ruins ; harry potter [1]

thirteen ; sneak

Over the next very long while, Diana had spent the entirety of her days in her room. She had descended into a complete spiral of madness, with her eyes bloodshot and closed half the time and her hands trembling when she tried to pick up a glass of water. The information that she had learned about her mother had broken her deeply.

She only left her room for one reason. She went to the D.A. meetings, their newest one teaching if how to conjure a Patronus. She had conjured hers for the second time since the first D.A. class, and everyone had turned wary once again after seeing the large snake slither around the room. Harry, too, eyed it carefully, and when she saw the sliver of fear in his eyes she let the snake disappear in an instant.

As she went around correcting everyone's mistakes and giving praise to those who succeeded, Dobby ran through the large door to the Room of Requirement and ran directly to an unsuspecting Harry.

"Hi, Dobby," he said, but immediately he noticed the look of terror on the tiny creature's face. "What are you---What's wrong?"

"Harry Potter, sir," he squeaked, looking around at Diana, Hermione, and Ron. "Dobby has come to warn you...but the house-elves have been warned not to tell..."

He ran headfirst at the wall. Diana was too fast for him, though, and seized him around the middle and held him tightly as he struggled to punish himself.

"What happened, Dobby?" asked Harry, and Diana still held a tight grip.

"Harry Potter...she...she," he struggled, his eyes as round as galleons. Dobby tried to punch himself, but Diana seized both of his hands behind his back.

"Who's 'she', Dobby?"

All of their expressions morphed to horrified understanding. "Umbridge?" Harry pushed. Dobby nodded.

Harry started to babble questions, but Diana cut him off. "She found out, hasn't she? She's coming?"

Dobby nodded slowly. There was a silent moment of processing as they straightened up, staring at each other with expressions of pure terror.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Harry bellowed, causing everyone to snap back to reality. "RUN!"

Everyone pelted towards the door as they all tried to burst through at once. They scattered, some running to their dorms and others to the Owlery or library, which was much closer.

"Harry, Diana!" Hermione shrieked from the center of the crowd of people trying to evacuate.

Diana turned Dobby so he was facing her and Harry, and she held him at arms length. "Go to the kitchens immediately. If she asks, told her you said nothing," said Diana, and Dobby nodded forcefully.

"And I forbid you to hurt yourself," Harry added quickly, and they dropped the elf and ran to the door, where they were some of the last out.

"Thank you Harry Potter and Diana R-"

"Your welcome!" Diana interrupted, and both were out of the door in a flash.

Diana watched as everyone was still running down the halls and around corners. The both ran to the left, hoping to make it to the nearest bathroom, but something caught them both around the ankles. They fell headfirst to the floor with a loud crash, and they both yelled out strangled cries.

"Trip Jinx!" Malfoy declared loudly behind them. "Hey Professor---PROFESSOR! I got two!"

Unbridge came bustling around the corner with a maniacal grin on her face.

"Excellent, Draco, Excellent," she said. "Fifty points to Slytherin! I'll take them from here...stand up!"

They both got to their feet. Harry was glaring at Umbridge and Malfoy violently, but what Diana did surprised them all.