Our Little Secret || Draco Malfoy

Chapter 4.

"Padfoot? What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What is he talking about Snape?" Umbridge asked, looking from Harry to Dad in annoyance. "No idea," Dad said, sweeping from the room without so much as a second glance at me, effectively killing any hope I had of him taking action against Umbridge and helping us. He was really going to abandon us.

Umbridge stared into space for a second, almost like she was deciding something. "Very well. You give me no choice, Potter. As this is a matter of Ministry Security, you leave me with... no other alternative. The Cruiciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue." Her words made everyone in the room tense up, and I began to struggle harder against my captor, desperate to fight her. "That's illegal," Hermione said, her voice steady but laced with frantic fear. 

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," Umbridge said, putting her framed photo of the Minister face-down on her desk, raising her wand and preparing to curse Harry. She opened her mouth but was interrupted by Hermione screaming "Tell her, Harry!"

Umbridge glanced over at Hermione, clearly annoyed at her interference. "Tell me what?" She said, and Hermione looked at Harry, nervous. "Well, if you won't tell her where it is, I will," Hermione said, and Umbridge looked like she was teetering on the edge of insanity now. "Where WHAT is?" Hermione paused before responding, and her words made Umbridge's toad-like face light up. "Dumbledore's secret weapon."

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Umbridge left us in her office, guarded by the Goon Squad, while she let Hermione and Harry lead her to whatever rouse Hermione had concocted in her head and dubbed "Dumbledore's secret weapon". I looked around at my friends, and knew that we were all thinking the same thing - we have to get out of here. We have to get to the Ministry. Lots of desperate eye contact and covert mouthing-of-words ensued until Ron spoke up suddenly.

"Look, mate, it's been a long bloody day, I haven't eaten, and I've got a bag of sweets in my pocket. You mind if I have a few?" We stared at him, knowing full well it was a bag of prank sweets from Fred and George's private stores that he had nicked until it hit us. He was trying to trick the Goon Squad into eating the foul candy so we could escape. I looked over at Draco, begging him silently to play along. 

Draco stared at me for a split second before strolling over to Ron, smirking. "That's a fine idea, Weasley. What do you say, boys? Shall we have a few sweets?" He said, snatching the bag from Ron's pocket and passing it around to his mates. He looked over at me for a second and winked quickly, popping one of the little caramel candies into his mouth.

It took less than 15 seconds before complete, utterly disgusting madness ensued. Every member of the Goon Squad became violently sick, holding their stomachs and wretching. We quickly broke away from them, dashing towards the door and running out of the castle. 

We met Hermione and Harry halfway across the bridge, both of them looking equal parts relieved and horrified. Once we all explained how we had escaped the wrath of the Goon Squad, we were left with the impossible question - how do we get to London? Luna was the one to answer, surprisingly. "We fly, of course."

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It was my very first visit to the Ministry of Magic, and if I had anything to say about it, it would be my very last. Running through the shelves of the Hall of Prophecy, firing spells left and right at masked figures that Harry explained frantically were known as Death Eaters, I was beyond terrified. Harry clutched on tightly to the glass ball of swirling mist - his prophecy, that described the fate he would face in the battle against Voldemort. Sirius wasn't where he had been in the vision, so we were on a desperate chase to find him and stay alive.