The Unknown Potter [COMPLETE]

Chapter Thirty-One

           Everything from that day just comes in flashes now. Umbridge finding me. Her binding my hands behind my back. The entire school being called down to the entrance hall. Me being escorted through a mass of students. Hermione sobbing into Ron's shoulder. Harry terrified. Ginny and Emily staring in shock. George looking next to dead.

          They all looked so guilty. Every one of them carried looks of guilt and grief. I shot them all a reassuring smile and kept walking, Umbridge stabbing her wand into my back.

         The four professors who kept me in hiding stood at the end of the line. They all looked solem and guilty.

         "I'm really sorry," I whispered. "I failed you guys. I'm so sorry."

          "No Gwenyth," McGonagall whispered. Her voice broke, and for the first time, I saw this strong woman with the matching robes and tight bun break down.

          "We failed you Gwenyth," she said. "And we are sorry."

          Umbridge shoved me out the door. I was handed over to the dementors, and they transported me to Azkaban. No trial. No hearing. Just straight to Azkaban.

         As I approached the concrete stronghold, I was suddenly hit by a wave of depression. Once I entered through the doors, it only got stronger.

          I was thrown into a cell by the warden, and my wand was taken and snapped in half. He threw the pieces back at my face, like he was taunting me.

         I knew from that day forward I wouldn't last long in here. This was the place where I really would go nuts, if I didn't die first.

         The warden showed up again, this time carrying a bundle of clothes. He turned around while I changed into the black and white striped jumpsuit, and I slipped on the black slipper-like shoes.

          I handed him my clothes through the bars, but not before slipping something out of the pocket.

         I slipped the Marauder's Map under the pillow on my bed. I also slipped my broken pieces of wand underneath there too.

         By the time I had gotten settled, the sun was beginning to rise. Which meant no sleep. Not that I was going to get any anyways.

         Once the sun had broken the surface, we were all herded by the dementors out of our cells and down to the mess hall. I heard people whispering around me as I grabbed a tray.

         "Who is this new kid?"

         "I don't know. She doesn't look a day older than sixteen."

          "There are rumors she's from Hogwarts. Hemming saw her being marched in with uniforms on."

         "Hemming's nuts. She can't be trusted to stay upright in broad daylight. I wouldn't trust anything she says."

         "Wait! I know who that is! Look at the scar! That's Potter!"

         These prisoners all seemed surprisingly aware for being locked up with dementors. I'd only been there three hours and I was already losing my mind. Maybe I would turn out like this Hemming person.

         There were humans as the cooks. They slopped food onto our trays. It looked like food straight out of a microwave meal. Meat that looks like it came out of a can of dog food and slightly frozen mashed potatoes.

          The rest of the day was almost exactly like you see in those prison movies. Minus the outdoor gym and the human guards.

         Once it's time for lights out, I am already going insane. I need to get out of here. There is no way I am going to survive if I stay. I start looking at the Marauder's Map, watching everybody, just to make sure they're safe.

         Then I think of my father. Not my adoptive father, but my biological one. He would probably be going insane along with my mother. He would burst in here in stag form to save me.

         That's when it clicks. Sirius and my father were both animigai. Sirius was a dog. That's how he got out. He transformed into a dog to slip out. That's how he stayed sane during his twelve years in Azkaban.

         And guess what I was able to do during the last summer, when I was visiting Sirius.

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         I sat alone in the Common Room, trying to focus on my paper. I knew I needed to get this done, but with Gwen gone, so couldn't focus on anything anymore. When I saw Umbridge escorting her out of the school, I almost lost it. Hell, I did lose it.

         I eventually threw down my quill, about ready to burst into tears. But I couldn't. If I did, I would probably never stop.

         I stared at the paper, one foot of parchment on everything learned in the seventh chapter. I don't care what a bloody DADA book tells us. It doesn't tell you how to react in the real world. It doesn't teach you how do defend yourself, hell, it doesn't even teach you how to cast the bloody spells!

         I stopped. I was starting to sound like Ron. And I had Ron for that. I just had to calm down. I looked around to make sure no one was there, and then pulled out a different parchment. The parchment that would help me get Gwen out of Azkaban.

         It was just a map for now. I had looked up a map of the prison in a library book. I checked out the book, and then copied the page. It included where dementors were stationed, the warden's office, and stuff I'm pretty sure wasn't allowed to be in the book.

         "Hermione, what are you doing?" I heard Ron ask behind me. I jumped and hid the map under my paper.

          "Nothing," I said. "Just writing that paper for Umbridge's class."

         "Hermione, that's not due until Thursday! And why are you doing anything for that cow?! She sent you sister to Azkaban!"

         "Because I don't want to be next!" I shouted. "She could tell the Wizengamont that I didn't finish my paper because I was co-conspiring with my sister! I can't go there Ron, because somebody has to get her out!"

         I took a deep breath. Ron stood back, stunned. I felt a couple tears rolling down my cheek.

        That's when reality hit me. Anyone of us could be next. We can't be doing anything stupid, because she could send anyone of us at will.

        "Please tell me it will be okay Ron," I said, crying. "Please tell me she will be okay."

        "I promise Hermione," he said, bringing me into a hug. "I will go to hell and back to get your sister back from that hellhole. I will kill every one of those dementors myself if that's what it takes. Hell, I will even take her place."

        "Please don't talk like that Ron," I said.

         "Okay, I'm sorry. I'll stop." He handed me a tissue, and I wiped the tears off my face.

          I sat down in front of the table. "Come on," I said. "Let's get my sister out."