The Sunrise of My Heart
Chapet Fifty-six: A Sacking and a Centaur
February bled into March, although there was hardly a change in the bleak weather. Harry seemed to be getting more and more frustrated with his Occlumency lessons, and I can't say I blame him. Considering how much Snape hated Harry, I doubt he was making it easy on Harry. But Harry also thought that Snape was intentionally making it harder for him to close his mind against Voldemort's, which I doubted was true.
One day in March, a great commotion started up in the Great Hall, and it sounded like a woman was screaming. Curious and a little worried, I followed the sound, pushing past a crowd of spectators so I could see what was going on. There, in the middle of the entrance hall, was Professor Trelawney. She looked completely crazed, but that was not the full reason people were gathering about. Next to her lay two trunks, looking as if they had been carelessly tossed at her.
"No! NO! This cannot be happening.... It cannot.... I refuse to accept it!" She was shrieking and blubbering out words, adding to her crazed effect.
I started to wonder what exactly was happening, although I could pretty much guess, when I heard an annoying, high girlish voice answer her. "You didn't realize this was coming?" Umbridge asked, sounding amused. "Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realized that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable you would be sacked?"
"You c-can't!" Trelawney howled, crying harder. "You c-can't sack me! I've b-been here sixteen years! H-Hogwarts is m-my h-home!"
"It was your home," Umbridge answered, putting special emphasis on 'was'. She was smiling like some fat, pleased toad who had just devoured a large fly. "Up until an hour ago, when the Minister for Magic countersigned the order for your dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this hall. You are embarrassing us."
I glared at Umbridge as she gloatingly watched Trelawney sob, wishing I could get her back for every evil thing she'd done to our school. When I saw movement and heard footsteps, I turned to see Professor McGonagall marching towards Trelawney, giving her a handkerchief and patting her back comfortingly.
"There, there, Sibyll... Calm down... Blow your nose on this... It's not as bad as you think, now... You are not going to have to leave Hogwarts."
"Oh, really, Professor McGonagall?" Umbridge asked in a deadly tone. "And your authority for that statement is...?"
"That would be mine," said Dumbledore from somewhere near the front doors. I silently gave a cheer of joy, glad to see Umbridge knocked down a few steps.
"You, Professor Dumbledore?" she asked with an evil little laugh. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position. I have here an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister of Magic. Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation, and sack any teacher she -that is to say, I- feel is not performing up to the standard required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her."
"You are quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge," Dumbledore answered, smiling kindly. "As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid that the power to do that still resides with the headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts."
Trelawney started to say she would just leave, but Dumbledore would hear none of it. "Might I ask you to escort Sibyll back upstairs, Professor McGonagall?" he asked, turning to her.
"Of course," she answered. "Up you get, Sibyll..."
"And what," Umbridge whispered, looking furious," are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divinations teacher who needs her lodging?"
"Oh, that won't be a problem," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "You see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and I think he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor."
"You've found--?" Umbridge began shrilly. "You've found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree Number Twenty-two--"
"--the Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if -and only if- the headmaster is unable to find one," Dumbledore finished for her. "And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded. May I introduce you?"
I eagerly stared at the open front doors, wondering who our new teacher would be. I paused when I heard hoofsteps, my breath catching in my throat. Could it be...? Through the darkness of the night emerged a handsome face with white-blond hair shockingly blue eyes attached to the torso of a man and the body of a palomino horse. I mentally squealed with excitement.
"This is Firenze," said Dumbledore happily to Umbridge, who looked thunderstruck. "I think you'll find him suitable."
There were excited whispers all around, some less enthusiastic than others. I noticed that the girls seemed to be more excited about Firenze's arrival than the boys did. After all, girls have always loved attractive boys and horses, and when you throw them together to create a magical being, you've got yourself a legend.
I, for one, actually knew Firenze, and I was pretty sure the only other student who'd really met him was Harry. I knew that Harry had met him while serving detention in his first year. I had met him because I sleep walk, and I would often wake up in the Forbidden Forest, being escorted back to the castle by him before some hungry beast could find me.
"Hello, Firenze," I said pleasantly, walking up to him.
"Good evening, Riley," he answered, dipping his chest so he could bow. "The stars foretold that we would meet again."
"One of these days, you're going to have to try to teach me how to do that."
"Perhaps I will try," he answered. Sometimes centaurs could be so evasive.
"So, I suppose a hug would be out," I said, wanting to hug this awesome creature. He paused, probably not sure what to say to that one, so I just shook my head. "Never mind. I'm just a huggy kind of person, so I like hugging friends and acquaintances and such when I see them again. Maybe just a hand shake?"
