“What’s the signal again?” Harry whispered from underneath the invisibility cloak - where the 3 of them were uncomfortably squeezed together.
Seriously, Anna thought as Hermione’s elbow dug deeper into her stomach. However Ron handled this, I will never know.
“A loud chorus of ‘Weasley is Our King’,” Hermione responded smoothly. “It means Umbridge is coming - which also means we need to go.”
“Yeah, I got it.” Harry snapped back waspishly, still frustrated. Quickly, he made work of taking Sirius’s knife and undoing the lock - revealing Umbridge’s empty office.
Anna made quick work of pulling off the cloak, making a face as she glanced around the sugar-sweet room - which contrasted far too much with Umbridge’s horrible personality.
Harry quickly grabbed a handful of Floo powder from the pot and hurled it into the fireplace. “Number twelve, Grimmauld Place!”
Instead of Sirus’s face, Kreacher appeared in the flames, appearing worse for wear. His hands were wrapped in twin bandages, and his attitude seemed no better than usual.
He rose an eyebrow. “The Potters in the fire? What do they seek, Kreacher thinks.”
“Where is Sirius?” Harry gritted out. “Where’s he gone?”
A sinking feeling began in Anna’s stomach.
No. If he’s not there then…then…
Then Harry was right.
Sirius was being tortured by Voldemort.
And they were wasting their time just sitting there.
“Kreacher does not know where his Master goes. Master does not tell poor Kreacher of his whereabouts.”
“But you do know.” Her voice was low. Broken.
Dangerous.
“Tell us. Now.”
Kreacher just stared with empty eyes before a loud laugh erupted from the back of his throat, and suddenly he was overcome with tears of joy. “Master will not come back from the Department of Mysteries! Kreacher and his Mistress will be alone once again!”
Bloody hell.
“You bas-” Anna went to shout, but she was cut off as she felt pain flare from her eye and she was on the ground.
She groaned, a migraine stemming from her temples as she went to investigate the pain - blood transferring to her fingers as she touched her cheekbone before she was lifted up into the air and pinned against the wall.
That was sure to bruise.
“You really think that you would be able to get into my office without me knowing?” Anna overheard Umbridge hiss. “Take their wands.”
Her breath hitched as the burly Slytherin roughly untangled her fingers, the bones popping and forming into unnatural angles - an unnecessary attempt to obtain her wand.
“Hand for a hand, Mudblood.” He hissed into her ear. Anna only then recognized the bite-sized scar on the back of his hand.
The boy who caught me. She realizes dully, though she makes no movements of recognition as she continues to glare.
“So, Potters.” Umbridge drawled. Anna noticed Harry was in her hold - a handful of his dark locks grabbed by bony fingers. “Who were you trying to speak to.”
“None of your bloody business, old hag.” Anna bit out.
She held her breath as Umbridge struck her across the face. It wasn’t painful, but the humiliation burned deeper.
“Well?”
Harry’s jaw was clenched, but he didn’t speak a word.
“Very well.” Umbridge let out a sigh, looking back to one of her little helpers. “Fetch Professor Snape, will you?”
Though Anna hadn’t been facing the direction of the student, she did catch a glimpse of silky chiffon locks on their way out.
She only knew of one person with that exact shade.
Draco. He had been there that whole time. He had seen the slytherin boy punch her, had seen Umbridge slap her. Yet he had done nothing.
He's not my Prince Charming. I'm not a princess that needs saving.
So why did his indifference hurt so much?
Her eyes were damp, but it wasn’t from the pain in her fingers.
“You wanted to see me, Headmistress?”
Snape.
Anna looked down, unable to face him in her current state.
She already felt betrayed 5 times over. She didn’t need one more face as a reminder.
First Draco, now Snape. How much worse could her day get?
“Professor Snape,” Umbridge spoke pleasantly. “I would like another bottle of Veritaserum - as quickly as possible please.”
“You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter. Surely you didn’t use it all? 3 drops should’ve been sufficient.”
Umbridge’s face reddened. “Surely, you can make more, can’t you?”
“Certainly. Though it takes a full moon cycle to mature, so it should be ready in about a month.”
“A month? But I need it at this very moment!”
Anna couldn’t hold back her smile.
“I wish to interrogate him!” Umbridge insisted, face hot.
“I have already told you,” Snape began once again. “I have no more stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison the boy - which most venoms act far too quickly to gain good information…”
"You are on probation!” Umbridge shrieked. With her free hand, she pointed to the door. “Get out of my office!”
Snape gave a small bow, meeting Anna’s gaze for the smallest moment before he turned away.
Wait. Please don’t go.
She looked away as well.
“Padfoot! He’s got Padfoot!” Harry suddenly blurted out, causing Snape to pause - staring at him with incredulous eyes. “At the place where it’s hidden! He’s got him!”
“Who is Padfoot?” Umbridge demanded, glaring between Harry and Snape. “Where is the place where it’s hidden?”
Snape only stared. “Potter, if I wished for random nonsense to be shouted at me, I would have fed you a Babbling Beverage. Now, excuse me.”
He left.
And Anna’s heart sank to her feet.
Umbridge laughed.
Carefully, she picked up her wand, her smile too wide, too forced as she met Anna's emerald gaze.
“This…this is a ministry matter, yes? Therefore…I must take whatever means to get my answers. This is an issue of ministry security, yes.”
Something lit up in Umbridge’s eyes - a type of bloodthirst and joy that shook Anna to her core. “The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen up your tongues, no?”
YOU ARE READING
Lillian 'Anna' Potter || Order of the Phoenix
Fanfiction"SOMETIMES, IT'S EASIER TO FORGIVE THAN IT IS TO FORGET." It was revealed by J.K Rowling that when Lily Potter originally died, she was with child. What if Lily had her second child before Voldemort showed up at their house in Little Whinging? H...
