Jon Hart stayed in the fifth-floor corridor beside an empty storeroom, gazing out of the window at the castle grounds. In his hand, he held a small silver box, tossing it into the air from time to time and catching it again.
Because of the "intimidation" associated with the name Christopher Patrick, no student dared approach this area; at most, they glanced over from a distance.
"Jon… Jon…" A voice called from a portrait behind him. A chubby wizard with a red nose hurried in, panting heavily.
Headmaster Dexter Fortescue whispered, "That Slytherin boy you assigned to guard duty—he was lured off easily by a red-haired girl. Then Harry Potter and another brown-haired girl broke into Umbridge's office. And there's a red-haired boy standing watch outside the door…"
"Alright, I understand… Thank you, Headmaster Fortescue." Jon nodded and slipped the silver octahedron back into his pocket.
"Think nothing of it! It's my duty!"
Fortescue vanished from the portrait, and Jon headed downstairs. At the staircase landing, he ran into Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who looked as if they'd just finished their O.W.L. exam in A History of Magic.
Jon waved them over, and they quickly hurried to him.
"What's going on, Christopher?" Malfoy whispered.
"Harry Potter had someone distract Montague, then broke into Headmistress Umbridge's office," Jon said calmly.
Seeing Malfoy's face pale, Jon gestured for him not to panic and continued, "The Headmistress was likely lured away by his people as well. Take Crabbe and Goyle, find her, and round up all the accomplices Potter used to distract her."
Malfoy nodded. "What about the Headmaster's Office…?"
"It's fine. I'll check it now," Jon said with a smile.
...
The Malfoy trio rushed off, asking others along the way if they had seen Headmistress Umbridge.
Jon quickened his pace as well and reached the first floor.
At the end of the first-floor corridor, he spotted Ron Weasley skulking around nervously.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Jon raised his wand without hesitation and whispered the spell.
Ron Weasley froze instantly, his expression locked in place. His body stopped mid-motion, and he didn't even have time to make a sound. All he could do was glare angrily at Jon—though unfortunately, glares did no real harm.
Jon ignored him and kept quiet.
He slipped toward Dolores Umbridge's office.
The door stood slightly ajar—likely left that way by the intruders to make a faster escape.
Jon approached carefully and heard voices inside—
"Where's Sirius, Kreacher?" Harry Potter's voice sounded urgently.
A house-elf chuckled breathlessly.
"Master is out, Harry Potter."
"Where did he go… where did he go, Kreacher?" Harry's voice was tight with panic.
The house-elf only giggled.
"I'm warning you… Where's Lupin? Mad-Eye? Either one of them—is anyone here?"
"No one but Kreacher!" the house-elf announced gleefully. "Kreacher may soon be reunited with Mistress…"
"Harry, hurry… Luna and Neville can't hold Umbridge off for long, she could return any moment!" Hermione Granger's voice called anxiously. She seemed to be standing watch for him in the room.
"Where exactly did Sirius go… Kreacher, did he go to the Department of Mysteries?" Harry shouted.
"Master didn't tell poor Kreacher where he was going!"
"You know, don't you… You know where he is!" Mr. Potter's voice was nearly cracking.
"Master won't be returning from the Department of Mysteries. Kreacher can happily accompany Mistress forever…" the house-elf said excitedly.
"Harry, quick… Luna signaled us—something's wrong over there…" Hermione's voice sounded close to tears.
Jon decided the time was right. Based on the voices, he had already pinpointed the positions of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.
He kicked open the door to Umbridge's office and aimed at Hermione:
"Expelliarmus!"
Hermione Granger's wand shot into the air before she even realized what was happening. It clattered against a cabinet, and she was knocked back several steps.
Jon then turned his wand toward Harry Potter by the fireplace. "Expelliarmus!"
But Harry Potter reacted far faster than Jon expected.
He shot out of the fireplace—now covered in soot—and rolled across the floor, narrowly dodging Jon's second Disarming Charm.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled, firing the same spell back at Patrick.
Jon ducked behind the wall, letting the red beam punch a small hole in the door.
He didn't continue attacking. Instead, he calmly lowered his wand.
"Headmistress Umbridge!" Jon bent forward slightly, greeting Dolores Umbridge as she hurried down the corridor.
...
Harry's hand trembled as he held his wand.
Hermione sat on the floor, shaking even harder from fear.
From outside came more footsteps—judging from their uneven rhythm, it was certainly more than just Christopher Patrick.
Harry tried to resist a little longer, pointing his wand toward the doorway.
But then, from the wall behind him, a decorative plate with a kitten dropped suddenly—landing perfectly on his head.
Thud!
Harry's sight blurred into darkness. A thick rope wound itself tightly around him from head to toe.
Then a hand yanked violently at his hair—
In a sudden wave of terror, Harry looked up into Umbridge's pale, feverishly excited face.
She had been the one to conjure the rope. She snatched his wand from his hand—
From Hermione's direction came the sounds of a struggle, as if several people had surrounded her.
"Well done, Christopher!"
Umbridge's voice shed all its usual sweetness—it was icy enough to make Harry shudder.
She stared directly at him.
"Potter, I want to know why you were in my office."