H. Potter and the order of the phoenix AUDIOBOOK part 12

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#harrypotter  #audiobook #harrypotterfan  Narrator: James Dobinson

Transcript

00:00:00Chapter 30 Grawp

00:00:04The story of Fred and George's flight to freedom was retold so often over the next few days

00:00:09that Harry could tell it would soon become the stuff of Hogwarts legend.

00:00:12Within a week, even those who had been eyewitnesses were half-convinced they had seen the twins

00:00:16dive-bomb Umbridge on their brooms and Pelter with dung-bombs before zooming out of the

00:00:20doors.

00:00:21In the immediate aftermath of their departure, there was a great wave of talk about copying

00:00:25them.

00:00:26Harry frequently heard students saying things like, honestly, some days I just feel like

00:00:30jumping on my broom and leaving this place, or else, one more lesson like that and I might

00:00:34just do a Weasley.

00:00:36Fred and George had made sure nobody was likely to forget them too soon.

00:00:39For one thing, they had not left instructions on how to remove the swamp that now filled

00:00:43the corridor on the fifth floor of the East Wing.

00:00:46Umbridge and Filch had been observed trying different means of removing it, but without

00:00:50success.

00:00:51Eventually, the area was roped off and Filch, gnashing his teeth furiously, was given the

00:00:55task of punting students across it to their classrooms.

00:00:59Harry was certain that teachers like McGonagall or Flitwick could have removed the swamp in

00:01:03an instant, but, just as in the case of Fred and George's wildfire whiz-bangs, they seemed

00:01:07to prefer to watch Umbridge struggle.

00:01:11Then there were the two large broom-shaped holes in Umbridge's office door, through which

00:01:14Fred and George's clean sweeps had smashed to rejoin their masters.

00:01:18Filch fitted a new door and removed Harry's firebolt to the dungeons where, it was rumoured,

00:01:23Umbridge had set an armed security troll to guard it.

00:01:26However, her troubles were far from over.

00:01:28Inspired by Fred and George's example, a great number of students were now vying for the

00:01:32newly vacant positions of Troublemakers-in-Chief.

00:01:35In spite of the new door, somebody managed to slip a hairy-snouted Niffler into Umbridge's

00:01:40office, which promptly tore the place apart in its search for shiny objects, leapt on

00:01:45Umbridge when she entered, and tried to gnaw the rings off her stubby fingers.

00:01:49Tongue bombs and stink pellets were dropped so frequently in the corridors that it became

00:01:53the new fashion for students to perform bubble-head charms on themselves before leaving lessons,

00:01:58which ensured them a supply of fresh air, even though it gave them all the peculiar

00:02:02appearance of wearing upside-down goldfish bowls on their heads.

00:02:06Filch prowled the corridors with a horse-whip ready in the hands, desperate to catch miscreants,

00:02:11but the problem was that there were now so many of them he never knew which way to turn.

00:02:16The Inquisitorial Squad was attempting to help him, but odd things kept happening to

00:02:20its members.

00:02:21Warrington of the Slytherin Quidditch team reported to the hospital wing with a horrible

00:02:25skin complaint that made him look as though he had been coated in cornflakes.

00:02:28Pansy Parkinson, to Hermione's delight, missed all her lessons the following day as she had

00:02:33sprouted antlers.

00:02:35Meanwhile, it became clear just how many skiving snack boxes Fred and George had managed to

00:02:40sell before leaving Hogwarts.

00:02:42Umbridge only had to enter her classroom for the students assembled there to faint,

00:02:45vomit, develop dangerous fevers, or else spout blood from both nostrils.

00:02:50Shrieking with rage and frustration, she attempted to trace the mysterious symptoms to their

00:02:54source, but the students told her stubbornly they were suffering from umbrigitis.

00:02:59After putting four successive classes in detention and failing to discover their secret, she

00:03:03was forced to give up and allow the bleeding, swooning, sweating and vomiting students to

00:03:07leave her classes in droves.

00:03:10Not even the users of the snack boxes could compete with that master of chaos, Peeves,

00:03:15who seemed to have taken Fred's parting words deeply to heart.

00:03:18Cackling madly, he soared through the school, upending tables, bursting out of blackboards,

00:03:23toppling statues and vases.

00:03:25Twice he shut Mrs Norris inside a suit of armour, from which she was rescued, yowling

00:03:30loudly by the furious caretaker.

00:03:32Peeves smashed lanterns and snuffed out candles, juggled burning torches over the heads of

00:03:37screaming students, caused neatly stacked piles of parchment to topple into fires or

00:03:42out of windows, flooded the second floor when he pulled off the taps in the bathrooms, dropped

00:03:47a bag of tarantulas in the middle of the great hall during breakfast, and whenever he fancied

00:03:51a break, spent hours at a time floating along after Umbridge and blowing loud raspberries

00:03:56every time she spoke.

00:03:58None of the staff but Filch seemed to be stirring themselves to help her.

00:04:02Indeed, a week after Fred and George's departure, Harry witnessed Professor McGonagall walking

00:04:07right past Peeves, who was determinedly loosening a crystal chandelier, and could have sworn

00:04:15he heard her tell the poltergeist out of the corner of her mouth,

00:04:18It unscrews the other way?

00:04:20To cap matters, Montague had still not recovered from his sojourn into the toilet, he remained

00:04:25confused and disorientated, and his parents were to be observed one Tuesday morning striding

00:04:30into the front drive, looking extremely angry.

00:04:33Did we say something? said Hermione in a worried voice, pressing her cheek against

00:04:37the charm's window so that she could see Mr and Mrs Montague marching inside, about what

00:04:42happened to him, in case it helps Madam Pomfrey cure him.

00:04:45Course not, he'll recover, said Ron indifferently.

00:04:48Anyway, more trouble for Umbridge, isn't it? said Harry in a satisfied voice.

00:04:52He and Ron both tapped the teacups they were supposed to be charming with their wands.

00:04:57Harry spouted four very short legs that could not reach the desk, and wriggled pointlessly

00:05:01in mid-air.

00:05:02Ron's grew four very thin spindly legs, but hoisted the cup off the desk with great difficulty,

00:05:08trembled for a few seconds, then folded, causing the cup to crack into two.

00:05:12Reparo! said Hermione quickly, mending Ron's cup with a wave of her wand.

00:05:17That's all very well, but what if Montague's permanently injured?

00:05:20Who cares? said Ron irritably, while his teacup stood up drunkenly again, trembling violently

00:05:26at the knees.

00:05:27Montague shouldn't have tried to take all those points from Gryffindor, should he?

00:05:30If you want to worry about anyone, Hermione, worry about me.

00:05:33You, she said, catching her teacup as it scampered happily away across the desk on four sturdy

00:05:39little willow-patterned legs, and replacing it in front of her.

00:05:42Why should I be worried about you?

00:05:45When Mum's next letter finally gets through Umbridge's screening process, said Ron bitterly,

00:05:49now holding his cup up while its frail legs tried feebly to support its weight, I'm going

00:05:55to be in deep trouble.

00:05:56I wouldn't be surprised if she sat another howler.

00:05:58But it'll be my fault Fred and George left.

00:06:01You wait, said Ron darkly.

00:06:03She'll say I should have stopped them leaving.

00:06:05I should have grabbed the ends of their brooms and hung on or something.

00:06:08Yeah, it'll all be my fault.

00:06:10Well if she does say that, it'll be very unfair.

00:06:12You couldn't have done anything.

00:06:14But I'm sure she won't.

00:06:15I mean, if it's really true they've got premises in Diagon Alley, they must have been planning

00:06:19this for ages.

00:06:20Yeah, but that's another thing.

00:06:22How did they get premises, said Ron, hitting his teacup so hard with his wand that its

00:06:26legs collapsed again and it lay twitching before him?

00:06:29It's a bit dodgy, isn't it?

00:06:30They'll need loads of galleons to afford the rent on a place in Diagon Alley.

00:06:34She'll want to know what they've been up to to get their hands on that sort of gold.

00:06:38Well yes, that occurred to me too, said Hermione, allowing her teacup to jog in neat little

00:06:43circles around Harry's, whose stubby little legs were still unable to touch the desktop.

00:06:48I've been wondering whether Mundungus has persuaded them to sell stolen goods or something

00:06:53awful.

00:06:54He hasn't, said Harry curtly.

00:06:56How do you know, said Ron and Hermione together?

00:06:59Because, Harry hesitated, but the moment to confess finally seemed to have come.

00:07:03There was no good to be gained in keeping silent if it meant anyone suspected that Fred

00:07:07and George were criminals.

00:07:08Because they got the gold from me.

00:07:10I gave them my Triwizard winnings last June.

00:07:14There was a shocked silence, then Hermione's teacup jogged right over the edge of the desk

00:07:18and smashed on the floor.

00:07:20Oh Harry, you didn't, she said.

00:07:22Yes, I did, said Harry mutinously, and I don't regret it either.

00:07:26I didn't need the gold, and they'll be great at running a joke shop.

00:07:29But this is excellent, said Ron, looking thrilled.

00:07:32It's all your fault, Harry.

00:07:33Mum can't blame you at all.

00:07:35Can I tell her?

00:07:36Yeah, I suppose you'd better, said Harry dully, especially if she thinks they're receiving

00:07:41stolen cauldrons or something.

00:07:43Hermione said nothing at all for the rest of the lesson, but Harry had a shrewd suspicion

00:07:47that her self-restraint was bound to crack before long.

00:07:50Sure enough, once they had left the castle for break and were standing around in the

00:07:54weak May sunshine, she fixed Harry with a beady eye and opened her mouth with a determined

00:08:00air.

00:08:01Harry interrupted her before she had even started.

00:08:03It's no good nagging me, it's done, he said firmly.

00:08:06Fred and George have got the gold.

00:08:07Spent a bit of it, too, by the sounds of it.

00:08:10And I can't get it back from them, and I don't want to, so save your breath, Hermione.

00:08:14I wasn't going to say anything about Fred and George, she said in an injured voice.

00:08:19Ron snorted disbelievingly, and Hermione threw him a very dirty look.

00:08:23No, I wasn't, she said angrily.

00:08:25As a matter of fact, I was going to ask Harry when he's going to go back to Snape and ask

00:08:28for more occulomancy lessons.

00:08:31Harry's heart sank.

00:08:33Once they had exhausted the subject of Fred and George's dramatic departure, which admittedly

00:08:37had taken many hours, Ron and Hermione had wanted to hear news of Sirius.

00:08:42As Harry had not confided in them the reason he had wanted to talk to Sirius in the first

00:08:45place, it had been hard to think of what to tell them.

00:08:48He had ended up saying, truthfully, that Sirius wanted Harry to resume occulomancy

00:08:52lessons.

00:08:53He had been regretting this ever since.

00:08:55Hermione would not let the subject drop, and kept reverting to it when Harry least expected

00:08:59it.

00:09:00You can't tell me you've stopped having funny dreams, Hermione said now, because Ron told

00:09:04me you were muttering in your sleep again last night.

00:09:07Harry threw Ron a furious look.

00:09:09Ron had the grace to look ashamed of himself.

00:09:11You were only muttering a bit, he mumbled apologetically.

00:09:15Something about, er, just a bit further.

00:09:17I dreamed I was watching you lot play Quidditch, Harry lied brutally.

00:09:21I was trying to get you to stretch out a bit further to grab the Quaffle.

00:09:24Ron's ears went red.

00:09:25Harry felt a kind of indicative pleasure.

00:09:27He had not, of course, dreamed anything of the sort.

00:09:30Last night he had once again made the journey along the Department of Mysteries corridor.

00:09:34He had passed through the circular room, then the room full of clicking and dancing light,

00:09:38until he found himself again inside the cavernous room full of shelves, on which were ranged

00:09:44dusty glass spheres.

00:09:46He had hurried straight towards row number 97, turned left and run along it.

00:09:51It had probably been that he had spoken aloud just a bit further, for he felt his conscious

00:09:57self struggling to wake, and before he had reached the end of the row, he had found himself

00:10:01lying in bed again, gazing up at the canopy of his four poster.

00:10:06You are trying to block your mind, aren't you? said Hermione, looking beady at Harry.

00:10:10You are keeping going with your occupancy.

00:10:13Of course I am, said Harry, trying to sound as though the question was insulting, but

00:10:16not quite meeting her eye.

00:10:18The truth was, he was so intensely curious about what was hidden in that room full of

00:10:22dusty orbs, that he was quite keen for the dreams to continue.

00:10:26The problem was, that with just under a month to go until the exams, and every free movement

00:10:30devoted to revision, his mind seemed to saturate with information.

00:10:34When he went to bed, he found it very difficult to get to sleep at all, and when he did, his

00:10:39overwrought brain presented him most nights with stupid dreams about the exams.

00:10:43He also suspected that part of his mind, the part that often spoke in Hermione's voice,

00:10:48now felt guilty on the occasions it strayed down that corridor, ending in the black door,

00:10:53and sought to wake him before he could reach the journey's end.

00:10:56You know, said Ron, whose ears were still flaming red, if Montague doesn't recover before

00:11:00Slytherin play Hufflepuff, we might be even with a chance of winning the cup.

00:11:03Yeah, I suppose so, said Harry, glad of a change of subject.

00:11:07I mean, we've won one, lost one, if Slytherin lose to Hufflepuff next Saturday.

00:11:12Yeah, that's right, said Harry, losing track of what he was agreeing to.

00:11:16Er, Cho Chang had just walked across the courtyard, determinedly not looking at him.

00:11:21The final match of the Quidditch season, Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw,

00:11:24was to take place on the last weekend of May.

00:11:27Although Slytherin had been narrowly defeated by Hufflepuff in their last match,

00:11:31Gryffindor were not daring to hope for victory, due mainly, though of course nobody said it to him,

00:11:36to Ron's abysmal goalkeeping record.

00:11:38He, however, seemed to have found a new optimism.

00:11:41I mean, I can't get any worse, can I?

00:11:43He told Harry and Hermione grimly over breakfast in the morning of the match.

00:11:46Nothing to lose now, is there?

00:11:48You know, said Hermione, as she and Harry walked down to the pitch a little later

00:11:52in the midst of a very excitable crowd,

00:11:54I think Ron might do better without Fred and George around.

00:11:57They never exactly gave him a lot of confidence.

00:12:00Luna Lovegood overtook them with what appeared to be a live eagle perched on top of her head.

00:12:05Oh gosh, I forgot, said Hermione, watching the eagle flapping its wings

00:12:09as Luna walked serenely past a group of cackling and pointing Slytherins.

00:12:13Cho will be playing, won't she?

00:12:15Harry, who had not forgotten this, merely grunted.

00:12:18They found seats in the second topmost row of the stands.

00:12:22It was a fine, clear day.

00:12:23Ron could not wish for better, and Harry found himself hoping against hope

00:12:27that Ron would not give the Slytherins cause for more rousing choruses of Weasley as our king.

00:12:33Lee Jordan, who had been very dispirited since Fred and George had left,

00:12:36was commentating as usual.

00:12:38As the team zoomed out onto the pitch,

00:12:40he named the players with something less than his usual gusto.

00:12:44Bradley, Davis, Chang, he said,

00:12:47and Harry felt his stomach perform less of a backflip,

00:12:50more a feeble lurch as Cho walked out onto the pitch,

00:12:53her shiny black hair rippling in the slight breeze.

00:12:57He was not sure what he wanted to happen anymore,

00:12:59except that he could not stand any more rows.

00:13:02Even the sight of her chatting animatedly to Roger Davis

00:13:05as they prepared to mount their brooms caused him only a slight twinge of jealousy.

00:13:09And they're off, said Lee, and Davis takes the quaffle immediately.

00:13:12Ravenclaw capped in Davis with a quaffle.

00:13:15He dodges Johnson.

00:13:16He dodges Bell.

00:13:17He dodges Spinnett as well.

00:13:19He's going straight for goal.

00:13:20He's going to shoot, and Lee swore very loudly.

00:13:23He scored.

00:13:24Harry and Hermione groaned with the rest of the Gryffindors.

00:13:27Predictably, horribly, the Slytherins on the other side of the stands began to sing.

00:13:31Weasley cannot save a thing.

00:13:33He cannot block a single ring.

00:13:36Harry, said a hoarse voice in Harry's ear, Hermione.

00:13:39Harry looked around and saw Hagrid's enormous bearded face sticking between the seats.

00:13:44Apparently he had squeezed his way all along the row behind.

00:13:47For the first and second years he had just passed had a ruffled, flattened look about them.

00:13:51For some reason, Hagrid was bent double as though anxious not to be seen,

00:13:55though he was still at least four feet taller than anybody else.

00:13:58Listen, he whispered.

00:14:00Can you come with me now?

00:14:01Well, everyone's watching the match.

00:14:04Can't it wait, Hagrid?

00:14:05Asked Harry.

00:14:06Till the match is over?

00:14:07No, said Hagrid.

00:14:08No, Harry.

00:14:09It's got to be now.

00:14:10Well, everyone's looking the other way.

00:14:11Please.

00:14:12Hagrid's nose was gently dripping blood.

00:14:15His eyes were both blackened.

00:14:16Harry had not seen him this close up since his return to the school.

00:14:20He looked utterly woe be gone.

00:14:23Course, said Harry at once.

00:14:24Course will come.

00:14:26He and Hermione edged back along their row of seats, causing much grumbling among the students,

00:14:30who had to stand up for them.

00:14:32The people in Hagrid's row were not complaining,

00:14:34merely attempting to make themselves as small as possible.

00:14:37I appreciate this, you two.

00:14:38I really do, said Hagrid as they reached the stairs.

00:14:41He kept looking around nervously as they descended towards the lawn below.

00:14:45I just hope she doesn't notice us going.

00:14:47You mean Umbridge, said Harry.

00:14:48She won't.

00:14:49She's got a whole inquisitorial squad sitting with her.

