Chapter 18: The Prophecy (Hermione)
The door cracked with every slam, every bit of pressure. How were they getting in? Their secret place had been compromised. And Hermione happened to know that one of the Inquisitorial Squad knew of their meetings. Did Draco tell?
Members of the DA were trying to escape before Umbridge caught them. Hermione and Harry were helping some of the other members out when Umbridge finally breached their room. Hermione's heart dropped. They were so dead, so expelled. She didn't care as much as she thought she would, at least about the being expelled part. Her trust in the Ministry was weak at most and then was the last straw. Hermione was just plain angry.
Pansy Parkinson grabbed Hermione's arm and twisted it. She winced but didn't let it show. Pansy jerked Hermione to the left and there was Draco. His face betrayed no emotion and though he didn't look upset about them being caught, neither did he appear glad of this turn of events. Still, she had almost almost kissed him. In that moment, Hermione had wanted to. She wanted to feel his lips against hers, his cold hand on her face. Thank Merlin she didn't let him kiss her.
All the anger she ever felt for Malfoy boiled up inside her like a poisonous potion that exploded from her lips. “You make me sick, Malfoy. I hate you. I really hate you.”
He pursed his lips and Hermione could see emotion in his face. Sadness. Nothing but sadness. She didn't have time to think of anything but Draco Malfoy's face as she was dragged from the Room of Requirement to Professor Umbridge's office.
Her Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna were all gathered in Umbridge's Office along with several members of the Inquisitorial Squad, including Draco. Hermione's stomach churned. She was trying to hold back her nausea. One the way to the office Hermione witnessed something that she couldn't get out of her head. The word sneak across a member of the DA's face. Her hex worked. It wasn't Draco that turned her in and she had blamed him, said she hated him. Still, in heart she wasn't sure she didn't mean it. He had done so much to her over the years. Forgiving him wasn't easy. It probably wasn't even smart.
Snape had burst in and Harry had managed to let him know about Sirius, alerting the Order, but that wasn't going to stop Harry from going after Sirius. He was the closest thing Harry ever had to family.
“I guess we're going to have to punish you,” Umbridge said, her voice far too delighted for the words coming out of her mouth. Pansy still had a death grip on Hermione and Draco was merely standing behind Ginny, not even touching her. “Cruciatus curse should-”
“That's illegal,” Hermione shouted. What was wrong with that woman? Cruciatus curse.
“Hold your tongue,” Umbridge squealed, a sound that just made Hermione more angry.
“You can't!” Hermione tried to step forward but was pulled back by Pansy. Her eyes flickered to Draco. He was mouthing something. What was he? Was he mouthing something to her?
She watched him for a moment, unable to make out the words. Draco lifted his hands and pretending to stroke something under his chin... like a like a beard and his lips... yes, they could be saying something. Dumbledore, maybe?
Then he fisted his hand and started moving it back and forth. What was that? His lips moved in what looked like a two syllable word. He swung his hand around like he was flicking a wand, sighed and then held his thumb and pointer finger – like a gun. A weapon.
Dumbledore's Secret Weapon. That's what Umbridge has been after.
“Don't!” screamed Hermione. “Stop! I'll tell you.”
“Hermione, no!” Harry struggled away from Umbridge.
“I'll take you to Dumbledore's Secret Weapon.”
Umbridge grinned. Of course, there was no secret weapon, but it bought us a way out, a way to get to Sirius Black.
That was it. Draco Malfoy had just given them a way out. But why?
Thanks to Grawp, Hermione and Harry escaped Umbridge. Now they could get to Sirius. Harry wanted to go alone. He always wanted to go alone, but they wouldn't let him.
The Department of Mysteries glimmered blue with the rows and rows of prophecies. Harry wandered through the halls, searching for the one for him and Voldemort. Finally, he found it. The simple glass ball of blue light that had caused all their problems. It must have been a terrifying thing for Harry.
“Let's go get Sirius,” said Hermione. Just then, a tall wizard with long blonde hair and familiar silver eyes stepped out of the darkness. Lucius Malfoy. Hermione's face flushed. He looked so much like Draco. But he wasn't Draco. Not at all.
Lucius and Harry were arguing. The tension was thick, heavy. Hermione couldn't focus on the actual words being said, she focused on the feel of the moment. The emotion.
Hermione screamed. The prophecy exploded in Harry's hand. Everyone gasped. Hermione whipped her head left, the direction the red light had come from.
“Draco?” snapped Lucius. “Draco you idiot, you're terrible aim has just ruined the Dark Lord's plan! Do you know what he'll-”
“My aim is fine, Father,” snarled Draco. “Stupefy.” Another red light burst from the end of his wand and slammed into Lucius, knocking him backwards and into the prophecies. Like a waterfall they streamed down from their resting place. The sound was deafening, but Hermione was focused on Draco. He had just done something big.
Something very big.
