Chapter 27

Disclaimer: JKR owns these characters. Anything that seems vaguely familiar in this chapter has been quoted, paraphrased, or just plain old summarized from The Order of the Phoenix book or movie.

Chapter 27

Hermione's fifth year part 1:

Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. He reflected on all of the things that had happened in the last couple of weeks. The Dementor attack on Dudley and him in the middle of Little Whinging had set off a series of events. He had been brought up on charges of underage wizardry and had to appear in front of the Wizengamot. Dudley, not having known how to conjure a Patronus Charm, had been left alone, as he hadn't used any magic. He had been present at Harry's trial, and he and their Squib neighbor, Mrs. Figg, had testified about what they had seen and what had happened.

His Aunt Petunia had sat on the sidelines and had watched the proceedings calmly. Dumbledore had shown up to defend Harry, vehemently supporting him in his need to cast the Patronus. Harry had found it odd that Dumbledore had not spoken to him. It had made Harry wonder if he had done something wrong.

In the end, the evidence had weighed heavily in Harry's favor. The testimonies of Dudley and Mrs. Figg had assured most of the jurors that Harry definitely had a real reason for casting his Patronus and using underage magic. The Wizengamot had cleared Harry of all charges, but the decision hadn't been totally unanimous.

Harry stared up at the teacher's table and was surprised to see one of the main dissenters at his trial sitting in one of the seats. She was a small, toad-like woman adorned in pink. If she didn't look so stern, Harry would have thought she looked like a Pygmy Puff, but instead she looked like a crazed pink hippo. He narrowed his eyes at her, wondering why she would have a place at that table.

All was answered soon enough when Dumbledore announced her as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge. Harry and Hermione frowned at her. Dumbledore went on with the announcements but was interrupted by the pink hippo's high pitched "Ahem, ahem." Dumbledore's annoyance showed on his face as Umbridge made the most obnoxious speech in the history of Hogwarts. If the Sorting Hat hadn't already sung its song, Harry was sure it would have been filled with verses about the pink blob who wanted to destroy the school.

Harry glanced over at Professor Snape as Umbridge went back to her seat, and he almost burst out laughing. He had the most pathetic look on his face as he rolled his eyes. He was frowning and looked at Umbridge in disgust. Even the other professors were watching Umbridge with disdain. It seemed that she was not welcome at the school, whether she thought she was or not.

Harry turned to Hermione. "She was at my trial," he whispered to her. "She voted against me."

"She looks like the type who would," Hermione commented.

"All I know is she's not to be trusted."

"She looks like she eats children for breakfast," Hermione said as she looked crossly at the woman.

"I think she resembles a pink hippo," Harry muttered.

Hermione laughed. Becoming serious again, she whispered to Harry, "Well, one thing is for certain, the Ministry is trying to take over Hogwarts."

Harry looked at her with dread. Given the Ministry's past performance, that meant nothing good for their beloved school.

oooOOOooo

It was the first weekend after the start of school, and Severus made his way down to the gates of Hogwarts, en route to the Malfoy Mansion. He kept wondering why he was letting Lucius do this to him. He should have just declined the dinner invitation. At least once a year he would get such an invitation to dinner at the Manor. Every time he arrived, he would find a beautiful, unattached woman as the fourth guest. This had happened more times than he could count over the years since Lucius and Narcissa had been married. It seemed that Lucius Malfoy liked to play Cupid, and Narcissa enjoyed playing matchmaker right along with him. He could just imagine the two of them plotting to find the perfect mate for him.

No matter how much he complained, they were relentless. It didn't matter to them that he was uninterested in dating at this time. It didn't matter to them that all of the previous encounters had fallen flat, they continued their plotting. He just hoped that whomever they chose this time could converse normally. The last lady they had invited to dinner could hardly put the words together to form a complete thought. Lucius had apologized profusely after that dinner, promising to research future guests better before inviting them.

Severus had encouraged him to drop the whole matter but had been met with a dubious glare. Lucius was bound and determined to see Severus paired off with someone. The only person Severus wanted to be paired off with was Hermione, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon. So, he grudgingly accepted yet another dinner date. He hoped the evening would move along quickly. He had reading to do and essays to grade.

Appearing before the Manor, Severus made his way to the door and knocked. He was greeted by one of the Malfoy house-elves, who directed him to the dining room. Severus walked past the large reception room and down the hall. He entered the first door on the left. This room had always been his favorite in the mansion. It was quite large and floored in marble with a sand colored grain. The walls were painted a darker variation of the sand color and white wainscoting rimmed the base of the walls. Usually a large rectangular dining table adorned the length of the room. It could seat fifty people if necessary. But it had been transfigured to a circular table that made a cozy seating area for four.