00:14:52Didn't you see?

00:14:53She must be expecting trouble at the match.

00:14:55Yeah, well, a bit of trouble wouldn't hurt, said Hagrid,

00:14:58pausing to peer around the edge of the stands,

00:15:00to make sure the stretch of lawn between there and his cabin was deserted.

00:15:03Give us more time!

00:15:05What is it, Hagrid, said Hermione, looking up at him,

00:15:07with a concerned expression on her face,

00:15:09as they hurried across the grass towards the edge of the forest.

00:15:12Yeah, you'll see them all, said Hagrid, looking over his shoulder,

00:15:16as a great roar rose from the stands behind them.

00:15:18Hey, did someone just score?

00:15:20It'll be Ravenclaw, said Harry heavily.

00:15:23Good, good, said Hagrid distractedly.

00:15:25That's good!

00:15:26They had to jog to keep up with him as he strode across the lawn,

00:15:29looking around with every other step.

00:15:31When they reached the cabin,

00:15:32Hermione turned automatically left towards the front door.

00:15:35Hagrid, however, walked straight past it into the shade of the trees

00:15:38on the outermost edge of the forest,

00:15:41where he picked up a crossbow that was leaning against a tree.

00:15:44When he realised they were no longer with him, he turned.

00:15:47We're going in here, he said, jerking his shaggy head behind him.

00:15:51Into the forest, said Hermione perplexed.

00:15:54Yeah, said Hagrid.

00:15:55Come on now, quick, before we're spotted!

00:15:57Harry and Hermione looked at each other,

00:15:59then ducked into the cover of the trees behind Hagrid,

00:16:02who was already striding away from them into the green gloom,

00:16:05his crossbow over his arm.

00:16:07Harry and Hermione ran to catch up with him.

00:16:10Hagrid, why are you armed, said Harry?

00:16:12Just a precaution, said Hagrid, shrugging his massive shoulders.

00:16:16You didn't bring your crossbow the day you showed us the festrals,

00:16:20said Hermione timidly.

00:16:21No, well, we weren't going in so far then, said Hagrid.

00:16:26And anyway, that was more Ferenz,

00:16:29that was before Ferenz left the forest, wasn't it?

00:16:32Why does Ferenz leaving make a difference, asked Hermione curiously?

00:16:35Because the other centaurs are good and roiled at me, that's why,

00:16:38said Hagrid quietly, glancing around.

00:16:41They used to be, well, you couldn't call them friendly,

00:16:44but we got on all right, kept ourselves to themselves,

00:16:48but always turned up if I went a word.

00:16:50Not anymore, he sighed deeply.

00:16:52Ferenz said they're angry because he went to work for Dumbledore,

00:16:56Harry said, tripping on to a protruding root

00:16:59because he was busy watching Hagrid's profile.

00:17:01Yes, said Hagrid heavily.

00:17:03Well, angry don't cover it, really livid.

00:17:05If I hadn't stepped in, I reckon they'd have kicked Ferenz to death.

00:17:09They attacked him, said Hermione, sounding shocked.

00:17:12Yeah, said Hagrid gruffly, forcing his way through several low-hanging branches.

00:17:16You had half the herd on him.

00:17:18And you stopped it, said Harry, amazed and impressed, by yourself.

00:17:22Of course I did.

00:17:23Couldn't stand by and watch them kill him, could I?

00:17:25Said Hagrid.

00:17:26Lucky I was passing, really, and I'd have thought Ferenz might have

00:17:29remembered that before he started selling me stupid warnings,

00:17:32he added hotly and unexpectedly.

00:17:34Harry and Hermione looked at each other, startled,

00:17:37but Hagrid's scowling did not elaborate.

00:17:40Anyway, he said, breathing a little more heavily than usual,

00:17:43since then the other centaur has been livid with me,

00:17:45and the trouble is, they got a lot of influence in the forest.

00:17:48Cleverest creatures in here.

00:17:50Is that why we're here, Hagrid?

00:17:52Asked Hermione.

00:17:52The centaurs?

00:17:53Ah, no, said Hagrid, shaking his head dismissively.

00:17:56No, it's not them.

00:17:58Well, of course, they could complicate the problem, yeah,

00:18:00but you'll see what I mean in a bit.

00:18:03On this incomprehensible note, he fell silent and forged a little ahead,

00:18:07taking one stride for every three of theirs,

00:18:10so that they had great trouble keeping up with him.

00:18:12The path was becoming increasingly overgrown,

00:18:15and the trees grew so closely together

00:18:16as they walked further and further into the forest,

00:18:19that it was as dark as dusk.

00:18:21They were soon a long way past the clearing

00:18:23where Hagrid had shown them the festrals,

00:18:25but Harry felt no sense of unease

00:18:27until Hagrid stepped unexpectedly off the path

00:18:29and began wending his way in and out of the trees

00:18:31towards the dark heart of the forest.

00:18:34Hagrid, said Harry, fighting his way through thickly knotted brambles,

00:18:37over which Hagrid had stepped with ease,

00:18:39and remembering very, very vividly what had happened to him

00:18:42on the other occasion he had stepped off the forest path.

00:18:45Where are we going?

00:18:47Bit further, said Hagrid over his shoulder.

00:18:49Come on, Harry, we need to, uh, keep together now.

00:18:52It was a great struggle to keep up with Hagrid,

00:18:55what with branches and thickets of fawn,

00:18:57through which Hagrid marched as easily as if they were cobwebs,

00:18:59but which snagged Harry and Hermione's robes,

00:19:02frequently entangling them so severely

00:19:04that they had to stop for minutes at a time to free themselves.

00:19:07Harry's arms and legs were soon covered in small cuts and scratches.

00:19:10They were so deep in the forest now

00:19:12that sometimes all Harry could see of Hagrid in the gloom

00:19:15was a massive dark shape ahead of him.

00:19:17Any sound seemed threatening in the muffled silence.

00:19:21The breaking of a twig echoed loudly and the tiniest rustle of movement,

00:19:24even though it might have been made by an innocent sparrow,

00:19:27caused Harry to peer through the gloom for a culprit.

00:19:30It occurred to him that he had never managed to get this far into the forest

00:19:34without meeting some kind of creature.

00:19:36Their absence struck him as rather ominous.

00:19:39Hagrid.

00:19:40Would it be all right if we lit our wands, said Hermione quietly.

00:19:43Uh, all right, Hagrid whispered back.

00:19:45In fact, he stopped suddenly and turned around.

00:19:48Hermione walked right into him and was knocked over backwards.

00:19:51Harry caught her just before she hit the forest floor.

00:19:54Maybe we best just stop for a moment so I can fill you in, said Hagrid,

00:19:58before we go there, like.

00:20:01Good, said Hermione, as Harry set her back on her feet.

00:20:03They both murmured, Lumos, and their wand tips ignited.

00:20:07Hagrid's face swam through the gloom by the light of the two wavering beams,

00:20:11and Harry saw them again, saw again that he looked nervous and sad.

00:20:15Right, said Hagrid.

00:20:16Well, see, the thing is, he took a great breath.

00:20:19Well, there's a good chance I'm gonna get, be getting the sack any day now, he said.

00:20:24Harry and Hermione looked at each other and then back at him.

00:20:27But you've lasted this long, Hermione said tentatively.

00:20:30What makes you think Umbridge reckons it was me that put that Niffler in our office?

00:20:35And was it, said Harry, before he could stop himself?

00:20:38No, it very well wasn't, said Hagrid indignantly.

00:20:41Any of time had anything to do with magical creatures and she thinks it's got something to do with me.

00:20:47You know she's been looking for a chance to get rid of me ever since I got back.

00:20:51I don't want to go, of course, but if it wasn't for, well,

00:20:54the special circumstances I'm about to explain to you, I'd leave right now,

00:20:58before she's got the chance to do it in front of the whole school like she did with Trelawney.

00:21:04Harry and Hermione both made noises of protest,

00:21:07but Hagrid overrode them with a wave of one of his enormous hands.

00:21:11It's not the end of the world.

00:21:12I'll be able to help Dumbledore once I'm out of here.

00:21:15I can be useful to the Order and you lot will have grumbly plank.

00:21:19Yeah, yeah, you'll get through your exams, fine.

00:21:21His voice trembled and broke.

00:21:23Don't worry about me, he said hastily, as Hermione made to pat his arm.

00:21:27He pulled his enormous spotted handkerchief from the pocket of his waistcoat and mopped his eyes

00:21:31with it.

00:21:32Look, I wouldn't be telling you this at all if I didn't have to.

00:21:36See, if I go, well, I can't leave without telling someone,

00:21:40because I'll need you to help me and Ron, if he's willing.

00:21:45Of course we'll help you, said Harry at once.

00:21:47What do you want us to do?

00:21:49Hagrid gave a great sniff and patted Harry wordlessly on the shoulder

00:21:52with such force Harry was knocked sideways into a tree.

00:21:56I knew you'd say yes, said Hagrid into his handkerchief,

00:21:59but I will never forget.

00:22:01Well, come on, just a little bit further through here.

00:22:03Watch yourselves.

00:22:04No, there's nettles.

00:22:06They walked on in silence for another fifteen minutes.

00:22:08Harry had opened his mouth to ask how much further they had to go,

00:22:11when Hagrid threw out his right arm to signal that they should stop.

00:22:15Really?

00:22:16Easy, he said softly.

00:22:17Very quiet now.

00:22:19They crept forwards and Harry saw that they were facing a large,

00:22:22smooth mound of earth, nearly as tall as Hagrid, that he thought,

00:22:26with a jolt of dread, was sure to be the lair of some enormous animal.

00:22:30Trees had been ripped up at the roots all around the mound,

00:22:33so that it stood on a bare patch of ground surrounded by heaps of trunks and boughs

00:22:37that formed a kind of fence or barricade,

00:22:39behind which Harry, Hermione and Hagrid now stood.

00:22:42Sleep in, breathed Hagrid.

00:22:44Sure enough, Harry could hear a distant,

00:22:47rhythmic rumbling that sounded like a pair of enormous lungs at work.

00:22:51He glanced sideways at Hermione, who was gazing at the mound,

00:22:54with her mouth slightly open.

00:22:56She looked utterly terrified.

00:22:57Hagrid, she said in a whisper, barely audible over the sound of the sleeping creature.

00:23:02Who is he?

00:23:03Harry found this an odd question.

00:23:05What is it?

00:23:06was the one he had been planning on asking.

00:23:09Hagrid, you told us, said Hermione, her wand now shaking in her hand.

00:23:12You told us none of them wanted to come.

00:23:15Harry looked from her to Hagrid and then, as realisation hit him,

00:23:19he looked back at the mound with a small gasp of horror.

00:23:22The great mound of earth, on which he, Hermione and Hagrid, could easily have stood,

00:23:26was moving slowly up and down in time of the deep, grunting breathing.

00:23:30It was not a mound at all.

00:23:31It was the curved back of what was clearly...

00:23:34Well, no, he didn't want to come, said Hagrid, sounding desperate.

00:23:38But I had to bring him, Hermione, I told her.

00:23:41But why? asked Hermione, who sounded as though she wanted to cry.

00:23:45Why?

00:23:46What of Hagrid?

00:23:48I knew if I just got him back, said Hagrid,

00:23:50sounding close to tears himself, and taught him a few manners,

00:23:54I'd be able to take him outside and show everyone he's harmless.

00:23:58Harmless, said Hermione shrilly,

00:24:00and Hagrid made frantic, hushing noises with his hands

00:24:03as the enormous creature before them grunted loudly and shifted in its sleep.

00:24:07He's been hurting you all this time, hasn't he?

00:24:10That's why you've had all those injuries.

00:24:12He don't know his own strength, said Hagrid earnestly,

00:24:15and he's getting better.

00:24:16He's not fighting so much anymore.

00:24:18So this is why it took you two months to get home, said Hermione distractedly.

00:24:22Oh, Hagrid, why did you bring him back if he didn't want to come?

00:24:25Wouldn't he have been happier with his own people?

00:24:27They were all bullying him, Hermione.

00:24:29Because he's so small, said Hagrid.

00:24:31Small, said Hermione.

00:24:33Small.

00:24:33Hermione.

00:24:34I couldn't leave him, said Hagrid, tears now trickling down his bruised face into his beard.

00:24:39See, he's my brother.

00:24:41Hermione simply stared at him, her mouth open.

00:24:44Hagrid, when you say brother, said Harry slowly.

00:24:48Do you mean?

00:24:48Well, half brother, amended Hagrid.

00:24:51Turns out me mother took up with another giant when she left me dad,

00:24:54and she went and had Grop here.

00:24:57Grop, said Harry.

00:24:58Yeah, well, that's what it sounds like when he says his name, said Hagrid anxiously.

00:25:02You don't speak a lot of English.

00:25:04I've been trying to teach him.

00:25:05Anyway, she don't seem to have liked him much, or more than she liked me.

00:25:10See, with giantesses, what counts is producing good big kids,

00:25:14and he's always been a bit on the runty side for a giant.

00:25:16Only 16 foot.

00:25:18Oh, yes, tiny, said Hermione with a kind of hysterical sarcasm.

00:25:22Absolutely minuscule.

00:25:24He was being kicked around by all of them.

00:25:26I just couldn't leave him.

00:25:28Did Madame Maxime want to bring him back, asked Harry.

00:25:30She, well, she could see it was right important to me, said Hagrid,

00:25:34twisting his enormous hands.

00:25:35But, but she got a bit tired of him after a while, I must admit.

00:25:39So we split up on the journey home.

00:25:41She promised not to tell anyone, though.

00:25:43How on earth did you get him back without anyone noticing, said Harry?

00:25:47Well, that's why it took so long, see, said Hagrid.

00:25:50Could only travel by night.

00:25:52I know, and through that wild country and stuff.

00:25:55Of course, he covers the ground pretty well when he wants to,

00:25:57but he kept wanting to go back.

00:26:00Oh, Hagrid, why on earth didn't you let him, said Hermione,

00:26:03flopping down onto a ripped up tree and burying her face in her hands?

00:26:07What do you think you're going to do with a violent giant

00:26:09who doesn't even want to be here?

00:26:11Well, no, violent, that's a bit harsh, said Hagrid,

00:26:14still twisting his hands agitatedly.

00:26:16I'll admit he might have taken a couple of swings at me

00:26:19when he's been in a bad mood,

00:26:20but he's getting better, loads better, settling down well.

00:26:24What are those ropes for?

00:26:25Harry asked.

00:26:26He had just noticed ropes thick as saplings,

00:26:29stretching from around the trunks of the largest nearby trees

00:26:32towards the place where Grawp lay curled on the ground with his back to them.

00:26:36You have to keep him tied down, said Hermione faintly.

00:26:40Well, yeah, said Hagrid, looking anxious.

00:26:42See, it's like I say, he really doesn't know his own strength.

00:26:46Harry understood now why there had been such a suspicious

00:26:49lack of any other living creature in this part of the forest.

00:26:52So what is it that you want Harry and Ron and me to do?

00:26:56Hermione asked apprehensively.

00:26:58Look after him, said Hagrid croakily, after I'm gone.

00:27:01Harry and Hermione exchanged miserable looks.

00:27:04Harry, uncomfortably aware that he had already promised Hagrid

00:27:07that he would do whatever he asked.

00:27:09What?

00:27:10What does that involve exactly?

00:27:11Hermione inquired.

00:27:13Not food or anything, said Hagrid eagerly.

00:27:16He can get his own food, no problem.

00:27:17Birds and deer and stuff.

00:27:19No, it's company he needs.

00:27:20If he just knew someone was carrying on trying to help him a bit,

00:27:24teaching him stuff, you know.

00:27:26Harry said nothing, but turned to look back at the gigantic form

00:27:29lying asleep on the ground in front of them.

00:27:32Unlike Hagrid, who simply looked like an oversized human,

00:27:34Grawp looked strangely misshapen.

00:27:37What Harry had taken to be a very vast mossy boulder to the left

00:27:40in the great earthen mound, he now recognised as Grawp's head.

00:27:44It was much larger in proportion to the body than a human head

00:27:47and was almost perfectly round and covered with tightly curling,

00:27:51close growing hair, the colour of bracken.

00:27:54The rim of a single large fleshy ear was visible on top of his head,

00:27:58which seemed to sit rather like Uncle Vernon's

00:28:01directly upon the shoulders, with little or no neck in between.

00:28:04The back, under what looked like a dirty brownish smock,

00:28:08comprised of animal skins sewn roughly together, was very broad,

00:28:12and as Grawp slept, it seemed to strain a little

00:28:15as the rough seams of the skins.

00:28:18The legs were curled up under the body.

00:28:20Harry could see the soles of enormous, filthy bear feet,

00:28:23large as sledges, resting one on top of the other on the earthy forest floor.

00:28:28You want us to teach him?

00:28:29Harry said in a hollow voice.

00:28:31He now understood what Forenz's warning had meant.

00:28:33His attempt is not working.

00:28:35He would do better to abandon it.

00:28:36Of course, the other creatures who lived in the forest

00:28:39would have heard Hagrid's fruitless attempts to teach Grawp English.

00:28:42Yeah, even if you just talk to him a bit, said Hagrid hopefully,

00:28:46because I reckon if you can talk to people,

00:28:48he'll understand more that we all like him, really, all want him to stay.

00:28:53Harry looked at Hermione,

00:28:54who peered back at him from between the fingers over her face.

00:28:58Kind of makes you wish we had Norbert back, doesn't it?

00:29:01He said, and she gave him a very shaky laugh.

00:29:04Yeah, he'll do it then, said Hagrid,

00:29:06who did not seem to have caught what Harry had just said.

00:29:09We'll, said Harry, looking around and looking already bound by his promise.

00:29:14We'll, we'll try, Hagrid.

