The start of April was the catalyst to everything that followed.

Seraphina finally revealed to me that her main reason for bringing in her followers was so they could go down into the Chamber of Secrets and scavenge whatever tissue remained from the carcass of the Basilisk.

Why?

Basilisks are able to live for thousands of years, and can do so even when being starved. Since Seraphina wanted to live forever without splitting her own soul apart, she figured a good start to it would be to see if she could just lengthen her life for the time being. With a certain Sorcerer's Stone no longer existing, she had to improvise.

Cassandra was the one to suggest 'such brilliance' to her based on what I had told her over the holidays. She was eager to help only because she demanded dibs on the fangs for the poison they held.

I offered my assistance in going with them for something to do — again, I had been trying to find ways to distract myself for months — but all Seraphina expected from me was the location. Since Ash spoke fluent Parseltongue, I wasn't needed, and in any case I had other things to worry about.

The night they decided to sneak down there was one in which I had two meetings, planned back to back directly after dinner, that I had to attend. One with Umbridge and one with Dumbledore. It was an unspoken detail that, basically, I was the perfect distraction for their journey under the school… otherwise the two professors were liable to pop up in the vicinity of Moaning Myrtle's haunting grounds to catch them in the act.

All I could do was ask them to tell Myrtle I said 'hi,' to which they all grinned mischievously and Ash muttered incoherent sentences. When Jessamyn and Seraphina started to regale a story about some death-day dance, the man tried to pull out his wand — which had to be separated from his scythe during their time at Hogwarts — to hex them… only for Cassandra to pop up beside him with a clear vial of a green, bubbling substance — likely poison — that made him bolt from the vicinity.

Either way, Jessamyn and Seraphina wished me luck before they left me alone… alone. I had done so many terrible things on my own before this point, and yet I was suddenly at that level that 'alone' really was such a scary thought. With Becky planning on leaving with Fred and George… and everything with Draco and I becoming more tense than usual… being alone in all the insanity was starting to seem like a possibility.

I could luckily still completely count on Severus and Seraphina…. But, with my track record this year, how long before even they are gone?

I shook myself as I opened the door, deciding that today is not the day to agonize over such a trivial thing.

Walking in Umbridge's office was still as unsettling as ever, sitting before her toad-like 'grace.' Her gaze was a mixture of impatience and imperiousness. I was surprised by the sight of Dobby standing in the corner of the room smiling happily at my entrance until I realized that, not only did Umbridge sip lightly at a small china cup of tea but, there was another one on the other side of her desk by what had to be my chair.

So, she's being hospitable for this discussion… interesting.. I thought as I sat down and our private meeting began. Dobby scuttled over every now and then to refill our tea cups and offer some rather fluffy biscuits. I wanted so badly to give him thanks every time he gave his assistance but, with Umbridge there, he seemed to give me a kind smile of understanding why my hands were tied. He was truly an angelic house elf… when he wasn't using his powers to almost kill someone with a bludger….

Umbridge, of course, was decidedly more diabolic than angelic…. In my personal opinion, it was one thing to scheme in private with Barty the previous school year, planning the schedule for brewing the resurrection potion for my dad and figuring out how to help Harry deal with the tasks for the tournament…. It was a new matter entirely to sit across from a fuming Umbridge wanting to, basically, employ a group of students under her jurisdiction to patrol the hallways for rule-breakers in her stead.

'Jurisdiction,' of course, being loosely accurate. She didn't yet have the authority to pull it off, but she'd been working with me directly about my most skilled followers fitting the bill.

I knew it was based off of a suggestion I had made in order to make her feel better about me forming the group, but it was still a disturbingly eery discussion to be held in her frilly pink office. Perhaps it was because she had tortured me with the quill in there… or perhaps the simple reason was that she was so unlikeable.

I had, at least, enjoyed some civil conversations with Barty there when he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher… enough that I felt too relaxed at times in his presence. With Umbridge, I couldn't be anything except on my constant guard.. which included being constantly annoyed.

We were mid-discussion, her asking me yet again which jinxes I'd taught the crew, while I roughly rubbed my temples. "For the last time, Umbridge, every jinx you 'kindly' suggested has been thoroughly taught to them. Need I remind you that you were there when they learned it? You even pointed out which students did it best!"

"Ah, right, right," she replied distractedly, staring at the gloomy sky just outside her window. "It's just been a slow year, really. All I need right now is a miracle… something that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Dumbledore is not fit to govern this school. Then I can take charge and bring Hogwarts up to the level of discipline deserving of a fine institution." Her malicious grin spoke volumes of the thoughts she was having beyond what her words revealed.

