"You can't come down here," Luna was informing a crowd of people. "Someone's let off Garroting Gas just along here..."
"Luna, what on earth are you on about this time?" Alex asked, pushing her way through the grumbling crowd.
"You have to go by the Swivelling Staricase," Luna insisted in her dreamy, vacant voice. "There's Garroting Gas in this hallway..." Isabella arched her eyebrow at Morgan and Alex, who shrugged and went back a different way. People complained, but eventually went around, not wanting to be late for lessons.
"Luna, what's really going on?" Isabella asked as the surrounding area cleared.
"Harry's trying to get in touch with Stubby Boardman," Luna said sincerely. Isabella ignored this comment, having roomed with Luna for almost four years.
"Okay, what did Harry actually say?" she tried again. But Luna's dreamy eyes widened at something behind Isabella's back and she began to hum nervously.
"What is it?" Isabella demanded. Luna began to sing softly, then louder and louder. Ginny Weasley, at the other end of the hall, turned and joined in.
"WEASLEY IS OUR KING
WEASLEY IS OUR KING..."
"Don't sing that song, Luna," Isabella sighed, still hurt at losing the game to Gryffindor. But suddenly she was grabbed from behind and a fat hand clamped over her mouth. Isabella tried to bite the hand, but her assailant's other hand was groping for her wand. Someone moved into her vision Isabella recognized the Slytherin Beater, Crabbe, seizing Luna by her long dirty blonde hair. A large Slytherin boy came at Ginny, who tried to run, but was caught roughly by the arm.
Neville came out of nowhere, trying to punch the boy holding Ginny. The bigger boy laughed cruelly and punched Neville hard so that he stumbled back into the arms of Warrington, the Slytherin Chaser.
Umbridge hurried along the corridor, tearing her office door open and rushing inside. Isabella, Luna, Neville, and Ginny were pinned against the wall and gagged roughly. Isabella kicked the soft stomach of the boy holding her and he moaned and doubled over. Isabella tried to wrest her wand from him, but two other members of the Inquisitorial Squad twisted her arms behind her back.
Another one of the came up, dragging Ron in a headlock. Gagging him too, the five of them were dragged into Umbridge's office.
Hermione was inside, pinioned against the wall by a large Slytherin girl. Malfoy was leaning on the windowsill, smirking as he threw a wand into the air one-handed and caught it again. Harry was struggling to stand, and it looked as though he had been thrown against the desk bodily.
"Got 'em all," said Warrington, shoving Ron roughly forwards into the room. "That one," he poked a thick finger at Neville, "tried to stop me taking her," he pointed at Ginny, who was trying to kick the shins of the large Slytherin girl holding her. "So I brought him along too."
"Good, good," said Umbridge, watching Ginny's struggles. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?"
Malfoy laughed loudly. Umbridge gave a wide, complacent smile that faded quickly when she set eyes on Isabella. She settled herself into a chintz-covered armchair and looked at the girl with displeasure.
"Whatever shall I do with our little Italian?" she asked. She nodded to someone behind Isabella and the girl felt a fist connect with her jaw. She fought wildly to get her arms free, but the meaty fingers tightened mercilessly. Umbridge seemed satisfied with that and settled for looking up at her captives like a toad in a flowerbed.
"So, Potter," she said. "You stationed lookouts around my office and you sent this buffoon," she nodded at Ron - Malfoy laughed even louder - "to tell me the poltergeist was wrecking havoc in the Transfiguration department when I knew perfectly well that he was busy smearing ink on the eyepieces of all the school telescopes - Mr. Filch having just informed me so. Clearly it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she is still too ill to talk to anyone."
Isabella gave a strangled yell and tried to launch herself at Umbridge. She was thrown backwards against the wall and her head cracked against the stone, leaving her slightly dazed. The members of the Inquisitorial Squad laughed some more at that.
"It's none of your business who I talk to," Harry snarled, looking at Isabella with some concern. Umbridge's face seemed to tighten.
"Very well," she said in her most dangerous and falsely sweet voice. "Very well, Mr. Potter... I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco - fetch Professor Snape."
Malfoy stowed the stolen wand inside his robe and left the room smirking. There was silence in the office except for the fidgetings and scufflings resulting from the Slytherins' efforts to keep Ron and the others under control. Isabella was still too dazed to do much.
Ron's lip was bleeding on to Umbridge's carpet as he struggled against Warrington's half-nelson; Ginny was still trying to stamp on the feet of the sixth-year girl who had both her upper arms in a tight grip; Neville was turning steadily more purple in the face while tugging at Crabbe's arms; and Hermione was attempting, in vain, to throw Millicent Bulstrode off her. Luna, however, stood limply by the side of her captor, gazing vaguely out the window as though rather bored by the proceedings. Isabella hung limply from the arms of the two Slytherins holding her. She recognized one as Goyle and the other as Pucey.
At last Draco Malfoy re-entered the room, closely followed by Snape.
"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" said Snape, looking around at all the pairs of struggling students with an expression of complete indifference.
