“Miss Crawford, Mister Malfoy, my office at once. The password is sherbet lemon” Dumbledore told Clara and Draco, his voice not raised, but his calm tone only unnerved Clara more. She walked briskly out of the corridor just as Lola began to stir, Draco at her heels. “Clara! Slow down!” Draco called, as Clara strode to the headmaster’s office. She was just so...angry. Draco grabbed her arm. “You have to calm down” . “You're telling me to calm down!?” Clara snapped. “One of my best friends is a death eater, working for Voldemort!”. “Keep your voice down” Draco half-whispered. Clara scowled. “Sherbet lemon” She snapped at the statue. Both her and Draco stepped into the headmaster’s office. Clara wrapped her arms around her shoulders, like she was giving herself a hug. Or trying to hold herself together. “I’m sorry” Draco whispered. “Not just about Lola, about our argument. I was wrong to say what I said”. “Did I just hear the great Draco Lucius Malfoy say he was WRONG?” Clara laughed. “Don’t let this go to your head, but I was wrong too. I shouldn’t have called you a coward.”. Draco smirked, probably already letting it go to his head. “Miss Hatchett is gone" a voice announced, and Professor Dumbeldore strode up to his desk. "Gone?!" Draco muttered. "Indeed, Mr Malfoy. When I came closer, I'm afrais smoke curled around Lola's body, and with a sharp 'crack' she was gone". "Apparition?" Draco suggested. "Haven't you ever picked up a book Draco, you can't apparate in or out of the castle" Clara piped up. "And her wand was at the other end of the hall, so that rules of non-verbal spells. The smoke must have come from something she was holding.". Dumbeldore watched Clara intently, like he could see the gears turning in her brain. "House-elves can apparate to places we can't though" Draco said. "So if Lola was to create the smoke, and a house elf apparated out with her without being seen..." Clara started. "Then she could leave untraced" Draco finished. Dumbeldore smiled at the two fith years, and rose from his desk. "I daresay it's time to break the news to the students, seeing as the ministry already knows.". "What, why?" Draco asked rather rudely, and Clara swiftly kicked him under the table. "I met Professor Umbridge on the way here, and had no choice but to tell her the truth, for covering it up would endanger our school" Dumbeldore explained patiently. But as they walked into the great hall, Clara came face to face with the minister of magic himself. And behind him was...her father, and Draco's father. Although Lucius wore a look of triumph, Harris looked scared. Fudge looked grim but stern, the way he always did when he had to...send someone to azkaban. No. "Harris Crawford, senteced to life in azkaban for allowing a death eater to get close to his daughter. In the presence of his children and nephew Fennec, we find him guilty." Fudge read out. Dumbeldore opened his mouth to speak, but Fudge was already ordering the aurors to take her father away. "You can't!!" Clara yelped. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she glanced at the Syltherin table. Harmony and Fennec were gripping Carter's robes to stop him from doing anything rash, all three of them wearing identical looks of horror. Three aurors gripped her father's arms and dragged him towards the doors. "Draco please, don't let him do this. Dad's all Carter and I have." Clara whispered pleadingly, her voice strained like a scream. Draco turned to look at her, and his expression told Clara that is was too late. Clara sunk to her knees and sobbed as her father was ripped from the Great hall, and her life, all in one foul swoop.
