94 Diagon Alley

    There's not a single Weasley left in Watts, right? "Malfoy laughed flatteringly, and Umbridge gave a happy, smug smile. She sat in a chintz-covered armchair, blinking up at the captives like a flowerbed. the toad/toad.

    "Then, Potter," she said, "you sent sentries around my office and sent this fool," she nodded to Ron - Malfoy laughed even louder — "Tell me that Peeves is wreaking havoc in the Transfiguration classroom, but I know very well that he's busy painting the eyepieces of all the school's telescopes — that's what Filch just reported to me.

    "Obviously, talking to that person is very important to you. Is it Albus Dumbledore? Or Hagrid the Bastard? I don't believe it's Minerva McGonagall, I heard she was too injured to speak to anyone."

     Hearing this, Malfoy and some members of the investigation team laughed even more. Harry felt his heart full of resentment, and his body was shaking. "It's none of your business who I talk to," he growled.

    Umbridge's slack face seemed to tighten. "Very good," she said in the most terrifying, hypocritically mild tone, "very good, Mr. Potter. I gave you the opportunity to confess to me. You refused. I had no choice but to force you. Draco - get Professor Snape."

    Malfoy put Harry's wand into his robe and left the room with a smug smile, but Harry barely noticed him. He just realized something; he couldn't believe he was so stupid to forget about it. He thought all the members of the Order of the Phoenix, all those who could help him save Sirius, were gone - but he was wrong. There was still a member of the Order of the Phoenix at Hogwarts - that was Snape.

    Other than the Slytherins struggling and writhing as they tried to control Ron, the office was silent. Ron tried to break free of Warrington's arm around his neck, blood dripping from his lips on the Umbridge carpet; Ginny, clutched by the upper arm, still wanted to stomp the sixth-year S. Laitling girl's feet; Neville tugging at Crabbe's arm, his face gradually turning purple; Hermione trying in vain to shake off Millisenberg. Only Luna stood listlessly beside her captor, staring blankly out of the window, as if rather tired of it.

    Harry looked at Umbridge again, who was staring at him. There were footsteps in the hallway, and Draco Malfoy entered the room, leaving the door open for Snape to enter. Harry put his face up on purpose to show a calm expression.

    "You want to see me, Headmaster?" Snape said. With a cold expression, he glanced at every struggling student.

    "Ah, Professor Snape," said Umbridge, standing up smiling, "yes, I want another bottle of Veritaserum, the sooner the better. please."

    "The last time you took my last bottle of Interrogation Porter," he said, looking at her coldly through his greasy, curtain-like black hair, "you mustn't Use it all up? I told you, three drops are enough."

    Umbridge blushed. "Can you make some more?" she said, her voice sweeter and sweeter than the little girl she always did when she was annoyed.

    "Sure," said Snape, pouting, "that would take a full moon cycle to make, so I'll have it ready for you in about a month."

    "One month?" Umbridge shouted gruffly, raising his voice like a clam, "One month? But I want it tonight, Snape! I'm using my fire to communicate with one or several unknown people!"

    "Really?" Snape said, turning his head to look at Harry, showing a slightly interested expression for the first time, "Well, I'm not surprised. Potter never showed How much do you want to abide by the school rules?"

    His indifferent black eyes stared into Harry's eyes with disgust, and Harry met his gaze without flinching, concentrating on what he had seen in his dream, hoping that Snee would Po can read this in his brain.

    "I want to interrogate him!" Umbridge yelled, and Snape looked away from Harry and back to Umbridge's twitching face, "I hope You can give me a potion to force him to tell me the truth!"

    "I already told you," Snape said quietly, "I have no more Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter - if you really want to. , I can assure you, I'll agree with you very much - otherwise I can't help you. The only trouble is that most venoms work so fast that the victim doesn't have much time to tell the truth." Snape added Look at Harry. Harry stared at Snape, trying to communicate with him silently. Voldemort caught Sirius in the Department of Mysteries, he thought desperately, Voldemort caught Sirius—"You're still on probation!" screamed Professor Umbridge, and Snape looked at her again , raised his eyebrows slightly. "You're not helping on purpose! Lucius Malfoy always gives you great admiration, and I expected you to do better! Get out of my office at once!" Snape bowed sarcastically at her. Turned around and left. Harry knew that his last chance to inform the Order of the Phoenix was to walk out the door.

    "He caught the bigfoot!" he shouted, "he caught the bigfoot where that thing was hiding!"

    Snape put a hand on Umbridge's doorknob and stopped.

    "Bigfoot?" shouted Professor Umbridge, looking eagerly at Harry and then at Snape, "What is Bigfoot? What's hiding somewhere? What the **** is he? You mean, Snape?"

    Snape turned to look at Harry. His expression was unfathomable. Harry didn't know if he understood, but he didn't dare to speak more clearly in Umbridge's face.

    "I don't know," Snape said coldly. "Potter, when I want someone to yell at me, I'll give you a nonsense drink. And Crabbe, You squeeze a little light. If Longbottom was suffocated, it would mean writing a lot of tedious reports. If you're applying for a job, I'm afraid I'll have to mention that in your appraisal."

    He slammed the door behind him. Umbridge's chest heaved in exasperation.

    "Very well," she said, drawing out her wand, "very good...I have no other choice...it's more important than school discipline...it's about the safety of the Ministry."

    She seemed to be talking to herself, convincing herself to do something. She swayed uneasily from side to side, tapped her wand against her empty palm and stared at Harry, breathing hard. When Harry looked at her, he felt helpless without his wand.

    "You made me do it, Potter. I really don't want to," said Umbridge, still shaking irritably in place, "but sometimes it turns out that when I'm sure the minister will understand that I have no choice."

    Malfoy looked at her wistfully. "The Cruciatus should get you talking," Umbridge said softly. "No!" screamed Hermione. "Professor Umbridge—it's illegal."

    But Umbridge didn't hear it. Harry had never seen that vicious, eager, excited look on her face before. She raised her wand.

    "The Minister would not want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!" Hermione shouted.

    "As long as Connelly doesn't know, it won't upset him," Umbridge said. Breathing slightly, she pointed her wand back and forth at different places on Harry's body, apparently trying to decide which would hurt the most. "For example he never knew I ordered the Dementors to go after Potter last summer, but he was happy to have the opportunity to fire him, and it's the same now."

    "It's you?" Harry panted. "You sent the Dementors after me?"

    "Someone has to act," Umbridge whispered, her wand stopped and pointed at Harry's forehead, "They're all muttering, trying to get you Shut up—and discredit you—but I was the only one who actually took action. But you managed to get away, didn't you, Potter? But not today, not now—" she exclaimed, taking a deep breath , "Drilling Heart—"

    "No!" Hermione shouted hoarsely behind Millison Burst, "No—Harry—we have to tell her!"

    "Never!" Harry shouted, staring at the little Hermione he could see.

    "We've got to tell her, Harry, she's going to force you to say it anyway, so what's the point of that?" Hermione began to limp behind Millisenberg's robes cried. Millison immediately stopped pushing her against the wall, and immediately avoided her with a look of disgust.

    "Very good, very good, very good!" said Umbridge triumphantly, "this lady is going to give us some answers! Come on, little girl, come here !"

    "Oh-my-no!" Ron shouted through the stuff in his mouth.

    Ginny glared at Hermione as if she had never seen her before. Neville was still holding his breath, but he was still staring at her. But Harry had just noticed that although Hermione was sobbing desperately with her hands over her face, there were no tears.

    “I—I’m sorry everyone,” Hermione said, “but—I can’t take it—”

    "That's right, that's right, little girl!" Umri