00:29:16I knew I could count on you, Harry,

00:29:18Hagrid said, beaming in a very watery way

00:29:20and dabbing at his face with his handkerchief again.

00:29:23And I don't want you to put yourself out too much, like,

00:29:25I know you've got exams.

00:29:27If you could just nip up here in your invisibility cloak,

00:29:30maybe once a week and have a chat with him.

00:29:32I'll wake him up then, introduce you.

00:29:35Well, no, said Hermione, jumping up.

00:29:37Hagrid, no, don't wake him.

00:29:38Really, we don't need...

00:29:39But Hagrid had already stepped over the great tree trunk in front of them

00:29:43and was proceeding towards Grawp.

00:29:45When he was about 10 feet away,

00:29:46he lifted a long, broken bow from the ground,

00:29:49smiled reassuringly over his shoulder at Harry and Hermione

00:29:52and then poked Grawp hard in the middle of the back with the end of the bow.

00:29:56The giant gave a roar that echoed around the silent forest.

00:30:00Birds in the treetops overhead rose twittering from their perches and soared away.

00:30:05In front of Harry and Hermione, meanwhile,

00:30:07the gigantic Grawp was rising from the ground,

00:30:10which shuddered as he placed an enormous hand upon it to push himself up to his knees.

00:30:15He turned his head to see who and what had disturbed him.

00:30:18All right, Grawpy, said Hagrid in a would-be cheery voice,

00:30:22backing away with a long bow raised, ready to poke Grawp again.

00:30:26Had a nice sleep, eh?

00:30:28Harry and Hermione retreated as far as they could

00:30:30while still keeping the giant within their sights.

00:30:33Grawp knelt between two trees he had not yet uprooted.

00:30:36They looked up into his startlingly huge face

00:30:40that resembled a grey full moon swimming in the gloom of the clearing.

00:30:43It was as though the features had been hewn onto a great stone ball.

00:30:47The nose was stubby and shapeless,

00:30:49the mouth lopsided and full of misshapen yellow teeth the size of half bricks,

00:30:53the eyes, small by giant standards, were a muddy greenish-brown,

00:30:57and just now were half gummed together with sleep.

00:31:00Grawp raised dirty knuckles, each as big as a cricket ball, to his eyes, rubbed vigorously,

00:31:06then, without warning, pushed himself to his feet,

00:31:09and surprising, with a surprising speed and agility.

00:31:12Oh my, Harry heard Hermione's squeal, terrified beside him.

00:31:16The trees, to which the other ends of the ropes around Grawp's wrists and ankles

00:31:20were attached, creaked ominously.

00:31:22He was, as Hagrid had said, at least sixteen feet tall.

00:31:26Gazing blearily around, Grawp reached out a hand the size of a beach umbrella,

00:31:30seized a bird's nest from the upper branches of a towering pine,

00:31:33and turned it upside down with a roar of apparent displeasure that there was no bird in it.

00:31:38Eggs fell like grenades towards the ground,

00:31:40and Hagrid threw his arms over his head to protect himself.

00:31:44Anyway, uh, Grawpy, shouted Hagrid, looking up apprehensively in case of further falling eggs,

00:31:50I've brought some friends to meet you.

00:31:52Remember, I told you I might, remember?

00:31:54When I said I might have to go on a little trip and leave them to look after you for a bit.

00:31:59Remember that, Grawpy?

00:32:00But Grawp merely gave another low roar.

00:32:03It was hard to say whether he was listening to Hagrid,

00:32:05or whether he even recognised the sounds Hagrid was making a speech.

00:32:08He had now seized the top of the pine tree and was pulling it towards him,

00:32:12evidently for the simple pleasure of seeing how far it would spring back when he let go.

00:32:17Now, Grawpy, don't do that, shouted Hagrid.

00:32:20That's how you ended up pulling up the others.

00:32:22And sure enough, Harry could see the earth around the tree's roots beginning to crack.

00:32:26I've got company for you, Hagrid shouted.

00:32:29Company, see?

00:32:30Look down, you big buffoon.

00:32:31I brought you some friends.

00:32:33Oh, Hagrid, don't, moaned Hermione.

00:32:36But Hagrid had already raised the bow again and gave Grawp's knee a sharp poke.

00:32:40The giant let out, let go of the top of the tree,

00:32:43which swayed alarmingly and deluged Hagrid with a rain of pine needles and looked down.

00:32:49This, said Hagrid, hastening over to where Harry and Hermione stood,

00:32:53is Harry Grawp, Harry Potter.

00:32:55He might be coming to visit you if I have to go away, understand?

00:32:59The giant had only just realised that Harry and Hermione were there.

00:33:02They watched in great trepidation as he lowered his huge boulder of a head

00:33:06so that he could peer blearily at them.

00:33:09And this is Hermione, see?

00:33:10Hurrah, Hagrid hesitated.

00:33:13Turning to Hermione, he said,

00:33:14Would you mind if he called you Hermy, Hermione?

00:33:18Only it's a difficult name for him to remember.

00:33:20No, not at all, squeaked Hermione.

00:33:22This is Hermy, Grawp, and she's going to be coming and all.

00:33:26Isn't that nice?

00:33:27Hey, two friends for you, Grawpy, no?

00:33:30Grawp's hand had shot out of nowhere towards Hermione.

00:33:33Harry seized her and pulled her backwards behind the tree

00:33:36so that Grawp's fist scraped the trunk but closed on thin air.

00:33:39Bad boy, Grawpy, they heard Hagrid yelling,

00:33:42as Hermione clung to Harry behind the tree, shaking and whimpering.

00:33:46Very bad boy, you don't grab, ouch!

00:33:49Harry poked his head out from around the trunk

00:33:51and saw Hagrid lying on his back, his hand over his nose.

00:33:55Grawp, apparently losing interest, had straightened up

00:33:57and was again engaged in pulling back the pine as far as it would go.

00:34:01Right, said Hagrid thickly,

00:34:03getting up with one hand pinching his bleeding nose

00:34:05and the other grasping his crossbow.

00:34:07Well, there you are.

00:34:08You've met him and now he'll know you when you come back.

00:34:13Yeah, well, he looked up at Grawp.

00:34:15He was now pulling back the pine with an expression of detached pleasure

00:34:18on his boulderish face.

00:34:20The roots were creaking as he ripped them away from the ground.

00:34:23Well, I reckon that's enough for one day, said Hagrid.

00:34:27Well, we'll go back now, shall we?

00:34:29Harry and Hermione nodded.

00:34:30Hagrid shouldered his crossbow again,

00:34:33still pinching his nose, led the way back into the trees.

00:34:36Nobody spoke for a while,

00:34:37not even when they heard the distant crash

00:34:39that meant Grawp had pulled over the pine tree at last.

00:34:42Hermione's face was pale and set.

00:34:44Harry could not think of a single thing to say.

00:34:46What on earth was going to happen when somebody found out

00:34:49that Hagrid had hidden Grawp in the Forbidden Forest?

00:34:52And he had promised that he, Ron and Hermione,

00:34:54would continue Hagrid's totally pointless attempts to civilise the giant.

00:34:58How could Hagrid, even with his immense capacity to delude himself,

00:35:02that fanged monsters were lovable,

00:35:04calmless, fool himself,

00:35:06that Grawp would never be fit to mix with humans?

00:35:09Would ever be fit to mix with humans?

00:35:12Hold it, said Hagrid abruptly.

00:35:14Just as Harry and Hermione were struggling

00:35:16through a patch of thick knot grass behind him,

00:35:18he pulled an arrow out of the quiver over his shoulder

00:35:21and fitted it into the crossbow.

00:35:22Harry and Hermione raised their wands.

00:35:24Now that they had stopped walking,

00:35:26they too could hear movement close by.

00:35:28Oh blimey, said Hagrid quietly.

00:35:31I thought we told you, Hagrid, said a deep male voice,

00:35:34that you are no longer welcome here.

00:35:37A man's naked torso seemed for an instant

00:35:40to be floating towards them through the dappled green half-light.

00:35:43Then they saw that his waist joined smoothly

00:35:45into a horse's chestnut body.

00:35:47This centaur had a proud, high cheekbone face

00:35:50and long black hair.

00:35:51Like Hagrid, he was armed.

00:35:53A quiver full of arrows and a longbow

00:35:55were slung over his shoulders.

00:35:57How are you, Magorian?

00:35:58said Hagrid warily.

00:36:00The trees behind the centaur rustled

00:36:02and four or five more centaurs emerged behind him.

00:36:05Harry recognised the black-bodied and bearded Bane,

00:36:08whom he had met nearly four years ago

00:36:10on the same night that he had met Firenze.

00:36:12Bane gave no sign that he had ever seen Harry before.

00:36:15So, he said, with a nasty infection in his voice,

00:36:18before turning immediately to Magorian.

00:36:22We agreed, I think, what we would do

00:36:24if this human ever showed his face in the forest again.

00:36:27This human now am I, said Hagrid testily,

00:36:30just for stopping all of you committing murder.

00:36:33You ought not to have meddled, Hagrid, said Magorian.

00:36:36Our ways are not yours, nor are our laws.

00:36:39Firenze has betrayed and dishonoured us.

00:36:42I don't know how you worked that out, said Hagrid impatiently.

00:36:45He's done nothing except help Albus Dumbledore.

00:36:48Firenze has entered into servitude for humans,

00:36:50said a grey centaur with a hard, deeply-lined face.

00:36:54Servitude, said Hagrid scathingly.

00:36:56He's doing Dumbledore a favour, that's all.

00:36:59He is peddling our knowledge and secrets among humans,

00:37:03said Magorian quietly.

00:37:04There can be no return from such disgrace.

00:37:07If you say so, said Hagrid, shrugging,

00:37:09but personally I think you're making a big mistake.

00:37:12As are you, human, said Bane,

00:37:14coming back into our forest when we warned you.

00:37:17No, you listen to me, said Hagrid angrily.

00:37:19I'll have lesser the hour of forest,

00:37:21if it's all the same to you.

00:37:23It's not up to you who comes in and goes in here.

00:37:26No more is it up to you, Hagrid, said Magorian smoothly.

00:37:29I shall let you pass today,

00:37:30because you are accompanied by your young...

00:37:33They're not his, interrupted Bane contemptuously.

00:37:36Students, Magorian, from up at the school.

00:37:38They have probably already profited

00:37:40from the traitor Forenz's teachings.

00:37:42Nevertheless, said Magorian calmly,

00:37:44the slaughter of foals is a terrible crime.

00:37:47We do not touch the innocent.

00:37:48Today, Hagrid, you pass.

00:37:50Henceforth, stay away from this place.

00:37:52You forfeited the friendship of the centaurs

00:37:55when you helped the traitor Forenz escape us.

00:37:59I won't be kept out of the forest

00:38:01by a bunch of mules like you, said Hagrid loudly.

00:38:04Hagrid, said Hermione in a high-pitched and terrified voice,

00:38:07as both Bane and the grey centaur pawed at the ground.

00:38:10Let's go. Please, let's go.

00:38:12Hagrid moved forwards, but his crossbow was still raised

00:38:14and his eyes were still fixed threateningly upon Magorian.

00:38:17We know what you are keeping in the forest, Hagrid,

00:38:20Magorian called after them,

00:38:22as the centaur slipped out of sight

00:38:23and our tolerance is waning.

00:38:25Hagrid turned and gave every appearance

00:38:27of wanting to walk straight back to Magorian.

00:38:29You'll tolerate him as long as he's here,

00:38:31and it's as much his forest as yours, he yelled.

00:38:34As Harry and Hermione both pushed

00:38:35with all their might against Hagrid's moleskin waistcoat

00:38:38in an effort to keep him moving forwards.

00:38:40Still scowling, he looked down.

00:38:42His expression changed to Miles's prize

00:38:44at the sight of them both pushing him.

00:38:46He seemed not to have felt it.

00:38:47Calm down, you two, he said,

00:38:49turning to walk on while they panted along behind him.

00:38:52Runny old mules, though, eh?

00:38:54Hagrid, said Hermione breathlessly,

00:38:56skirting the patches of nettles

00:38:57they had passed on the way there.

00:38:59If the centaurs don't want humans in the forest,

00:39:01it doesn't really look as though Harry and I

00:39:04will be able...

00:39:05Ah, you heard what they said, said Hagrid dismissively.

00:39:09They wouldn't hurt foals, I mean kids.

00:39:10Anyway, we can let ourselves be pushed around by that lot.

00:39:13We can't!

00:39:14Nice try, Harry murmured to Hermione,

00:39:17who looked crestfallen.

00:39:19At last, they rejoined the path,

00:39:21and after another 10 minutes, the trees began to thin.

00:39:24They were able to see patches of clear blue sky again,

00:39:27and in the distance,

00:39:28the definite sounds of cheering and shouting.

00:39:30Was that another goal? asked Hagrid,

00:39:32pausing in the shelter of the tree

00:39:33as the Quidditch stadium came into view.

00:39:35Would you reckon the match is over?

00:39:37I don't know, said Hermione miserably.

00:39:39Harry saw that she looked much the worse for wear.

00:39:42Her hair was full of twigs and leaves,

00:39:44her robes were ripped in several places,

00:39:46and there were numerous scratches on her face and arms.

00:39:48He knew he must look a little better.

00:39:51I reckon it's over, you know, said Hagrid,

00:39:53still squinting towards the stadium.

00:39:55Look, there's people coming out already.

00:39:57If you two hurry, you'll be able to blend in with the crowd,

00:40:00and no one will know you weren't there.

00:40:02Good idea, said Harry.

00:40:04See you later then, Hagrid.

00:40:05I don't believe him, said Hermione in a very unsteady voice,

00:40:08the moment they were out of earshot of Hagrid.

00:40:10I don't believe him.

00:40:11I really don't believe him.

00:40:13Calm down, said Harry.

00:40:15Calm down, she said feverishly.

00:40:17A giant, a giant in the forest,

00:40:19and we're supposed to give him English lessons,

00:40:21always assuming, of course,

00:40:22we can get past the herd of murderous centaurs on the way in and out.

00:40:25I don't believe him.

00:40:28We haven't got to do anything yet,

00:40:30Harry said to reassure her in a quiet voice,

00:40:32as they joined a stream of jabbering Hufflepuffs heading back towards the castle.

00:40:36He's not asking us to do anything unless he gets chucked out,

00:40:39and that might not even happen.

00:40:41Oh, come off it, Harry, said Hermione angrily,

00:40:43stopping dead in her tracks

00:40:45so that the people behind had to swerve to avoid her.

00:40:48Of course he's going to be chucked out,

00:40:50and to be perfectly honest,

00:40:51after what we've just seen, who can blame Umbridge?

00:40:54There was a pause in which Harry glared at her,

00:40:56and her eyes filled slowly with tears.

00:40:58You didn't mean that, said Harry quietly.

00:41:01No, well, all right, I didn't, she said, wiping her eyes angrily,

00:41:05but why does he have to make life so difficult for himself, for us?

00:41:09I don't know.

00:41:10Weasley is our king, Weasley is our king,

00:41:13he didn't let the Quaffle in, Weasley is our king.

00:41:17And I wish they'd stop singing that stupid song, said Hermione miserably.

00:41:21Haven't they gloated enough?

00:41:22A great tide of students was moving up the sloping lawns from the pitch.

00:41:26Oh, let's not, let's get in before we have to meet the Slytherins, said Hermione.

00:41:31Weasley can save anything, he never leaves a single ring,

00:41:34that's why Gryffindors all sing, Weasley is our king.

00:41:39Hermione, said Harry slowly, the song was growing louder,

00:41:43but it was issuing not from a crowd of green and silver clad Slytherins,

00:41:46but from a mass of red and gold moving slowly towards the castle,

00:41:50bearing a solitary figure upon its many shoulders.

00:41:52Weasley is our king, Weasley is our king,

00:41:56he didn't let the Quaffle in, Weasley is our king.

00:41:59No, said Hermione in a hushed voice.

00:42:02Yes, said Harry loudly.

00:42:04Harry, Hermione, yelled Ron,

00:42:06waving the silver Quidditch cup in the air and looking quite beside himself.

00:42:09We did it, we won.

00:42:11They beamed up at him as he passed.

00:42:13There was a scrum at the door of the castle

00:42:15and Ron's head got rather badly bumped on the lintel,

00:42:18but nobody seemed to want to put him down.

00:42:20Still singing, the crowd squeezed itself into the entrance hall and out of sight.

00:42:24Harry and Hermione watched them go, beaming,

00:42:26until the last echoing strains of Weasley is our king died away.

00:42:30Then they turned to each other, their smiles fading.

00:42:33We'll save our news till tomorrow, shall we, said Harry.

00:42:36Yes, all right, said Hermione wearily.

00:42:38I'm not in any hurry.

00:42:40They climbed the steps together,

00:42:41as the front doors both instinctively looked back at the forbidden forest.

00:42:46Harry was not sure whether or not it was his imagination,

00:42:48but he rather thought he saw a small cloud of birds

00:42:51erupting into the air above the treetops in the distance,

00:42:54almost as though the tree in which they had been nesting

00:42:57had just been pulled up by the roots.

00:43:02Chapter 31 Owls

00:43:05Ron's euphoria at helping Gryffindor scrape the Quidditch cup

00:43:08was such that he couldn't settle to anything next day.

00:43:10All he wanted to do was talk over the match,

00:43:12so Harry and Hermione found it very difficult to find an opening

00:43:15in which to mention Grawp.

00:43:17Not that either of them tried very hard,

00:43:19neither was keen to be the one to bring Ron back to reality

00:43:21in quite such a brutal fashion.

00:43:23As it was another fine warm day,

00:43:25they persuaded him to join them in revising under the beech tree

00:43:28at the edge of the lake,

00:43:29where they had less chance of being overheard than in the common room.

00:43:32Ron was not particularly keen on this idea at first.

