Chapter 427: Confrontation in the Office
Chapter 427: Confrontation in the Office
Just as Liam and Hermione successfully returned to the Common Room, Harry was being dragged by Umbridge toward the Headmaster's Office. He had been captured after being ambushed by Malfoy with a Trip Jinx.
At this moment, Harry felt an overwhelming sense of frustration, believing that he had led his classmates into this dangerous situation. Now, he could only silently pray that the others would manage to escape. As he worried, they reached the Stone Gargoyle.
"Fizzing Whizbees", Umbridge said rhythmically; the Stone Gargoyle leaped aside, and the wall behind it split into two. They walked up the moving stone staircase and arrived at the bright entrance, where a Griffin Knocker adorned the door. However, Umbridge didn't bother to knock. She grabbed Harry tightly and marched straight in.
The office, which was usually occupied only by Professor Dumbledore, was now crowded. Besides Dumbledore and Professor Mcgonagall, Fudge was also there with two Aurors. One of the Aurors was Kingsley, and the other was someone Harry didn't recognize. Additionally, a young wizard with a face full of acne stood there, holding a quill and a thick roll of parchment, clearly ready to take notes. Harry knew this was a Slytherin who had graduated last year.
"Ah, well", Fudge glared at Harry with a vindictive expression, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Ah, ah, ah. Look at our little hero."
Harry glared back at Fudge, his heart racing, but his mind surprisingly calm and clear. He knew he had to be in top form to seize any chance of survival.
"So, Potter, I suppose you know why you're here, don't you?" Fudge asked before Umbridge could boast about her capture, leaving her to stand awkwardly aside, like a toad watching a juicy fly fly away.
"I—" Harry was about to bluntly admit his defiance of the Ministry of Magic, but he saw Dumbledore give a slight shake of his head. The headmaster's movement was so subtle that no one else noticed, but Harry, who had been staring at Dumbledore, did.
"I don't know", Harry quickly changed his mind and continued along this line.
"You don't know? You really don't know why Professor Umbridge brought you to this office?" Fudge's voice rose sharply, and his face turned red. "Haven't you realized that you've violated school rules? Shouldn't you feel ashamed?"
"But I really don't know what rule I've broken", Harry blinked his eyes, adopting an innocent expression. Since Dumbledore didn't want him to admit it, he was determined to deny all the charges with every ounce of his effort. However, he still couldn't see how he could possibly escape their punishment.
"Your point is that there are no illegal student organizations in this school?" Fudge asked, his tone now filled with anger.
"That's right, exactly", Harry said, his face showing a look of disbelief, as if he were completely ignorant and very surprised.
"Minister, please don't listen to his lies", Umbridge interjected. "I believe that if we have witnesses, we can quickly figure out what happened."
At these words, Harry's heart sank. He remembered that the D.A. had too many members, and the group was quite mixed, with a high turnover rate. It was really difficult to ensure that everyone would keep the secret.
After Umbridge left, the atmosphere in the office grew increasingly tense. Just as Harry was about to give in, the door opened, and a curly-haired Ravenclaw student was brought in by Umbridge. Harry recognized her as Marietta, a Ravenclaw who had joined the D.A. at Padma's recommendation.
"You did the right thing. The Minister is very pleased with you. He will tell your mother that you're a good girl", Umbridge comforted Marietta before turning to Fudge. "Minister, Marietta's mother is Mrs. Edgecombe, who works at the Floo Network Office in the Department of Magical Transportation. You know, she has been helping us monitor Hogwarts' fireplaces."
Marietta had kept her head down ever since she entered the room, as snitching is considered a despicable act in Western culture. Her sense of shame intensified in the Headmaster's Office, especially under the gentle gaze of the Headmaster, to the point where she was almost too embarrassed to speak.
After calling Marietta's name a few times without a response, Umbridge, growing impatient, switched to a nauseatingly sweet smile as she addressed Fudge. "Minister, Miss Edgecombe came to my office shortly after dinner tonight. She told me that if I entered a Chamber of Secrets on the Eighth Floor, I would find Harry there, organizing a group called Dumbledore's Army. This Chamber is sometimes referred to as the Room of Requirement. Upon receiving this information, I immediately informed you and had Miss Edgecombe stay in my office for tea while I, along with some supportive students, went to the Room of Requirement to apprehend Harry."
"You really were secretly plotting against me!" Fudge roared. "I never thought you would actually form an army."
"Do you base this accusation solely on the testimony of Miss Edgecombe?" Professor Dumbledore asked calmly, looking at Fudge. "That seems rather flimsy evidence. You could easily coerce any student to say whatever you want by threatening their parents."
"No, it's not just that. We have more evidence", Umbridge said excitedly. "Miss Edgecombe told me there was a list of names documenting the members. I had Parkinson retrieve it. Additionally, I believe that students willing to cooperate with the Ministry of Magic will capture more participants, allowing us to piece together the full truth."
As Umbridge spoke with smug satisfaction, Harry felt his heart sink, his stomach heavy as lead. He realized now that he had left a critical weakness, but it was too late to do anything about it. He could only grit his teeth and hold on until the end.
Soon, Malfoy ascended from the lower floor. Umbridge immediately approached him. "Mr. Malfoy, please show me the evidence you obtained."
"I—I'm very sorry", Malfoy lowered his head. "We didn't find the list in the Room of Requirement."
"Didn't find it?" Umbridge's voice sharpened. "How could that be?"
After repeated questioning, Umbridge had to admit that something was not as expected. She asked hopefully, "Did you capture anyone else?"
"I'm really sorry to disappoint you", Malfoy bowed his head even lower, as if trying to hide it between his knees. "Many of the students were already asleep, and they didn't intercept the fleeing individuals."
As Malfoy reported the complete failure of the mission, Liam took a sip of his hot chocolate and asked Hermione, who was sitting across from him, "How did you deal with those Slytherins? Don't tell me you broke their legs."
"Do you really think I'm that violent?" Hermione rolled her eyes at Liam. "The Soothing Sleep Incense you got from the Elves was really effective. I concentrated the incense you gave me and found that a single whiff was enough to put someone to sleep. So I just directed some wind to blow the concentrated incense to where they were hiding. The benefit is that the components of the incense come from other worlds and can't be detected by magic."
As they were talking, the door opened, and Ginny ran in. She must have been hiding outside for a while before returning. Liam and Hermione exchanged a smile: it seemed their plan had worked.
(End of Chapter)
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