Over the next very long while, Diana had spent the entirety of her days in her room. She had descended into a complete spiral of madness, with her eyes bloodshot and closed half the time and her hands trembling when she tried to pick up a glass of water. The information that she had learned about her mother had broken her deeply.

She only left her room for one reason. She went to the D.A. meetings, their newest one teaching if how to conjure a Patronus. She had conjured hers for the second time since the first D.A. class, and everyone had turned wary once again after seeing the large snake slither around the room. Harry, too, eyed it carefully, and when she saw the sliver of fear in his eyes she let the snake disappear in an instant.

As she went around correcting everyone's mistakes and giving praise to those who succeeded, Dobby ran through the large door to the Room of Requirement and ran directly to an unsuspecting Harry.

"Hi, Dobby," he said, but immediately he noticed the look of terror on the tiny creature's face. "What are you---What's wrong?"

"Harry Potter, sir," he squeaked, looking around at Diana, Hermione, and Ron. "Dobby has come to warn you...but the house-elves have been warned not to tell..."

He ran headfirst at the wall. Diana was too fast for him, though, and seized him around the middle and held him tightly as he struggled to punish himself.

"What happened, Dobby?" asked Harry, and Diana still held a tight grip.

"Harry Potter...she...she," he struggled, his eyes as round as galleons. Dobby tried to punch himself, but Diana seized both of his hands behind his back.

"Who's 'she', Dobby?"

All of their expressions morphed to horrified understanding. "Umbridge?" Harry pushed. Dobby nodded.

Harry started to babble questions, but Diana cut him off. "She found out, hasn't she? She's coming?"

Dobby nodded slowly. There was a silent moment of processing as they straightened up, staring at each other with expressions of pure terror.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Harry bellowed, causing everyone to snap back to reality. "RUN!"

Everyone pelted towards the door as they all tried to burst through at once. They scattered, some running to their dorms and others to the Owlery or library, which was much closer.

"Harry, Diana!" Hermione shrieked from the center of the crowd of people trying to evacuate.

Diana turned Dobby so he was facing her and Harry, and she held him at arms length. "Go to the kitchens immediately. If she asks, told her you said nothing," said Diana, and Dobby nodded forcefully.

"And I forbid you to hurt yourself," Harry added quickly, and they dropped the elf and ran to the door, where they were some of the last out.

"Thank you Harry Potter and Diana R-"

"Your welcome!" Diana interrupted, and both were out of the door in a flash.

Diana watched as everyone was still running down the halls and around corners. The both ran to the left, hoping to make it to the nearest bathroom, but something caught them both around the ankles. They fell headfirst to the floor with a loud crash, and they both yelled out strangled cries.

"Trip Jinx!" Malfoy declared loudly behind them. "Hey Professor---PROFESSOR! I got two!"

Unbridge came bustling around the corner with a maniacal grin on her face.

"Excellent, Draco, Excellent," she said. "Fifty points to Slytherin! I'll take them from here...stand up!"

They both got to their feet. Harry was glaring at Umbridge and Malfoy violently, but what Diana did surprised them all.

She laughed. She laughed really hard, with a slight glint of insanity in her eye that was very off-putting. After all, what could they possibly do to her? There was no punishment that they could serve her. Expel her? She isn't a student. Lock her up again? She'd like to see them try.

"Shut up!" Umbridge snapped, though her eyes were unsure as she watched the girl cackle. Her laughs tapered off until she just grinned widely, her eyes full of mania. Umbridge turned to Malfoy, only taking her eyes off of Diana at the last second. "Hop along and see if you can round up any more," she said, her smile returning to her face at the thought of catching more culprits. She ordered Malfoy to check the library for anyone out of breath and anywhere else that they could be hiding. "You both can come with me to the Headmaster's office," she said, her eyes glancing at the completely joyful Diana. Harry kept glancing at her, too.

They followed the stubby woman silently, Harry looking like a large ball of anxiety and nerves and Diana looking like she had received a large package of chocolate frogs. Umbridge said the password and they ascended the stairs and opened the door.

The office was full of people. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, his expression serene. Minerva McGonagall stood rigidly beside him. Cornelius Fudge stood with anticipation, and when his eyes landed on Diana, she grinned wider and winked, causing him to utter a small squeak and look away, flustered. Kingsley Shacklebolt stood with a another Ministry official, and Kingsley and Diana made brief but meaningful eye contact, and Percy Weasley stood excitedly near the wall, taking what appeared to be notes.

