Chapter 363

Leaving the office through the shadows, I walked quickly towards another magical mark that was gradually moving away.

<You won't catch up.>

Well, guess again.

Having oversaturated Stupefy with magic, I created only one beam, sending it after the target. I don't need echolocation — I can already imagine where the little bug is because I know the castle by heart. Well, at least the places I've been to.

As I thought, the beam found its target, even though I had to control its flight blindly. In twenty seconds of running through the stone corridors of the castle, I reached my goal — a paralyzed beetle was lying on the floor. Turning it into a statue of a beetle, I put it in my pocket and went back to the office where the... incident occurred. Upon my return, a rather entertaining picture was waiting for me.

Hermione stood next to Daphne and tried to calm her down. Actually, Astoria was doing the same thing. Professor McGonagall and Snape had just begun to levitate a bunch of victims behind them, moving towards the hospital wing, and Dumbledore with Umbridge were hovering over Hermione. While the Headmaster looked studyingly at both the situation with traces of combat and some characteristic magical traces of spatial transfiguration, Umbridge reprimanded the girls with all her heart.

"Unthinkable, Miss Granger!" exclaimed this plump, stunted lady in yet another pink business-style combination. "Twelve pureblood wizards from old and powerful families have suffered at your hands today. Two children from the families of the Trustees, two from the Wizengamot."

"It was self-defense," Hermione snapped angrily.

"Do you really, Miss Granger," Umbridge's voice didn't have those sugary notes with which she likes to spice up any of her speech, "think anyone would care? Remember those paragraphs that relate to situations that require the practical application of such spells and restrictions related to reasonable self-defense."

Hermione looked at Umbridge very angrily.

"Your anger won't help here. These paragraphs are the official position of the Ministry, and there is a tangible excess of permissible self-defense."

"But they wanted..."

"It doesn't matter what they wanted!" Umbridge raised her tone a little. "Whether for good or not, but we, in England, do not judge for intentions."

"Dolores..." the Headmaster spoke but was immediately interrupted by Umbridge.

"And with you, headmaster, I will have a separate conversation, during which I would like to hear about why at the school under your leadership happening something like..." Umbridge waved her hand vaguely. "All this! During my learning, Headmaster, rods protected young minds from crazy thoughts better than any occlumency."

"And all this kind of stuff was already happening outside of Hogwarts."

"The important thing is that it wasn't at Hogwarts. You," Umbridge looked sternly at the girls. Daphne almost calmed down. "Proceed to the hospital wing. You, Miss Granger, should think about what serious consequences the relatives of these children can create for you, both personally and through the Ministry."

"But..."

"You have exceeded the permissible self-defense - this is the position of the Ministry."

"I have a mentor."

"I hope," Umbridge smiled sweetly. "He is not afraid of difficulties because the parents of these children will try to bring hell to a Muggle-born witch."

The girls, the Headmaster, and Umbridge went towards the hospital wing, and I... I still have about an hour to make the most of it. Quickly reaching one of the vacant rooms, I locked myself in there properly and, taking the statue of the bug out of my pocket, returned it to its original living form, paralyzing it with magic. Then I pointed my wand at the beetle and activated a Reversing spell designed to return the animagus to its original appearance. The bug almost instantly grew to an already familiar shocking blonde - Rita Skeeter herself. Disarming her, taking her bag and wand with telekinesis, I returned the ability to speak.

" Let me go immediately, boy," Rita hissed angrily, shaking her head, causing her glasses to tilt a little. The outfit now, as always, shone with poorly compatible bright acid colors in shades of pink and green. Although, I've seen far stranger things.

"You will listen to me carefully, Miss Skeeter," I squatted across from the woman lying on the floor, simultaneously asking Rowena to scare her. "Listen and respond."

Rowena coped with the task, judging by Rita's incredibly panicked eyes.

"So. Blaming you for bringing any information to whoever is paying is silly. I have a question — how do I get into the Wizengamot Heritage Hall?"

Rita blinked stupidly for a few seconds until the essence of the question reached her.

"Um... I can show you the way?" she asked uncertainly.

"Absolutely. So?"

"I will," she nodded, pulling herself together and reaching for her things. But I moved them by telekinesis behind my back and then put them in my bag to the «all potentially dangerous shit.» "Can I have my things?"

"No."

With a blow of my hand, I broke off a piece of stone from the wall, causing Skeeter to hiccup, and with a slight movement of my wand, I began to enchant the portkey to Whitehall Street. It took only a dozen seconds, during which Rita Skeeter watched me closely.

"I almost forgot," I smiled, turning her into a statuette and putting it in the pocket of my suit. "After all, I can't carry you in my arms."