.⊹⁀➷ CHAPTER THIRTY-TREE!
↳ ❛falling apart❜

              A FEW WEEKS had passed by since school had started again and they finally had another DA meeting. This time they were practicing the Patronus charm.

"Make it a powerful memory, the happiest you can remember. Allow it to fill you up!", Harry instructed the group of students while he walked through the room.

Annabeth was watching Ginny flicking her wand over and over again while she walked through the practicing students.

"A full bodied Patronus is the most difficult to produce but shield forms can also be equally useful against a variety of opponents!", Harry's voice called out. In that moment a dog shot out of Ginny's wand and hurried over the heads of the students.

Harry had a large smile plastered on his face, "Fantastic, Ginny!"

The girl smiled proudly at him before Harry continued his way through the people, "Just remember— your Patronus can only protect you for as long as you stay focused. So focus—!"

Annabeth let her gaze wander over the other's while she spoke loudly, "Think of the happiest thing you can!"

From besides Annabeth, Luna Lovegood succeeded to produce a Patronus that took the form of a rabbit, that was running through the room.

Annabeth smiled slightly at the Patronus, who passed by over her head. But her smile quickly disappeared when she suddenly spotted Dobby appearing beside Harry.

The two seemed to speak about something important before Harry suddenly turned to the other's. "Umbridge knows!"

Everyone exchanged panicked glances with each other before Harry hastily opened the back door for them. "Quick! Everyone out!", he motioned for them to hurry.

Everyone grabbed their things and quickly hurried outside into the corridor. Annabeth was among them.

The brunette hurried down the corridor that lead to the Gryffindor Common room, but when she heard Goyles voice coming fron the stairs she took a left turn and made a run for the library.

She had nearly reached her destination when she was pulled back by her arm and yanked behind one of the large and thick stone pillars.

Annabeth wanted to let out a yelp but a hand quickly covered her mouth. The burnett looked up and was surprised when she saw that it was Draco who had pulled her into hiding.

The boy slowly took his hand off her mouth and Annabeth just stared up into his icy eyes.

There was silence between them, his left hand placed on the pillar besides Annabeth 's head while his right hand was caging her between his body and the pillar.

When Annabeth realized how close they were to each other she felt her cheeks growing hot.

A smirk appeared on Draco's face when he took notice of the tint on her cheeks and spoke quietly, "We have to stop meeting like this."

The brunette girl just continued to stare up into his eyes, blinking a few times while she tried to comprehend the situation.

"What are you gonna do—", her voice was scratchy while she asked him, her eyes filling with worry. She tired to seem collected and calm, only fiddling with her hands while she held eye contact with him, "Are you gonna bring me in?— Let Umbridge expell me?"

The boy remained silent, his eyes seeming to search inside her own for something before he sighed deeply.

He looked like he was fighting a battle inside of him, a deep frown on his face while his eyes flickered from her eyes to the end of the corridor.

"Draco—", Annabeth's voice pulled his attention back to her.

"I knew you were up to trouble again, Potter", the boy stated while he shook his head more to himself than at her.

The brunette girl gave him a pleading look before a voice suddenly called out to Draco. It was Crabbe, who stood by the end of the corridor, Annabeth hidden from his vision behind the pillar. "Find someone, Draco?"

Annabeth tensed up her eyes widening in fear and Draco immediately straightened up and pretended like he was searching for students. "No, no one's here, Crabbe— Continue searching!"

The boy motioned for Crabbe to disappear and the brunette Slytherin boy did as he was told.

Annabeth released a deep breath before she met Draco's eyes. "I never thought I would say this, but—"

Draco immediately shushed her, placing a finger over his lips, he lowered his voice even more, "Be quiet— somebody might hear us."

Annabeth immediately closed her mouth before Malfoy grabbed her by her hand, his own wrapping around her's.

The Gryffindor felt her heart skip a beat while she let herself get dragged along with him. She wanted to ask the boy where they were going but she decided to remain silent instead.

