Hydrus Black Chapter 35

Chapter 35 -

"What did Hydrus want with you?" Hermione asked Liv as soon as the two reunited in the hallways.

"Nothing much," Liv fibbed as the two started walking again. "He just wanted to make sure that there weren't any problems between us and he asked if we could make sure that Neville wouldn't bother him anymore."

"That's it?" Hermione asked doubtfully. "I doubt that the two of you would have such a long conversation over something so simple,"

"Well, he did imply that his patience is limited and that Neville probably wouldn't like what would happen if it runs out," Liv added with a shrug.

"Ah," Hermione's face shifted into a thoughtful one. "I suppose that makes sense, not that I can blame him. He has been remarkably patient compared to most boys I've seen."

"And he told me a bit about his mother," Liv smiled. "Say what you want about him but he's a real mummy's boy,"

"Hardly the worst thing in the world," Hermione giggled as the two reached the common room. The two of them had barely gotten inside when they saw most of the Gryffindors gathered there along with Professor McGonagall.

"Ah, there you are," Professor McGonagall said in a relieved voice seeing Liv. "Miss Cooper, Miss Granger, you'll come with me please," She said, it wasn't an order and Professor McGonagall hadn't wasted a moment before heading towards Liv and Hermione and then taking them both out of the common room.

"Professor," Liv said as she followed quickly behind the fast pace of Professor McGonagall. "Professor, what's going on?" She asked.

"No questions, dear girl, not now at least," Professor McGonagall replied, sounding quite worried. It wasn't long before the group of witches reached the hospital wing where she found Madam Pomfrey and Hydrus Black of all people waiting for them. "In the bed now," Professor McGonagall told Liv whilst gesturing to the nearest bed. Liv blinked hard before dumbly climbing onto the bed and lying down on it. Madam Pomfrey quickly started casting various spells on Liv.

"Well?" Professor McGonagall asked once Madam Pomfrey had finished.

"The girl looks alright; there is nothing that I can really see," Madam Pomfrey frowned. "I can detect one charm placed on her though,"

"That was me, Madam Pomfrey," Hydrus spoke up. "I had cast a cheering charm on her earlier," Madam Pomfrey nodded thoughtfully at that before she continued casting more spells.

"A cheering charm?" Hermione couldn't help but ask. "Professor, Madam Pomfrey, what's going on?"

"Yeah, I'd kind of like to know that as well," Liv spoke up. "You know...since I'm the one in bed getting spells cast on her,"

"Mr Black has raised a concern regarding your recent behaviour," Professor McGonagall began explaining before she turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger, has Miss Cooper been acting differently the last few days?"

"Um..." Hermione looked a bit nervous at being put on the spot. "...well, yes, Professor. She seemed really angry the last few days, I didn't want to push and find out why. I...I thought maybe I had done something to make her upset," She added the last part quietly.

"What?" Liv blurted out. "No, Hermione...you didn't do anything,"

"Has Miss Cooper been disappearing for periods of time during the last few weeks?" Professor McGonagall asked Hermione.

"Um...yes, she told me that she just wanted some personal time to walk around the castle," Hermione answered. "Professor, what's going on?"

"Quirrell," Hydrus spoke up before anyone else could. "Professor Quirrell, that is, kept calling me to his class and was trying to get me hooked on the dark arts, he tried to mess up my mind. I think he was possibly doing something similar to Liv."

"That can't be!" Hermione gasped, shocked.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Hydrus asked her with a sad shake of his head. "Liv is always such a nice and polite girl, isn't she Miss Granger? And then suddenly she gets in a shouting match with Professor Snape and storms out of class? She's angry constantly and seemingly in a bad mood, isn't she? It could be something normal but then again, we did just have one of the most evil wizards of all time hiding out in our school. Who is to say what he's been doing behind all of our backs? Liv told me she met him a few times, didn't you, Liv?" Hydrus asked suddenly, looking the perfect picture of concern until everyone looked away from him and at Liv, at that point he gave her a quick but brief look that quite plainly said 'Play along or we're both neck-deep in trouble'.

