"Been watching them for weeks", Umbridge pleaded, storming into Dumbledore's office alongside Kingsley, who was guiding Cho into the room, Dawlish, who helped escort everyone in, Percy, who pulled Hazel and Harry with them, and Cornelius Fudge accompanied them.
Dumbledore patiently leaned on his desk at the top of his office, patiently listening to Umbridge's complaints.
"And see, 'Dumbledore's Army', proof of what I've been telling you right from the beginning, Cornelius", she continued, handing Fudge the parchment with the members of the army scribbled across it.
"All your fear-mongering about You-Know-Who never fooled us for a minute. We saw your lies for what they were: a smokescreen for your bid to seize control of the Ministry", she finished, glancing at Fudge who pulled an expression of disbelief.
Dumbledore was very calm, and tolerant of this pink devil that stood before him.
"Naturally", Dumbledore replied, with little expression.
Hazel shoved Percy's grip off her arm, setting her free.
"Dumbledore had nothing to do with it-", Hazel pleaded, before being interrupted by Umbridge.
"You're lying!", she hissed back.
Harry broke free of Percy's grip too.
"It's true, he had nothing to do with it, it was our idea-", he expressed.
Dumbledore intervened, just looking at the two children trying to defend their headmaster.
"Most noble of you two, to shield me, but as has been pointed out, the parchment clearly says 'Dumbledore's Army,' not 'Jones'', nor 'Potter's'", Dumbledore replied respectfully, turning his attention back to the Minister.
Dumbledore continued to explain this lie patiently.
"I instructed Hazel and Harry to form this organization. I, and I alone, am responsible for its activities".
Hazel and Harry were in disbelief, a sense of guilt ran over their body. Dumbledore had nothing to do with it at all, so why was he taking the blame?
The Minister tucked the parchment in the inside of his jacket, hidden away for evidence.
"Dispatch an owl to the Daily Prophet. If we hurry, we should still make the morning edition", he said in a hurried, sticky tone, whilst Percy nodded in agreement.
He then turned behind him to Kingsley and Dawlish.
"Dawlish, Shacklebolt, you will escort Dumbledore to Azkaban to await trial for conspiracy and sedition-", he ordered, as the two, very slowly, approached, though Kingsley was more apprehensive for he was in on this game.
Dumbledore steadily walked towards the back of his desk, pointing his finger up.
"I thought we might hit this little snag", he said.
Umbridge's face melted into mischief and vengeance as Kingsley secretly showed Hazel and Harry a reassuring expression.
"You seem to be laboring under the delusion that I'm going to, what was the phrase? Come quietly?", Dumbledore said mockingly.
"Well, I can tell you this: I have no intention of going to Azkaban", he grinned, looking at Umbridge with serious and ambitious eyes.
She scoffed and grew impatient.
"Enough of this. Take him!", she demanded, hurrying Dawlish and Kingsley, thought it was all too late.
Dumbledore winked at Hazel and Harry, and clapped his hands together, stretching his arms above his head. As his hands hit one another, a magnificent, great phoenix with feathers, painted in all hues of golden, amber, crimson and garnet, flew over; the single touch of its clawed feet with Dumbledore's hands created a hot, fiery fog, evaporating Dumbledore into thin air. An invisible mist blew Dawlish, Kingsley, Umbridge and the Minister onto their backs. Within a blink of an eye, he vanished. Everyone froze in disbelief, Hazel and Harry were utterly mesmerised with what they had just witnessed.
Kingsley stood back, wiping a bit of sweat that dropped from his forehead.
"Well, you may not like him, Minister, but you can't deny, Dumbledore has got style!", he exclaimed softly.
Umbridge's face flustered, it burnt into a shade of cherry, she clenched her fists and stormed out.
"I'll escort Miss Jones, Mr Potter and Miss Chang out, Mr Weasley", Kingsley suggested, before gently pulling them away from Percy and back into the grounds of the school.
And so he did.
As soon as they left Dumbledore's office, Hazel and Harry immediately stormed off, avoiding Cho completely, until she was left alone in the empty halls of the school, feeling guilty and disappointed.
YOU ARE READING
Shifted: Book Two
Fanfiction"You know, Hazel, we can really do this", Harry said, turning his attention back onto Hazel's hopeful smile. "Even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have". - It's Hazel's second year in her desired rea...
