dedicated to bellamour_ for the beautiful (!) banner on the side, thank you so much :D, I think it really goes with this chapter :)

Ch. 20: He's Back [Part 1]

Song For Chapter: The Things That Stop You Dreaming - Passenger (beautiful song)

    There was a still silence in the testing room as we waited for Umbridge to administer our O.W.L.s. I couldn't even focus. It was a mistake to end it with Fred today, for many reasons. One was the fact that it was his birthday; the other was my tests. But, today was the last day for the Twins. Ginny had told me that Umbridge had finally pushed them too far, and, they would be gone before the start of lunch.

    My bottom lip quivered as my eyes watered, thinking about what had ended only an hour before. Hermione had found me curled up in the girl's lavatory, bawling my eyes out like a young child.

    "You know," Hermione had sighed, pulling her arm around me and letting me lean my head on her shoulder, "I had done the very same thing in this very same lavatory once," she had chuckled solemnly, furrowing her brow a little, "It was Halloween, my first year at Hogwarts, and Ronald had made fun of me for being a know-it-all and having no friends."

    "Prick," I had blurted out, drying my eyes to listen to Hermione's story while I tried to calm my breathing.

    She had giggled, "Yeah, he was," Hermione had smirked, moving on in the tale, "But, I had thought my life was so horrid at that moment - I had no idea what I was in store for."

    "Your life is not terrible, Hermione," I had rolled my eyes, pushing her shoulder lightly.

    Hermione had shook her head at me, "No, you are right. But, I was locked in this very lavatory for hours. I had no idea that a mountain troll had been released and was roaming around the castle."

    "What?!" I sputtered out, completely confused, "How did it get into the Castle?"

    "Professor Quirrell," Hermione nodded, a small smile peeking through as she realized that she had my full attention now. And then, she began to tell me the story of her first year at Hogwarts, pulling my mind away from what had just happened moments before.

    BANG, BANG - into the room whizzed colorful orbs as they shot past my ear, pulling me from my morbid thoughts. 

    My heart beat wildly inside of my chest as I joined the others around me our state of confusion, all heads in the Great Hall shifting towards the closed front doors. Umbridge rose a brow at the orbs as they dissolved into thin air, getting gingerly out of her 'throne' in front of us all.

    BANG, BANG - the sound erupted again, but this time it was much louder and obnoxious as the large Great Hall doors were slammed open with a great force, making way for two mischievous broom riders to rocket inside, hands clutching home-made fireworks.

    I knew the inventions almost immediately, as I had been given one by Fred for my birthday last year. It was a beautiful form of magic, yet something in the back of my mind warned me that they were most definitely not planning on using them for their attractive nature.

    "APRIL FOOLS!" The Twins hollered towards the students, causing them to erupt into cheers and returning hollers of good tidings. Rockets bombarded the air as Fred and George unloaded their stock on the Great Hall, shattering glass panes. A few even chased Malfoy and his goonies around - trying to hit them.

    I watched them shoot across the room with a grin plastered on my face, giggling at their antics, but subtly dying on the inside as I kept my eyes locked with Fred's. He looked like he was in pain, but as his eyes met mine, he gave me a happy smile and sent down some butterfly sparkles, the same ones that he'd given me for my birthday the year before.

    The little, smoking creatures fluttered around my head for a moment, one landing on my shoulder, before disappearing. That did me in, in all honesty. A tear streaked down my face as the Twins set up a large, dragon shaped firework while Umbridge was yelling for Filch to fetch Flitwick and get them down. A second tear followed the first, then another as well. 

    Furiously, I rubbed against my cheeks, trying to get myself to remain calm, trying to remain strong in front of Fred. He deserved to be happy, and I knew he would be with his and George's success. 

    The firework consumed the whole area, and, Umbridge's face turned a sickly pale of ash as she tried to run from the beast. I could tell, just by the way the dragon was targeting Umbridge, that the twins had enchanted it accordingly.