00:43:35He was thoroughly enjoying being patted on the back by every Gryffindor

00:43:38who walked past his chair,

00:43:40not to mention the occasional outbursts of

00:43:42Weasley is our king!

00:43:43But after a while he agreed that some fresh air might do him good.

00:43:47They spread their books out in the shade of the beech tree

00:43:49and sat down while Ron talked them through his first save of the match,

00:43:52for what felt like the dozenth time.

00:43:55Well, I mean, I'd already let in that one of Davies's,

00:43:58so I wasn't feeling all that confident.

00:44:00But, I don't know, when Bradley came towards me,

00:44:02just out of nowhere, I thought,

00:44:03you can do this!

00:44:04And I had about a second to decide which way to fly, you know,

00:44:07because he looked like he was aiming for the right goal hoop.

00:44:10My right, obviously, his left,

00:44:12but I had a funny feeling that he was fainting,

00:44:15and so I took the chance and flew left.

00:44:17His right, I mean.

00:44:18And well, you saw what happened, he concluded modestly,

00:44:21sweeping his hair back quite unnecessarily,

00:44:23so that it looked interestingly windswept,

00:44:25and glancing around to see whether the people nearest to him,

00:44:27a bunch of gossiping third-year Hufflepuffs, had heard him.

00:44:31And then, when Chambers came at me about five minutes later,

00:44:34What? Ron asked, having stopped mid-sentence at the look on Harry's face.

00:44:39Why are you grinning?

00:44:40I'm not, said Harry quickly,

00:44:41and looked down at his transfiguration notes,

00:44:44attempting to straighten his face.

00:44:45The truth was that Ron had just reminded Harry forcibly

00:44:48of another Gryffindor quidditch player

00:44:50who had once sat rumbling his hair under this very tree.

00:44:54I'm just glad we won, that's all.

00:44:55Yeah, said Ron slowly, savouring the words.

00:44:58We won!

00:44:59Did you see the look on Chang's face

00:45:01when Ginny got the snitch right out from under her nose?

00:45:03I suppose she cried, did she? said Harry bitterly.

00:45:06Well, yeah, more out of a temper than anything, though.

00:45:09Ron frowned slightly.

00:45:10But you saw her chuck her broom away

00:45:12when she got back to the ground, didn't you?

00:45:14Uh, said Harry.

00:45:15Well, actually, no, Ron, said Hermione with a heavy sigh,

00:45:19putting down her book and looking at him apologetically.

00:45:21As a matter of fact, the only bit of the match

00:45:23Harry and I saw was Davis's first goal.

00:45:26Ron's carefully ruffled hair seemed to wilt with disappointment.

00:45:30You didn't watch, he said faintly,

00:45:32looking from one to the other.

00:45:33You didn't see me make any of those saves?

00:45:36Well, no, said Hermione,

00:45:38stretching out a placatory hand towards him.

00:45:41But Ron, we didn't want to leave.

00:45:43We had to.

00:45:44Yeah, said Ron, whose face was growing rather red.

00:45:46How come?

00:45:47It was Hagrid, said Harry.

00:45:49He decided to tell us why he's been covered in injuries

00:45:52ever since he got back from the Giants.

00:45:53He wanted us to go into the forest with him.

00:45:55We had no choice.

00:45:56You know how he gets.

00:45:57Anyway, the story was told in five minutes,

00:46:01by the end of which Ron's indignation had been replaced

00:46:04by a look of total incredulity.

00:46:07He brought one back and hid it in the forest?

00:46:10Yep, said Harry grimly.

00:46:12No, said Ron, as though by saying this he could make it untrue.

00:46:16No, no, he can't have.

00:46:17He has, said Hermione firmly,

00:46:19grew up about 16 feet tall,

00:46:21enjoys ripping up 20 foot pine trees,

00:46:23and knows me, she snorted, as Hermie.

00:46:27Ron gave a nervous laugh.

00:46:29And Hagrid wants us to teach him English?

00:46:32Yeah, said Harry.

00:46:33He's lost his mind, said Ron in an almost awed voice.

00:46:36Yes, said Hermione irritably,

00:46:38turning a page of intermediate transfiguration

00:46:40and glaring at a series of diagrams

00:46:42showing an owl turning into a pair of opera glasses.

00:46:44Yes, I'm starting to think he has.

00:46:46But unfortunately, he made Harry and me promise.

00:46:49Well, you're just gonna have to break your promise,

00:46:51that's all, said Ron firmly.

00:46:52I mean, come on, we've got exams.

00:46:54We're about that far, he held up his hand

00:46:56to show thumb and forefinger almost touching,

00:46:58from being chucked out as it is.

00:47:00And anyway, remember Norbert?

00:47:02Remember Aragog?

00:47:03Have we ever come off better for mixing

00:47:05with any of Hagrid's monster mates?

00:47:07I know, it's just that...

00:47:08We promised, said Hermione in a small voice.

00:47:10Ron smoothed his hair flat again, looking preoccupied.

00:47:14Well, he sighed, Hagrid hasn't been sacked yet, has he?

00:47:17He's hung on this long.

00:47:18Maybe he'll hang on until the end of term

00:47:20and we won't have to go near Grawp at all.

00:47:23The castle grounds were gleaming in the sunlight

00:47:25as though freshly painted.

00:47:27The cloudless sky smilded itself

00:47:29in the smoothly sparkling lake.

00:47:30The satin green lawns rippled occasionally

00:47:33in a gentle breeze.

00:47:34June had arrived, but to the fifth years,

00:47:36this meant only one thing,

00:47:38the owls were upon them at last.

00:47:40Their teachers were no longer setting them homework.

00:47:42Lessons were devoted to revising those topics

00:47:45the teachers thought most likely to come up in the exams.

00:47:48The purposeful feverish atmosphere drove nearly everyone,

00:47:51but the owls, from Harry's mind,

00:47:53though he did wonder occasionally during potions lessons

00:47:56whether Lupin had ever told Snape

00:47:58that he must continue giving Harry oculomancy tuition.

00:48:01If he had, then Snape had ignored Lupin

00:48:03as thoroughly as he was now ignoring Harry.

00:48:06This suited Harry very well.

00:48:07He was quite busy and tense enough

00:48:09without extra classes with Snape,

00:48:11and to his relief Hermione was much too preoccupied these days

00:48:14to badger him about oculomancy.

00:48:16She was spending a lot of time muttering to herself

00:48:19and had not laid out any elf clothes for days.

00:48:22She was not the only person acting oddly

00:48:24as the owls drew steadily nearer.

00:48:26Ernie Macmillan had developed an irritating habit

00:48:28of interrogating people about their revision practices.

00:48:31How many hours do you think you're doing a day?

00:48:34He demanded of Harry and Ron

00:48:35as they queued outside Herbology,

00:48:37a manic gleam in his eyes.

00:48:39I don't know, said Ron, a few.

00:48:41More or less than eight.

00:48:42Less, I suppose, said Ron, looking slightly alarmed.

00:48:45I'm doing eight, said Ernie, puffing out his chest.

00:48:48Eight or nine.

00:48:49I'm getting an hour in before breakfast every day.

00:48:51Eight's my average.

00:48:52I can do ten on a good weekend day.

00:48:55I did nine and a half on Monday.

00:48:57Not so good on Tuesday.

00:48:58Only seven and a quarter.

00:48:59Then on Wednesday...

00:49:01Harry was deeply thankful that Professor Sprout

00:49:04ushered them into Greenhouse Three at that point,

00:49:06forcing Ernie to abandon his recital.

00:49:08Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy had found a different way to induce panic.

00:49:12Of course, it's not what you know,

00:49:14he was heard to tell Crabbe and Goyle loudly outside Potions

00:49:17a few days before the exams were to start.

00:49:19It's who you know.

00:49:20Now, Father's been friendly with the head

00:49:22of the Wizarding Examinations Authority for years.

00:49:25Old Griselda Marchbanks.

00:49:27We've had her round for dinner and everything.

00:49:30Do you think that's true?

00:49:31Hermione whispered in alarm to Harry and Ron.

00:49:33Nothing we can do about it if it is, said Ron gloomily.

00:49:36I don't think it's true, said Neville,

00:49:37quietly from behind them,

00:49:39because Griselda Marchbanks is a friend of my Gran's

00:49:41and she's never mentioned the Malfoys.

00:49:43What's she like, Neville? asked Hermione at once.

00:49:46Is she strict?

00:49:47Bit like Gran, really, said Neville in a subdued voice.

00:49:50Knowing her won't hurt your chances, though, will it?

00:49:52Ron told him encouragingly.

00:49:54Oh, I don't think it'll make any difference,

00:49:56said Neville still more miserably.

00:49:57Gran's always telling Professor Marchbanks

00:49:59I'm not as good as my dad.

00:50:01Well, you saw what she's like at St Mungo's.

00:50:04Neville looked fixedly at the floor.

00:50:06Harry, Ron and Hermione glanced at each other,

00:50:08but didn't know what to say.

00:50:09It was the first time Neville had acknowledged

00:50:11that they had met at the Wizarding Hospital.

00:50:13Meanwhile, the flourishing black market trade in AIDS,

00:50:16to concentration, mental agility and wakefulness,

00:50:19had sprung up among the fifth and seventh years.

00:50:22Harry and Ron were much tempted by the bottle of

00:50:24Borufio's Brain Elixir,

00:50:26offered to them by Ravenclaw's six-year Eddie Carmichael,

00:50:30who swore it was solely responsible

00:50:32for the nine outstanding owls he had gained the previous summer

00:50:35and was offering a whole pint for a mere 12 galleons.

00:50:39Ron assured Harry he would reimburse him for his half

00:50:42the moment he left Hogwarts and got a job.

00:50:44But before they could close the deal,

00:50:45Hermione had confiscated the bottle from Carmichael

00:50:48and poured the contents down a toilet.

00:50:50Hermione?

00:50:51We wanted to buy that, shouted Ron.

00:50:53Don't be stupid, she snarled.

00:50:54You might as well take Harold Dingle's Powdered Dragon Claw

00:50:57and have done with it.

00:50:58Dingle's got Powdered Dragon Claw?

00:51:00said Ron eagerly.

00:51:01Not anymore, said Hermione.

00:51:02I confiscated that too.

00:51:04None of these things actually work, you know.

00:51:06Dragon Claw does work, said Ron.

00:51:08It's supposed to be incredible.

00:51:10Really gives your brain a boost.

00:51:11You come over all cunning for a few hours.

00:51:13Hermione, let me have a pinch.

00:51:15Go on, it can't hurt.

00:51:16This stuff can, said Hermione grimly.

00:51:19I've had a look at it and it's actually dry doxy droppings.

00:51:22This information took the edge off

00:51:24Harry and Ron's desire for brain stimulants.

00:51:26They received their examination timetables and details

00:51:29of the procedure for owls during their next transfiguration lesson.

00:51:33As you can see, Professor McGonagall told the class

00:51:36as they copied down the dates and times of their exams from the blackboard.

00:51:39Your owls are spread over two successive weeks.

00:51:42You will sit the theory papers in the mornings

00:51:44and the practice in the afternoons.

00:51:46Your practical astronomy examination will, of course, take place at night.

00:51:50Now, I must warn you that the most stringent anti-cheating charms

00:51:54have been applied to your examination papers.

00:51:56Auto-answer quills are banned from the examination hall

00:51:59as are Remembralls, detachable gripping cuffs and self-correcting ink.

00:52:04Every year, I'm afraid to say, seems to harbour at least one student

00:52:07who thinks that he or she can get around

00:52:10the Wizarding Examination Authority's rules.

00:52:13I can only hope that it is nobody in Gryffindor.

00:52:16Ah, no, new headmistress, Professor McGonagall pronounced the word

00:52:21with the same look on her face that Aunt Petunia had

00:52:23whenever she was contemplating a particularly stubborn bit of dirt.

00:52:27Has asked the heads of house to tell their students

00:52:30that cheating will be punished most severely

00:52:33because, of course, your examination results

00:52:35will reflect upon the headmistress's new regime at the school.

00:52:38Professor McGonagall gave a tiny sigh.

00:52:40Harry saw the nostrils of her sharp nose flare.

00:52:43However, that is no reason not to do your very best.

00:52:46You have your own futures to think about.

00:52:49Please, Professor, said Hermione, her hand in the air,

00:52:51when will we find out our results?

00:52:53An owl will be sent to you sometime in July, said Professor McGonagall.

00:52:58Excellent, said Dean Thomas in an audible whisper,

00:53:01so we don't have to worry about it till the holidays.

00:53:03Harry imagined sitting in his bedroom in Privet Drive in six weeks' time,

00:53:07waiting for his owl results.

00:53:09Well, he thought, at least he would be sure of one bit of post that summer.

00:53:13Their first examination, Theory of Charms, was scheduled for Monday morning.

00:53:17Harry agreed to test Hermione after lunch on Sunday,

00:53:20but regretted it almost at once.

00:53:22She was very agitated, and kept snatching the book back from him to check

00:53:26that she had got the answer completely right,

00:53:28finally hitting him hard on the nose with the sharp end of Achievements in Charming.

00:53:33Why don't you just do it yourself, he said firmly,

00:53:35handing the book back to her, his eyes watering.

00:53:38Meanwhile, Ron was reading two years' worth of charms notes with his fingers in his ears,

00:53:42his lips moving soundlessly.

00:53:44Seamus Finnegan was lying flat on his back on the floor,

00:53:46reciting the definition of a substantive charm,

00:53:49while Dean checked it against the standard Book of Spells, Grade 5,

00:53:53and Pavarti and Lavender, who were practising basic locomotion charms,

00:53:56were making their pencil cases race each other around the edge of the table.

00:54:01Dinner was a subdued affair that night.

00:54:03Harry and Ron did not talk much, but ate with gusto,

00:54:05having studied and studied hard all day.

00:54:08Hermione, on the other hand, kept putting down her knife and fork,

00:54:11and diving under the table for her bag,

00:54:13from which she would seize a book to check some fact or figure.

00:54:17Ron was just telling her that she ought to eat a decent meal,

00:54:20or she would not sleep that night,

00:54:21when her fork slid from her limp fingers and landed with a loud tinkle onto her plate.

00:54:26Oh my goodness, she said faintly, staring into the entrance hall.

00:54:30Is that them? Is that the examiners?

00:54:32Harry and Ron whipped around on their bench.

00:54:34Through the doors to the great hall,

00:54:36they could see Umbridge standing with a small group of ancient-looking witches and wizards.

00:54:40Umbridge, Harry was pleased to see, looked rather nervous.

00:54:43Shall we go and have a closer look, said Ron.

00:54:45Harry and Hermione nodded,

00:54:47and they hastened towards the double doors into the entrance hall,

00:54:50slowing down as they stepped over the threshold,

00:54:52to walk sedately past the examiners.

00:54:54Harry thought Professor Marchbanks must be the tiny stooped witch,

00:54:58with her face so lined it looked as though it had been draped in cobwebs.

00:55:02Umbridge was speaking to her deferentially.

00:55:04Professor Marchbanks seemed to be a little deaf.

00:55:07She was answering Professor Umbridge very loudly,

00:55:09considering they were only a foot apart.

00:55:11Journey was fine. Journey was fine.

00:55:14We've made it plenty of times before, she said impatiently.

00:55:17Now I haven't heard from Dumbledore lately, she added,

00:55:20peering around the hall as though hopeful he might suddenly emerge from a broom cupboard.

00:55:24No idea where he is, I suppose.

00:55:26Not at all, said Umbridge, shooting a malevolent look at Harry, Ron and Hermione,

00:55:31who went out dawdling around the foot of the stairs,

00:55:33as Ron pretended to do up his shoelace.

00:55:35But I dare say the Ministry of Magic will track him down soon enough.

00:55:39I doubt it, shouted tiny Professor Marchbanks.

00:55:42Not if Dumbledore doesn't want to be found.

00:55:44I should know.

00:55:45Examined him personally in transfiguration and charms when he did his nudes.

00:55:49Did things with a wand I'd never seen before.

00:55:51Yes, uh, well, said Professor Umbridge as Harry, Ron and Hermione dragged their feet up

00:55:56the marble staircase as slowly as they dared.

00:55:58Let me show you to the staff room.

00:56:00I dare say you'd like a cup of tea after your journey.

00:56:03It was an uncomfortable sort of evening.

00:56:05Everyone was trying to do some last-minute revising,

00:56:07but nobody seemed to be getting very far.

00:56:09Harry went to bed early, but they lay awake for what felt like hours.

00:56:13He remembered his careers consultation,

00:56:15and McGonagall's furious declaration that she would

00:56:17help him become an Auror if it was the last thing she did.

00:56:20He wished he had expressed a more achievable ambition,

00:56:23now that exam time was here.

00:56:24He knew he was not the only one lying awake,

00:56:27but none of the others in the dormitory spoke,

00:56:28and finally, one by one, they fell asleep.

00:56:31None of the fifth years talked very much at breakfast next day, either.

00:56:35Pavarti was practising incantations under her breath,

00:56:38while the salt cellar with the salt cellar in front of her twitched.

00:56:41Hermione was rereading Achievements in Charming

00:56:43so fast that her eyes appeared blurred,

00:56:45and Neville kept dropping his knife and fork,

00:56:48and knocking over the marmalade.

00:56:50Once breakfast was over, the fifth and seventh years milled around

00:56:54in the entrance hall, while the other students went off to lessons.

00:56:57Then, at half past nine, they were called forwards,

00:56:59class by class, to re-enter the great hall,

00:57:02which had been rearranged exactly as Harry had seen it

00:57:04in the Pensieve when his father, Sirius and Snape,

00:57:07had been taking their hours,

00:57:08and the four house tables had been removed

00:57:11and replaced instead with many tables for one,

00:57:14all facing the staff table,

00:57:15and its staff table end of the hall,

00:57:17where Professor McGonagall stood facing them.

