Harry and I walked through halls, trying to find Umbridge's office. We passed a pamphlet station, where people were working almost like zombies, swishing their wand to make the paper move onto another's desk. Swish, swish, swish, swish. It was never ending.
"Runcorn," a man said as he passed. It was Pius. He had a trail of men following behind him.
That's when I noticed it. Behind us was a door that had a plaque saying,
DOLORES UMBRIDGE
SENIOR UNDERSECRETARY
TO THE MINISTER
I tugged Harry's sleeve, and he looked at the door. But right under that plaque was a moving eyeball. It looked exactly like Moody's. Wait, it was Moody's eye! And under the eye was another plaque that said,
HEAD OF THE MUGGLE-BORN
REGISTRATION COMMISION
I looked back at the dozens of pamphlet-makers: though they were intent upon their work, I could hardly suppose that they would not notice if the door of an empty office opened in front of them. Harry must've thought the same thing as he withdrew an object with little-waving legs and a rubber-bulbed horn for a body from an inner pocket.
The Decoy Detonator scuttled on the ground, multiplying as it went. It went through the legs of the witches and wizards at their desks. A few moments later, during which Harry and I crept towards the door, there came a loud bang, and lots of smoke billowed from all over the room. Pamphlets flew everywhere as everyone ran around. I turned the doorknob, stepped into Umbridge's office, and closed the door after Harry.
I felt like I had stepped back in time. The room was exactly like Umbridge's office at Hogwarts: Lace draperies, doilies, and dried flowers covered every available surface. The walls bore the same ornamental plates, each featuring a highly colored, beribboned kitten, gamboling and frisking with sickening cuteness. The desk was covered with a flouncy, flowered cloth.
Whipping out his wand, Harry said "Accio Locket."
Nothing happened, but I'm sure both he and I had not expected it to; no doubt Umbridge knew all about protective charms and spells. I hurried behind her desk, which had a wanted poster of Harry on it, and began pulling open the drawers. I saw quills, notebooks, and Spellotape; but no sign of a locket.
I pulled out one drawer; it had a bunch of letters and telegrams. I closed it again and opened another one. It had books in it. The titles read: "Mudbloods; How to Spot" Them and another said, "When Muggles Attack".
I reached for the central drawer and yanked it open, pulling out its contents. I pulled out folders, each labeled with a name. However, the file on top stopped me from my search: Mr. Weasley's file.
ARTHUR WEASLEY
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BLOOD STATUS: Pureblood, but with unacceptable pro- Muggle leanings. Known member of the Order of the Phoenix.
FAMILY: Wife (pureblood), seven children, two youngest at Hogwarts. N.B.: Youngest son currently not at Hogwarts, Ministry inspectors have confirmed.
SECURITY STATUS: TRACKED. All movements are being monitored. Strong likelihood Undesirable No. 1 will contact (has stayed with Weasley family previously)
Under that was a file for Moody. And under that was Hermione's. Harry and I looked at each other frantically. There was a large red stamp at the bottom that read "TRAITOR" After Hermione's was Sirius, and under that, Dumbledore. Next to me, I saw Harry's eyes water.
"Alright, alright. Let's calm down, shall we?" a voice said from outside the door. Harry closed the drawer, and we quickly made our way out of the office. Accidentally closing the door too loudly, the workers all turned to look at us. One man, stout and balding looked at us and said, "Runcorn? Madam Edgecomb?"
Slowly, we turned away and walked to the elevators. We made it to another floor when Ron, still as Cattermole, walked in. He was soaking wet from head to toe.
"Morning," he acknowledged, not realizing it was us.
"Ron, it's us," I said.
"Harry! Hazel! Blimey! I forgot what you look like. Where is Hermione?"
"She's gone down to the courtrooms, with Umbridge," Harry replied.
We took the elevator down to the last floor where we stared into the vast hallway.
"Bloody cold down here," Ron commented. We made our way to the end of the hall.
"I am half-blood," came a voice from down the hall. A man was in the arms of two aurors, being taken away. "My father was a wizard. William Alderton. He worked there 30 years. Perhaps you know him. Always wore his jacket inside out. No, there's been a mistake. I'm a half-blood, you see. We must go back. I'm half-blood."
We stared as the man struggled against them. Harry tugged our clothes and turned us back towards the courtroom. It was becoming colder and colder with every step I took: a cold that reached right down into my throat and tore at my lungs. And then I felt that stealing sense of despair, of hopelessness, filling me, expanding inside me Dementors.
We stood in the doorway, looking at our surroundings. The ceiling was quite as high; it gave the claustrophobic sense of being stuck at the bottom of a deep well. A Patronus cat was looking up at the ceiling where tall, black-hooded figures, their faces completely hidden were looking down at us.
