"So where are all of you going?" Finch asked.

"Probably making some trouble up and then blame it on you-know-who." Umbridge added.

"Mr. Potter," Minister Fudge called, walking out of the shadows, "Can you explain why you all are off grounds at this hour?"

"Mr. Minister, this display of insubordination is further reason Mr. Harry Potter should be expelled at once! Furthermore, I recommend that the other students put into detention indefinitely!" Umbridge suggested.

Draco Malfoy flashed Harry Potter a smirk.

"We are here for a survey sir," Harry replied.

"Nonsense!" shouted Umbridge. "Harry Potter is corrupting his fellow students to follow his lead in his blatant disregard for Hogwarts rules and restrictions."

"An', he's breakin' the rules, too!" added Finch, causing the minister to roll his eyes.

"Mr. Minister, I assure you; this is only a group of students doing a survey."

"For which class?" Umbridge challenged.

"Be as it may, Mr. Potter, you have broken the rules sent out by your superiors. I am sure the lot of you will return to your dormitories until further notice."

Harry looked so frustrated he might scream, so Ginny slipped her hand into his, gripping it tightly.

"Come on, now." she whispered.

"Hand-holding is not allowed, Miss Weasley, Miss Grainger." Delores said stiffly. "Let go. I will escort you ladies back to your room, and we will have a talk about propriety."

Hermione and Ginny swallowed hard, exchanging glances, and Harry's jaw worked, watching them leave with her. Ron walked up next to him, and the minister led them up the stairs.

"I trust you can make it from here, gentlemen." he said, tipping that ridiculous bowler hat of his.

"Well, that was close," Ron said once he closed the door behind him.

"Too close. I knew Malfoy was up to something," Harry shouted.

"Of course he was! Did you read anything from Umbridge or Fudge?"

"Fudge is worried. Finch made some nasty comment that made him sound jealous. Umbridge however pretty was thinking what she was saying."

"Fudge is worried?" Ron asked. "He starting to believe you?"

"I am not sure about that. But perhaps he does think something is going on. Just not what I have been saying."

"So what do we do now?"

"I meself don't like the idea of leaving Ginny and 'Mione with the old troll-bitch." Fred said, leaning against the doorframe.

Harry shook his head. He really didn't like it. He looked at Ron, and could hear Ron's thoughts racing, but his best friend wasn't saying a word.

"She won't hurt them..." Neville said confidently.

"An', how can you be so sure o' that?" Seamus asked, tossing a ball up and down as he lay on his own bed.

"Because, the minister's here." Neville said. "Likely she wants to make a good impression on him."

"Maybe we can make sure..."

"There's no way to do that." George said. "Not without getting caught."

"We're bloody wizards, and we can't even spy on someone to make sure they're all right from forty feet away?" Harry growled, frustrated.

Suddenly, he looked at Fred.

"What was that?"

"Didn't say a word, kid."

"No, you thought it! You know a way, don't you?"

"Yeah, but we don't have the stuff to do it from here, I'm quite sure..."

"What stuff would we need Fred?" Harry asked. "Could we get it reasonably nearby? One or two of us might be able to sneak out with the cloak."

"What?" Ron pressed.

"A Crystal Ball," Fred replied.

George turned to his twin. "Brilliant idea. Well..." George started. "And a clear surface will work, like a mirror or a sink."

Fred nodded, "But there are still a few other things we need..."

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Harry and Ron frantically searched the room in a mad scavenger hunt for the four other items George had mentioned: The eye of a tiger, a piece of crystal, a vial of liquid from a preserviece, and then, the final item, something that belonged to one of the girls.

"A bloody tiger's eye? Who keeps those nasty things around?!" Ron grimaced.

"Professor Snape." Neville said quietly. "Has 'em in his stocks. I even know what shelf; I do help him with inventory, after all."

"And, what about the other things?" Fred asked.

Harry went into his trunk and pulled out a vial of blue iridescent liquid. "Dumbledore gave me this a year or so ago." he admitted. "He keeps a large one in his office."

"Least the crystal's easy." Ron said, producing one from his trunk.

"What about something of the girls', then, Harry?" Seamus asked. "Have ya anything?"

Harry shook his head. "No, not really..."

"Should check his trunk and see if'n he has a pair of her knickers." Seamus thought to himself with a smirk. But, the smirk quickly went away when he noticed how angrily Harry was glaring at him.

"Ah, forgot ye could hear me..." Seamus muttered, shrinking back.

"I got Hermione's gloves." Ron said softly, laying them on the table in front of the mirror.

"Well, come on, Neville; let's go get that eye and get back, shall we?"

The trip was quiet. Harry's breath was coming in shallow pants; it was taking everything in him not to just turn around and go back towards the girls' room instead. But, with Neville's help, he quickly obtained the object they needed and slipped back into his own room without incident.

"All right, now what?" he said, laying the eye down with the other items.

Fred waved his wand. "Illuminato!" he said, and the mirror began to smoke up, and an image began to appear...

Hermione and Ginny appeared in a chamber looking straight at Delores Umbridge.

"All right girls," she said as she looked at the two of them, "Now that we are alone perhaps you two will tell me what really was going on."

"We were doing a survey session like Harry told you," Hermione asked.

"Oh I see, how about you Ginny? Is that the case?" she asked Ginny instead. She gently grabbed one of Ginny's hands, "You would not lie to me would you?"

Ginny pulled her hand back. "It wasn't a lie."

Harry clenched his hands around the dresser until his knuckles were white when he saw her touch Ginny's hand. He noticed the threat instantly. Of course, it had not escaped her brothers, either, who suddenly got very twitchy, pacing and muttering.

Delores pursed her mouth slightly. "I see. That's the way you're going to play it. Then, there is still another matter to discuss: The boys."

"The boys?" Hermione frowned. "We're allowed to be friends with boys... It is a co-ed school, after all."

"Yes, well, Miss Granger... friends and friendly are two different animals, are they not?"

Hermione swallowed. "That's... I'm not sure what you're getting at."

"She's calling us slags, she is!" Ginny glared, kicking herself into a standing position, taking an almost threatening stance at Miss Umbridge. The Weasley temper had definitely not skipped over her.

"Miss Weasley, I suggest you sit down." the flustered woman said.

"Sit down?!" she replied. "Where do you get--"

"Miss Weasley, I would think nice and hard before you say your next word."

Ginny sat down but glared at Umbridge.

"Is it not true that Harry was in your room after hours the other night Miss Weasley? Don't lie now. I will know if you do."

"No, he was not," Ginny replied truthfully.

"Good thing she got her facts mixed…" Ginny thought to herself.

"I am sorry," Hermione spoke up, disgusted at Umbridge's accusations. "But I do not believe it is your business if we have boyfriends. And, to accuse us of something improper without any evidence..."

Dorles Umbridge smiled at the two.

"Very well. I do hope you two understand the image we want presented at Hogwarts. I will trust we have an understanding here. Yes?"