She had him now.
There was nowhere to run.
He’d be gone by morning.
There was no one here to stop her.
She would change Hogwarts, whether the residents liked it or not.
The fire crackled quietly in the corner of the office, sending its heat in all directions. The woman inside sat at her desk, tapping the wood with her quill. She had set a parchment in front of her, intending to write something, but had forgotten what. She had gotten destracted, as usual: thinking, going over her plans for the night, now that Hogwarts was under her control.
Getting rid of Dumbledore had been easier than she had thought. He had taken the blame for the Dumbledore’s Army after that poor acne-ridden girl had tearfully confessed, adding to the Minister’s paranoia, and fled. No one was giving up his location yet. Educational Decree Number Twenty Eight named her Head of Hogwarts. Though she still couldn’t get into Dumbledore’s office, it was of no matter to her; she held the Headmistress position, much better than High Inquisitor, whose powers she still held. She hated to admit that sometimes it did her no good”she didn’t have the loyalty or respect of the teachers, or of the students. They were rebelling, and so far, they thought themselves unstoppable. Like they could ever be.
She pushed her chair back with a shove and stood, her pink robes swishing about her legs, as a knock came from the door. “Come in, Dawlish,” she called, knowing only one person would be calling at this time of night. The short Auror walked through the door, his short, wiry hair greyer than when she last saw him.
“Are you ready, Dolores?” he asked. “You really shouldn’t need five Aurors to sack a teacher, should you?”
“Do you question me?” asked the woman sweetly, pushing past him and making her way to the Entrance Hall. Her shoes clicked loudly on the marble stairs, and the torches gave her face a porcelain glare. She held the hand rail with light fingers, thinking herself ruler over all of this.
“No, it was merely a suggestion.” With a sigh and a shrug Dawlish signalled to his Aurors and followed the Headmistress.
*~*~*
Professor Dolores Umbridge strode purposefully across the lawns of Hogwarts, five trained Aurors flanking her on both sides. The change at the school was going quite well. She had sacked that barmy Trelawney, Dumbledore was gone”even those pesky Weasley Twins were out of her hair! It was refreshing to be in control.
Now, though, was the time to swallow her pride a little bit. It was time for that half-breed…creature to follow that fake Seer into oblivion. Umbridge couldn’t stand half-breeds”it was a common fact. How could that Hagrid have ever had any hope that he would be able to stay at Hogwarts, even as Keeper of the Keys and Grounds? Even the Minister had wanted him gone the moment he had started teaching two years ago. It just wasn't ethical for creatures such as him to teach.
“Wands at the ready, boys,” barked the stout woman, stopping at the door to the creature’s hut. “This will be easy, but it's best to be prepared.”
“Are you sure about that?” asked Dawlish, one of the more experienced conservative Aurors. “Hagrid’s a pretty tough being--”
“It will!” she snapped at him. “We’ll have him begging and pleading by dawn!”
She meant it. Of course it would be easy! Half-breeds have no guts”he would bow down and scamper off like a good little half-giant beast. It was perfect timing. The students were in bed, save the testing fifth years on the astronomy tower, and no one would expect a midnight sacking. After a scene from Trelawney, she didn’t think she could handle another and come out with dignity intact. It had taken her long enough to sweep up the remnants before.
You grew too close to Dumbledore for your own good, she thought as she rapped her knuckles on the strong wood. She pulled them back with a grimace”by the light of Dawlish’s torch, they were beet red. How could wood be so hard?
*~*~*
“Shu’ up, Fang!” growled Hagrid to his barking hound. Who would be calling at this hour?
Of course, Professor Umbridge would. What could she possuibly want? “May I come in?” she asked pleasantly, and walked right on through, followed by five Aurors. Hagrid only recognized Dawlish, in all his short, plump glory behind Umbridge.
“Erm…sure, Professor Umbridge,” rumbled Hagrid. The Aurors took positions around the hut while Umbridge sat at the table, hands in her pink lap. She looked quite disgusted by the fact that she was sitting in an over-sized chair that he usually sat in, and therefore was sitting on the edge. Or she was trying to look polite and wasn’t quite succeeding.
“Wha’ woul’cha like, Professor?” he asked.
“Now, Professor Hagrid, you know there are some of your teaching techniques that the Ministry finds…” Umbridge paused her falsely sweet tirade. “Unorthodox, shall we say?”
“Yeah, so?” said Hagrid gruffly. He had already answered to that alleged crime, when Malfoy had brought it upon himself. “That Malfoy boy had it comin’, Buckbeak didn’ do a t’ing to ‘im!”
“That monster broke his arm!” cried Umbridge. “He went after him for no reason!”
Hagrid, though, disagreed. “It wa' a sprain. If he had’a been listenin’, he’da known not t’ insult hippogriffs.”
He saw the red that came into her podgy cheeks. He laughed inwardly at how much it made her look like a red swamp frog.
She brought a piece of paper out from her bright pink robes; the paper was just as pink and hurt his eyes. That could only mean one thing, and it made Hagrid nervous. “Here,” she said, handing it to him. Her fingers barely hung on to it. Was she afraid he would give her germs? He would feel insulted if he hadn’t already known that she hated him immensely.
