Sugar : Fred Weasley

62: Escape from the Ministry

[victoria's pov]

September 2nd, 1997

The Ministry of Magic was as bustling as ever as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I moved through its atrium, each of us in our carefully chosen disguises.

Harry was Albert Runcorn, a high-ranking official; Ron was Reginald Cattermole, a Ministry worker; Hermione was Mary Cattermole, Reginald's wife; and I was Mafalda Hopkirk, an employee in the Improper Use of Magic Office.

Now that we knew Umbridge had the locket, our mission was to retrieve the Horcrux from Dolores Umbridge and escape without drawing too much attention.

We'd been watching the ministry tediously for months...

And now, as we navigated the crowded atrium with purpose, blending in with the crowd., Harry gave me a brief, reassuring nod as we approached our destination.

"Stay sharp," he advised quietly. "And keep in character."

We reached the courtroom where Umbridge presided from a raised podium, looking as smug as ever. Hermione, in her disguise as Mary Cattermole, was already positioned nearby, pretending to sit with fear before her case began. The Horcrux was clearly visible around Umbridge's neck.

The case began as Umbridge questioned Hermione–Mary–And Hermione played the part well. It must've been ten minutes of waiting and listening before I saw Mattheo enter the courtroom with another death eater I recognised from the department of mysteries incident as Yaxley...

Mattheo and I met each other's eyes.

He was just a few feet away from me as I sat at the podium beside Umbridge, my fists clenched. He seemed to be trying to get into my head as I looked away, and focused on Harry.

Harry's eyes met mine with a determined look. Without needing further instruction, I sprang into action. Harry raised his wand, casting Stupefy with precise timing. The spell hit Umbridge, causing her to collapse with a thud, her wand falling from her hand. The cat Patronus she'd conjured vanished as she fell.

Ron stuns the other death eaters, including Mattheo, buying us time.

Without hesitation, I darted upon Umbridge's podium. Hermione's eyes met mine, filled with urgency. I grabbed the Horcrux from around Umbridge's neck and quickly tucked it away.

"Let's go!" Hermione shouted as the courtroom erupted into chaos.

We rushed towards the elevator, but a chill filled the air. Dementors were closing in, their cold presence making it hard to breathe.

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry yelled, summoning his silver stag. It charged at the Dementors, forcing them to retreat."Move! Move!" Harry urged as we sprinted towards the Floo Network.

Immediately, we were changing back. Murmurs were rippling like water through a tunnel as soon as Harry was spotted.

"It's Harry Potter!"

"Harry Potter..."

"The chosen one!"

Just as we reached the floo network, Mattheo appeared, his eyes locked on me as I looked back with a menacing glint.

"Victoria Chase!" he bellowed.

"Go now!" Harry shouted, pushing us into the Floo Network. We barely made it through before Mattheo's spell struck the spot where Harry had been standing.

I saw Mattheo's spell hit a ministry worker and they dropped dead. An innocent wizard... dead because we had to get the horcrux...

There was screaming as I felt Yaxley grip my foot then saw him on Hermione. We landed roughly in a dense forest, the relief of escaping the Ministry quickly overshadowed by the sight of Ron on the ground, gasping in pain. He had been splinched during our escape.

"Ron!" Hermione cried, rushing to him. She began working on his injuries, her hands trembling. "He's splinched. We couldn't return to Grimmauld Place–once he saw- I- I knew we couldn't go back!"

Ron's face was pale, and he panted heavily, unable to speak. Hermione's voice was tight with worry as she tried to help him.

"Harry, my bag!" she demanded as I sat over Ron with fear.

"We need to find somewhere safe," I said urgently. "We can't stay here. Yaxley and Mattheo are dangerous."

Harry glanced around, his expression grim. "We've got the Horcrux, but there's more to do. Let's get Ron stabilised..."

I nodded, feeling the weight of our situation pressing down on me. The mission had succeeded in retrieving the Horcrux, but the danger was far from over. With Mattheo still on our trail and our faces now on the Ministry's wanted list, we had to stay vigilant.

Even as Ron's breath slowed, I couldn't help but feel as if I'd failed Fred... as if I'd broken my word to him about protecting our loved ones...

It was harder than I thought.

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