Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 53: The Ring

(Word Count: 4301)

The SOS were simple directions. 5th fl, Umbridge.

"By Umbridge's office?" Ella questioned, as Sam handed her my coin. We were already racing back from the halls toward the stairwell, our extravagant picnic on the grounds long forgotten.

"Whatever it is, we shouldn't all go. They'll be a crowd of us to draw attention if we do."

"Then you don't go," Tati stated before dashing past her sister to the stairs. Sam's jaw was set as she watched her sister go.

"What are the chances Alice still keeps her coin on her?" I asked, as Sam kept up with me. She released a low breath as Ella held the door open for us and followed us into the stair well.

"Alice cared more for the D.A. then the rest of us put together. No doubt she'll be there and there will be nothing I can do to stop her." I gave Sam a shared look of concern before following her up the stairs. "My mother is going to kill me if all three of us get expelled."

We caught up with Jasper and Dom, who had been racing up the stairs behind us from the Hufflepuff common room. One look from the rest of us and they knew we were on the same page.

The first notice I caught of trouble was when I spotted Ginny surrounded by a hoard of students waving them away from the entrance of a corridor.

"You can't come down here! No, sorry. You're going to have to go round by the swirling staircase. Someone's let off Garroting Gas just along here—"

The students surrounding her, still trying to get through were complaining, with one louder voice from the rest stating, "I can't see no gas!"

"That's because it's colorless, but by all means carry on. We can use your body as proof for the next idiot who doesn't believe us..."

Tati was wading past the lessening body of students toward Ginny when we were spotted. Ginny notably brightened at the sight of us before waving us over.

"What's this about?" Ella asked, stopping up front. Ginny was shooing away a set of second years before she lowered her voice and answered, "Harry's trying to get into Umbridge's office. We need to create a diversion."

"What's he doing, trying to get in there?" Sam demanded, clearly exasperated by Ginny's answer. Ginny eyed Sam cautiously before stepping forward to block a bold first year trying to dart past her.

"I don't think so—spiral stair case is that way. Go." The boy gave Ginny the stink eye before walking off with a humph. The crowd of students had lessened significantly giving Ginny room to focus back on us.

"Look," she began in an undertone. "What's happening you won't fully believe if I explained but I can promise it's important. Harry wouldn't have asked if knew it wasn't important."

Sam was unconvinced but I had slackened at her words. Harry was a walking ball of guilt following the D.A.'s capture. I couldn't see him starting this up without a reason. But as for the secrecy of all this...

"I'm not going to risk expulsion of my sisters and I unless you give me more than that, Ginny," Sam retorted but Tati simply gave her sister a disapproving look.

"Speak for yourself, Sam. I'm in. Ginny, where do you need me?" Ginny eyed Sam hesitantly but Sam was biting her tongue at her sister's snap back and remained quiet.

"You sister, Alice, is keeping watch by the bathrooms. You and some others should go and keep watch. We need to hold back any squad members as we can without drawing suspicion. Especially Umbridge."

"How d'you expect to do that?" Dom questioned, joining the fold. "It's not like we don't draw attention as a pack."

"A loud chorus of Weasley is Our King is the sign for the rest of us to make a run for it. She can't get you for simply singing a quidditch cheer."