"A hand shake, then," he answered, smiling lightly. I shook his hand, smiled in farewell, and then departed, going to the Slytherin Common Room to finish up a few papers for Transfiguration and Potions.
One day in March, a great commotion started up in the Great Hall, and it sounded like a woman was screaming. Curious and a little worried, I followed the sound, pushing past a crowd of spectators so I could see what was going on. There, in the middle of the entrance hall, was Professor Trelawney. She looked completely crazed, but that was not the full reason people were gathering about. Next to her lay two trunks, looking as if they had been carelessly tossed at her.
"No! NO! This cannot be happening.... It cannot.... I refuse to accept it!" She was shrieking and blubbering out words, adding to her crazed effect.
I started to wonder what exactly was happening, although I could pretty much guess, when I heard an annoying, high girlish voice answer her. "You didn't realize this was coming?" Umbridge asked, sounding amused. "Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realized that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable you would be sacked?"
"You c-can't!" Trelawney howled, crying harder. "You c-can't sack me! I've b-been here sixteen years! H-Hogwarts is m-my h-home!"
"It was your home," Umbridge answered, putting special emphasis on 'was'. She was smiling like some fat, pleased toad who had just devoured a large fly. "Up until an hour ago, when the Minister for Magic countersigned the order for your dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this hall. You are embarrassing us."
I glared at Umbridge as she gloatingly watched Trelawney sob, wishing I could get her back for every evil thing she'd done to our school. When I saw movement and heard footsteps, I turned to see Professor McGonagall marching towards Trelawney, giving her a handkerchief and patting her back comfortingly.
"There, there, Sibyll... Calm down... Blow your nose on this... It's not as bad as you think, now... You are not going to have to leave Hogwarts."
"Oh, really, Professor McGonagall?" Umbridge asked in a deadly tone. "And your authority for that statement is...?"
"That would be mine," said Dumbledore from somewhere near the front doors. I silently gave a cheer of joy, glad to see Umbridge knocked down a few steps.
"You, Professor Dumbledore?" she asked with an evil little laugh. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position. I have here an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister of Magic. Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation, and sack any teacher she -that is to say, I- feel is not performing up to the standard required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her."
"You are quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge," Dumbledore answered, smiling kindly. "As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid that the power to do that still resides with the headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts."
Trelawney started to say she would just leave, but Dumbledore would hear none of it. "Might I ask you to escort Sibyll back upstairs, Professor McGonagall?" he asked, turning to her.
"Of course," she answered. "Up you get, Sibyll..."
"And what," Umbridge whispered, looking furious," are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divinations teacher who needs her lodging?"
"Oh, that won't be a problem," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "You see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and I think he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor."
"You've found--?" Umbridge began shrilly. "You've found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree Number Twenty-two--"
"--the Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if -and only if- the headmaster is unable to find one," Dumbledore finished for her. "And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded. May I introduce you?"
I eagerly stared at the open front doors, wondering who our new teacher would be. I paused when I heard hoofsteps, my breath catching in my throat. Could it be...? Through the darkness of the night emerged a handsome face with white-blond hair shockingly blue eyes attached to the torso of a man and the body of a palomino horse. I mentally squealed with excitement.
"This is Firenze," said Dumbledore happily to Umbridge, who looked thunderstruck. "I think you'll find him suitable."
There were excited whispers all around, some less enthusiastic than others. I noticed that the girls seemed to be more excited about Firenze's arrival than the boys did. After all, girls have always loved attractive boys and horses, and when you throw them together to create a magical being, you've got yourself a legend.
I, for one, actually knew Firenze, and I was pretty sure the only other student who'd really met him was Harry. I knew that Harry had met him while serving detention in his first year. I had met him because I sleep walk, and I would often wake up in the Forbidden Forest, being escorted back to the castle by him before some hungry beast could find me.
"Hello, Firenze," I said pleasantly, walking up to him.
"Good evening, Riley," he answered, dipping his chest so he could bow. "The stars foretold that we would meet again."
"One of these days, you're going to have to try to teach me how to do that."
"Perhaps I will try," he answered. Sometimes centaurs could be so evasive.
"So, I suppose a hug would be out," I said, wanting to hug this awesome creature. He paused, probably not sure what to say to that one, so I just shook my head. "Never mind. I'm just a huggy kind of person, so I like hugging friends and acquaintances and such when I see them again. Maybe just a hand shake?"
"A hand shake, then," he answered, smiling lightly. I shook his hand, smiled in farewell, and then departed, going to the Slytherin Common Room to finish up a few papers for Transfiguration and Potions.