Shadow Phoenix

@ firelordeg, potter mad, Dark Dragen, April, Morrigayne & SkeeterB: Thanks for your reviews.

@ Morrigayne: Well I wrote:
'I FINALLY FIGURED HOW TO PERMIT ANONYMOUS REVIEWS!
You have to go into 'Edit Profile' and disable 'prevent anonymos reviews'.
If only I'd have known that earlier...'
...
Do you see something?
Translation: "Man muss lediglich in 'Edit Profile' (auf dem 'Author Panel') gehen und die Option 'prevent anonymos reviews' ausschalten (den Haken rausnehmen).


Betaed by Drew!

C30: Jobs, a Goodbye and Hell let loose


One morning a note concerning every fifth year student was posted in the entrance hall.


CAREER ADVICE


All fifth-years are required to attend a short meeting with their Head of House

during the first week of the summer term to discuss their future careers.

Times of individual appointments are listed below.


Harry looked down the list and found that his meeting was scheduled with Professor McGonagall in her office at half past two on Monday, which would mean he'd be missing most of Divination.


Seeing as how, even with his new powers, his inner eye had remained stubbornly closed, he doubted he would mind.


Harry looked at the information on possible careers left there.

There where only three that caught his attention – not that he actually needed a job to survive with all his inheritance.


He took a leaflet of information on Healers, Spell Development Researchers and Aurors.


Given his possibilities, he could do more than great as a Healer.


Spell Development Researcher was something he had to take a look into, but he didn't really want to become one.


Auror... yes, that was, in fact what he could see himself as, after Voldemort and his Death Eaters were taken care of... meaning death or worse: Dementors kiss!

A smile played around his mouth, when he went away from the message board and back into the dorm.


He had a meeting with the twins.


They had some new products to present to him and some plans for the near future to discuss.


Funnily enough, it included their career...



****************



When Harry stepped into McGonagall's office, he found not only the proffesor, but also the High Inquisitor there, wearing a horribly smug grin on her face.


He looked at her for a moment before he said: “I could demand for you to leave, because this is, according to the school rules, supposed to be a private meeting, but I won't. If, however, you choose to disturb this meeting in any manner, I'll take action to ensure there wont be any more disturbances.”


His words dampened her grin only a little and made Umbridge visibly angry.

“Take a seat, Potter.”, Professor McGonagall said, with only a hint of amusement on her face about his handling of the Inquisitor.


After Harry sat on the chair in front of her desk, she continued: “Well, Mr Potter, this meeting is to talk about any career Ideas you might have, and to help you decide, which subjects you should continue into the sixth and seventh years. Do you have any idea, what you would like to do after Hogwarts?”


“Yes.”, Harry answered. “Even though I wont need to work for my living expenses, being heir to the Potter family, I don't think I could stand doing nothing. The first and preferred of my choices would be to become an Auror, the second a Healer.”

“Well Mr Potter, you'd need top grades for both careers. The subjects you need for them are mostly the same, so you can postpone the final decision between those two careers for now.”


She ignored Umbridge's quiet cough and continued.


“You need at least five NEWTs for both of them and a mark of at least 'E' in all of them. Most important are Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration and Herbology – the last one especially for Healers. There will also be a Healing Class from Madam Pomfrey on some Saturdays during sixth year for extra credit, which would be helpful for both.”

This time Umbridge's cough was louder, but still ignored.


“Your marks in most of these subjects during the past years need some improvement, but this year they have shown you do have everything needed. Especially Defence Against the Dark Arts. I have a note from Professor Lupin here, praising your talent in the subject.”


Umbridge coughed as loud as possible without using magic to increase the volume.


“High Inquisitor Umbridge...”, Harry said in a low and dangerous tone. “You either suffer a coughing hex, need to go to the infirmary because you're sick, or you're trying to disturb this discussion, which I warned you not to.”


“But your marks in Defence this year are...”, she said.


“You haven't done a single test to gauge our abilities this year”, Harry said. “I don't want to know how you do your marks, but I'm sure the Professors doing the OWL Exams will use a more accurate method.”

“Even if through some miracle you do receive good enough marks, the ministry won't let someone with a criminal record like you...”


“You still enjoy the delusion,” Harry interrupted her, “that you and your beloved Cornelius Fudge will be part of the ministry by then. You won't. You'll either be occupying a cell in Azkaban, have lost your soul to a Dementor's Kiss, or be dead, while Fudge will either occupy the cell next to you or be fired for incompetence.”


Umbridge, who had turned an outraged red, paled when he continued.


“The moment I turn of age, I'll gain control of two first-class seats in the Wizengamot. My godfather will let me use his, which brings my count to three. Dumbledore has one, four. I'll reinstate the Weasly family, five.”

Harry smiled an evilly at the woman, before he raised his voice again.