Hagrid gave her a confused look instead of getting angry. She must have took it for being stupid, for she explained slowly, “You’re fired, Hagrid. As Care of Magical Creatures teacher, and as Keeper of the Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts!”
Hagrid merely blinked at the piece of paper. He didn’t have to listen to her. “Ou’ of my house,” he growled.
“That means now,” ordered Umbridge.
There was silence. Fang whined and pawed at Hagrid's knee; the Aurors shifted their weight around. Slowly their wands came up as Umbridge and Hagrid stood.
Umbridge brought her own wand out. “Now, Hagrid, we don’t want to fight you--”
“Ah said OUT!” he bellowed, brandishing fists the size of buckets. Fang began to growl. “Ah don’ care i’ yeh shoot spells a’ me ‘till dawn, get ou’ of my house!”
“Allow me. Stupefy!” The red jet of light was out of Umbridge’s wand quick as blast ended Skrewt fire, but merely bounced off Hagrid. He rushed her with a roar, making her squeal and run. The Aurors were pushed out the door with a bang as spells started to fly; light cast from the lanterns inside made the grass glow orange, illuminating the battle. The spells all felt like little pin pricks to him, not enough to hurt but extremely annoying.
“Be reasonable, Hagrid!” cried Dawlish. *
“Reasonable be damned, yeh won’ take me like this, Dawlish!”*
It was dark; he could barely see for the flashing red lights blurring his vision, but he did see the path of one”straight at Fang. The large hound didn’t stand a chance against a Stunning Spell; he fell to the ground with a thump. With a savage roar Hagrid ran at the culprit, lifting him high into the air like he was a sack of potatoes and throwing him ten feet. He fell like lead to the ground. The man didn’t get up, and Hagrid didn’t feel sorry.
*~*~*
Professor McGonagall wrapped her cloak around her as quickly as she could and scrambled into her shoes. Whispers were shot at her as she scuffed her way down the hall. “Back to bed, everybody!” she hissed at the weary-eyed students who were getting up to investigate. “Stay quiet, don’t wake anyone else! I can handle this.”
“What’s going on?” squeaked Professor Flitwick, still in his pin-stripe bedclothes. “What is that woman up to? She can't be doing anything at this time of night.”
“Nothing I can’t handle, Filius,” she reassured him. Her gown billowed out behind her as she walked down the staircase. She had let Umbridge go to far this time! Sacking Sybill, forcing the Weasley Twins to such extremes”taking control of her dear Hogwarts! No, she wouldn’t stand for it.
The Entrance Hall doors were opened for her by some of the House Elves on their nightly rounds, and she would have thanked them if it had not been for the sight she laid her eyes upon.
She sprinted towards the red spells shooting back and forth. How dare she! How dare that woman attack Hagrid! She had no right to fire at him, no right!
“How dare you!” she screamed, grabbing at her robes, trying to find her wand. “How dare you!” When it was finally in her hand she gripped it tightly and aimed it at the six attacking the Gatekeeper, taking another breath to yell. “Leave him alone! Alone, I say! On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such--” *
Suddenly there was burning pain all throughout her body as four Stunners were shot at her all at once. She gasped in pain as the power of the spells lifted her up. Her heart quickened; her eyes began to water. This was too much, too much! Her body screamed at her. She found it hard to breathe. Then all went black, and she felt her body crumple to the ground…
*~*~*
“COWARDS!” roared Hagrid. He heard his voice carry off into the night; several lights went on near the towers of the school. He had watched four Aurors all hit Minerva like a synchronized machine, and it angered him even more than the woman who called herself Head of Hogwarts. “RUDDY COWARDS! HAVE SOME OF THA’”AND THA’--” *
He swung his arms around at two men; they were instantly knocked out, and dropped lifeless to the ground. He felt satisfaction creep into his fury-driven brain. He looked around for Fang, and bent to pick him up. His weight was nothing; he slung the dog carefully over his neck and turned to face Umbridge.
*“Get him!” she screamed, but the only Auror standing didn’t look too pleased at the order to get near Hagrid. He wasn’t going anywhere near the insanity that was the half-giant; Hagrid watched as he stumbled backwards in fear, tripping over one of the other Hell-bringers. He, too, stayed down, like his comrades. It was then that Hagrid ran, ran for his life and Fang’s, to the gates. He ran as fast as he could, his feet poudning on the gravel. He saw one last red light flash, and then he was swallowed by the darkness.
Note:
Starred dialogue courtesy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Canadian Edition, and can be found on these pages:
*: Chapter 31,’OWLs’, pg 635
*: Chapter 31,’OWLs’, pg 635
*: Chapter 31, ‘OWLs’, pg 636
*: Chapter 31, ‘OWLs’, pg 636
*: Chapter 31, ‘OWLs’, pg 637
I thank Gmariam of Ravenclaw House for giving this wonderful plot bunny to the Ravenclaw Adoption Centre. Change has been a good boy and I have enjoyed working with him. Thanks for a wonderful ride, dear! Thank you also Snape's Talon for betaing this for me. I can't thank you both enough!