Elizabeth Kane and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 12

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𝕴 𝖑𝖊𝖋𝖙 𝖀𝖒𝖇𝖗𝖎𝖉𝖌𝖊'𝖘 detention with Harry, my hand burning with pain. I went up to the Gryffindor common room with him. Hermione had our bowls of murtlap solution waiting for us.

"I still reckon you should complain about this." Ron said in a low voice as Harry and I took our seats. Crookshanks leapt up on Harry's lap and he scratched his head with his left hand.

"No" Harry and I said flatly together.

"McGonagall would go nuts if she knew-"

"Yeah, she probably would. And how long d'you reckon it'd take Umbridge to pass another Decree saying anyone who complains about the High Inquisitor gets sacked immediately?" Harry asked in a dull voice.

"It's like a communist takeover!" I said in an angry voice. Harry and Ron looked at me confused but Hermione said, "That's not a bad comparison."

"You're going to have to explain that." Ron said. "Is that a Muggle term?"

I nodded. "There's only a couple communist countries: Russia, China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Cuba. Basically, they have one person who runs the entire country and what they say goes- a dictatorship almost. Disobedience is punishable by death in some cases. Take China for instance. You can only have one child. If you have a second child, well you'd better kill it or the entire village is going to be punished for breaking the law. Historians have found wells that are filled with the skeletons of baby girls because the Chinese kill girls more than boys because boys are valued higher in their society."

Ron looked absolutely revolted and Harry was nodding his head slowly, "So the Ministry is like China and we're like a different country they're trying to take over?"

"Something like that." I said. "But more along the lines of being a state that is technically controlled by China, but had some freedoms, but now China is taking over again so they are pressing the ideals down on us harshly."

"She's an awful woman." Hermione said, coming back to the topic of Umbridge, "Awful. You know, I was just saying to Ron when you came in. . . we've got to do something about her."

"I suggested poison." Ron said in a grim voice and I laughed.

"No. . . I mean, something about what a dreadful teacher she is, and how we're not going to learn any defense from her at all." Hermione said.

"Well, what can we do about that? 'S too late, isn't it? She got the job, she's here to stay, Fudge'll make sure of that!" Ron said through a yawn.

"Well. . . you know, I was thinking today. . . I was thinking that- maybe the time's come when we should just- just do it ourselves." Hermione said in a nervous voice, shooting an even more nervous look at Harry.

"Do what ourselves?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Well- learn Defense Against the Dark Arts ourselves." Hermione said.

"Come off it." Ron said, groaning. "You want us to do extra work? D'you realize Harry and I are behind on homework again and it's only the second week?"

"But this is much more important than homework!" Hermione exclaimed and the three of us goggled at her.

"I didn't think there was anything in the universe more important than homework." Ron said in a frightened voice, exchanging a look with Harry.

"Don't be silly, of course there is! It's about preparing ourselves, like Harry said in Umbridge's first lesson, for what's waiting out there. It's about making sure we really can defend ourselves. If we don't learn anything for a whole year-"