00:57:19When they were all seated and quiet, she said,

00:57:21You may begin,

00:57:23and turned over an enormous hourglass on the desk beside her,

00:57:26on which there were also spare quills,

00:57:28ink bottles, and rolls of parchment.

00:57:31Harry turned over his paper, his heart thumping hard,

00:57:34three rows to his right, and four seats ahead,

00:57:36Hermione was already scribbling,

00:57:38and lowered his eyes to the first question.

00:57:40A. Give the incantation,

00:57:42and B. Describe the wand movement required to make objects fly.

00:57:47Harry had a fleeting memory of club,

00:57:49of a club soaring high into the air,

00:57:51and landing loudly on the thick skull of a troll.

00:57:53Smiling slightly, he bent over the paper and began to write.

00:57:59Well, it wasn't too bad, was it?

00:58:01asked Hermione anxiously in the entrance hall two hours later,

00:58:04still clutching the exam paper.

00:58:06I'm not sure I did myself justice on cheering charms.

00:58:08I just ran out of time.

00:58:10Did you put in the counter charm for hiccups?

00:58:12I wasn't sure whether I ought to.

00:58:14It felt like too much.

00:58:15And on question twenty-three,

00:58:16Hermione, said Ron sternly,

00:58:18We've been through this before.

00:58:19We're not going through every exam afterwards.

00:58:22It's bad enough doing them once.

00:58:24The fifth years ate lunch with the rest of the school.

00:58:26The four house tables had reappeared for the lunch hour.

00:58:28Then they trooped off into the small chamber beside the great hall,

00:58:31where they were to wait until called for their practical examination.

00:58:35A small group of students were called forwards in alphabetical order.

00:58:39Those left behind muttered incantations and practiced wand movements,

00:58:42occasionally poking each other in the back or eye by mistake.

00:58:46Hermione's name was called.

00:58:47Trembling, she left the chamber with Anthony Goldstein,

00:58:50Gregory Goyle and Daphne Greengrass.

00:58:53Students who had already been tested did not return afterwards,

00:58:55so Harry and Ron had no idea how Hermione had done.

00:58:58She'll be fine.

00:58:59Remember, she got 112% on one of her charms tests, said Ron.

00:59:03Ten minutes later, Professor Flitwick called,

00:59:05Parkinson!

00:59:06Pansy!

00:59:07Patil!

00:59:08Padma!

00:59:09Patil!

00:59:09Pavarti!

00:59:10Potter!

00:59:11Harry!

00:59:12Good luck, said Ron quietly.

00:59:14Harry walked into the great hall,

00:59:15clutching his wand so tightly his hand shook.

00:59:18Professor Tofty is free, Potter, squeaked Professor Flitwick,

00:59:22who was standing just inside the door.

00:59:24He pointed Harry towards what looked like the very oldest and baldest examiner

00:59:29sitting behind a small table in a far corner,

00:59:31a short distance from Professor Marchbanks,

00:59:33who was halfway through testing Draco Malfoy.

00:59:36Potter, is it? said Professor Tofty,

00:59:38consulting his notes and peering over his pince-nez at Harry as he approached.

00:59:43The famous Potter!

00:59:45Out of the corner of his eye,

00:59:46Harry distinctly saw Malfoy throw a scathing look over at him.

00:59:50The wineglass Malfoy had been levitating fell to the floor and smashed.

00:59:53Harry could not suppress a grin.

00:59:55Professor Tofty smiled back at him encouragingly.

00:59:57That's it, he said in his quavery old voice.

01:00:00No need to be nervous now.

01:00:01If I could ask you to take this egg cup and make it do some cartwheels for me.

01:00:06On the wheel, on the whole, Harry thought it went rather well.

01:00:10His levitation charm was certainly much better than Malfoy's had been,

01:00:13though he wished he had not mixed up the incantations for colour change and growth charms

01:00:17so that the rat he was supposed to be turning orange

01:00:19swelled shockingly and was the size of a badger

01:00:22before Harry could rectify his mistake.

01:00:24He was glad Hermione had not been in the hall at the time

01:00:27and neglected to mention it to her afterwards.

01:00:29He could tell Ron though.

01:00:31Ron had caused a dinner plate to mutate into a large mushroom

01:00:34and had no idea how it had happened.

01:00:36There was no time to relax that night.

01:00:38They went straight to the common room after dinner

01:00:40and submerged themselves in revision for transfiguration next day.

01:00:43Harry went to bed with his head buzzing with complex spell models and theories.

01:00:47He forgot the definition of a switching spell during his written paper next morning

01:00:52but thought this practical could have been a lot worse.

01:00:55At least he managed to vanish the whole of his iguana

01:00:57whereas poor Hannah Abbott lost her head completely at the next table

01:01:01and somehow managed to multiply her ferret into a flock of flamingos

01:01:04causing the examination to be halted for 10 minutes

01:01:07while the birds were captured and carried out of the hall.

01:01:10They had their herbology exam on Wednesday.

01:01:12Other than a small bite from a fanged geranium,

01:01:14Harry felt he had done reasonably well

01:01:16and then on Thursday, defence against the dark arts.

01:01:19Here for the first time, Harry felt sure he had passed.

01:01:22He had no problem with any of the written questions

01:01:24and took particular pleasure during the practical examination

01:01:27in performing all the counter jinxes and defensive spells right in front of Umbridge

01:01:31who was watching coolly from near the doors into the entrance hall.

01:01:35Oh, bravo!

01:01:36Cried Professor Tofty who was examining Harry again

01:01:39when Harry demonstrated a perfect boggart banishing spell.

01:01:43Very good indeed.

01:01:44Well, I think that's all Potter unless...

01:01:46He leaned forwards a little.

01:01:48I heard from my dear friend Tiberius Ogden that you can produce a Patronus.

01:01:52For a bonus point?

01:01:54Harry raised his wand, looked directly at Umbridge and imagined her being sacked.

01:01:59Expecto Patronum!

01:02:01His silver stag erupted from the end of his wand and countered the length of the hall.

01:02:05All of the examiners looked around to watch its progress

01:02:08and when it dissolved into silver mist,

01:02:10Professor Tofty clapped his veined and knotted hands enthusiastically.

01:02:14Excellent, he said.

01:02:16Very well, Potter.

01:02:17You may go.

01:02:18As Harry passed Umbridge beside the door, their eyes met.

01:02:21There was a nasty smile playing around her wide slack mouth,

01:02:24but he did not care unless he was very much mistaking

01:02:27and he was not planning on telling anybody in case he was.

01:02:30He had just achieved an outstanding owl.

01:02:33On Friday, Harry and Ron had a day off while Hermione sat her ancient runes exam

01:02:38and as they had a whole weekend in front of them,

01:02:40they permitted themselves a break from revision.

01:02:42They stretched and yawned beside the open window

01:02:45through which warm summer air was wafting as they played wizard chest.

01:02:49Harry could see Hagrid in the distance teaching a class on the edge of the forest.

01:02:53He was trying to guess what creatures they were examining.

01:02:55He thought it must be unicorns

01:02:56because the boys seemed to be standing back a little

01:02:59when the portrait hall opened and Hermione clambered in,

01:03:02looking thoroughly bad-tempered.

01:03:04How were the runes, said Ron, yawning and stretching.

01:03:07I mistranslated.

01:03:09Eowys, said Hermione furiously.

01:03:11It means partnership, not defence.

01:03:13I mixed it up with Eowys.

01:03:16Ah well, said Ron lazily.

01:03:18That's only one mistake, isn't it?

01:03:19You still get...

01:03:20Oh shut up, said Hermione angrily.

01:03:22It could be the one mistake that makes the difference between a pass and a fail.

01:03:25And what's more, someone's put another niffler in Umbridge's office.

01:03:29I don't know how they got it through the door,

01:03:31but I just walked past there and Umbridge is shrieking her head off.

01:03:34By the sound of it, it tried to take a chunk out of her leg.

01:03:37Good, said Harry and Ron together.

01:03:39It's not good, said Hermione hotly.

01:03:41She thinks it's Hagrid doing it, remember?

01:03:43And we do not want Hagrid chucked out.

01:03:45He's teaching at the moment.

01:03:46She can't blame him.

01:03:48Said Harry, gesturing out of the window.

01:03:49Oh, you're so naive sometimes, Harry.

01:03:52You really think Umbridge will wait for proof, said Hermione,

01:03:55who seemed determined to be in a towering temper,

01:03:57and she swept off towards the girl's dormitories,

01:03:59banging the door behind her.

01:04:01Such a lovely, sweet-tempered girl, said Ron very quietly,

01:04:05prodding his queen forward to beat up one of Harry's knights.

01:04:09Hermione's bad mood persisted for most of the weekend,

01:04:11though Harry and Ron found it quite easy to ignore,

01:04:14as they spent most of Saturday and Sunday revising for potions on Monday,

01:04:18the exam which Harry had been looking forward to least,

01:04:20and which he was sure would be the downfall of his ambitions to become an Auror.

01:04:24Sure enough, he found the written paper difficult,

01:04:26though he thought he might have got full marks on the question about Polyjuice potion.

01:04:30He could describe its effects accurately,

01:04:32having taken it illegally in his second year.

01:04:35The afternoon practical was not as dreadful as he had expected it to be.

01:04:38With Snape absent from the proceedings,

01:04:40he found that he was much more relaxed than he usually was while making potions.

01:04:44Neville, who was sitting very near Harry,

01:04:46also looked happier than Harry had ever seen him during a potions class,

01:04:50when Professor Marchbank said,

01:04:52Step away from your cauldrons, please, the examination is over.

01:04:55Harry corked his simple sample flask,

01:04:58feeling that he might not have achieved a good grade,

01:05:00but he had, with luck, avoided a fail.

01:05:03Only four exams left, said Pavarti Patil,

01:05:06wearily as they headed back to Gryffindor common room.

01:05:09Only, said Hermione snappishly,

01:05:10I've got a riffmancy, and it's probably the toughest subject there is.

01:05:14Nobody was foolish enough to snap back,

01:05:16so she was unable to vent her spleen on any of them,

01:05:18and was reduced to telling off some first years for giggling too loudly in the common room.

01:05:22Harry was determined to perform well in Tuesday's care of magical creatures exam,

01:05:26so as to not let Hagrid down.

01:05:28The practical examination took place in the afternoon,

01:05:31on the lawn, on the edge of the forbidden forest,

01:05:33where students were required to correctly identify the gnarl,

01:05:36hidden among a dozen hedgehogs.

01:05:38The trick was to offer them all milk in turn.

01:05:40Gnarls, highly suspicious creatures,

01:05:42whose quills had many magical properties,

01:05:45generally went berserk at what they saw as an attempt to poison them.

01:05:49Then demonstrate correct handling of a bow truckle,

01:05:52feed and clean out a fire crab without sustaining serious burns,

01:05:56and choose from a wide selection of food,

01:05:58the diet they would give a sick unicorn.

01:06:02Harry could see Hagrid watching anxiously out of his cabin window.

01:06:05When Harry's examiner, a plump little witch this time,

01:06:08smiled at him and told him he could leave,

01:06:10Harry gave Hagrid a fleeting thumbs up before heading back to the castle.

01:06:13The astronomy theory paper on Wednesday morning went well enough.

01:06:17Harry was not convinced he had got the names of all Jupiter's moons right,

01:06:20but was at least confident that none of them was inhabited by mice.

01:06:24They had to wait until evening for their practical astronomy.

01:06:26The afternoon was devoted instead to divination.

01:06:29Even by Harry's low standards in divination, the exam went very badly.

01:06:33He might as well have tried to see moving pictures on the desktops

01:06:36in the stubbornly blank crystal ball.

01:06:38He lost his head completely during tea leaf reading,

01:06:40saying it looked to him as though Professor Marchbanks

01:06:42would shortly be meeting a round, dark, soggy stranger,

01:06:45and rounded off the whole fiasco by mixing up the life and headlines on her palm,

01:06:50and informing her that she ought to have died the previous Tuesday.

01:06:55Well, we were always going to fail that one,

01:06:57said Ron gloomily as they ascended the marble staircase.

01:07:00He just made Harry feel rather better by telling him how he had told the examiner in detail

01:07:04about the ugly man with a wart on his nose in his crystal ball,

01:07:07only to look up and realise he'd been describing his examiner's reflection.

01:07:11We shouldn't have taken the stupid subject in the first place, said Harry.

01:07:14Still, at least we can give it up now.

01:07:16Yeah, said Harry.

01:07:17No more pretending we care about what happens when Jupiter and Uranus get too friendly.

01:07:22And from now on, I don't care if my tea leaves spell die, Ron, die.

01:07:26I'm just chucking them in the bin where they belong.

01:07:28Harry laughed, just as Hermione came running up behind them.

01:07:31He stopped laughing at once, in case it annoyed her.

01:07:33Well, I think I've done all right in arithmancy, she said,

01:07:37and Harry and Ron both sighed with relief.

01:07:39Just time for a quick look over our star charts before dinner, then.

01:07:43When they reached the top of the Astronomy Tower at eleven o'clock,

01:07:46they found a perfect night for stargazing, cloudless and still.

01:07:49The grounds were bathed in silvery moonlight, and there was a slight chill in the air.

01:07:53Each of them set up his or her telescope,

01:07:55and when Professor Marchbanks gave the word,

01:07:58proceeded to fill in the blank star chart they had all been given.

01:08:02Professor Marchbanks and Tofty strolled among them,

01:08:04watching as they entered the precise positions of the stars and planets they were observing.

01:08:09All was quiet except for the rustle of parchment,

01:08:11the occasional creak of a telescope as it was adjusted on its stand,

01:08:15and the scribbling of many quills.

01:08:16Half an hour passed, then an hour.

01:08:18The little squares of reflected gold light flickering on the ground below

01:08:22started to vanish as lights in the castle windows were extinguished.

01:08:26As Harry completed the constellation Orion on his chart, however,

01:08:29the front doors of the castle opened directly below the parapet where he was standing,

01:08:34so that light spilled down the steps, the stone steps a little way across the lawn.

01:08:38Harry glanced down as he made a slight adjustment to the position of his telescope,

01:08:42and saw five or six elongated windows, or shadows, moving over the brightly lit grass,

01:08:48before the doors swung shut and the lawn became a sea of darkness once more.

01:08:52Harry put his eye back to his telescope and refocused it, now examining Venus.

01:08:57He looked down at his chart to enter the planet there, but something distracted him.

01:09:01Pausing with his quill suspended over the parchment, he squinted down into the shadowy

01:09:05grounds and saw half a dozen figures walking over the lawn.

01:09:09If they'd not been moving, and the moonlight had not been gliding the tops of their heads,

01:09:14they would have been indistinguishable from the dark ground on which they walked.

01:09:18Even at this distance, Harry had a funny feeling he recognised the walk

01:09:22of the squattest of them, who seemed to be leading the group.

01:09:25He could not think why Umbridge would be taking a stroll outside after midnight,

01:09:30much less accompanied by five others.

01:09:32Then somebody coughed behind him, and he remembered that he was halfway through an exam.

01:09:37He'd quite forgotten Venus' position.

01:09:39Jamming his eye to his telescope, he found it again,

01:09:41and was once more about to enter it on his chart when, alert for any odd sound,

01:09:46he heard a distant knock which echoed through the deserted grounds,

01:09:49followed immediately by the muffled barking of a large dog.

01:09:53He looked up, his heart hammering.

01:09:55There were lights on in Hagrid's windows,

01:09:57and the people he had observed crossing the lawn were now silhouetted against them.

01:10:01The door opened, and he distinctly saw six sharply defined figures walk over the threshold.

01:10:06The door closed again, and there was silence.

01:10:09Harry felt very uneasy.

01:10:11He glanced around to see whether Ron or Hermione had noticed what he had,

01:10:14but Professor Marchbanks came walking behind him at that moment,

01:10:17and not wanting to look as though he was sneaking looks at anyone else's work,

01:10:21Harry hastily bent over his star chart and pretended to be adding notes to it,

01:10:25while really peering over the top of the parapet towards Hagrid's cabin.

01:10:29Figures were now moving across the cabin windows, temporarily blocking the light.

01:10:34He could see Professor Marchbanks' eyes on the back of his neck,

01:10:37and pressed his eye again to the telescope,

01:10:40staring up at the moon, though he had marked his position an hour ago.

01:10:44But as Professor Marchbanks moved on, he heard a roar from the distant cabin

01:10:48that echoed through the darkness right to the top of the astronomy tower.

01:10:52Several of the people around Harry ducked out from behind their telescopes,

01:10:55and peered instead in the direction of Hagrid's cabin.

01:10:58Professor Tofty gave another dry little cough.

01:11:00Try and concentrate now, boys and girls, he said softly.

01:11:05Most people returned to their telescopes.

01:11:07Harry looked to his left.

01:11:09Hermione was gazing transfixed at Hagrid's cabin.

01:11:13Twenty minutes to go, said Professor Tofty.

01:11:16Hermione jumped and returned at once to her star chart.

01:11:19Harry looked down at his own, and noticed that he had mislabeled Venus as Mars.

01:11:23He bent to correct it.

01:11:24There was a loud bang from the grounds.

01:11:27Several people cried,

01:11:28Ouch!

01:11:28when they poked themselves in the face with the ends of their telescopes,

01:11:31as they hastened to see what was going on below.

01:11:34Hagrid's door had burst open, and by the light flooding out of the cabin,

01:11:37they saw him quite clearly, a massive figure roaring and brandishing his fists,

01:11:42surrounded by six people, all of whom, judging by the tiny threads of red light

01:11:46they were casting in his direction, seemed to be attempting to stun him.

01:11:50No, cried Hermione.

01:11:52My dear, said Professor Tofty in a scandalised voice,

01:11:55this is an examination.

01:11:58But nobody was paying the slightest attention to their star charts anymore.