As Severus entered the dining room, he realized that he was the last to arrive, for the other dinner guest, a pretty woman with wavy dark blonde hair that fell a little past her shoulders, was already seated and talking with Lucius and Narcissa. The three turned and looked to him as he approached the table.

"Good evening, Severus. It's so good of you to make it tonight!" Lucius gushed. "I would like to introduce our other guest. This is Miss..."

"Nat Kensington," Severus said with a raised brow.

Nat smiled up at him, happy that he had remembered her from school. She extended her hand, and Severus shook it politely. Severus then settled himself into the seat next to her and looked to his old friend for the real introduction.

"I see you remember Miss Kensington from school, Severus," Lucius drawled. "It was quite funny our chance meeting. I bumped into her at the Ministry when I was headed for a meeting with the Hogwarts board. We had quite a bit of fun catching up with one another."

Severus looked over at Nat, who was smiling softly. Her hazel eyes were complemented by a jade green dress that accented her form nicely.

"So, Miss Kensington, what have you been up to all of these years?" Severus asked finally.

Nat's smile got wider. "Well," she said, "after leaving school, my whole family moved to France. I lived with them for a little while until I was finally able to afford my own place in Paris. I now own a wand shop right off of the Champs Elysees."

"Do you mean the wand shop next to Lambeaux's Apothecary?" Severus asked.

"Yes! That's it. I've been running it now for ten years."

"I had no idea that you owned that shop!" Severus exclaimed in surprise. "I was just in there last summer looking for a second wand. Your selection is impeccable."

Nat smiled broadly. "Thank you. I pride myself on having the best selection in France, if not in all of Europe. We carry all of the well known craftsmen's products."

They chatted all through dinner, not even noticing the looks that Narcissa and Lucius were giving to each other as they excitedly went from one topic to the next. Lucius watched them eagerly, hopeful that he had finally found someone who had piqued Severus' interest. Narcissa just smiled at them and hoped for the best. She wasn't particularly fond of Nat Kensington, she not being a pureblood, but of course, neither was Severus a pureblood. She did have a soft spot in her heart for him, nonetheless. Narcissa glanced at the two as they chatted away. The couple seemed to be a match made in heaven.

With dinner now finished, they moved into the study and sat in the comfortable brown leather easy chairs that circled the fireplace.

"So," Lucius chimed in. "Nat, you're only in town for this week?"

"Oh, yes. I'm here on business. I need to restock my Ollivander wands, and I'm looking for new wand talent. There are rumors that a new wand maker is situated in Godric's Hollow. I wanted to search him out and find out if he'd like to do business with me. I'll be heading back to Paris this Friday."

"Where are you staying?" Severus asked her.

"At the Kensington Arms on Diagon Alley, of course. My father owns that hotel."

Narcissa's eyebrows shot up, and she suddenly looked interested. "You're one of those Kensingtons?" she asked eagerly.

"Please forgive my wife, Nat, she is always on the look out for important people she can rub shoulders with."

Nat laughed. "Yes, I'm one of those Kensingtons. My father still runs the hotel from Paris, but he isn't involved in the day-to-day workings of it. I stay there on my frequent trips here, mostly to check up on it and make sure that the on site owners are keeping it at the five-cauldron rating it has always been noted for."

Narcissa smiled warmly at Nat. "Darling, you must let me know whenever you're here in London. You're always welcome in our home."

Severus watched the transformation that Narcissa had made. She had been personable at dinner, but somewhat aloof. Now it seemed that she would lick Nat's shoes if given the chance. Severus rolled his eyes. He enjoyed Narcissa's company, but sometimes she was just too much.

Feeling he had bantered long enough, he rose from his chair.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, Lucius. Thank you for inviting me; however, I must be off. I have essays to grade before tomorrow."

Lucius looked at Severus with furrowed brows. "Now, Severus, can't you stay just a tad later?"

"No, Lucius, I have already stayed longer than I had planned."

Nat rose too. "I should be going also. I have to get up early tomorrow to travel to Godric's Hollow."

Lucius' eyebrows now rose. "Perhaps you could be a gentleman and see that Miss Kensington makes it safely to her hotel?"

Severus looked a bit apprehensive, and Nat protested that she could find her own way back to her hotel.