"Um...yeah, a few times, I suppose," Liv said slowly. "I...I mean, he just asked me a couple of questions about random things like my homework and such."

"Wait a moment," Madam Pomfrey frowned deeply. "I found something, had to use one of my more complicated spells but I got something. There's some dark magic in the brain, but thankfully it looks like it's fading, I think it's best if you stay in the hospital wing with me for the night. A couple of potions and a spell or two should help it leave, after that, I'm going to have you stay one more day for observation. But then you should be free to go."

"Is she going to be okay?!" Hermione asked in a worried voice.

"She'll be perfectly fine, Miss Granger, Madam Pomfrey is an excellent witch and knows what she's doing," Professor McGonagall said confidentily, patting Hermione on the shoulder.

"Professor McGonagall," Hydrus spoke up. "I think you'll recall that Miss Cooper was given a detention recently by Professor Snape, because of her behaviour in his class, which was fair I suppose. But now that we know that there's a reason that she's been acting all angry and everything and that it wasn't her fault, don't you think it's a bit unfair for her to attend detention with Professor Snape?" He asked with a frown.

"I believe you are quite correct, Mr Black," Professor McGonagall's lips thinned. "There have been many, many wizards and witches far older than Miss Cooper who have been forced to do many terrible things because of the actions of he who must not be named. Miss Cooper, I will have any points you may have lost during that lesson returned to Gryffindor and I am delighted to inform you that your detentions with Professor Snape are hereby cancelled."

"What? Really?" Liv smiled.

"Yes," Professor McGonagall gave her a brief smile. "But with that being said, the next time you're in trouble - providing we don't have another case of dark magic on her hands - you will suffer the consequences like every other student of Hogwarts, I hope that is clear to you, Miss Cooper?" She finished, giving her a pointed look.

"Yes, Professor," Liv said quickly, wiping the smile off of her face.

"Very good," Professor McGonagall nodded to her before turning to Hydrus. "As for you Mr Black, I must commend you for not only showing concern for a fellow student but also being intelligent enough to realise what the problem is and being wise enough to inform Madam Pomfrey and myself. That'll be fifty points for Slytherin, Mr Black. I dare say Miss Black should be proud of you, I have no doubt that if she were alive today then Lily would also be proud of you."

"Thank you, Professor," Hydrus said with a small smile. "That means a lot,"

"You're welcome, Mr Black," She replied, inclining her head slightly. "Now, if there's nothing else then I think you should head off to your common room, you still have time to make it there before curfew. You too, Miss Granger," She added, Hermione looked reluctant but nodded her head.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Liv," Hermione told her.

"Professor, Madam Pomfrey, Miss Cooper," Hydrus nodded to each of them before he and Hermione walked out of the hospital wing.

"Do...do you really think she'll be alright?" Hermione asked in a worried voice as she and Hydrus walked side by side.

"Miss Cooper...Liv, she's a tough girl," Hydrus said with a hint of respect in his voice. "I have no doubt she'll be fine," He finished confidently.

"I hope so," Hermione frowned before staring at Hydrus. "Everyone in Gryffindor thinks that you're basically evil incarnate," She said matter-of-factly. "But I think you've always been polite to me and Liv, and this is the second time you helped us both,"

"Your point being?" Hydrus asked, raising an eyebrow as they stopped at the stairs.

"I just want to thank you," Hermione said shyly before suddenly leaning forward and kissing his cheek. "Thank you," She said with a red face before she rushed onto the steps just before they moved and took her away. Hydrus blinked hard before shaking his head and walking to the next available flight of steps, once on the steps and sure he was out of her sight, he raised a hand and used it to wipe the area of his face where he could still feel her lips linger. He shivered slightly, a small bit of irritation filled him. Granger obviously didn't have any bad intentions but she didn't realise that he did not like to be touched by anyone, with the exception of family and Daphne. He shook his head once more before heading back to the common room.

