CHAPTER 55: THE REVELATION FROM UMBRIDGE'S DIARY

The Great Hall basked under a serene, clear blue sky as it played host to the usual lunchtime crowd. Dolores Umbridge, a controversial figure at best, sat in the headmaster's seat, presiding over the event. The staff table appeared divided, with a noticeable two-meter gap separating her from the other teachers.

Harry twirled his wand between his fingers, savoring the tingling warmth coursing up his arm. He glanced at the front page of the newspaper, where his own image beamed back at him beneath an eye-catching headline that read, "The Boy-Who-Was-Lied-To."

Cedric Diggory slid into the seat next to him and tapped the headline with a knowing smile. "You've been exonerated, I see."

Harry gave a nonchalant shrug. "For this week, at least. Hero one year, villain the next, and victim the year after. I might complete the full cycle soon."

He couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. People could be so fickle, eagerly hoisting someone onto a pedestal one moment and then relishing in tearing them down the next. He swallowed the bitter taste that had risen in his throat. And then, when they realized they needed that person, they'd crawl back, eager to put them back on that pedestal once more.

Cedric motioned for Ron and Hermione to join them, and Ron dragged his plate of food down the table, causing an accidental carrot avalanche.

Hermione, ever the problem solver, waved her wand, and the errant carrots zipped back onto Ron's plate. "Ronald, really! Must you be such a klutz?"

"I've figured out who betrayed the DA," Cedric announced, a sly grin on his face. "It wasn't even that difficult."

Harry arched an intrigued eyebrow. "Oh, do tell."

Neville clenched his fork tightly in his hand, eager to hear the revelation. "Who was it?"

'Cho mentioned that her friend, Marietta Edgecombe, hasn't faced any reprimand from Umbridge or her team of inquisitorial enforcers. Her mother holds a position at the Ministry, overseeing the floo network and fireplaces at the castle,' Harry informed the group.

"But Marietta wasn't part of the DA," Hermione pointed out. "She couldn't have known."

Neville chimed in, "She was present at the first meeting but left before signing the list. I'd bet she tipped off Umbridge, which is probably why she started hunting us in the first place."

Ron, munching on his carrots, added, "Even if she did, she wouldn't have known where we hid the list."

Harry leaned forward, intrigued. "Where did you hide it?"

Hermione responded, "We concealed it in the Room of Requirement. I tested it thoroughly, worried that something might go wrong. It was virtually impossible for anyone who didn't already know its location to find it."

Harry contemplated this. "Can you show me? I've had some success with the room before; maybe I can figure out how Umbridge got her hands on it."

Hermione shook her head, her reluctance apparent. "We've tried everything already, and Neville is quite the expert with the Room of Requirement."

Neville nodded in agreement. "Let's give it a try, Harry. You taught me well, and it's worth a shot."

Hermione reluctantly followed them out of the Great Hall and up the stairs, mentioning under her breath, "There are a pair of inquisitors on the seventh floor now, at all times."

Harry did his best to ignore the dark look Umbridge shot his way as she perched in the headteacher's chair, her pink heels hovering above the floor.

Cedric raised a valid question. "Has anyone noticed any indication of the jinx Hermione placed on the list?"

Ron shook his head. "No, we've double-checked every member, and none of them have shown any sign of it. They haven't been absent, sick, or left Hogwarts."

Harry pondered aloud, "Could the list have been removed?"

Hermione dismissed the idea with a smile. "No, it's highly unlikely. My jinx was designed to catch anyone who betrays the group."

Well, perhaps not everyone. There were still some vulnerabilities in the enchantment, mainly due to its focus on direct betrayal and not accounting for indirect forms.

Cedric concluded, "So, it seems like Marietta is the most likely suspect."

The mystery deepened as the group considered Marietta's possible involvement in the betrayal.

Ron chimed in with determination, "Yeah, I'll set the twins on her if she did it. They'll make her as miserable as everyone else is with Umbridge in charge."

Hermione, still puzzled, muttered, "I still don't see how Marietta could have informed Umbridge about the list."

Neville pondered the situation. "She knew the list existed. Maybe she followed us to the room."