"Nonsense!" Lucius cried. "It is only a short Apparition away. Severus has the time to do that. Don't you, Severus?"

Severus eyed Lucius. He knew what the man was up to. He had trapped him into escorting Nat home.

"Alright, Miss Kensington, I will see you home."

He turned for the door, assuming Nat was following him. As he approached the entryway, he realized that she was not right behind him and stopped to wait for her, his arms folded in front of him.

She came out of the study a minute later.

"Sorry, I was just saying good night," she explained.

Severus gave her a quick nod, and they left the Manor. Several minutes later, they were making their way through the Leaky Cauldron to the entry point to Diagon Alley. Tapping his wand on the brick wall, Severus made the entryway appear, and they went through it.

Even at this late time of night, the street was crowded with happy shoppers and partiers. Severus pulled Nat closer to him so they wouldn't get lost in the crowd. They slowly made their way down the street toward the Kensington Arms, which was just past Gringotts.

They chatted amiably as they walked down the street. Nat occasionally stopped and pointed out something in one of the shop windows.

"Look at that!" she cried, stopping in front of one window. "Can you believe the robe styles they are coming out with nowadays?" she cried.

She was motioning to some dress robes in the window at Madam Malkin's. The robes were a bright fuchsia color with pleats running lengthwise down the fabric. They were cinched right above the waist, and again low below the knee. It made the robes look more like a clown's outfit than actual dress robes.

"I think that's the most hideous outfit I have ever seen," Nat remarked.

"Yes, I must agree," Severus said in horror.

They laughed and continued down the street. Finally, they were standing in front of the Kensington Arms, and Severus found himself being thanked profusely by Miss Kensington for taking her home even though he had much to do this evening.

"I assure you, Miss Kensington, if it had been a problem, I would have declined in the first place."

Smiling up at him, Nat placed a hand on his shoulder and reached up and kissed him. Severus' eyes grew wide in surprise. She released him from the kiss and looked at him sultrily.

"You know, I had a crush on you back in our seventh year," she whispered in his ear.

"Nat..."

"I could have a crush on you again very easily."

Severus felt his heart clench within him. She was lovely, and her kiss had not been unpleasant, but she wasn't what he wanted. The moment her lips had touched his, he had known it. A jolt had run through his body, and he had longed for Hermione to be standing in front of him instead of her. He had enjoyed their evening together and had found her company to be quite pleasant, but she wasn't what he was looking for or waiting for.

"I'm sorry, Nat. I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression. Lucius likes to try and set me up with various women, but I'm not really looking for a relationship right now."

Nat backed off a bit and looked hurt.

"Well, when will you be looking for a relationship?" she asked haughtily.

"Not for a while," he told her matter-of-factly.

Nat sighed. "Oh, well. I knew it was too good to be true."

She looked back at Severus and gave him a wan smile. She extended her hand, and he shook it again.

"It was a nice evening anyway," she told him. "Thank you for taking me home."

And with that she turned and went into the hotel. Severus watched her disappear. He needed to have a talk with Lucius. These little dates were getting out of hand. He would never want anyone but Hermione. There was no reason to string other women along, thinking they might have a chance with him. He was not for sale.

oooOOOooo

Fred and George Weasley snuck through the halls under Harry's invisibility cloak. When Harry had found out what they were up to, he had gladly let them borrow the cloak. He had served his week of detentions with Umbridge and was looking forward to the prank that the twins had prepared.

Fred and George came to the door of the Defense classroom and tried to enter. Of course it was locked and warded.

"Not to worry," George said to Fred.

He removed a small blob of something that looked like silly putty. He formed it around the door handle, and the two stood back and waited. The twins heard a small click, and the door swung open.

"That was too easy," Fred said.

George nodded.

They crept into the classroom and quickly went to the back of it, ascending the stairs up to Umbridge's office. This door had been foolishly left unlocked. George smiled to Fred under the cloak. They entered the office and pulled the cloak over their heads.

"How long will it take you to set up the yapper?" George asked.

"Just a few minutes," Fred said as he pulled an octagonal wooden box out of his pocket. He set it on the desk and opened it. Inside there were a lot of mechanical knobs and gears. It looked something like the innards of a music box. Fred took his wand out and waved it over the box.

"Canis Multiplico," Fred murmured.

The box began to grind. George and Fred took a step back as it trembled on the desk. After a minute, a great light shot to all corners of the office. Then everything was dark and quiet again. But the quiet only lasted for a few seconds.