“Getting reinstated should be enough for at least one of the two other impoverished, most ancient families to ally themselves with me, six of ten.”


Then he waved his wand, creating a privacy-sphere of white light around him and his smiling Professor.


“Now, there will be no more interruptions”, Harry ensured her.

“Will this suffice to keep her out long enough?”, McGonagall asked.


“If she knows how to break the 'Odin's Pearl' charm, she deserves to eavesdrop on us”, Harry answered. “Besides, we can always pretend we're already done and continue this through your amulet.”


McGonagall's smile brightened.

“But back to the subjects within the coming years and the OWLs”, he said. “I would like to enroll in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy instead of Divination. I know I didn't take the class until now, but I found I need each of them for various reasons, so I had to learn them within my free time lately. According to Hermione, I'm already past OWL level, thanks to my new, eidetic memory, but I'm sure taking these classes, too, will be of some use, instead of just taking the OWL and NEWT Exams.”


“I'll take care of that, don't worry”, Professor McGonagall promised. “I know you are not someone to joke about something like this or gauge your abilities wrongly.”


“Thank you Professor.”, Harry said smiling.

“I've heard a rumour, you've created your own order, similar to the Order of the Phoenix.”, McGonagall mentioned.


“Yes, I did.”, Harry confirmed. “If you want to join, I'd accept you, but only if you agree to work on your Occlumency skills.”


“Well, I'm a member of Dumbledore's Order, so...”, she mentioned, finally using Occlumency again.


“So are Sirius and Madam Pomfrey.”, Harry told her. “It didn't prevent them from joining. Of course, if Dumbledore and I one day aren't on the same side anymore, it'll be your decision, in which Order you want to stay.”


“I would gladly join under these terms.”, McGonagall replied.

Harry smiled.


“Normally I insist on a complete mind reading for everyone who wants to join, but I've already seen enough of yours to let you in without.”


A small wave of Harry's wand caused the two books he had written to appear on her desk.


“I wasn't joking when I asked for you to refine your Occlumency skills.”, he mentioned. “Someone with imperfect Occlumency is more likely to let secrets slip to a Legilimens, than even someone who isn't capable of it at all.”

The Professor took 'Shadow of Battle', instead of responding to his words and opened it, looking the first few pages over.


“Did you write this?”, she asked after the first look at the handwritten (charmed quill-written and copied with a spell) text.


“Yes, it's a collection of high level spells I thought had the most potential use. I'm capable of performing them all. Do tell me, if you think these spells and techniques will be useful in battle, after you've read it.”


“I already know they are.”, she replied. “Three of the eight spells I've looked over so far are some the most powerful and useful I know. The others... I wish we had known these spells during the first war. Fighting Death Eaters and their allies would have been a lot easier.”

“Feel free to copy it and give any member of Dumbledore's Order one.”, Harry offered. “Same goes for the other one. I'll have Madam Pomfrey bring you some more things every member gets upon joining later this day.”


“I'm curious what kind of things that might be...”, she said.


“Some potions I brewed, artefacts I or the twins created, including some 'Handy Gadgets' you don't know of yet and copies of some books I found to be... interesting, but they are only up to Auror Level. These might not be as useful for you as the other two, but you'll get them anyway.”

“Now I'm even more curious, but we should end this discussion. Who knows what Dolores is doing out there...”


“She's trying to break my spell with cutting curses, but you're right, we should stop before she kills herself with a spell deflected by the Pearl.”, Harry agreed. “As tempting as that thought might be...”


His wand once more moved from its holder into his hand seemingly on its own account.


“Oh, yes you might want to know... the twins have some mayhem planned this evening... they'll be leaving Hogwarts to move to the joke shop they're about to open on Diagon Alley.”

“I see...”, McGonagall said, putting the books into a drawer, so Umbridge wouldn't see them. “I already wondered, why they were that quiet... to be honest, if we could give them marks for the spells, potions and transfigurations involved in their jokes, they'd have got a lot more OWLs than they did. Remind them that they can take the NEWT exams in any subject they want, if and when they decide to. It may cost a certain fee, but it would be worth it to show Molly they can do it, if they want.”


“I will, but I think they'll have already shown her by then. All they have to do is tell her how much money they make, after all.”


The Professor raised one brow questioningly.


“I am their business partner. They insisted on me owning 20% of their jokeshop for giving them my prize money from the Triwizard Tournament. That's why I know.”

A wave of his wand let the privacy spell turn see-through to make Umbridge stop casting curses on them, before he undid it completely.


“Potter, that concludes your career consultation.”, McGonagall said.


“Thank you, Professor.”, Harry replied, before he left the office, ignoring Umbridge.



***********************



As promised, the twins caused a lot of mayhem.


