"Ah, another Malfoy," the hat sounded amused. "You are not what you seem, or what your family and peers see, are you? Your heart is double. A Malfoy in name, but your true lineage is hazy, which makes you quite tricky to place. You would do well in...
Classes for Dumbledore's Army soon took place. We were split into two lines facing each other, Harry stood at one end so he could see them. They were trying to disarm an enchanted wizard dummy that was moving between them.
Neville was first to have a go.
Umbridge's hellish classes were ongoing too, and yet another decree was released.
Proclamation 82:
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Then Proclamation 98:
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This made things much trickier as they had to create diversions to keep from being caught.
***
The festive season drew nearer and Harry's classes finished during the Christmas period. The twins, the trio and Melody all returned to Grimmauld Place.
Mr Weasley looked surprisingly well and was quite upbeat for being attacked by a snake at the Ministry. Had it not been for Harry who saw it through one of his dreams, he might not have been so lucky.
Melody was sat drafting a letter to her parents, one which she knew she could not send. But it helped her to feel as if she could write to them. None of them truly understood the level of the danger yet, but writing it all out; not feeling completely alone. It was cathartic.
***
When it was time for them to return to Hogwarts, the excitement had been completely extinguished.
The one good thing at the moment, for the trio and Melody, was hearing that Hagrid had come back. They raced down through the grounds straight to his Hut, only to hear Umbridge's voice coming from inside.
"I will say this one more time. I'm ordering you to tell me where you have been?" Umbridge's shrill voice questioned Hagrid.
"I told you. I've been away for me health," Hagrid told her.
"Your health?" Umbridge didn't believe his words as she took in how grubby he looked and the bruised eye.
