Flawed *EDITING* (Chronicles of Narnia & Harry Potter Crossover) (PeterxOC)

14- 'Disobeying Rules Leads to Punishment'

Chapter Inspiration:

- Burn ~ Ellie Goulding

- Not Ready to Make Nice ~ Dixie Chicks

Umbridge has changed Hogwarts. And not for the better.

She had Filch take down all the talking portraits and install speakers for her PA system. The Inquisitorial Squad had more power than the Prefects or the Head Boys and Girls. She was running this ship similar to a dictatorship.

Messages played overhead all day. Things like, "Boys and girls are not permitted to be within eight inches of each other." or "Those wishing to join the Inquisitorial Squad for extra credit. Students will be submitted to questioning about suspected illicit activities. Any student in noncompliance will be expelled."

What's even worse was that all the DA members except Cho were headed to the Great Hall right now. As I walked in, I saw desks for all of us and surprise surprise, parchment with Blood Quills. Eva looked up at me, scared.

"Don't worry Ev. My lily petals will heal whatever will appear on your hand." She nodded and kept walking. I assured my friends like George, Fred, Luna, Neville. They all said they'd find me later. Umbridge sat where the teachers table would be, but it was gone.

Instead, the Headmaster's —Dumbledore's— chair sat there holding the toad herself, sipping a cup of tea. When we all sat down she sat up and told all of us, "You will be writing 'Disobeying rules leads to punishment.'"

I sat there, grinding my teeth against the pain my left hand was feeling. The words were clearly written, angry, red, and raw. I could hear weeping coming from somewhere, but didn't dare look to see who it was.

As we walked out of the Great Hall, we all saw Cho standing there. I shot her the dirtiest of looks and kept walking. I heard her call out to Harry, but he kept walking, ignoring her. They were obviously done.

~

He turned his back to us and looked over the side of the bridge. "Harry. You did everything you could. No one could win against that old hag. Even Dumbledore didn’t see this coming." I comforted him. "Harry, if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s ours." Hermione reassured. "Yeah, we talked you into it." Ron agreed.

"Yeah, but I agreed." He retorted bitterly, "I tried so hard to help, and all it’s done is make things worse. Anyway, that doesn’t matter anymore. Because I don’t want to play anymore. All it does is make you care too much. And the more you care, the more you have to lose. So maybe it’s just better to…" He trailed off.

"To what?" Hermione asked, drawing him out of his daze. "To go it alone." A psst came from somewhere. Ron turned around and furrowed his eyebrows. "Hagrid?" He motioned for us to follow him. I shared a look with Hermione and started after him.

He led us to the Forbidden Forest. Where the hell is he taking us?

"Hagrid." I persisted. He ignored me and kept walking. "Any idea where he’s taking us?" Ron asked exasperated. I knew he didn't like the forest. We all shrugged. "Hagrid, why can’t you just tell us?" Harry sighed. Hagrid stopped and just in time for us see the Centaurs run by angrily.

"I’ve never seen the Centaurs so riled. And they’re dangerous at the best of times. The Ministry restricts their territory much more they’ll have a full uprising on their hands." Hagrid spoke in shock. "Hagrid, what’s going on?" Hermione asked again.

"I’m sorry to be so mysterious, you four. I wouldn’t be bothering you at all with it, but with Dumbledore gone I’ll likely be getting the sack any day now. And I just couldn’t leave without telling someone about him." He led us a few feet farther and we all looked up.