Fred and George stared around the room with wide eyes. All of Umbridge's plates and pictures of cats now had a new inhabitant. Each now held a dog as well as a cat. The cats were obviously not pleased. Hissing, spitting, and caterwauling became mixed with barking and snarling. The twins watched as fights erupted in almost all of the plates. They both looked at each other worriedly.

"We'd best be off," they said in unison.

They threw the Cloak over them and hurriedly left the scene of the crime. Their escape came just in time, as the noise from her office had sent Dolores Umbridge scuttling to see what the hubbub was about. Imagine her horror when she saw all of her prized pussy cats being terrorized by horrible, terrible, ferocious, mongrel dogs! Oh, the injustice!

She screamed. She screamed so loud, Albus Dumbledore heard her three floors down and came rushing up to see what had caused the stout hippo to utter such a sound. By the time Dumbledore had ascended the stairs and burst into her office, Dolores Umbridge was a tattered mess. She had tried to extricate some of the tamer looking beasts from the pictures but had been attacked unmercifully. As Dumbledore stood and looked on helplessly, Umbridge was fighting off two toy poodles and a Chihuahua. The dogs certainly had the upper hand.

Albus knew that his appearance hadn't been detected by Umbridge, so he let her fight off the maniacal midget-dogs for a few minutes. A white toy poodle was making what seemed to be a nest in her hair while a black toy poodle had a grip of the arm of her pink coat. The Chihuahua simply was nipping at her ankles. Umbridge was batting at the tiny dog on the floor with her wand, but every spell she threw at it simply bounced off the doggie and hit Umbridge instead. Albus stifled a laugh and raised his own wand.

"Canis defluo," he said with a flick of his wand, and the three tiny dogs disappeared.

"Dolores, what on earth has happened here?" he asked.

Umbridge turned to him in fury.

"One of those student brats has sabotaged my office!" She pointed to her walls. "Just look at what they've done! My little darlings are fighting for their lives!"

Dumbledore looked seriously at the walls, trying hard not to burst into fits of laughter. He could barely contain himself, but he did, which was a miracle. His eyes fell to the octagonal box on the desk.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "This seems to be your problem, Dolores. I believe this box is the key to your uninvited guests."

Albus waved his wand over the box, and it exploded, making all of the dogs in the pictures disappear. Albus was sorry to see them leave, but he didn't relay his feelings to Dolores.

"There you go, all better," he twinkled.

"All better! My babies are traumatized, and some are seriously hurt. I swear, Albus, when I find the little culprits who did this, they will be sent to Azkaban!"

Albus finally couldn't hold back his laughter. He chuckled at Umbridge, but only a little.

"Now, now, Dolores, that is not an offence worthy of Azkaban! A few good detentions should keep whoever did this on the straight and narrow."

Umbridge sputtered at him, not knowing what to say for the first time in her life. Albus patted her on the shoulder.

"There, there. I'm sure your kitties will be fine. I'll leave you to settle them down."

And with that, Albus Dumbledore was gone. He'd never moved so fast as to get to his office, where he fell into his desk chair and had one of the most enjoyable laughs of his entire life.

oooOOOooo

The next morning word had gotten around the whole school about the disturbance in Umbridge's office. No one knew who did it, but rumors were flying as to who the culprits might be. Rumors were also flying about Umbridge getting chased down the hall by a bulldog, being bitten on the backside by a pit bull, and being defecated on by a collie. Even the teachers were participating in the jocularity, as Umbridge had decided to take her breakfast in her room. Albus was relaying the picture of Delores Umbridge with a tiny poodle sitting on her head, one on her arm, and another dog at her heels to everyone at the large table. There were gasps and guffaws all along the length of the faculty table. Severus sat back and smirked as he pictured Umbridge swatting at her hair and screaming bloody murder as she tried to pull the dogs off of her. Finally there was something to laugh and celebrate about.

Of course, the culprits were never found.

oooOOOooo

"You sent for me, Headmaster?" Severus crooned as he entered Dumbledore's office.

"Oh, yes, Severus, there's no time to waste!"

Severus glanced at Harry, who was looking scared. Looking back to Albus, he made sure he understood what was to be done.

"You wish me to give Mr. Potter those extra lessons we spoke about?"

"Yes, yes, Severus. Please begin tonight!"

Severus looked to Harry. "Follow me, Mr. Potter."

Soon they had descended all the way to the dungeons. Harry had explained his dream as they went down the long staircases, describing how he had seen through Nagini's eyes and had witnessed the attack of Arthur Weasley. Severus listened worriedly as Harry spoke. They had reached the Potions classroom, and he opened the door and hurried Harry into the room.

