PRINCESS ➳ harry potter , draco malfoy (OLD VERSION)

97 || Katerina's File

A/N: I haven't had the chance to properly proofread this chapter yet so please excuse any minor mistakes!

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Very slowly and as quietly as possible so to avoid drawing attention to themselves, Katie, Harry and Ron, disguised as Antoinette Banks, Albert Runcorn and Reginald Cattermole, stepped into the courtroom where Mrs Cattermole was being interrogated. As soon as Katie passed through the door, an overwhelming sense of doom and despair sufficed her and, looking up, she found the source of this horrible feeling. Hundreds of Dementors, faceless and terrifying, were looming some fifty feet above Mrs Cattermole, who was bound to a chair in the centre of the room by thick chains. The only thing keeping the Dementors at bay was a Patronus cat that was prancing around Umbridge, Yaxley, and a disguised Hermione, who looked just as pale as Mrs Cattermole.

"Mary Elizabeth Cattermole," Umbridge said in her usual girlish voice, "mother to Maisie, Ellie and Alfred, wife to Reginald?"

"Yes." Mrs Cattermole responded in a terrified whisper. Rivers of tears were flowing from her eyes.

Umbridge suddenly caught sight of Katie, Harry and Ron standing in the doorway, and as Umbridge turned to face them, Katie saw, with a great jolt of her heart, the real locket, glinting gold, dangling around her neck.

Unfortunately, Mrs Cattermole and Yaxley had also noticed that Umbridge's attention had faltered, and the two of them also looked to the door. Mary's face lit up hopefully.

"Reg?"

Katie heard Ron's breath hitch. He looked to her, his eyes pleading for help, but Harry seized him by his robes and shoved him forwards. Ron placed his hand on the back of Mrs Cattermole's chair while Umbridge glared suspiciously down at the scene.

"Thank you, Albert," she said before addressing Mary once again. "Mary Elizabeth Cattermole, a wand was taken from you upon your arrival at the Ministry today. Mrs Cattermole, is this that wand?" Umbridge held up a short, reddish wand.

Mrs Cattermole nodded. She was trembling uncontrollably from head to toe.

"Would you please tell me from which witch or wizard you took this wand?"

"Took?" Mary stammered, tears leaking from her eyes once more. "I got it at Diagon Alley, at Ollivander's, when I was eleven. It chose me."

An unpleasant leer formed on Umbridge's face — a smile that made Katie's desire to hex her reach its peak.

"You're lying," Umbridge hissed. These two words seemed to spark a sort of anger with Harry, and Katie knew that he was thinking about the scar that was still visible on his hand as he began to pace the room. "Wands only choose witches and you are not a witch."

"But I am!" Mrs Cattermole sobbed. "Tell them, Reg, tell them what I am!"

Harry slipped his wand out of his pocket and Katie suddenly felt incredibly nauseous. Umbridge had also noticed this movement, because, for the second time, her attention was averted from the crying woman before her and she now focused on Harry.

"What on earth are you doing, Albert?" Umbridge asked.

Harry's face was swimming strangely. The Polyjuice Potion was beginning to wear off. Instinctively, Katie reached up to check if her hair was returning, but she found herself touching the bouncy, extravagant curls of Antoinette Banks. She had, after all, taken her Polyjuice Potion about ten minutes after the others, as Mrs Banks had arrived late that morning.

"You're lying, Dolores," Harry said. "And one mustn't tell lies."

A dawning comprehension twisted its way onto Umbridge's face, but she was not quick enough. Before she could even draw her wand, Harry had screamed "Stupefy!" and she crumpled forwards, her head hitting the desk in front of her.