Ch 8: Metamorphosis (Part 1)
Umbridge and five Aurors appeared suddenly near Hagrid's hut, their wands drawn. They knocked on the door.
"Coming," Hagrid's booming voice was heard from inside the hut. As the door opened, Hagrid walked out.
"Rubeus Hagrid, you are under arrest for collusion with Albus Dumbledore," Umbridge said in her sickly sweet voice.
Hagrid was shocked. "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything wrong!"
"We have evidence that proves otherwise," Umbridge said, gesturing to the Aurors.
Hagrid was simple-minded but it didn't mean he was a fool.
He knew Umbridge was upto no good.
So he got serious, ready to fight. "I won't go with you without a fight," he said firmly.
"Then we'll have to subdue you by force," Umbridge replied, her wand at the ready.
The Aurors began firing stunning spells at Hagrid, but as a half-giant, he was able to withstand most of the impact.
Adding to the intensity of the fight, his over-sized pet boarhound Fang leaped in to attack the wizards.
The Aurors tried to stun Fang, but it was too quick for them. It managed to knock one of them down before it was hit by a stunning spell and fell to the ground, unconscious.
Hagrid was furious. He picked up the Auror who had stunned Fang and threw him across the clearing.
"Nobody touches my dog!" Hagrid yelled.
Just then, Professor McGonagall appeared on the scene.
"What is going on here?" she demanded.
"Professor Umbridge and her Aurors are attacking me for no reason," Hagrid protested.
Umbridge turned to face him with a sneer. "We have reason to believe that Hagrid is in collusion with Dumbledore," she said.
"That's absurd!" McGonagall exclaimed. "Hagrid has always been a faithful and dedicated member of the Hogwarts staff."
Umbridge's eyes narrowed. "You are not in a position to decide what is absurd, Professor," she said coldly.
Suddenly, without warning, Umbridge and the Aurors began firing stunning spells at McGonagall. She tried to dodge, but the spells were too fast and too many. One hit her squarely in the chest, sending her flying backwards.
Mike, who was attracted by the commotion, watched in horror Professor McGonagall fell to the ground, motionless. He felt a surge of anger and helplessness.
He could no longer bear Umbridge's cruel tyranny and injustice. Something inside him snapped, and he knew he had to take action.
"I've had enough of this," he yelled as he came flying in great speed and fired several stunning spells in quick succession.
Two of the Aurors were down before they could use their wand to defend. However, Umbridge and another Auror who was by her side had already spotted Mike from his rage-filled voice.
"What do we have here?" Umbridge sneered. "A little troublemaker."
Mike stood his ground. "You can't get away with this. What you're doing is wrong."
Umbridge laughed. "Wrong? I am the High Inquisitor and Headmistress of Hogwarts. I make the rules around here."
"You're nothing but a bully," Mike retorted.
Enraged, Umbridge fired a curse at Mike, but he easily dodged it by flying to the side.
"You're going to regret that," the Auror by Umbridge's side said, firing a spell at Mike.
But Mike was too quick. He flew upwards and fired a spell back, hitting the Auror and sending him flying backwards.
Umbridge was left alone and flustered, her face turning as pink as her dress. She pointed her wand at Mike and fired an unknown curse, but Mike swiftly dodged it and fired two stunning spells in return. She managed to deflect one, but was hit by the other and stunned.
After Umbridge was defeated, Mike flew down to check on Professor McGonagall.
Hagrid was amazed at how easily an eleven-year-old boy had taken down Umbridge and her Aurors. But he quickly refocused on checking on Fang to make sure he was okay.
"It's safer for you to go into the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid," Mike said, using a spell to lift up Professor McGonagall. "I'll take her to the Hospital Wing."
"I'm afraid more Aurors will be coming soon," Mike sighed as he glanced up at the Astronomy Tower.
As he calmed down, Mike realized the potential consequences of his actions. After escorting Professor McGonagall to the Hospital Wing under the care of Madam Pomfrey, he would have to leave Hogwarts. Bringing his thoughts back to the present, Mike encouraged Hagrid, who seemed hesitant.
"Hagrid, Dumbledore will handle everything by the end of the year. But staying on Hogwarts grounds puts you and your pets at risk of being attacked again. It's best if you hide in the forest for now."
After explaining his reasoning, Mike teleported himself and the unconscious professor to the Hospital Wing.
...
"Ooh, boy!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed in shock at the sudden appearance of a first year and an unconscious Professor McGonagall floating in mid-air. However, she quickly regained her composure and sprung into action, her professional instincts taking over.
"What happened to Professor McGonagall?" she asked, as she carefully laid the unconscious professor on a bed and began a thorough diagnosis using spells that Mike had never seen before.
"Professor McGonagall was hit by three or four stunners by Umbridge and some Aurors," Mike explained. "I managed to subdue them, but I think more Aurors might be on their way."
Madam Pomfrey listened intently as she continued her diagnosis, her wand moving with expert precision as she muttered incantations under her breath.
"I see," she said finally, "Well done, Mr...?"
"Mike, ma'am. Mike Hobberman, a first year," he replied.
As Mike hurriedly left to pack his things, Madam Pomfrey was left in shock as she finally realized that Mike just apparated inside the Hogwarts Castle.
...
As Mike left Hogwarts, he felt a sense of liberation that he had never experienced before. For an entire year, he had been silently waiting for the end of Umbridge's tyranny, feeling suffocated and frustrated. But finally, he had fought back, and the feeling was indescribable.
As he walked away from the castle, Mike felt like he was shedding a heavy weight that had been weighing him down for so long. He felt free and unburdened, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It was as if he had finally broken free from the chains of oppression and was now able to breathe again.
Mike couldn't believe he had been so reluctant to fight back before. He had all these incredible abilities at his disposal, and yet he had been paralyzed with fear. It was like he hadn't fully realized his own power until now.
The thought of Voldemort no longer scared him as much as it once did. He had the undying characteristics of a Phoenix, the teleporting ability of a house-elf, the Occlumency skill of Dumbledore, the power to summon the Elder Wand, the Demiguise's ability of foresight, the power of a Time-Turner, the wingless flying ability of a Pixie, and the lightning-fast reflexes of a Wampus.
With all these abilities, why should he be afraid? It was time to stop holding back and start taking action.
Perhaps it was the unrealness of possessing so many incredible abilities that had caused him to doubt himself. But now that he had fought back, he felt liberated and free. He no longer felt like a weak 11-year-old, but a powerful wizard with the ability to take on anything that came his way.
...
As Mike teleported out of the Hogwarts grounds, the entire school erupted in chaos. Word spread like wildfire that a first-year student named Mike Hobberman had taken down Dolores Umbridge and her team of Aurors, leaving the school buzzing with excitement and disbelief.
The Gryffindor common room was practically shaking with excitement, with students jumping up and down and cheering. Meanwhile, members of the DA were feeling a mix of shock and worry, wondering if Mike would be arrested for what he had done.
But Harry didn't have time to celebrate. He was consumed by the troubling visions that had been plaguing him - visions of Sirius being tortured by Voldemort. He had experienced similar visions in the past, like when he saw Arthur Weasley being attacked, and they had always turned out to be true.
Unable to shake his fears, Harry was too preoccupied to revel in Umbridge's defeat at hands of Mike.