(.)

"Amelia, it can't be true!" Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic and basically the head of the Magical British Government, said desperately, looking ready to cry.

Madam Bones let out a very deep sigh as she stared at the person in front of her who had somehow managed to get the most important and high-paying job in the government. She was currently in his office, which was exactly what you would expect from a man like Fudge. It had a couple of bookshelves and a window with a very nice view, there was a very fancy desk and expensive furniture scattered all around the room. Fudge sat behind his desk, in a large and comfy-looking crimson chair. The walls were scattered with achievements and medals of past ministers, and there had been some obvious inspiration from the headmaster's office as there were several paintings of previous ministers, most of which always leered at her when she came into the office, another reason why she hated coming in here.

The main reasons were the two 'people' in front of her, she was reluctant to call them people as she had many, many better ways to describe them. She was reluctant to call Minister Fudge a man as she saw him as nothing more than a limp-wristed imbecile who shouldn't be in charge of cleaning shoes, let alone the country. He was nothing like the men from her family, Merlin rest their souls. However, her reluctance to call Fudge a man was far outweighed by her reluctance to count the third person in the room as a member of Amelia's own gender.

Madam Dolores Jane Umbridge, Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and a downright bitch that frankly caused more problems than she fixed. She doubted there was a more hated person in the ministry today. She had once heard one of her muggleborn aurors state that if she was locked in a room with Umbridge and the dark lord and had nothing but a gun with two bullets then she would shoot Umbridge twice. Once Amelia learnt what a gun was she decided she really liked that auror.

Umbridge wasn't a member of the Death Eaters but she was a massive supporter of what they were doing and everyone with a brain knows it. All the muggle-borns and half-bloods in the ministry hated her, even most purebloods hated her with the exception of those who were very traditional (cough...accused death eaters...cough). The laws that Umbridge tried to push forward with the help of those people were making matters worse and worse, and now it was all finally coming to the tipping point.

"It is true, Minister," Amelia said for what might have been the fifth time in the last fifteen minutes. "I witnessed it myself along with a group of aurors, all of the Hogwarts staff and the entire student population of Hogwarts, I wouldn't be surprised if the letters had already reached their parents. Voldemort is back..."

"Don't say his name!" Fudge hissed in a panicked voice.

"And he had been possessing a teacher," Amelia finished, barely paying attention to his interruption. "I intend to soon question the staff and students of Hogwarts and find out more. But first I'm trying to get information out of Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore. The former was an ex-death eater, no matter what Albus insists, and the second knows more about what's going on than damn near anybody. If anyone has the slightest clue about what's going on then it's those two. The only problem is they're both so damn stubborn." She said with no small note of irritation.

Albus Dumbledore was another man she had far too many problems with. She respected all the good he had done for this country and the world, not to mention his prowess as a wizard, but the man was far from perfect. Ignoring his pet death eater for a moment, his little 'Order of the Phoenix' group that he had established during the war had only been minorly helpful, despite what anyone else would have you believe. Most of them were fresh graduates from school with no place in the real world and he had tossed them into a war. Including her own brother who had died on some stupid mission for him, a mission where he had been given instructions and told less than the bare minimum before being sent on his way.

Dumbledore kept secrets, his secrets had secrets and those secrets were getting people killed. It enraged her beyond measure that so many people were willing to throw their lives away at the words of an old man who didn't trust them enough to explain why they had to do the things they did. He could claim he wanted to keep information secret all he liked, but this was the wizarding world. Between truth potions, oaths and magical contracts, there was no reason for him to not know who to trust and how to have them keep things secret.