I had to hold in the shiver that threatened to reverberate through my spine. How can such a frilly woman manage to sicken me more than a man whose face matches that of a snake? How is that even possible? "Right…" I replied in sarcastic disbelief, "and.. when exactly do you think this miracle will manage to fall into your lap? Your IQ Squad is ready whenever that happens." Hopefully that it never happens and she leaves at the end of the year like with every other Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"The name is Inquisitorial Squad, Miss Riddle, get it right," she snapped shortly at me before swiftly returning to her far away thoughts outside her window.

I glared shortly at her, though she was no longer paying attention. "IQ Squad sounds better, but whatever," I relented. It wouldn't do me any good to fight her on it — it wasn't like I cared about forming the squad, anyway, except to keep her off my back. It was just that I preferred 'IQ' due to the level of skill and knowledge that each of those students possessed when learning so quickly what I had taught them… and it was ten times shorter than 'Inquisitorial,' but no one asked me.

The group, itself, consisted of many sixth and seventh years, along with Draco and Pansy. It was why, after stripping Becky of her duties as Prefect, Umbridge immediately picked Pansy as her replacement. Severus luckily had no outright objections considering the decision was originally his to make.

"And…" Umbridge's attention was on me again, though this time it was directed at my wrist. "Your 'bracelet,' you say, can call them whenever I need them?"

"In as many words.. yes," I replied exasperatedly, rubbing my fingers over the invisible trinket. "When I call them, anyway."

"Hem —" her gaze was disapproving, but she thankfully stopped herself from giving a second 'hem.' Perhaps because my anger had skyrocketed at the mere appearance of one annoying 'hem,' actively turned my eye color to red. She then rolled her own eyes, "You could do with treating me more respectfully, you know."

"Like you deserve it?"

She opened her mouth to retort, a rather infuriated look on her face, when there was a light knock on the door.

I quickly sat straight, bending over her desk as though I was working on something in front of her, and conjured my cup of tea back to the kitchens. Umbridge handed me her torturous black quill which I reluctantly held at the ready, not intending to use it in any way other than as a bluff.

She shot me a withering look before calmly calling, "Come in."

I glanced curiously over my shoulder as the door opened. A Ravenclaw girl with curly, reddish-blonde hair tentatively stepping inside. She closed the door behind her, clenching her hands into fists when they began to shake and using them to wipe a light sheen of sweat from her forehead.

She's nervous… to talk to Umbridge…? No, it seems like more than that….

"Miss Edgecombe," Umbridge said mildly. "What can I do for you? I apologize but, unless it's an emergency, it'll have to wait until after I'm done with Miss Riddle here."

"Th-there's something I want — no, need — to tell you…" the girl replied hesitantly, visibly swallowing nothing but air as she stared at the floor… seemingly looking for a way to explain herself correctly. "It's equivalent to an emergency. Y-You'll want to hear it."

Umbridge spared a curious glance at me before gesturing to Edgecombe, "Well, then, please continue. Don't mind Miss Riddle here, she's only doing lines for me." She then proceeded to slide a blank piece of paper across the table toward me, expertly avoiding my pointed glare. "Just writing 'I must show respect….' But go on now, Miss Edgecombe."

I hope she doesn't believe I'm going to actually write that, I thought, noticing how often she glared at me while trying to still smile reassuringly at the girl.

"Erm.. let me think how I should say this.." Edgecombe muttered softly to herself.

I narrowed my eyes at the blank page before me. It was as if she was worried that any wrong explanation would backfire on her… reminding me of what I often imagined: that anyone that got stuck as my follower would try attempting to reveal the secrets of my group. However.. whatever jinx she was under obviously didn't scare her as much as mine scared my followers… if she was so willing to take the risk of activating it.

"If — if you go to the seventh floor, there's a secret room… it's sometimes called the Room of Requirement," she stated, her feet shuffling in place behind me. "You'll find something there that I — erm — think will be to your advantage."

Damn… I thought as Umbridge shared a curious glance with me before returning her full attention to the nervous girl. Room of Requirement… she's trying to rat out Harry! Should I do something…? No, there's nothing I can do! This girl ran straight to Umbridge! The woman would know something fishy just happened if I do anything to her right now!

"Could you elaborate, Miss Edgecombe?" Umbridge asked, the honey laced into her voice sounded heavily triumphant as she continued smiling. "Is it something to do… with Harry Potter?"

The shuffling became more frantic, "I-I can't say.."

"Well, what can you say?" Umbridge's voice became impatient, her 'sweet face' turning ugly in five seconds flat. "Is it something that's against school rules? How will it work to my advantage? Come, girl, spit it out!"

