4/1 : Happy birthday Fred and George Weasley - April Fools always did suit you two.

Song for this Chapter: When Did Your Heart Go Missing - Rooney

Ch. 4: Illegal Actions

     "You have everything, right Elle?" Hermione asked once more for at least the third time in the last thirty minutes. 

     Rolling my eyes, I grabbed my trunk and snapped the top shut. "Yes, Hermione Jean - I have everything. I've only been conscious for a few hours. It's not like I was able to lose anything." I was waltzing around in the same sundress I had worn to Trey's wedding. 

     When I'd first gone to change, I realized I hadn't shaved in the last few months, and generally felt a sort of sickly ickiness that I needed to immediately scrub from myself. Long gone were the excessively long nails and oily scalp. The hair would need to be cut, too, but that would have to wait.

     Moaning to myself, I rubbed my stomach and clutched the door knob to the bathroom. 

     "Letter, you all right? You don't look so great..."

      I rubbed at my burning stomach and groaned. "I don't know whether I am extremely hungry or sick." 

     There was a silence for a few moments as I thought it over and the sound of boots clomping up the stairs distracted me from those thoughts. 

    "You are no doubt starving," Sirius called from the left of me, leaning against a peeling wall and rubbing the side of his head. The side I had bashed in with a lamp. "I told you that you needed food. Now, your stomach wants more." 

     "Oh." I frowned, knowing he was probably right but not feeling it was worth saying aloud. I turned to him as I snapped my school trunk closed with a sense of finality. "You know, the fact that you're somehow 'Dumbledore's friend'," I emphasized with finger quotes, "was never really explained to me. Care to tell?" 

     Sirius grinned, what I assumed to be, a rare smile. His steely eyes crinkled around the corners and he shook his head with a curt, short burst. "It's not for me to tell, to be honest. It is something for you to discover; perhaps Dumbledore will tell you."

The corner of my mouth lifted up into a small, half-smile and I chuckled a little - drawing my trunk behind me as I walked down the stair case. "Thank you for taking care of me. I'll be sure to send you a vase of flowers for a gift." I winked at Sirius and he rolled his black eyes mumbling about how that 'wasn't necessary'.

      Hermione intertwined her arm with mine as we stooped inside the fireplace, bidding Sirius goodbye. "I'll see you very soon, yes?" Sirius addressed Hermione with warmth and she grinned back.

"I believe my parents are having us hosted here for the winter holidays - it should be very fun." Hermione nodded and Sirius opened his arms, gesturing around the large, empty manor. 

     I turned to look at my twin in surprise. We were staying here over the holiday? I ran my tongue over my back molars, forcing down a reaction. I wondered if our parents even knew who Sirius Black was, or if Hermione had somehow smoothed things over with them to get them to stay. 

    For a split moment, I wondered if she'd simply charmed them to get her way. I bit back a chuckle at the thought. Right, like Hermione would ever be able to raise a wand against Mum and Dad.

"Well - you all are always welcome inside these doors." Sirius's gaze turned on to me with a small wink. "Even you - trying to kill me set aside. You are welcome here." Sirius turned to leave, then looked back for a second. "You have a check up at St. Mungo's in December. They will be getting in contact with you some time soon."

     I grabbed a fistful of Floo Powder and waited for Fred to hop into the fireplace. Once he was alongside us, I threw the powder onto the rough stone floor of the fireplace. Green flames ignited amid the hearth, they lapped at my calves cooly. 

     I inhaled deeply, preparing myself for the twirling sensation that would soon come. The musty scent of the house mingled with the ashes and smoke, leaving a lingering impression on the back of my throat. 

     "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry -- Headmaster's Office," Hermione called out clearly, making sure to pronounce each of the syllables. 

     Sirius Black, the mass murderer, smiled once more as the flames engulfed us.

There was a sudden pull at my navel and I felt my body being shot through time and space - ricocheting through millions of other people's fireplaces and getting small glimpses into their world. Faster and faster we spun, making my stomach twirl and grow nervous the quicker we did. 

The bright green flames rose higher and higher, then everything stopped. The spinning, the flames, and the low ringing in my ears, it all came to a halt.

