A/N: The reason i'm specifying this as an author's note is because I'm not aware about the PMs that have been referred to in my reviews. In fact as they are guest reviews, I could have easily moderated the same and removed them however I'm going to keep them, to show other authors just how many creative ways trolls can find to seek attention. Slow Clap
If I have truly sent you a PM, review with your actual account so we can discuss the matter. Oh right! You can't! Cause that would mean you actually took accountability for something in your life.
In over 15 years of being part of this of this site and community, I have only sent 6 PMs.
2 as thank you's to reviews (you know who you are!)
1 was to reject an offer to commercialise my fan-fiction by changing the character names
1 to respond to a beta request
1 a conversation with one of my favourite author's on the site who responded to my review (Which, I'd like to point out, was possible because I reviewed from my account.)
with that said...
To all my faithful readers:
Thank you for sticking with me! I'm so happy to see you are enjoying the twists and turns!
Here's the next chapter!
I need to see you in our room. NOW!
That's all the note read. It looked like it had been scribbled hurriedly. Draco looked up from the diary and gave Blaise a pointed look. It was that unspoken languages best friends share, where one just knows to follow the other's lead. They were both in the Slytherin common room playing wizards chess but they both knew that in here, everyone even the walls were listening. Draco made a terrible move and Blaise won, they packed up the set and walked into their dorm. Crabbe and Goyel were there stuffing their face with tucks from home. Draco handed them his tucks and sent them on their way.
"What is it?" Blaise asked seriously
"I'm going out but I'm concerned something has happened… If I need your help, this book will get warm" He said handing him the diary
"What?" Blaise looked at him
"Open the page that is bookmarked, when it does…" He said seriously getting his cloak
"Is this how you can Granger have been talking all year?" Blaise asked
"yes…" Draco said and disappeared through the door
Blaise was very tempted to take a peek and opened a random page. It was blank. "Of course, we learnt concealing charms this year…" he snapped the book shut and lay down on his bed. He kept the book on his chest as he thought back to a very weird encounter he had earlier that day
—
Flashback
Draco had a fantastic date and he seemed to be reliving it in his head, which made him a terrible conversationalist, so Blaise had ditched his friend with Crabbe and Goyel and was wandering the halls of the castle. It was almost the last week of the school year, if someone had told him that by the end of this year, Draco and Hemrione would have Potty and Weasel's blessing he'd have told them to check into the magical maladies ward at St. Mungos. No one could have predicted that, no one could have even predicted Umbridge, god that woman was horrible. He had a scowl on his face as he thought of the toad and turned a corner. He was instantly met by a feather duster hitting his face
After he'd spat out a couple of feathers he snapped "What is wrong with you!"
"I'm sorry, but there were a lot of wrackspurts around you…" Luna said gently
"What?" Blaise said looking at Luna then he noticed her radish earrings, the butterbeer crock necklace and no shoes…
"wrackspurts, they get into your ears and confuse you… I was shooing them away…" Luna said
"Who are you?" Blaise said sternly
"Luna… Luna Lovegood, it's a pleasure to meet you…" She said
"Lovegood, oh your father runs the quibbler, right?" He asked
"You know of my father?" She asked
"Since Umbridge banned it, I'm sure everyone knows of him…" Blaise said
"No, not really, most of them only know the magazine, you made an effort to find out who runs it, I'm glad you like it…" Luna said
"I never said I liked it…" Blaise stated flatly
"You didn't have to…" Luna countered and then walked away
Blaise watched her go and then followed "Wait… where are you shoes?" He said gesturing at her barefeet. It was nearly summer but the castle still got cold in the nights.
"Well, I've lost a few of my possessions," said Luna serenely. "People take them and hide them, you know. But, I really do need them back, so I've been putting up signs." She gestured to the notice board on which, sure enough, she had pinned a list of all her missing books and clothes, with a plea for their return.
"That's not…very nice…" Blaise said then added "Do you need any help finding them?"
"They'll come back, they always do in the end. It was just that I wanted to started getting them back before the last day."
That was when Blaise noticed the pendant she was wearing
"Are you…" He asked pointing at it
"A believer in the hallows… yes…" She said holding it up " Anyway … why aren't you at dinner?" She asked
"I was just heading there…" Blaise said defensively
"Okay… Bye…" She said walking away
"So that's loony Lovegood…" Blaise said to himself, something inside him made him feel like she wasn't quite loony after all
End Flashback
—
Draco had never found the inquisitorial squad badge more useful. He hardly met anyone on the way to the 7th floor. Once he reached there he made his way towards their room and found Umbridge there. He ducked into a large stone archway to avoid being seen by her. She was speaking to filch
"I need you to put this in Potter's things…" She whispered
"Ofcourse headmistress…but…" Filch said trying to look inside the package
"Make sure you don't touch it, it's cursed" Umbridge snapped " This will ensure shutting up Potter for good… Now listen carefully this is what you'll do…" She whispered
Draco tried to peek but he didn't want to risk being seen. Just then he felt someone next to him. He turned to see the head of Hermione floating in mid air. She looked worried. She mouthed
'We have to stop this'
'How?' He mouthed back
She took off the cloak off completely and shoved it in a corner. She then used her wand to make a few cuts in her clothing, mussed up her hair and rubbed some dirt from the floor onto her clothes. Draco was looking at her like she'd gone mad.
"Put your wand at my throat" Hermione whispered
"Why?" Draco whispered back
"Just do it and follow my lead" she then made him hold her hands behind her back with one arm and pulled him out screaming loudly "I don't care what you saw Draco I'll never tell you where it is!"
