The Lost Potter-Draco Malfoy

Chapter 49 (Year 5)

"It's not true!"

"IF YOU THINK I'M JUST GOING TO ACT LIKE I HAVE-"

"Harry, if you leave you will regret it for the rest of your life if I don't stop you!" Charlotte shouted.

"Sirius told you there was nothing more important than you learning to close your mind!" Hermione countered.

"WELL, I EXPECT HE'D SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT IF HE KNEW WHAT I'D JUST-" The door opened, and Ginny and Luna walked in.

"Hi. We recognized Harry's voice. What are you yelling about?"

"There's no need to take that tone with me. I was only wondering whether I could help." Ginny said.

"Well, you can't." Harry snapped.

"You're being rather rude, you know," Luna commented.

"Fuck." Harry muttered under his breath, turning away from Ginny and Luna.

"Wait-wait... Harry, they can help." Hermione said.

"Listen. Harry, we need to establish whether Sirius really has left Headquarters." Hermione said.

"I told you, I saw-"

"Harry, your dream isn't real-"

"Harry, I'm begging you, please! Please let's just check that Sirius isn't at home before we go charging off to London. If we find out he's not there, then I swear I won't try to stop you. I'll come, I'll d - do whatever it takes to try and save him." Hermione said, desperately.

"Sirius is being tortured NOW! We haven't got time to waste." Harry yelled.

"But if this is a trick of Voldemort's, Harry, we've got to check, we've got to," Hermione explained.

"How? How are we going to check?" Harry asked.

"We'll have to use Umbridge's fire and see if we can contact him. We'll draw Umbridge away again, but we'll need lookouts, and that's where we can use Ginny and Luna."

"Yeah. We'll do it." Ginny answered.

"Okay. Okay, if you can think of a way of doing this quickly, I'm with you. Otherwise, I'm going to the Department of Mysteries right now." Harry said.

"The Department of Mysteries? But how are you going to get there?" Luna asked, but no one answered her.

They came up with a plan to distract Umbridge and break into her office before they all went their separate ways.

---

"Sirius? Sirius! Are you there?" Harry shouted into the fireplace.

"Who's there? Peter! Peter, are you there!" Harry yelled,

"Where's Sirius, Kreacher?" They could hear Harry say.

"Where's he gone? Where's he gone, Kreacher?"

"I'm warning you! What about Lupin? Peter? Where's my dad? Any of them, are any of them there?"

Charlotte and Hermione were both shaking as they looked at the door.

"Is Sirius at the ministry?" Hermione whispered.

"No, but Harry won't stop until we go to the ministry. So we'll have to go." Charlotte whispered, just as the door was thrown open, and Umbridge stood there, looking very angry with a couple of Inquisitorial squads, including Draco. They were all grabbing Neville, Luna, Ginny, and Ron.

Umbridge stormed in, grabbing Harry by the hair and dragging him out of the fire, as Draco walked over to Charlotte before anyone else could grab her.

"What are you doing in here? You know Umbridge is crazy." He whispered in her ear, as he held her hands behind her back very loosely.

"Harry needed something." She whispered back.

"Of course Harry needed something, so you had to put yourself at risk?"

"I had to help him."

"So, Potter. You stationed lookouts around my office and you sent this buffoon." She pointed at Ron.

"To tell me the poltergeist was wreaking 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. Flinch having just informed me."

"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." Some of the Slytherins started laughing.

"It's none of your business who I talk to," Harry yelled.

"Very well. Very well, Mr. Potter... I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco fetches Professor Snape." Draco reluctantly let Charlotte go, who was grabbed by Crabbe roughly. Draco's jaw clenched before he stormed out to get Snape.

---

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" Snape asked as he walked in, followed by Draco. Draco grabbed Charlotte again from Crabbe.

"Ah, Professor Snape. Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please." Umbridge said, standing up.

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter. Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient." Snape said, cooly. His voice suggested that Umbridge could not be that stupid.

"You can make some more, can't you?" Umbridge asked, flushing.

"Certainly. It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."

Umbridge fought with Snape more, trying to get him to do her bidding, but it was no use since Snape could do nothing.

"You are on probation! You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better. Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!" Umbridge shrieked. Snape bowed to her, ironically, and turned to leave.

"He's got Padfoot! He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!" Harry shouted, desperately.

"Padfoot? What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"

"I have no idea. 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 in your reference if ever you apply for a job." Snape yelled, before walking out and slamming the door behind him.

A/N- I will finish this in the next chapter because I don't want it to be too long.