Umbridge's breathing turned sharp and uneven—
"If Cornelius is injured... and I capture Dumbledore and Black..." she murmured, her eyes shining with greedy delight.
"Yes, I must write to the Department of Magical Transportation and the Auror Office!" Umbridge struggled to steady her expression, adopting a serious demeanor. "I dare not risk Dumbledore escaping—the loss to the Ministry would be too great... I believe Cornelius would support this course of action had he been here."
Watching Umbridge, now thoroughly duped, a barely perceptible smile touched Jon's lips.
Headmistress Dolores Umbridge had already seated herself at her desk, picking up a quill and parchment to begin writing furiously.
"You must choose the person you trust most, and under no circumstances reveal any details to them..." Jon whispered cautiously from the side. "Just tell them to do this!"
"Christopher, I understand..." Umbridge nodded earnestly.
She then carefully placed two letters in the talons of two owls, sending them off to the Ministry of Magic. With the letters dispatched, Umbridge appeared visibly pleased...
"Christopher, if I become Minister of Magic..." she said with a warm smile, "after you graduate, would you be interested in serving under me at the Ministry? I promise to promote you to Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic—my current position—within ten years."
"It would be my honor, Professor Umbridge," Jon replied, his face beaming.
"It's as good as done..." Umbridge murmured enthusiastically to herself. "If Cornelius is injured, my only rivals are Scrimgeour and Bones; but if I capture Dumbledore and Black, they won't stand a chance against me."
In her excitement, Umbridge caught sight of Hermione Granger, bound and left in a corner.
"And what shall we do with you, mudblood Granger?" She turned, her eyes flashing with malice. "I imagine you heard every word of my conversation with Christopher. Keeping you alive would be far too dangerous."
"Mmm... mmm... mmm..." Hermione, her mouth gagged, emitted muffled whimpers.
"Killing you would raise suspicions..." Umbridge muttered to herself again. "But if I just drive you mad with the Cruciatus Curse, it won't cause too much trouble..."
"...Exactly. The future Minister accidentally drove a Mudblood mad while hunting Dumbledore... I don't think that'll be a big deal!" Umbridge excitedly drew her wand. "Reflect on your actions, Granger... Who asked you to oppose me for the past year... I'll make sure the healers at St. Mungo's look after you for the rest of your days..."
"Cruciatus..." Umbridge screamed.
"Expelliarmus." A calm voice came from behind Umbridge.
...
As a woman who had climbed to the position of Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic at the Ministry of Magic, Dolores Umbridge was not a particularly skilled witch, but her experience in magic was extensive.
Under normal circumstances, she would never have been disarmed so easily by a fourth-year student.
It was purely because she trusted Mr. Christopher Patrick too much... This pure-blood Slytherin student had been her steadfast right-hand man since her arrival at the school, providing invaluable assistance...
Umbridge never imagined he would betray her at this critical moment.
"What are you doing, Christopher!" Umbridge demanded, her face frozen in shock.
"Don't call me Christopher anymore, toad Madam!" Jon said lazily. "Sorry, but I'm an undercover agent..."
"Reducto!"
"Incarcerous!"
"Levicorpus!"
One vicious Jinx after another struck Umbridge with pinpoint accuracy; she bounced through the air like a soccer ball.
Jon unleashed all the fury he'd bottled up inside for an entire semester.
"You're... Dumbledore's..." Umbridge murmured, coming to her senses.
"You guessed right!" Jon laughed. "If there's one person in this castle loyal to Dumbledore, it's me... Stupefy!"
As the final Stunning Spell struck Umbridge's head, the pink toad lost consciousness completely.
...
Jon turned to look at Hermione, cowering in the corner.
Fear filled Hermione's face, as if she feared Jon would silence her.
"Diffindo!" Jon pointed his wand lightly, severing the ropes binding Hermione's entire body.
"What are you doing..." Hermione asked warily, trembling as she watched Jon.
Jon first tucked his wand back into his pocket, then retrieved Hermione's wand and handed it to her.
Hermione stared at the scene before her, utterly bewildered.
"Who... who are you?" she stammered.
"Hermione, it's me!" Jon slipped off the iron ring on his finger and offered her a faint smile.
...
"Jon... Jon..." Hermione Granger felt as though something inside her mind had snapped open in that instant.
A flood of memories surged into her consciousness, making her head feel unbearably full...
"Jon... you weren't dead..." Hermione said, her voice trembling.
"Yes, I didn't die." Jon nodded.
"It was you who altered my memories in the Forbidden Forest… No wonder I couldn't find Viktor's letter… No wonder I inexplicably ended up in front of Hagrid's hut…"
"That's right, I did it. I'm sorry, Hermione," Jon continued to explain. "But I couldn't risk exposing myself in any way... And I didn't erase your memory, I just sealed it away, precisely so I could explain everything to you today!"
"Then what was the point of all this... Why didn't you just knock me?" Hermione Granger demanded, her voice trembling with emotion.
Jon raised a hand, signaling her to stop.
"Listen to me, Hermione," he pleaded earnestly. "I need your help, Hermione. Right now."
"Help? I'm the one who needs your help..." Hermione snapped out of her daze, grabbing Jon's sleeve urgently. "Jon, Siri... the You-Know-Who has captured one of our friends—in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic..."
"No!" Jon shook his head firmly. "It's a trap."