The Escape

"No one will leave this room," Chris said loudly. "Luna, Colin make sure, they don't find this room."

Colin and Luna nodded and quickly locked the door and after a second the door vanished.

Ginny heard all of it and grinned, "Finally, I was dying to do this."

"Do what?" Ron asked looking concerned.

"Nothing," Ginny replied then turned to Chris. "Sixth floor will be nice for it."

"Cool," Chris smiled. "Be careful."

Ginny went to the opposite side of the room and next second there was a door.

"See at the Gryffindor tower," she said and walked out and the door disappeared.

"Where did she go?" asked Fred.

"She is your sister Fred," Chris said. "She knows a lot of things about creating trouble. Don't worry, she will be fine." Chris walked towards a wall, "Now, Hufflepuffs first, you need to the ground floor, the corridor in front of the kitchen, right?"

Irena, Melvin, Smith and few other Hufflepuffs nodded.

A door appeared in front of Chris.

"Go, quietly," she said. "Look very casual. You did nothing wrong."

Everyone stared at the door. 

"It will lead us there, just like that?" Melvin said.

"Yes, just like that, now fast, we don't have the entire day," Chris said and the Hufflepuffs hurried out of the door. Chris looked down and saw Dobby was still attempting to do himself a serious injury. "Dobby, it's an order," Chris pulled Dobby up. "You will go to the kitchen and if she asks you whether you warned us, lie and say no! And I forbid you to hurt yourself!"

"Thank you, miss," Dobby squeaked and hurried after the Hufflepuffs.

Cedric hesitated at the door.

"There will be time to be hero, Cedric, now just go, and make sure the Hufflepuffs don't get caught."

Cedric nodded after a moment then walked out. Chris checked that all Hufflepuffs are gone and the door disappeared.

"Now, Ravenclaw tower," Chris said and another door appeared across the room.

Without waiting the Ravenclaws moved towards it.

"Don't run, don't look suspicious," Chris repeated.

"Luna, go," Colin said quickly.

"But —" Luna looked back and forth between Chris and Colin.

"We will handle it, go," Colin said firmly.

Luna nodded, "Tell me what happens."

"Okay, so we all can't go straight to the Gryffindor tower, they are just outside, waiting for us," Chris said. "But we can go to different places. Like the library —"

"The library will be closed by now," said Hermione.

"Right, then the Owlery," Chris suggested but knew it was a bad idea.

"They will search the Owlery, because it's close," said Colin.

"Right," Chris nodded. "But a few the girls can go to the fifth-floor girls' bathroom, they will not expect it."

"A few but not all," said Angelina. "What the rest will do?"

"And what about the boys?" asked Dean Thomas.

"We can use our snackbox and go to the hospital wing," George suggested.

"No, she knows about your snackbox," said Harry.

"Okay, so there is a way, I'll go out and distract them. All of you will go to the Gryffindor tower when Colin asks you to. Got it, Colin?"

Colin nodded and stepped away as a door appeared in front of him. Chris stepped out.

The corridor was empty, but she quickly pulled out her invisibility cloak and slipped under it. Chris had barely walked four steps when she heard Umbridge's voice, "This is disappointing, we have so good chance and you all are wasting it with stupid stories."

"I swear Professor, it was a tiger," said Pansy Parkinson.

"For the tenth time, Miss Parkinson, I don't have time for this, look in the library — anybody out of breath — check the bathrooms," said Umbridge angrily. "Please."

Pansy and a few other Slytherins walked away. Umbridge turned around and went another way. Chris followed her and heard her muttering, "No worries, we can still check the dormitories."

Chris sighed and kicked a heavy suit of armour. The noise made Umbridge jump. Chris guessed after Umbridge's last experience with an empty corridor, she will surely call people for help and she did. Within minutes the Inquisitorial Squad was there.

After some time when Chris was almost on the third floor, Colin informed that all of them made it safely. Chris sighed and changed her direction, without making any more noises.

After almost half an hour, Umbridge entered the Gryffindor tower with Professor McGonagall. The common room was normal, no one looked out of breath, they all looked bored and tired, ready to sleep. Chris, Ginny and Colin were sitting on their usual place in front of the fire. Umbridge gave Chris a nasty look as her eyes swept over the rest of the Gryffindors. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting on a different table. Harry and Ron were doing there homework and Hermione was helping them. Everything looked so normal that Professor McGonagall smiled at Chris.

"So you were saying, Professor Umbridge?" Professor McGonagall turned to Umbridge sneering.

"This is not possible," said Umbridge loudly. "They were out of bed, I know it."

"You said the same thing to Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout, didn't you Professor Umbridge?" McGonagall had a dangerous note in her voice. "But as you can see with your own eyes, no one was out, not here, not there. I think you have mistaken."

"Ridiculous!" Umbridge turned to face McGonagall. Her face was red with anger. "I know, very well Minerva, that they are up to something. They had had a meeting in back October for this in Hog's Head."

"And what is your evidence for that, Dolores?" McGonagall said with same fierce.

The Gryffindor students were now watching them their mouth open. 

"I have 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, Diggory and Miss Norton 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, raising her eyebrows. "What an interesting insight into our justice system!"

Chris and Harry looked at each other. Maybe Sirius was right, they shouldn't have their meeting at Hog's Head.

"And today," continued Umbridge. "An informant told me about the place of their meeting place and time."

"Then why —" McGonagall was shaking with anger. "Why do you think Potter and Norton are here and not in the meeting place, Dolores?"

"I'm sure someone warned them," said Umbridge indifferently. Suddenly, she turned to Chris, "I will find out, sure enough, Minerva."

Then Umbridge looked at Harry and finally left through the portrait hole.

"Sure you will," muttered McGonagall and with a last look at the Gryffindors, she climbed out too.

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To be continued. . .