chosen - harry potter

Chapter 13 - Breaking Up the Band

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Dumbledore's Army meetings continued, meeting in the Room of Requirement whenever possible. Cassia and Harry taught, and everyone made significant progress. It made Cassia ecstatic to see them able to hold their own in combat, despite Umbridge's lackluster teaching.

They had begun working on Patronuses. Everyone was overjoyed to be practicing them, but, as Harry kept reminding them, they wouldn't be as simple to use as they were in practice. 

"Oh, don't be such a killjoy," Cho said brightly. Her swan Patronus soared around the room. "They're so pretty!"

"They're not supposed to be pretty, they're supposed to protect you," Harry said. "What we really need is a boggart or something; that's how I learned. I had to conjure a Patronus while the boggart was pretending to be a dementor."

"We're not summoning a boggart," Cassia said, smiling.

"No kidding," Harry said sarcastically, pushing her arm gently.

Cassia walked around the Room of Requirement, watching several Patronuses dart about. As she watched Ginny's horse Patronus gallop near her, she approached her.

"Why don't you cast one, Cass?" Ginny asked.

"Alright," she shrugged, pulling out her wand. "Expecto patronum."

The shimmering unicorn shot from her wand, galloping near Ginny's horse. 

"A unicorn?" Ginny said, smiling crookedly. "Cool."

The door opened and closed quickly, and a small figure ran toward Harry.

"Hi, Dobby!" Harry said happily. "What are you - what's wrong?"

"Harry Potter, sir...Harry Potter, sir...Dobby has come to warn you...but the house-elves have been warned not to tell..."

The elf ran headfirst at the wall. Harry grabbed him by the arm and wrenched him away.

"What's happened, Dobby?"

"Harry Potter...she...she..."

"Umbridge?" Cassia asked, approaching the two.

Dobby nodded, trying to hit himself in the head.

"Is she coming here?"

"Yes!" Dobby squeaked.

Cassia and Harry both whipped their heads toward everyone.

"Go! Run!" Harry bellowed.

"Get to the library, or the Owlery! Anywhere that isn't here!" Cassia added, yelling.

Everyone began darting out, and Cassia and Harry stood at the back of the line, waiting to exit.

"Dobby - this is an order - get back down to the kitchen with the other elves, and if she asks you whether you warned me, lie and say no! And I forbid you to hurt yourself!"

The elf nodded and dipped out of the room, running away. Everyone had filed out of the room, and Harry and Cassia started to run, making a beeline to the library.

Something caught Cassia around the ankles. She fell to the floor, catching herself painfully on her wrists. She turned her head to see Harry fallen a couple feet ahead of her, and Draco standing over them proudly.

"Trip Jinx!" he said, sneering. "Hey, Professor - PROFESSOR! I've got two!"

"Excellent, Draco, excellent," Umbridge said, appearing around the corner with a delighted smile on his face. "Fifty points to Slytherin. I'll take them from here. Stand up!"