Last time:

Fudge was the only one since that had come even close to returning the Ministry to the time before the treaty. As this was not what he wanted, he agreed to at least listen to Selene. Though, he didn’t think he would much like what the woman had to say. That was the understatement of the century, as he would truly despise what Selene had to present before him that ominous night.

Selene instantly saw that Fudge was willing to at least listen. She sighed mentally, and gathered her thoughts. She then said in a pointed voice “Umbridge has committed the most grevious of crimes: the abuse of a child. Now, you know better than most that SoNA would not get involved if it was just any child, any student. But this student was put under the protection of SoNA this summer, and still she misused her power as an adult and a teacher.” The animagus' eyes glittered with barely suppressed anger. The more she thought about what had happened, the angrier she became.

Fudge grimaced slightly, as he knew what the implications of that were. Abuse of a SoNA member, especially a child, had severe consequenses. By the rules of the treaty, Selene could have Umbridge sentenced to life in prison, or even execution. It depended on the severity of the abuse. He said in a last ditch effort to keep his Undersecratary from getting into major trouble “Perhaps she did not know the child was a SoNA member?” He winced at the look of pure fury that crossed Sel's face.

Sel had to use every ounce of control she possesed not to snarl at the Minister. She instead said in a tightly controlled voice “You utter incompotent nincompoop. There are two reasons why the statement you said was totally idiotic. One is the fact that SoNA alerts all relevant ministry members of all new additions to the group. Second is the fact that it shouldn't matter whether the child is or not. No child should have to go through the torment of abuse at the hands of someone more powerful than they.” At the end of her lecture she was practically radiating anger. Had she been in her animagus form her ears would have been straight back against her skull.

The Minister barely kept himself from flinching away from the furious animagus by a hair. He thought about it for a minute or two, before realizing that she did have a point. Besides, he didn't want to be kicked out of office because he breeched the treaty with his stupidity. He sighed, and said quietly “What would you have me do then?” His eyes were wary, and he tensed slightly, fear starting to perculate through his stubborn brain.

Selene barely suppressed a smirk, eyeing Corneilus with something akin to contempt. She said in a tone she would use if talking to somebody with limited mental facilities “A simple matter of attending that woman's trial will suffice. You can be there to prove we do everything by the book, while also showing that you do not condone what she has done.” Her eyes sparkeled with an almost malicious glee. Umbridge would forever be taken out of the picture (which they'd been trying to do for many years), and Fudge would have it drilled into him that he could not do whatever he pleased when it involved the children of Hogwarts.

Fudge nodded slightly in almost instant agreement. That planned worked fine for him. He could make sure justice was upheld, while also appearing as if he gave a whit about the children. Lucius had had it right in the beginning, though it had been rehprehensible of him. Corneilius Fudge was most goded by power and money. He could care less about what happened to children, especially the freakish Natural Animagi. They were little better then the tainted werewolves, and while he didn't have Dolores' extent of hatred to anything half-human, he was still predjuidiced against those that refused to stay in a fully human form. Never mind the fact that to many Animagus, transforming was as natural as breathing, or that werewolves couldn't stop the transformation. They were both as bad as the other in Fudge's eyes. But it wouldn't do to let those who had the power to stop him know his attitudes. Especially not the SoNA.

0o0o0o

Harry blinked quickly as he swayed in his chair. The memories of the detentions had been taken for proof of what had happened, and it seemed that the adults were merely waiting for the return of Sel. The raven-haired child was tired, however, and he longed for the comfort of his bed. He suspected, though, that he might wish to stay awake, at least long enough to see the Toad get hers. Draco was telling him that he should go to bed, and it was unlikely that the trial would be held before he could wake up. Instead of listening to him, Harry spoke aloud something that had been bugging him “How can Madam Sel even know that she can influence Fudge into doing what she wanted? I don't remember reading anything to the point that she can influence the Minister.”

The one who was as tall as Selene, who had called herself Ivy, grinned slightly. She said “It all has to do with the Treaty.” Seeing the boy's further confusion (as well as Severus' hidden puzzlement) she grinned further and continued “Tari can answer you better. I'm simply a healer, not a historian like she is.”

Tari glared at Ivy, and muttered something about 'medlesome herdmates'. She sighed, then began to speak in a very gentle voice “The Ministry is young, younger than Hogwarts by about six hundred years. SoNA on the other hand, as been around since two hundred years before Hogwarts was founded. As the first Natural Animagus was seen at shortly after the time of Merlin, it is no wonder that SoNA is so old. Anyways, when the Ministry was formed, the first Minister that was elected was a very paranoid and predjuidiced individual. This was near the time of the Inquisitions, when the Muggle priests were persecuting all they thought were heretics or had magic of sometime. But few realize that wizards had their own Inquisition going. They were hunting down werewolves, and any others they considered half-human. The First Minister put Natural Animagus on this list, which would prove his downfall.

“Now, NA's are a powerful, if secluded group of humans. But there is always a price to power. Because they get their ability to transform through suffering some sort of trauma while still remaining bitter free, they cannot take any negative feelings once they are realized. Thus, the persecution of Natural Animagus slowly dwindled the pure numbers. Those that didn't die outright, went mad from grief, pain and bitterness. A mad Animagus is a dangerous one, though the Ministry found out nearly too late. At that time, there were far too many of us for the normal wizards to totally stomp out. We had suffered our share of tragedy from the Muggles, as well as the persecution of our families from the Ministry. So, after the First Minister died, the Second Minister elected quickly made a treaty with the remaining SoNA members. And one of the very first laws on that Treaty is that no SoNA member is to be abused by anyone. Especially the newer members under the heel of an adult. That is why Umbridge's treatement of you is so deplorable, and why Fudge will not risk breaking the Treaty just to support her. He will not risk things going back to how they were before the Treaty.” Tari came to a stop, and drank a long drought of water from a glass Severus had given her about half way through her story.

Professor and student looked at each other, stunned. Neither one knew about this information, and from the way Draco was ranting, neither had he. The little group in Severus' office grew quiet, contemplating on what had just been said, and what might be happening. They had no way of knowing that events were happening a lot quicker than they might if SoNA hadn't gotten involved.

0o0o0o0

Dolores was an impertinant and impatient woman. She expected everyone to listen and respect her because of her position as Undersecretary. That was probably why it came as such a shock when, as she left her quarters to get her day ready at seven a.m., she found herself facing three angry Heads of House, and two other equally furious professors. She was about to ask what was going on when Minerva McGonagall, Head Lioness of Gryffindor House, stepped forward and said in her tightest voice that practically thrummed with fury “Dolores Jane Umbridge, you are hereforth under house arrest for the abuse of a student. You shall remain in your quarters until such time as a trial can be put together. May God have mercy on your soul, for I seriously doubt the SoNA will.”

Umbridge may have been a stupid woman, but not that stupid. She knew what would come from the Society getting involved. Which is likely why it did not surprise any of the teachers guarding her that she tried to escape from pure panic. They easily stopped her, and she was once again locked in her quarters. The Toad found out the hard way that Hogwarts had made sure she would stay there, as badly stung fingers could attest from futile attempts at the windows had proven. The predator had quickly become the prey, and the hawk that circled her was an unmerciful one. Umbridge's days were numbered to meer hours.