     It took a minute for my stomach to catch up with my brain. I felt a cool hand on my back and smiled at Fred's look of worry. He helped me from the fireplace and into the cool, dark-marbled room. It looked to be an office, spacious and well-lit. Various portraits of well-kept people lined the walls, each seemingly very busy in their own oil-painted worlds.

     "Ah," a calm, serene voice called out from my right as the room stopped spinning. "I see that you two have made it back safe and sound. And, you've brought Elle along. Very good." 

      With an excited, small smile, I turned to the Headmaster. My heart fluttered curiously; it felt good to be back. I didn't think I would miss it so much.

"Morning, Professor Dumbledore." I grinned and gave him a tight salute. My words caused Fred to snicker and Hermione to give me a sympathetic look. "What?"

     Dumbledore strolled over to us. His movements were controlled and smooth, almost as if gliding on the tile. He offered a wrinkled hand for me to grasp onto, assisting me from the fireplace. "It seems to me that your friends have forgotten to inform you of the time, Miss Granger." Dumbledore chuckled and waved his hand around the elaborate office, motioning towards a black window. "You awoke from the coma around one thirty in the afternoon. Fred and Hermione were released from Hogwarts at five o'clock."

     I rocked back on my heels. I was sure it was earlier in the day. After all, why'd Sirius Black feed me pancakes at 2 in the afternoon? "Well, what time is it now?" Hermione bit her lip and balanced on one ankle, Dumbledore nodded towards a giant, antique clock hanging on his wall, and Fred stared me straight in the eyes. His brown eyes swimming with amusement. 

"Precisely seven thirty. I -" Dumbledore was interrupted by a sharp, high pitched 'Eh-hem'.

The sound was so high pitched and annoying, I felt myself jump a little and swerve around towards the source of the sound. There, standing in the midst of the open doorway, was a short... pink creature with beady black eyes and a huge pink bow in her mouse brown hair. Her cheeks resembled a toad's some what and she made me want to be violently ill with the excessive amount of pink she was sporting.

"Eh-em," She cleared her throat again, making my eye twitch a little.

Trying to be polite, I didn't wait for her to continue, but instead dug through my bag. "Don't worry, I've got'cha. One cough drop coming right up for you." I rummaged around in my bag, not thinking I would actually find one. 

Hermione's eyes widened a little and she grabbed onto my arm, tight. "Don't." She hissed in my ear. "That's Umbidge." She whispered lowly so the toad would not hear. 

I shrugged her off and pulled out a dusty cough drop that was missing half of it's wrapper - no doubt it was at least four years old. At least. "Found one!" I grinned at her forcibly and tossed it towards her hands. Surprisingly, she caught it in the air and tossed it into the flames - face bright red with anger.

"Eh-em - my name is Dolores Umbridge. I am the  Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic under Cornelius Fudge, himself. I am currently the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. The Minister has also promoted me to Hogwarts' High Inquisitor - meaning I will be assessing this school for it's curricular advances and what they are teaching our young minds of the next generations." She smiled a sickly sweet smile, a kind of smile that was loaded with disgusting fake sweetness. "The Ministry is extremely curious to be involved in your lives."

      "Oh?" I rose a brow, shoving a mirrored fake sweet smile onto my face. 

She nodded and adjusted her bow. "Yes, you are each very special to the Ministry - and I look forward to assessing you in school, Elizabeth Granger."

"Oh, that's very nice of you, Professor - but I'm not a citizen of the Ministry. So, technically that will not be necessary." I smirked a little as her face broke out in a small look of shock and slight confusion. "Yeah, actually I am registered in America under the Republic of Magic."

Umbridge clenched her fist a little. "Well, despite that - you are still special." She spat a little, sugar coating her words and then nodded towards Dumbledore. "I will be looking forward to the message you address to the Minister about why you disobeyed my instructions about not letting two under age students leave the campus." She bit and then trudged out the door, leaving a strong stench of expensive perfume.

Pausing at the door, Umbridge turned towards me with a small smile. "Oh, and dear - you are out of dress code. Be sure to change as soon as possible. I won't discipline you right now, but if you are out of dress code again, there will be repercussions." Then she was gone.

Snickering a little, Fred leaned in close to my ear and murmured. "There will be repercussions." He mocked and I rolled my eyes. I could already tell this year would be a drag.

