Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

-/Can I eat his head?/- Venom asked, snapping in Black's mind.

-/No./-

Venom pointed toward another Auror telepathically. -/His?/-

-/No./-

-/What about him? He looks tasty!/-

-/No./-

-/Why not?!/-

-/Why do you want to eat anyway?/- Black asked. -/You are getting everything from my body./-

-/… You are bland./-

-/…/- Kai knew Venom was talking about his Facelessness.

With the Ad Infinitum bringing out necessary emotions and reactions as desired by situations, the Source within him remained untouched by those interactions, making him… bland.

"… Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry…" Umbridge was saying, smirking. "Who will save you three now?"

-/What about her?/- Black asked.

-/… No! Bleh! Messy!/-

Messy? Black's eyes narrowed. He couldn't activate Echoes in Major Characters like Umbridge as those Echoes invited active backlash from the Timeline.

So, he couldn't look into Umbridge's mind to know the reason behind her obvious oddities.

Then there was this feeling that Umbridge's Echo was experiencing interference.

So, Black had to agree with Venom on this.

She felt… messy.

The Director of Student Discipline and Order flailed her wand and poked Black's cheek, its tip digging deep.

"Tell me," she demanded, "it was Arthur Weasley who put you up to this, wasn't it?"

Ron and Harry's faces paled, realizing that Umbridge was finding trouble for Mr. Weasley using all this as pretext.

"Have you gone nuts?!" Black asked.

Ron's jaw dropped.

Harry gaped.

The Aurors surrounding them looked at each other.

Dolores Umbridge's toad-like face swell even more, becoming as pink as her dress. She pushed the wand in.

Suddenly, Black's cheek burned, sparks erupting from the tip of Umbridge's wand.

"NO!" Ron and Harry shouted.

"PUT THAT WAND AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The shout was so loud that it shook everyone.

From afar, Madam Villanelle, carrying fire in her silver-gray eyes, was marching up the hill.

Behind her, one could see shadows of Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, and Cornelius Fudge.

Madam Villanelle stood next to Umbridge and looked at the three students, kneeling on the wet ground. Then she saw the burnt mark on Black's cheek.

Fury danced on her face, her teeth grinding.

"How dare you?!" she spat, looking at Umbridge.

-/… Ah, yes. I can eat her brain! Let me have her brain!/-

-/Why?/-

-/She's feisty!/-

Black rolled his eyes.

Umbridge saw that, her lips twisting in anger.

"What's happening here…" Professor McGonagall approached the students and gasped.

Waiting for nothing and no one, she threw herself toward Black, gently touching the burnt skin. "Get up…" she said, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Get up, you three."

Now, Dumbledore and Cornelius too approached the scene.

The Headmaster's face looked solemn.

The minister merely looked puzzled.

Umbridge tore her eyes off Black's face and glanced at all of them. "Here!" she said, throwing the newspaper at Madam Villanelle.

The dark-skinned witch caught the Evening Prophet and went through the news, her brows pressing… but only for a moment.

To the surprise of all, she tore the newspaper in pieces.

"If you think, for even a moment, that anything justifies violence against a student…" Madam Villanelle said, standing tall over Umbridge, "… then you are making a grave mistake."

Dumbledore waved his wand, piecing together the torn newspaper.

Both he and the minister went through the article, then.

"… this is a grave offense…" Cornelius mumbled, huffing and puffing. Umbridge smiled.

"But…" Dumbledore intervened, "… not grave enough to torture, yes, torture children, minister. Am I wrong?"

The minister of magic looked at Dumbledore's blue eyes and gulped. "Ah, yes," he nodded. "Sure. We can figure it out later…"

"Minerva," Dumbledore said, taking a good look at the three students. He looked a bit disappointed. "Take them inside."

Umbridge's hand shot to grab Black, but Madam Villanelle grabbed her wrist, the two women eying each other with absolute hate.

"They broke the law, minister!" Umbridge hissed. "We should make an example out of them, instead of letting them walk free!"

"Oh…" Madam Villanelle hummed smilingly, but the veins throbbing on her forehead told another tale. "… When has it become the ministry's custom to pass judgments like this? When has the ministry given this power to you?"