All of the portraits were alert and ready for gossip, their eyes roaming and they whispered quietly to each other.

The door swing shut behind them. It was quiet, but the room fizzed with energy and emotion.

"Well," said Fudge with uncontained joy and satisfaction. "Well, well, well."

Harry glared at him, and Diana chuckled like she had heard a particularly funny joke. It annoyed Fudge quite a bit.

"They were heading to Gryffindor tower," Umbridge said with excitement. "The Malfoy boy cornered them."

"Did he, did he?" said Fudge appreciatively. Diana chuckled. She loved to watch him stir uncomfortably. "I must remember to tell Lucius."

"How's Lucius doing?" Diana mused good-naturedly. "How's his tattoo on his left arm? I hear those have been very bothersome lately." She grinned so widely her cheeks hurt. She felt invigorated. This is the most joyful she had been in months. She lived to give the Ministry hell.

Fudge spluttered. "Would you know anything about that?" he asked when he recovered, as if trying to trip her up.

She merely grinned wider. Her eyes gleamed. "Oh yes, I would. After all, I would be the person to know Voldemort was back."

Everyone except Dumbledore, Harry, and Kingsley flinched. Fudge grew red. "What are you admitting?" he huffed.

She just shrugged, waving a hand passively. Fudge grew even redder and more flustered.

He changed to subject quickly. "I expect you both know why you're here?"

Harry had started to say a defiant yes, but Dumbledore gave him a pointed look that only they saw. Dumbledore moved his head a fraction of an inch side to side.

"Ye-no."

"I beg your pardon?" said Fudge.

"No," said Harry firmly.

"This is very inconvenient, Cornelius!" Diana huffed annoyingly. "I was just having a nice stroll when Ferret and Toad assaulted me." Umbridge gasped, but Diana pointed a finger at Fudge and continued. "Don't think I won't be reporting this. This is a violation of my human rights!"

She could have sworn Dumbledore rolled his eyes.

"You don't know why you are here?" Fudge said pointedly to Harry, ignoring Diana completely.

"No, I don't." Dumbledore gave Harry a tiny nod and a wink.

"So you have no idea," said Fudge, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "why Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that you have broken school rules?"

"School rules?" Harry questioned. "No."

"Or Ministry Decrees?" amended Fudge angrily.

"Is it really so crazy that Harry and I just happened to be strolling casually along? Hell, if you must know, we were on a date! What, do you not believe in young love? You're a monster!" she grilled. Harry flushed and Diana watched with total satisfaction as Fudge grew even redder. He looked like he should have steam coming out of his ears.

Fudge tried to keep his composure but failed miserably. He tried once again to ignore her.

"So it's news to you, is it," Fudge forced, "that an illegal student organization has been discovered within this school?"

"Yes, it is."

Diana noticed he wasn't very convincing, but she gave him points for trying.

"I think, Minister, we might make better progress if I fetch our informant," said Umbridge.

"Yes, yes, do," he replied with a smirk. "There's nothing like a good witness, is there, Dumbledore?"

"Nothing at all, Cornelius," he said gravely. Diana really wanted to laugh.

Umbridge left, and when no one else talked, Diana took the liberty of filling the silence.

"Cornelius, you really have outdone yourself. I'm quite impressed that your complete lunacy has reached an all time high! Who knew you could be even more of an idiot than you already were? I certainly didn't, but I commend you on trying your best. It takes much skill to be so stupid, if you ask me---"

"Will you be quiet?" Fudge hissed angrily. She grinned with satisfaction. "Dumbledore, if you don't control this criminal I will---"

She was completely unaffected by his insult. In fact, it pushed her further. "I cannot for the life of me believe our very own Minister for Magic would result to such name calling! How childish!" she quipped dramatically, and he was so angry she thought he was about to pull out his wand. McGonagall, Harry, Kingsley, and Dumbledore all were containing smiles.

Umbridge rushed through the door, ushering a girl along with her. "Don't be scared, dear, don't be frightened," she said softly, patting her on the back. She continued to assure the girl everything was alright, Marietta kept her head lowered so no one could see her face.

After Fudge uttered some praise, she lifter her head, and everyone except Diana jumped back in surprise. She just grinned wider at the sight of the jinx she had put on the paper work effectively. Across her nose and and cheeks formed the word 'SNEAK' in disgusting-looking pustules.

"Never mind the spots now, dear," said Umbridge impatiently, "just take your robes away from your mouth and tell the Minister---"

The girl just gave a loud wail through the cloth and shook her head.

