A Magic Stronger Than Darkness ~ Book 2: Forever & Always

Chapter 18 ~ Reuniting With an Old Friend

The following day, there were new rumors buzzing throughout the castle. Professor McGonagall had been injured while defending Hagrid from a group of aurors that Umbridge had brought to the school in an effort to capture the groundskeeper, likely in an effort to take him to Azkaban for some ridiculous reason or another. Hagrid had fled the school grounds, and McGonagall was sent to St. Mungo's Hospital for treatment.

Unfortunately, that meant our last practical line of defense from Umbridge was gone. Those of us in Gryffindor worried for our Head of House and for ourselves. There was palpable fury in the Common Room as we all discussed what we knew of the situation. People were more nervous now than ever about what Umbridge would be capable of, her tyranny clearly having no limits in the school with both McGonagall and Dumbledore gone.

Strangely, the Golden Trio were nowhere to be found in Gryffindor Tower during this time. Eventually Neville and I decided we should go looking for them in the corridor, wondering where they could be. Surely they should know of what happened, if they didn't already.

As soon as we exited the portrait hole, I walked right into Draco. My boyfriend had been standing anxiously at the top of the stairs leading to Gryffindor Tower.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I greeted him with a hug, though I was surprised to find him waiting outside the portrait of the Fat Lady.

He stared down at me warily and sighed, "As much as I would love for my purpose of being here to be that I'm getting you for a date or something, love, I actually came for Longbottom. Unfortunately, I don't know the password to enter your common room so I had to wait for him to come out instead." He replied, releasing me and pointing over my shoulder.

I glanced back at Neville, watching his eyes widening in alarm, and then I turned to Draco again.

"Why do you need Neville? What's going on?" I asked, gazing at him cautiously.

"I'll explain on the way," He answered, his frown growing grimmer as he motioned Neville forward.

Neville swallowed thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously as Draco wrapped his fingers around Neville's upper arm, tugging him forward a bit more forcefully. Neville shuffled in front of me and moved as he was supposed to, complying with Draco's wordless request. I followed the pair as Draco briskly led Neville down the stairs.

"Where are we going?" I pressed my boyfriend, noticing the tension in Neville's frame.

Draco turned his head to look at us again, "The old bat's office. She wants those of us on the I.S. to collect your friends. She didn't say why though..." He offered what little explanation he had in reply.

I held my breath as we neared the door to her office, feeling a ball of apprehension bubbling up in my belly.

The three of us paused outside her chambers, and my boyfriend turned his own concerned gaze upon me.

"Stay here. I don't want her getting a hold of you again, she's gone absolutely mental." Draco told me, dropping his voice so that no one but Neville and I could hear him.

I wanted to argue with Draco, but his eyes were practically pleading with me to listen to his directions for once, so I went silent and watched the pair move toward the door. I heard Draco whisper something to Neville, although he was speaking so quickly that I couldn't make out what it was, even with my feline sense of hearing. But when I observed Draco dramatically shove Neville into the office, I understood that my boyfriend must have warned Neville ahead of time, giving the taller boy enough warning so that he didn't fall on his face once inside the room.

I glanced around the silent hallway, searching for any sign of another student or teacher heading my way. Thankfully, there was no one else in the corridor, so I took the opportunity to morph into my cat form, slinking into the shadows of a nearby stone statue when my transfiguration was complete. Minutes seemed to drag on at an agonizingly slow speed while I paced near Umbridge's office door, and I lashed my tail nervously. What's going on in there? I hope they're all okay... I thought worriedly as voices rose in volume on the other side of the door.