The following couple of weeks had the quartet all on edge, if this plan was to work, then they would come out unharmed, but if it didn't, they would be fucked, which is why they went over the plan many times until they had to actually go on with it.
The four hid behind a wall and waited for their victims to appear, and when they did, they each knocked them out and took them to a small room.
They got a strand of their hair and plopped it into the Polyjuice Potion that Hermione and Charlotte spent a few weeks on. Charlotte sighed as she got a sense of deja vu from second year. She held her nose and they all took a swig of the potion and groaned as the taste was still as awful as it was last time.
They got dressed in the clothes and braved themselves before stepping out. Charlotte flattened down her skirt and cleared her throat before heading to the lavatories, the boys went into the gentlemans and Hermione and Charlotte went in the womens. When they got in a stall, Hermione whispered to Lottie.
"We have to flush ourselves in."
Charlotte gritted her teeth and took a deep breath before taking off her heels and stepping into the toilet, but to her surprise, her feet didn't get wet. She counted down from three and pulled the handle, she watched as she got sucked down the toilet. In only a few seconds, they arrive in the Ministry, Lottie stepped out of the floo network and put her heels back on. She looked around and immediately made herself blend in with the crowd.
Charlotte found Harry and Hermione staring at a statue, so she joined them. Ron quickly appeared next to her and muttered.
"Gotta tell you, I'm starting to freak out a bit."
Lottie smiled thinly and Harry asked the girls.
"How long did you say this batch of Polyjuice would last?"
Hermione and Charlotte glanced at each other before responding in unison.
"We didn't."
The boys looked at them incredulously, and they smiled sheepishly. A dinging noise caught their attention and they ran to the lift, barely making it as the doors nearly closed, but Yaxley stopped the doors and greeted Ron.
"Cattermole, it's still raining inside my office, that's two days now."
Ron gulped but retorted back.
"Have you tried an umbrella?"
Charlotte mentally face-palmed at his response and Yaxley carried on.
"You do realize I'm going downstairs, don't you, Cattermole?"
Ron asked curiously.
"Downstairs?"
Yaxley responded.
"To interrogate your wife, now, if my wife's blood status were in doubt.. and the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement needed a job doing, I think I might just make that a priority. You have one hour."
He leant off the door and it started to close, they watched as he walked away, Ron pressed a button and they held on as the lift was a bit too fast for her liking. As they travelled through levels, Ron muttered.
"Oh my God, what am I gonna do? My wife's all alone downstairs."
Charlotte held in a laugh and Harry reassured him.
"Ron, you don't have a wife."
Ron paused before letting out a "oh, right."
A sound came through the speaker to let them know which floor they were on. Ron asked again.
"But how do I stop it raining?"
Hermione answered.
"Try "Finite Incantatem."
Ron nodded and he got out of the lift after Lottie lightly pushed him out, he muttered to them.
"Finite Incantatem, okay, and if that doesn't work?"
He turned to them, but the doors shut and they were on their way before they had the chance to respond to him. The lift stopped again and the women told them that they were on Level 1. Harry enounced to the girls.
"I'd say if we don't locate Umbridge within the hour.. we go find Ron and come back another day. Deal?"
Hermione and Charlotte simultaneously answered with a "yes", but they were spooked when Umbridge appeared as the doors opened, they froze as muttered.
"Ah, Mafalda, Travers sent you, did he? Good, we'll go straight down."
She walked into the lift and Charlotte scooted closer to Harry, not wanting to be near the wretched toad. They just stood there until she asked.
"Albert, Betty, aren't you getting out?"
Harry and Charlotte hastily nodded and exited the lift, the doors closed and they turned back and sent a look that said "good luck" to Hermione as the lift moved again. Charlotte looked to Harry and saw that he was sweaty, so she wiped the sweat and they started walking.
But Charlotte held in a laugh as Harry was walking weirdly, so she pointed it out.
"Why are you walking like you have just shat your pants? Is Umbridge that scary?"
Harry sighed and responded.
"This is how Runcorn walks, I know, it's ridiculous."
Charlotte snickered and they continued to walk down the corridor, they passed some workers and looked at the newspapers that stacked themselves. It read; MUDBLOODS & THE DANGER THEY POSE. Lottie quietly scoffed and ignored it. Thicknesse, the new Minister, addressed them as a large group of small men were following him.
"Mr and Mrs Runcorn."
The two just grimly smiled and Harry nudged Charlotte as he looked at the door. Charlotte smirked when she saw it was Umbridge's office, but gagged when an eye was following their every move. She mumbled in disgust.
"I really hope that's not Moody's magical eye."
Harry shrugged and Charlotte had an idea, she put a hand in her pocket and pulled out one of Fred and George's creation's. She sneakily showed it to Harry and he nodded, she then dropped it behind her back and watched as it multiplied before letting out a bunch of smoke. Harry grabbed Lottie's hand and they quickly entered the office whilst everyone was distracted.
