Lost Memories

xli. the prophecy

Professor Umbridge didn't believe me and ended up taking my wand.

"So, Potter," she said, "you stationed lookouts around my office and you sent this buffoon," she nodded at Ron, and Draco laughed even louder– earning a knee to the shin–, "to tell me the poltergeist was wreaking havoc in the Transfiguration department when I knew perfectly well that he was busy smearing ink on the eyepieces of all the school telescopes, Mr Filch having just informed me so.

"Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she is still too ill to talk to anyone—"

"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."

"Draco, please, don't," I pleaded.

"Silly girl, he's not going to listen to you just because you think he's your boyfriend?" Umbridge laughed at me as Draco walked out. "He's played you the entire time, under my orders."

"You lying bitch," I lunged at her, but Crabbe and Goyle grabbed my arms.

After a few moments, the door opened to reveal Draco and Snape.

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" said Snape, looking around at all the pairs of struggling students with an expression of complete indifference. His eyes land on me and I gave him a pleading look.

"Ah, Professor Snape," said Umbridge, smiling widely and standing up again. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quickly as you can, please."

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," he said, observing her coolly. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."

"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."

"Voldemort's got Sirius in the Department of Mysteries," Harry said. I widened my eyes at his words, trying to figure out why he said something so stupid; but the looks on everyone's face told me they couldn't understand. Parseltongue. And I'm the only one who can understand. "Tell Snape! He'll listen to you!"

"What?" Professor Umbridge said.

"Parseltongue!" Draco shouted. I stepped on his foot, this time, which earned another cry of pain.

Focusing all of my energy, I talk back to Harry and smiled at everyone's reactions, "What do I say?"

"You, too?" Umbridge shouted. "Separate them!"

"And 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!"