After a while they came to a stand and Draco turned to look at her. "You walk up those stairs take a right, then another right and you'll come to the stairs that lead to your common room, all right?"

The brunette nodded her head at him in silence, before she gave him a questioning look, "Why are you doing this?"

She realized that they were still holding each other's hand and Draco followed her gaze, his eyes flickering down to the hand where she wore his christmas gift.

A small smirk appeared on Draco's face and Annabeth quickly pulled her hand out of his grasps. Draco met her eyes before he shrugged, "Just shut up and go, Potter."

The boy then spun on his heel and disappeared behind the next corner, leaving Annabeth to herself.

The brunette had just reached the common room when no other than Pansy stopped her, her eyes were piercing into Annabeth and the girl snickered happily when she brought the brunette to Umbridge.

"Fizzing Whizzbee", Umbridge sang in a good mood while she watched how the stone gargoyle jumped aside and the wall split open for, letting them ascend the moving stone staircase.

Annabeth hadn't expected that they were immediately brought to Professor Dumbeldor's office, where she was met with Harry, Hermione, Ron and Cho.

The office was full of people. Dumbeldor was sitting behind his desk, his expression serene, the tops of his long fingers together.

Professor McGonagall stood rigidly besides him, her face extremely tense. Annabeth was surprised once more, when she saw the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, rocking backwards and forwards on his toes besides the fire.

Kingsley Shacklebolt and another tough-looking wizard with a very short wiry hair were positioned on either side of the door like guards.

Percy Weasley hovered excitedly besides the wall, a quill and a heavy scroll of parchment in his hands.

The portraits of the former Headmasters were awake and alert tonight, watching what was happening below them.

"Well— well— well—", Fudge stated while his eyes wandered from Harry over to Annabeth.

"She was heading back to the Gryffindor tower", Umbridge told him. There was excitement in her voice.

"Well, I expect you to know why you're here?", Fudge questioned them, his eyebrows raised at them.

"Erm— no", Harry stated calmly while he gazed at Fudge. "I beg your pardon?", the man said.

"No", Harry repeated his answer firmly. Fudge stared at him, "You don't know why you're here?"

"No, I don't", Harry said simply, his eyes wandering over to Dumbeldor when Fudge exchanged a look with Umbridge.

"So you have no idea", Fudge said, his voice filled with sarcasm. "Why professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that you broke any school rules?"

"School rules?— No", Harry continued calmly.

"Or Ministry Decrees?", Fudge added.
Harry shook his head, "Not that I'm aware of."

Annabeth felt her heart hammering in her chest while she listened to them. This could be the end of her life again Hogwarts. "So it's news to you that an illegal student organisation has been discovered within this school?"

"Yes it is."

"You will remember, Minister, that I sent you a report back in October that Potter has met a number of fellow students in the Hog' Head in Hogsmead—", Umbridge told the Minister and McGonagall immediately interrupted her. "And what's your evidence for that?"

Umbridge gave her a pointed look, "I have testimony from Willy Widdershins, Minerva, who happened to be in the car at that time. He was heavily bandaged, it is true, but his hearing was quiet unimpaired."

She gave McGonagall a sweet smile, "He heard every word Potter said and hastened straight to the school to report to me—"

McGonagall's eyes widened before she exclaimed loudly, "Oh, that's why he wasn't prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets? — what an interesting insight into our justice system!"

'Blatant corruption!", roared one of the portraits behind them.

"The purpose of Potter's meeting with these students was to persuade them to join an illegal society, who's aim was to learn spells and curses the Ministry had decided are inappropriate for school-age—", Umbridge immediately proceeded to explain further.

"I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores", said Dumbeldor calmly while peering over his halfmoon glasses that said on the bridge of his nose.

Fudge gave Dumbeldor an unnerved look, "Oho! Yes, do let's hear the latest cock-and-bull story designed to pull Potter out of trouble! Go on, then, Dumbeldor, go on— Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it Potter's identical twin in the Hogs head that day? Or is there the usual simple explanation involving a reversal of time, a dead man coming back to life and a couple of invisible Dementors?"