01:12:02Jets of red light were still flying about beside Hagrid's cabin,

01:12:06yet somehow they seemed to be bouncing off him.

01:12:08He was still upright and still.

01:12:10As far as Harry could see, fighting.

01:12:12Cries and yells echoed across the grounds.

01:12:15A man yelled,

01:12:16Be reasonable, Hagrid!

01:12:17Hagrid roared,

01:12:18Reasonable, be damned!

01:12:20You won't take me like this, Dullish!

01:12:22Harry could see the tiny outline of Fang attempting to defend Hagrid,

01:12:26leaping repeatedly at the wizards surrounding him until a stunning spell

01:12:29caught him and he fell to the ground.

01:12:32Hagrid gave a howl of fury,

01:12:33lifted the culprit bodily from the ground and threw him.

01:12:36The man flew what looked like ten feet and did not get up again.

01:12:40Hermione gasped,

01:12:41both hands over her mouth.

01:12:42Harry looked around at Ron and saw that he too was looking scared.

01:12:45None of them had ever seen Hagrid in a real temper before.

01:12:49Look, squealed Pavarti,

01:12:50who was leaning over the parapet and pointing to the foot of the castle,

01:12:53where the front doors had opened again.

01:12:55More light was spilling out onto the dark lawn

01:12:58and a single long black shadow was now rippling across the lawn.

01:13:02Now, really, said Professor Tofty anxiously,

01:13:05only 16 minutes left, you know.

01:13:08But nobody paid him the slightest attention.

01:13:10They were watching the person,

01:13:12now sprinting towards the battle beside Hagrid's cabin.

01:13:16How dare you, the figure shouted as she ran.

01:13:18How dare you!

01:13:20It's McGonagall, whispered Hermione.

01:13:22Leave him alone, I say,

01:13:24said Professor McGonagall's voice through the darkness.

01:13:26On what grounds are you attacking him?

01:13:28He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such.

01:13:30Hermione, Pavarti and Lavender all screamed.

01:13:33The figures around the cabin had shot no fewer than four stunners

01:13:37at Professor McGonagall.

01:13:38Halfway between cabin and castle, the red beams collided with her.

01:13:42For a moment, she looked luminous and glowed an eerie red.

01:13:45Then she lifted right off her feet,

01:13:47landed hard on her back and moved no more.

01:13:50Galloping gargoyles, shouted Professor Tofty,

01:13:53who also seemed to have forgotten the exam completely.

01:13:57Not so much as a warning.

01:13:58Outrageous behaviour.

01:14:00Cowards, bellowed Hagrid.

01:14:02His voice carried clearly to the top of the tower

01:14:05and several lights flickered back on inside the castle.

01:14:07Ruddy cowards!

01:14:08Have some of that and that!

01:14:10Oh my, gasped Hermione.

01:14:12Hagrid took two massive swipes at his closest attackers.

01:14:15Judging by their immediate collapse, they had been knocked cold.

01:14:18Harry saw Hagrid double over

01:14:20and thought he had finally been overcome by a spell.

01:14:22But on the contrary.

01:14:24Next moment, Hagrid was standing against,

01:14:26again, with what appeared to be a sack on his back.

01:14:28Then Harry realised that Fang's limp body was draped around his shoulders.

01:14:34Get him!

01:14:35Screamed Umbridge.

01:14:36But her remaining helper seemed highly reluctant to go within reach of Hagrid's fists.

01:14:41Indeed, he was backing away so fast he tripped over

01:14:44one of his unconscious colleagues and fell over.

01:14:47Hagrid had turned and began to run with Fang still hung around his neck.

01:14:51Umbridge sent one last stunning spell after him, but it missed.

01:14:54And Hagrid, running full pelt towards the distant gates,

01:14:58disappeared into the darkness.

01:15:00There was a long minute's quivering silence

01:15:02as everybody gazed open-mouthed into the grounds.

01:15:05Then Professor Tofty's voice said feebly,

01:15:08Um, five minutes to go, everybody.

01:15:10Though he had only filled in two thirds of his chart,

01:15:13Harry was desperate for the exam to end.

01:15:15When it came at last, he, Ron and Hermione

01:15:17forced their telescopes haphazardly back into their holders

01:15:20and dashed back down the spiral staircase.

01:15:22None of the students were going to bed.

01:15:24They were all talking loudly and excitedly

01:15:26at the foot of the stairs about what they had witnessed.

01:15:28That evil woman, gasped Hermione,

01:15:31who seemed to be having difficulty talking due to rage,

01:15:34trying to sneak up on Hagrid in the dead of night.

01:15:38She clearly wanted to avoid another scene like Trelawney's,

01:15:41said Ernie Macmillan sagely, squeezing over to join them.

01:15:44Hagrid did well, didn't he, said Ron,

01:15:46who looked more alarmed than impressed.

01:15:48How come all the spells bounced off him?

01:15:51He'll be his giant blood, said Hermione shakily.

01:15:54It's very hard to stun a giant.

01:15:55They're like trolls, really, though.

01:15:57But poor Professor McGonagall, four stunners straight in the chest,

01:16:00and she's not exactly young, is she?

01:16:02Dreadful, dreadful, said Ernie, shaking his head pompously.

01:16:06Well, I'm off to bed. Night all.

01:16:08People around them were drifting away,

01:16:10still talking excitedly about what they had just seen.

01:16:13At least they didn't get to take Hagrid off to Azkaban, said Ron.

01:16:17I expect he's going to join Dumbledore, hasn't he?

01:16:20I suppose so, said Hermione, who looked tearful.

01:16:23This is awful.

01:16:24I really thought Dumbledore would be back before long,

01:16:26but now we've lost Hagrid too.

01:16:28They traipsed back to the Gryffindor common room to find it full.

01:16:31The commotion out in the grounds had woken several people,

01:16:34who had hastened to rouse their friends.

01:16:36Seamus and Dean, who had arrived ahead of Harry, Ron and Hermione,

01:16:39were now telling everyone what they had seen

01:16:41and heard from the top of the Astronomy Tower.

01:16:43But why sack Hagrid now? asked Angelina Johnson, shaking her head.

01:16:48It's not like Trelawney.

01:16:49He's been teaching much better than usual this year.

01:16:52Umbridge hates part humans, said Hermione bitterly,

01:16:55flopping down into an armchair.

01:16:57She was always going to try and get Hagrid out.

01:17:00And she thought Hagrid was putting Nifflers in her office, piped up Katie Bell.

01:17:04Oh blimey, said Lee Jordan, covering his mouth.

01:17:08It's me who's been putting the Nifflers in her office.

01:17:10Fred and George left me a couple.

01:17:12I've been levitating them in through her window.

01:17:14She'd have sacked him anyway, said Dean.

01:17:16He was too close to Dumbledore.

01:17:18That's true, said Harry, sinking into an armchair beside Hermione's.

01:17:22I just hope Professor McGonagall's all right, said Lavender tearfully.

01:17:25They carried her back up to the castle.

01:17:27We watched through the dormitory window, said Colin Creevy.

01:17:30She didn't look very well.

01:17:31Madame Pomfrey will sort her out, said Alicia Spinnett firmly.

01:17:34She's never failed yet.

01:17:36It was nearly four in the morning before the common room cleared.

01:17:39Harry felt wide awake.

01:17:40The image of Hagrid sprinting away into the dark was haunting him.

01:17:44He was so angry with Umbridge.

01:17:45He could not think of a punishment bad enough for her,

01:17:48though Ron's suggestion of having her fed to a box of starving blast-ended scroots had its merits.

01:17:53He fell asleep contemplating hideous revenges and arose from bed three hours later,

01:17:58feeling distantly, distinctly unrested.

01:18:02Their final exam, History of Magic, was not to take place until that afternoon.

01:18:06Harry would very much have liked to go back to bed after breakfast,

01:18:09but he had been counting on the morning for a spot of last-minute revision,

01:18:12so instead he sat with his head in his hands by the common room window,

01:18:16trying hard not to doze off as he read through

01:18:18some of the three-and-a-half-feet-high stack of notes that Hermione had left him.

01:18:23The Fifth Years entered the Great Hall at two o'clock

01:18:25and took their places in front of their face-down examination papers.

01:18:29Harry felt exhausted.

01:18:30He just wanted this to be over, so that he could go and sleep.

01:18:34Then tomorrow he and Ron were going to go down to the Quidditch pitch.

01:18:37He was going to have a fly on Ron's broom and savour their freedom from revision.

01:18:42"'Turn over your papers,' said Professor Marchbanks from the front of the hall,

01:18:46flicking over the giant hourglass.

01:18:48"'You may begin!'

01:18:49Harry stared fixedly at the first question.

01:18:52It was several seconds before it occurred to him that he had not taken in a word of it.

01:18:56There was a wasp buzzing distractingly against one of the high windows,

01:19:00slowly, torturously.

01:19:01He at last began to write an answer.

01:19:04He was finding it very difficult to remember names and kept confusing dates.

01:19:08He simply skipped question four.

01:19:10In your opinion, did wand legislation contribute to,

01:19:13or lead to, better control of goblin riots of the eighteenth century,

01:19:16thinking that he would go back to it if he had time at the end?

01:19:19He had a stab at question five.

01:19:21How was the Statute of Secrecy breached in 1749

01:19:25and what measures were introduced to prevent recurrence,

01:19:28but had a nagging suspicion that he had missed several important points.

01:19:31He had a feeling vampires had come into the story somewhere.

01:19:35He looked ahead for a question he could definitely answer

01:19:38and his eyes alighted upon number ten.

01:19:40Describe the circumstances that led to the formation of the

01:19:43International Confederation of Wizards

01:19:45and explain why the warlocks of Lichtenstein refused to join.

01:19:49I know this, Harry thought, though his brain felt torpid and slack.

01:19:52He could visualise a heading in Hermione's handwriting,

01:19:55the formation of the International Confederation of Wizards.

01:19:58He had read these notes only this morning.

01:20:00He began to write, looking up now and again to check the large hourglass on the desk

01:20:04beside Professor Marchbanks.

01:20:06He was sitting right behind Pavati Patil,

01:20:08whose long dark hair fell below the back of her chair.

01:20:11Once or twice he found himself staring at the tiny golden lights

01:20:15that glistened in it when she moved her head slightly

01:20:17and had to give his own head a little shake to clear it.

01:20:20The first supreme mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards

01:20:24was Pierre Bonacord,

01:20:26but his appointment was contested by the wizarding community of Lichtenstein because...

01:20:31All around Harry, Harry Quills was scratching on parchment like scurrying burrowing rats.

01:20:36The sun was very hot on the back of his head.

01:20:39What was it that Bonacord had done to offend the wizards of Lichtenstein?

01:20:43Harry had a feeling it had something to do with trolls.

01:20:46He gazed blankly at the back of Pavati's head again.

01:20:48If he could only perform the legilimency and open a window in the back of her head

01:20:52and see what it was about...

01:20:54was about...

01:20:54see if it was about trolls that caused the breach between Pierre Bonacord and Lichtenstein.

01:20:59Harry closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands

01:21:02so that the glowing red of his eyelids grew dark and cool.

01:21:05Bonacord had wanted to stop troll hunting and give the trolls rights,

01:21:09but Lichtenstein was having problems with a tribe of particularly vicious mountain trolls.

01:21:13That was it!

01:21:14He opened his eyes.

01:21:15They stung and watered at the sight of the blazing white parchment.

01:21:20Slowly he wrote two lines about the trolls,

01:21:22then read through what he had done so far.

01:21:24It did not seem very informative or detailed,

01:21:27yet he was sure Hermione's notes on the confederation had gone on for pages and pages.

01:21:31He closed his eyes again, trying to see them,

01:21:33trying to remember the confederation had met for the first time in France.

01:21:37Yes, he had written that already!

01:21:39Goblins had tried to attend and been ousted.

01:21:42He'd written that too!

01:21:43And nobody from Lichtenstein had wanted to come.

01:21:45Think, he told himself, his face in his hands,

01:21:48while all around him quills scratched out, never-ending answers,

01:21:51and the sand trickled through the hourglass at the front.

01:21:54He was walking along the cool, dark corridor to the Department of Mysteries again,

01:21:58walking with a firm and purposeful tread,

01:22:01breaking occasionally into a run, determined to reach his destination at last.

01:22:06The black door swung open for him as usual,

01:22:08and here he was in the circular room with its many doors.

01:22:12Straight across the stone floor, and through the second door,

01:22:15patches of dancing light on the walls and floor,

01:22:18and that odd, mechanical clicking.

01:22:20But no time to explore, he must hurry.

01:22:22He jogged the last few feet to the third door, which swung open just like the others.

01:22:27Once again he was in the cathedral-sized room full of shelves and glass spheres.

01:22:31His heart was beating very fast now.

01:22:33He was going to get there this time.

01:22:35When he reached number 97, he turned left and hurried along the aisle between two rows.

01:22:40But there was a shape on the floor at the very end.

01:22:43A black shape, moving on the floor like a wounded animal.

01:22:46Harry's stomach contracted with fear, with excitement.

01:22:50A voice issued from his own mouth.

01:22:52A high, cold voice, empty of any human kindness.

01:22:56Take it for me.

01:22:57Lift it down now.

01:22:58I cannot touch it, but you can.

01:23:01The black shape on the floor shifted a little.

01:23:03Harry saw a long-fingered, white hand clutching a wand rise at the end of his own arm.

01:23:09Heard the high, cold voice say,

01:23:12Crucio!

01:23:13The man on the floor let out a scream of pain, attempting to stand but fell back, writhing.

01:23:18Harry was laughing.

01:23:20He raised his wand.

01:23:21The curse lifted and the figure groaned and became motionless.

01:23:25Lord, Voldemort is waiting.

01:23:27Very slowly, his arms trembling, the man on the ground raised his shoulders a few inches

01:23:32and lifted his head.

01:23:33His face was bloodstained and gaunt, twisting, and twisted in pain yet rigid with defiance.

01:23:39You'll have to kill me, whispered Sirius.

01:23:42Undoubtedly, I shall in the end, said the cold voice.

01:23:46But you will fetch it for me first, Black.

01:23:49You think you have felt pain thus far?

01:23:51Think again.

01:23:52We have hours ahead of us and nobody to hear you scream.

01:23:57But somebody screamed as Voldemort lowered his wand again.

01:24:00Somebody yelled and fell sideways of a hot desk onto the cold stone floor.

01:24:05Harry awoke as he hit the ground, still yelling his scar on fire as the Great Hall erupted

01:24:10all around him.

01:24:14Chapter 32 Out of the Fire

01:24:17I'm not going.

01:24:18I don't need the hospital wing.

01:24:19I don't want...

01:24:20He was gibbering as he tried to pull away from Professor Tofty, who was looking at Harry

01:24:24with much concern after helping him out into the entrance hall, with all the students all

01:24:28around them staring.

01:24:29I'm fine, Sir, Harry stammered, wiping the sweat from his face.

01:24:33Really, I just fell asleep, had a nightmare.

01:24:36Pressure of examinations, said the old wizard sympathetically, patting Harry shakily on

01:24:41the shoulder.

01:24:42It happens, young man, it happens.

01:24:44Now a cooling drink of water and perhaps you will be ready to return to the Great Hall.

01:24:48The examination is nearly over, but you may be able to round off your last answer nicely.

01:24:53Yes, said Harry wildly.

01:24:55I mean, no, I've done as much as I can, I think.

01:24:58Very well, very well, said the old wizard gently.

01:25:01I shall go and collect your examination paper, and I suggest that you go and have a nice

01:25:05lie down.

01:25:06I'll do that, said Harry, nodding vigorously.

01:25:09Thanks very much.

01:25:10The second that the old man's heels disappeared over the threshold into the Great Hall, Harry

01:25:14ran up the marble staircase, hurtled along the corridors so fast the portraits he passed

01:25:19muttered reproaches, upped more flights of stairs, and finally burst like a hurricane

01:25:23through the double doors of the hospital wing, causing Madame Pomfrey, who had been spooning

01:25:27some bright blue liquid into Montague's open mouth, to shriek in alarm.

01:25:31Potter, what do you think you're doing?

01:25:33I need to see Professor McGonagall, gasped Harry, the breath tearing from his lungs.

01:25:38Now, it's urgent.

01:25:39She's not here, Potter, said Madame Pomfrey sadly.

01:25:42She was transferred to St Mungo's this morning.

01:25:44Four stunning spells straight to the chest at her age.

01:25:47It's a wonder they didn't kill her.

01:25:49She's gone, said Harry, shocked.

01:25:51The bell rang just outside the dormitory as he heard the usual distant rumbling of students

01:25:56starting to flood out into the corridors above and below him.

01:25:59He remained quite still, looking at Madame Pomfrey.

01:26:01Terror was rising inside him.

01:26:04There was nobody left to tell.

01:26:05Dumbledore had gone.

01:26:06Hagrid had gone.

01:26:07But he had always expected Professor McGonagall to be there, harassable and inflexible perhaps,

01:26:12but always dependable, solidly present.

01:26:16I don't wonder you're shocked, Potter, said Madame Pomfrey, with a head kind of fierce

01:26:21approval in her face, as if one of them could have stunned Minerva McGonagall

01:26:25face-on by daylight.

01:26:27Cowardice, that's what it was.

01:26:28Despicable cowardice.

01:26:30If I wasn't worried, what would happen to you students without me?

01:26:33I'd resign in protest.

01:26:34Yes, said Harry blankly.

01:26:36He strode blindly from the hospital wing into the teeming corridor where he stood,

01:26:40buffeted by the crowd, panic expanding inside him like poison gas,

01:26:44so that his head swam, and he could not think what to do.

01:26:47Ron and Hermione, said a voice in his head.

01:26:49He was running again, pushing students out of the way, oblivious to their angry protests.

01:26:55He sprinted back down two floors, and was at the top of the marble staircase when he

01:26:58saw them hurrying towards him.

