𝗷𝗮𝗻𝗲, harry potter

˗ˋ 123

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE
✧
-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH HARRY MAKES
A CALL

. . .

Harry James Potter was not often accredited with the trait of making good choices and obvious decisions. It was all in the name, really. As Sirius kept thinking it appropriate to mention as he lived through his newfound freedom without much of a difference to his life at Hogwarts, James Potter seemed to also have the same misfortune of being needlessly reckless and constantly foolish in regards to his own safety.

It was inherited, as Snape liked to remind him (and those reminders held much more bitter notes than those from Sirius), because James hardly ever did anything that required a moment or so more than thinking - other than his pranks, for which it appeared that Remus did quite the bulk of the actual planning and he just voiced his hopes - and spent his attention primarily on a ginger girl hoping to impress her because, really, he was hopefully in love with her and couldn't imagine his life without her in it.

Which was why Harry could only pride himself in the decision to take a detour to collect the Invisibility Cloak from his dorm before continuing to the only fireplace in the castle that wasn't monitored by the ministry. And yes, it might have been Umbridge's fireplace and yes, it might be a stupidly dangerous idea just so he could have five minutes of face-to-face conversation with his girlfriend, but he had the Invisibility Cloak so it would most likely be just fine.

Harry Potter became more reckless as the years passed and he didn't know if it was a good thing or not. Without Hermione he probably would've died by then, but even she couldn't do much to stop him in this case; the school year had already been a catastrophically bad shit show and he was just... rewarding himself in a way that would piss Umbridge off if she knew and would please Jane if she didn't.

Except he hadn't accounted for the lurching pit in his stomach that appeared the moment he walked carefully down the hallway to her office door. It filled him with a sense of dread he couldn't deny; an ache over the back of his hand as a reminder of what he was usually there for. But this time if he was found out, he could assume a much harsher punishment, and it made him all the more wary as he approached.

He had ducked into an alcove minutes beforehand, pulling the stretch of shimmering material over his head before continuing on his path; it was a perfect plan, as everyone expected him to be in Hogsmeade and should he be spotted in the castle, most would think little of it - and should that person be Umbridge, well he had passed Flitwick on his walk out of the castle and he was certain the Charms professor would stick up for him if needs be.

Now coming head-to-head with the golden nameplate that read not only 'Professor Umbridge' but also "Hogwarts High Inquisitor', Harry grimaced, and stood up on his tiptoes to peer through the slip of coloured pink glass that granted anyone outside the ability to gain the knowledge of whether or not the woman was within. It was only a precaution really, Harry knew full well that she would be in breakfast for at least another fifteen minutes; she still had another hard boiled egg to go and - should if all go to plan - a Valentines to receive from Fred and George, which would prolong his time but five minutes at-least.

"Alohomora." Harry muttered, only his hand and his wand not shrouded by the cloak. There was a pause, and for a moment he worried there was some sort of charm on the door that meant a simple unlocking spell could do nothing to irk it. But, fortunately, he heard a click a moment later and the door swung open.