Hello dear readers!
I am very sorry for this period of time without updating. The fault was some personal problems, lack of time and compliance with working hours. I hope now that the rhythm that we had with the story can be resumed.
We hope everyone is doing well and so are your loved ones.
A big hug, and here is another chapter.

Chapter 24: Thorns

Harry had to admit that he didn't count on Neville's attack on the carriage, but he was sure that his return to Hogwarts would only get worse.

"When do you think they will give the second signal?" Draco muttered as they unpacked the room. Crabbe and Goyle had left their bags and expressed their opportune wishes for a sweet treat in the kitchens. "I bet on Wednesday. It's the middle of the week... it's good for reminders."

"No, it will be Friday night," Harry assured as he pulled out a new pair of socks for the next day. "Remember that in Diagon Alley they summoned us immediately... they can't do it here, so they will give about twenty-four hours for you to cancel all the plans you may have and make yourself available to the Dark Lord... but I don't understand why they called you. You didn't have to..."

Harry was about to say: "you didn't have to torture anyone," until he remembered that he didn't do it, but Ginny with the polyjuice.

"No idea." Draco shrugged. "But I wasn't going to be left behind either. You will have to perfect your costume. James Potter can't see you as you are."

"I have to find an excuse for Ron... Ronald Weasley... or he'll ruin everything."

"It's easy: tell him you're not an idiot like him, who commits crimes with his true identity. You decided to change your appearance so that the Aurors won't give you or your family… that will make you look a little smarter than the rest…" Draco suggested and lay down on his bed. "I am doomed: the Malfoys do not hide behind any disguise. We must face everything with honor, everyone must see the platinum hair of the Malfoys while they torture a Muggle!"

"I'll think of something," Harry murmured, who didn't find the excuse very clever. "Now... I don't know if I wants to sleep... or go for a walk..."

"Or do you miss Pansy..."

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed with a smile. "I won't have time to miss her: she will be here tomorrow, I'm sure she will convince her parents that Hogwarts is safe..."

"Sure, she has an intrepid boyfriend, double agent..."

"Enough!" Harry yelled and threw a pillow at Draco who took the hit with a laugh. "You can't say that so calmly! Or don't you remember what Sirius noticed...?"

"About the ears, the dead, and the mouths...? Yes... but we're talking about Pansy-pu..."

"Now you did it...!"

The fight between the two boys dragged on until Crabbe and Goyle arrived with lots of candy in their pockets. They reluctantly had to share it with their other roommates and they all went to bed around twelve.

The next day, Harry and Draco were standing guard outside the Great Hall, due to an owl sent to them by Pansy at dawn. She was on the way.

"Don't think twice," Draco advised Harry in a low voice. "It will make you ill about the who-you-know invitation. Just check with Snape, he will tell Padfoot and we can prepare..."

"Get prepared…? Um, I wasn't expecting those kinds of greetings."

Harry noticed that he was smiling. It was an involuntary gesture. Pansy was in front of them, in her flawless Slytherin uniform.

"Looks like I discovered a future surprise," she said, placing her hands on her hips.

"I'm really sorry to destroy your illusions, but it's not a pleasant thing," said Harry, who did not like to fool the girl. "It is... the other issue, the murkier one."

Pansy's expression turned stern.

"I have news from Granger," she said. "They're not encouraging… She… she's losing her mind."

"They should send her to St. Mungo's," Draco suggested. "After all, she is like this because of a spell."

"I don't know what her parents will do later, but for now, they sent her to a mental hospital..."

"Hi! Harry Snape?"

Harry was about to say, "Hi Luna!" But he fell silent. His alter ego had never interacted with Luna Lovegood before. She wasn't wearing her colored glasses, no radishes hanging from her ears, not a copy of the Quibbler under her arm. There, standing in her Ravenclaw uniform and her platinum blonde hair spilling over her shoulders, she was just one more girl lost in the tide of Hogwarts faces.

"Yes, it's me."

"Umbridge requests that you come to her office… you too, Malfoy."

Luna gave Pansy an unsympathetic look and left for the Great Hall.

"What was that about?" Draco asked, intrigued.

"It's normal for Umbridge to call you after everything that happened," Pansy said.

"No, I mean that girl's nasty look at you," Draco clarified.

"Ah, that. She likes Harry. We dueled for him last year behind the Quidditch stadium."

"Well, well, Mr. Popular," Draco said maliciously and nudged his friend. "First, the redhead Weasley, now, a Ravenclaw..."

"I never found out about that! I mean, the Harry here... I... I have no noticed of that!"

"Because I never told you." Pansy crossed her arms uncomfortably. "Are you two going to stand there like idiots? I don't keep Umbridge waiting."

The girl gave an impatient snort and followed Luna's footsteps into the Great Hall.

"I don't want to be in your shoes right now, mate," Draco said with a grimace and patted Harry on the back. "But I will accompany you to the harpy's office..."

"She also quoted you, dumb."

"Nonsense!"

The teasing stopped as soon as they started walking. They became two silent shadows gliding through the corridors, avoiding the enchanted armor and straggling students rushing into the dining room. Harry hoped that Snape would worry not to see him appear and locate him inside the castle at the speed of light, saving him from future questioning. They reached the office before they knew it. Actually, they almost tripped over the wall. They knocked on the door and heard the "come in!" The friends exchanged a look of circumstance, pushed open the door together and stepped into the oppressively pink and seemingly empty room.

