Dumbledore's Army Incident

As if cursed by the god of bad luck, shortly after the Gryffindor Quidditch Team suffered a nightmarish match, an even greater storm was brewing.

On the night of February 24th, the sky above Hogwarts was overcast, and a cold wind swept through the castle's long corridors, as if whispering about the impending changes.

The members of the Dumbledore's Army once again gathered in the Room of Requirement on the Seventh Floor of the castle for secret magical training.

However, no one noticed a subtle anomaly— Marietta Edgecombe Eckmer was not present.

Most people assumed she had something urgent to attend to, since Dumbledore's Army gatherings weren't mandatory. But no one suspected that her absence signified a betrayal that had already begun.

Marietta Edgecombe's mother, Mrs. Edgecombe, was an employee of the Floo Network Authority Department of Magical Transportation of Ministry of Magic, and had previously worked under Umbridge. Umbridge constantly pressured Mrs. Edgecombe, implying that if her daughter continued to participate in "illegal organizations," she would lose her job and might even face further investigation and prosecution.

Under repeated threats and intimidation, Marietta Edgecombe finally broke down. Under extreme pressure, she compromised and revealed the secrets of the Dumbledore's Army to Umbridge.

Upon hearing the news, Umbridge was so excited he almost jumped out of his chair.

During this time, she had repeatedly run into obstacles with Skylar. Not only did she not have a chance to deal with Skylar, but she was also threatened by him, which made her feel very resentful and uncomfortable. But now, she finally found a breakthrough— Harry Potter.

If she can capture Harry, she can use Harry expulsion as a pretext to formally undermine Dumbledore's authority at Hogwarts!

Thinking of this, Umbridge's smile grew even more sinister and terrifying.

However, unlike Umbridge's ecstasy, Marietta Edgecombe instantly regretted it.

As she trembled as she relayed the information to Umbridge, she felt a sting on her face—and her heart sank when she looked down at her reflection in the glass.

Her face was covered in ugly pockmarks, which pieced together three striking words: "Informant"!

She abruptly covered her face, screaming in terror, tears welling in her eyes. She then realized that the parchment she had signed at the Hog's Head Inn had been cursed by Hermione!

But Umbridge didn't care at all, and didn't even bother to comfort her. She just glanced at her coldly and then immediately gathered her cronies— the Justice Inquisitorial Squad led by McLaggen.

After several months of development, the Justice Inquisitorial Squad has grown to a considerable size— with Cormac McLaggen as captain, Roger Davis as vice-captain, and Bradley, Chambers, Eddie Cammitchell, Skyler Fawcett, Marcus Belby, Stebbins, Summers, Harold Dingo, Patricia Stinson, Kenneth Toller, Farrell Bertha Jorkins, and Romilda Vannie, totaling 14 members.

It's worth mentioning that Roger Davis, as the captain of Ravenclaw's Quidditch team, originally disdained becoming McLaggen's sidekick.

However, due to the presence of Skylar in this world, this super playboy was rejected in public by Phoebe and Cho Chang one after another, and recently he was inexplicably dumped by his girlfriend Elusi Montgomery, whom he had finally won over.

All of this made him feel incredibly humiliated. He seemed to mature in an instant. His tall and powerful physique and athletic charm on the court were ultimately no match for his immense wealth and power. After being brainwashed by McLaggen, he finally became the latter's follower, trying to seize power. He would definitely make those girls who had humiliated him regret it!

They quickly assembled their forces, fully equipped and ready to go, their faces brimming with barely suppressed excitement, eager to embark on the arrest.

If you succeed in this great feat, Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic will surely reward you handsomely!

The thought made their blood boil, as if they had been infused with dragon's blood, and their steps became lighter. Some even rubbed their hands excitedly, their eyes gleaming with greed. They didn't care what Dumbledore's Army had done, only how much they could gain from this capture.

Meanwhile, Room of Requirement.

Everything seemed normal. Harry was teaching his friends advanced uses of the Shield Charm, Neville was practicing spells, and Ginny and Hermione were quietly exchanging new casting techniques. The room was filled with an atmosphere of learning. However, the next second, the Sneakoscope suddenly emitted a strange sound.

Harry quickly turned around, picked up the Foe-Glass next to the Sneakoscope, and gasped – the reflection was Umbridge's smug, chubby face!

"Run!" he shouted without hesitation, his voice booming through the room. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, their faces filled with terror.

Chaos erupted instantly.