"It — I mean — it's a meeting!" her voice became panicked, the mixture of wanting to not get in trouble with Umbridge clashing with her hope to keep herself from fully explaining what she wasn't supposed to reveal. "Th-there's a meeting being held there right now… one that wasn't approved by you."

In a span of, say, thirty seconds… Umbridge's smug little smile slowly twisted into open-mouthed horror while she raised her hand as though to cover her look of shock. "Oh, dear…"

I glanced up. Since her first week at Hogwarts, Umbridge had put a disgustingly pastel pink mirror up behind her desk, so I had a full view of the most hilariously deserved hex I had ever seen.

The hex Edgecombe had awakened in her wish to snitch on Harry… spelled out the word 'SNEAK' — yes, in all capitals — in closely placed, ugly purple pimples across her nose and cheeks. The girl was unaware of her fate, staring at Umbridge's horror-stricken face in utter confusion. Only when she finally glanced up at her reflection in the mirror and gave a loud, panicked scream… before efficiently covering her face with her hands… did I completely lose it.

"Pfft…" I failed to hold back my need to laugh, snorting and wheezing to the point I had to drop the quill to hold both my hands over my mouth and nose in an attempt to make myself stop. It obviously wasn't working when I barely heard Edgecombe's whine of embarrassment over my amused snickers.

"M-Miss Riddle!" Umbridge finally snapped, giving me a look that proved how much she wished I was being better behaved with another student around. "This is no laughing matter! Keep doing your lines! Remember — 'I must show respect' — get back to it or you'll have detention with me for the remainder of the year!"

The threat — though very empty — caused me to stop laughing entirely, raising a defiant eyebrow at her before picking up the quill with my left hand and bending forward to start on some lines. I'll show 'respect,' all right… I bent my head down so she couldn't see the smirk on my face when she stood up to console Miss Edgecombe.

"There, there," she said over my pained gasps. "You did the right thing by bringing this to me. Just come with me, now. I must call in the Minister so we can deliver this information straight to Dumbledore. You can sit with Madam Pomfrey while we round up the delinquents….

"Hem, hem… Miss Riddle?"

I turned my head back to look at her, feigned innocence plastered on my features. "Yes, Professor?"

"What are you writing?" she asked warily.

"My lines."

"Show me."

"My pleasure," I held back a chuckle, facing forward to write the line once more. The moment it painfully embedded itself into my skin, I held my hand up over my head for her to see the sloppily written, bloody words of 'snitches get stitches.' "How do you like it?" I asked, turning my head again to see her alarmed expression.

Her eyes narrowed pointedly at me before turning to Edgecombe with another smile, "Step outside for me, Miss Edgecombe. I will be out momentarily to escort you safely to the hospital wing."

The girl mumbled a whimpering "Okay.." before walking out into the empty classroom, and shutting the door behind her.

Umbridge proceeded to roughly grab my wrist, hissing, "What is the meaning of this?!And why did you write it with your left hand?"

I snatched my arm out of her grasp, glaring reproachfully at her. "I only wrote something I wanted to set into my mind. 'I must show respect' doesn't match my daily life, so that wasn't happening no matter what you threatened me with. Anyways, 'sneaks get pimples' just doesn't have quite the same ring to it as this. So this'll be my reminder as to why my way with my followers is better… funny as that hex was to witness.

"Oh, and…" I added as an afterthought, "Yes, my dominant hand is my right, which is why I wrote it with my left. Can't let my stronger arm be injured on your petty whims, can I? Which, by the way —" I narrowed my eyes into a heavy glare at her "— I won't be too cordial about it the next time you try that."

Her fearful gulp allowed me to relax my anger slightly, enough that I chuckled thoughtfully about the 'sneak' situation as Umbridge huffed in frustration. Neither Harry nor Ron were very knowledgeable about such complex hexes like that, and the remaining option for who cast it was such a surprise…. For Hermione to do it was almost evil. It was conniving to a fault. I had never been more proud of indirectly rubbing off on her.

"I haven't the time for your trivial forms of enjoyment, Miss Riddle," Umbridge said heatedly. "Luckily for you, I am in a good mood due to this news. Our meeting is adjourned — I expect my Inquisitorial Squad members to meet me in the kitchens immediately. Get them there."

"Giving me demands, Umbridge?" I asked coolly. "Surely you recall that there is such a thing as 'the magic words?'"

"Fine. Please send them to the kitchens immediately," she said without a moment's hesitation, placing her hand on the doorknob to leave. It was apparently important enough to her that she catch them, considering she threw her pride out the window a lot quicker than usual. "Thank you for your impending cooperation. I must get this all done at once.

