'Do you want to be heard talking about Dumbledore's Army and sent to see Umbridge?' Harry asked bluntly.
'Not when you put it like that,' Katie pouted. 'I've not seen anything of Umbridge today, though, and apparently she wasn't in her class this morning.'
'Has anyone had detention with her recently?' Harry inquired, taking a few more forkfuls as Katie thought about it.
'Colin Creevey, again,' she replied, puzzled, then her eyes widened as she remembered what Harry had told her about the quill. 'You don't think that's why, do you?' 'I hope it is,' Harry responded with vindictive cheerfulness, 'otherwise she's probably causing trouble for someone somewhere.'
'Maybe she's redecorating her office,' Katie suggested, 'it's about time someone pointed out to her how hideous it is.'
'Maybe that's why Creevey had detention,' Harry murmured, fighting back a laugh at the idea. 'She probably has I must not criticise the colour pink permanently scarred onto her hand now,' he chuckled.
Katie scowled at him, but then gave him a slightly reluctant smile. 'So who do you think told her?'
'Nobody whose name is on that list,' Harry replied seriously. 'Otherwise we would know, so it must have been one of the students who knew about the meeting and didn't sign up.' 'Well we aren't likely to find out who,' Katie growled, upset by the loss of the chance for revenge.
'You'll have to settle for hexing firsties,' Harry agreed.
Neville collapsed heavily onto the bench beside him. 'There you are,' he sighed. 'I've been looking for you since the end of your first class.'
'Why?'
'You said you'd have a look at my shield charm for me,' Neville reminded him, 'and now I have to teach it to a load of people I need you do it soon.'
'Well if you come with me in a moment, I'll take a look in an empty classroom,' Harry offered. When he said an empty classroom he really meant Umbridge's classroom, because he quite wanted to see if she had suffered the effects of his retaliation.
'Thanks,' Neville smiled, relieved. 'I don't know why it trembles, it's like I can't quite get my magic to do what I want.'
'Hopefully we can figure it out,' Harry shrugged. 'Have you decided what you're going to teach first?'
'The shield charm, then a few of the jinxes,' Neville informed him, helping himself to the Daily Prophet with a frown. 'Have you seen this?'
'Yeah,' Harry nodded. 'One of the people who didn't sign ratted us all out to Umbridge, I've been checking faces all morning.'
'Looks like we'll have to be careful, then,' Neville grimaced. 'Keep an eye out for anyone who doesn't come to the first meeting and then take their badge back if they've back out,' Katie suggested calmly. 'Everyone else is dedicated enough to be on our side.'
'Where's the list?' Harry asked, injecting just enough concern into his tone.
'Hermione has it,' Neville answered lightly.
'Make sure she hides it somewhere safe,' Harry reminded him. 'Umbridge will be able to get her hands on it if it's just in Gryffindor Tower, she'll be looking for any proof the group still exists. The meetings are safe since we're in the Room of Requirement, but that list will get us all on Umbridge's detention roster. Hermione'll want to find somewhere it won't be found.' Harry phrased his advice quite specifically and just about managed not to smile when Neville's eyes lit up with the idea he hoped to place. 'I know where she can hide it,' he grinned. 'If we're safe in the room, then the list will be too, right?'
'I guess,' Harry shrugged noncommittally, 'if there's a place to hide things.' He was perfectly aware of the Room of Hidden Things. He'd found it when he'd been reading the Secrets of the Darkest Arts and needed somewhere to store it in the meanwhile. He could easily access the list once it was left there.
All it will take is a few words to find their way to Umbridge about a room of hidden things on the seventh floor that appears when you need it and that list and I will be a step away from being able to act.
Harry calmly finished the last few mouthfuls of his pie while Katie interrogated Neville about the Room of Requirement in heated whispers. Things were starting to fall into place.
If only I knew more about that Prophecy.
He needed to speak to Sirius later.
'Coming, Nev?' Harry glimpsed a slightly pale looking Pink Professor take her seat on the staff table, a clean, white bandage wrapped around her right hand. He smiled at the cruel satisfaction the sight filled him with.
Time to find out what she got Creevey to carve into her own hand.
'Yeah,' his friend pulled himself straightened his robes, 'I'm coming.'
'What about me?' Katie sulked.
up
and
'You've got Charms now,' Harry reminded her. 'Neville and I are free for the rest of day.' 'I have Herbology last thing, actually,' Neville corrected him.
'Well I'm free all day,' he smirked, waving a smug goodbye at Katie, who glared at him.
'Which empty classroom?' Neville inquired, glancing into every single one they passed.
'This one,' Harry grinned, ushering him into Umbridge's room, and pulling the back cloak out from under his robes.
'Not again, Harry,' Neville moaned, as he slipped into Umbridge's office, concealed by his family heirloom.
Her office was considerably less tidy than the last time he'd snuck in here. The pink drapes were askew, and a handful of the decorative china pieces were missing from the walls. Umbridge had clearly not reacted well to Harry's little surprise.
A small, messy stack of parchments on the corner of her desk were covered in rust-brown ink, a colour that was close enough to dried blood to catch Harry's eye.
I must not blindly believe the lies of others, he read.
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