𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

𝟐.𝟐𝟑 - 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭

"Liar!" She hissed, raising her wand to prod at the underside of his chin. Harry tilted his head back compliantly. A dark shadow took shape in the doorway and you looked over to see Professor Snape standing there. He surveyed the room with a disinterested sneer before addressing Umbridge.

"You sent for me, Headmistress?"

You glared at him but he didn't spare you a single glance. It never sat right with you just how compliant he had been in Umbridge's take-over of Hogwarts. Ever since you discovered that he was in the Order of the Phoenix, you tried to see him as a better person than the rest of your Gryffindor friends made him out to be. But now, you couldn't even bring yourself to justify his disloyal behavior.

Umbridge sighed almost dreamily as she clasped her hands over her chest, stepping back from Harry. "Snape, yes. The time has come for answers, whether he wants to give them to me or not," she said. "Have you brought the Veritaserum?"

"I'm afraid you've used up all my stores interrogating students. Unless you wish to poison him--"

"Don't!" You cried out, wriggling once again in an attempt to break free. Just when you thought Dolores Umbridge couldn't get any more psychotic, you were proven wrong.

Her head spun around to eye you evilly, face flush with anger. If you hadn't been in a sideways hostage situation, you would have laughed at her expression. "That's it!" She snapped. "I've had it with you foolish girl. You and your silly escapades. How many times must I repeat myself? You shall not speak out of turn!"

Unbeknownst to her, the phrase that once struck fear into your heart had all but since lost its meaning over the course of the year. "I guess the message never really sank in, did it, Professor?"

Her mouth opened and closed rapidly and smile twitched at the corner of your lips. Professor Snape looked between the two of you like he would have rather been anywhere else. 

 Suddenly, as if coming to her senses, Umbridge snapped her fingers and pointed at you. "Mr. Malfoy, please escort Ms. Firethorn to her dormitory. I'd like to see to her on my own time."

 Gulping, you winced as Crabbe thrusted you out of his hands and into Draco's. As you were being led out of the door, Umbridge called after you. "I'm afraid my usual disciplinary practices just won't suffice. Something more...severe...may be in order."

There was a sudden commotion but the door slammed shut behind you before you could observe any of it. With a nearly bruising grip, Draco silently yanked you down the stairs to her office and through the door of the classroom. The corridor outside was empty and you tripped up on your shoes until you turned the corner and he let go completely.

You rubbed your arm where his hand had been. You had no doubt in your mind that there was an imprint of his family's ring on your skin. His face was calm as he looked left and right down the corridor. 

"You're not taking me back to the common room?" You ask nervously.

He only shook his head firmly. "Umbridge promised me that you wouldn't be punished again when I joined the Inquisitorial Squad. The old toad broke her promise, so who am I to enforce her silly rules any longer?" He shrugged and looked down at his hand, twisting the ring on his finger. "Besides, you've made it very clear that you've got nothing left to lose."

 Blinking up at him, you cocked your head to the side. You couldn't figure out if he was being serious or not. Once you realized that yes, he was being one-hundred percent genuine, a smile broke out on your face and you reached up and hugged him quickly around the neck, pulling away before he could process the quick gesture. "Thank you, Draco."

You were about to turn back around and offer your help to the rest of Dumbledore's Army who were still in captivity when Crabbe and Goyle rounded the corner. They looked exasperated and Goyle had to lean against the wall to regain his breath. 

"Headmistress Umbridge left us in charge of the conspirators," he gasped. "But they've escaped."

Draco eyed him sternly, a look of mock-seriousness blanketing his once softened features. "Where?" He spat. 

 You followed Crabbe's hand as he pointed down the corridor that Draco had pulled you into. Without another word, you ran off in that direction as fast as you possibly could.

You raced past fellow students who eyed you strangely, blood pumping loudly in your ears. You weren't exactly sure where you were going or what you would do when you got there, but there was one thing you knew for certain: Something big was on the horizon and you were going to be there when it finally dawned.

The hallway opened up into the lower-level courtyard. It was completely empty in the shade of the Astronomy tower. You cupped your hands above your eyes and looked all around. There was no sign of Harry or the others anywhere. Had Crabbe and Goyle lied to you in order to throw you off track? Had your friends even escaped Umbridge at all?

Hope had been all but lost when a loud screeching sounded from above. You trained your eyes up to see a hoard of thershals soaring high above the castle. Their velvety, translucent skin shimmered in the light of the sun and you realized that it was the first time you had seen them in broad daylight. 

 The closer you looked, you realized that they weren't alone. There were people crowded together on their backs. Is that...no, it couldn't be. 

There was another screech, this one much closer. You dropped your hands and looked a few yards to the right just to watch as another thershal land softly in the grass of the courtyard. On its back with his hands clutching either side of it's boney neck, was Harry. He pushed up his glasses and maneuvered the beast so that it padded its way a little closer to you. It huffed and billowed hot air out of its nostrils and you fought the urge to give it a quick pat on the nose. 

 "Don't just stand there," Harry breathed, reaching his hand down to your level. "Hop on!" 

 (A/N: woop woop another chapter for tonight. I should actually go to bed at a reasonable time for a change, huh? Ok, you've heard from me for the last time until tomorrow night. I promise the next few chapters are very interesting. I might actually finish publishing year 5 tomorrow after school. Goodnight everyone!)