Bab 28: Deception and Distraction
Their plan to get the Pensieve was very straight forward. At dinner that evening Harry would make sure he got close enough to Malfoy to ensure the ferret would say something about Harry and Hermione being together in a derogatory fashion. If he didn't, they were sure Ron would say something stupid.
Either way Harry would make sure the argument was loud and lasted for a few minutes. In the meantime Hermione after being seen in the Great Hall, would slip away and under the invisibility cloak sneak into Snape's office and hopefully make off with the Pensieve. Since they were unsure about any tracking charms that might be on the memory device, they decided to hide it in the Room of Requirements.
Harry almost smiled when he heard a familiar sneer of a voice as he walked from the Gryffindor table to talk to Luna since the Ravenclaw table was right next to the Slytherin table. "So Potty, I never thought you would ever sink so low as to actually date the mudblood, or is she providing you with 'distractions' as a good servant should."
"It's on Hermione. Ferret boy never could keep his mouth shut," Harry thought to Hermione who was near the entrance to the Dungeons under the cloak," I will have everyone's attention shortly and Snape is at the Head Table."
"Just don't overdo it," Hermione replied. "Remember he has Umbridge on his side."
Raising his voice to make sure the people around them could hear him, "I guess your father knows all about being a servant doesn't he?" Harry replied evenly to Draco. "Tell me, does your mother kneel before the Dark Lord also?"
"Leave my mother out of this scarhead!"
"You mean she doesn't offer, what was the word you used, 'distractions' to Voldemort? Maybe it's your father then, is that the reason he spends so much time on his knees in front of Voldemort?"
All eyes were now turned toward the pair. Draco's face had turned scarlet as he bolted from his seat. His hand dove into his pocket for his wand but before he pulled it out a sneer crossed his face as he looked past Harry.
From behind him, Harry heard a sound he never wished to hear again.
"Hem hem," Came the sickly sweet cough of Professor Umbridge. "Whatever is going on here Mr. Potter?"
"Is Snape still there? His door was locked and I had to unlock it," Hermione asked. "I want to make sure he didn't have wards he can detect."
Harry glanced toward the head table where he saw Snape was still sitting there staring at him with a greasy smirk on his face. Harry could also see Professor McGonagall looking at him; her eyes clearly pleading for him to not make it worse.
"He's still here," Harry replied to Hermione before he turned to face Umbridge. His eyes locked on her beady toad eyes. "Nothing Professor."
"That is Headmistress Umbridge to you Mr. Potter," Umbridge said as she swelled in her own imagined importance. Even that effect seemed to imitate a toad breathing. "Now I clearly heard you refer to a certain Dark Wizard. Are you telling your lies again Mr. Potter?"
"I was only responding to an insult by Ferret, I mean Malfoy here to a friend of mine," Harry replied. "Unless you think someone of his," Harry mimicked the sneer Malfoy always used, "breeding, would listen to my lies, as you call them."
"That will be thirty points from Gryffindor for the insult to a member of my Inquisitorial Squad," Umbridge said quickly. "I can personal attest to young Malfoy's family, as they are good friends with the Minister and myself. Now anything further from you Mr. Potter and you will be serving detention."
"Got it," Hermione said. "And back out of his office."
Harry forced himself not to smile. His eyes flickered up to the staff table where he made certain that Professor Snape was still in his seat and then again at Professor McGonagall who seemed to be holding her breath. "Yes Professor."
With an air of superiority Umbridge said, "Very well then."
Harry strolled past Umbridge to a chair next to Luna, who again sat alone. As he took the chair to Luna's left, he allowed himself a quick look at the head table once more. When he did, he found McGonagall looking back at him. The goblet in her hand dipped slightly in his direction. Harry returned a small nod and turned to greet Luna. Five minutes later Hermione joined them, apologizing for being delayed in the bathroom so the people nearby would hear. They made sure that neither of them left the Great Hall again before Professor Snape did.
To continue providing themselves with an alibi, Harry and Hermione went to the library immediately after dinner. Hermione asked Madam Pince several questions unique enough to stand out in her memories, but not enough to seem suspicious. They then sat at a table near the Librarian's desk and studied for their OWLs.
"Do you know how to work it?" Hermione asked.
"Both Snape and Dumbledore just put their memories in it and it worked. Same as with Snape's memories," Harry explained. "The question is how to get the memories out of our minds. Any ideas on that?"
"Not really."
"Maybe Sirius knows," Harry suggested.
"Maybe," Hermione replied as she scanned the library wanting to go grab books on the subject of memories. An urge she had to battle with. "I better not get books on it yet, or it could be suspicious."
"You said I have Divinations and Defense tomorrow afternoon?" Harry asked.
Hermione looked at her planner again. "Yes."
"Well I'm not taking Divination OWL anymore, so there is no need to go to that class, and we could skive off Defense and have the whole afternoon to figure out how to work it," Harry said.
"What would Umbridge do?" Hermione asked.
"Who cares?"
History of Magic the next morning was more boring than Harry ever remembered it being. He forced himself to stay awake for Hermione's sake as Professor Binns reviewed for the OWLs. Some of it he remembered on the test from two years earlier, and some from Hermione's notes they had reviewed the previous day, but most of it he never remembered. Hermione would say things like "This isn't on the test" or "The OWL has an essay requirement on this topic," Allowing Harry to focus on what was important.
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