Everyone rushed towards the exit, desperate to escape the sudden disaster. However, the doorway was too narrow, and more than a dozen people were all crammed together, creating chaos. Some stumbled and bumped into the walls, books and wands fell to the ground with a jarring sound.

Suddenly, a student at the door gave a strong push, and the first person finally rushed out.

"Run!" someone shouted.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor as they scattered like startled birds. Harry's heart pounded; he ran, praying they wouldn't be foolish enough to run straight back to their common rooms—if they did, they'd be caught immediately. His eyes darted around; the library and the Owlery were better hiding places, if they could slip inside in time—

But now he doesn't have time to worry about others; he has to protect himself.

He gritted his teeth, abruptly turned right, his target the boys' restroom ahead. If he could get inside, he could pretend he'd been there the whole time, which might fool the surveillance team.

However, just as he was about to reach his destination, he tripped!

"Ah--!"

Gravity suddenly became uncontrollable, and he was tripped and fell hard, losing his balance and crashing onto the floor. He slid six feet across the smooth stone tiles before finally coming to a stop, his knees and elbows burning with pain.

He looked up abruptly and met McLaggen's smug smile.

"Got you, Potter." McLaggen brandished his wand, a sneer playing on his lips, clearly pleased with the tripping charm he had cast.

What disgusted Harry even more was that Romilda Vannie was snuggling in McLaggen's arms!

She nestled against McLaggen's shoulder like a delicate cat, her eyes gleaming with undisguised adoration and excitement, as if capturing Harry were a source of immense pride. Her hand gently caressed McLaggen's chest, a forced, insincere smile playing on her McLaggen, tinged with fawning and obsequiousness—she was practically clinging to him.

"Oh, McLaggen, you're so amazing!" she said in a cloyingly sweet voice, her eyes filled with flattery and obsequiousness, her tone so delicate it was nauseating.

Harry felt a churning in his stomach. He stared at her, his face contorted with disgust, unable to suppress the nausea.

Romilda Vannie is a third-year student in Gryffindor, two years younger than Harry, and is an insignificant minor character in the original story.

In the original world, after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Harry went from being a universally despised conman to a hero who endured humiliation. Romilda, relying on her beauty, tried twice to seduce Harry into becoming her boyfriend. After failing, she even sent Harry a chocolate laced with Amortentia.

Clearly, she was a sycophantic, vain woman who liked to curry favor with the powerful. After McLaggen became the captain of the Justice Inquisitorial Squad and demonstrated his power and family background, she offered herself to him and became his inseparable McLaggen at Hogwarts.

"Disgusting." Harry suppressed his nausea and spat coldly.

However, Romilda didn't care at all. Instead, she straightened her back and a smug look appeared on her face, as if the stronger the person she depended on, the more noble she seemed.

Harry gripped his wand tightly, preparing to retaliate. Unfortunately, his movement was caught by McLaggen, a mocking glint in his eyes. The next second, he raised his leg and kicked Harry hard in the face, a clean and swift motion carrying a deliberate humiliation.

"Ugh!" Harry cried out in pain, his body falling backward as his wand slipped from his fingers. A sharp pain shot through his nose, and blood immediately gushed out. He covered his face, clenched his teeth, and was too pained to speak, only hearing McLaggen's triumphant laughter in his ears.

The next second, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar, followed by Umbridge's laughter.

"Heh heh heh, well done, McLaggen," she said in that nauseating voice, then raised her wand and gave it a light flick at Harry, who lay sprawled on the ground—

Invisible ropes suddenly shot out from the air and bound Harry tightly, binding him securely.

He struggled, but couldn't move at all; blood continued to flow from his nose, making him look utterly miserable. But deep within his pupils, a change began, an ominous black glint flashing within them.

"Come on, Potter." Umbridge, completely oblivious to Harry's strange behavior, grinned like a fat toad, her eyes gleaming with a morbid excitement. "Today you're going to be the protagonist of the most sensational scandal in Hogwarts history!"

Harry had never seen Umbridge so happy. Her left hand gripped his arm tightly like a vise, and she turned around with a beaming smile.

"Go see if you can catch a few more." She didn't forget to add to McLaggen's instructions, "Have others go to the library and check if there are any people out of breath... Also check the restrooms; Miss Vannie can check the girls' restrooms..."

"As for you," Umbridge said in a gentle yet terrifying tone as McLaggen walked away, "You're coming with me to the Harry 'Headmaster's Office, Potter."

A few minutes later, they arrived at the Headmaster's Office.

The office was packed with people, and the atmosphere was oppressive and tense.

