The War | The Sister Book #4 | Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter Nine

Vote if you enjoy!

"Mary Elizabeth Cattermole?"

Her voice stings my ears, and my eyes flicker across the rather lacking group of ministry workers, among them, Hermione. Her eyes meet mine for the briefest second and she gives me a minuscule nod of support.

"Mary Elizabeth Cattermole?" Umbridge asks again,

"Yes," I answer quietly,

She nods, "Of 27 Chislehurst Gardens, Great Tolling, Evesham?"

"Yes,"

"Mother to Maisie, Ellie and Alfred?" She sneers when she says their names,

"Yes," I answer, though for all I know that's a complete lie,

"Wife to Reginald?"

"Yes."

I catch movement in the corner of my eyes, and I turn to the door opposite the one I entered through where I see Harry and Ron, who doesn't look anything like Harry and Ron, staring at me. I try to think of the appropriate thing to say; Ron is, of course, my husband. Or Mary's husband. Or something.

"Reg?" I croak, real fear cracking my voice as I speak. What I really want to say is Harry. Help me. Please.

Harry stares at me with wide eyes, and then reaches back and grabs Ron by the shoulder, shoving him into the room as if he is meant to be here, doing this. Ron stumbles forward and over to me, his rough hands finding my shoulder. I take a breath, and as he squeezes my shoulder, I it isn't being Reginald, comforting Mary, but Ron, comforting me.

"Thank you, Albert," Umbridge says, then turns her attention back to me, "Mary Elizabeth Cattermole,"

"Yes," I say quietly,

"A wand was taken from you upon your arrival at the ministry today, Mrs Cattermole, is this that wand?" She raises the dark wand I took from Mary Cattermole, and I nod slowly, "Could you please tell the court from which witch or wizard you took this wand?"

What?

I falter, realising that a woman's freedom relies on whatever I say next. I shake my head, fumbling for words. My voice is hiding behind a sob, and I swallow, clearing my throat.

"I didn't take it," I croak, "I got it at Diagon Alley, from Olivanders when I was eleven- It chose me." My voice cracks as I speak, and I look down, away from her. I can hear a noise, faint, high pitched scratching at the back of my mind

"You're lying," I flinch, blinking tears from my eyes as I try to keep focussed on the tiles before me. The noise is growing louder. "wands only choose witches and you are not a witch."

"But I am, please-" I sob, I glance at Ron, "Tell them Reg, tell them what I am!"

I feel my wand where I put it in my sleeve, and slip it down so it presses into the palm of my hand. The noise, a faint scratchy screech that claws at my ears is tangible now, not something I am imagining. I hear a noise from beside me, where Harry stands, and I see his skin boiling. I can feel mine doing the same now, hissing and untwisting in a strange way, and as my eyes focus, I see Harry's wand. I take a breath.

"Albert? What are you doing?"

"You're lying, Delores," I hiss, and she looks back at me in confusion, I take the wand firmly in my hand "And one mustn't tell lies. Stupify!"

Umbridge slams against the back of her chair in a flash of white light, and I let out a breath, shaking as my disguise melts from my face. Ron grabs my arm, hauling me up off the chair. I look up, seeing a swirl of black, loud and raspy, swirling towards us, the Dementor's hands outstretched. I turn, Harry grabs my arm and we sprint down a thin corridor and out of the courtrooms, the screams of the Dementors following us as we skid across the tiles and towards the golden elevator ahead of us.

We skid into the elevator, the chain door closes and I press myself up against the back wall, my hand finding Hermione's, as I feel an awful cold start to claw at me, as the Dementor's long black arms claw at the air just before our faces, breathing in our very being. I close my eyes, turning my face away, as Harry's voice yells,

"Expecto Patronum!"

There is a flash of white and the Dementors fly back, away from us, as the Elevator starts to move backwards, and then up. When I look back at Hermione I see that she is herself again, and she pulls me into a hug.

"We thought we'd lost you," She says genuinely, pulling back as Harry pushes past and pulls me to him.

He doesn't say anything, though really there's nothing he needs to say, and he pulls back, nodding at me as we turn back towards the elevator doors as we come to a stop. I look at the ground, pulling my dark hair from behind my ears and walk forward watching my feet as a manoeuvre the crowds of people.

Then I hear a voice, and I frown, looking up from my feet and pausing, glancing over my shoulder. Between the groups of people and the bustle of muttered conversation, I see him. It's just for a moment, the flash of blond hair and a dark suit, next to his father. The world suddenly disappears from around me. Turn around, oh for God's sake, turn around- See me, I'm right here, please, just-

"That's Harry Potter!"

Someone, Ron, grabs my arm and yanks me into reality again as chaos sets in around us. He cusses under his breath as he pulls me after him, almost stepping on Harry and Hermione's heels, the yelling crowds spot us. A group of Ministry police run towards us, and we bolt. We shove through the crowds of people around the central fountain, as the statue in the centre starts getting blasted with spells, aimed at us, I duck as one flies past my head, chips of white stone scattering around me as I run forward, squeezing my wand firmly in my hand and run faster, shoving a man out of the way as I catch up with Ron.

Harry throws a spell at a stack of posters, sending them flying back at our pursuers as we sprint towards the fireplaces, the loud clanging of metal bars as one by one, they are locked off. A spell cracks the air above me and I turn back,

"Expeliarmus!" I scream, and the man who follows us loses his wand but continues to follow.

I turn back grabbing onto Ron's sleeve as we race towards the closest open fireplace, the ground thudding beneath my feet as I leap forward and-

We fly into a mess of noise, and I can feel the world clawing at me, and I close my eyes as we land and I hear someone scream something, then garb at me as we then fly off again, the word evaporating and reforming around me as I sink into the smell of dry leaves and damp.

I open my eyes, seeing a grey sky interrupted by autumn leaves, and I blink, taking a shaky breath as everything falls into place around me. A soft breeze teases at my hair and my hands form fists, crunching dried leaves and twigs between writhing fingers as cry out in pain.

xxx

Hellooooo

I completely forgot to mention last week that I got braces? But I have braces now? It's a thing? Am fixing the wonk?

Hope ur having a wonderful day

Taylor xx