Emma Potter; Going to War

49: Humans and Half-breeds

I had no idea what Zoe was planning, or evenwhether she had a plan. I walked half a pace behind her as we headed down the corridor outside Umbridge's office, knowing itwould look very suspicious if I appeared not to know where we were going.I did not dare attempt to talk to her; Umbridge waswalking so closely behind us that I could hear her raggedbreathing. 

Hermione and Zoe led the way down the stairs into the entrance hall. Thedin of loud voices and the clatter of cutlery on plates echoed from outof the double doors to the Great Hall. It seemed incredible to me that twenty feet away were people who were enjoying dinner, celebrating the end of exams, not a care in the world. . . . 

Zoe and Hermione however, seemed to be talking. I daren't make a telepathic connection; I'm not naturally graceful and will most likely trip and fall. And then Umbridge may--Her ragged breathing jolted me to what was happening.

Zoe walked straight out of the oak front doors and down thestone steps into the balmy evening air. The sun was falling toward thetops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest now as Zoe and Hermione marchedpurposefully across the grass, Umbridge jogging to keep up. Ourlong dark shadows rippled over the grass behind them like cloaks.

"It's hidden in Hagrid's hut, is it?" said Umbridge eagerly in Harry'sear.

 "Of course not," said Hermione scathingly. "Hagrid might have setit off accidentally." 

"Yes," said Umbridge, whose excitement seemed to be mounting."Yes, he would have done, of course, the great half-breed oaf. . . ."

 She laughed. I felt a strong urge to swing around and seize herby the throat, but resisted. My scar was throbbing in the soft eveningair but it had not yet burned white-hot, as I knew it would if Voldemort had moved in for the kill. . . . 

"Then . . . where is it?" asked Umbridge, with a hint of uncertaintyin her voice as we continued to stride toward the forest.

 "In there, of course," said Zoe, pointing into the dark trees."It had to be somewhere that students weren't going to find it accidentally, didn't it?"

 "Of course," said Umbridge, though she sounded a little apprehensive now. "Of course . . . very well, then . . . you four stay ahead ofme." 

"Can we have your wand, then, if we're going first?" Harry askedher. 

"No, I don't think so, Mr. Potter," said Umbridge sweetly, pokinghim in the back with it. "The Ministry places a rather higher value onmy life than yours, I'm afraid."

 As we reached the cool shade of the first trees, Harry  and I tried to catchHermione's or Zoe's eye; walking into the forest without wands seemed to me to be more foolhardy than anything we had done so far this evening. 

They, however, merely gave Umbridge a contemptuous glance andplunged straight into the trees, moving at such a pace that Umbridge,with her shorter legs, had difficulty in keeping up. 

"Is it very far in?" Umbridge asked, as her robe ripped on a bramble.

 "Oh yes," said Hermione. "Yes, it's well hidden." 

My misgivings increased. Zoe must not have a plan and found it too risky to talk to me so she went to her next reliable source; Hermione. Hermione was not taking the path we had followed to visit Grawp, but the one Harry--as he hissed in my ear-- had followed threeyears ago to the lair of the monster Aragog. Hermione and I had not beenwith him on that occasion; I doubted she had any idea what dangerlay at the end of it. 

"Er — are you sure this is the right way?" Harry asked her pointedly.

 "Oh yes," Zoe said in a steely voice, crashing through the undergrowth with what I thought was a wholly unnecessary amount ofnoise.