Matilda Matlock

Bracing

Matilda's heart dropped into feet like a ball of lead.

She was frozen in place for a moment, staring at Dobby trembling at her feet, until she spoke up in a sharp, stunned voice.

"What?"

"Go, Matilda Matlock and her friends must go!" Dobby cried. "Now!"

Matilda did not waste a second longer standing there with the shaking house elf.

She spun around so fast she nearly knocked herself over and shouted at the crowd of practicing students, "UMBRIDGE KNOWS! RUN!"

There were a few brief glances exchanged between wide-eyed students before everyone decided there was no time to waste and began dashing towards the door with panic increasing their speed significantly.

Matilda was already scrambling for the knob and shoved the heavy door open while holding it for a moment to urge out a few students, aggressively motioning into the empty corridor before running out along with them, her wand held tightly in one hand.

Her heart was racing, her mind was a blur, her feet were carrying her as fast as they could go... she soon found herself running between Ginny and Luna, who had caught up in a frenzy and were skidding around a turn with her as well...

"How could she have found out?" Ginny said over their racing.

"It doesn't matter!" Matilda blurted back. "Just keep running!"

She could not see who was behind them... she heard rapid, heavy footsteps and panting but did not know which fellow D.A. members were running along with them in a hurried escape route...

Suddenly, Luna let out a yelp and collapsed onto the floor, her stumbling fall making it clear she had tripped.

Ginny and Matilda skidded to a halt and turned to see Luna scrambling to get to her feet, but before she could, they heard a loud voice off to the side.

"STOP!"

It was Draco Malfoy.

Matilda jerked her head over to see the boy emerging from behind a stone statue against the wall of the corridor, a sneering smile painted upon his lips, staring right at the three girls as well as who Matilda had not been able to see before... Harry, Fred, and George.

Draco had his wand raised. "Tripping jinx... classic." He pointed it at Matilda particularly. "Try to move again, and it'll be a different kind of hex!"

Matilda was breathing heavily with her lips clammed shut, glaring at Malfoy and feeling anger boil up in her veins. Draco was smirking at her with pride before he turned his head to call down the hall, "I got them, Professor! Matlock, too!"

A split second passed before Umbridge came wheezing around the corner, staring down the caught students as well with a proud yet breathless expression.

"A-ha!" she cried. "Not so fast, are you, you little brats? Excellent work, Draco, just excellent! All of them can come with me to the Headmaster's office!"

"What about the others, Professor?" Draco asked eagerly. Matilda wanted Harry to punch him quite badly.

"Find them if you can!" Umbridge panted with a grin. "I'll only take this handful, especially Matlock... up to the Headmaster's!"

She flicked her beady little eyes over to Matilda, who had a scowl so hard it could compete with stone.

"You," Umbridge spat, "and your little friends... will follow me."