Phenoix Rising

Chapter 16

Neville was the last to be rounded up into Umbridge's office. Harry was sitting in a chair before the said woman's desk. The pink lady stood in front of him, still looking disheveled from Fred and George's masterpiece. On the other side of the desk was Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna, and Lucy, each with a Slytherin Inquisitor pointing a wand at them.

"You were going to Dumbledore weren't you?" The Headmistress began her interrogation.

"No." Harry answered truthfully. Umbridge swiftly slapped him, "Liar."

"You sent for me, Headmistress." A new voice spoke from the doorway.

"Snape, yes." She turned to face him. "The time has come for answers, whether he wants to give them to me or not. Have you brought the Veritasyrum?"

"I'm afraid you've used up all my stores interrogating students, the last of it on Miss Chang. Unless you wish to poison him, and I assure you, I would have the greatest of sympathies if you did, I cannot help you." Severus then glanced at Lucy, silently inquiring if she needed any assistance.

Lucy shook her head, she was fine, just another inch and she would have her Aspen wand in her hand, the wand they were unaware of, therefore the wand they did not confiscate.

Just as Severus was about to exit Harry spoke up, "He's got Padfoot. He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden."

"Padfoot? What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What is he talking about Snape?"  Umbridge demanded.

Severus slowly turned back to face them, "No idea." With that he was gone.

"Very well, you give me no choice Potter, as this is an issue of the Ministry security, you leave me with no alternative. The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue." The pink lady decided.

Lucy frozen, she hadn't expected her to sink that low. Just a little bit more and she'd have her wand.

"That's illegal." Hermione stated.

"What Cornelius doesn't know, won't hurt him." The Headmistress placed the moving photograph of the Minister face down. Just as she was about to cast the Unforgivable Hermione interrupted, "Tell her Harry!"

"Tell me what?" Umbridge hesitated.

"Well if you won't tell her where it is, I will." Hermione declared. "Dumbledore's secret weapon."

As Umbridge left with Harry and Hermione, Lucy pondered on what Hermione meant. What weapon? A sword of some kind? Maybe the sorting hat that could summon the sword of Godric Gryffindor? Fawkes, no, he was gone. The philosopher's stone Fluffy had been guarding had been destroyed and Fluffy was with Hagrid again...Hagrid...Grawpy! Hermione intended to lead Umbridge to Grawpy!

Neville's stomach growled, prompting some mocking from the Inquisitorial Squad but igniting an idea in Ron. "Sorry guys, but I'm a bit hungry, mind if I eat some of my sweets?" Ron pulled a bag of puking pastels from his pocket.

Vincent Cabbe snatched the bag from him and not long after each member of the Inquisitorial Squad was puking their guts out.

After collecting their wands the group swiftly left the room, Lucy trailing after them as she wrote a quick message on a parchment with one of Umbridge's regular quills.

Not giving her surroundings proper attention Lucy accidentally ran into someone, however, luck was on her side as the person she had run into was Professor Grey, a former inhabitant of Narnia.

"Get this to the Centaurs' immediately. No time to explain!" Lucy thrust the parchment into his hands and darted off, leaving a confused professor in her wake.