The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

170. Caught

"Now, listen," Althea said, calling the D.A.'s attention as they watched her wolf patronus run around the room, pausing in their own attempts. "Harry is absolutely right that this is a thousand times harder when facing an actual dementor, but believing you can do it is half the battle."

"I still can't get it," Neville mumbled angrily to himself as Althea approached.

"You can do this, Neville," Althea said softly. "Close your eyes."

"Why?" he asked suspiciously as she took a step closer to him.

"Because I'm your teacher and I said so," Althea said with a small laugh.

Smiling faintly, Neville did as she said.

"Now think carefully," Althea said softly. "Think of something that makes you happy. It can be a person, an event, a moment, anything that brings you joy. Do you have it?"

Smiling to himself, Neville replied, "Yes."

"Now try again," Althea said. As he began to open her eyes, however, she quickly covered his eyes again with her hand as she exclaimed, "I didn't say to open them!"

Neville's smile widened as he exclaimed, "Expecto patronum!"

Instantly, from his wand sprang a silvery bird, nearly eleven feet in width from the tip of each wing.

Althea finally lowered her hand from his eyes as she watched the creature soar around the room. Neville turned from the bird to Althea, a strange expression in his eye as he studied her, as though considering something. Althea smiled as she watched the bird. As her gaze shifted to Neville, however, she felt her smile fall slightly, shifting from admiration to warmth.

How long they stared at each other neither afterwards recalled, but before they had moved, the doors suddenly opened as a small creature ran toward them.

"Hi, Dobby!" Harry said in surprise. "What are you - what's wrong?"

The elf's eyes were wide with terror.

"Harry Potter, sir," the elf squeaked. "Harry Potter, sir...Dobby has come to warn you...but the house elves have been warned to to tell..."

Dobby began to run headfirst into the wall before Harry quickly grabbed hold of him around the waist.

"What happened, Dobby?" Harry asked, keeping hold of him to ensure he did not try to hurt himself again.

"Harry Potter...she...she...she..."

"Who's she, Dobby?" Harry asked.

"Dobby, does Umbridge know?" Althea asked worriedly.

The elf nodded.

"Is she coming?" Harry asked quickly.

"Yes, Harry Potter, yes!" the little elf wailed.

No one moved.

"What are you doing?" Althea cried, looking around at them all in shock. "Run!"

As one, they all sprinted out the door.

"Althea, come on!" Neville shouted, reaching for her hand.

Glancing back to ensure everyone else had already gone, she took his hand, beginning to run together out the door and down the corridor. Althea glanced back nervously, hearing footsteps. Anxiously, Neville quickly opened a broom closet, pulling her in with him by the waist and quickly shutting the door. Althea was breathing heavily as she listened to the footsteps pounding past them. Neville had wrapped his arms around her, almost as though on instinct, as he listened hard.

"I think," Althea whispered softly. "It might be-"

Before she could finish, however, the door suddenly flew open with a bang, sending a blinding light around them. Hands reached in and pulled both of them out so harshly that they fell to the floor. Looking up, Althea was unsurprised to find herself facing Professor Umbridge who was already holding Harry. Surrounding her were Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"Get up," Umbridge snapped.

.

Althea nearly fell from the force with which she was flung into Dumbledore's office. It was only through Neville's hand in her own that she stayed upright. The room was full of people. At his desk, Dumbledore sat with a mild expression on his face while Professor McGonagall stood with a rather severe and ridged posture beside him. Cornelious Fudge was standing by the fire and beside him was Kingsley Shaklebolt as well as another wizard Althea did not know. Also in a corner was Percy Weasley.

Harry forced himself free of Umbridge's grip.

"Well, well, well," Fudge drawled.

"They were heading back to Gryffindor Tower," Umbridge said with hubris. "The Malfoy boy cornered him."

"Did he, did he?" Fudge replied. "I shall have to tell Lucius. Well, Potter, I expect you and your friends know why you are here?"

"Yeh - no," Harry said.

"I beg your pardon?" Fudge replied with a raised brow.

"No," Harry repeated.

"You don't know why you're here?"

"No, I don't," Harry replied more firmly.

Fudge looked incredulously from Umbridge back to Harry.

"So none of you have any idea why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that any of you have broken school rules?" Fudge retorted sarcastically.

"School rules?" Harry said questioningly, glancing at each of them. "No. Did you guys know that?"

"No," Althea said with thoroughly convincing indignation as Neville shook his head.

"Or Ministry degrees?" Fudge prodded angrily.

"Not that I'm aware of," Harry said with a small frown.

"So it's news to you, is it," Fudge thundered. "That an illegal student organization has been discovered within this school?"

"Really?" Althea replied, looking over at Harry with such a convincing display of shock the Fudge momentarily began to doubt.

"I think, Minister," Umbridge said silkily. "We might make better progress if I fetch our informant."

"Yes, yes, do," Fudge said eagerly. "There's nothing like a good witness, is there Dumbledore?"

"Nothing at all, Cornelius," Dumbledore replied gravely.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Umbridge reappeared with a girl who was desperately hiding her face. When at last Umbridge had convinced her to lower her hands, they could all see the word 'Sneak' was written across her face in large pimples.

"Never mind the spots now, dear," Umbridge said. "Just take your robes away from your mouth and tell the Minister-" Before she could finish, the girl let out a little wail. "Oh, very well, you silly girl, I'll tell him," Umbridge snapped. "Well, Minister, Miss Edgecombe here came to my office shortly after dinner this evening and told me she had something she wanted to tell me. She said that if I proceeded to a secret room on the seventh floor, sometimes known as the Room of Requirement, I would find out something to my advantage. I questioned her a little further and she admitted that there was to be some kind of meeting there. Unfortunately at that point, this hex came into operation and upon catching sight of her face in my mirror, the girl became too distressed to tell me more."

"Well, now," Fudge said with what he clearly thought was a kindly, fatherly tone. "It is very brave of you, my dear, coming to tell Professor Umbridge, you did exactly the right thing. Now, will you tell me what happened at this meeting? What was its purpose? Who was there?"

Althea felt her heart begin to sink. They were so screwed.

"Haven't we got a counter jinx for this?" Fudge asked, looking at Umbridge irritably when the girl still wouldn't speak.

"I have not yet managed to find one," Umbridge admitted.