Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [5]

⚡️ Chapter 62 ⚡️

As Dumbledore spoke, Vega heard a rustle behind her and was quite certain that Kingsley had whispered something. Her entire body was so alert that she distinctly felt the brush of magic against her skin – as gently as a bird's wing – as it travelled past her... and right at Marietta. Vega had a gist of what Kingsley was up to now.

"Evidence?" Umbridge repeated with that horrible wide toad-like smile. "Have you not been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?"

"Oh, can she tell us about six months' worth of meetings?" Dumbledore asked, raising his eyebrows. "I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight,"

"Miss Edgecombe," Umbridge said at once. "Tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod or shake your head, I'm sure that won't make the spots worse. Have they been happening regularly over the last six months?"

Vega glanced toward Marietta, wanting to see what she had to say – it felt uncomfortable that she had gone to tell on so many people yet not speaking now just because of the 'SNEAK' Jinx. It wasn't anything that Marietta shouldn't have expected as Hermione had quite clearly told everyone that they would be dealt with if snitched.

"Just nod or shake your head, dear," Umbridge continued coaxingly to Marietta, who wasn't saying anything. "Come on, now, that won't activate the jinx further..."

Everyone in the room was gazing at the top of Marietta's face. Only her eyes were visible between the pulled-up robes and her curly fringe. For a second, Vega thought it was, perhaps, a trick of the firelight, but Marietta's dark eyes looked oddly blank. But when Vega remembered Kingsley, she realised that the girl was really under a spell.

Marietta shook her head, causing Umbridge to look quickly at Fudge and then back at the Sixth-Year Ravenclaw girl standing still as ever.

"I don't think you understood the question, did you, dear?" Umbridge asked. "I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?"

Again, Marietta shook her head.

"What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" Umbridge asked in a testy voice.

"I would have thought her meaning was quite clear," Professor McGonagall said harshly. "There have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is that correct, Miss Edgecombe?"

This time, Marietta nodded.

"But there was a meeting tonight!" Umbridge said furiously. "There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Lestrange and Potter were the leaders, were they not? Lestrange organised it, Lestrange – why are you shaking your head, girl?"

"Well, usually when a person shakes their head," McGonagall said coldly. "They mean 'no.' So unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign language as yet unknown to humans –"

Professor Umbridge seized Marietta, pulled her around to face her, and began shaking her very hard. A split-second later Dumbledore was on his feet, his wand raised. Kingsley started forward and Umbridge leapt back from Marietta, waving her hands in the air as though they had been burned.

"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores," Dumbledore said, and for the first time, he looked truly angry, and Vega could understand why.

"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge," Kingsley spoke up in his deep, slow voice. "You don't want to get yourself into trouble now,"

"No," Umbridge said breathlessly, glancing up at the towering figure of Kingsley. "I mean, yes – you're right, Shacklebolt – I – I forgot myself,"