"And you!" she pointed threateningly at Dobby who cowered slightly under her gaze. "Do not, under any circumstances, tell anyone about this. I will catch those heathens in the act, and no one — especially not a lowly House Elf — is going to get in my way. I'd tell the other House Elves the same thing, if I were you, before I get down there. Any disobedience and I expect each of you to punish yourselves. Is that clear?"

"Dobby understands Professor Umbridge! Dobby will do as Professor Umbridge commands!" the House Elf declared fearfully.

Umbridge nodded in satisfaction before turning to me with a glare. "Same goes for you, Miss Riddle."

"What in the hell —?" I started to ask what made her think I was going to do anything…. I stopped myself, because of course I was. She didn't have to know that, but there was no point in starting an argument with her when — like she said — there were things to be done. I rolled my eyes, "You know what? There's no time for this. Whatever you say, just go get it done, Umbridge."

"I will," she declared seriously, dramatically opening the door and giving me a curt nod before closing it behind her. Like she's about to save the world or something. Oh my God, she's full of herself.

"Dobby…" I said, grateful that he hadn't left the room yet.

"Melody Riddle expects Dobby to go warn Harry Potter, yes?" he asked, his tone bright despite the nervous waver in his voice. "Dobby will get it done immedia —"

"Wait —" I interjected, "— first, you need to let the other House Elves know. Warning Harry will have been for naught if you don't follow at least one order first, and I'm sure Umbridge will use that fact to her advantage. Warn your co-workers. Once that's done, then you can get to Harry. You know how to get into the Room of Requirement, right?"

"Yes, Melody Riddle, Dobby knows about it. Dobby will take care of everything. Is there anything else before Dobby leaves?"

I smiled at the House Elf, standing to open the office door for him and thoroughly glancing around to be sure Umbridge had completely left before looking back at him again. He'd come a long way since being stuck under the Malfoys — no offense to my boyfriend — but Umbridge's demands just weren't fair to him. "Please don't punish yourself… when you get a job with a working wage, you're not obligated to be punished for doing what you think is right. Even if your actions are opposite to the wishes of those who are your bosses."

His only response was a giddy grin before he ran off.

I released a sigh, trusting his ability to make it in time. All that was left was for me to do my job… and that, strangely enough, included showing up early for my meeting with Professor Dumbledore.

Dumbledore stood with his back to me when I entered his office, conversing with Phineas Nigellus before turning to look at me. Noticing the complete lack of surprise on his features, I gently closed the door behind me.

"You're early," he noted.

"Yes, how astute you are," I said, briskly walking up to his desk with a heavy sigh. "My meeting with Umbridge finished early. As for my meeting with you, I wrote up some topics to argue for Morfin's case…. But before we go into any details, I feel it is my duty to warn you that Umbridge may have found her good reason to expel Harry and many other students. There's got to be something you can do to get them out of this."

At first, he didn't respond. He gave Phineas one curt nod, which the portrait returned to him before proceeding to disappear from the portrait. Then Dumbledore walked over to his desk, calmly sitting behind it before locking his gaze with mine. "If that's the case, then she will certainly arrive any moment now. What I have to say to you needs to take precedence, if you don't mind."

What..? "What could possibly be more urgent?" I asked.

He folded his hands together in his lap, his blue eyes more somber than twinkling. It was so far beyond comfort, I almost asked him to look somewhere else. But then he said, "Morfin died this morning."

My face automatically scrunched up in shock. Morfin..? But he'd been so alive when we got there. He had more energy than most of the inmates in there! How the hell — "What?"

"He's dead," he replied simply. "As of this morning…. You got your wish. He died in prison before you could even attempt to prove his innocence."

"Hold on a minute!" I retorted angrily. How dare he word it that way? I never said..! "Think what you will of me, but I never wished that fate on him!" I pulled the scroll of parchment I'd been working on for Morfin's innocence, slamming the thick roll on the desk. "This is all the work I'd put into saving him!"

A moment of realization dawned on his features as he stared at the roll of parchment before turning to me. "You really put forth the effort…?"

My fury felt like it was boiling over at his cruel assumption. I might have said there was no point in him being out of Azkaban and he likely deserved it, but it wasn't like I was the one who'd put him there. I didn't desire his existence to be full of suffering one way or another — it hadn't been up to me!

