Blood of the Moon {Remus Lupin}

Chapter 48

Haha whoops :)

"Yes, Minister," Auriga said, "The latest at Hogwarts is that Professor Hagrid-" Umbridge snorted, "has returned from his trip to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, where he was studying magical creatures in the South of France in order to come back and teach them to the students taking Care of Magical Creatures."

"And this couldn't be done over the two months of the Summer holidays?" asked Umbridge, smiling in what she must have thought was a sweet way.

Auriga grimaced. "Certainly, he was there over the summer. However, Dumbledore granted him further leave after a new nest of Martlehoppers hatched."

"Martlehoppers?" asked Taylor, the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, "I don't believe I've ever heard of them."

"They're a very rare species of bird that only inhabit an unplottable beach in Marseille," Auriga informed him. "Hagrid actually wrote a report that I've been given a copy of if you want to-"

"No, no," said the Minister, "That won't be necessary."

"No?" asked Auriga, frowning but trying to maintain her smile. She was rather annoyed actually; the six of them had stayed up well into the night creating evidence for this fictional bird. "Well, in that case I have his lesson report here too. He was quite nervous at first, but-"

"Also unnecessary," said the Minister, his face darkening. "Auriga, we've put a lot of faith in you in this office. Clearly we were wrong to do so."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Sir?" Auriga asked, every muscle in her face now dropping into a frown, as Umbridge smiled in her seat.

"While your classes may be doing well, we didn't make you High Inquisitor only for us to have to do all the work ourselves," Fudge explained.

"All due respect, Minister," Auriga said, raising her voice slightly and standing up. "When I took the job I wasn't aware you wanted me to turn the school into some sort of prison. I've done my best to create a suitable learning environment-"

"But that's not all, Malfoy!" said Fudge, now standing from his chair too. "You committed arson - and yes, we have witnesses to your case! Your parents both said they saw you, and a man very high up in Gringotts bank too-"

"Augustus Carrow used the cruciatus curse on me!" thundered Auriga. And then she drew her wand as she realised what she had said.

"So you were there?" Fudge said, a sick smile playing on his face. "You admit it?" Auriga didn't say anything. "I should've known that Dumbledore would win you over. I thought perhaps a Malfoy would withstand it, but apparently not. Dolores will replace you in your post."

"I'm afraid you don't have the jurisdiction to do that," Auriga said, drawing herself up to her full, if insignificant, height. "Only Dumbledore can fire his staff."

"For now," said Umbridge.

"Perhaps I can't," said Fudge, "But what I can do is arrest you."

"Arrest me?" Auriga scoffed.

"You just admitted to arson," said Bones, Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement. The door opened and in stepped two Aurors that Auriga recognised. She was suddenly glad that she'd been teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts for the last three months.

"They were Death Eaters," Auriga told Fudge urgently. "They had a hostage! Remus Lupin-"

"The werewolf!" exclaimed Umbridge.

At the same time, Fudge said, "Nonsense! He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named isn't back!" a smile still plastered to his face. But before either of them could finish what they'd said, Auriga had stunned the two Aurors. A few of the quicker Head's of Departments sprang to their feet, and Auriga stunned two of them, blocking the spell of the third.

She pelted from the room and threw herself down the corridor, shoving people aside and jamming the button of the lift so much she thought she may break it. A stunner skimmed the side of her head, and she turned to see the two recovered Aurors sprinting at break-neck speed down the corridor. Why weren't there any bloody stairs?

Auriga tried blocking and engaging in a duel with the two Aurors, but it was her against two of them. And while she had been unmatched while at Hogwarts, these had years of training. It wasn't long before a stunning spell hit her, right as the doors pinged open behind her.

*****

Auriga was five years old and peering round the door of her father's library...

No, she was twenty-two and sat in her cell in Azkaban.

Her parents had been arguing about something, but now they'd stopped, so she'd come downstairs before dinner...

She'd been imprisoned without trial for committing arson.

There was a man stood there, and her parents were kneeling at his feet...

It must be almost Christmas by now.

The man had red eyes and slits for nostrils. He looked up at Auriga as she entered the room, somewhat sheepishly. "This must be your daughter, Lucius?"

Her parents looked up quickly their eyes wide, and scrambled to their feet. "Yes, my Lord," said her father, as her mother moved forward and grabbed her hand.

"And she is magical?" said the man, moving forward through the room and staring intently at Auriga.

"Of course, my Lord," said her father as the man reached Narcissa and Auriga. Auriga felt her feet lift from the ground as she was levitated into the air. Her mother stiffened next to her.

"Perhaps she could join our ranks," said the man, baring two rows of startlingly perfect teeth.

Lucius Malfoy forced out laugh. "I'm not sure how useful she'd be..."

"Yes, perhaps not," said the man, "But this is who we fight for. And one day, she will fight for us."

Auriga mustered the strength to bring up her occlumency shields, and the cell flickered before her eyes. It must've been early dawn, because the light was low. Or perhaps it was midday, or even sunset. It hardly made a difference.

A cry somewhere above her distracted her and Auriga made once last attempt to preserve her shield, before she was dragged back into the hellhole that was her mind.