Harry Potter and the girl he loved

part three - chapter 5

We walk out of the hall to the courtyard where everyone else is crowded and watching the scene unfold. We watch as Professor Trelawney stands there, surrounded by luggage as Filch carries out another suitcase.

And of course at the front of it all walks out el diablo herself, Umbridge.
The Professor walks toward Trelawney.
"Sixteen years I've lived and taught here," Trelawney says with a shaky voice, "Hogwarts is my home. You can't do this."

Umbridge smiles at her and it's almost as if she's smirking as she holds up a slip of paper.
"Actually I can."

Trelawney's lip quakes. Just then, McGonagall pushes past Harry and me and runs forward towards the now trembling Professor, taking her in her arms.
She sobs and mumbles something incoherent.

"Something you'd like to say, dear?" Umbridge asks smiling falsely.
"Oh, there are several things I would like to say!" McGonagall growls at Umbridge before giving Trewlawney a tissue.

Just then, the doors to the courtyard are flung open and everyone turns to see Dumbledore standing there. He confidently walks forward to the three women, ignoring the stares of hundreds of students as he does so.

"Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sybil back inside?" he says without taking a second glance at Umbridge.

McGonagall looks relieved and leads Trelawney toward the castle. Trelawney looks to be crying with joy and as she passes Dumbledore she takes his hands muttering, "thank you."

Umbridge clears her throat before she speaks again, "Dumbledore, may I remind you that under the terms of Educational Decree Number 23 as enacted by the minister-"

"You have the right to dismiss my teachers," Dumbledore thankfully interrupts her, "you do not, however, have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That power remains with the headmaster."

"For now."

Dumbledore turns around finally acknowledging the students watching.
"Don't you all have studying to do?" he yells as he walks out and they follow.

"Professor!" Harry calls out after him, now running to try to catch up.

~time skip~

"That foul, evil gargoyle," Hermione snarls as she paces back and forth in the common room, ranting to me, Harry and Ron, "we're not learning how to defend ourselves. We're not learning how to pass our OWLs. She's taking over the entire school."

We sit there in silence absorbing the truth behind Hermione's words when the radio chimes up.
"Security has been and will remain the Ministry's top priority."

Harry leans over to turn up the volume so we can all hear.
"Furthermore, we have convincing evidence that these disappearances are the work of notorious mass murderer Sirius Black," the radio man reports.

"Harry," a voice suddenly whispers from the fireplace and we instantly whip our heads around to the fireplace.
"Sirius!" Harry exclaims and rushes toward the fire, "what are you doing here?"

"Answering your letter," he replies as we all gather around the fire to see his face emerge in the dancing flames, "you said you were worried about Umbridge, what's she doing? Training you to kill half-breeds?"
"Sirius, she's not letting us use magic at all," Harry says.

"Well, I'm not surprised," Sirius sighs, "the latest intelligence is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."
"Combat?" Ron says, "what does he think, we're forming some sort of wizard army?"

"That's exactly what he thinks," Sirius says matter of factly, "that Dumbledore is assembling his own forces to take on the Ministry. He's becoming more paranoid by the minute."