The Order of the Phoenix - Harry Potter Male Reader Insert

18: High Inquisitor

Harry had never really seen himself as one who could come up with a fabrication on the spot, and he very quickly learned how successfully deceitful he could be.

He had never explicitly specified how his scar had hurt in his letter to Sirius after all.

"I'm sorry," said Harry, as sincerely as possible. "I honestly forgot to tell you my scar hurt. I was so knackered from that night and then Angelina had come to badger me about Quidditch..."

Y/N's hard stare did not waver. "Where did it happen?"

"In Umbridge's office." said Harry, unconsciously pulling his sleeve over his scarred palm. "I was doing her lines and my scar burned for about a split second."

Y/N's suspicious frown finally simmered a little. Harry's stomach did a very uncomfortable lurch. Despite the fact that he hadn't really lied, he did not feel comfortable deceiving Y/N and Hermione, who were both still blissfully unaware of what Umbridge's detentions were like.

Hermione bit her lip, looking very worried. "In Umbridge's office?" she whispered, aghast. "Then could she be -?"

"That was my initial thought too," said Harry, nodding. "It's not impossible that Umbridge could be in league with Voldemort."

Ron openly shuddered at the use of the name.

Sirius didn't seem so sure of this theory, however.

"Well, I know it can't be fun when it hurts, but we don't think it's anything to really worry about. It kept aching all last year, didn't it?"

"Yeah, and Dumbledore said it happened whenever Voldemort was feeling a powerful emotion," said Harry. "So maybe he was just, I dunno, really angry or something the night I had that detention."

"Well, now he's back it's bound to hurt more often," said Sirius.

"So you don't think it had anything to do with the toad being in the same room?" Y/N asked.

"I doubt it," said Sirius. "I know her by reputation and I'm sure she's no Death Eater - "

"She's foul enough to be one," said Harry darkly and Y/N, Ron and Hermione nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Yes, but the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters," said Sirius with a wry smile. "I know she's a nasty piece of work, though - you should hear Remus talk about her."

"Remus?" said Y/N, frowning. Remembering Umbridge's spiteful comment on 'dangerous half-breeds', he saw exactly where this was going and he didn't like it one bit. Remus, being a werewolf, would have a very good reason as to why he'd speak foul of someone like Umbridge.

"She drafted a bit of anti-werewolf legislation two years ago that makes it almost impossible for him to get a job."

Y/N let out a frustrated breath. This had been one of the few times he wished his brain would fail him, yet logic always prevailed.

"What's she got against werewolves?" said Hermione angrily.

"Scared of them, I expect," said Sirius, smiling at her indignation. "Apparently she loathes part-humans; she campaigned to have merpeople rounded up and tagged last year too. Imagine wasting your time and energy persecuting merpeople when there are little toerags like Kreacher on the loose - "

Ron laughed but Hermione looked upset.

"Sirius!" she said reproachfully. "Honestly, if you made a bit of an effort with Kreacher I'm sure he'd respond, after all, you are the only member of his family he's got left, and Professor Dumbledore said - "