They ascended the stairs in silence, eventually stopping on the sixth floor. Ron, drawing his wand, proposed, "I'll distract them."

Hermione, ever the quick thinker, began to cast enchantments on Ron. His red hair darkened to a jet-black hue similar to Harry's, his freckles faded away, leaving his skin pale, and his facial features seemed to shift upward.

Harry couldn't help but notice the resemblance. "He looks a bit like me now."

Hermione, slightly flustered by her own success, replied, "I—"

Harry interrupted, "Later, Hermione. Lunchtime is nearly over."

Ron, gazing at his altered appearance in a window, marveled, "Blimey, Hermione. How did you do this?"

Hermione swelled with pride. "I—"

Harry redirected their focus. "Later, like I said. We need to keep moving."

Ron, his new look concealing his identity, sprinted up the stairs. "Stupefy!" he cried out twice. "Stupefy!"

The rest of the group followed, quickly turning the corner to find two students in green-edged robes sprawled on the floor.

Hermione, disapproving of Ron's approach, hissed, "I thought you were going to distract them."

Ron shrugged. "Seemed easier to just stun them. They weren't looking, and they'll be fine."

Hermione, with a wave of her wand, canceled the disguising enchantment. "There. Back to normal."

Ron winced as his face shifted back to its original appearance. "That's quite uncomfortable."

Hermione admonished him, "Don't swear, Ron."

Neville took the lead, summoning the door to the Room of Hidden Things. Upon entering, they were met with towering piles of discarded objects stretching as far as the eye could see.

Harry couldn't help but marvel at the sight. "Wow… You hid it here?"

Neville nodded, his expression troubled. "Yes. We thought she'd never find it."

Cedric pointed out the obvious, "It seems like a lot of people have found this place. If Marietta ever followed Cho or any of us, she could have stumbled across this place like everyone else must have done."

Neville's face darkened with realization. "I didn't think of that."

Led by Ron and Hermione, they made their way toward the bust of the warlock. Harry, however, lingered behind, staring into a pile of Grindelwald's leaflets.

As they reached the bust, Hermione revealed, "We left it here, under the bust."

Harry gazed at the warlock's unattractive visage, then around at the stacks of chairs, books, magazines, and contraband. "Nothing's changed, really."

He voiced his suspicion, "It's not very far from the entrance. Umbridge has had a month or so to search this place, possibly with help. She might have just come across it."

Ron posed a question, "You think she just got lucky?"

Cedric agreed, "Harry has a point. Marietta's a smart girl, and she could've easily followed us to the room if she wanted to. Cho says she didn't expect her to betray us back when the DA started, but she's not so sure now."

Harry summed it up, "It hardly matters. It was found. Dumbledore's gone. You heard what he said, though, Fudge isn't likely to be Minister for much longer, and he'll be back."

Ron sighed, resigned. "I suppose you're right. We'll just have to endure Umbridge."

Hermione offered some solace, "Dumbledore knows what he's doing. He's Albus Dumbledore."

Harry held back a sarcastic retort. In his mind, he couldn't help but think, "He's off on holiday somewhere, probably trying to decide whether he ought to offer me up to Voldemort on a silver platter this summer or as some kind of Christmas present."

Cedric suggested, "Let's head back. Lessons start soon."

Hermione, however, hesitated before the bust, her fingers caressing the warlock's head with an odd expression on her face.

Harry sensed her unease and connected with her mind, asking, "Hermione? Are you okay?"

She blinked and turned away from the bust. "I'm fine."

But her thoughts betrayed her true feelings—fear, anxiety, and a flash of something silver in her palm. Harry chose not to pry further and left the room with the others.

As they made their way back to the Great Hall, they noticed one of the silver-badged Junior Inquisitors rushing toward the staff table. He had a large purple bruise forming on the side of his face and stopped to speak to Umbridge, who turned a mottled red in response.

Harry muttered to Neville, "Tell me we don't have Defence Against the Dark Arts next."

Neville replied, "I could, but I'd be lying."

"Great," Harry sighed. "Be careful, and make sure nobody says anything."