Percy let out a loud laugh and Annabeth shot him a disgusted look. "Oh, very good, Minister, very good."

Dumbeldor seemed very calm while he answered the Minister, "Cornelius, I do not deny— and not, I am sure, 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 Decrees banning all students societies was not out int effect until two days after Harry's Hogsmead meeting, so he was not breaking any roles at all in the Hog's Head."

There was silence filling the room and Umbridge was the first one to speak, "That's all very fine, Headmaster— 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."

Dumbeldor nodded at her, "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?", repeated Umbridge, a sweet smile on her face while she shook her head. "Have you not been listening, Dumbeldor? There was still a meeting tonight! Ms. Chang 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 forwarned of my arrival, however, because when we reached the seventh floor they'd were running in every direction. It does not matter, however. I have all their names here, Miss Parkinson ran into the Room of Requirement for me to see if they had left anything behind. We needed evidence and the room provided."

To Annabeth's horror the woman drew out their list with all their names on it. "The moment I saw the Potter's names on that list, I knew what we were dealing with—"

Annabeth closed her eyes and let out a defeated sighed. There was no way that they would get out of this one.

"Excellent— excellent Dolores! And, by thunder —", Fudge exclaimed before he looked over at Dumbeldor. "See what they've named themselves? Dumbeldor's Army." Fudge handed the parchment over to Dumbeldor who gave it a quick once over.

"Well, the game is up, would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius or will a statement before these witness suffice?", Dumbeldor stated making everyone frown at him.

Annabeth saw how McGonagall and Kingsley exchanged a fearful look with each other.

"Statement?— What— I don't?", Fudge stumbled over his words. Dumbeldor spoke, "Dumbeldor's Army, Cornelius — Not Potter's Army. Dumbeldor's Army."

"But— but—", Fudge stuttered taken back before understanding crossed his face. "You?", he then whispered. The Headmaster nodded, "That's right."

"You organized this?", Fudge questioned him and Dumbeldor nodded once more. "I did."

"You recruited these students for— for your army?", Fudge asked while he eyes the man on his opposite.

Dumbeldor nodded one more time, "Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting. Merely to see wether they would be interested in joining me. I see now that it was a mistake to invite Miss Chang, of course."

"Then you have been plotting against me!", Fudge suddenly yelled out while he pointed at the man.

"That's right!", Dumbeldor confirmed Fudges worst fear. "No!" Harry suddenly shouted loudly. Kingsley immediately flashed the boy a warning look, and McGonagall motioned for him to be quiet.

"No, Professor Dumbeldor—"

The man shot him a pointed look, "Be quiet, Harry, or I'm afraid you will have to leave my office."

"Yes, shut up, Potter!", Fudge barked at the boy. His gaze then slowly wandered back to Dumbeldor, "Well, well, well— I came here tonight expecting to expell Potter and instead —"

"Instead you get to arrest me", Dumbeldor told him smiling. "It's like losing a Knut and finding a Galleon, isn't it?"

"Weasley? Have you written that all down, everything he's said, his confession, have you got it?"

"Yes, sir, I think so, sir!"

"The bit about how he's been trying to build up an army against the Ministry how he's been working to destabilize me?"

"Yes, sir, I've got it!"

"Very well them, 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!"

Percy immediately duplicate his papers and dashed out the door.

"You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged, them sent to Azkaban to await trial!"

"Ahh, yes, yes— I thought we might hit that little snag", Dumbeldor stated while he walked around his desk.

"Snag—?", Fudge stated with joy in his voice. "I see no snag, Dumbeldor!"

"Well, 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— 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 of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing."

Fudge stared at Dumbeldor with a glare on his face. "Take him!"

In that moment Fawks flew above Dumbeldor's head and the man clapped his hands together over his head. There was a burst of fire and the Minister, Umbridge and the Auror that had accompanied them flew backwards onto the ground.

After a moment they gathered themselves and Dumbeldor was gone.

Kingsley exchanged a look with the Minister, "You may not like him Minister, but you can't deny— Dumbeldor's got style."