Draco closed the door behind him and looked around for a third human presence, but gave up with a shrug. Harry was looking at the desk. There was the white cat with the glossy fur. Right at the cat's legs was an object: a golden wand embedded in a plate. On each side were drawn two wizards with androgynous features preparing to fight.

The boy felt an insane desire to appropriate the trophy. Using the wand to change the moment he decided to go to the Forbidden Forest to meet Sirius. Or, at least, he would have made sure not to ally himself with Hermione, that she did not spy on him or have a chance to unleash all the madness he was immersed in. He winced as he realized that he was thinking about how to fix that timeline, and not go back to his. He sank a hand into his tousled hair. It was a strange feeling.

"Does you have a headache, Snape?"

He was startled. And by Draco's face, he was surprised too. Umbridge was wearing a black dress with a V-neckline. Too deep. His breasts poked out like two water balloons. It was not normal for her (the color of the clothes, not the neckline). She was by the fireplace and there were traces of ash on her dark heels. Before either of the two boys could speak, the teacher, tight-lipped, threw something golden at them.

Harry managed to catch him in midair and looking at his hand. He found a galleon.

"You was always supposed to use it," she said in a cold tone. "And, also, to warn the unfortunate Hermione Granger that you-know-who had been ordered to attack her... what a pity that her address was not on the list that your father passed us… or did he delete it on purpose? I know you held a grudge against the girl… perhaps your true nature came to light, right, sir?

"Do you... accuse me...?" Harry slammed the galleon down on the desk so hard the white cat meowed in anger. "I had no idea who I should visit. The houses were guarded. And believe me: it wasn't me who left Hermione in that state. My intention was to save her, not leave her crazy."

"I can attest to that," Draco hurried at Harry's pause. "If you read the Prophet, an unauthorized portkey was found in Granger's house… we took it to her to flee. But someone got ahead of us and tortured her using Harry's appearance using Polyjuice Potion. Neville Longbottom can confirm that he saw two Harrys that night."

Umbridge narrowed her eyes and studied them up and down.

"That's comforting… but I contend you two should have told Hermione. In that way, she was preparing for the sacrifice... or... no, that way it was better. If she knew in advance what could happen to her, she would have done something to prevent it and it would have ruined everything. Loyalty is fragile when life or, in this case, sanity, is in danger. Great job, boys. Now you´re puppies with honors in the ranks of the one-who-should-not-be-named.

Harry couldn't believe his ears. First, Umbridge was angered by Hermione's condition, understandable. Two lines later, she congratulated them on leaving the girl upset if it meant they would gain the trust of the Death Eaters. He felt disgusted. Of himself, for falling into the trap, of Umbridge, for being so rotten. On top of that, McGonagall was presumably having similar thoughts as well. He thinks that if Dumbledore were in command, things would be different.

"Now, you mentioned something interesting: you have an ally among the Death Eaters." The woman put her wallet on the desk and scratched her cat's head, which purred with pleasure. "Who covered your back, Snape? Your father? Someone else…?"

Harry wanted to give a quick answer. Sharp. But he hesitated so much that Umbridge's face lit up and she said it before he did anything:

"Ginny Weasley… it was her, right?"

"How you can be sure of that?" Draco asked.

Umbridge gave a smile that Harry would have loved to erase with a spell.

"I just know, Mr. Malfoy. That explains many things... and opens some doors. I will send instructions about it."

"What…? I'm not a gigolo!"

"That's another interesting piece of information… Now, I won't ask you for this as a favor, Snape: keep using it," Umbridge ordered and tapped the galleon on the table with her finger. "Everything you exchange with your contact will be reflected in that one. If important information comes up, McGonagall and I will know how to act."

Harry wanted to yell that the only performance he expected of her, was for her to drown in a swamp, but he bit his tongue.

"We'll find another galleon for Malfoy if necessary, because so far, the sir has been more useless than Granger..."

"Stop talking about her like she was an object," Harry snapped through clenched fists. "And Draco has been more loyal and courageous than you think..."

"Dear, dear..." Umbridge leaned forward and spoke as if he were a five-year-old, "when we guide soldiers in the middle of a war, can't keep affection for them. Unfortunately, they have to become pieces of wood on a board, where it doesn't hurt when they fall in combat and can be replaced immediately. Hermione Granger was a very smart and valuable girl, just look at how she had that explosive Neville Longbottom tied up short! But she failed, and now we have a hole that needs to be filled quickly, or Longbottom will lose control." Harry opened his mouth in outrage, but the woman did not allow him to express himself. "Your friend Malfoy is loyal to you and I applaud him. Finding good friends in these dark times is really valuable. But no matter how beautiful it sounds, it doesn't work for me. We are not participating in a game of friendship and love, but we are in a war where people die if we take a wrong step. I need Malfoy to commit to be loyal to the resistance. Loyal to me, to McGonagall. And I also expect the same from you. Do you understand?

Harry looked at the woman's black clothes and wondered where she was coming from. She looked tired, and had a dark shadow under her eyes. He assumed she was returning from a funeral. He concentrated on that, so as not to feel any more hatred for her after such a speech, but his anger was stronger.

"No. I don't understand," he said.

He turned and stormed out of the office.