    "AHHH!" She wailed, causing the students to giggle and jest in excitement, some really wanting to watch Umbridge get seriously maimed - myself included. The fiery jaws of the firework snapped around her and exploded, shooting off millions of flares and sparks - the grand finally. 

    Fred and George booked it out of the Great Hall, weaving between students and teachers as they high-fived a few closer to the ground. I rushed out with the crowd to watch them leave, tears streaking down my face, ruining the make-up I had just tried reapplying. 

    They were yelling something at each other, then, a final firework was released, carving a blazing red 'W' in the sky, a watery smile slipping onto my lips as I watched them go, not once turning back. 

    "Goodbye," I whispered, knowing that they were far too gone to hear a proper goodbye, but it felt nice to say it anyway. As if it was some sort of closure I wouldn't have had any other way.

    "Harry?" Hermione's worried voice flooded my ears, dragging my thoughts out of the clouds with the Twins, and back down to the cold, pebbled floor that Harry Potter was now collapsed upon. 

    "Harry!" I shouted, shoving people back who almost stepped on him in attempt to get a better look at the fire show in the sky. I dropped down to my knees and placed my hand against his pulse, checking that it was steady. Slowly, his eyes slipped open and he glanced quickly from Hermione and I, mouthing only one word: 

    "Sirius."

    "Harry, you can't do this!" Hermione hissed as Harry swiftly shoved his way past all the observers and pissed teachers that were watching the sky.

    "At least check before you go running off to save the day!" I added, hair whipping a random person in the face as I maneuvered past them, but I didn't stop to apologize, I had no time to keep up with their pace. 

    "You know that You-Know-Who can get into your mind. Harry!" Hermione called his name, yanking on his arm to get him to stop before he did anything dramatic, "Just listen to us, please!"

    "I am listening to you, Hermione - and, if Padfoot is in danger, I will need to go, you understand that, right?" Hermione and I only gave each other a small, unsure glance, but nodded. "Good."

    Harry kicked open the door to the Defense Against The Dark Arts classroom and stalked up the stairs, nodding towards me as he grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, stalking towards the fireplace in Umbridge's office. "Elle, can you stand guard?" Harry asked, sending me a sharp eye as I nodded, turning around.

    Walking towards the door to Umbridge's office, I suddenly saw the impish, pink toad rushing towards us. We'd been caught. "She's here!" I cursed, attempting the slam the door shut, but she stuck her heeled foot in between the space, howling as I injured her.

    "How dare you!" She hissed, sticking a pudgy hand through the door and shoving me backwards, catching my footing off guard so I toppled, pitifully, onto the ground - glaring daggers up at her. 

    Umbridge turned her head towards the group of people being carried by Slytherins, mainly all of my friends, "Bring those ingrates in here! I will have to punish them," she hissed, becoming more and more reptilian that more I looked.

    "This is your last chance Mr. Potter," Umbridge stuck her nose up in the air, pacing in front of the chair Umbridge had shoved Harry on, drilling him for answers, "I know you and your lackeys are up to something. Is it for Dumbledore? Do you know where he is hiding?" 

    There was a cold clearing of a throat and I looked up to see Snape peering into the room, a furrow growing in his brow with distaste. I sort of surprised me that Snape was working with Umbridge, but I wouldn't put it under him. "You," he glanced slowly around the room, making eye contact with Harry, "requested to see me, Headmaster?"

    "Yes," Umbridge sniffled, patting down her crazy hair, "It seems Mr. Potter is unwilling to comply - do you have the Veritaserum?" 

    "No,"

    "No?!" She hissed, eyes bugging out in a repulsive way. I made a move to step around the toad while Snape was in the room, but Malfoy grabbed me by the hair, yanking my neck up and causing a slew of curses to flood out of my mouth, mainly the name 'prick'.

    "No," Snape moved on, "You used the last of it on Mrs. Chang's friend - to threaten her father." 

    Harry's eyes flickered from Umbridge then to Snape and back, as if he was debating something vital. Finally, he decided to open his mouth, "He's got... He's got Padfoot! He's got Padfoot in the place where it's hidden!" 

