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ESTE BLACK WAS EXTREMELY STARTLED AFTER SEEING HARRY POTTER LIKE THAT. As the bells rang, she sprung out of her seat and left to go find Harry──She knew something wasn't right. For the past few days, Harry had been doing extremely well in the exams. And this didn't seem like something he received because of the stress of the exam. As she wandered around, looking for Harry, she ran into Ron and Hermione. "Hi! Have you seen Harry?" Ron and Hermione glanced at one another.

Hermione shook her head, "No! I was going to ask you if you'd seen him."

Este's shoulders dropped, "I really need to speak to him. What happened during the exam..." She sighed, "If you find him, tell him I need to speak to him, will you?"

Hermione nodded, "Will do, Este."

"Thanks, Hermione," Este turned to leave and as she made her way back down to the Slytherin common room, Mattheo grabbed her arm. "What now?" Este groaned.

"Umbridge needs her Inquisitorial Squad, apparently, Harry Potter's broken into her office... Again."

"Nah I'm just not feeling it, mate," Este scowled, "I just finished an exam, and after what Umbridge did to McGonagall──"

"Just suck it up, Es. We kinda have to."

Este shrugged. "I frankly don't give a shit."

"Fine, but i'm not making an enemy out of that toad," Mattheo turned to leave and Este groaned, running after him. Este and Mattheo arrived when Umbridge had been interrogating Harry.

"I want to know why you are in my office," said Umbridge, shaking the fist and clutching his hair so that he staggered.

"I was — trying to get my Firebolt!" Harry croaked.

"Liar." She shook his head again. "Your Firebolt is under strict guard in the dungeons, as you very well know, Potter. You had your head in my fire. With whom have you been communicating?"

"No one —" said Harry, trying to pull away from her. He felt several hairs part company with his scalp.

"Liar!" shouted Umbridge.

She threw him from her, and he slammed into the desk. Now he could see Hermione pinioned against the wall by Millicent Bulstrode. Draco was leaning on the windowsill, smirking as he threw Harry's wand into the air one-handed and then caught it again. Este watched Harry, carefully as she wanted to intervene, but Atlas and Mattheo were both holding her back, clutching each of her hands.

There was a commotion outside and several large Slytherins entered, each gripping Ron, Ginny, Luna, and — to Harry's bewilderment — Neville, who was trapped in a stranglehold by Crabbe and looked in imminent danger of suffocation. All four of them had been gagged.

"Got 'em all," said Warrington, shoving Ron roughly forward into the room. "That one." he poked a thick finger at Neville, "tried to stop me taking her," he pointed at Ginny, who was trying to kick the shins of the large Slytherin girl holding her, "so I brought him along too."

"Good, good," said Umbridge, watching Ginny's struggles. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?"

Draco laughed loudly and sycophantically. Umbridge gave her wide, complacent smile and settled herself into a chintz-covered armchair, blinking up at her captives like a toad in a flowerbed. "So, Potter," she said. "You stationed lookouts around my office and you sent this buffoon," she nodded at Ron, and Draco laughed even louder, "to tell me the poltergeist was wreaking havoc in the Transfiguration department when I knew perfectly well that he was busy smearing ink on the eyepieces of all the school telescopes, Mr. Filch having just informed me so.

"Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she is still too ill to talk to anyone. . . ." Draco and a few of the other members of the Inquisitorial Squad laughed some more at that. Este scowled and glanced at Harry, who was so full of rage and hatred that he was shaking.

"It's none of your business who I talk to," he snarled.

Umbridge's slack face seemed to tighten. "Very well," she said in her most dangerous and falsely sweet voice. "Very well, Mr. Potter . . . I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Estele — fetch Professor Snape."

Este gave Harry a look and he seemed to just realize something. She tugged both of her arms out of Atlas and Mattheo's grip before leaving for the dungeons. When she arrived, she slammed the door open, startling Snape. "Black. Perfect manners as usual," Snape sneered.

"I'm not here to pick a fight," Este scowled, "The scabby little pink demon needs you in her office."

Snape's lips twitched for a split second and Este thought he would smile──but his face remained stoic, "And why is that, Black?"

"Harry, that's why."

Snape sneered, "Of course." Este and Snape silently made their way back to Umbridge's office. Este had hoped that maybe Snape might actually do something, but it was a stupid thought. As Este came back into the room, she returned to Atlas's side while Professor Snape entered. "You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" said Snape, looking around at all the pairs of struggling students with an expression of complete indifference.

"Ah, Professor Snape," said Umbridge, smiling widely and standing up again. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," he said, observing her coolly through his greasy curtains of black hair. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."