01:27:00Harry, said Hermione at once, looking very frightened.

01:27:03What happened?

01:27:04Are you all right?

01:27:05Are you ill?

01:27:06Where have you been?

01:27:07Demanded Ron.

01:27:08Come with me, Harry said quickly.

01:27:10Come on, I've got to tell you something.

01:27:12He led them along the first floor corridor, peering through doorways, and at last found

01:27:16an empty classroom into which he dived, closing the door behind Ron and Hermione the moment

01:27:20they were inside, and leaned against it, facing them.

01:27:23Voldemort's got Sirius.

01:27:25What?

01:27:26How do you...?

01:27:27Saw it, just now, when I fell asleep in the exam.

01:27:30But where?

01:27:31How?

01:27:31Said Hermione, whose face was white.

01:27:33I don't know, said Harry, but I know exactly where.

01:27:36There's a room in the Department of Mysteries, full of shelves, covered in these little glass

01:27:39balls, and they're at the end of row 97.

01:27:42He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from in there.

01:27:46He's torturing him.

01:27:47Says he'll end by killing him.

01:27:50Harry found his voice was shaking, as were his knees.

01:27:53He moved over to a desk and sat down on it, trying to master himself.

01:27:56How are we going to get there?

01:27:58He asked them.

01:27:58There was a moment's silence.

01:28:00Then Ron said,

01:28:02Get there?

01:28:03Get to the Department of Mysteries, so we can rescue Sirius, Harry said loudly.

01:28:07But Harry, said Ron weakly.

01:28:10What?

01:28:11Said Harry.

01:28:11He could not understand why they were both gaping at him, as though he was asking them

01:28:15something unreasonable.

01:28:16Harry, said Hermione in a rather frightened voice.

01:28:20How?

01:28:20How did Voldemort get into the Ministry of Magic without anybody realising he was there?

01:28:25How do I know?

01:28:26Bellowed Harry.

01:28:27The question is how we're going to get in there.

01:28:29But Harry, think about this, said Hermione, taking a step towards him.

01:28:34It's five o'clock in the afternoon.

01:28:35The Ministry of Magic must be full of workers.

01:28:38How would Voldemort and Sirius have got in without being seen?

01:28:41Harry, they're probably the two most wanted wizards in the world.

01:28:44You think they could get into a building full of Aurors undetected?

01:28:48I don't know.

01:28:48Voldemort used an invisibility cloak or something, Harry shouted.

01:28:52Anyway, the Department of Mysteries has always been completely empty whenever I've been…

01:28:56You've never been there, Harry, said Hermione quietly.

01:28:59You've dreamed about the place, that's all.

01:29:02They're not normal dreams, Harry shouted in her face, standing up and taking a step

01:29:07closer to her in turn.

01:29:08He wanted to shake her.

01:29:09How do you explain Ron's dad then?

01:29:11What was that all about?

01:29:12How come I knew what had happened to him?

01:29:14He's got a point, said Ron quietly, looking at Hermione.

01:29:17But this is just… this is just so unlikely, said Hermione desperately.

01:29:22Harry, how on earth could Voldemort have got hold of Sirius when he's been at Grimmauld

01:29:26Place all the time?

01:29:27Sirius might have cracked and just wanted some fresh air, said Ron, sounding worried.

01:29:31He's been desperate to get out of that house for ages.

01:29:34But why, Hermione persisted, why on earth would Voldemort want to use Sirius to get

01:29:39the weapon or whatever the thing is?

01:29:41I don't know.

01:29:41There could be loads of reasons, Harry yelled at her.

01:29:44Maybe Sirius is just someone Voldemort doesn't care about seeing hurt.

01:29:48You know what?

01:29:49I've just thought of something, said Ron in a hushed voice.

01:29:52Sirius's brother was a death eater, wasn't he?

01:29:54Maybe he told Sirius the secret of how to get the weapon.

01:29:57Yeah, and that's why Dumbledore's been so keen to keep Sirius locked up all this

01:30:01time, said Harry.

01:30:02Look, I'm sorry, cried Hermione, but neither of you is making sense.

01:30:06And we've got no proof for any of this.

01:30:08No proof Voldemort and Sirius are even there.

01:30:11Hermione.

01:30:12Harry's seen them, said Ron, rounding on her.

01:30:14Okay, she said, looking frightened yet determined.

01:30:17I've just got to say this.

01:30:19What?

01:30:19You.

01:30:20This isn't a criticism, Harry, but you do, sort of.

01:30:24I mean, don't you think you've got a bit of a...

01:30:27a saving people thing, she said.

01:30:29He glared at her.

01:30:31And what's that supposed to mean?

01:30:32A saving people thing?

01:30:33Well, you...

01:30:34She looked more apprehensive than ever.

01:30:36I mean, last year, for instance, in the lake, during the tournament.

01:30:40You shouldn't have.

01:30:41You didn't have to save that little Delacour girl.

01:30:44You got a bit carried away.

01:30:46A wave of hot, prickly anger swept through Harry's body.

01:30:50How could she remind him of that blunder now?

01:30:53I mean, it was really great of you and everything, said Hermione quickly,

01:30:56looking positively petrified at the look on Harry's face.

01:30:59Everyone thought it was a wonderful thing to do.

01:31:01That's funny, said Harry in a trembling voice,

01:31:04because I definitely remember Ron saying I'd wasted time acting the hero.

01:31:08Is that what you think this is?

01:31:09You reckon I want to act the hero again?

01:31:12No, no, no, said Hermione, looking aghast.

01:31:14That's not what I mean at all.

01:31:15Well, spit out what you've got to say,

01:31:17because we're wasting time here, Harry shouted.

01:31:20I'm trying to say, Voldemort knows you, Harry.

01:31:23He took Ginny down into the Chamber of Secrets to lure you there.

01:31:26It's the kind of thing he does.

01:31:28He knows you're the sort of person who'd go to Sirius's aid.

01:31:31What if he's just trying to get you into the Department of Mis...

01:31:35Hermione, it doesn't matter if he's done it to get me there or not.

01:31:38They've taken McGonagall to St Mungo's.

01:31:40There isn't anyone from the Order left at Hogwarts who we can tell.

01:31:43And if we don't go, Sirius is dead.

01:31:46But Harry, what if your dream was... was just that?

01:31:50A dream?

01:31:51Harry let a roar of frustration out.

01:31:53Hermione actually stepped back from him, looking alarmed.

01:31:56You don't get it!

01:31:57Harry shouted at her.

01:31:58I'm not having nightmares.

01:31:59I'm not just dreaming.

01:32:01What do you think all that occupancy was for?

01:32:03Why do you think Dumbledore wanted me prevented from seeing these things?

01:32:06Because they're real!

01:32:07Hermione, Sirius is trapped.

01:32:09I've seen him.

01:32:10Voldemort's got him and no one else knows.

01:32:12And that means we're the only ones who can save him.

01:32:14And if you don't want to do it, fine, but I'm going.

01:32:16Understand?

01:32:17And if I remember rightly, you didn't have any problem with my saving people thing

01:32:21when it was you I was saving from the Dementors.

01:32:24Or, he rounded on Ron, when it was your sister I was saving from the Basilisk.

01:32:28I never said I had a problem, said Ron heatedly.

01:32:31But Harry, you've just said it, said Hermione fiercely.

01:32:34Dumbledore wanted you to learn to shut these things out of your mind.

01:32:37If you'd done occupancy properly, you'd never be...

01:32:39you'd never have seen this.

01:32:41If you think I'm just going to act like I haven't seen...

01:32:44Sirius told you there was nothing more important than you learning to close your mind.

01:32:48Well, I expect he'd say something different if he knew what I just...

01:32:52The classroom door opened.

01:32:53Harry, Ron and Hermione whipped around.

01:32:56Ginny walked in, looking curious, followed by Luna,

01:32:58who, as usual, looked as though she had drifted in accidentally.

01:33:02Hi, said Ginny uncertainly.

01:33:04We recognised Harry's voice.

01:33:05What are you yelling about?

01:33:07Never you mind, said Harry roughly.

01:33:09Ginny raised her eyebrows.

01:33:10There's no need to take that tone with me, she said coolly.

01:33:13I was only wondering whether I could help.

01:33:15Well, you can't, said Harry shortly.

01:33:17You're being rather rude, you know, said Luna serenely.

01:33:20Harry swore and turned away.

01:33:22The very last thing he wanted now was a conversation with Luna Lovegood.

01:33:26Wait, said Hermione suddenly.

01:33:28Wait, Harry, they can help.

01:33:30Harry and Ron looked at her.

01:33:31Listen, she said urgently.

01:33:33Harry, we need to establish whether Sirius really has left headquarters.

01:33:37I've told you.

01:33:38I saw.

01:33:39Harry, I'm begging you, please, said Hermione desperately.

01:33:42Please, let's just check that Sirius isn't at home before we go charging off to London.

01:33:48If we find out he's not there, then I swear I won't try to stop you.

01:33:51I'll come.

01:33:52I'll do whatever it takes to try and save him.

01:33:55Sirius is being tortured now, shouted Harry.

01:33:59We haven't got time to waste.

01:34:00But if this is a trick of Voldemort's, Harry, we've got to check.

01:34:03We've got to.

01:34:04How, Harry demanded.

01:34:06How are we going to check?

01:34:07We'll have to use Umbridge's fire and see if we can contact him, said Hermione,

01:34:11who looked positively terrified at the fort.

01:34:13We'll draw Umbridge away again, but we'll need lookouts,

01:34:16and that's where we can use Ginny and Luna.

01:34:18Though clearly struggling to understand what was going on, Ginny said immediately,

01:34:22Yeah, we'll do it.

01:34:23And Luna said,

01:34:24When you say Sirius, are you talking about Stubby Boardman?

01:34:28Nobody answered her.

01:34:29Okay, Harry said aggressively at Hermione.

01:34:31Okay, if you can think of a way of doing this quickly, I'm with you.

01:34:35Otherwise, I'm going to the Department of Mysteries right now.

01:34:38The Department of Mysteries, said Luna, looking mildly surprised.

01:34:41But how are you going to get there?

01:34:44Again, Harry ignored her.

01:34:45Right, said Hermione, twisting her hands together and pacing up and down between the desks.

01:34:50Right, well, one of us has to go and find Umbridge and send her off in the wrong direction,

01:34:55keep her away from her office.

01:34:56They could tell her, I don't know, that Peeves is up to something awful as usual.

01:35:00I'll do it, said Ron at once.

01:35:02I'll tell her Peeves is smashing up the Transfiguration Department or something.

01:35:06It's miles away from her office.

01:35:08Come to think of it, I could probably persuade Peeves to do it if I met him on the way.

01:35:13It was a mark of the seriousness of the situation that Hermione made no objection

01:35:17to the smashing up of the Transfiguration Department.

01:35:20Okay, she said, her brow furrowed as she continued to pace.

01:35:23Now, we need to keep students right away from her office while we force entry,

01:35:28or some Slytherin's bound to go and tip her off.

01:35:30Luna and I can stand at either end of the corridor, said Ginny promptly,

01:35:34and warn people not to go down there because someone's let off a load of garrotting gas.

01:35:39Hermione looked surprised at the readiness with which Ginny had come up with this lie.

01:35:43Ginny shrugged and said, Fred and George were planning to do it before they left.

01:35:47Okay, said Hermione.

01:35:48Well then, Harry, you and I will be under the invisibility cloak,

01:35:51and we'll sneak into the office and you can talk to Sirius.

01:35:54He's not there, Hermione.

01:35:55I mean, you can check whether Sirius is at home or not while I keep watch.

01:36:00I don't think you should be in there alone.

01:36:02Let's...

01:36:03Lee's already proved the windows a weak spot, sending those nifflers through it.

01:36:07Even though his anger and impatience, Harry recognised Hermione's offer to

01:36:11accompany him into Umbridge's office as a sign of solidarity and loyalty.

01:36:15I...

01:36:16Okay, thanks, he muttered.

01:36:18Right, well, even if we do all of that,

01:36:20I don't think we're going to be able to bank on more than five minutes, said Hermione,

01:36:23looking relieved that Harry seemed to have accepted the plan.

01:36:26Not with Filch and the wretched inquisitorial squad floating around.

01:36:30Five minutes will be enough, said Harry.

01:36:31Come on, let's go.

01:36:32Now, said Hermione, looking shocked.

01:36:34Of course now, said Harry angrily.

01:36:36What do you think?

01:36:37What did you think, we're going to wait until after dinner or something?

01:36:40Hermione, Sirius is being tortured right now.

01:36:43Oh, I...

01:36:45All right, she said desperately.

01:36:47You go and get the invisibility cloak and we'll meet you at the end of Umbridge's corridor, okay?

01:36:53Harry didn't answer, but flung himself out of the room and began to flight his way

01:36:58through the milling crowds outside.

01:37:00Two floors up, he met Seamus and Dean, who hailed him jovially and told him they were

01:37:05planning a dusk till dawn, end of exam celebration in the common room.

01:37:09Harry barely heard them.

01:37:10He scrambled through the portrait hall while they were still arguing about how many black

01:37:14market butterbeers they would need and was climbing back out of it, the invisibility

01:37:18cloak and Sirius's knife secure in his bag before they noticed he had left them.

01:37:22Harry, do you want to chip in with a couple of galleons?

01:37:25Harold Dingle reckons he could sell us some fire whiskey.

01:37:29But Harry was already tearing away back down the corridor and a couple of minutes later

01:37:32was jumping the last few stairs to join Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Luna, who were huddled

01:37:37together at the end of Umbridge's corridor.

01:37:39Got it, he panted.

01:37:41Ready to go.

01:37:42Ready to go then?

01:37:43All right, whispered Hermione as a gang of loud six years passed them.

01:37:48Sir Ron, you go and head Umbridge off.

01:37:50Ginny, Luna, if you can start moving people out of the corridor, Harry and I will get

01:37:55the cloak on and wait until the coast is clear.

01:37:58Ron strode away, his bright red hair visible right to the end of the passage.

01:38:02Meanwhile, Ginny's equally vivid head bobbed between the jostling students, surrounding

01:38:07them in the other direction, trailed by Luna's blonde one.

01:38:10Get over here, muttered Hermione, tugging at Harry's wrist and pulling him back into

01:38:14a recess where the ugly stone head of a medieval wizard stood muttering to itself in a column.

01:38:19Ah, are you sure you're okay, Harry?

01:38:22You're still very pale.

01:38:23I'm fine, he said shortly, tugging the invisibility cloak from out of his bag.

01:38:28In truth, his scar was aching, but not so badly that he thought Voldemort had yet dealt

01:38:32Sirius a fatal blow.

01:38:34It had hurt much worse than this when Voldemort had been punishing Avery.

01:38:38Here, he said, he threw the invisibility cloak over both of them, and they stood listening

01:38:42carefully over the Latin mumblings of the bust in front of them.

01:38:46You can't come down here, Ginny was calling to the crowd.

01:38:49No, sorry, you're going to have to go round by the swivelling staircase.

01:38:52Someone's let off garrotting gas just along here.

01:38:55They could hear people complaining.

01:38:57One short, surly voice said, I can't see no gas.

01:39:00That's because of its colourlessness.

01:39:03Colourless, said Ginny in a convincing, exasperated voice.

01:39:07But if you want to walk through it, carry on.

01:39:09Then we'll have your body as proof for the next idiot who doesn't believe us.

01:39:14Slowly, the crowd finned.

01:39:15The news about the garrotting gas seemed to have spread.

01:39:18People were not coming this way anymore.

01:39:20When at last the surrounding area was quite clear, Hermione said quietly,

01:39:24I think that's as good as we're going to get, Harry.

01:39:26Come on, let's do it.

01:39:28They moved forwards, covered by the cloak.

01:39:30Luna was standing with her back to them at the far end of the corridor,

01:39:34and as they passed, Ginny, Hermione whispered,

01:39:36Good one.

01:39:37Don't forget the signal.

01:39:38What's the signal, muttered Harry, as they approached Umbridge's door?

01:39:42A loud chorus of Weasley is our king, if they see Umbridge coming, replied Hermione,

01:39:46as Harry inserted the blade of Sirius's knife in the crack between door and wall.

01:39:51The lock clicked open and they entered the office.

01:39:54The garish kittens were basking in the late afternoon sunshine that was warming their plates,

01:39:59but otherwise the office was as still and unoccupied as last time.

01:40:03Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

01:40:05I thought she might have added extra security after the second Niffler.

01:40:09They pulled off the cloak.

01:40:10Hermione hurried over to the window and stood out of sight,

01:40:13peering down into the grounds with her wand out.

01:40:15Harry dashed over to the fireplace, seized the pot of flue powder,

01:40:19and threw a pinch into the grate, causing emerald flames to burst into life there.

01:40:23He knelt down quickly, thrust his head into the dancing fire, and cried,

01:40:27Number 12! Grim old place!

01:40:30His head began to spin, as though he had just got off a fairground ride,

01:40:33though his knees remained firmly planted on the cold office floor.

01:40:37He kept his eyes screwed up against the whirling ash, and when the spinning stopped,

01:40:40he opened them to find himself looking out at the long, cold kitchen of Grim old place.

01:40:45There was nobody there.

01:40:47He had expected this, yet was not prepared for the molten wave of dread and panic

01:40:52that seemed to burst through his stomach at the sight of the deserted room.

01:40:56Sirius! he shouted.

01:40:57Sirius! Are you there?

01:41:00His voice echoed around the room, but there was no answer,

01:41:03except a tiny scuffling sound to the right of the fire.

01:41:06Who's there? he called, wondering whether it was just a mouse.

01:41:10Creature, the house elf, crept into view.

01:41:12He looked highly delighted about something,

01:41:14though he seemed to have recently sustained a nasty injury to both hands,

01:41:18which were heavily bandaged.

01:41:20It's the potter boy's head in the fire!

