CHAPTER TWENTY—TWO
visions and vanishing acts

warning !
threats of physical harm

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          ┊͙✧˖*°࿐ AILLEDA ADLEY WAS SURE THAT she was going to fail all of her OWL exams. She hadn't spent much time revising for any of them, and hadn't even paid much attention in class throughout the school year. Potions had been an absolute fuck-up, to say the very least, and Ailleda was certain the only exam she'd done half decently in was astronomy, and even that wouldn't be of much help in the grand scheme of things.

Her last exam was History of Magic on Thursday, June 20th in the afternoon. She wasn't particularly prepared for the exam, and when she had gotten to the exam hall and seen the questions, she was positive that this OWL was not going to be a particularly good grade for her. She answered all the questions she somewhat knew the answer to in around twenty minutes, and by then still had an hour and forty minutes to go, in which she spent drawing small flowers across her parchment with her quill.

Ailleda was resting her head in shame on her arms when the noises start. An explosion echoed in the far distance, making Ailleda sit up a bit straighter, as she looked backwards at the entrance of the grand hall. She caught Ron's eye, who had also turned back to look at what had caused the noise. She furrowed her eyebrows, tucking her unruly hair behind her ears. Umbridge looked concerned, annoyance laced in her facial expressions, as she walked down the pathway between the desks of students. Ailleda raised her eyebrow at Ron, wondering if he knew where the noises were coming from. He simply shook his head in response.

Well, Umbridge wasn't having any of it. Ailleda turned her head to look at the Headmaster, who by now had started walking down the isles of desks briskly, her steps fuelled by the frustration that Ailleda noticed seemed to be bubbling over for her. The woman glared at each student, as if it had been then that had caused the ruckus, even though that would be impossible, considering everyone had been here writing the exam. Umbridge glowered at Ailleda, who simply raised her eyebrows as if to say, "Not me."

Umbridge made it to the end of the Great Hall, and stood by the entrance with a great creaking as the door swung open, her eyes flickering left and right, scanning for the person responsible for all this. There was a distant sizzling noise in the background that Ailleda couldn't quite pick up on — but soon she saw where it came from.

She recognised the sight immediately, and couldn't hide the small smile that tugged at her lips. One of Fred and George's Whiz-bang danced left and right in front of Umbridge's screwed up face with a crackling sound, then flew right past her and exploded into tiny fireworks. Umbridge looked around furiously, stepping further outside of the hall, her pink high heels clacking against the floor.

She was nearly knocked over as Fred and George glided on their broomsticks past her, cheering excitedly. Ailleda let out a loud laugh as a spell they cast sends her exam flying in the air, along with every other student's. There wasn't much value to anything she had written in anycase. They let off more fireworks, great colours of purple and orange and pink. Ailleda looked up at them in awe, standing from her chair and spinning around as an attempt of seeing every possible angle of the display.

Ron came up apprehensively behind her, although Ailleda couldn't miss the bright smile on his face. It wasn't the same happiness everyone else had, she noticed. Ron looked proud, because those were his brothers. Ron snaked an arm around Ailleda's waist, and for a second, everything felt right.

With a final round of fireworks that morphed into a dragon, chasing Umbridge and with a final snap of it's jaws, snapping all of the decree posters framed on the wall and causing them to plummet to the floor, Fred and George flew out of the hall, followed by every fifth year racing after them.

Students from the other years joined as they gathered outside. Ailleda let out a cheer as her and Ron watched the twins fly off, every student giving them a loud round of applause. The letter "W" was spelt boldly in fireworks in the sky. Fred and George had undoubtedly undone themselves this time.

Ailleda looked back, a warm smile on her face and a blush creeping up on her cheeks as Ron held her. She scanned the crowd with bright eyes, but her face fell immediately when she saw Harry collapsed on the floor, with Hermione crouched next to him.

And that's when she knew. Voldemort had done something, and she had been totally in the dark about it. Panic rose in her throat, and she clutched onto Ron's arm so she wouldn't fall when the world came crushing down.

Harry muttered one singular word that changed everything. "Sirius."

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AILLEDA COULD BARELY KEEP UP as she ran up the stairways with Ron, trailing behind Hermione in a desperate attempt to stay close to Harry and find out what was going up.