Umbridge flushed. "You can make some more, can't you?" she said, her voice becoming more sweetly girlish as it always did when she was furious.

"Certainly," said Snape, his lip curling. "It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."

"A month?" squawked Umbridge, swelling toadishly. "A month? But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"

"Really?" said Snape, showing his first, faint sign of interest as he looked around at Harry. "Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules." His cold, dark eyes were boring into Harry's, who met his gaze unflinchingly.

"I wish to interrogate him!" shouted Umbridge angrily, and Snape looked away from Harry back into her furiously quivering face. "I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"

"I have already told you," said Snape smoothly, "that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter — and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did — I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling. . . ." Snape looked back at Harry, who stared at him.

"You are on probation!" shrieked Professor Umbridge, and Snape looked back at her, his eyebrows slightly raised. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!" Snape gave her an ironic bow and turned to leave.

"He's got Padfoot!" he shouted as Este's heart dropped, her head snapping in his direction, "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!" Snape had stopped with his hand on Umbridge's door handle.

"Padfoot?" cried Professor Umbridge, looking eagerly from Harry to Snape. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?" Snape looked around at Harry. His face was inscrutable. Este could not tell whether he had understood or not, but he did not dare speak more plainly in front of Umbridge.

"I have no idea," said Snape coldly. "Potter, when I want nonsense shouted at me I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little, if Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork, and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job." He closed the door behind him with a snap.

"Very well," she said, and she pulled out her wand. "Very well . . . I am left with no alternative. . . . This is more than a matter of school discipline. . . . This is an issue of Ministry security. . . . Yes . . . yes . . ."

She seemed to be talking herself into something. She was shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot, staring at Harry, beating her wand against her empty palm, and breathing heavily. Este paled and something horrible rumbled in her stomach. "You are forcing me, Potter. . . . I do not want to," said Umbridge, still moving restlessly on the spot, "but sometimes circumstances justify the use . . . I am sure the Minister will understand that I had no choice. . . ."

Some of the Slytherins were watching her with hungry expressions on their face. "The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue," said Umbridge quietly.

"No!" shrieked Hermione. "Professor Umbridge — it's illegal" — but Umbridge took no notice. There was a nasty, eager, excited look on her face that Este had never seen before. She raised her wand. "The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!" cried Hermione.

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," said Umbridge, who was now panting slightly as she pointed her wand at different parts of Harry's body in turn, apparently trying to decide what would hurt the most. "He never knew I ordered dementors after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same. . . ."

"It was you?" gasped Harry. "You sent the dementors after me?"

"Somebody had to act," breathed Umbridge, as her wand came to rest pointing directly at Harry's forehead. "They were all bleating about silencing you somehow — discrediting you — but I was the one who actually did something about it. . . . Only you wriggled out of that one, didn't you, Potter? Not today, though, not now . . ." And taking a deep breath, she cried, "Cruc —"

"Professor!" Este had cut in, stopping everyone and everything right then and there. "Perhaps... There is a better way... Surely.... torturing a student..."

Umbridge considered her for a moment before turning back to Harry.

Hermione looked on the verge of tears, "No — Harry — Harry, we'll have to tell her!"

"No way!" yelled Harry.

"We'll have to, Harry, she'll force it out of you anyway, what's . . . what's the point. . . ?" And Hermione began to cry weakly into the back of Millicent Bulstrode's robes. Millicent stopped trying to squash her against the wall immediately and dodged out of her way looking disgusted.

"Well, well, well!" said Umbridge, looking triumphant. "Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!"

"Er — my — nee — no!" shouted Ron through his gag. Ginny was staring at Hermione as though she had never seen her before; Neville, still choking for breath, was gazing at her too. But Este had noticed something as soon as Hermione began to cry. Though Hermione was sobbing desperately into her hands, there was no trace of a tear. . . .

"I'm — I'm sorry everyone," said Hermione. "But — I can't stand it —"

Este and Atlas glanced at one another and Este knew Atlas too had noticed Hermione's crocodile tears.

"That's right, that's right, girl!" said Umbridge, seizing Hermione by the shoulders, thrusting her into the abandoned chintz chair, and leaning over her. "Now then . . . with whom was Potter communicating just now?"

"Well," gulped Hermione into her hands, "well, he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore. . . ."

Ron froze, his eyes wide; Ginny stopped trying to stamp on her Slytherin captor's toes; even Luna looked mildly surprised. Fortunately, the attention of Umbridge and her minions was focused too exclusively upon Hermione to notice these suspicious signs. "Dumbledore?" said Umbridge eagerly. "You know where Dumbledore is, then?"

