Hogwarts had never felt so divided. With the Inquisitorial Squad tightening their grip and Umbridge growing more tyrannical by the day, the students of Dumbledore's Army had to be more careful than ever. For the Slytherin members of the DA, their involvement was even more dangerous—they were risking everything by feeding information to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
One cold evening, Blaise Zabini, Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode, and Theodore Nott met Harry, Ron, and Hermione in a quiet, abandoned hallway near the Room of Requirement. They had urgent news. Draco Malfoy was planning an ambush with the Inquisitorial Squad, hoping to finally catch the DA in the act during their next meeting.
Blaise's voice was low, but his tone was urgent. "Malfoy's got almost the entire Squad involved. They're going to surround the Room of Requirement during tomorrow's session. If you're not careful, they'll have you."
Harry frowned, glancing at Ron and Hermione. "Thanks for the warning, Blaise. We'll be ready."
As they continued discussing how to avoid the trap, footsteps echoed down the hallway. Before anyone had time to react, Draco Malfoy and a group of Inquisitorial Squad members appeared, their wands drawn, eyes filled with triumph. Malfoy smirked, his pale face alight with malicious glee.
"Well, well," Draco drawled, his voice dripping with arrogance. "What do we have here? My own housemates plotting behind my back—and with Potter, no less."
Ron's hand twitched toward his wand, but Harry held him back. They were outnumbered, and they couldn't risk blowing their cover, especially when the Slytherin DA members were involved.
"Thought you could slip under my nose, Zabini?" Draco sneered, stepping closer to Blaise and Daphne. "You're all coming with me. Umbridge will be *thrilled* to hear about this."
Just as things seemed hopeless, Harry had an idea. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the enchanted mirror Sirius had given him, whispering urgently, "Dobby, we need you. Right now."
In an instant, a soft *pop* filled the air, and Dobby appeared, his enormous green eyes wide with concern. "Harry Potter called Dobby! What can Dobby do?"
Draco froze at the sight of the house-elf, his smug expression replaced by confusion. "What the—"
But before Draco could finish, Harry whispered to Dobby, "Take me, Ron, and Hermione away. Make it look like we were never here."
Dobby's ears twitched as he nodded eagerly. "Right away, Harry Potter, sir!"
Without another word, Dobby snapped his fingers, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione vanished, Disapparated by the house-elf's magic to safety. The trio found themselves in a hidden alcove several floors away, out of sight and out of trouble.
Meanwhile, back in the corridor, Draco blinked in shock, glancing around wildly. "Where—where did they go?!"
The Inquisitorial Squad members exchanged confused glances. They had clearly seen Harry, Ron, and Hermione moments ago, but now it was as if they had disappeared into thin air. All that remained were the Slytherin DA members—Blaise, Daphne, Millicent, and Theodore—standing in front of them, appearing completely unbothered.
Draco's shock quickly turned to anger. "I don't know how you did it, but this isn't over!"
He turned his fury on Blaise and Daphne, who stood their ground calmly. "You think you can get away with this? You're nothing but traitors to Slytherin—traitors to me! I'll drag you all to Umbridge myself!"
But Blaise, with a smirk on his lips, simply shrugged. "Go ahead, Malfoy. You've got nothing on us."
Daphne crossed her arms, looking completely unruffled. "You're grasping at straws, Draco. Maybe you should focus on doing your job properly instead of chasing ghosts."
Draco's face turned a deep shade of red. He whirled around to face the other members of the Inquisitorial Squad, his frustration boiling over. "Search the area! They can't have gone far!"
The Squad members scattered, but no one could find a trace of Harry, Ron, or Hermione. The Slytherin DA members remained calm, knowing Dobby had done his job flawlessly. They hadn't just helped Harry escape—they had made sure Draco had nothing to report back to Umbridge.
Moments later, Professor Umbridge herself appeared, her face twisted into a sickly smile. "What is going on here, Mr. Malfoy? I expected results."
Draco stiffened, swallowing his frustration. "They were here, Professor. I had them! Potter and his friends—they were right here with Zabini and the others, but then—"
"But what?" Umbridge cut in, her tone sharp and impatient. "Don't tell me you've failed me yet again, Draco."
Draco stammered, trying to explain, but Umbridge's patience was running thin. "I don't want excuses. If you can't catch them, then perhaps I'll find someone else who can."
She shot a disdainful look at the remaining Slytherin students before turning away in disgust. "Get your act together, Malfoy. I expect results."
With that, she marched off, leaving Draco standing there, his fists clenched in fury, utterly humiliated.
Elsewhere in the castle, Dobby reappeared next to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, beaming with pride. "Dobby did it! Dobby got Harry Potter and his friends away safely!"
Harry smiled gratefully, clapping the house-elf on the shoulder. "Thanks, Dobby. You saved us—and the others. Malfoy would've dragged all of us to Umbridge."
Ron let out a breath of relief. "That was close. Too close."
Hermione, still a bit shaken, managed a smile. "We owe you one, Dobby."
Back in the Room of Requirement, Harry reunited with the Slytherin DA members. Blaise gave him a knowing nod. "Good timing with that house-elf of yours, Potter. You saved us all."
Daphne added with a smirk, "Malfoy doesn't know what hit him."
Harry chuckled, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "Thank you—for warning us. I don't know what we'd do without you all watching our backs."