"Oh, very well you silly girl, I will tell him," she said, and launched into the story about how Marietta had come to her office and told her of a meeting happening on the seventh floor, and how after Marietta had told the spots had started to appear on her face and she was too distressed to say anything else.

Diana got distracted from the conversation at this point, turning her attention to the portrait of Headmaster Dippet on the wall behind Dumbledore. Dippet made eye-contact with Diana and gave her a smile. It was full of sadness, but he smiled at her with understanding. She didn't know what it meant.

"You will remember, Minister, that I sent you a report back in October that Potter had met a number of fellow students in the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade---" said Umbridge, pulling Diana's attention away from Armando Dippet.

"And what is your evidence for that?" McGonagall cut in sharply.

"I have a testimony from Willy Widdershins, Minerva, who happened to be in the bar at the time. He was heavily bandaged, it is true, but his hearing was quite unimpaired," said Umbridge smugly. "He heard every word Potter and Diana had said and hastened straight to the school to report to me---"

"Oh, so that's why he was never prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets!" said McGonagall.

"Blatant corruption!" said a red-nosed man in a portrait behind Dumbledore. Diana snorted and Fudge glared at her. She just laughed at him.

"Thank you, Fortescue, that will do," said Dumbledore softly.

Umbridge went on to explain how they had broken the rules, but Dumbledore interrupted her. "I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores."

Everyone stared at him, but Diana was the only one staring with a grin.

"Oho!" Fudge chuckled. "Yes, let's do hear the latest cock-and-bull story designed to pull Potter out of trouble! Go on, then, Dumbledore, go on!" Fudge continued to babble, and Dumbledore waited patiently until he was done.

"Cornelius, I do not deny---and nor, I am sure, does Harry---that he was at the Hog's Head that day, nor that he was trying to recruit students to a Defense Against the Dark Arts group. I am merely pointing out that Dolores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at the time, illegal. If you remember, the Ministry Decree banning all student societies was not put into effect until two days after Harry's Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules at all in the Hog's Head."

They all watched him with their mouths hanging open. Diana whistled a cheery tune idly to herself.

"That's all very fine, Headmaster," Umbridge recovered, "but we are now nearly six months from the introduction of Educational Decree Number Twenty-four. If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since most certainly are."

"Yes, they certainly would be," Diana piped up, picking at her fingernails normally, "if the meetings had continued. Do you have any proof that there were any meetings after that?"

Diana said this very deliberately and very slowly, making eye contact with Kingsley as she talked. A silent agreement passed between them, and Kingsley pulled out his wand slowly and muttered something under his breath. She finished with a smile.

Umbridge and Fudge gaped at her. "Evidence?" Umbridge repeated with a horrible smile. "Have you not been listening? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?"

"I would love to hear her recount the last six months' worth of meetings," Diana replied coolly with a blinding smile. "I thought she was merely reporting a meeting happening tonight."

Umbridge asked Marietta at once. Marietta stayed silent.

"Come on, now, that won't re-activate the jinx," Umbridge pushed.

Finally, the girl shook her head. Umbridge looked back at Fudge for a moment before turning back to Marietta.

"I don't think you understood the question, did you, dear? I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings the past six months? You have, haven't you?"

Marietta shook her head again. Diana smirked largely. "I think Marietta here has made herself quite clear," she said loudly, much to the chagrin of Umbridge and Fudge. "So, Marietta, there have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is this right?"

Marietta nodded.

"But there was a meeting tonight!" Umbridge yelled. "There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Potter and Diana were the leaders, were they not, they organized it, Potter---why are you shaking your head, girl?"

"Well," said McGonagall, "when a person shakes their head, they mean 'no'. So unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign-language as yet unknown to humans---"

Umbridge seized Marietta and started shaking her very hard. Diana whipped out her wand and pointed at Umbridge. With a sharp jolt of her wand, Umbridge was hit with a small bolt of red light right on her hand, causing her to quickly remove her hand and cradle it in pain. Umbridge seemed to realize that she had inappropriately shaken the girl, though she seethed at Diana. Umbridge started forward, reaching for her pocket---

"Watch it," Diana growled, any trace of happiness and smugness gone. Umbridge shrank back slightly and removed her hand.

"Cornelius, are you not going to do anything about this insufferable girl using her wand against a Ministry official?" Umbridge yelled, her voice shrilly and high. Fudge looked back and forth between the two, significantly pale.

