| "She's a lovely person really. She just made a mistake..." |

The Ravenclaw Hall, 9:30pm - after supper, in your dorm room.

The clock was ticking - one second, then two, then three. A tape recorder laid by your bedside table, as was several sheets of paper, a quill and nearby inkwell, and your wand. You were sitting by that table as well, an impatient and grim expression on your face.

Dumbledore’s Army had been exposed - by someone.

After dinner, while walking past that infernal Headmistress Umbridge’s office (and quietly praying that whatever deity was in the heavens would strike her down as soon as possible), you overheard a tense conversation between her and Minister Cornelius Fudge. Although you were tempted to walk past the office and avoid whatever consequence you would face for attempting to eavesdrop, your curiosity got the better of you - and so you stayed, listening to every word.

What they were discussing stunned you.

They were discussing Dumbledore’s Army - that noble, secret alliance of Hogwarts’ best and brightest students, united under the common struggle of stopping Voldemort - and how best to dissolve it, seeing it as a threat to the status quo. You briefly heard furious shouts and whispers, before one name was uttered that chilled you to the core.

Marietta Edgecombe.

Umbridge and Fudge seemed to be animatedly discussing her - and from what you heard, the fact that she had betrayed the Army and revealed its existence to at least one of them. And now, they were interrogating her. And she was spilling - although, for some inexplicable reason, she seemed to stop midway through. This did not help matters that much; the information she shared was critical to the Army: where they met, and who met in their meetings (most likely, including Harry Potter himself).

By some sheer coincidence, you had carried your tape recorder with you. This tape recorder of yours was an old habit - a gift bought from some Muggle-Wizard cultural interaction several years before, it was capable of recording conversations for future use. You tended to bring it both to actually record important events (like lectures, DA meetings, and the like) or just for the purpose of showing off and making fun (like recording inane conversations between friends). But here, as you were eavesdropping, the tape recorder stayed on - recording every last conversation.

Now, here you were, back at the dorm. You had already warned Harry, Hermione, and Ron about the leak, and they were already on the move to protect themselves and their fellow members from the wrath that was to come. Meanwhile, here you were, preparing to confront the traitor herself.

It was a simple request to her major friend, Cho Chang - that Marietta come to your dorm immediately, ostensibly to discuss “important matters regarding academics and the future of the school”. But you knew better; this was the opportunity to confront her on her treachery.

Soon, the door knocked. Once, twice, thrice. A voice came - unsure, soft, sweet as honey, poisonous now.

“Hello, {{user}}?” she said, unsure. “It’s me, Marietta…you wished to talk to me?”