"Mary Elizabeth Cattermole," Umbridge said from her podium.
A small woman in a chair in the middle of the room was trembling from head to foot. Her dark hair was smoothed back into a bun, and she wore long, plain robes. Her face was entirely bloodless. "Yes."
"Of 27 Chislehurst Gardens Great Tolling, Evesham?"
"Yes."
Harry stayed in the doorway trying to sense the Horcrux. "It's here," he said.
"Mother to Maisie, Ellie, and Alfred? Wife to Reginald?"
Mary looked around in her seat towards where we were standing. "Reg?" she whispered to Ron.
Harry grabbed Ron's shoulder and pushed him into the room.
"Thank you, Albert."
Harry gave a weird nod. I went to sit near on one of the benches, close to the exit. "Mary Elizabeth Cattermole?"
Ron put his hand on Mary's shoulder. She collected her thoughts and responded with a "Yes?"
"A wand was taken from you upon your arrival at the Ministry today. Mrs. Cattermole is this that wand?" Umbridge asked holding up a wand.
Mary nodded. I noticed Harry walking to the other side of Mary his eyes glued to Umbridge. I looked at the woman in pink. Around her neck was the locket. I almost gasped.
"Would you please tell the court, from which witch or wizard you took this wand?"
"I didn't take it." She muttered timidly. "I got it in Diagon Alley, at Ollivanders, when I was 11. It chose me."
Umbridge lowered the wand. "You're lying. Wands choose only witches, and you're not a witch."
"But I am. Tell them, Reg. Tell them what I am," she cried. Ron's eyes slowly made their way up to Umbridge's who was heaving heavily. "Reg, tell them what I am."
Harry, who was still slowly making his way to Umbridge had his eyes glued to the locket. He let his wand drop from under his sleeve.
"What on Earth are you doing, Albert?" Umbridge asked.
"You are lying, Dolores.
One must not tell lies," Harry pointed his wand. "Stupefy!"
He hit Umbridge straight in the chest. I could feel my face bubbling, my body becoming thinner and my clothes becoming baggy. I withdrew my wand from my bag. "Stupefy!" I yelled pointing my wand at Yaxley. Hermione grabbed the locket from Umbridge's neck and tossed it to Harry who was putting on his glasses.
"It's Harry Potter!" Mary exclaimed. I raced off the seats and ran for the doorway.
"It is, isn't it? This'll be one to tell the kids," Ron replied watching the dementors chasing us. We raced for the elevator. Once we were all in, Harry pressed a button causing the grills to close, but the Dementors tried to reach in to get us. They sucked in their breaths, and I could feel my body pulling towards them.
"Expecto Patronum!" Harry yelled. A beam of light emitted from Harry's wand hitting the Dementors and sending them flying back. The elevator began to move, and we all let out a breath of relief. The elevator continued down violently, and Hermione started changing back into herself. I became myself again as the clothes I wore were huge. I took off the cardigan to lighten my body. The elevator doors opened up again, and we kept our heads bowed.
"Mary," Ron said to the woman clinging to his arm. Harry, Hermione, and I stopped and turned around, looking at Ron, who was still disguised as Cattermole. "Go home. Get the kids. I'll meet you there. We have to leave the country, do you understand? Mary, do as I say."
Mary nodded, still whimpering as she grabbed Ron's face and pulled him into a kiss. We stood there astounded as Ron transformed back into a boy. When Mary opened her eyes, she stepped back in fear. Someone pushed through Hermione and I. It was the real Mr. Cattermole. He was dressed in his boxers and undershirt.
"Mary? Who's that?" he asked.
"Long story..." Ron said to Mrs. Cattermole. "Nice meeting you."
"It's Harry Potter," a squeaky voice said. We whipped our heads towards a man who was calling Harry's name. "It's Harry. Harry Potter."
We bolted out of the scene and through the Ministry.
"There he is! Get him!"
A bunch of guards began to chase after us.
"Get him! Stop him!" people yelled from all around us. We pushed through people as we ran. Adrenaline coursed through my body, my heart pounding in my ears. Harry used his wand to make papers go flying; I sent the table lobbing over with my magic after.
We dashed for the fireplaces, but all of them were closing. Finally, Harry made it to an open one where we all dived. We twisted and turned as the Floo brought us somewhere and then everything went dark.
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DUN DUN DUNNN! So I just watched 13 reasons why and died. Um, Jeff deserved better and Zach is my little cinnabun. I'm sorry but that show: ughhhh I CANT.
Have a nice week. BYEEEE!