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—RIGEL, BLAISE, AND DRACO WALKED INTO THE GREAT HALL. It was now September 1st, meaning their fifth year has started.
The Entrance Hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast.
The four long house tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows.
Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes.
Rigel noticed people putting their heads together to whisper as he passed; he gritted his teeth and tried to act as though he neither noticed nor cared.
Nobody in the Wizarding world believed Dumbledore when he claimed that Voldemort was back, which Rigel simply loved. Meaning that Dumbledore was looking more and more like the fool he was everyday.
However, the problem was— Dumbledore had dragged Rigel's name into it, claiming that 'the-boy-who-lived believed him and was now having visions'.
If Rigel were to deny it, he could ruin Tom's plans, so he didn't even bother, even though Tom claimed that it wouldn't ruin his plans, Rigel still didn't want to risk it.
"Ignore them." Blaise comfortingly said as they sat down at the Slytherin table.
"Who's that?" asked Rigel, pointing towards the middle of the staff table.
Blaise's and Draco's eyes followed his.
They lit first upon Professor Dumbledore, sitting in his high-backed golden chair at the centre of the long staff table, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and a matching hat.
Dumbledore's head was inclined towards the woman sitting next to him, who was talking into his ear. She looked like somebody's maiden aunt: squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes.
Then she turned her face slightly to take a sip from her goblet and Draco saw, with a shock of recognition, a pallid, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.
"It's that Umbridge woman!" Draco whisper-shouted.
"Who?" asked Blaise and Rigel simultaneously.
"She works for Fudge! She's a nightmare. Father talked about her once." The Malfoy heir explained.
"Nice cardigan," said Blaise, smirking.
"She works for Fudge.." Rigel repeated, frowning. "What on earth's she doing here, then?"