"Sir," Harry said, "I felt something...evil...when I had that dream, and later in the Headmaster's office. My scar burned, and I felt this intense hatred toward Dumbledore."

Severus regarded him with a frown. "I believe you have formed a connection with the Dark Lord that he can exploit in the future if he realizes it exists. The art of Occlumency will help you to block out the Dark Lord's influences."

"Occlumency?"

"It is a way to block your thoughts from Legilimency, which is the ability to see into another's mind and read his thoughts... to direct them... even to use them against him."

"You mean Voldemort will try and use this connection to control me?"

"Once he realizes the connection exists. That's why it's imperative for you to master Occlumency. Professor Dumbledore wants me to teach it to you, as I have become adept at it through my spy work for the Order."

Severus extracted his wand and turned to Harry. "I will attempt to penetrate your mind; you will attempt to keep me out."

Harry looked at him in puzzlement. "How do I do that, Professor?"

"You must clear your mind, Harry. When you feel me enter it, try to push me out. Keep your thoughts simple, or think of nothing at all, or something mundane. It is a form of discipline that will keep the Dark Lord out of your mind. Are you ready?"

Harry nodded.

Severus pointed his wand at Harry. "Legilimens!" he cried.

Harry felt the onslaught hit him, and he could do nothing about it. Memories came unbidden to the forefront of his mind. His parents were smiling and embracing. He was laughing with Ron and Hermione. He kissed Cho Chang. He caught the Snitch in his first Quidditch match.

Severus pulled out of Harry's mind. "You must concentrate, Harry. Focus on emptying your mind."

Harry concentrated. "Okay," he said, "I'm ready."

"Legilimens"

Harry fought to keep his mind clear. It was hopeless. Severus penetrated his mind again. Voldemort stared at him from the train station. He was the snake attacking Arthur Weasley. Ginny lay unconscious on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets. Cedric Diggory stared at him with lifeless eyes.

Severus pulled out again. "When I penetrate your mind, fight to clear it again. Your goal is to stop me, even if I gain access. You should not let me wander in your thoughts like that."

"Legilimens"

Harry lasted about a minute before Severus was in his mind. Harry worked hard to expel him and clear his mind, but it was much harder than it seemed. He pushed Severus out once, but the effort was exhausting. Severus crashed through again, and Harry was unable to stop him. Severus withdrew after a minute, and Harry fell to his knees.

Severus went up to him and helped him to stand.

"That wasn't bad," Severus said to Harry. "Now you know what it feels like to push me out. It will be easier the next time."

Harry was panting. "This is exhausting. How do you do it, Professor?"

Severus grinned at him. "I have had years of practice, Harry."

"How do you keep him out?"

"I not only keep him out, I can show him what I want him to see. That will be your ultimate goal."

"How can I do that, when I can't even keep you out of my head for thirty seconds?"

"We will practice, just like we practice dueling. It will get easier with time. Are you ready to continue?"

Harry nodded, and Severus began again. They worked for another hour before Severus told him to get some rest. In that hour Harry managed to keep Severus out of his mind for an entire minute at a time. Harry was discouraged, but Severus assured him he would get better with time.

oooOOOooo

Severus growled as Dolores Umbridge left his office. She had been quizzing him on his position and lack of appointment as the Defense Professor. She had tittered at him when she had asked him about that. Severus knew that she disliked him because of his Death Eater status and the fact that he had never gone to Azkaban for it. He felt he should be careful around her, but there was just something about the woman that made him want to strangle her. Umbridge was an insufferable beast, strutting around in all of that pink like a fat flamingo.

Severus let his imagination take over as he pictured Umbridge's neck wrapped in his hand. He squeezed her neck tightly and watched the toad's eyes bulge. Suddenly she turned into a real flamingo, and his grip tightened even more around the thin neck of the bird as he lifted it off the ground. It squawked wildly, flapping its wings, hitting Severus' arms in its gyrations. It's long, spindly legs bent up and down furiously. Severus extracted his wand, and with a flick, the flamingo turned into a giant warty toad. It resembled Neville Longbottom's, only it was uglier. It still wore the little pink hat that usually adorned Umbridge's head. He let the toad jump to the floor and watched it hop away with a satisfied smirk on his face. Ahh, if only dreams would come true!

oooOOOooo

Months of training had gone by, but Harry still wasn't getting anywhere with his Occlumency lessons. He couldn't seem to clear his mind. Severus had all but given up. He had no delusions that Harry would ever be able to direct his thoughts, but he still held out hope that Harry would be able to at least block his thoughts effectively. He pulled out of Harry's mind and checked his watch.