In his mind, Harry knew that he would likely be Umbridge's first suspect. Between the missing list, Fudge's desperation, and Dobby's recent pranks in her office, she was undoubtedly reaching her boiling point any day now.

Neville shook his head. 'Ron won't listen, not if she makes him angry enough.'

Harry contemplated the situation. "He might listen to Hermione."

Neville agreed, "It's worth a try." He hurried after Ron and Hermione, pulling them into a hushed, urgent conversation as they entered the classroom.

Umbridge, in her usual stern tone, commanded, "Books out and wands away. We will be recapping the chapters on defensive theory from now until your exams. Study hard, and you will succeed."

Harry reluctantly opened his pristine copy of Wilbert Slinkhard's dreadful and singular publication, fighting to keep the book from closing itself. Hermione, ever the diligent student, scribbled notes in the margins of her book, striking through sections of text and squeezing in her own insights between the lines. Ron's eyes glazed over, and Neville rested his chin on his elbow, which in turn rested on the desk.

Harry couldn't help but feel that this was a complete waste of time.

Umbridge's malicious glare caught Harry's attention, and he decided to subtly probe her thoughts. As he did, he saw a flash of the list of signatures, shimmering silver and sapphire, alongside a clear vial. The words "veritaserum" echoed in the back of her mind, and a twisted, bitter resentment emanated from her heart, intensifying the longer he maintained the connection.

Breaking the connection, Harry considered his options. "That kind of hate could power some nasty spells. Maybe I should provoke her into exploding at me before she tries to torture someone who can't handle it."

Neville fell off his stool with a muted thud, prompting a light ripple of laughter through the room. Umbridge shot a disapproving glance at the class before returning her attention to the DA list, clutching her wand with her short fingers.

Harry, concerned, whispered to Neville, "Are you alright, Nev?"

Neville rubbed his shoulder, wincing. "Fell asleep. Not the most exciting lesson, this."

Harry contemplated a moment and then asked, "Shall I liven it up?"

Harry observed Umbridge carefully, realizing she was only a step or two away from snapping and taking drastic measures to extract the truth about the list. He pondered his options, determined to ensure she would target him.

Neville inquired, "What will you do?"

With a smirk, Harry flicked his wand into his palm under the desk and aimed it at Parvati's textbook at the far end of their row. He thought of turning it into an iguana, much like he had in his first year. The book transformed into the large reptile, and Harry couldn't help but chuckle quietly at Parvati's scream.

Umbridge, startled, leaped to her feet and craned her neck to see what was happening. Harry, maintaining the facade of seriousness, drew his wand and cautiously approached the conjured iguana, as if it were a formidable beast. He then placed his wand on the desk, retreating to the far side of the room.

Umbridge, her voice trembling with anger, demanded, "What are you doing, Mr. Potter? Kill it!"

Harry responded, still feigning concern, "I'm avoiding conflict with a dark creature, professor. Should I flee now?"

The class erupted in laughter as the iguana inched toward Neville, who handed his wand over and backed away against the wall.

Umbridge, clearly losing her patience, pointed her wand at the iguana and unleashed a powerful spell. The iguana convulsed as if controlled by invisible strings and then exploded into fragments, showering Parvati with blood, guts, and bits of bone. Parvati sat there, trembling, her eyes squeezed shut.

Umbridge hissed, "Out, out! All of you!"

Neville muttered in disbelief, "Bloody hell. What the fuck?"

Harry, retrieving his wand, made the pieces of the iguana vanish from Parvati. "It's gone, Parvati. Come on, we need to leave."

Lavender shot Harry a look that was a mix of a glare and gratitude, then led her friend out by the hand.

As they hurried down the corridor, Harry asked, "What's veritaserum? Some kind of truth potion?"

Neville explained, "A very powerful truth potion. Gran told me that it couldn't be used for Death Eater trials in the Wizengamot because it can be resisted, and the antidote is undetectable."

Harry was intrigued. "How can you resist it?"

Top of Form

Neville responded, "I'll probably have to resist it. Let's hope the Mind Arts help. It seems like they should."

