star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Ginny and Arabella had been guarding the second floor corridor for just a few minutes when they saw none other than Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, approaching them with grins on their faces that most definitely meant trouble. To avoid looking suspicious as much as possible, Ginny and Arabella did not look at each other, but they were both thinking the same thing: the act was up.

"As much as I would love to just let you walk on by," Arabella began, "my lovely brothers set off a load of Garroting Gas in this corridor before they left-"

"Save it, Weasley," Draco cut her off.

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"Caught this one trying to help the Weasley girls," Draco told Umbridge as he brought a defeated-looking Neville into her office.

Oh, Neville, Arabella groaned mentally, feeling bad that he had been roped into all of this just because he had tried to help her and Ginny when they had been grabbed by Draco and his goons.

Everyone who had been in on the plan, apparently including Neville, had been caught by either Umbridge or a member of her Inquisitorial Squad and were now quite literally being held captive in her office. Harry was tied down to a chair and Umbridge was now leaning down so that she was on his level.

"You were going to Dumbledore, weren't you?" she asked him.

"No," Harry answered honestly.

Umbridge slapped him hard across the face. "Liar."

Arabella struggled against Pansy, who was the one now restraining her, and glowered at her.

"You sent for me, Headmistress?" said Snape, appearing in the doorway. Arabella glared at him; while he was a member of the Order and she should have expected him to help them in some way, she did not trust him and therefore knew he was probably there to aid Umbridge.

"Snape, yes," said Umbridge, standing up straight and facing him. "The time has come for answers, whether he wants to give them to me or not. Have you brought the Veritaserum?"

"I'm afraid you've used up all my stores interrogating students. The last of it on Miss Edgecombe."

Suddenly, Arabella felt extremely guilty for putting the hex on that list. What happened had truly not been Marietta's fault; she had been given Veritaserum. She exchanged a look with Hermione.

"Unless you wish to poison him," Snape continued, looking at Harry, "and I assure you, I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did, I cannot help you."

Arabella watched as Harry looked at Faustus for a moment, nodded, and then called out after Snape, "He's got Padfoot. He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden."

"Padfoot? What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden?" Umbridge questioned. "What is he talking about, Snape?"

Snape slowly turned back around. "No idea," he said. With one last look at Harry, he left.

"Very well," Umbridge said, seemingly thinking something over. "You give me no choice, Potter. As this is an issue of Ministry security, you leave me with... no alternative. The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue."

"That's illegal," Hermione spoke up as Arabella began to struggle more than ever against Pansy just to have a wand pointed at her throat.

"Somehow I don't think the Minister would approve of you using an Unforgivable Curse against a defenseless student, Professor," Olivia said. If she was at all nervous or scared, she did a very good job at hiding it.

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," Umbridge said, moving a framed picture of the man so that it was face down on her desk.

Arabella couldn't contain herself. "Does he know you're obsessed with him, Professor?" she asked, sniggering.

"Shut up!" Pansy spat at her, jabbing her wand at her throat even harder.

"I'll make you regret this, I swear," Arabella growled at her.

"One more word, Weasley, I dare you."

The two girls glared at each other until their attention was drawn elsewhere.

"Tell her, Harry!" Hermione shouted in a desperate tone. All eyes turned to her.

"Tell me what?" Umbridge asked.

"Well, if you won't tell her where it is... I will."

"Where what is?"

"Dumbledore's secret weapon."

[word count: 708]
[written: 8/25/20]
[published: 8/25/20]
draco watching pansy and bella threaten each other like 👁👄👁