01:41:23Creature informed the empty kitchen, stealing furtive, oddly triumphant glasses at Harry.

01:41:29What has he come for, Creature wonders?

01:41:32Where's Sirius, Creature, Harry demanded.

01:41:34The house elf gave a wheezy chuckle.

01:41:37Master has gone out, Harry Potter.

01:41:39Where's he gone?

01:41:40Where's he gone, Creature?

01:41:42Creature merely cackled.

01:41:43I'm warning you, said Harry, fully aware that his scope for inflicting punishment upon Creature

01:41:48was almost non-existent in this position.

01:41:50What about Lupin, Mad-Eye, any of them?

01:41:53Are any of them there?

01:41:54Nobody here but Creature, said the elf gleefully,

01:41:58and turning away from Harry,

01:41:59he began to walk slowly towards the door at the end of the kitchen.

01:42:02Creature thinks he will have a little chat with his mistress now.

01:42:06Yes, he hasn't had a chance in a long time.

01:42:09Creature's master has been keeping him away from her.

01:42:12Where has Sirius gone?

01:42:14Harry yelled after the elf.

01:42:15Creature, has he gone to the Department of Mysteries?

01:42:19Creature stopped in his tracks.

01:42:21Harry could just make out the back of his bald head

01:42:23through the forest of chair legs before him.

01:42:26Master does not tell poor Creature where he is going,

01:42:29said the elf quietly.

01:42:31But you know, shouted Harry, don't you?

01:42:33You know where he is.

01:42:35There was a moment's silence, then the elf let out his loudest cackle yet.

01:42:40Master will not come back from the Department of Mysteries,

01:42:44he said gleefully.

01:42:45Creature and his mistress are alone again.

01:42:49And he scurried forwards and disappeared through the door to the hall.

01:42:53You!

01:42:54But before he could utter a single curse or insult,

01:42:56Harry felt a great pain at the top of his head.

01:42:59He inhaled a lot of ash and, choking,

01:43:01found himself being dragged backwards through the flames

01:43:04until, with a horrible abruptness,

01:43:06he was staring up into the wide, pallid face of Professor Umbridge,

01:43:10who had dragged him backwards out of the fire by the hair

01:43:13and was now bending his neck back as far as it would go,

01:43:15as though she were going to slit his throat.

01:43:18You think, she whispered, bending Harry's neck back even further

01:43:22so that he was looking up at the ceiling.

01:43:23That after two nifflers I was going to let one more foul,

01:43:27scavenging little creature enter my office without my knowledge?

01:43:30I had stealth-censoring spells placed all around my doorway

01:43:34after the last one got in, you foolish boy.

01:43:36Take his wand, she barked at someone he could not see,

01:43:40and he felt a hand grope inside the chest pocket of his robes

01:43:43and remove the wand.

01:43:44Hers, too.

01:43:45Harry heard a scuffle over by the door

01:43:47and knew that Hermione had also just had her wand wrested from her.

01:43:51I want to know why you were in my office, said Umbridge,

01:43:54shaking the fist, clutching his hair so that he staggered.

01:43:59I was trying to get my firebolt, Harry croaked.

01:44:03Liar, she shook his head again.

01:44:05Your firebolt is under strict guard in the dungeons,

01:44:07as you well know, Potter.

01:44:08You had your head in my fire.

01:44:10With whom have you been communicating?

01:44:13No one, said Harry, trying to pull away from her.

01:44:16He felt several hairs part company with his scalp.

01:44:20Liar, shouted Umbridge.

01:44:21She threw him from her, and he slammed into the desk.

01:44:24Now he could see Hermione,

01:44:26pinioned against the wall by Millicent Bullestrode.

01:44:29Malfoy was leaning at the windowsill,

01:44:31smirking as he threw Harry's wand into the air one-handed

01:44:34and caught it again.

01:44:35There was a commotion outside,

01:44:36and several large Slytherins entered,

01:44:38each gripping Ron, Ginny, Luna,

01:44:41and, to Harry's bewilderment, Neville,

01:44:43who was trapped in a stranglehold by Crabbe

01:44:46and looked in imminent danger of suffocation.

01:44:48All four of them had been gagged.

01:44:50Got them all, said Warrington,

01:44:52shoving Ron roughly forwards into the room.

01:44:54That one, he poked a thick finger at Neville.

01:44:57Tried to stop me taking her, he pointed at Ginny,

01:45:00who was trying to kick the shins

01:45:01of the large Slytherin girl holding her.

01:45:03So I brought him along too.

01:45:05Good, good, said Umbridge, watching Ginny's struggles.

01:45:08Well, it looks as though Hogwarts

01:45:09will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?

01:45:12Malfoy laughed loudly and sycophantically.

01:45:16Umbridge gave her a wide, complacent smile

01:45:19and settled herself into a chintz-covered armchair,

01:45:22blinking up at her captives like a toad in a flowerbed.

01:45:26So, Potter, she said, you stationed lookouts around my office

01:45:30and you sent this buffoon, she nodded at Ron.

01:45:32Malfoy laughed even louder,

01:45:34to tell me the poltergeist was wreaking havoc

01:45:36in the Transfiguration Department,

01:45:38when I knew perfectly well that he was busy

01:45:40smearing ink on the eyepieces of the school telescopes.

01:45:44Mr Filch, having just informed me so.

01:45:47Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody.

01:45:50Was it Albus Dumbledore?

01:45:51Or the half-breed Hagrid?

01:45:53I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall.

01:45:55I hear she is still too ill to talk to anyone.

01:45:58Malfoy and a few of the other members

01:46:01of the Inquisitorial Squad laughed some more at that.

01:46:04Harry found he was so full of rage and hatred he was shaking.

01:46:07It's none of your business who I talk to, he snarled.

01:46:10Umbridge's slack face seemed to tighten.

01:46:12Very well, she said in her most dangerous and falsely sweet voice.

01:46:17Very well, Mr Potter.

01:46:18I offered you the chance to tell me freely.

01:46:20You refused.

01:46:21I have no alternative but to force you.

01:46:24Draco, fetch Professor Snape.

01:46:27Malfoy stowed Harry's wand inside his robes

01:46:29and left the room smirking, but Harry hardly noticed.

01:46:32He had just realized something.

01:46:34He could not believe he'd been so stupid as to forget it.

01:46:36He had thought that all the members of the Order,

01:46:39all those who could help him save Sirius, were gone.

01:46:42But he had been wrong.

01:46:43There was still a member of the Order of the Phoenix at Hogwarts, Snape.

01:46:48There was silence in the office except for the fidgetings

01:46:50and scufflings resulting from the Slytherin's efforts

01:46:53to keep Ron and the others under control.

01:46:55Ron's lip was bleeding onto Umbridge's carpet

01:46:58as he struggled against Warrington's half Nelson.

01:47:01Ginny was still trying to stamp on the feet of the six-year-girl

01:47:04who had both her arms, her upper arms in a tight grip.

01:47:08Neville was turning steadily more purple in the face

01:47:10while tugging at Crabbe's arms,

01:47:12and Hermione was attempting in vain to throw Millicent Bulstrode off her.

01:47:16Luna, however, stood limply by the side of her captor,

01:47:18gazing vaguely out of the window as though rather bored by the proceedings.

01:47:22Harry looked back at Umbridge, who was watching him closely.

01:47:25He kept his face deliberately smooth and blank

01:47:27as footsteps were heard in the corridor outside,

01:47:30and Draco Malfoy came back into the room, holding open the door for Snape.

01:47:34You wanted to see me, Headmistress?

01:47:37said Snape, looking around at all the pairs of struggling students,

01:47:41with an expression of complete indifference.

01:47:43Ah, Professor Snape, said Umbridge, smiling widely and standing up again.

01:47:48Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please.

01:47:53You took my last bottle, to interrogate Potter, he said,

01:47:57observing her coolly through his greasy curtains of black hair.

01:48:01Surely you did not use it all?

01:48:03I told you that three drops would be sufficient.

01:48:06Umbridge flushed.

01:48:08You can make some more, can't you? she said,

01:48:10her voice becoming more sweetly girlish, as it always did when she was furious.

01:48:15Certainly, said Snape, his lip curling.

01:48:18It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month.

01:48:24A month? squawked Umbridge, swelling toadishly.

01:48:27A month? But I need it this evening.

01:48:29Snape, I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person, or persons unknown.

01:48:34Really? said Snape, showing his first faint sign of interest as he looked around at Harry.

01:48:40Well, it doesn't surprise me.

01:48:42Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules.

01:48:46His cold dark eyes were boring into Harry's, who met his gaze unflinchingly,

01:48:51concentrating hard on what he had seen in his dream,

01:48:54willing Snape to read it in his mind, to understand.

01:48:58I wish to interrogate him, shouted Umbridge angrily,

01:49:01and Snape looked away from Harry, back into her furiously quivering face.

01:49:05I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth.

01:49:10I have already told you, said Snape smoothly,

01:49:13that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum unless you wish to poison Potter,

01:49:18and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did.

01:49:22I cannot help you.

01:49:23The only trouble is that most Venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling.

01:49:29Snape looked back at Harry, who stared at him, frantic to communicate without words.

01:49:33Voldemort's got serious in the Department of Mysteries, he thought desperately.

01:49:37Voldemort's got serious.

01:49:39You are on probation, shrieked Professor Umbridge,

01:49:42and Snape looked back at her, his eyebrows slightly raised.

01:49:45You are being deliberately unhelpful.

01:49:48I expected better.

01:49:50Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you.

01:49:53Now get out of my office!

01:49:55Snape gave her an ironic bow and turned to leave.

01:49:58Harry knew his last chance of letting the Order know what was going on was walking out of the door.

01:50:03He's got Padfoot, he shouted.

01:50:05He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden.

01:50:08Snape had stopped with his hand on Umbridge's door handle.

01:50:11Padfoot, cried Professor Umbridge, looking eagerly from Harry to Snape.

01:50:15What is Padfoot?

01:50:17What is hidden?

01:50:18What does he mean, Snape?

01:50:20Snape looked around at Harry.

01:50:22His face was inscrutable.

01:50:23Harry could not tell whether he had understood or not,

01:50:26but he did not dare speak more plainly in front of Umbridge.

01:50:30I have no idea, said Snape coldly.

01:50:33Potter, when I want nonsense, shouted at me.

01:50:36I shall give you a babbling beverage.

01:50:39And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little.

01:50:41If Longbottom suffocates, it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork,

01:50:44and I'm afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job.

01:50:50He closed the door behind him with a snap,

01:50:52leaving Harry in a state of worse turmoil than before.

01:50:55Snape had been his very last hope.

01:50:57He looked at Umbridge, who seemed to be feeling the same way.

01:51:00Her chest was heaving with rage and frustration.

01:51:02Very well, she said, and she pulled out her wand.

01:51:05Very well.

01:51:06I am left with no alternative.

01:51:08There is more than a matter of school discipline.

01:51:10This is an issue of ministry security.

01:51:13Yes, yes.

01:51:14She seemed to be talking herself into something.

01:51:16She was shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot,

01:51:18staring at Harry, beating her wand against her empty palm, and breathing heavily.

01:51:23As he watched her, Harry felt horribly powerless without his own wand.

01:51:27You are forcing me, Potter.

01:51:29I do not want to, said Umbridge, still moving restlessly on the spot.

01:51:32But sometimes circumstances justify the use.

01:51:35I am sure the ministry, the minister, will understand that I had no choice.

01:51:40Malfoy was watching her with a hungry expression on his face.

01:51:43The Cruciatus curse ought to loosen your tongue, said Umbridge quietly.

01:51:47No, shrieked Hermione.

01:51:49Professor Umbridge, it's illegal.

01:51:51But Umbridge took no notice.

01:51:53There was a nasty, eager, excited look on her face that Harry had never seen before.

01:51:57She raised her wand.

01:51:58The minister wouldn't want you to break the law.

01:52:02Professor Umbridge, cried Hermione.

01:52:04What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him, said Umbridge,

01:52:09who was now panting slightly as she pointed her wand at different parts of Harry's body in turn,

01:52:13apparently trying to decide where it would hurt most.

01:52:17He never knew I ordered Dementors to go after Potter last summer,

01:52:20but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him all the same.

01:52:24It was you, gasped Gary.

01:52:26You, asked Harry.

01:52:27You sent the Dementors after me.

01:52:29Somebody had to act, breathed Umbridge as her wand came to rest,

01:52:33pointedly pointing directly at Harry's forehead.

01:52:36They were all bleating about silencing you somehow, discrediting you.

01:52:40But I was the one who actually did something about it.

01:52:42Only you wriggled out of that one, didn't you, Potter?

01:52:45Not today, though.

01:52:46Not now.

01:52:47And taking a deep breath, she cried.

01:52:50No, shouted Hermione in a cracked voice from behind Millicent Bulstrode.

01:52:55No, Harry, we'll have to tell her.

01:52:58No way, yelled Harry, staring at the little of Hermione he could see.

01:53:02We'll have to, Harry.

01:53:03She'll force it out of you anyway.

01:53:05What's the point?

01:53:07And Hermione began to cry weakly into the back of Millicent Bulstrode's robes.

01:53:11Millicent stopped trying to squash her against the wall

01:53:14immediately and dodged out of her way, looking disgusted.

01:53:17Well, well, well, said Umbridge, looking triumphant.

01:53:19Little Miss Question All is going to give us some answers.

01:53:23Come on then, girl.

01:53:24Come on.

01:53:25Uh, my knee.

01:53:28No, shouted Ron through his gag.

01:53:31Ginny was staring at Hermione as though she had never seen her before.

01:53:34Neville, still choking for breath, was gazing at her too.

01:53:37But Harry had just noticed something.

01:53:39Though Hermione was sobbing desperately into her hands, there was no trace of a tear.

01:53:44I'm, I'm sorry everyone, said Hermione, but I can't stand it.

01:53:49That's right.

01:53:50That's right, girl, said Umbridge, seizing Hermione by the shoulders,

01:53:53thrusting her into the abandoned chintz chair and leaning over her.

01:53:56Now then, with whom was Potter communicating just now?

01:54:01Well, gulped Hermione into her hands.

01:54:03Well, he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore.

01:54:07Ron froze, his eyes wide.

01:54:10Ginny stopped trying to stamp on her slivering captor's toes,

01:54:12and even Luna looked mildly surprised.

01:54:15Fortunately, the attention of Umbridge and her minions was focused too exclusively

01:54:20upon Hermione to notice these suspicious signs.

01:54:22Dumbledore, said Umbridge eagerly, you know where Dumbledore is then?

01:54:26Well, no, sobbed Hermione.

01:54:29We've tried the leaky cauldron in Diagon Alley,

01:54:31and the three broomsticks, and even the hog's head.

01:54:34Idiot, girl, Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the whole ministry's looking for him,

01:54:39shouted Umbridge, disappointment etched in every sagging line of her face.

01:54:43But... but we needed to tell him something important, wailed Hermione,

01:54:47holding her hands more tightly over her face,

01:54:50not, Harry knew, out of anguish, but to disguise the continued absence of tears.

01:54:55Yes, said Umbridge, with a sudden resurgence of excitement.

01:54:58What was it you wanted to tell him?

01:55:00We wanted to tell him it's... it's ready, choked Hermione.

01:55:05What's ready? demanded Umbridge,

01:55:08and now she grabbed Hermione's shoulders again and shook her slightly.

01:55:11What's ready, girl?

01:55:13The... the weapon, said Hermione.

01:55:16Weapon?

01:55:17Weapon, said Umbridge, and her eyes seemed to pop with excitement.

01:55:21You have been developing some method of resistance?

01:55:23A weapon you could use against the ministry?

01:55:26On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?

01:55:29Yes, gasped Hermione, but he had to leave before it was finished,

01:55:32and now... now we've finished it for him, and we can't... can't find him to tell him.

01:55:39What kind of weapon is it? said Umbridge harshly,

01:55:41her stubby hands still tight on Hermione's shoulders.

01:55:44We don't really understand it, said Hermione, sniffing loudly.

01:55:48We just... we just did what Professor Dumbledore told us to do.

01:55:52Umbridge straightened up, looking exultant.

01:55:55Lead me to the weapon, she said.

01:55:57I'm not showing them, said Hermione shrilly,

01:56:00looking around at the sliverings through her fingers.

01:56:03It is not for you to set conditions, said Professor Umbridge harshly.

01:56:07Fine, said Hermione, now sobbing into her hands again.

01:56:10Fine, let them see it.

01:56:12I hope they use it on you.

01:56:14In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see,

01:56:17but that would serve you right.

01:56:19Oh, I'd love it if... if the whole school knew where it was and how to use it,

01:56:24and then, if you annoy any of them, they'll be able to sort you out.

01:56:28These words had a powerful impact on Umbridge.

01:56:30She glanced swiftly and suspiciously around at her inquisitorial squad,

01:56:34her bulging eyes resting for a moment on Malfoy,

01:56:37who was too slow to disguise the look of eagerness and greed that appeared on his face.

01:56:42Umbridge contemplated Hermione for another long moment,

01:56:45and then spoke in what she clearly thought was a motherly voice.

01:56:49All right, dear, let's make it just you and me,

01:56:52and we'll take Potter too, shall we?

01:56:54Get up now.

01:56:56Professor, said Malfoy eagerly, Professor Umbridge,

01:56:59I think some of the squad should come with you to look after.

01:57:01I am a fully qualified ministry official, Malfoy.

01:57:05Do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?

01:57:09asked Umbridge sharply.

01:57:10In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that school children should see.

01:57:15You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these,

01:57:19she gestured around at Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna, escape.

01:57:23All right, said Malfoy, looking sulky and disappointed,

01:57:26and you two can go ahead of me and show me the way,

01:57:29said Umbridge, pointing at Harry and Hermione with her wand.

01:57:33Lead on.

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