"Hem-hem," Umbridge spoke up with that irritate cough of hers. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Amelia, but Miss Black was the one who brought you to that school, did she not? How do we know that this isn't some elaborate hoax of hers to -"

"Firstly, she didn't tell me that she wanted me to come down and fight a dark lord, if she had then I would've brought more aurors," Amelia took great pleasure in disrupting the pink-dressed woman. "Secondly, unlike everyone else, Miss Black has been more than happy to answer any and all of my questions regarding the matter and had even agreed to take truth serum to verify her questions, not to mention she also consented to have a healer check her over to make sure she had not previously taken any other potions or cast any other spells that would stop the potion from working. Minister Fudge, we can go in circles all you like, but it doesn't change the fact that the 'Dark Lord' as he is known is back and is an active threat to the safety of everyone in Britain, including the three of us. We must take action,"

"Oh, dear Merlin," Fudge groaned, rubbing his face with his eyes. "He...he must be stopped Amelia, brought to justice, but how?"

"From what I've seen, he's a shell of his former self, he didn't even have a body anymore," Amelia said thoughtfully. "He had to possess the teacher, Quirrell, I have the unspeakables and my best aurors researching the matter and hopefully they'll come up with some idea on how he's alive and how he's in the state that he is in. Meanwhile, we're also trying to track him down but I doubt that we'll have any luck soon."

"Any why not?" Umbridge sniffed. "We have the best aurors in the world, do we not? Why on Earth is the ministry throwing money after money into the auror department if not for things like this?"

"Throwing money?!" Amelia demanded angrily. "You're pulling money if anything! Since Voldemort's disappearance, the pair of you have been introducing budget cut after budget cut in the auror department!"

"My dear Amelia, we were in a time of peace," Fudge said weakly while Umbridge glared at her. "There was no need for so much money to be put in a department that primarily dealt with nothing more than thieves and the odd bar fight."

"Do you remember Fenrir Greyback? The most feared werewolf in Britain?" Amelia glared at Fudge with such intensity that the man started wishing he could disappear. "Has he been captured? No. Because he's a powerful man and I've barely got enough aurors to maintain this so-called peace and half of them are so green that you'd think they were modelled after the Slytherin common room. There are also murders, hardened criminals and horrible people escaping justice because of these budget cuts. Not to mention the fact that my aurors now have to take an extra year learning potions because of the falling standards of Hogwarts under Severus Snape's time as potion master. When we finally got peace, the pair of you started chipping away at the very department designed to keep the peace. The number of aurors I have is the lowest the department's had in the last hundred and fifty years, Minister Fudge. And you expect them to be able to track down the most feared dark wizard of Britain while also doing their best to keep the entire country from collapsing into anarchy?!" She demanded. "I've told you both time and time again that you were making a mistake and I was ignored, now it's come back to bite you both in the arse."

"You dare speak to your superiors like that?!" Umbridge demanded furiously.

"Is dust superior to another piece of dust?" Amelia asked, sounding far from impressed. "Because that's what we're all going to be. Burnt to the ground and reduced to nothing more but dust in the wind, if not by you know who then definitely by the public at large when they find out that the people in charge of protecting them are incapable of doing so. Once they find that out, how long do you think it'll be before people start leaving the country or try to take matters into their own hands? Because if that happens then the next war is likely going to be a lot shorter than the last one."

"But...but..." Fudge stuttered, looking absolutely terrified. "...But what can we do now?!" He asked desperately.

"I don't know if you'll be able to keep your job," She told him, he leaned back as if he had been hit in the heart. "And quite frankly, I don't care," She informed him bluntly. "Forget your job for a moment and allow me to ask you this, Minister Fudge. Do you want to survive?"

"W...well, yes," He said, looking quite put out but still terrified.

"Then listen to me and ignore this imbecile," She pointed to Umbridge and pulled out her wand before quickly silencing the woman so she couldn't speak. "If you do that and then maybe - just maybe, hopefully - you can keep your job or at the very least be given the chance to leave it peacefully without being hunted down by an angry mob or killed in the night by a dark wizard."

"Minister!" Umbridge said once she was able to remove the silencing spell. "Surely, you can't-"

"Quite Dolores!" Fudge caught her off before turning to Amelia. "Tell me, please, what do I have to do?"