my best friends brother - fred weasley

xlii. secret weapon

With a firm grip on my collar, Draco Malfoy dragged Neville and I up the stairs to Umbridge's office, which we were supposed to guard so Harry could try to save Sirius. 

"Neville, I told you it was a bad idea." I mumble through gritted teeth, earning another shove from Draco. Neville gives me a sorry look as Draco pushes us through the door the the office, getting a cold stare from Umbridge, who was leaning over Harry in his seat. 

"These two were caught helping the Weasley girl." Draco stands us next to Hermione and Ron, who are being held back by Crabbe and Goyle. On the other side of the room are Ginny and Luna, also being held back from helping Harry. Draco's grip moves down to my wrist and tightens, snatching my wand from me and placing it on the desk, along with the others. 

"Watch it Malfoy." Ron growls quietly, staring him down. Draco sneers back, but loosens his grip, only holding onto the collar of my sweater. Our attention is brought back to Umbridge's interrogation of Harry, as she slaps him across the face. Even Snape, who's now standing in the doorway, is shocked by her violence against a student. 

"You requested me, Dolores." He mumbles, keeping his stone like reflection. 

"Have you brought the Veritaserum?" She turns to him, her voice straining.

"I'm afraid you used up all my supplies interrogating students, the last of which being on Miss Chang." He stares blankly at her. When she doesn't reply he inhales sharply. "Unless you wish to poison him- and I assure you, I would have the greatest sympathy if you did- I cannot help you." He turns to walk out of the room when Harry starts talking to him. 

"He's got Padfoot!" Snape stops with his back to us all. "He's got Padfoot in the place where it's hidden."

"Padfoot? What is a Padfoot? What is he talking about Severus? What is it?" Umbridge panics, turning her attention to Snape. Snape turns back around to look Harry up and down.

"No idea." He says before walking out of the room. Umbridge has a tense smile on her face, and looks worn down. 

"Very well. Since this is a manner of Ministry security, you have left me with no choice, Potter." She purses her lips and gently cracks her knuckles. "The Cruciatus curse ought to loosen your tongue." Draco completely lets go of me, shocked with the rest of us at her threat against Harry. 

"That's illegal!" Hermione shouts at her, Umbridge faces her picture of Cornelius Fudge face down on her desk. 

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him." The meows from her cat saucers grows louder as she pulls out her wand. 

"Tell her Harry!" Hermione screams, yanking herself away from Crabbe. Umbridge's head snaps to stare at her.

"Tell me what?"

"Well if you don't tell her where it is... I will." Everyone looks at Hermione, confused and slightly concerned. 

"Where what is?" Umbridge says slowly, getting angrier and angrier by the second. Ron looks at me as though I know what's happening.

"Dumbledore's secret weapon." Hermione looks at Harry, confident in what she's doing. Umbridge thinks for a second, before grabbing both Hermione and Harry and storming out of the room. It's a long and awkward silence after they leave, with Draco and his friends still holding us in Umbridge's office. 

"So..." I start, "Are we allowed to go?" 

"Shut it." Draco spits, snatching my sleeve into his hand again. 

"I said watch it, Malfoy." Ron warns.

"And I said shut it, weasel." Draco sneers at him. 

"Is anyone else hungry?" Luna smiles from across the room, breaking the tension. 

"Luna, they aren't letting us go." Ginny reminds her. 

"Aw. I could really go for some sweets right now." Luna looks down, sad. I pat down the pockets of my jeans, looking for what Fred gave me the other day. I pull out a small tin of sweets. 

"I have some. Want one?" I smile sweetly at Draco, shaking the tin at him. He stares at me suspiciously. "What? It's not like I jinxed them." He looks into my eyes as he takes one, but stills waits until everyone else has one in their hand before eating it. I have to shake my head at Luna to make sure she doesn't eat it. Within seconds, the group holding us hostage have doubled over, vomiting at their feet. I grab all of our wands and get ready to run.

"Run!" Ron yells, grabbing Ginny and I by the arms, leading us out of the office as fast as he can. We sprint down the stairs and through the hallways, dodging teachers and students as we try to figure out where Hermione took Umbridge and Harry. 

"Where would they be?" I try to catch my breath as we make it further away from the office. 

"Hermione said weapon didn't she? So they'd go someplace you could hide a weapon." Neville slows his pace down to a jog. 

"Room of requirement?" Ginny suggests, scratching her head. 

"No, that would be too risky with the whole needs thing, it might not show up with what they need." I mumble, trying to think. "You  met a giant didn't you?" I turn to Ron, remembering  the night Umbridge used her quill on me last.

"Yeah. But it was with Hagrid in the forest." He shrugs, not realising what I'm trying to suggest. "Why are you talking about that now?"

"So... a giant could be used as a weapon, considering how small Umbridge is. They probably went to the forest." I help him pick up the pieces of the conversation, leading our group through the castle and to the bridge leading out to the forest. Harry and Hermione are already sprinting across the bridge towards us.

"How'd you get away?" Hermione looks at us. 

"Puking pastilles, it wasn't pretty." Ginny grins at me. 

"Told them we were hungry and wanted some sweets." Ron smiles, as I hand Harry and Hermione their wands. 

"That's clever." Hermione looks genuinely shocked, staring at Ron and I. 

"Well don't act all surprised, we're not completely brain dead." I laugh. 

"Yeah, it was brilliant." Neville speaks up from the back of the group, grabbing all of our attention. "So how are we getting to London?" 

"Look, it's not that I don't appreciate all that you've done, but I've gotten you all into as much trouble as it is." Harry looks around at each of us, before walking away.

"Dumbledore's army was supposed to stand for something." Neville's holds his arm out so Harry can't pass. "Or did that not mean anything?"

"Harry, you can't do all this by yourself." Ron says, making his way next to Harry. 

"So, how are we getting to London?" Harry looks around at us, trying to think of an idea, when Luna speaks up in her dazed voice. 

"We fly of course." She gives Harry a look, suggesting that they know something we don't. They both head off towards the forest, calling out for us all to follow them They lead us through the trees into a clearing. Luna, Neville and Harry keep walking, interacting with what seems to be thin air. 

"There's nothing there, right?" I whisper to Hermione, who nods slowly. Hermione, Ron, Ginny and I watch as the three of them climb into the air, floating. "I'm hallucinating. None of this is real." I smile to myself, staring at them all sitting in the air. 

"Come on." Harry waves us over. Luna slides off of whatever she's sitting on and leads each of us onto our own section of thin air to sit on. 

"They're called Thestrals. Only those who have witnessed death can see them." She smiles at us, climbing back onto her own Thestral. "They're like horses, with wings." I grip onto what I can only assume is the mane of the Thestral, holding on for dear life. One by one, we each float into the air, flying over the school and onward to London.