"hey! that's mine what you are holding"

☆☆☆☆☆☆

"Take him!" Umbitch screeched.

Her voice sliced through Dumbledore's office like a rusted blade. The portraits lining the circular walls stirred in agitation, several former headmasters muttering darkly to one another as if this were merely the latest episode in an increasingly embarrassing play.

The lamps flickered.

And then—

A burst of scarlet flame.

Fawkes came soaring from nowhere, magnificent and furious, his wings carving arcs of firelight through the air. The heat rushed against my face. Before anyone could properly react, Dumbledore clapped his hand firmly around the phoenix's tail—

—and vanished.

A crack split the air.

Umbitch stumbled backwards, knocked off balance by the force of the magic, landing most inelegantly on the polished floor.

For a heartbeat, there was silence.

Then Kingsley Shacklebolt, calm as ever, adjusted his coat and remarked to Fudge, "Well, you may not like him, Minister, but you can't deny, Dumbledore has got style."

Honestly.

Even in exile, the man managed theatrics.

_______________________________________________

The next morning, the decree was nailed to the wall for all to see:

Dolores Jane Umbridge has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"That bitch," I muttered under my breath.

Anna snorted beside me. Hermione looked scandalised but did not disagree. Ron just stared at the notice like it had personally insulted his entire bloodline.

Umbitch, naturally, celebrated her promotion by giving us all detention.

Because what is tyranny without paperwork?

We stepped out of the Great Hall afterwards, the air thick with outrage and the scent of treacle tart. Cho stood near the steps, pale and miserable.

Cedric, walking beside us, stiffened.

He moved toward her.

"I can't believe you did that, Cho," Cedric said.

He didn't shout. That made it worse.

He simply walked away, shaking his head.

War didn't always begin with curses. Sometimes it began with disappointment.

_____________________________

"Hagrid, why can't you just tell us?" I asked.

We were deep in the Forbidden Forest now. The canopy above swallowed most of the light, and the earth beneath our feet felt damp and alive.

Hagrid lumbered ahead, crossbow slung over his shoulder.

"I've never seen the centaurs so riled, and they're dangerous at the best of times," he said gravely.

We paused as several centaurs galloped across the clearing, their expressions dark, their bows clutched tightly. The air felt charged — political unrest in hoofbeats.

"The Ministry restricts their territory much more, they'll have a full uprising on their hands," Hagrid added.

"Hagrid, what's going on?" Anna asked.

"I'm sorry to be so mysterious, you five. I wouldn't be bothering you at all with it but with Dumbledore gone, I'll likely be getting sack any day now, and I can't leave without telling someone about him."

"About who?" Potter asked.

"Harry... that hill... it's breathing," Ron whispered.

We all turned.

The "hill" shifted.

Birds burst into the sky in startled flocks.

Oh. Oh, brilliant.

Hagrid approached the enormous shape cautiously.

"What is that, Hagrid?" I shouted-whispered.

"I had to bring him back! The other giants were all bullying him cause he's so small!"

"Small?" Anna repeated.

"Small?" Hermione echoed, horrified.

"I couldn't just leave him! See, he's my brother."

"Blimey," Ron breathed.

"Well... half-brother. Turns out after me mother left me dad, she took up this other giant. See... she actually, she knew him before she left, but it wasn't till after that she went and had—long story."

The "hill" sat up. He yawned. Stretched. And then began trying to catch birds mid-air like oversized snacks.

"Grawp! Down here, you big buffoon!" Hagrid bellowed. Grawp ignored him. He caught a bird. Crushed it.

 "R.I.P bird," I said solemnly.

Grawp stared at the remains in confusion. Tears welled up.

Oh no. He hadn't meant to.

Hagrid quickly recovered. "Come on now Grawpy! I brought you some company!" Grawp saw us. And headed straight for us.

Harry instinctively pulled me closer. Grawp was stopped only by a thick rope tied around his waist.

"Hagrid, is this how you got all your injuries?" Harry asked.

"Oh, no no no no. Well, yes. But, he's a good boy, really."

"Just don't know his own strength is all."

That was when Grawp bent down——and picked me up with one hand.

