Dissclamer - I do not own any of the characters in this story.

The fall of Umbridge

The forest floor was dark. This was not due to the time of day but to the heavy canopy above and the unnatural seeming mists which would occasionally drift across rarely used dirt paths.

A pink cardigan sweater caught on a dry branch, snapping the branch free with a sound which seemed far too loud in the wearer's ears.

"HALT!" A voice called from behind her. "Who goes there?"

The ministry witch flinched, one hand curling around her purse and the other moving towards the wand in her pocket.

"I am Dolores Umbridge, duly appointed representative of the Ministry of Magic as required by the Treaty of Seven hundred and forty-three." Dolores turned to meet the man behind her.

There was more than one of them. Chief among them was a man as tall as a half-breed giant, even if he was quite narrow. He wore a long dark cloak and a helm of antlers, and his beady eyes looked down over a wild mane of facial hair. His followers were also cloaked, though they were shorter and their helms were more traditional, Teutonic in styling.

"We are the Knights Who Say... Ni." Their leader answered her.

"Ni!" "Ni." "…ni…" The other knights called afterwards.

Dolores flinched in pain, though she knew not why. These men looked nothing like wizards in her view and not one of them had a wand in hand.

She caught herself growling a bit before regaining control and giving the mustachioed leader a sickly sweet smile. Internally, she was cursing Kingsly Shacklebolt's name. As if failing to take the position of Minister for Magic wasn't humiliation enough for her, Minister Shacklebolt just had to reward Dolores's many years of loyal service by appointing her to a post within the Ministry she'd never even heard of before.

Magical Ambassador to the Knights Who Say Ni, Keepers of the Sacred Words.

The last wizard to hold this post was found wandering the forest not more than a swallow's flight away, wandless and witless, asking anyone he saw if they could direct him to a shrubber. He spent the rest of his life in St. Mungo's. They never did figure out what spell he was hit with. The wizard who held the post before him disappeared after his first day on the job and was never heard from again. Dolores silently swore vengeance on Minister Shacklebolt and Harry Potter even as she opened her mouth to speak to these horrid man-beasts.

"According to the treaty, your dominion over these lands-"

"Silence!" The leader shouted.

"NI!" "NI!" "Ni." "…ni…" Other knights repeated to Dolores's torment.

"The Nights who say Ni demand… a sacrifice!"

"Ni." "…ni…"

"A what?" Dolores was incredulous.

"If you do not appease us, you shall not leave this wood… alive."

"…ni…"

The toad like woman moved a shaking hand nearer her wand. She already had more of this than she was willing to take.

"Now see here you filthy muggles!"

"NI!" "NI!"

Dolores went for her wand only to drop it as a fresh wave of Sacred Words assaulted her mind. There would be no silencing charm to help her recover.

"NI!" "NI!" "NI!" "NI!"

She fell to her knees on the rough forest path and the Knights Who Say Ni gathered closer 'round their victim. She had refused them, she denied them their due. Doom was upon her.

"NI!" "NI!" "NI!" "NI!" "NI!" "NI!" "NI!"

Dolores would not return to the Ministry building on the morrow. Or the day after. Or the day after that. After a month of silence, the Ambassador's post would be declared open again. It would remain open until another witch or wizard pissed off the Minister so much that the offending party just had to disappear forever.

"Ni." "…ni…" "…ni…" "…ni…"

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