"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores," Dumbledore interrupted, and he looked angry.

They continued talking, and it wasn't until Umbridge pulled the list of names out of her pocket that Diana returned her full attention to the conversation.

"The moment I saw Potter's name on the list, I knew what we were dealing with."

"See what they've named themselves?" Fudge questioned Dumbledore, his expression like a kid on Christmas. "Dumbledore's Army."

Dumbledore studied the piece of paper, then he looked up, smiling.

"Well," he said, glancing imperceptibly at Diana, "the game is up. Would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius---or will a statement before these witnesses suffice?"

McGonagall and Kingsley glanced at each other with horror, but when they both glanced at Diana, her face was impassive. She watched Dumbledore, though they could see she understood what he was doing and understood it had to be done.

Fudge sputtered, not expecting Dumbledore to 'confess' at all.

"Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, waving the list in Fudge's face. "Not Potter's Army. Dumbledore's Army."

"But---But---"

Fudge finally understood and accidentally stepped into the fire blazing in the fireplace. "You?" he whispered.

"That's right," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

"You organized this?"

"I did."

"You recruited these students for---your army?"

"Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting."

Fudge looked back and forth between Dumbledore, Harry, and Diana.

"So you have been plotting against me!"

"That's right," said Dumbledore cheerfully.

"NO!" Harry shouted. Kingsley and McGonagall looked at him threateningly.

"Harry," Diana tried.

"No---Professor Dumbledore---!"

Nearly everyone told Harry to shut up, and Fudge rambled on about his victory. "You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged, then sent to Azkaban to await trial!" Fudge eventually declared.

"Ah," said Dumbledore, "yes. Yes, I thought we might hit a little snag."

"Snag? I see no snag, Dumbledore!"

"Well," Dumbledore replied, "I'm afraid I do."

"Oh really?"

"It's just that you seem to be laboring under the delusion that I am going to---what is the phrase?---come quietly. I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course---but what a waste if time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing."

Diana's grin grew until it was as big as it was earlier. Her eyes flickered between Dumbledore's look of serenity and Fudge's look of total blunder. Umbridge looked absolutely furious. The nameless Ministry official stepped forward, but Dumbledore warned him not to take another step.

"Enough of this rubbish!" said Fudge furiously. "Dawlish, Shacklebolt, take him!"

A large commotion happened, including the ground trembling like an earthquake and a bright light flashing the room. Diana had grabbed Harry and pushed him to the floor. Fawkes screeched, and when the commotion settled, Diana and Harry stood up, coughing. Professor McGonagall was crouched beside them, for she had jumped to push Marietta and Harry down with Diana.

"Are you alright?" Dumbledore asked when the dust cleared.

"Yes!" said McGonagall, and she pulled Harry and Marietta to their feet. Diana stood with them. She peered around, and the office was in ruins. Umbridge, Fudge, Dawlish, and Kingsley lay unconscious on the floor.

"Unfortunately, I had to hex Kingsley too, or it would have looked very suspicious," explained Dumbledore quietly. "He was remarkably quick on the uptake. Nice thinking, Diana, I saw you make the plan with Kingsley silently," Dumbledore praised with a proud look. "Thank him for me, would you?"

She nodded.

"Now, they will all awake very soon and it will be best if they do not know that we had tine to communicate---you must act as though no time has passed, they will not remember---"

"Where will you go?" McGonagall asked at the same time as Diana. "Grimmauld Place?"

"Oh no," said Dumbledore with a grim smile. "I am not leaving to go into hiding. Fudge will soon wish he'd never dislodged me from Hogwarts, I promise you."

"Professor Dumbledore..." started Harry.

"Listen to me, Harry," he said urgently, "you must study Occlumency as hard as you can, do you understand me? Do everything Diana and Professor Snape tell you to do and practice it particularly every night before sleeping so you can close your mind to bad dreams---"

That man named Dawlish was stirring.

Dumbledore turned urgently to Diana. "You must promise me, you are the only one I can rely on," he said quickly, glancing at Dawlish. "I need you to watch them, make sure everything stays in control. I'm relying on you to be in charge here in the Castle." He backed up. "I'll see you soon. Please don't lose your mind while I'm gone," he said with a smile.

Dumbledore raised his hand and grasped Fawkes' tail, and he disappeared in a flash of bright red light.

Harry stood completely still. He was losing hope quickly. He grabbed Diana's hand and held on tight.