Dumbledore sat calmly behind the table, his long fingers clasped together. Professor McGonagall stood stiffly beside him, her expression tense.

Beside the fireplace, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge stood ramrod straight, his expression excited, even swaying slightly back and forth, as if he had finally caught Dumbledore -handed. His eyes gleamed with smugness, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, clearly quite satisfied with the current situation.

On either side of the office doorway stood Scrimgeour and another Auror like guards. The Auror —John Dawlish, Fudge's confidant—was strong-looking, with short, straight hair, an expressionless face, and an aura of danger. Harry had never seen this man before, but judging from his posture and sharp eyes, he was clearly no ordinary person.

Behind Fudge, Percy Weasley, wearing glasses, stood expressionless, holding a quill pen and a thick roll of parchment, clearly ready to take notes at any moment.

"This is outrageous... an illegal organization has been formed in the school..." Harry heard Fudge shout, but there was no anger in his voice, only agitation.

Umbridge gave Harry no chance to deny it and quickly brought in Marietta Edgecombe as a witness. This time, Kingsley did not try to alter Marietta Edgecombe's memory. It could be said that the evidence against Harry for organizing illegal societies and gatherings was irrefutable.

To protect Harry from being expelled from the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore had no choice but to take the blame himself. In the end, it was a one-sided duel in which Dumbledore knocked out all of Fudge's men, and the entire Headmaster's Office was left in a mess.

Harry and Marietta Edgecombe were protected by McGonagall and escaped unharmed. Before the others woke up, Dumbledore entrusted Hogwarts to McGonagall, then grabbed Fawkes, who then Apparition him away.

The scene then rewinds to a few minutes earlier.

While the Dumbledore members in the Room of Requirement were in a panic, Cho Chang calmly cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself in a secluded corner, blending into her surroundings.

She frowned slightly, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes. Although it was only a matter of time before Dumbledore's Army's secret gathering was exposed, it happened much earlier than Skylar had anticipated (Cho Chang knew that Skylar possessed the ability to anticipate the enemy's moves and plan ahead, but she simply assumed he had Divination serving him). Skylar had clearly stated that it would be in April, but now it was more than a month earlier than expected. She wondered if this would affect his plans.

But she has more important things to do right now.

She walked to the door of the Room of Requirement, glanced at the list of the Dumbledore's Army members nailed to the door, and gave a disdainful sneer. No matter how much Skylar thought highly of Harry and Hermione's abilities in front of them, in Cho Chang's mind, they were just a bunch of immature kids who panicked when things went wrong. They even left this most crucial piece of evidence there, which would implicate everyone involved in the Dumbledore's Army.

She carefully removed the parchment with the name list from the door, folded it, and put it in her pocket. Then she activated the invisibility spell of the Night Phantom Wizard Robe and cast a Silencing Charm to ensure everything was in order before gracefully leaving the Room of Requirement.

Back on the Seventh Floor corridor, she watched in astonishment as members of the Justice Inquisitorial Squad ran about, shouting and busy arresting members of the Dumbledore's Army. The Justice Inquisitorial Squad were more numerous than she had imagined, and many of them were Ravenclaw. What surprised her most were Skyler Fawcett and Roger Davis.

The former is the 7th-year Prefect of Ravenclaw and the representative of Ravenclaw House; while the latter is the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team and holds the power to select team members.

It's unbelievable that they would become McLaggen's henchmen.

In that case, the Justice Inquisitorial Squad are significantly stronger than Dumbledore's Army. Of course, compared to the Sleeping Dragon Society, they are still far from being a match.

Soon, most of the fleeing members of the Dumbledore's Army were captured and brought back.

Cho Chang saw Kenneth Toller and Farrell Bertha Jorkins grab Ron's arms on either side, pinning him firmly to the spot. Poor Ron, one eye was swollen and red, clearly having been punched hard, and there was bruising at the corner of his mouth; he looked utterly wretched.

Meanwhile, Romilda Vannie returned. She grabbed Hermione by the hair and dragged her back. Hermione's hands were tightly bound behind her back, her face filled with anger and resentment.

"Let me go..." Hermione cried out, struggling, "Dumbledore's Army was founded by me, it has nothing to do with Harry..."

"Smack!"

A crisp slap echoed in the room, and Hermione's face snapped to one side, a bright red handprint instantly appearing on her fair skin.

"Shut your mouth, Granger." Romilda withdrew his hand, a mocking smile on his face, looking down at her. "Now you're no longer the tyrannical Prefect, just our prisoner. You should pray that none of you are expelled."