"Well . . . no!" sobbed Hermione. "We've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head —"

"Idiot girl, Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the whole Ministry's looking for him!" shouted Umbridge, disappointment etched in every sagging line of her face.

"But — but we needed to tell him something important!" wailed Hermione, holding her hands more tightly over her face, not, Este knew, out of anguish, but to disguise the continued absence of tears.

"Yes?" said Umbridge with a sudden resurgence of excitement. "What was it you wanted to tell him?"

"We . . . we wanted to tell him it's r-ready!" choked Hermione.

"What's ready?" demanded Umbridge, and now she grabbed Hermione's shoulders again and shook her slightly. "What's ready, girl?"

"The . . . the weapon," said Hermione.

"Weapon? Weapon?" said Umbridge, and her eyes seemed to pop with excitement. "You have been developing some method of resistance? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?"

"Y-y-yes," gasped Hermione. "But he had to leave before it was finished and n-n-now we've finished it for him, and we c-c-can't find him t-t-to tell him!"

"What kind of weapon is it?" said Umbridge harshly, her stubby hands still tight on Hermione's shoulders.

"We don't r-r-really understand it," said Hermione, sniffing loudly. "We j-j-just did what P-P-Professor Dumbledore told us t-t-to do . . ."

Umbridge straightened up, looking exultant. "Lead me to the weapon," she said.

"I'm not showing . . . them," said Hermione shrilly, looking around at the Slytherins through her fingers. "It is not for you to set conditions," said Professor Umbridge harshly.

"Fine," said Hermione, now sobbing into her hands again, "fine . . . let them see it, I hope they use it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see it! Th-that would serve you right — oh, I'd love it if the wh-whole school knew where it was, and how to use it, and then if you annoy any of them they'll be able to s-sort you out!"

These words had a powerful impact on Umbridge. She glanced swiftly and suspiciously around at her Inquisitorial Squad, her bulging eyes resting for a moment on Malfoy, who was too slow to disguise the look of eagerness and greed that had appeared on his face. Umbridge contemplated Hermione for another long moment and then spoke in what she clearly thought was a motherly voice. "All right, dear, let's make it just you and me . . . and we'll take Potter too, shall we? Get up, now —"

"Professor," said Draco eagerly, "Professor Umbridge, I think some of the squad should come with you to look after —"

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" asked Umbridge sharply. "In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these" — she gestured around at Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna — "escape."

"All right," said Draco, looking sulky and disappointed.

"And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way," said Umbridge, pointing at Harry and Hermione with her wand. "Lead on. . . ." And when Hermione, Harry, and Umbridge left, there was a rustling sound and everyone turned to Ron.

Ron groaned his hand, clutching two sweets. Crabbe, with his insatiable hunger for sweets, snatched it and in a split second, he began to vomit all over the floor. While the Slytherins were distracted, Ginny stomped on one of the Slytherin Girl's feet while Neville went for the wands. Este made no effort to help and she even laughed when Ginny fired a Bat-Bogey Hex at Draco.

All of the Slytherins hurried to Draco's help and ushered him to the Hospital Wing. Este stayed back, she gave the Gryffindors a coy smile. "So are we going... Or what?"

"Thanks for the help," Ron joked, rolling his eyes.

"Hey! I can't be hexing my own housemates do you want me to be a social piranha?" Ron rolled his eyes, Este smirked, tossing his wand over to him and handing the others their wands as well. "Are we going to go or not?"

As they began to leave Umbridge's office, Este was stopped by Atlas who had stayed behind. "Don't leave," he said very quietly, "I know who Padfoot is and──"

"I am going," Este said stubbornly.

"Este, it is not safe──"

"Just because your father's dead, doesn't mean I'll let mine die!" Este said, snapping. Atlas stared at her, horrified. Este finally felt the weight of her words. "Ati... I──"

Atlas gulped, "No, you're right," he bit his tongue, trying to stop the tears. "Go and save him, Es. At least one of us might have a chance at a happy ending."

Este slowly walked away, she wanted to say everything. But as she turned and walked away from Atlas she felt her eyes stinging with guilt and regret. She joined Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna and the five of them rushed to leave the castle, heading straight for the Forbidden Forest. They wandered around the forest, frantic to find the pair, and when Este heard Hermione say, "Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?"

The five of them shared a look and finally found the back of Hermione's head. "Yeah, we were just wondering that," said Este.

Harry and Hermione moved instinctively together, peering through the trees, as Este and Ron came into sight, with Ginny, Neville, and Luna hurrying along behind them. "So," said Ron, pushing aside a low-hanging branch and holding out Harry's wand, "had any ideas?"

