The next DA meeting commenced soon. Apart from the fact that Y/N hadn't shown, everything was fine, well...up until Dobby made an appearance.

"Harry Potter, sir...Dobby has come to warn you...Harry Potter...she...she..."

"Who's 'she', Dobby?" asked Harry.

They all knew. It was obvious. There was one woman that struck fear into everyone.

"Umbridge?" asked Harry, horrified. Dobby nodded.

"She has't found out has she...is she coming...?"

Dobby let out a howl, and began beating his bare feet hard on the floor. "Yes, Harry Potter, yes!"

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Harry bellowed. "RUN!"

And so they ran.

It was a frenzy as everyone ran, they were shortly met by the Inquisitorial Squad, which Y/N was part of. When everyone saw the young Slytherin, all the trust they had for him disappeared, he was a traitor. When Draco caught Harry, he presented her to Umbridge and they quickly made their way to Dumbledore's office.

The office was full of people. Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Cornelius Fudge, Kingsley Shacklebolt, a tough-looking wizard and Percy Weasley.

Cornelius Fudge was glaring at him with a kind of vicious satisfaction on his face. "Well," he said, "well, well, well..."

"He was heading back to Gryffindor Tower," said Umbridge.

"Did he, did he?" said Fudge appreciatively. "Potter...I expect you know why you are here?"

"No," said Harry, firmly.

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

"No, I don't," said Harry.

Fudge looked incredulously from Harry to Professor Umbridge. "So you have no idea why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that you have broken any school rules?"

"No."

"Or Ministry Decrees?"

"No."

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

"Yes."

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

"Yes, yes, do," said Fudge, nodding.

There was a wait of several minutes and then Umbridge returned, gripping by the shoulder Cho's friend, Marietta, who was hiding her face in her hands.

"Don't be scared, dear, don't be frightened," said Professor Umbridge softly, "it's quite all right, now. You have done the right thing. The Minister is very pleased with you."

As Marietta raised her head, Marietta gave a wail and pulled the neck of her robes right up to her eyes, but not before everyone had seen that her face was horribly disfigured and there was the word 'SNEAK'.

Even though she was asked, Marietta refused to say anything.

"Oh, very well, you silly girl, I'll tell him," snapped Umbridge, "well, Minister, Miss Edgecombe here came to my office and told me she had something she wanted to tell me. She said that if I proceeded to a secret room on the seventh floor, would find out something to my advantage. I questioned her a little further and she admitted that there was to be some kind of meeting there. Unfortunately, at that point this hex, came into operation and upon catching sight of her face in my mirror the girl became too distressed to tell me any more."

"Well, now," said Fudge, "it is very brave of you, my dear, coming to tell Professor Umbridge. You did exactly the right thing. Now, will you tell me what happened at this meeting? What was its purpose? Who was there?'

Marietta didn't speak so Umbridge spoke.

"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-"

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

"I have testimony from Willy Widdershins, Minerva, who happened to be in the bar at the time," said Umbridge smugly, "he heard every word Potter said and hastened straight to the school to report to me-"

"Oh, so that's why he wasn't prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets!" said
Professor McGonagall. "What an interesting insight into our justice system!"

"The purpose of Potter's meeting with these students," continued Professor Umbridge, "was to persuade them to join an illegal society, whose aim was to learn spells and curses the Ministry has decided are inappropriate for school-age-"

"I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores." said Dumbledore quietly.

"Oh!" said Fudge. "Yes, do let's hear the latest story designed to pull Potter out of trouble! Go on, then, Dumbledore!"

"Cornelius, I do not deny and nor does Harry that he was in the Hog's Head that day, nor that he was trying to recruit students to a Defence Against the Dark Arts group. I am merely pointing out that Dolores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that 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."

"That's all very fine, Headmaster," Umbridge said, "but we are now nearly six months on 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."

"Well, they certainly would be, if they had continued after the Decree came into effect. Do you have any evidence that any such meetings continued?"

"Evidence? Have you not been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?" said Umbridge.

"Can she tell us about six months worth of meetings? I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight."

