Ternion || Oliver Wood

Chapter 53

The Phoenix and The Sneak

"Fizzing Whizbee," sand Umbridge to the gargoyle that leads to Dumbledore's office and the stone gargoyle jumped aside, the wall behind spilt open, and we ascended the moving stone staircase. We reached the polished door with the griffin knocker, but Umbridge didn't bother to knock, she strode straight inside, still holding tight to Harry, Me and Cho.

                 The office was full of people. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his expression serene, and the tips of his long fingers together. Professor McGonagall stood rigidly beside him, her face extremely tense. Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, was rocking backward and forward on his toes beside the fire, apparently immensely pleased with the situation. Kingsley Shacklebolt and a tough-looking wizard that I did not recognize with a very short, wiry hair were positioned on either side of the door like guards, and the freckled, bespectacled form of Percy Weasley hovered excitedly beside the wall, a quill and heavy scroll of parchment in his hands,  apparently poised to take notes.

                 The portraits of old headmasters and mistresses were not shamming sleep tonight. All of them were watching what was happening below, alert and serious. As we entered, a few flitted into neighboring frames and whispered urgently to their neighbors' ears.

                 "Well," said Cornelius Fudge who was glaring at us and Harry. "Well, well, well..." I glanced at Harry who replied to him with the dirtiest look he could muster. My heart drummed madly inside me, but my brain was oddly cool and clear.

                  "He was heading back to Gryffindor Tower while Ms. Godfrey and Ms. Chang was heading back to their common rooms," said UmBitch who had an indecent excitement in her voice, the same callous please that I had heard as I watched Professor Trelawney dissolving with misery in the entrance hall. "That Malfoy boy cornered them" she continued.

                  "Did he, did he?" said Fudge appreciatively. "I must remember to tell Lucius. Well, Potter...I expect you know why you are here?" he added. I glanced at Dumbledore whose eyes were fixed upon a point just over Harry's shoulders, but as Harry stared at him, he shook his head a fraction of an inch each side.

                  "Yeh — no" Harry answered him.

                 "I beg your pardon?" asked Fudge as he looked at Harry.

                 "No," said Harry, firmly

                "You don't know why you are here?" Fudge uttered

                "No, I don't" said Harry. Fudge looked incredulously from Harry to Professor UmBitch.

                "So you have no idea," said Fudge in a voice positively sagging with sarcasm, "why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not awake that you have broken any school rules?"

                "School rules?" said Harry in a confused tone. "No." he answered, a corner of my lips rose as I looked down at my feet.

               "Or Ministry decrees?" Fudge amended angrily as he faced us.

               "Not that I'm aware of," Harry said blandly as he lies to Fudge

               "So it's new to you, is it?" said Fudge, his voice now thick with anger, "that an illegal student organization has been discovered within this school?" he asked again, as he glanced at me.