Umbridge and Filch jumped out of their skin but turned to the commotion "What's all this then Mr. Malfoy…" Umbridge asked him
"I caught Granger here doing something suspicious and was just interrogating her…" He said putting on his best sneer. Only Hermione and and Draco knew how gentle he was being, to Umbridge, Draco had Hermione ensnared "She was being difficult so I was just going to get her to you…"
Umbridge's eyes lit up like someone just gave the Order of Merlin First Class "Well Done Mr. Malfoy, don't worry just bring her to my office…" She turned to Filch and taking the package back she said "Give that back… and go get Severus to my office…"
Draco walked behind Umbdrige keeping Hermione close. He whispered in her ear "What are you doing?"
She whispered back "Do you trust me…"
To anyone else it would have looked like they were staring at each other in rage. But someone watching carefully, would not have missed the little nod that Draco gave Hermione and the worry that was evident in both eyes.
Once inside that horrible pink room. Draco pretended to shove Hermione to sit in the chair just as Snape knocked and entered.
"You asked to see me?" Snape said his eyes flicking once to the seated Hermione and Draco with his wand on her throat but the other hand holding her shoulder gently
"Yes! Severus… I need more Veritaserum…" Umbridge said her eyes wild with anticipation
"I don't have any left." Snape said flatly
"What? Why?" Umbridge asked irritated
"You used the last of my stock to interrogate students" Snape said
"Make some more!" Umbridge said
"I would, but it takes one lunar phase to brew so I can't start for another few days…" Snape's voice was even but his eyes were giving a glimpse of the irritation he was beginning to feel
"Good evening Professor Snape…" Umbridge said icily showing him out and slamming the door on his face
She then turned towards Hermione with a malevolent look on her face and said
"Well, Little Miss Question-all is going to give us some answers! 'The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue…" She said raising her wand
Draco's fingers tightened around Hermione as he said "But mam, that's illegall.. the Minister wouldn't want you to break the law?" Draco said as evenly as he could
"Please Mr. Malfoy… What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him. He never knew I ordered Dementors to go after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same." Umbridge said baring her teeth
"It was you?" gasped Hermione. "You sent the Dementors after Harry?"
"Somebody had to act," breathed Umbridge, as her wand came to rest pointing directly at Hermione's forehead. "They were all bleating about silencing Potter somehow… discrediting him, but I was the one who actually did something about it … only he wriggled out of that one ? Not today though, not now. If I can't have potter, I'll take his Golden Girl instead..' And taking a deep breath, she cried, 'Cruc—'
"No!" Hermione shouted "Wait! I'm sorry… I'll tell you everything!" She began to cry
Draco's knuckles had gone white with rage but he couldn't move.
"I knew it! I knew there was something more! Tell me everything" said Umbridge, seizing Hermione by the shoulders and staring maniacally into her eyes
"I was trying to…" She fake sobbed "I was trying to reach Dumbledore…" Hermione said
"Dumbledore?" said Umbridge eagerly. "You know where Dumbledore is, then?"
Draco was confused but he stood there playing his part.
"Well … no!" sobbed Hermione. "I've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head.."
"Idiot girl! Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the whole Ministry's looking for him!" shouted Umbridge, disappointment etched in every sagging line of her face.
"But… but I needed to tell him something important!" wailed Hermione, holding her hands more tightly over her face
"Yes?" said Umbridge with a sudden resurgence of excitement. "What was it you wanted to tell him?"
"We … we wanted to tell him it's r…ready!" choked Hermione
"What's ready?" demanded Umbridge, and now she grabbed Hermione's shoulders again and shook her slightly. "What's ready, girl?"
"The … the weapon," said Hermione.
"Weapon?" Umbridge said softly and then shrieked "Weapon?!" her eyes seemed to pop with excitement "You have been developing some method of resistance? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?"
"Y…y…yes," gasped Hermione, "but he had to leave before it was finished and n… n… now we've finished it for him, and we c… c… can't find him t… t… to tell him!"
Draco resisted the urge to snort at his girlfriend's award worthy performance. Hermione had told him about movies and the telly, he was sure this performance was worthy of calling her a great actress.
"What kind of weapon is it?" said Umbridge harshly, her stubby hands still tight on Hermione's shoulders.
"We don't r… re… really understand it," said Hermione, sniffing loudly. "We j… jus… just did what P… P… Professor Dumbledore told us t… t… to do."
Umbridge straightened up, looking exultant "Lead me to the weapon,"
"I'm not showing … Him," said Hermione said pointing at Draco
"It is not for you to set conditions," said Professor Umbridge harshly
"Fine," said Hermione, now sobbing into her hands again "Fine … let him see it, I hope he uses it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see! Th…that would serve you right…oh, I'd love it if the wh…whole school knew where it was, and how to u…use it, and then if you annoy any of them they'll be able to s…sort you out!"
These words had a powerful impact on Umbridge: she glanced suspiciously at Draco, who pretended he was too slow to disguise the look of eagerness and greed that had appeared on his face.
"All right, dear, let's make it just you and me. Get up, now."
"Professor," said Draco putting on his best eager performance "I mean Headmistress Umbridge, I think I should come with you to look after…"
"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage a wandless teenage witch alone?" asked Umbridge sharply cutting him off "In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that school-children should see. You will remain here until I return"
"All right," said Malfoy, looking sulky and disappointed. Umbridge was so focussed on shoving Hermione up and moving her along that he missed the wink Draco and she exchanged
"You can go ahead of me and show me the way,' said Umbridge, pointing the wand at Hermione's back and making her lead the way
A/N: Yes I know! I haven't addressed the letter yet... If it's killing you, imagine how much it's killing 'mione! We will address it! Soon, I promise!
Also this scene with Umbridge. In my head, this is how it always played out. I am so glad i was finally able to share it with you guys!
Please review!