"Miss Edgecombe," said Umbridge at once, "tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod or shake your head, Have they been happening regularly over the last six months?"

Marietta shook her head.

Umbridge looked quickly at Fudge, then back at Marietta. "I don't think you understood the question. I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?'

Again, Marietta shook her head.

"What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" said Umbridge.

"I would have thought her meaning was quite clear," said Professor McGonagall harshly, "there have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is that correct, Miss Edgecombe?"

Marietta nodded.

"But there was a meeting tonight!" said Umbridge furiously. "There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Potter was the leader. Potter organised it, Potter - why are you shaking your head, girl?"

"Well, usually when a person shakes their head," said McGonagall coldly, "they mean no."

Professor Umbridge seized Marietta, pulled her round to face her and began shaking her very hard.
A split second later Dumbledore was on his feet, his wand raised; Kingsley started forwards and Umbridge leapt back from Marietta.

"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores," said Dumbledore.

"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge," said Kingsley, "you don't want to get yourself into trouble, now."

"You're right, Shacklebolt. I...I forgot myself."

"Dolores," said Fudge, "the meeting tonight - the one we know definitely happened."

"Yes," said Umbridge, "yes...well, Miss Edgecombe tipped me off and I proceeded at once to the seventh floor, accompanied by certain trustworthy students, so as to catch those in the meeting red-handed. It appears that they were forewarned of my arrival, however, because when we reached the seventh floor they were running in every direction. It does not matter, however. I have all their names here, "

And to Harry's horror, she withdrew from her pocket the list of names.

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

Fudge spoke. "Excellent, Dolores. And by thunder...see what they've named themselves? Dumbledore's Army."

"Well, the game is up," Dumbledore said simply, "would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius or will a statement before these witnesses suffice?"

"Statement?" said Fudge slowly. "What?"

"Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, "not Potter's Army. Dumbledore's Army.'

"But..."

Understanding blazed suddenly in Fudge's face. "You?"

"That's right," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

"You organised this?"

"I did,"

"You recruited these students for your army?"

"Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting," said Dumbledore, nodding, "merely to see whether they would be interested in joining me. I see now that it was a mistake to invite Miss Edgecombe, of course."

Marietta nodded.

"Then you have been plotting against me!" Fudge yelled.

"That's right," said Dumbledore cheerfully.

"Weasley!" cried Fudge. "Weasley, have you written it all down, everything he's said, his confession, have you got it?"

"Yes, sir, I think so, sir!" said Percy eagerly.

"Very well, then," said Fudge, "duplicate your notes, Weasley, and send a copy to the Daily Prophet at once. If we send a fast owl we should make the morning edition! Dumbledore, you will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged, then sent to Azkaban to await trial!"

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

"I see no snag, Dumbledore!"

"Well," said Dumbledore apologetically, "I'm afraid I do."

"Oh, really?"

"Well, it's just that you seem to be labouring under the delusion that I am going to 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."

"So," sneered Fudge, "you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?"

"Merlin's beard, no," said Dumbledore, smiling, "not unless you are foolish enough to force me to."

"Enough of this rubbish!" said Fudge, pulling out his own wand. "Dawlish! Shacklebolt! Take him!"

A streak of silver light flashed around the room; there was a bang like a gunshot and the floor trembled. Harry struggled around only to see Professor McGonagall crouched beside him; she had forced both him and Marietta out of harm's way. Panting slightly, Harry saw a very tall figure moving towards them. It was Dumbledore.

"Professor Dumbledore..." Harry began.

"Listen to me, Harry," he said urgently, "you must study Occlumency as hard as you can, do you understand me? Do everything Professor Snape tells you and practice it particularly every night before sleeping so that you can close your mind to bad dreams, you will understand why soon enough. You will also look after F/N, make sure he is safe, be his friend Harry. That is all I ask for."

Fawkes circled the office and swooped low over Dumbledore. He released Harry, raised his hand and grasped the Fawkes' long golden tail. There was a flash of fire and the pair of them were gone.

"Where is he?" yelled Fudge.

There was a long and painful silence. Then Kingsley spoke.

"You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts...but you cannot deny he's got style..."