Death Eaters... Forever?
Professor Umbridge
Harry didn’t speak for the whole train ride, seeming content to stare out the window instead. I took him aside briefly as we walked into the Great Hall.
“What happened last year – is it still bothering you?” I asked. Stupid question, I know, but I had to start somewhere. He simply nodded.
“There’s nothing you could’ve done to stop it, so try not to dwell on it. It helps to distract yourself,” I told him, knowing all I could really do was give advice and be there for him.
“Distract myself? It’s not that freaking easy, but you wouldn’t know, you’ve never seen someone killed in front of you!” He hissed angrily at me.
“And how do you know I haven’t?”
“Because… because you’re a happy rich pureblood!” I almost smiled at that. Almost.
“Don’t be so sure of that.” I left him to mull over my words.
Dumbledore was already standing, so I sat quickly at the Gryffindor house table (I almost never sat with my own house now) and waited for him to begin.
“Welcome, all, to another year of Hogwarts. There are two staff changes this year; Professor Grubbly-plank will be taking Care of Magical Creatures while Professor Hagrid is away. The second staffing change is your new Defence against the Dark Arts Professor, Dolores Umbridge. I expect you all to give her a warm welcome.”
Harry looked dumbfounded. “She was at my hearing – she works for Fudge,” he said.
Dumbledore continued once the brief clapping had died down. “Now, Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that-” He was interrupted by Umbridge, who cleared her throat daintily. It was the first time – possibly in the history of Hogwarts – that Dumbledore had been interrupted, and there was a shocked silence as Umbridge stood up.
“I thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. And how nice to see all your lovely young faces smiling up at me. I’m sure we’re going to become very good friends.” Her artificially sweet voice was making me feel sick.
“That’s likely,” the Weasley twins chimed sarcastically, and I giggled.
Dolores Umbridge – seriously, who calls their kid that – continued her speech.
“But what does it mean?” Harry asked once she’d finished.
“It means that the Ministry has decided to meddle in the affairs of Hogwarts,” Hermione replied harshly. I’d already figured that out, although it made it seem a lot more final when someone said it out loud.
That night, I slept peacefully, untroubled by nightmares. Unfortunately, I woke up early, smothered by my blankets. I was overheating, partly because I was now forced to wear long sleeved pyjamas. Luckily I didn’t have to wait long until winter set in.
That day, my first class was Defence against the Dark Arts. Because I hadn’t seen Severus, I didn’t know whether he was still taking my Dark Arts lessons. And anyway, the new Professor probably didn’t know, and would think I was skipping class, so I decided to join her class for today, at least.
She was wearing a delightfully pink outfit, much like the one of the day before, and I couldn’t help but make a face, to which Hermione, who was sitting beside me, giggled.
“Today, you will be reading the first chapter of this book for me. There will be no need to talk,” she said pleasantly. The book in question was called Defence against the Dark Arts for Beginners. I suppressed a groan. My pureblood parents had forced me to memorise this book, and others like it, ‘for my own good’. Ugh.
“Is anything the problem, dear?” She asked me in her horribly fake voice.
“Yes, actually there is. Professor Snape taught me Defence against the Dark Arts advanced last year, and I was hoping that I could continue my classes with him.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, but I’m the only one who will be teaching you Defence against the Dark Arts,” she replied, smiling. Or at least I think that show of teeth was a smile, I thought as she walked away. I sighed.
“Miss, there’s nothing in here about using defensive spells,” Hermione said, confused.
“Using spells? Why, I can’t imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell,” Umbridge replied with a nervous laugh. “You surely aren’t expecting to be attacked during class?”
“We’re not going to use magic?” Ron asked incredulously.
“Students will raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class,” she snapped angrily. “Now, this will be sufficient knowledge to get you through your OWLs, and after all, isn’t that what school is all about? You will be learning defensive spells in a risk-free, safe environment.” I officially hated the woman.
“But if we’re going to be attacked, it won’t be risk-free, will it?” Harry had a point.
“Who, do you imagine, might want to attack children, like yourselves?” I bristled at this, but calmed myself down enough to realise that technically, we were all children.
“Oh, I don’t know, Lord Voldemort?” Harry replied venomously. The class was deadly silent as the students took this in.
“Let me make this quite clear. You have been told that a certain Dark Lord is back. This is a lie-”
“It’s not a lie! I saw him, I fought him!”
“Detention, Mr Potter!” Umbridge interrupted shrilly.
“Right, so according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?” Harry replied, not caring that he was digging himself a hole.
“Cedric Diggory’s death was a tragic accident-”
“It was murder! You must know that!”
“After class, my office, Mr Potter!” She smiled sweetly.
No one dared to talk after that – except me.
“Miss, I already know this book off by heart,” I told her sincerely.
“You can’t have,” she replied daintily.
“I learnt it when I was younger,” I replied. Stupid woman, thinks she knows everything…
“Well learn it again,” she replied dangerously.
“No. I am not learning something I already know,” I replied. I know, bad move, but did I really care? No.
“You will do as I tell you!” I smirked. I’m gonna have fun saying this.
“You sound just like Voldemort! Ordering people round as if you own them, drunk on your own sense of power!” I was waiting for her pea-sized brain to explode, but instead, she reached for control once again with those final words.
