𝖘𝖎𝖗𝖊𝖓 - d. malfoy

XI - defense against fashion atrocities

"Merlin," Arabella whispered to Pansy as they walked into the DADA classroom. Professor Umbridge was already present, sitting at a desk and wearing her atrocious pink sweater from the night before. "Look at her, I think I might vomit."

Pansy laughed and whispered back, "I would say she looks like a troll, but that would be an unfair comparison. For the troll."

The girls found a seat next to Blaise and Draco as a simpering voice rang out, "Well, good afternoon!"

"Good afternoon," a few people mumbled.

"Tut, tut, that won't do, now, will it?" Umbridge reprimanded. "I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," the students repeated back to her.

"There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."

"Ugh, really?" Pansy sighed as she tucked her wand into her bag.

Isn't this supposed to be a practical class?

Professor Umbridge stood and tapped her wand on the board. The words, "Defense Against The Dark Arts, A Return To Basic Principles" appeared in ostentatious handwriting.

"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?"

Arabella doodled on her parchment as Umbridge continued talking about the new, Ministry-approved, edition of the course.

Ugh, could this get any more tedious?

Arabella tuned back in to hear instructions to begin reading their textbook quietly and cracked open her book. From the very first line, the text was dreadfully boring and unnecessarily florid, and she felt her concentration start to slip. After reading the same page multiple times in a row and retaining absolutely nothing, she went back to drawing. She had sketched a rather unflattering, though arguably accurate, portrait of the professor and continued adding little details, laughing internally as she did.

A little while later, Arabella looked up to see many of the students in her class staring at Hermione, who sat with her book closed and hand in the air. Professor Umbridge looked to be purposefully ignoring her. More and more students began to look at Hermione, prompting the Professor to finally respond, "Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?"

"Not about the chapter, no."

"Well, we're reading just now. If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class," Umbridge said condescendingly.

"I've got a query about your course aims," said Hermione.

Everyone was now watching the interaction, textbooks long forgotten.

"There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

"Using defensive spells?" said Umbridge. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

"We're not going to use magic?" Arabella and Ron asked at the same time.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr. and Ms — ?"

"Weasley," "Amour."

Multiple hands shot up, including Hermione's.

"Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?"