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Marietta was standing exactly where Umbridge had released her. 'I mean, yes - you're right, Shacklebolt - I - I forgot myself.' 'No,' said Umbridge breathlessly, glancing up at the towering figure of Kingsley. 'You don't want to get yourself into trouble, now.' 'You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge,' said Kingsley, in his deep, slow voice. 'I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores,' said Dumbledore and, for the first time, he looked angry. Umbridge leapt back from Marietta, waving her hands in the air as though they had been burned. A split second later Dumbledore was on his feet, his wand raised Kingsley started forwards and Professor Umbridge seized Marietta, pulled her round to face her and began shaking her very hard. So unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign-language as yet unknown to humans -' 'Well, usually when a person shakes their head,' said McGonagall coldly, 'they mean “no”. 'There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Potter was the leader, was he not, Potter organised it, Potter - why are you shaking your head, girl?' 'But there was a meeting tonight!' said Umbridge furiously.
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'I would have thought her meaning was quite clear,' said Professor McGonagall harshly, 'there have been no secret meetings for the past six months. 'What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?' said Umbridge in a testy voice.
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'I don't think you understood the question, did you, dear? I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?'
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Umbridge looked quickly at Fudge, then back at Marietta. And then - to Harry's utter amazement -Marietta shook her head. Perhaps it was a trick of the firelight, but her eyes looked oddly blank. Only her eyes were visible between the pulled-up robes and her curly fringe. 'Just nod or shake your head, dear,' Umbridge said coaxingly to Marietta, 'come on, now, that won't re-activate the jinx.'Įveryone in the room was gazing at the top of Marietta's face. This was it, they had hit a dead end of solid evidence that not even Dumbledore would be able to shift aside. Harry felt a horrible plummeting in his stomach. Have they been happening regularly over the last six months?' You can simply nod or shake your head, I'm sure that won't make the spots worse. 'Miss Edgecombe,' said Umbridge at once, 'tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. 'I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight.' 'Oh, can she tell us about six months' worth of meetings?' saidĭumbledore, raising his eyebrows. 'Have you not been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?' 'Evidence?' repeated Umbridge, with that horrible wide toad-like smile. He could have sworn, too, that he felt something brush against his side, a gentle something like a draught or bird wings, but looking down he saw nothing there. Do you have any evidence that any such meetings continued?'Īs Dumbledore spoke, Harry heard a rustle behind him and rather thought Kingsley whispered something. 'Well,' said Dumbledore, surveying her with polite interest over the top of his interlocked fingers, 'they certainly would be, if they had continued after the Decree came into effect. If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since most certainly are.' 'That's all very fine, Headmaster,' she said, smiling sweetly, 'but we are now nearly six months on from the introduction of Educational Decree Number Twenty-four. Fudge remained motionless in mid-bounce, his mouth hanging open. Percy looked as though he had been struck in the face by something very heavy. If you remember, the Ministry Decree banning all student societies was not put into effect until two days after Harrys Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules at all in the Hog's Head.' I am merely pointing out that Dolores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that time, illegal. 'Cornelius, I do not deny - and nor, I am sure, does Harry -that he was in the Hog's Head that day, nor that he was trying to recruit students to a Defence Against the Dark Arts group. Then he saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore was smiling gently, too.