Unhappy Endings

117: Think Again

"What do you mean by shaking your head, girl?" Dolores looked angry and you had to cover the smile on your face. Of course, Dumbledore would win on a technicality.

"I would think that she was saying there have been no other meetings. Would that be correct?" The girl nodded.

"But what about Potter? He was the leader, and has been—" To Dolores' and everyone else's astonishment, Marietta was shaking her head yet again. "Why are you shaking your head, girl?"

"It usually means 'no,' Dolores." You chuckled and got glared at by the room. This infuriated Dolores, who grabbed Marietta by the cloak and shook her roughly, changing the mood in the room. Dumbledore began to speak with anger in his voice. He drew his wand and pointed it at Dolores. "Again, I cannot have you manhandling my students, Madame Umbridge."

She laughed, softly, and let Marietta go. She was right to fear Dumbledore. "My apologies, Headmaster. I forgot myself."

"Well, what about the meeting tonight?" Cornelius asked.

"Right. Of course. Well, we proceeded down to the Room and entered." Dolores continued, "We caught Potter just outside. But it doesn't matter. We've found all of their names." She pulled the roster list Hermione had made up from her pocket. Harry gaped at it in horror. Fudge gaped at it as well. He snatched it out of Dolores's hands. He looked up, an expression of twisted delight on his face.

"So, Dumbledore, you've been behind this whole thing." He handed the paper to Dumbledore, who looks at it. The headmaster, for once, seemed suddenly at a loss for words. "Dumbledore's Army."

Dumbledore smiled pleasantly and spread his hands widely. "Well, Minister. You've caught me."

"What? Headmast—" You tried to ask why he was protecting the boy. Very little could happen to him, but a lot could happen to Dumbledore.

"This has all been your doing! You've been recruiting students for your army!"

"Quite correct, Cornelius." Dumbledore held a hand to calm him. It didn't work.

"I knew it! I KNEW it! You've been plotting against me all this time!"

Dumbledore's blasé attitude would have really made you crack up, if it hadn't been such a tense situation. You, unfortunately, knew where this was going and as much as you didn't like it, could do nothing to stop it. "That's right."

"This is too good to be true!" Harry turned to Dumbledore in horror.

"Headmaster, no!"

"Quiet, Harry!" You snapped, fear in your eyes.

"Yes, shut up, Potter. So, you'll be coming with us to the Ministry−"

"Ah, yes. I was wondering when we'd hit that little snag." You looked at the headmaster in confusion.

"I see no snag, Dumbledore."

"But I do. You seem to be laboring under the delusion that I would 'come quietly'."

"Resisting arrest, now are you, Dumbledore?"

"Precisely. You see, I have absolutely no intention of going to Azkaban." The Auror next to Kingsley slowly moved his hand towards his pocket. "Don't be silly, Hawkes. Leave the wand there." The man stopped and everyone froze.