Harry considered the information. "I'm not sure how to resist it."

Neville shared what he knew, "Gran said it produces a powerful compulsion to speak honestly, but nobody would know if you took the antidote beforehand."

"Thanks," Harry murmured.

He thought about the challenges he might face if veritaserum ever came into play. Getting his hands on the antidote would be perfect, but if that wasn't possible, he'd have to rely on his skill in the Mind Arts to overcome the compulsion. It was a risky prospect.

As they continued their conversation, they watched Katie Bell flit through the quidditch hoops on the pitch. Her black quidditch jersey fluttered as she expertly maneuvered through the goals. Spotting Harry, she adjusted her course and landed beside him.

"You did come!" Katie said, plucking a scarf from around Harry's neck. "Nice scarf. Did you conjure this?"

Harry snatched the scarf back and took a seat in the front row of the stands. "I did."

Katie's eyes flicked to the purple mark on his neck. "What's this, Harry? A hickey?"

Harry looped the scarf back around his neck. "Just a bruise."

Katie teased him, "Sure." She climbed onto the bench beside him. "Frenchie give you that?"

Harry sighed. "Yes. Go on, then, get it out of your system. I'm sure you've got a whole list of jokes."

"Anyone else seen it?" Katie asked.

"No," Harry replied.

Katie seemed concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Harry assured her, poking the mark. "I was actually expecting more teasing, really."

Katie smiled weakly. "I mean, I would, but I was actually a bit worried, you know."

"Worried about what?" Harry asked. "It's not contagious. It's mostly faded now."

Katie explained, "You, silly. You're a bit young for the sort of thing that hickeys are meant to come with. Girls grow up faster than guys, and, well, I'd probably not be okay doing that a year ago with some older guy when my head had cooled down. If Frenchie's pressuring you to do stuff…" She hesitated. "It's illegal for a reason, Harry. I know she's a bit older, and you love her, but she should wait until you're ready."

A warmth washed over Harry, and he smiled at Katie. "Thanks, Katie, but it's nothing to worry about."

Katie brightened. "If you're sure. Want to practice to get your revenge on her?"

Harry laughed. "Practice how?"

She gave him a coy smile. "You can always practice on me, Harry. After giving me that firebolt, you can do whatever you want to me."

He snorted. "I thought I was too young…"

"Apparently not," Katie replied, shrugging. "How was Frenchie? She any good?"

Harry choked on his laughter. "I'm not telling you about that."

Katie rolled her eyes. "You have to talk about stuff like that with someone. I'm your best friend, Harry."

Harry raised a finger, countering, "I can talk about it with Fleur. And you said I wasn't female enough to be your best friend, you liar."

Katie replied, "Someone who's not Frenchie. Come on, spill. It's good for you to talk about her with someone who won't say anything, and I'm really curious to know what it's like for a guy. And she can't be perfect all the time, so when you need to vent about some tiny, annoying thing, I'm here, just like I am for Alicia and Angelina."

Harry teased, "Do you even know what it's like for a girl?"

Katie turned red. "No. I mean, I had plans, but they kind of fell apart a bit. I can wait. It's worth waiting for the right person."

"Definitely," Harry agreed, suppressing the memory of Fleur's flushed face, her fingers gripping his back, and the sensation of being close to her.

Katie noticed Harry's dreamy expression and teased, "You've got a really dreamy look on your face, Harry..."

He quickly wiped the expression away. "No, I don't."

Katie sang, "Too slow. Now spill. How was it?"

Harry grimaced. "Good? I mean, it was really good."

Katie prodded further, "Better than when you're just by yourself?"

"Better than what?" Harry asked, though he had a feeling where this was going.

Katie made a suggestive gesture with her hand. "When you're doing it yourself."

Harry's cheeks burned. "Er... yes. A lot better."

Katie couldn't hide her amusement. "Huh. I've got a very interesting image of you in my head right now."

Harry felt the heat on his face intensify. "Wonderful."

Katie continued, "Okay, I'll play fair. Something embarrassing for something embarrassing." She giggled and patted him on the thigh. "You were the first boy I thought about while doing that."