"Nine minutes," he said sourly. "That's one minute better than last time."

"It's hopeless, Professor. I'm never going to be able to do this right."

Severus studied Harry. "I'm not sure what the problem is. Why is it so hard for you to discipline your mind?"

"I don't know, Professor. I'm just ready to give up entirely."

"That could mean your utter downfall, Harry. We must keep at it. Your ability to keep the Dark Lord out could be the difference between victory and defeat."

Harry glanced over to the Pensieve where Severus always deposited some memories.

"What do you put in there?" Harry asked with interest.

"If I wanted you to know, I'd leave those memories in my head," Severus responded tartly.

Harry just stared at him, waiting for a credible answer.

Severus looked at Harry crossly. "They are mostly disturbing images of my time as a Death Eater. You do not need to see such nastiness should you get into my head."

Little did Harry know that the Pensieve was really filled with memories of his best friend, Hermione.

oooOOOooo

Hermione and Harry were walking to their meeting with Professor Snape.

"I think that our DA meeting went well last night," Harry mused absently.

"Yes, it did. You really are an excellent teacher, Harry, just like I said you would be."

"Thanks, Hermione."

They knocked on the door and entered when they heard Snape's voice calling to them. He turned as they entered and bowed his head slightly in a welcome.

They looked around the room. It was exactly the way they had left it the previous night. It seemed that Professor Snape had found out about Dumbledore's Army.

"I really like your setup here, Harry," Severus said, "although I think it's a bit lacking in padded walls. I'm sure all of your friends must be slamming into the walls quite a bit."

Harry and Hermione didn't say anything.

"I was going to come in last night, but I thought you might think I was Professor Toad and hex me as I walked through the door."

"Professor Toad, sir?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, you know, the woman who wears pink and struts around as if she owns the place?"

Harry and Hermione's mouths dropped open.

"How long have you known, sir?" Harry asked when he had regained his composure.

"I have been keeping a close eye on your organization since its inception. You have been quite clever in your attempts to keep Mr. Filch from finding the entrance to this room."

"Are you going to tell Umbridge, sir?" Hermione asked.

"What exactly is Professor Umbridge teaching you in her class?" Severus queried.

"Nothing at all!" Hermione snorted. "All we do is read out of the book. She won't even let us take our wands out. It's the biggest waste of time!"

"So, you decided to take matters into your own hands and run a Defense class yourselves?"

The students nodded.

"That's very enterprising of you," Severus told them. "Of course, you realize that Professor Umbridge has forbidden clubs of any kind?"

Harry and Hermione nodded again, afraid of what he would say next.

"Yet you insist on meeting anyway?"

"Professor, how are we supposed to be prepared to fight against Voldemort if Umbridge won't even let us practice simple spells?" Harry asked plaintively.

"Professor Umbridge cares nothing for your level of preparedness," Severus explained. "She only cares about herself and how she can gain power in this school. She and Minister Fudge are paranoid to the extent of it being detrimental to the students of this school."

"Then you see our plight, Professor?" Hermione asked.

Severus looked to Hermione. "Indeed I do," he said plainly.

"So, you won't let Umbridge know about our group?" Hermione pleaded.

"As far as I'm concerned, Miss Granger, what goes on in the Room of Requirement is none of my business. I just wanted you to know that Professor Umbridge is aware that something is going on, and Mr. Filch is determined to expose you. Umbridge is doubling the efforts of the Inquisitorial Squad."

Harry gave Severus a determined look. "She won't find us, Professor."

Severus nodded his head to Harry.

"Perhaps you could come to one of our meetings and teach us some dueling techniques?" Harry asked.

"No, Harry, I will not be engaging in such activities. Umbridge already is watching me closely, as I am a former Death Eater. It would not be wise for me to indulge in teaching your secret society. She, however, will not stand in the way of me teaching the two of you. I'm sure you can pass along anything that you learn with me to your friends."

Harry and Hermione smiled at him. "We will, sir," they said together.

Severus nodded to them, and they began their lessons.

A/N: Next up: Umbridge accosts Hermione, and Sirius Black doesn't know when to stay hidden.

I find it telling that the name Dolores in Spanish means 'pains'. She's certainly full of those. I own a little black toy poodle and couldn't resist having him attack Umbridge in this chapter. He's psycho as it is. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.