"How did you get away?" asked Harry in amazement, taking his wand from Ron.

"Couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm, Neville brought off a really nice little Impediment Jinx," said Ron airily, now handing back Hermione's wand too. "But Ginny was best, she got Malfoy — Bat-Bogey Hex — it was superb, his whole face was covered in the great flapping things. Anyway, we saw you heading into the forest out of the window and followed. What've you done with Umbridge?"

"She got carried away," said Harry. "By a herd of centaurs." "And they left you behind?" asked Ginny, looking astonished. "No, they got chased off by Grawp," said Harry.

"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked interestedly.

"Hagrid's little brother," said Ron promptly.

Este frowned, "Hagrid has a brother?"

"Never mind that now. Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You-Know-Who got Sirius or — ?"

"Yes," said Harry, as his scar gave another painful prickle, "and I'm sure Sirius is still alive, but I can't see how we're going to get there to help him."

They all fell silent, looking rather scared. The problem facing them seemed insurmountable. "Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" said Luna in the closest thing to a matter-of-fact voice Este had ever heard her use.

"Okay," said Harry irritably, rounding on her, "first of all, 'we' aren't doing anything if you're including yourself in that, and second of all, Ron's the only one with a broomstick that isn't being guarded by a security troll, so —"

"I've got a broom!" said Ginny.

"So do I!" Este snapped.

"Yeah, but you're not coming," said Ron angrily.

"He's my fucking father! What do you want me to do?!" Este scowled, looking remarkably similar to Walburga Black's portrait at Grimmauld Place that Ron's jaw fell open

Ginny nodded in agreement, "I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!" said Ginny, her jaw set so that her resemblance to Fred and George was suddenly striking.

"You're too —" Harry began.

"I'm three years older than you were when you fought You-Know-Who over the Philosopher's Stone," she said fiercely, "and it's because of me Malfoy's in the hospital wing with giant flying bogeys attacking him —"

"Yeah, but —"

"We were all in the D.A. together," said Neville quietly. "It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn't it? And this is the first chance we've had to do something real — or was that all just a game or something?"

"No — of course it wasn't —" said Harry impatiently.

"Then we should come too," said Neville simply. "We want to help."

"That's right," said Luna, smiling happily.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," said Harry frustratedly, "because we still don't know how to get there —"

"I thought we'd settled that?" said Luna maddeningly. "We're flying!"

"Look," said Ron, barely containing his anger, "you might be able to fly without a broomstick but the rest of us can't sprout wings whenever we —"

"There are other ways of flying than with broomsticks," said Luna serenely.

"I s'pose we're going to ride on the back of the Kacky Snorgle or whatever it is?" Ron demanded.

"The Crumple-Horned Snorkack can't fly," said Luna in a dignified voice, "but they can, and Hagrid says they're very good at finding places their riders are looking for."

Harry whirled around "Yes!" he whispered, moving toward the invisible creatures and Harry stretched out his hand eagerly and patted the air.

"Is it those mad horse things?" said Ron uncertainly, staring at a point slightly to the left of the thestral Harry was patting. "Those ones you can't see unless you've watched someone snuff it?"

"Yeah," said Harry.

"How many?"

"Just two."

"Well, we need three," said Hermione, who was still looking a little shaken, but determined just the same.

"Five, Hermione," said Ginny, scowling

"I think there are seven of us, actually," said Luna calmly, counting.

"Don't be stupid, we can't all go!" said Harry angrily. "Look, I can't stop you from coming Es. But you three" — he pointed at Neville, Ginny, and Luna — "you're not involved in this, you're not —" They burst into more protests. Every moment they delayed was precious; he did not have time to argue. "Okay, fine, it's your choice," he said curtly. "But unless we can find more thestrals you're not going to be able —"

"Oh, more of them will come," said Este.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because in case you hadn't noticed, you and Hermione are both covered in blood," Este smiled, "and we know Hagrid lures thestrals with raw meat, so that's probably why these two turned up in the first place. . . ."

There was a soft tug at Harry's robe and Este could faintly see the fabric moving.

"Okay, then," he said, "Ron and I will take these two and go ahead, and Hermione can stay here with you three and she'll attract more thestrals —"

"I'm not staying behind!" said Hermione furiously.

"There's no need," said Luna, smiling. "Look, here come more now. . . . You two must really smell. . . ."

Este had no idea where the thestrals were but then jumped when she felt a thestral come near her, nudging her back with its nose.

"All right," Harry said angrily, "pick one and get on, then."