"I am the Director of Student Discipline and Order…" Umbridge let out through gritted teeth.

"And I…" Madam Villanelle tightened her grip on her wrist, "… am a Professor."

Silence.

Cornelius, finding the silence awkward, stepped in.

"Please. Please," he said, gesturing with his hands. "Umbridge, regardless of the reasons, it's not appropriate to use force over such a matter. It was unreasonable.

"And, Madam Villanelle, Umbridge is governing the student discipline. Let her decide the children's punishment."

Madam Villanelle opened her mouth but saw Dumbledore shaking his head, and shut it.

She snorted and threw away Umbridge's hand before joining McGonagall and walking away.

-/See?!/- Venom asked, sounding excited.

-/See what?/- Black asked.

-/Feisty!/-

Black rolled his eyes again, sighing to himself.

…

They were devouring food in McGonagall's office.

After giving them an earful, and taking care of Black's cheek, both witches had left them here.

When they were going out, the boys could distinctively hear them cursing Umbridge.

They had earned themselves detention as well.

Still…

Ron chewed the food, and said, "I thouft wt wedre boner…"

Black and Harry spewed the food on each other's faces.

"What?!" Harry asked, dumbfounded.

Black looked weirdly at Ron. "You got a boner as Umbridge was punishing me?"

Food came exploding out of Ron's mouth as Harry and Black shared a tearing laugh among themselves.

"I thought we were goner! Goner!" Ron repeated, going pink.

"Now you even… look like her…" Black said, holding the laugh.

"I wish we had attended the Sorting Ceremony," Ron said after a while. "I wonder which House Ginny got herself into."

"Slytherin…" Black said.

"Yeah, right…" Ron scoffed. Then went silent. "… you are joking, right?"

Black merely smiled.

Harry rolled his eyes behind the glasses. "What were those shoes? When did you make them?"

"Hopping Extremities?!" Black asked.

Ron's face fell. "Tell me you didn't name them that…"

"What's wrong with the name?"

Harry nudged Black. "And?"

"They can let you walk into the air for a while," Black explained. "But you need strong legs for that. And good stamina."

Both boys looked at their legs, frowning.

When they were finished, and the food had disappeared, both Harry and Ron suddenly stared at Black.

"What?"

"Thanks for saving us," they said together.

Black grinned. "You can give up on the Tournament as a thanks, then…"

"Shameless!" Harry and Ron said together, again.

Professor McGonagall had already briefed them about the Triwizard Tournament.

For now, it was obvious to the boys that they would end up battling it out among themselves to get to the final ten spots in their group.

Then there was Darcie, of course.

So, nine spots!

"One more question," Harry asked, as they were walking out. "Did you… deliberately trigger Toad… I mean, Professor Umbridge? You knew she would do that, didn't you?"

Ron's jaw dropped. "No way…"

"Blimey!" Black smacked his lips, touching his cheek. "Why would I do that?! You know how much I like my face…"

Harry didn't believe him, though. "I think…" he drawled, grinning. "… You are very smart."

"… Now that feels good," Black said, grinning back. "… Getting a compliment from Darcie's pet…"

Running wildly through the corridors, chasing each other, the boys reached the Gryffindor Common Room.

When the door opened…

"Woooooooooooooooohooooooooo!!!"

Roars deafened them, tiny crackers bursting off here and there.

The Common Room was packed with Gryffindors, a tiny Ginny jumping up and down watching them.

And, standing at the front of them all, was Draco Malfoy, holding a copy of Evening Prophet.

"Ron…" he shouted over the roaring claps, "… your family gone broke, hasn't it now?!"

To Harry, he said, "You fell from the car? Gained another scar, Potter?"

Draco and Black looked at each other, both grinning.

"… Heard Umbridge kissed you?" Malfoy asked.

Black threw his hand around Draco's shoulders. "Someone's missing his girlfriend."

"Ewwwwwwwwwww!" Harry, Ron, and Draco made a face, joining the crowd and starting their second year at Hogwarts.

-/See?!/- Venom hissed.

-/See what?/- Black asked.

-/Bland./-

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