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Two Sides Against the Middle by Rose of the West [Reviews - 1]

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Disclaimer: Except for some OCs, the characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling. This chapter takes place within the time line of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Quite a few Ministry workers were admitted to St. Mungo's the afternoon after students returned to Hogwarts. The officials were trying to hush things up, but the gossip said that Undesirable Number One had managed to infiltrate the Ministry of Magic. He had been in Dolores Umbridge's office, but no one knew exactly why. Healer Snape stifled a yawn as she moved into the next curtained area and prepared to smile at her new patient.

“Keep her away from me! I don't trust her!” Emily found herself face to face with the chair of the Muggle-born Registration Commission.

“Why Dolores, what a thing to say!” Emily replied.

“I still don't know what you did, but you tricked me and, and—“

“I believe I offered you tea and biscuits one afternoon, Dolores. As I recall, there was no law or Educational Decree against it. And when you weren't feeling yourself after being in the forest—”

“Never talk about that!”

“All right then. We'll just talk about what happened today. Have you been injured?”

In spite of herself, Dolores Umbridge started feeling more comfortable and calm. “I had trouble breathing, and my heart was racing. Their hands were around my neck, you know.”

“Whose hands?”

Dolores pulled Emily close and said in a stage whisper, “Harry Potter.”

“Really?” Emily gently passed her wand over her patient's throat and said her diagnostic spells, then for completeness sake, examined the rest of her as well.

Dolores continued to whisper. “He was fumbling at my collar, too. I think he wanted to attack me, if you know what I mean.”

Emily barely managed to turn her giggle into a sympathetic gasp. “What is the younger generation coming to?”

“Exactly. He's a mongrel, you know. His mother was a Muggle.”

“I had heard that.”

“You can never tell what terrible things that sort might get up to.”

Thinking of a Half-blood who was dear to her own heart, Emily responded, “You never know, what is truly good may surface eventually.”

“One can only hope, but clearly we should have been keeping a closer watch.” Madam Umbridge was starting to recover from her malaise.

Emily said a charm over the injury on Dolores's forehead and over her neck and then made some notes on the patient's chart. “You don't appear to have serious injuries. There are some very light bruises on your neck which will clear up within the next day. You have, however, experienced an attack of sorts, brought on by the stress of your work and the shock you received this morning. I have a potion I want you to take. I also prescribe that you confine yourself to shorter work days—“

“That's impossible. There are so many Muggles and Half-bloods that need to be dealt with!”

“I'm sorry, but I really must insist on this point. If you cannot commit to this, I will have to admit you to the hospital. It might not be a bad idea. I wouldn't mind stopping by to share some tea with you whenever I can...” Emily let her sentence hang there and watched it work in the mind of her patient.

“No, I need to get back to work. If it must be for shorter days, we will simply have to deal with it.”

“Very good, I'll draw up your orders and speak with the young man waiting for you in the hallway.”

“Ah, Percy Weasley,” sighed Dolores. “He's such a respectful, responsible young man, not like so many others. Pure blood tells.”

Emily was half way through the curtain and pretended she hadn't heard. She saw the tall, red-haired young man and walked up to him. “Are you here with Dolores Umbridge? I'm Healer Snape.”

When she identified herself, Percy's head snapped up. “I'm afraid it would not do to discuss Madam Umbridge in an open hallway. She's too critical to the Ministry. Is there some place private?”

Emily led the young man to the office she shared with her mother and they sat down. “She's had a panic attack. I'm prescribing a mild Calming Draught for her, and she needs to keep her hours at the Ministry to a minimum. Her experience in the Forbidden Forest has damaged her emotional state. If she has another shock, there could be a complete breakdown.”

“I understand and I will discuss it with the Minister.”

“Very well, then.” Emily wrote the instructions on the discharge forms.

“Healer Snape?”

“Is there something else?”

“It's personal, really.”

Emily looked up and smiled kindly.

“I helped clear up Kingsley Shacklebolt's office. He's on the run, hiding from the Ministry now, you may have heard.”

“There have been rumors.”

“He left behind a notepad. I don't think he meant to leave that one behind. It described a conversation with you at your home. You told him and Auror Tonks that your house could not be entered by Death Eaters.”

“I did. I told the same thing to Auror Moody, who set those spells, and Minister Scrimgeour.”

“I looked into it and saw that you did. You never once said that your husband had not been to the house. Mrs. Snape, is your husband a Death Eater?”

Emily gave the young man an even stare. “Mr. Weasley, I have no idea how to properly answer your question. There seems to be a consensus that Severus Snape must be working pretty closely with the Dark Lord these days.”

“I see.” A difficult look passed over Percy's face and he got to the question he had wanted to ask since requesting a more private interview. “I think I may need to make a change in my life, but I don't know how to extract myself. It's all gotten so complicated.”

Emily softened a little but just a little. There was too much possibility that she was being set up to betray one of her own family secrets. “Percy,” she said, “I have heard that members of your family are quite proficient at Wizarding Chess. Are you one of them?” He shrugged. “I would guess that even if you are not one of the best at home, you're above average. I suggest that you make your decisions and choices as if you were on a chess board. Choose your outcome and then move your pieces accordingly.”

Percy looked at Emily for a moment and then nodded his head. They left her office and went back to the curtained area where Dolores Umbridge was feeling better and making demands of the staff in direct proportion to her improved condition. Emily signed the discharge paperwork and made her way to the hospital fireplaces. It was time to be done for the day and she was ready. She was exhausted beyond endurance and her back ached.




Dear Lucky,

I know there's no mileage in writing to you but it doesn't seem like studying without it. There's so much to talk over, too, and no one to talk with. First off, you would think the Headmaster has ultimate control of what goes on around here. He doesn't. He's had quite a few things forced on him that he would rather not do.

Plus, it's hard having all the staff he's worked with for years suddenly treat him as if he were a criminal. I suppose in the view of many, he is a criminal, but I wonder what these people will think when everything is out in the open. It's a rough thing, with the hostility of most of the old staff toward him and the new staff members so difficult to control.

I didn't see you at the hospital this summer. I know you went, because the staff told me you had been there. I asked them not to tell you about my visits to your parents. I know you probably wouldn't approve, but I love your mother so much and I admit that I miss seeing you. It was a way to keep the connection.

Sincerely,
Hope


It was stupid, more like a diary, actually, but it made her feel more normal and now she could actually do her homework. She stashed the letter in her trunk where it wouldn't be found and pulled out her Charms book and the book Daddy used for teaching seventh year Defense last year. What the Carrows didn't know about her secret extra subject wouldn't hurt anyone.


A/N: For the record, Harry never touched Umbridge. Hermione switched the Slytherin locket for one she conjured while Harry worked to free the prisoners. Umbridge was unconscious at the time and I think she made assumptions. Since she wasn't aware that the locket had been switched, an assault was, to her, the most likely reason for the attack.

Two Sides Against the Middle by Rose of the West [Reviews - 1]

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