Suddenly, the image in Harry's mind shifted. Fleur's silver hair and eyes turned brown, and it was Katie's grin beneath him instead of Fleur's passionate kisses.

Katie teased, "Good image? Better than me not wearing that seashell bra or much else?"

She cast a glance down at his lap and grinned, "Are you going to need a cushion, Harry? I can steal you one of Umbridge's nice pink ones."

Harry quickly smothered that image before it could take root. "I was thinking about Fleur."

' Suuuuuure .' Katie pouted. 'Well, I don't blame you, Frenchie has me beat in the face, boobs, legs, and sexy accent department. It's not fair. The only way I'd be able to keep up would be being really kinky. Fulfill all those fantasies of yours.' She winked and smoothed out her tight, black jersey. 'Got any quidditch ones?'

"You only have yourself to blame," Harry quipped, "and Roger Davies, too."

Katie's smile faltered slightly. "That's true. I wonder, if you'd still been with me for the Yule Ball, would it be her sitting here while you thought about the two of us together?"

Harry chuckled. "Not a chance. She'd never come back to the UK without a good reason; she hates the weather here."

Katie reached over and tugged Harry's scarf up to his jaw. "Of course she hates the weather. And the food. And the people. And just about everything else from what I heard."

Harry corrected her, "Not really. I mean, she's not fond of the food here, but she dislikes people in general, not because they're from the UK."

Katie shrugged. "Enough about Frenchie. Have you heard about the new educational decree?"

"Another one?" Harry rolled his eyes. "Really? Why even bother?"

Katie informed him, "It's not going to make it through the Wizengamot, but Umbridge already told Filch he can use corporal punishment anyway. That vicious old bastard's probably getting his whips out as we speak."

Harry muttered sarcastically, "I have always wanted to be whipped. Fantastic."

Katie continued in a sultry whisper, "You can whip me whenever you want. If you were feeling in a certain sort of mood, and you caught me all alone on the quidditch pitch, I wouldn't object at all. You could tell me to do anything, and I'd never tell anyone about the things you made me do. I'd just come crawling back for more."

Harry laughed heartily. "Wow... You weren't kidding about being kinky, were you?"

Katie pulled back and laughed. "The only way a normal girl like me can keep up with someone like Frenchie is by being more fun than she is. If I'm not fun, I'll never have a chance to spend time with you. You'll just vanish off to France instead."

Harry smiled, touched by her words. "I'm not going anywhere, Katie. You're one of my best friends, and I'm not trading that for anything."

Guilt stabbed at Harry's gut as he realized Katie's fears about their friendship. He didn't want to make the same mistakes he had with Hermione. Pushing those thoughts aside, he took a deep breath and wrapped an arm around Katie's shoulders.

"You're not just some normal girl," he assured her. "You are, despite you constantly teasing me about Fleur, our slightly disastrous date, and your refusal to admit I'm better than Alicia and Angelina, my best friend."

Katie sniffled and turned away to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. She turned back around with teary eyes and a quivering smile. "Thanks, Harry."

Harry pulled her into a hug. "Later, Katie. Don't break my Firebolt."

She clung to him for a moment, her fingers gripping his clothes, then she pulled back and grabbed her broom. "It's my Firebolt now." Katie wiped her face on the shoulder of her quidditch jersey and then kicked off into the air.

Harry watched her soar into the sky and drift above the pitch with a small smile. As she flew, he thought, I guess I'd better do some research on Veritaserum.

🌟 New Blog Post Alert! 🌟

Hey everyone! I just published a new blog, and I'd love for you to check it out. 🚀

If you enjoy the content, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more updates! Your support means the world. 💙

Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 👇😊 #BlogPost #NewContent #SubscribeNow

Step into the world of PEVERELL_MAGIC on P.a.t.r.e.o.n! Experience where tales unfold, magic ignites, and the future takes shape.

For exclusive support and early access to upcoming chapters, join us at PEVERELL_MAGIC on P.a.t.r.e.o.n.

Note: Get the scoop a day before anyone else! Updates release on P.a.t.r.e.o.n before they hit FanFiction. Join us for free to read ahead!