Charlotte shut the door and scrunched up her nose at the sight they were seeing. Kittens and pink everywhere.. again. Harry held out his wand and uttered.
"Accio locket."
Nothing happened, so he sighed, they then began looking around for the locket, but had no luck. Harry, however, found some files of familiar people. There was Arthur, Moody, Sirius, Hermione and Dumbledore. Lottie gasped as Dumbledore, Moody and Sirius' moving picture had a massive red 'X'.
Harry then moved Dumbledore's file and Charlotte's heart dropped when she saw herself, Harry gripped the file of his girlfriend in anger and Charlotte was just shocked that the Ministry was planning on trying to kill her. The same went for when she saw Hermione's file as well.
A tear came to Charlotte's eye, but it disappeared when they heard someone from outside yell out.
"Alright, alright, let's calm down, shall we?"
Harry quickly put the files away and they sneakily left the room as the workers had their backs to them. As they exited, the people turned their heads to the two and Charlotte sucked in a deep breath, hoping their cover wasn't blown. One of the bosses furrowed his eyebrows at them and addressed.
"Mr and Mrs Runcorn."
They put on their stoic facial expressions and quickly walked away, trying to not look suspicious. They then entered a lift and stood there, Ron soon came in and Charlotte guessed he didn't remember that it was them as he greeted.
"Morning."
Harry and Charlotte looked at each other before Lottie stated.
"Ron, it's us, Charlotte and Harry."
Ron turned his head to them and a look of realisation came over his face, he then exclaimed.
"Harry, Lottie, blimey, I forgot what you both looked like, where's Hermione?"
Harry answered quietly.
"She's gone down to the courtrooms with Umbridge."
The door opened again and they immediately looked professional. The trio walked down the long corridor and Ron being Ron, complained.
"It's bloody cold down here."
Charlotte silently agreed with him and their attention was brought to a man getting dragged.
"I'm a half-blood, my father was a wizard. William Alderton, he worked here for 30 years. Perhaps you know him, always wore his jacket inside out."
Charlotte hissed in pain when one of the guards holding the man, harshly bumped his shoulder into her as he went past them. They watched as the man got dragged away and the voice of him trying to defend himself, echoed down the corridor. They then stopped and then carried on walking into the courtroom. As they entered, a chill came over Charlotte's body. Umbridge's voice was heard as she interrogated Mrs Cattermole.
"Mary Elizabeth Cattermole?"
Mary muttered out a "yes" and Umbridge carried on.
"Resident at 27 Chislehurst Gardens, Great Tolling, Evesham?"
Mary muttered the same as before and Charlotte looked up to see Dementors. Are you bloody serious? No wonder I feel cold and emotionless.
As she was looking at the Dementors, Harry announced quietly.
"It's here."
Charlotte pursed her lips and grabbed Ron's arm as Mary noticed they were here. She addressed Ron as "Reg" and everyone turned to them. Harry and Charlotte acted theirr part and dragged Ron further into the room, they pushed him to Mary and Umbridge thanked them.
"Thank you, Albert, Betty."
Charlotte slightly glared at Umbridge, but then silently gasped as she noticed the locket around her neck. Harry saw it too and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. They watched as Umbridge interrogated Mary, they made their way slowly around the room, and Lottie could tell Harry was getting angry because he squeezed her hand so hard by accident that she hissed and let go.
Harry's wand slid into his hand and Charlotte got hers ready, Umbridge must have noticed, because she asked them cautiously.
"What on Earth are you two doing?"
Charlotte felt her face get all bubbly and she knew that they were starting to turn into themselves. Harry's face was doing the same and he enunciated.
"You're lying, Delores, and one mustn't tell lies. Stupefy!"
He stupified Umbridge and Charlotte shot a spell at some of the ministry workers.
"Petrificius Totalus!"
Ron did the same and Hermione snatched the locket off Umbridge's neck, the Dementors started to come for them and Hermione chucked the locket to Harry. By now, Harry and Charlotte were themselves and Mary gasped.
"It's Harry Potter."
Pfft, and what am I? Chopped liver?
She held in her retort and they immediately began running, but let me tell you this, it is incredibly hard to run in heels, especially since Dementors are coming after them. The five of them made it to a lift and the doors closed just in time, but the Dementors were still trying to get to them, so Harry and Charlotte linked hands and simultaneously casted a spell.
"Expecto Patronum."
Their strong Patronus' sent the Dementors away and the lift started to move, once they got to the ground level, Hermione was back to herself and that became a problem, so they ducked their heads. Ron was talking to Mary, trying to reassure her, but she suddenly kissed him, making Ron turn back to himself. Charlotte grimaced at Mary's horrified face, but what made it even funnier, is the actual Cattermole came up behind them. He asked.
"Mary? Who's that?"
Ron smiled sheepishly and uttered.
"Long story, nice meeting you."
A voice made them stiffen.
"It's Harry Potter."
Everyone began noticing them and Charlotte let out a "shit" and grabbed Hermione's hand, they immediately began running for their lives, literally.