     "I kind of wish that I had been in the coma a little longer." I moaned, rubbing my head. The encounter with the pink creature was already giving me a headache. How was I going to survive this year? Frowning, I turned towards Hermione. "Uhm... I didn't actually get to know this yet, but... What day is it?"

Fred smirked a little. "It's October 30th. Tomorrow is Halloween - the best night in the world."

      My reeling mind spent a moment trying to process the gap of time. It had been months, and it was something of a distorted view to try and wrap my head around. As I pondered the thought, a distant memory of a voice called into my mind from what seemed like years ago. 'If you wake up by November 1st' Fred's voice wandered in and out of my conciousness. "You owe me." I poked him in the chest with a grin."

     "Owe you?"

"Yup - you promised you would buy me a large cup of coffee when I woke up before November first - I did. So - where is it?" I crossed my arms over my chest and I watched as Dumbledore chuckled a little, watching the scene with a delighted expression.

     Fred pursed his lips and tapped a finger to his chin, thinking about it. "Well... if you want to get technical," I groaned and rolled my eyes while he spoke louder, "I said: 'Only if you wake up on November 15th, before one o'clock.' So, that's not really a valid argument." 

Dumbledore clapped his hands together lightly, silencing the both of us. "Well. Young love is always a refreshing thing to see - however, I don't know about you, but I am hungry. Dinner is being served and we are late." The Headmaster walked towards his door and ushered us out, leading us towards the Great Hall.

     As we approached the dining room, a clatter of heels caused our party to stop, and Dumbledore addressed the coming teacher. "Ah, Professor McGonagall. How may we be of service to you?"

"I need to borrow the Granger Twins from you two for a moment, Albus - Mr. Weasley." She frowned tightly as I gave Hermione a raised brow. "If you'd please follow me." She turned swiftly on her heel and waltzed around the corner of the stone halls - out of hearing range and eye sight of the others. "I am sure you are well aware of what I must speak with you about, Miss Granger." She looked directly at Hermione.

     Nodding, Hermione rubbed her hands together nervously. "Yes, Professor." 

     I rubbed my upper arm and glanced back towards Headmaster Dumbledore and Fred. Dumbledore ushered him through the big wooden doors and away from my prying eyes. We spared each other one last glance as Fred flashed a goofy grin and shared a caddy wink as the doors shut behind him.

       "Ms Elizabeth," Professor McGonagall called my name, for what I assumed wasn't the first time in this conversation (that I hadn't been paying attention to).

     I snapped my attention back to her and cleared my throat. "Present," I said, feeling like it was a funny thing to say. Neither McGonagall nor Hermione laughed, however. 'Tough crowd. Tough crowd'.

"Now, Elizabeth." McGonagall turned to me. "You have an excessive amount of learning to catch up to - and your schedule will be pretty packed these next few months to do so. I have devised an escape to your dilemma - however the solution has been made slightly illegal." She frowned a little and her eyes darted around the halls to check for any new comers. "All Time-Turners have been confiscated and brought into the Ministry for back ground checks."

     "Time --" I began, but Hermione shushed me, waving her hands frantically for me to keep my voice down. I felt a tinge of annoyance towards her bossiness but shoved it down. "What about them?" I whispered back quieter.

      My sister cautiously spoke up as McGonagall offered her a nod of approval. "I'm currently in possession of one, Elle." I'm gonna give it to you, but you have to keep it in good condition, promise?" 

      I arched a brow, not understanding why everything was so secretive - even McGonagall was in on it. "I promise? Why is it such a big deal to use it for academics?"

Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Just remember this, Elle. There is great power in these little devices, don't use it to change anything - only use it for learning." She paused and looked around once more. "Also, be sure Professor Umbridge does not catch you with it."

Hermione tugged a golden chain from her pocket and placed the trinket into my hand. It was flat with a tiny hour glass resting in the middle and a wheel to spin the gadgets around. "Okay." I murmured, staring down at it in awe for a moment, but quickly pocketing it in case any one were to walk past. "Illegal actions, huh Professor?"

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Hey guys, sorry for the wait - been a hectic week x) Thank me with a vote? That would mean a lot - a comment would mean even more ahah! Any way - check out the picture on the side! It's a quote from the 1st book!

What is your favorite Fred&Elle quote?