's Head of House. Isn't that right?"

Rita nodded, but asked Harry, "Is that all right with you, Harry? If you would be more comfortable with someone else or with no one, we can meet elsewhere."

Harry shook his head. "I'm fine with Professor McGonagall being here."

"Good," McGonagall said. "Potter, a word. In private," she added when Rita didn't move.

As soon as the reporter and photographer left, Professor McGonagall turned to Harry. "Between the interview you gave last year and the subject of this one, it occurred to us that the interview may involve matters concerning the Order. We thought it best you understand what is and is not acceptable to say." When Harry nodded, McGonagall smiled thinly. "It's actually quite simple. You can say whatever you want about Order members who are dead. That includes Sirius and your parents. You may mention the Order and its goals. You are not to say anything about current members, including Professor Dumbledore, and you are not to discuss what you know of its workings. Can you do that?"

Harry nodded. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Can I say it was members of the Order who rescued me from the Department of Mysteries? Or that we were trying to get in touch with a member of the Order that night? If you think Rita will want information on the Department of Mysteries, those are the kinds of things she'll ask."

"I would prefer you say as little about that night as possible. I would also prefer you not state publicly that you are in contact with the Order. It's safer, for you and for us, if that is left implied rather than stated."

"I'll do my best," Harry said. McGonagall opened the door and asked Rita and her photographer to come in.

This interview wasn't nearly as emotional as the one he gave about the events after the Triwizard Tournament. The photographer took several pictures of the back of Harry's hand and left. Rita had Harry describe exactly how the quill worked and why Umbridge had him using it. He also described her classes and how little they learned. During that part of the interview, Professor McGonagall scowled. Rita picked up on that and asked her for her opinions on Professor Umbridge's teaching techniques.

"I won't speak poorly of a fellow teacher to the press," McGonagall said. "All of us have our faults and they have a way of coming back to us. What I will say is that, on the Defence Against the Dark Arts OWLs and NEWTs for last year, only those students that had outside tutoring did at all well on them. You can check that information with the Ministry. I will also state, for the record, that no staff member of this school had any idea what was happening in her detentions. When we were finally informed," here her exasperation at Harry clearly showed, "we began a comprehensive investigation. In fact, we are investigating all detentions served during the last school year."

"That's for the record?" Rita confirmed, her eyes blazing with excitement. After McGonagall nodded, Rita turned back to Harry. "Did she do anything else that could be considered abusive while she was here at Hogwarts?"

"She threatened me with Cruciatus and . . ."

"What?!" Professor McGonagall interrupted. "Potter, why didn't you say anything about this? We could have had her sacked."

"It was that night," Harry said quietly. "None of us were telling her why we'd broken into her office to use her Floo, so she thought that might make me tell." Harry broke off and told Rita, "we were breaking the rules pretty badly."

"Why was it necessary?" Rita asked.

McGonagall's lips were very thin and there were two spots of red on her cheeks. Harry looked at her nervously. "I was told, I can't tell you how, that my godfather was being tortured in the Department of Mysteries. I was trying to get in touch with someone who could help me rescue him. I couldn't and I went after him myself." Feeling awful, Harry continued in a hoarse whisper, "He was killed. By Bellatrix Lestrange."

"You were in the Department of Mysteries the night You-Know-Who was seen? Can you tell me what happened?" Rita was leaning forward avidly, quill at the ready.

Harry shook his head. "Too many other people are involved and it would be dangerous."

Rita slumped back, disappointed. "Oh, well. Can you confirm the existence of the Order of the Phoenix?"

"I can, but not much more," Harry said.

Rita thought for a minute, looking over her notes. "What is its purpose?"

"To fight Voldemort, er, Tom Riddle."

"Who?"

"Tom Riddle is the name You-Know-Who was born with," Harry said. "He changed it because he hated the link with his father. His father was a Muggle who abandoned Voldemort and his mother when he found out she was a witch. Riddle grew up in an orphanage."

"Is that true?" Rita asked, wide-eyed. Both Harry and Professor McGonagall nodded. After a minute of stunned silence on her part, Rita asked, "Who's in the Order?"

"I, erm, I don't know," Harry lied. "I know my parents were in it, and Sirius Black, but I don't know who's in it today."

Rita rolled her eyes at Harry. "Too bad. That would have been some story." Harry shrugged. After a thorough review of her notes, she asked, "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"At first, it was just pride. I didn't want to let Umbridge get to me," Harry admitted, feeling incredibly stupid. "Later, I reckoned she'd have Fudge issue another Ministry Decree and she'd sack whomever I told."

"In other words," Rita summarized, "she was misusing her power over the school and her connection to Fudge to get exactly what she wanted done, right?"

Harry thought it over for a minute. "Yeah, I'd agree with that."

"Last question." Rita smiled when Harry heaved a sigh of relief. "Do you know of any other times that Dolores Umbridge has abused her authority as a member of Cornelius Fudge's office? And did he know of any of this?"

"I know she told two Dementors to attack me at my home the summer before last."

Harry had been going to continue, but Professor McGonagall let out an outraged "What?!"

"She admitted it that night in her office," Harry said. McGonagall closed her eyes and pursed her lips, shaking her head. Before she could say anything else, he answered Rita's last question, "I don't know if Fudge knew about any of it. He knew about the Decrees, of course, but I think Professor Umbridge was trying to help him without getting him into trouble."

Professor McGonagall glared at Harry, but her voice was calm as she asked, "Do you have any more questions for Mr. Potter, Ms. Skeeter?" After seeing Harry shake his head, McGonagall said, "You may go." As Harry closed the door, he could hear Rita asking McGonagall a question about Umbridge's time as Headmistress.

The next few weeks were quieter. Harry got into the habit of performing Occlumency as soon as he left the Tower every day. It helped; his scar no longer hurt but he could feel a kind of pressure when he was near Malfoy.

Harry was finding something interesting about his class work. Although the material was more difficult and the teachers were assigning more homework, Harry was having less trouble understanding difficult concepts and was able to get his work done more quickly. When he mentioned this to Ron and Hermione, they both looked at him as they he'd gone mad, so he didn't say anything more to them on the subject.

Luna told him that Rita Skeeter had told her father that, if he allowed her to do a full investigation, the resulting story would be huge. "I thought it was just about Umbridge's detentions," she said. He gave her a summary of what had been discussed; he reckoned Rita wanted to see if she could get any other dirt.

There was little in the news about any further attacks by Voldemort, Death Eaters or Dementors. Although things were calm, there was a feeling in the air that something big was about to happen.