It was two thirty when the teenagers finally left Amelia's office. Harry and Hermione said goodbye to Neville and Luna, promising they'd see them soon. When they entered the receptionist's office they weren't surprised to find Emmaline Vance waiting with Tonks.
"Dumbledore said to make sure you go directly back," She said as she stood up.
Harry was about to retort something when Sirius spoke up. "Emma, I know you mean well, but when it comes to Harry I will decide what he does, not Dumbledore. He is my responsibility."
"But Dumbledore said..."
"I don't give a rat's arse what Dumbledore said," Sirius exploded causing Vance to back up a step. "We are going to Gringotts next. You are more than welcome to join us but the first time you mention Dumbledore's name we'll leave you."
"Vance..." Hermione suddenly said. "She was in the same newspaper, she died as well."
"We'll get Sirius to keep an eye on her."
As they both glanced over at Harry's Godfather, he was looking at someone else.
"Isabelle is that you?" Sirius asked.
A witch who looked somewhat familiar raised her head from the magazine she was reading. Her eyes were damp as if she'd been crying and she gave a weak smile until her eyes saw Harry and she frowned. "I read you were innocent Sirius," She said as he made his way over to her with the rest of the group following. "I'm sorry I believed the stories."
"Well innocent of all the things I was accused of anyway," Sirius joked. "So what are you doing here? What's the problem?"
"I...I work here or did," She replied. "I'm here..." again her eyes moved toward Harry and then back to Sirius. "I'm here to see if I still have a job."
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, "The Isabelle Grealsom I knew never got into trouble. No matter how much I tried."
"It's...it's Edgecombe now. You remember I married Thomas," The witch replied.
"You did didn't you?" Sirius replied. "That was a long time ago. You had a kid too."
"My daughter... she knows Mr. Potter," The last was said hesitantly.
Sirius looked at Harry questioningly. "You mean Marietta?" Harry asked. When the witch nodded he explained. "She's the one who told Umbridge about the DA," Harry looked at the witch and now could see the resemblance. "That also means you were the one who locked down the Floos for Umbridge."
"I had to," Isabelle answered. "My husband is...I mean was sick and the potions he needed are controlled by the Ministry. When Umbridge wanted my help she made it clear that she had the ability to...to prevent Thomas from getting more. I had to help her. I told Marietta not to go against Umbridge. Not that it matters now I guess," Her eyes filled with even more tears. Sirius conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her. "Thank you," She said as she dabbed at her eyes.
"So how's Thomas?"
"He…he took a turn for the worse and...and he...he..." Isabelle couldn't finish the sentence.
"He died?" Sirius asked softly.
Isabelle Edgecombe nodded. "It was the strain I think. Madam Umbridge came and threatened us when Mari embarrassed her in front of the Minister. Said she was going to have me fired and make sure that Thomas never received another potion. She wouldn't even let me contact my daughter to ask what happened. Thomas seemed to go downhill from that day on though. It was only a couple of weeks later that...that it..." Tears now streamed down her face. She made a couple of gasps before regaining herself and dabbed the tears away. "I couldn't even take time off when it happened. Umbridge said if I did, I'd not only lose my job but she'd make sure I went to Azkaban."
"For what?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"It wouldn't matter would it?" Isabelle answered as she turned her reddened eyes at Hermione. "It would be for whatever the Senior Undersecretary decided it was for."
"That's...that's..." Hermione started.
"That's Umbridge," Harry finished. "Ma'am, you wouldn't happen to be muggleborn would you?"
"How'd you know?" Isabelle asked suspiciously.
"Just a hunch," Harry replied. "Sending muggleborns to prison seemed to be her favorite pastime. Like a power game with her. Controlling people."
"I probably don't have a job anyway. Anybody who helped Umbridge..." She didn't finish as this time she buried her face into Sirius' shoulder who gingerly put his arm around her. He looked questioningly at Harry.
Harry looked at Hermione. "Do we help her?" He asked.
"Marietta still should not have done what she did, but I don't want her mother to lose her job if it really was Umbridge controlling the situation," Hermione replied. "Just wished she'd told us."
"How could she? She didn't have a memory of doing it, did she? Even sounds like she didn't know her father had died. Give me a minute," Harry went back and knocked on Madam Bones' office door before sticking his head in. "Ma'am, I understand that Ms. Edgecombe is being investigated."
"Yes, the Minister suspended and ordered a review of everyone who assisted Umbridge. Why?"
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