"Harry, are you sure?" Hermione asked, her tone tinged with panic. Ailleda wondered if Hermione would doubt Harry like that, or if she was merely hoping that Harry was wrong. That this was all just a big misunderstanding and everything was fine.

"I saw it!" Harry replied back, not taking any time to slow down as he ran up the staircase in front of them. "It's just like with Mr. Weasley. It's the same door I've been dreaming about for months, only I couldn't remember where I'd seen it before. Sirius said Voldemort was after something, something he didn't have the last time, and it's in the Department of Mysteries."

Ailleda's mind spun. She knew nothing of the sort. Hadn't heard it from her parents, her brother, not even at the meetings. She had been left in the dark and made to be a complete fool.

"Harry, please just listen!" Hermione pleaded Harry desperately. It was only then that Harry stopped in his tracks, panting heavily and turning to look back at Hermione. Ailleda clutched onto the rail of the staircase as she studied Harry's features for any indication of what was going on.

"What if Voldemort meant for you to see this?" Hermione tried to reason with Harry. "What if he's only hurting Sirius because he's trying to get to you?"

"What if he is?" Harry fired back. "I'm supposed to just let him die? Hermione, he's the only family I've got left!" Harry shifted his gaze to Ailleda, and said, "Do you know anything of this? Was this his plan all along, and you didn't tell me?"

"No!" Ailleda said at once, and this time, she didn't have a pit in her stomach from lying. She knew nothing about this, and was just as blindsided as them. "I promise, Harry, I don't know anything... but, but I can help! I... maybe there's something I can do."

Harry stared at her, trying to contemplate if he thought she was lying or not. But Ron broke the silence, asking, "What do we do?"

Ailleda supposed Harry didn't have time to spare, because he immediately spurts into action again, running up the stairs while answering, "We'll have to use the Floo Network!"

"But Umbridge has all the chimneys under surveillance!" Hermione said, trying to reason with Harry despite his distraught state.

"Not all of them!" Harry said back. Ailleda let out a shaky breath as she realised just what Harry's rapidly constructed plan was.

She didn't argue, though. Even a poorly construed plan is better than none. She was going to go running head first into battle for Harry Potter, and she didn't think twice about it. And so she followed him up the stairs, running down the corridors and down to the familiar office that belonged to Umbridge. Harry gripped at his wand, making a swift hand motion and muttering the word, "Alohamora!"

The cats on Umbridge's unsettling pink tea sets hung upon the walls meowed softly, although Ailleda could barely hear them above the sound of her own loud thoughts. This was a nightmare come to life. Harry burst through the door and fell to his knees in front of the green fire place immediately, instructing firmly, "Alert the Order if you can!"

"Are you mental?" Ron said at once, realising Harry was about to go off to his death alone. "We're going with you!"

"It's too dangerous!" Harry protested.

"Harry, you'll be going in to die on your own!" Ailleda told him firmly. "You're not stupid, Harry, don't get yourself killed in some attempt of being heroic."

"We're in this together, Harry," Hermione added, dropping to her knees next to Harry.

"That... you... are." The furious words caused Ailleda to gasp, and instinctively she turned and raised her wand, gripping it tightly with fear. Umbridge had found them. This... this was the end.

"No!" Ailleda screamed as Umbridge disarmed her, Ailleda's wand flying out of her hand and into that of Umbridge's. Professor Umbridge strided towards them, grabbing the collar of Harry's shirt with her hand, and pulling him back across the floor, away from the fire. Harry gasped for air as Umbridge bent his neck back as far as it would go, whispering to him, "You think that after two nifflers I was going to let one more foul, scavenging little creature enter my office without my knowledge? I had Stealth Sensoring Spells placed all around my doorway after the last one got in, you foolish boy."

Ailleda felt anger surge inside of her as Aaron stormed through the doorway after Umbridge, tilting his head to the side and letting out a laugh to himself as he saw Ailleda standing there, wandless and petrified. "Traitor," she whispered under her breath, and with the way he was looking at her, mocking her, she was sure he saw. Draco and Pansy rushed in just behind Aaron, and Ailleda shook her head and looked to the side, trying not to let them see as a tear fell out of her eye.