Millicent, who usually stayed quiet, offered a rare smile. "We're all in this together. Besides, seeing Malfoy get scolded by Umbridge was worth the risk."
As the night wore on, the DA continued their training, more determined than ever. With the Slytherin members' loyalty and Dobby's magic on their side, they had the advantage—if only for now. The fight wasn't over, but with allies in unexpected places and a bit of quick thinking, they knew they could hold their ground.
Draco Malfoy's grip was tightening, but with each failure, his frustration grew—and that only made Harry and the DA more confident. For every plan Draco and Umbridge tried to execute, there would always be someone ready to outsmart them.

...
The atmosphere in the Slytherin common room was as tense as it had ever been. The green lamps cast long shadows across the dungeon walls, their eerie light flickering over the faces of students lounging in plush chairs. Whispers traveled through the room, rumors buzzing like a swarm of bees as news of the Inquisitorial Squad's latest failure spread.
Draco Malfoy stormed into the common room, his face a mask of rage. He had been humiliated, yet again, in front of Umbridge, and now, more than ever, he needed answers. His grey eyes narrowed as he scanned the room, searching for the ones responsible for his embarrassment.
Blaise Zabini, Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode, and Theodore Nott sat by the fireplace, their postures calm and collected as if nothing was out of the ordinary. But Draco knew better.
He marched toward them, his robes billowing behind him like a storm cloud. The other Slytherins in the room fell silent, sensing the oncoming confrontation. Crabbe and Goyle, who had followed Draco in like loyal dogs, stood behind him with their arms crossed, scowling at anyone who dared meet their gaze.
"You lot think you're so clever, don't you?" Draco snarled, his voice low but dangerous. "Helping Potter right under my nose. What kind of fools do you take me for?"
Blaise leaned back in his chair, his expression cool and unbothered. "We don't know what you're talking about, Malfoy."
"Don't lie to me!" Draco snapped, slamming his fist on the table. "You were meeting with Potter, and you know it! Umbridge is expecting answers, and if I don't give them to her, it's not just me she'll come after. She'll come after all of you."
Daphne raised an eyebrow, her tone casual. "We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, Draco. If Potter happened to be nearby, that's hardly our fault."
Millicent, who was normally quiet, added, "You should be asking why Potter's always one step ahead of you, not blaming us for your own failures."
The room buzzed with a murmur of agreement. Slytherins may have been cunning, but they were also proud. Malfoy's repeated failures weren't sitting well with many of them, especially when it meant dealing with Umbridge's wrath.
Draco's face twisted with fury. "You think you're so smart, don't you? Do you think Potter and his lot will save you when the Dark Lord takes over? Do you think he'll care about a bunch of traitors who couldn't even stay loyal to their own house?"
The accusation hung in the air, and for a moment, the tension seemed to crackle like electricity.
Theodore Nott, who had been silent until now, stood up slowly. His gaze was cold as he looked at Draco. "We don't owe you anything, Draco. You don't control us, and you certainly don't speak for the Dark Lord."
Draco sneered, but before he could retort, the door to the common room creaked open. The Slytherins turned to see Professor Snape standing in the doorway, his dark eyes flickering over the scene with a quiet intensity.
"Is there a problem here?" Snape's silky voice cut through the tension like a knife.
Draco stiffened, his posture immediately shifting from aggression to defensiveness. "No, Professor," he muttered through gritted teeth.
Snape's eyes swept the room, landing on Blaise, Daphne, and Theodore for a brief moment before settling back on Draco. "Good. Because I expect my students to focus on their studies and not engage in petty squabbles. I won't tolerate incompetence—whether it's failing to complete a simple task or failing to maintain control over one's emotions."
Draco flushed a deep shade of red but remained silent.
With a final glance at the group, Snape turned and left the room, his black robes billowing behind him. The common room remained deathly quiet in his wake.
As soon as the door shut, Blaise leaned forward, speaking just loud enough for Draco to hear. "Careful, Malfoy. You're running out of allies."
Draco's face twisted into a snarl, but before he could say anything, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind him like shadows. His departure left an uncomfortable stillness in the air.
Once Draco was gone, Daphne let out a small sigh of relief, her posture relaxing. "That was too close."
Millicent nodded, her voice quiet. "We can't keep playing both sides like this. He's getting suspicious."
Blaise, ever the pragmatist, shrugged. "We've done it so far. We just need to be more careful. And with Potter watching our backs, Malfoy doesn't stand a chance."
Later that night, back in the Room of Requirement, Harry stood with Ron and Hermione as the Slytherin members of the DA filed in, looking tired but triumphant.
"You all did great tonight," Harry said, his voice sincere. "Thank you—for everything."
Blaise gave a small nod, his face unreadable. "We didn't do it for you, Potter. We did it because someone has to stand up to Malfoy. But…" he smirked, "I suppose it doesn't hurt to have a bit of gratitude."
Dobby, who had appeared silently by Harry's side, beamed up at them all. "Dobby is happy to help his Harry Potter! He saved everyone tonight!"
Harry chuckled, reaching down to ruffle Dobby's ears. "Thanks, Dobby. We couldn't have done it without you."
As the night wore on, the DA continued their training, even more determined to outwit the Inquisitorial Squad at every turn. They had spies in the enemy's ranks, allies in unexpected places, and a growing sense of unity that even Umbridge's cruel tactics couldn't break.
And while Draco Malfoy fumed and schemed, the DA was one step ahead—always ready, always watching.