    "What?" Umbridge jumped up at the words, grabbing her wand tightly in her hands. "He's got what in the place where what is hidden?" She turned on Snape, "Do you know, Severus?"

    "I have no idea," he slowly drawled out, but the way he kept eye contact with Harry told me that Snape was aware of at least a little bit of what Harry was trying to get at. With a twirl of his cloak, Snape dismissed himself, slamming the door shut behind him. 

    Umbridge licked her lips, agitated, and heaved a heavy sigh. "It seems you leave me no other choice, Potter - if you will not tell me, I think the Cruciatus curse may loosen your tongue," she sneered, lowering a picture of Mr. Fudge and twirling her wand in her fingertips. 

    "You can't do that!" I yelled, fidgeting against the stone grasp of Draco, he was starting to piss me off, but I would murder Umbridge if she laid a curse on Harry.

    Hermione's eyes began to water slightly, "You can't! You're a teacher, and the curse is illegal!"

    Umbridge ignored the both of us, aiming her wand towards Harry menacingly. I reached into my pocket where my own wand was, but Draco pressed the tip of his against the pulse in my neck. "Don't, even, think, about it," he murmured towards me with a smirk - I just knew he was excited to see if the teacher would hurt Harry. 

    "You're a bastard." 

    Umbridge flicked her wand, but Hermione hollered out before she could utter the curse words, "FINE THEN I'LL TELL HER WHERE IT IS, IF YOU WON'T!"

    "Where what is?" She egged Hermione on while I gave Hermione a confused eye, not understanding what she was trying to pull. There was nothing that we were hiding from this crazy hag, and, Hermione was only egging her on. 

    "Dumbledore's secret weapon," Hermione's bottom lip quivered, and she took a deep breath, "I can show you."

    Umbridge left with Hermione and Harry, leaving Neville, Luna, Ginny, Ron, and I alone in the 'care' of her stupid goonies. It had been a while of agitated silence. 

    "Let us go, you douche bags," I spat out, trying to wiggle out of Malfoy's slimy grasp, but he was like glue - stuck to me and extremely white. 

    "Not a chance," Goyle snickered, cracking his neck and getting Ginny, his captive, to cringe in annoyance. There was a small amount of silence where each of us were left wth our thoughts, trying to think of a way to trick them.

    Ron muttered something, and Neville agreed, eyes flickering from one Slytherin to another, getting the attention of Crabbe and Goyle. "What was that you were sayin', Weasel?" The boy asked, gruffly.

    Ron cleared his throat, and furrowed his brow, "I just said how I was hungry; I've got some sweets that my mom bought me, in my pocket, but I can't reac-"

    "-That sucks for you," Crabbe cackled, interrupting Ron with Goyle as Goyle released Ginny to pull the handful of toffees out of Ron's pocket. As soon as my eyes laid on them, I knew they were not sweets Mrs. Weasley had sent.

    "Look good," Another Slytherin smirked, grabbing a bright yellow one while tossing one to each of the other lackeys. "Let's all have a bite," the Slytherin glanced down towards his empty hands, showing Ron, "Oopsies, I guess there's no more for you."

    "You are all asses, you know that, don't you?" I blurted out, meaning it, but also trying to get them to eat the candies quicker. 

    They didn't respond as they jammed the candies into their mouths, chewing, at first, with delight, then a look of absolute horror began to cross their faces. One boy tumbled to the ground, releasing Neville, and began to seize. The one holding Luna vomited a rainbow of different colors, causing Luna to jump away, but start at the spectacle in amazement. 

    In the confusion, we managed to sock a few in the face - I hit Malfoy in the privates - and booked it out of the classroom, rushing through the cluttered halls that were doused in shattered glass and papers from the twin's fireworks. It was a mess.

    "Where should we go?" Neville called, not sure what to do.

    Ginny pointed towards the bridge that would allow access down to Hagrid's Hut, "I see them!" 

end of part one of chapter 20

sorry it took so long to get out - I've been having a very, very bad week - really. It's been hurting my inspiration for the stories - but, I hope this will hold you over until the next update