“Detention after class!”
“What happened last year – is it still bothering you?” I asked. Stupid question, I know, but I had to start somewhere. He simply nodded.
“There’s nothing you could’ve done to stop it, so try not to dwell on it. It helps to distract yourself,” I told him, knowing all I could really do was give advice and be there for him.
“Distract myself? It’s not that freaking easy, but you wouldn’t know, you’ve never seen someone killed in front of you!” He hissed angrily at me.
“And how do you know I haven’t?”
“Because… because you’re a happy rich pureblood!” I almost smiled at that. Almost.
“Don’t be so sure of that.” I left him to mull over my words.
Dumbledore was already standing, so I sat quickly at the Gryffindor house table (I almost never sat with my own house now) and waited for him to begin.
“Welcome, all, to another year of Hogwarts. There are two staff changes this year; Professor Grubbly-plank will be taking Care of Magical Creatures while Professor Hagrid is away. The second staffing change is your new Defence against the Dark Arts Professor, Dolores Umbridge. I expect you all to give her a warm welcome.”
Harry looked dumbfounded. “She was at my hearing – she works for Fudge,” he said.
Dumbledore continued once the brief clapping had died down. “Now, Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that-” He was interrupted by Umbridge, who cleared her throat daintily. It was the first time – possibly in the history of Hogwarts – that Dumbledore had been interrupted, and there was a shocked silence as Umbridge stood up.
“I thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. And how nice to see all your lovely young faces smiling up at me. I’m sure we’re going to become very good friends.” Her artificially sweet voice was making me feel sick.
“That’s likely,” the Weasley twins chimed sarcastically, and I giggled.
Dolores Umbridge – seriously, who calls their kid that – continued her speech.
“But what does it mean?” Harry asked once she’d finished.
“It means that the Ministry has decided to meddle in the affairs of Hogwarts,” Hermione replied harshly. I’d already figured that out, although it made it seem a lot more final when someone said it out loud.
That night, I slept peacefully, untroubled by nightmares. Unfortunately, I woke up early, smothered by my blankets. I was overheating, partly because I was now forced to wear long sleeved pyjamas. Luckily I didn’t have to wait long until winter set in.
That day, my first class was Defence against the Dark Arts. Because I hadn’t seen Severus, I didn’t know whether he was still taking my Dark Arts lessons. And anyway, the new Professor probably didn’t know, and would think I was skipping class, so I decided to join her class for today, at least.
She was wearing a delightfully pink outfit, much like the one of the day before, and I couldn’t help but make a face, to which Hermione, who was sitting beside me, giggled.
“Today, you will be reading the first chapter of this book for me. There will be no need to talk,” she said pleasantly. The book in question was called Defence against the Dark Arts for Beginners. I suppressed a groan. My pureblood parents had forced me to memorise this book, and others like it, ‘for my own good’. Ugh.
“Is anything the problem, dear?” She asked me in her horribly fake voice.
“Yes, actually there is. Professor Snape taught me Defence against the Dark Arts advanced last year, and I was hoping that I could continue my classes with him.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, but I’m the only one who will be teaching you Defence against the Dark Arts,” she replied, smiling. Or at least I think that show of teeth was a smile, I thought as she walked away. I sighed.
“Miss, there’s nothing in here about using defensive spells,” Hermione said, confused.
“Using spells? Why, I can’t imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell,” Umbridge replied with a nervous laugh. “You surely aren’t expecting to be attacked during class?”
“We’re not going to use magic?” Ron asked incredulously.
“Students will raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class,” she snapped angrily. “Now, this will be sufficient knowledge to get you through your OWLs, and after all, isn’t that what school is all about? You will be learning defensive spells in a risk-free, safe environment.” I officially hated the woman.
“But if we’re going to be attacked, it won’t be risk-free, will it?” Harry had a point.
“Who, do you imagine, might want to attack children, like yourselves?” I bristled at this, but calmed myself down enough to realise that technically, we were all children.
“Oh, I don’t know, Lord Voldemort?” Harry replied venomously. The class was deadly silent as the students took this in.
“Let me make this quite clear. You have been told that a certain Dark Lord is back. This is a lie-”
“It’s not a lie! I saw him, I fought him!”
“Detention, Mr Potter!” Umbridge interrupted shrilly.
“Right, so according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?” Harry replied, not caring that he was digging himself a hole.
“Cedric Diggory’s death was a tragic accident-”
“It was murder! You must know that!”
“After class, my office, Mr Potter!” She smiled sweetly.
No one dared to talk after that – except me.
“Miss, I already know this book off by heart,” I told her sincerely.
“You can’t have,” she replied daintily.
“I learnt it when I was younger,” I replied. Stupid woman, thinks she knows everything…
“Well learn it again,” she replied dangerously.
“No. I am not learning something I already know,” I replied. I know, bad move, but did I really care? No.
“You will do as I tell you!” I smirked. I’m gonna have fun saying this.
“You sound just like Voldemort! Ordering people round as if you own them, drunk on your own sense of power!” I was waiting for her pea-sized brain to explode, but instead, she reached for control once again with those final words.
“Detention after class!”