When Dumbledore decided for his release to be my task, I took it seriously. Sure, I tried to distract myself with other things, but I did spend multiple hours in the library — not only spending time with Hermione and studying, but studying every aspect of wizarding law for a way to prove his innocence. The topics were complicated, but every possibility included the easy part of showing the Ministry his true memories — proving that they were the real memories.

For Dumbledore to think I wouldn't take a job seriously was just demeaning.

"Read it," I said heatedly, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. "It's all there. I did my research."

"Why?"

"What do you mean 'why?'" I asked. "Isn't that what you wanted me to do?"

"I mean… why did you put so much effort in when you didn't believe that he deserved it?"

Explain myself or fib?…. I opted to give him a half-hearted shrug, "I don't know.. I guess I just don't let my personal opinions get in the way of my assigned tasks."

"I see…"

"Dumbledore!" an older portrait wizard called, "The Minister has entered the school with a few Aurors!"

I grit my teeth, "Already?" Umbridge sure works fast…. It's like he bolted over here!

"Thank you, Armando," Dumbledore said, staring at his office door in contemplation. Then he looked up to me with a trusting twinkle I hadn't seen in quite some time, "Can you explain to me what happened before they get up here?"

"Er — sure," I said, launching into a quick story about what happened in Umbridge's office. Under normal circumstances, I would have had trouble telling him about the hex without laughing, but considering we were direly low on time I built at least three walls up in front of my emotions. I ended it with, "Umbridge obviously called the Minister already so, unless Dobby warned them in time, she's likely already rounding up all the rule-breakers she can catch with my followers."

"I believe so, too…" he replied thoughtfully, smiling kindly. "Thank you, Melody. You have done well to bring this to my attention as swiftly as you did."

Wow, he changed his tone toward me real quickly when I did this… I thought, nodding uncertainly in response to his praise. He's been so watchful of me lately, it's actually weird to see this side of him again. "Anything else I can do before they get up here?" I asked.

And, just like that, his features became serious once more. "Yes…. You have been practicing your mental manipulation with Seraphina, correct?"

"Yea — wait.." I hesitated, eyeing him curiously, "how do you know about that?"

"Keep to the topic at hand, Melody, this is very important. They are likely already on their way here, so there is something only you can do…. When Miss Edgecombe has the opportunity to give an answer they are looking for — and yes, they will bring her in for proof of Umbridge's plight — you need to use your abilities on her to make her deny it. I will give you a signal when the time is right. Can you do that?"

I have made a big mistake asking if there's anything else I can do, I belatedly realized. "Well, sure I could, but why don't I just save us the trouble and also do it to Umbridge so it's as if it never actually happened?"

Dumbledore fervently shook his head. "That is far too risky. No matter how dense Fudge has proven himself to be, he's going to have his suspicions when she suddenly claims she made a mistake in calling him. The woman may be many things, but the one action she would never take is calling Fudge here without good reason.

"If this goes accordingly, I am going to have to leave. I need you to promise me that, no matter what happens in my absence, you never use your mental manipulation on Umbridge."

My eyes widened. He's going to have to leave? As in he'll basically be booted out of the Headmaster Office? What about all the things she could do when he's gone? The end result would be placing her in charge, and she's annoying enough as it is! Dumbledore, himself, may also be many things, but he is at least a fair headmaster. "But Dumbledore, she's going to be absolutely insufferable with you gone!"

"Promise me, Melody," he commanded softly, his gaze switching between me and his office door. I clenched my teeth, deeply despising his unreasonable demand. The only reason I dealt with Umbridge so civilly was because she was bound by Dumbledore's presence — little as my trust for him was, I could at least expect things to be some semblance of normal. If he was going to get run out of the school, she would take full control and just do as she wished… and I knew it was going to come at the cost of things I felt safe with under Dumbledore's rule.

His own gaze seemed to intensify on me as footsteps began to echo through the hallway leading up to his door.

Why do I have to trust his word on this?… Because Severus trusts him. Because Severus wants me to listen and play nice with him. There's.. really no other option I can possibly take…

I clenched my teeth, replying, "Fine," before giving a defeated sigh. "I promise."

All right! Two out of six! I'm making some headway... Happy first Friday of December everybody! :-D

I enjoyed this chapter... perhaps a bit too much considering it was almost over 8,000 words xD I had to make the decision to split it up so it's not so tough to swallow...

Anywho... Since the movie changed the scenario so much, it's easy to forget that Cho wasn't the one to snitch on the D.A., but her friend Marietta was. Not only that, but Hermione showed an evil side with that hex (mwahaha Melody's managed to rub off on her even though she doesn't exist in canon).

Even though things got serious, I hope this chapter was enjoyable and that you look forward to next week's! :* See you again soon!