They turned the third floor into a swamp, charmed several suits of armor to throw water-bombs filled with Stinksap at every passing person, and caused several corridors and Umbridge's classroom to be filled with what looked like Faery-lights.


Finally they let themselves get cornered in the Great Hall.


Circled by Filch, the Inquisitorial Squad, and a huge crowd of students, they waited for Umbridge to arrive.

When she did, she stood at the top of the stairs to tower over the students (looking intimidating isn't easy, if you're small).


“So,” she said triumphantly, “you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?”


“Pretty amusing, yeah.”, Fred confirmed.


“Even more to turn a whole floor into one, like we did.”, George mentioned.


“The charmed armors are funny, too.”


“And the permanent Faery-lights give a certain something to our jokes, don't they?”


“Yeah brother, but there is still one thing missing.”

They were interrupted by Filch. “I've the whips waiting and got the form earlier today.”, he said. “Just give the order, Headmistress!”


“Yes, very good.”, Umbridge concentrated on the twins again. “You two are about to learn, what happens to wrongdoers in my school!”


“You know what?”, Fred said. “I don't think we are.”


He turned to his twin. “I think we've outgrown full-time education.”


“Yes I've been feeling that way myself.”, George agreed.


“Time to test our talents in the real word, d'you reckon?”


“Definitely!”

Before Umbridge could say a word, they raised their wands and said: “Runic Activa!”


Suddenly all of the walls of the Great Hall were covered in bright blue glowing runes.


One of the Inquisitorial Squat, Crabbe fired a stunner at them, but it was reflected on the blue glowing bubble, which had appeared around them and was knocked out cold by his own spell.


Blaise woke him without even looking in his direction, remaining focused on the twins.

“We wont be seeing you.”, Fred said to Umbridge.


“Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch.”, his twin added.,


They looked around at the assembled students, at the silent, watchful crowd.

“If anyone fancies...”


“...buying a portable swamp,”


“as demonstrated upstairs,”


“permanent Faery-lights”


“and/or any of our other products,”


“come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley -”


“Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.”


“Our new premises.”


“Special discounts for any”


“Hogwarts students, who”


“swear to use the them on her.”, George pointed at Umbridge.


“STOP THEM!”, Umbridge shrieked, but it was useless.


Nobody could have stopped the magic they had activated as everyone who knew even the basics of Ancient Runes knew.

The bubble containing the twins flew up fifteen feet to hover above the crowd, right beside the poltergeist.


“Give her hell for us, Peeves.”, Fred said to him, and Peeves, who as far as everyone knew had never ever taken an order from one of the students, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute, as the bubble with the twins wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped through the open front doors into the glorious sunset.



********************



To everyone but Umbridge's and Filch's amusement, they were unable to remove the swamp or the permanent Faery-lights.


They didn't even manage to stop the enchanted armor, but had to wait until they had run out of Stinksap-bombs.


Harry was sure certain teachers like McGonagall, Flitwick or even Snape could have gotten rid of them or the swamp in an instant, but just like with the fireworks, they preferred to watch Umbridge struggle.

Regarding the lights, Harry wasn't completely sure of that himself.


Even he didn't know, how they managed to place the runes into the walls, somehow cheating the various protective wards on them.


Finally they gave up and Filch had to punt students across to their classrooms.


Except the members of Harry's Order, to whom he gave a charm to levitate themselves, so they could cross the swamp without Filch's help.

But Umbridge's troubles were far from over.


Not only did Peeves obey the twins' order and race through the halls and classrooms night and day to commit all kinds of pranks, there were many students using the twins' products on Umbridge, her Inquisitorial Squad and Filch.


The Bubble-Head spell became the favourite spell of the whole student body, because Stink-Pellets and Dungbombs dropped so frequently in the corridors.

But there was still more.


Someone (Harry) had offered a reward of 50 Galleons for the student who played Umbridge the most inventive prank until the beginning of the OWL Exams that year without getting caught, a challenge nearly all Slytherin students seemed to take on.


And they weren't called cunning for nothing.


The Inquisitorial Squad tried helping her and Filch, but even though there was no prize for pranks on them, they fell victim to pranks just as often.


The Slytherins punished traitors after all.

Meanwhile, Umbridge was running out of students to bore with her theoretical lessons, because in the unlikely event, she managed to make it to class – instead of the infirmary – most students started to faint, vomit, develop dangerous fevers or else sprout blood from both nostrils.


Not finding the source of the mysterious symptoms, she had no choice but to allow the students to leave her class in droves.


Harry was, thanks to his ability to travel like a Phoenix, able to make it possible for the students to regularly get more supplies of Skiving Snackboxes along all of the other Weasly's joke products.


Several members of his Order were very busy taking the product orders of the other students in their house, and after the products arrived they would see to the distribution of the orders, as well as the collection of payment.