𝔵𝔵𝔵𝔦𝔦 | fifth year

                                    

                                          
Fifth year O.W.L.s come quickly, and I've never felt more underprepared for something in my life. Something in me just believed someone was going to step in and save us from Umbridge's reign of terror, but nobody ever came. 

                          
Night by night, I sat in rows of desks with the rest of the D.A., my hand bleeding and scabbing until it went numb, only to break through the scabs the next day with the same task. 
                          
Luckily, our last day of punishment happened to be the day before our first O.W.L., Charms. I sit in the great hall, which has been turned into an exam room, twiddling my thumbs, surrounded by other students that look to be having the same amount of trouble I am. 
                          
Umbridge stands in her menacing pink dress at the front of the room, a large pendulum swinging behind her. The whole scene is gravely apocalyptic. Draco's platinum blonde head is a couple rows in front of me, to the left. He scribbles away with his quill, seeming to somewhat understand the topic. 
                          
Seeing him, knowing the tension that hangs in the air between us, and how eagerly I want him to pull me into a broom closet again, makes it even harder to concentrate on the work in front of me. I doodle on the page, drawing flowers around my name, though I'm sure I'll get marks off for that from Umbridge. 
                          
Suddenly, a popping comes from behind the door in the back of the great hall. Everyone looks up from their test, eyeing Umbridge as she takes a deep breath. Another pop. Everyone turns around, looking to the door. She looks like she might blow a blood vessel as she starts walking down the aisle, her kitten heels tapping on the stone. 
                          
Another pop, and Umbridge opens the door. By now, everyone is muttering amongst themselves, wondering what could possibly be going on. 
                          
Suddenly, a golden sparkler appears in front of Umbridge's face, teasing her for a second before shooting into the great hall, leaving a golden trail behind itself. It bursts into a glorious array of white-blue fireworks. A couple students laugh, expressing their amazement. Umbridge looks furious. 
                          
Following the firework, Fred and George Weasley come shooting into the room on brooms, blowing everyone's tests up into the air and dropping fireworks left and right. The fireworks fly up into the sky and pop, sending golden drops of light down onto everyone. Cheers erupt from the room, and everyone gets up to watch the twins swirl around on their brooms. 
                          
Even Draco looks pleased at the antics of the Weasleys, and claps along with everyone else. There's nothing Umbridge can do about it. Fred throws a massive firework into the air, which transforms itself into a dragon and sets it's sights on Umbridge, "No!" she screeches, as the thing chases her out of the room, everyone cheering. 
                          
It bites down on her, not hurting her at all, but the sheer force of its impact shatters each and every one of Umbridge's decree's, causing them to fall off the wall. Surrounded by cheers and chants, I run out of the hall with everyone, following Fred and George outside. 
                          
They shoot off one final firework, lighting up the cloudy sky with a bright sunny W.  I even spot a couple teachers cheering for the boys. 
                          
In the hysteria, someone finds my hand in the crowd. I look over to find Draco, who pulls me a little too hard towards a breezeway. I groan, wondering what this could be about. 

                          
Once we find silence, he starts in on me, "We need to talk." I'm taken aback by the urgency in his tone. 
                          
"Talk about how you sold me and my friends out to Umbridge just because your Daddy wanted you to?" I question, letting everything I'm feeling spill out, "Or talk about how you pretty much used me as a meaningless hookup all winter and haven't spoken a word to me since? Take your pick." I cross my arms. 
                          
He sighs, obviously not ready for my anger at him, "I need to tell you something. It's serious," he looks gravely upset and stressed, "My father knows something. Something bad is going to happen at the Ministry tonight, and it's only right that I can offer that information up as an apology for getting you caught."

                          
"What?" I say, too many thoughts swarming through my head, "What do you mean something bad is going to happen."

                          
"There's something in the Ministry that he wants," He rubs his face with his hands. His hair is messy and he looks like he hasn't slept in days, "And he'll stop at nothing to get it."

                          
"Your father?" I pause, looking at him, "I don't understand."

                          
"Not my father. Voldemort." The name feels like a kick in the stomach. Draco must be kidding, "We can talk about the other stuff later, you just need to warn Potter."

                          
"Why would you want Harry to know about this. You hate him." I try to figure out what Draco is thinking, but he pushes me away. 
                          
"Just tell him, please," He thinks for a second, "Just figure something out about how you find out. You can't tell him it was me."
                          
"I–" I stutter, turning around to find Harry, but glancing back at the boy as he tells me to go over and over again. 
                          
What the hell just happened.