Snape's eyebrows drew together. "And just what was this detention?" he pressed.
"Lines."
Jones and Percy exchanged a horrified glance. Had they just gotten themselves expelled because The Boy Who Lived had decided he was too good to write lines?
"With this," Harry added, holding up the quill that he somehow тАУ despite everything тАУ still clutched in his hand.
McGonagall's gasp echoed throughout the hallway, and all three children drew back in fear at the expression on Snape's face. Then they caught sight of McGonagall's, and they decided Snape wasn't so scary after all.
"You have a BLOOD QUILL at my school?" Minerva spun on the shorter witch.
Umbridge struggled to stand upright and brushed herself off fussily. "It's entirely official, I assure you," she snapped. "I am a Ministry official, you know."
Jones marveled at the woman's lack of self-preservation. If Professor McGonagall had been looking at her with that expression, she would have been fleeing for her life, not arguing about government regulations.
"What on earth are you talking about?" McGonagall breathed. "Corporal punishment тАУ"
"I discussed this at length with the Minister before coming here," Umbridge retorted. "Canings have been prohibited by the current headmaster, along with curses, but other forms of chastisement are, in special cases, still acceptable. I was sent here by the Minister to scotch the irresponsible rumors that the Potter child keeps spouting and to ensure that no one pays further attention to his wild claims. The Minister has no time to deal with public unrest that such ridiculous stories cause, to say nothing of the undermining effect it has on his administration, making the Minister look weak and ineffective. The Minister himself assured me that the Blood Quill was fully authorized if lesser measures didn't work to make Potter recant his statements. I'm certain that a few more lines would have shown that boy the error of his ways. Imagine, thinking that he could contradict the Minister of Magic!" Umbridge scoffed.
"A few тАУ more тАУ lines?" Snape echoed, his voice brittle with rage. He snatched Harry's hands up, ignoring the boy's startled yelp, and at the sight of the bloody letters, he grabbed Umbridge by the throat. "YOU WOULD DARE TO USE THIS ON MY CHILD?" he roared, shaking the quill in one hand and the witch in the other.
Minerva managed to drag her homicidal colleague off of the gasping witch and held him at wandpoint. "Severus! Control yourself!" she ordered.
Umbridge's eyes were wide as she clutched her bruised throat. "I hardly expected you to object after you caned the boy for cheating!" she protested. "I was doing you a favor by helping to discipline your ward. Obviously you're well aware that it takes stern measures to get through to such a wicked and arrogant child!"
Percy and Jones each hung onto an arm, while Harry clung to his da's waist, and they managed тАУ barely тАУ to keep him from assaulting Umbridge again.
"Severus! Severus!" Minerva finally managed to get his attention. "Enough! Take Harry and the others to Poppy to be checked and treated. I will take This Woman to the Headmaster. Meet us at Albus' office."
Snape allowed himself to be pulled away by the children, still fulminating with rage. The students exchanged wide eyed stares, but knew better than to try to speak to the Potion Master when he was in this state.
Snape finally calmed down enough to think rationally. "Did she hurt you anywhere else?" he demanded of Harry.
"I don't think so," he replied, rubbing his hand. "She tried to grab me an' all, but mostly she just got my robe."
"And you, Miss Jones?"
"No, Professor," she answered. "None of her spells made it through our shields."
"Hmf. You'll still be checked over," Snape ordered and no one was brave enough to protest.
"H-how'd you know we were in trouble?" Harry asked timidly, looking up at his da.
"Miss Jones summoned me," he replied.
"You did?" Percy asked in surprise, turning to Jones.
She nodded. "Every Slytherin prefect's badge can summon the professor. You just need to tap it with your wand, and he's alerted that he's needed at an emergency. Doesn't yours work the same way?"
"Erm, no. But I'll talk to Professor McGonagall about it," Percy said feelingly.
Jones looked at him with even more admiration. "Really? I assumed you'd called her before you attacked Umbridge, but you didn't even know that help was on the way? You just jumped in to save us?"
"Typical Gryffindor!" Snape snapped, but the glint in Jones' eye was anything but disapproving.
Poppy was initially surprised by how meekly all three children submitted to her examination, but that surprise was overtaken by shock and outrage when she saw Harry's hand. "Who is using a Blood Quill?" she demanded furiously.
"Umbridge," Snape spat. "McGonagall is taking her to Dumbledore's office. Do you have this under control? I want to be there when he hears what she's been doing."
Poppy snorted. "You'd better hurry. I don't imagine there'll be much left of her once Albus learns of this!" she lifted Harry's hand meaningfully.
Snape hesitated. "You can heal him?" he asked, suddenly apprehensive. "Without scarring, I mean?" The boy had too many scars as it was, both on his skin and on his soul.
Poppy looked insulted. "Of course I can! Off with you, Severus. I'll fix this up in no time, and Mr Weasley and Miss Jones can escort Harry back to his dorm."
Snape nodded once and swept out. Oh, when he told the Marauders what that Pink Toad Bitch Witch From Hell had done to HarryтАж He suspected that the Dursleys' suffering would pale by comparison to what Sirius Black would do to the woman who had dared to use a Dark artifact on his godson.
He arrived at Albus' office and the look on his face scared the gargoyle so much that it fled before he could offer the password. Dumbledore looked up in surprise as the Potion Master marched in.
"Why, what an unexpected pleasure, my boy! Lemon drop? Or will you join me in a cup of tea?"
Snape frowned. "Minerva isn't here yet?" he asked, surprised. Surely the witch should have arrived before him.
"No," Albus was beginning to look concerned. "Is something wrong?"
"You could say that." At Dumbledore's questioning look, Snape continued, "Dolores Umbridge used a Blood Quill on Harry Potter tonight."
"WHAT!" Fawkes let out a screech from his perch as the portraits on the walls rattled in response to Albus Dumbledore's fury.
Even knowing that the wizard's rage was тАУ this time тАУ not directed at him, Snape still cowered back.
"She would dare to use that medieval instrument of torture at my school? On one of my students?" Dumbledore raged, the shelves vibrating as he stormed past them. "On Harry?" He spun to where Snape was trying to hide behind Fawkes. "Where is she?"
Snape had to swallow before he could speak. Even Voldemort in a full-out frenzy had never generated as much magical power as Dumbledore currently was. The air in the office crackled like ozone, and that was just from the spill-over energy that had escaped Albus' control.
"Minerva is bringing her," he managed to squeak. "Calming draught?" he offered, fumbling in his pocket.
Dumbledore gazed at him, eyes narrowed behind his half-moon spectacles, and for a heart-stopping moment Snape wondered if the older wizard's temper would be unleashed upon him. But then Albus took a deep breath and the shelves stopped rattling, Fawkes stopped squawking, and Snape thought it was safe to breathe again.