"HEY—" I screamed. He moved toward Anna and Hermione.

"Hey! That's mine what you are holding!" I heard Harry shout.

Mine. Not the time, Potter.

"Ron do something!" Hermione yelled. Rocks and sticks pelted Grawp from Ron's enthusiastic but questionable throwing.

"Bad boy, Grawp! They are your new friends, Hermione, Elsa and Anna!"

"That's not how you treat friends!"

Hermione pointed firmly. "Grawp, put. us. down. now."

Grawp frowned... then slowly obeyed. My feet hit the forest floor.

"Elsa," Harry breathed, rushing toward me. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, holding me tightly as if checking whether I was still entirely intact. I turned in his hold, his face inches from mine, messy hair falling over his eyes. He pressed a kiss to my head. Then my lips.

Soft. Quick. Certain.

The world, briefly, made sense.

Behind us, Grawp was now fascinated with a bicycle. He handed the handle to Hermione. She took it like it might explode. She rang the bell. Grawp beamed.

"He gets his own food and all. It's company he'll be needing when I'm gone, you'll look after him, won't you?" Grawp sat heavily.

"I am the only family he's got."

We nodded. Of course we would. Honestly, this year could not get any stranger.

________________________________________________

✧ HARRY'S POV ✧

I saw myself and Elsa — not explicit, not crude — just close. Too close. A memory of warmth. Of hands in hair. Of breath shared in darkness.

Then—

"That's private," I said, panting as I snapped back to the classroom.

"Not to me. And not to Dark Lord, if you don't improve. And I must say, he will be very angry if he finds out this memory of yours, Mr. Potter." Snape's lip curled. He stepped forward. "Every memory he has access to is a weapon he can use against you. You won't last 2 seconds if he invades your mind. You're just like your father. Lazy, arrogant."

"Don't say a word against my father."

"Weak."

"I'm not weak!"

"Then prove it. Control your emotions. Discipline your mind."

"Legilimens!"

The world shattered into fragments—

The maze. Grawp. Sirius. Dumbledore. Elsa. Voldemort. Mum. Dad. The Ministry. Sirius embracing me at Grimmauld Place.

"I may vomit," Snape muttered as I returned.

"Stop it," I pleaded.

"Is this what you call control?"

"We've been at it for hours. If I could just rest—"

"You were not so worn out with Miss. Scamander."

I clenched my jaw.

"Sentimental children forever whining about how unfair your lives have been. Well, it may have escaped your notice but life isn't unfair. Your blessed father knew it."

"My father was a great man."

"Your father was a swine!"

We raised our wands—

"Legilimens!"

"Protego!"

And suddenly I was in his mind.

My father. Young. Laughing.

"Snape, expelliarmus!"

"Nice one, James!"

"Impedimenta!"

Snape hung upside down.

"Snivellus greasy, snivellus greasy!"

"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's trousers?"

"Enough!"

The memory shattered and Snape grabbed my collar.

"Your lessons are at the end."

____________________________________________

✧ ELSA'S POV ✧

OWLs.

The Great Hall was silent except for scratching quills.

Then— A bang. Umbitch marched toward the doors. She opened them—

A firework floated directly in front of her face.

Oh. Brilliant. It shot into the hall and burst.

Fred and George Weasley soared in on broomsticks like glorious agents of chaos. Worksheets flew. Fireworks erupted.

"Here you go!" Fred shouted.

A firework drifted toward me. It shaped itself into Harry's face. It winked. Then exploded. I gasped and looked at him. He was grinning, properly grinning, like the weight of the world had momentarily forgotten him.

A dragon-shaped firework roared and began chasing Umbitch.

She fled.

The dragon burst at the doors. Glass shattered. Students flooded outside, cheering as a massive W blazed in the sky.

Flitwick clapped softly beside us.

Harry and I laughed.

And then—

He collapsed.

"Harry!" I dropped beside him.

His face was pale. Strained.

"Mate, what happened?" Ron asked.

Harry's voice was barely a whisper.

"Sirius."

My heart stopped.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

"You were not so worn out with Miss. Scamander"

Word Count- 1300+