"Ah, Professor Snape," said Umbridge, smiling widely and standing up again. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."
"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," he said, surveying her coolly through her greasy curtains of black hair.
"You can make some more, can't you?" she said, her voice becoming more sweetly girlish as it always did when she was furious.
"Certainly," said Snape, his lip curling. "It takes a full moon to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."
"A month?" squawked Umbridge, swelling toadishly. "A month? But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!" The thought of Stubby Boardman entered Isabella's mind, but she pushed it away firmly.
"Really?" said Snape, showing his first, faint sign of interest as he looked round at Harry. "Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules."
"I wish to interrogate him!" repeated Umbridge angrily, and Snape looked away from Harry back into her furiously quivering face. "I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"
"I have already told you," said Snape smoothly. "That I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter - and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did - I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling." Snape looked back at Harry, who stared at him almost desperately.
"You are on probation!" shrieked Umbridge, and Snape looked back at her, his eyebrows slightly raised. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!"
Snape gave her an ironic bow and turned to leave.
"He's got Padfoot!" Harry suddenly shouted at Snape's back. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!" Snape had stopped with his hand on Umbridge's door handle.
"Padfoot?" cried Professor Umbridge, looking eagerly from Harry to Snape. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"
Snape looked around at Harry. His face was inscrutable.
"I have no idea," said Snape coldly. "Potter, when I want nonsense shouted at me I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little. If Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job. Pucey, Goyle, be careful with O'Reagan. She, like the relationship between the Ministry and Italy, is delicate."
Isabella could have moaned with relief as the grip on her arms was lessened greatly. Snape close the door behind him with a snap.
"Very well," Umbridge said, and she pulled out her wand. "Very well... I am left with no alternative... this is more than a matter of school discipline... this is an issue of Ministry security... yes... yes..." She seemed to be talking herself into something. She was shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot, staring at Harry, beating her wand against her empty palm an breathing heavily.
"You are forcing me, Potter... I do not want to," said Umbridge, still moving restlessly on the spot. "But sometimes circumstances justify the use... I am sure the Minister will understand that I had no choice..."
Malfoy was watching her with a hungry expression on his face.
"The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue," said Umbridge quietly.
"No!" shrieked Hermione. "Professor Umbridge - it's illegal." But Umbrdige took no notice. There was a nasty, eager, excited look on her face that Isabella had never seen before. She raised her wand. "Cruc-"
"NO!" shouted Hermione in a cracked voice from behind the Slytherin girl. "No - Harry - we'll have to tell her!"
"No way!" yelled Harry, staring at Hermione.
"We'll have to, Harry, she'll force it out of you anyway, what's... what's the point?" And Hermione began to cry weakly into the back of her captor's robes. The girl stopped trying to squash her against the wall immediately and dodged out of her way looking disgusted.
"Well, well, well!" said Umbridge, looking triumphant. "Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!"
"Er - my - nee - no!" shouted Ron through his gag. Ginny was staring at Hermione as though she had never seen her before. Neville, still choking for breath, was gazing at her, too.
"I'm - I'm sorry everyone," said Hermione. "But - I can't stand it -"
"That's right, that's right, girl!" said Umbridge, seizing Hermione by the shoulders, thrusting her into the abandoned chintz chair and leaning over her. "Now then... with whom was Potter communicating just now?" Isabella half-expected the wizarding rockstar to be named at this point.
"Well," gulped Hermione into her hands. "Well, he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore." Ron froze, his eyes wide. Ginny stopped trying to stamp on her Slytherin captors toes, and even Luna looked mildly surprised. Isabella, who had absolutely no idea whom Harry had really been trying to talk to, just stood still.
"Dumbledore?" said Umbridge eagerly. "You know where Dumbledore is, then?"
"Well... no!" sobbed Hermione. "But - but we needed to tell him something important!" wailed Hermione, holding her hands tightly over her face.
"Yes?" said Umbridge excitedly. "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? Weapon?" said Umbridge, and her eyes seem 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? What kind of weapon is it?" asked Umbridge harshly, her stubby hands still tight on Hermione's shoulders.
"We don't r-r-really understand it," said Hermione, sniffing loudly. "We j-j-just did what P-P-Professor Dumbledore told us t-t-to do." Umbridge straightened up, looking exultant.
"Lead me to the weapon," she said.
"I'm not showing... them," said Hermione shrilly, looking around at the Slytherins through her fingers.
"It is not for you to set conditions," said Professor Umbridge harshly.
"Fine," said Hermione, now sobbing into her hands again. "Fine... let them see it, I hope they use it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite 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 swiftly and suspiciously around at her Inquisitorial Squad, her bulging eyes resting for a moment on Malfoy, who was too slow to disguise the look of eagerness and greed that had appeared on his face. Umbridge contemplated Hermione for another long moment, then spoke in what she clearly thought was a motherly voice.
"All right, dear, let's make it just you and me... and we'll take Potter, too, shall we? Get up, now. You two can go ahead of me and show me the way," said Umbridge, pointing at Harry and Hermione with her wand. "Lead on."