"Take his wand," Umbridge barked. "Take all of their wands!"

Aaron took great delight in searching for their wands. He laughed as he took Harry's from him, winked at Hermione as he searched his pocket, and when he searched Ron, he said, "You know what, you're probably the easiest to search here, Weasley. It's not like you have any money in your pockets I need to get through to get to your wand."

Ron didn't retaliate. He clenched his jaw and looked at Aaron with angry eyes, but didn't say anything. Ailleda merely flinched when she heard her brother's comment.

Aaron took great delight in grabbing the collar of Ron's jumper with his fist, holding him back. Draco pointed his wand directly at Ailleda's face, and when she dared use her hand to slap it away, Draco angrily grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and slammed her against the wall, her head hitting the wall harshly, eliciting a cry from her lips and making Draco smirk to himself. Aaron tightened his fist, pulling Ron back by his jumper when he tried to interfere. Hermione just watched, trying to be silent as Pansy Parkinson pointed her wand at her.

"I want to know why you are in my office," said Umbridge to Harry, shaking the fist 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. Ailleda felt her breathing go heavy as all she could do was watching. They had been caught, and there was nothing they could do.

"Liar!" shouted Umbridge. She threw him from her, and he slammed into the desk. Ailleda gasped as she watched, her lip trembling.

There was a commotion outside and several large Slytherins entered, each gripping Neville, Ginny and Luna. It was over. This was it. Ailleda didn't know where to look. She couldn't bear to watch Umbridge tie Harry to her chair, so instead she looked at the ground, and tried to regain her breathing.

"You were going to Dumbledore, weren't you?" Umbridge questioned Harry, leaning down to so she was eye level with where he was sitting.

"No," Harry answered at once. This was met with a slap from Umbridge. The sound sent shivers down Ailleda's spine and reminded her of her own mother.

"Liar!" Umbridge shouted.

Ailleda shook her head and prayed for this all to be over when she heard the voice of Severus Snape from the door. "You sent for me, Headmistress?"

No. Ailleda wanted to cry. To scream at Snape. No, how could you! He must have known. He must have known Voldemort was going for Sirius... he... he was going to let him just die!

Umbridge turned to Snape. "Snape, yes! The time has come for answers, whether he wants to give them to me or not. Have you brought the Veritaserum?"

"I'm afraid you've used up all my stores interrogating students," Snape answered. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."

Umbridge flushed. Ailleda nearly breathed a sigh of relief.

"You can make some more, can't you?" Umbridge 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?" repeated Umbridge. "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. "Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules."

"I wish to interrogate him!" shouted Umbridge angrily. "I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"

"I have already told you," replied Snape coldly, "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..."

"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. But he stopped dead in his tracks, his hand clutching the door handle when Harry shouted, "He's got Padfoot He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"

"Padfoot?" cried Professor Umbridge, looking eagerly from Harry to Snape. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"

"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."

And like that, he was gone.

"Very well," Umbridge said. Ailleda watched as she pulled out her wand, and continued, "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. "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."

"No," Ailleda cried. Umbridge was going to use the Cruciatus Curse, and Sirius Black was probably suffering the same fate at the hands of Voldemort.

"The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue," Umbridge confirmed Ailleda's fear.

"That's illegal," Hermione spoke up.

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," Umbridge replied, ominously placing the picture of the Minister of Magic so that his visage was covered, facing the table. "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?" Ailleda, who had heard murmurings about the dementors during the summer, was caught off guard by the revelation that it was Umbridge orchestrating such sinister actions. The depths of her ignorance became glaringly apparent.

"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..."

"Tell her, Harry!" Hermione screamed in a desperate attempt to save her friend. Ailleda wasn't sure what to think, and she wasn't sure what the hell Hermione was doing. Telling Umbridge about Sirius... about Voldemort... that would be a huge mistake.

Umbridge snapped her head to look at Hermione, and in a shrill voice, asked, "Tell me what?"

"Well, if you won't tell her where it is, I will," Hermione said, talking to Harry.

"Where what is?" Professor Umbridge questioned.

Hermione took a deep breath, closing her eyes before answering, "Dumbledore's secret weapon."

Hermione Granger might have been the most quick witted person Ailleda had ever met in her life.