Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 136

Jenna froze on the spot. For a second, she felt as though the air around her had ceased to reach her lungs, and she was finding it almost impossible to breathe as she stared at the Malfoy boy with wide eyes.

"And who are you?" Malfoy raised a brow at Jenna's direction, as if he had sighted her for the first time.

"She's nobody important, I assure you," said Snape, a sneer spreading across his face. "Now tell me exactly what happened."

"We found the Weasley girl and Lovegood standing guard at either side of the office's corridor, lying to everyone and saying someone had let off a load of Garroting Gas in that corridor. We figured that something was wrong, so we called Professor Umbridge and caught them red handed. They were talking to someone through the Floo Network. Probably Dumbledore."

"Very well, Draco." Snape nodded curtly. "I'll be along in a few minutes —"

"Actually, the Headmistress wishes to see you as soon as possible," Malfoy went on, looking back at Snape again. "I guess she wants more Veritaserum."

"All right," said Snape, and then with one last glance at Jenna, he left the office with Malfoy.

Jenna was barely holding herself up on her two feet, feeling as though her knees were just about to give in. She knew for a fact that Harry wasn't trying to contact Dumbledore, because none of them even knew where he was. Harry probably wanted to speak with Sirius.

What if Umbridge used Veritaserum on Harry and figured out where Sirius was hiding? What if she forced him to tell him all about the Order's secrets? What if she hurt Harry?

All these thoughts were attacking Jenna's mind all at once, and yet she couldn't leave Snape's office. She couldn't allow herself to leave before finding out what was going on. She just had to wait for him to return, and hear what had exactly happened from himself.

Jenna was pacing around the dark office, feeling a bad headache bending her down. She waited and waited, but the seconds felt like hours to her, and the minutes like days. But at last, Jenna turned around sharply when the door to the office opened once more and Snape rushed inside, looking pale.

"What was it!?" Jenna asked urgently, her mouth going dry.

"It was worse than I thought," Snape said in a mere whisper.

"Then speak, damn it!"

But without saying another word, Snape gave his wand a light flick. On cue, the door to the office was slammed shut and was locked, a silencing charm being cast over it to keep their conversation private and keep out the intruders.

"It's true. Harry's had another vision," said Snape, reaching out for a bowl of Floo Powder nearby. "I looked through his mind. He saw Sirius being tortured by the Dark Lord."

"Wh-what..." Jenna nearly collapsed, but held onto the edge of the desk to keep herself up, her voice barely audible. Her vision had become blurry, and she suddenly felt paralyzed.

"No..." she shook her head, trying to fight back her tears as her whole body started to tremble. "No... no, this can't be happening..."

"There's only one way to find out," Snape said blankly.

I can't lose him... I can't... I can't take it...

Jenna was still breathing heavily, watching Snape warily as he took off a fistful of Floo Powder from a bowl on top of his fireplace.

With that, he spoke clearly, "Grimmauld Place, London," and then threw the powder within the fire. The flames roared and turned green.

Snape then kneeled down before the fireplace and stuck his head closer to the green flames, calling out loudly, "Black!"

Jenna was unknowingly biting her lower lip from the stress, until she winced when it hurt her with a sharp pain.

Please... please be there...

Snape called into the fire many times, until Jenna finally managed to catch Sirius's voice from the other side, though only Snape could actually see him.

"What do you want?" Jenna heard Sirius's voice, and the relief washed over her body like a bucket of icy water.

"Just to make sure you're alive," Snape spoke into the fire. "Your godson is in danger."

"What!?" Sirius snapped, his heart sinking as he stared at Snape's head within the flames of his kitchen's old fireplace.

"Harry's had another vision, but it was a fake. I could tell," Snape explained coldly. "His exact words were 'He's got Padfoot where it's hidden'. I saw through his mind. He thinks the Dark Lord has captured you in the Department of Mysteries."

"But — how — why!?" Sirius breathed out, too in shock to think straight.

"I assume the Dark Lord wished to lure him to the Prophecy, in hopes that his usual act of heroism would lead him there," said Snape.

"Where is he now!?" Sirius questioned in horror.

"In Umbridge's office," Snape answered blankly. "Stay close by the fireplace, Black. You'll have to contact the Order if anything happens."

And with that, before giving Sirius a chance to respond, Snape stood up to his feet and the green flames died out.

"Once again, your arrogant nephew has done it," Snape snarled. "His stupidity hasn't ceased to put everybody in danger. If he had thought and used his brain for a single second, he would've realized that there was no way the Dark Lord could've broken into the Ministry in the middle of the day, along with the most wanted wizard in the world."

"Save your bitterness for someone who has the time to listen to them," Jenna said sharply before turning around and storming out of the office with her wand in her hand, still in the form of another witch.

"Stop! What on earth do you think you're doing!?" Snape yelled out, walking out of the office after her.

"I think it's time for Umbridge to take her last breath, don't you?" Jenna said darkly, not slowing down her pace.

"I warn you, Potter —!" Snape snarled, trying to seize Jenna's arm to stop her.

But in a flash of an eye, Jenna turned to face him sharply, raising her wand up to his chin fiercely.

"No, I warn you, Snape," she said grimly, "when it comes to the people I love, you'll find that I'm very much capable of killing those who harm them, or even try to get on my way. So I suggest that you stand back and stay out of my way."