Suddenly, against our own will, Harry and I were being dragged backward through the flames. When I emerged from the fire, I found myself staring up into the hideous, toad-like face of Umbridge.
"You think," she whispered,, "that after two nifflers I was going to let one more foul, scavenging little creature enter my office without my knowledge? I had Stealth Sensoring Spells placed all around my doorway after the last one got in, you foolish children. Take his wand," she barked. "Hers too . . ."
Draco Malfoy yanked my wand out of my hand with a look of glee upon his face.
"Hold onto Miss Hart while I question Potter, won't you Draco?" she said, flashing her usual evil grin at me.
Before I could object, Malfoy grabbed my arms and pinned them behind me back. He pulled me over toward Hermione— who was being held by Millicent Bulstrode— and we exchanged looks of frustration.
"I want to know why you are in my office," said Umbridge, looking down at Harry.
"I was — trying to get my Firebolt!" Harry croaked.
"Liar." She shook his head again. "You had your head in my fire. With whom have you been communicating?"
"No one —" he said.
"Liar!" shouted Umbridge.
There was a commotion outside and several large Slytherins entered, each gripping Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville. All four of them had been gagged.
"Got 'em all," said Warrington, shoving Ron roughly forward into the room. "That one," he poked a thick finger at Neville, "tried to stop me taking her," he pointed at Ginny, "so I brought him along too."
"Good, good," said Umbridge, watching Ginny's struggles. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?"
Malfoy laughed loudly. I attempted to kick him in the shin.
"So, Potter," she said. "Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid?"
"It's none of your business who I talk to," he snarled.
Umbridge's slack face seemed to tighten.
"Very well," she said in her most dangerous and falsely sweet voice.
"Very well, Mr. Potter . . . I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco — fetch Professor Snape."
Malfoy let go of me and hurried out the door.
There was silence in the office until Umbridge finally looked at me, as if she didn't notice that I had been apart of this scheme in the first place.
"Miss Hart," she said cheerily, "I see you're still causing mischief in my school. I told you what I would do to you if you persisted, did I not?"
I nodded.
"Then you are aware that I have no choice but to expel you. Effective immediately." she said, grinning eagerly.
Even though I had just been expelled, I felt no negative emotions. In fact, I was quite thrilled. I hated Umbridge more than anything, and to be free from her was a true gift.
I was ready to get up and leave when Draco Malfoy came back into the room, holding open the door for Snape. He grabbed my arms forcefully once more, and my second shin-kicking attempt failed.
"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" said Snape, looking around at all the pairs of struggling students with an expression of complete indifference.
"Ah, Professor Snape," said Umbridge, smiling widely. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."
"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," he said, observing her coolly through his greasy curtains of black hair. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."
Umbridge flushed.
"You can make some more, can't you?" she said, her voice becoming more sweetly girlish as it always did when she was furious.
"Certainly," said Snape, his lip curling. "It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."
"A month?" squawked Umbridge, swelling toadishly. "A month? But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"
"Really?" said Snape, showing his first, faint sign of interest as he looked around at Harry. "Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules."
"I wish to interrogate him!" shouted Umbridge angrily, and Snape looked away from Harry back into her furiously quivering face. "I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"
"I have already told you," said Snape smoothly, "that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter — and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did — I cannot help you."
"You are on probation!" shrieked Professor Umbridge, and Snape looked back at her, his eyebrows slightly raised. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!"
Snape gave her an ironic bow and turned to leave.
"He's got Padfoot!" Harry shouted. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"
Snape had stopped with his hand on Umbridge's door handle.
"Padfoot?" cried Professor Umbridge, looking eagerly from Harry to Snape. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"
"I have no idea," said Snape coldly.
He closed the door behind him with a snap.
"Very well," Umbridge said, and she pulled out her wand. "Very well . . . I am left with no alternative. . . . This is more than a matter of school discipline. . . . This is an issue of Ministry security. . . . Yes . . . yes . . ."
She shifted nervously from foot to foot, mumbling as if she was trying to convince herself that her choice was the right one.
"You are forcing me, Potter. . . . I do not want to," said Umbridge, still moving restlessly on the spot, "but sometimes circumstances jus- tify the use . . . I am sure the Minister will understand that I had no choice. . . ."
Malfoy was watching her with a hungry expression on his face.
"The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue," said Umbridge quietly.
"That's illegal!" I shrieked.
"Shut up," Malfoy hissed in my ear.
Umbridge took no notice. She raised her wand.
"The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!" cried Hermione.
"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," said Umbridge. "He never knew I ordered dementors after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same. . . ."
"It was you?" gasped Harry. "You sent the dementors after me?"
"Somebody had to act," breathed Umbridge, as her wand came to rest pointing directly at Harry's forehead. "They were all bleating about silencing you somehow — discrediting you — but I was the one who actually did something about it. . . . Only you wriggled out of that one, didn't you, Potter? Not today, though, not now . . ."
And taking a deep breath, she cried, "Cruc —"
"NO!" shouted Hermione in a cracked voice from behind Millicent Bulstrode. "No — Harry — Harry, we'll have to tell her!"
"No way!" yelled Harry.
"We'll have to, Harry, she'll force it out of you anyway, what's . . . what's the point. . . ?"
"Well, well, well!" said Umbridge, looking triumphant. "Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!"
"I'm — I'm sorry everyone," said Hermione. "But — I can't stand it —"
"That's right, that's right, girl!" said Umbridge. "Now then . . . with whom was Potter communicating just now?"
"Well," gulped Hermione into her hands, "well, he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore. . . ."
I felt like leaping for joy when I realized Hermione was lying to Umbridge. Maybe we had a chance after all...
"Dumbledore?" said Umbridge eagerly. "You know where Dumbledore is, then?"
"Well . . . no!" sobbed Hermione. "We've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head —"
"Idiot girl, Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the whole Ministry's looking for him!" shouted Umbridge, disappointment etched in every sagging line of her face.
"But — but we needed to tell him something important!" wailed Hermione, holding her hands more tightly over her face, not out of anguish, but to disguise the continued absence of tears.
"Yes?" said Umbridge with a sudden resurgence of excitement. "What was it you wanted to tell him?"
"We . . . we wanted to tell him it's r-ready!" choked Hermione.
I reminded myself to applaud Hermione when we got out of this mess. This girl could act!
"What's ready?" demanded Umbridge, and now she grabbed Hermione's shoulders again and shook her slightly. "What's ready, girl?"
"The . . . the weapon," said Hermione.
"Weapon? Weapon?" said Umbridge, and her eyes seemed to pop with excitement. "You have been developing some method of resistance? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?"
"Y-y-yes," gasped Hermione. "But he had to leave before it was finished and n-n-now we've finished it for him, and we c-c-can't find him t-t-to tell him!"
Umbridge straightened up, looking exultant.
"Lead me to the weapon," she said. "We'll take Potter too."
"Professor," said Malfoy eagerly, "Professor Umbridge, I think some of the squad should come with you to look after —"
"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" asked Umbridge sharply. "In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these" — she gestured around at Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and I— "escape."
"All right," said Malfoy, looking sulky and disappointed.
"And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way," said Umbridge, pointing at Harry and Hermione with her wand. "Lead on. . . ."