The students all began streaking out but Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dioleh, and Draco were all staying behind as everyone else made a mad rush for the door. "Harry! Dioleh!" Hermione yelled. Ron quickly grabbed onto Hermione and ran ahead with her to the other students. Dioleh grabbed onto Draco's hand as they quickly sprinted from the room with Harry. Just as they sped out the door, each of them felt their feet give out from under them and found themselves hurling to the floor.
Scrambling to his feet, Draco drew his wand but before he could fire a single spell, Nott cried, "Expelliarmus!" Catching Draco's wand from the air, Nott strode forward, quickly kicking Dioleh in the stomach when she tried to get up. "I warned you, Malfoy," Nott hissed. "You had your chances to join us and you turned us down. This is where all loyalty is cut off."
"Good," Draco retorted, swinging at Theodore. Nott was knocked to the floor as he dropped Draco's wand. Stooping to pick it up, Draco helped up Dioleh as Harry got to his feet. "Let's get out of here," he said. The three took off again before Nott got back to his feet and hit them each with the tripping charm again and as they scrambled to their feet, they each found themselves facing Crabbe and Goyle.
"We've got some, Professor!" Nott shouted, returning the blazing glare Draco was shooting him. Umbridge appeared, scanning the three with venomous glares as they each got to their feet.
Storming forward, she shouted gleefully, "You can all go see if you can round up any more. Fifty points to Slytherin. You three can come with me."
She took Harry in a harsh grip and forced the other three in front of her. "Fizzing Whizbee," Umbridge said as they reached the gargoyle. 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 Lucius Malfoy and Kingsley Shaklebolt as well as another wizard unknown to the four students. Also in a corner was Percy Weasley.
Lucius looked up in surprise to see his son enter with the trouble makers but other than a confused look he shot at Draco, he said nothing. Harry forced himself free of Umbridge's grip. "Well, well, well," Fudge drawled. "Most of the usual suspects." His eyes flitted briefly over Draco. "They were heading back to their common rooms. Nott cornered them."
"Did he, did he?" Fudge replied. "I shall have to tell his father. Well, Potter, I expect you and your friends know why you are here?"
"Draco is not his friend," Lucius said quickly.
"Actually, Father, yes we are," Draco countered firmly. "We've become friends this year." Lucius' face flushed in embarrassment.
"Well, Minister, no I do not know why I'm here," Harry said firmly.
"I beg your pardon?" Fudge replied with a raised brow. "You don't know why you're here?"
"No, I don't," Harry replied.
"We were studying, Minister," Draco explained smoothly. "But we didn't want to be in the library so we've started walking around and quizzing each other to study."
"Is that so?" Fudge said doubtfully.
"It is," Dioleh said firmly.
"Yup," Harry added.
"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," Draco lied convincingly.
"Or Ministry degrees?" Fudge prodded angrily.
"Nope," Dioleh said, glancing over at Lucius who was desperately trying to make eye contact with Draco but he was avoiding the gaze. As they were standing behind Harry, Dioleh interlaced her fingers with Draco's, squeezing his hand comfortingly. He squeezed back.
"So it's news to you, is it," Fudge thundered. "That an illegal student organization has been discovered within this school?"
"Really?" Dioleh replied, looking over at Draco with such a convincing display of shock that Professor McGonagall finally understood just how she had hidden her identity as a siren for so long. "Did you know about that, Dray?"
"I did not," he said, equally as convincingly.
"I think, Minister," Umbridge said. "We might make better progress if I fetch our informant."
"Yes, yes, do," Fudge said. "There's nothing like a good witness, is there Dumbledore?"
"Nothing at all, Cornelius," Dumbledore replied mildly. As Umbridge disappeared out the door, Lucius tried again to get his son's attention but although Draco noticed, he kept his eyes trained instead on the portraits along the walls. 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. Dioleh's eyes widened.
"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. "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?" Dioleh's heart was racing and Draco quickly squeezed her hand and began running his thumb over the back of it. Closing her eyes, Dioleh drew in a deep breath as she tried to calm herself and they continued trying to get the poor girl to speak. "Haven't we got a counter jinx for this?" he asked, looking at Umbridge.
"I have not yet managed to find one," Umbridge admitted.
Thank Merlin for that, Dioleh thought.