UnExpected

Chapter 16

MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM

DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR

Bad. Bad. Bad. Did she mention that this was bad? Reading the Daily Prophet over and over again, Buffy knew that this was what? BAD!

"So, what does it mean?" Susie asked her fretfully.

"It means that the old toad has been given more power than she deserves," Buffy bit out. Then looked to the girl with a mixture of ruefulness and anger. "And that everything's going to change."

"But-but I don't want things to change. Why do they have to change?"

"Because the Minister's an idiot," she huffed, folding up the newspaper and giving it back to the second-year she had borrowed it from.

Professor Dolores Umbridge First Ever High – well, we'll leave it as just plain high – was put in charge of evaluating the Hogwarts staff (along with playing insider spy for the Ministry no doubt). Meaning that for an undetermined amount of time, she would horn in on every teacher and interrupt their lectures, with her irritating 'hem, hem's. Reporting every detail back to Fudge and giving the sneaky suspicion that it wasn't only the lessons that Umbridge would be reporting back.

Another week, another detention. Harry really should learn to keep his mouth shut, especially in Umbridge's class. One would think the painful scar on the back of his hand would be reminder enough. But it was becoming clear that he just wasn't that clever. He had brought up Voldemort again, a hot button if there ever was one, when Umbridge had berated Hermione for asking questions during class, and Umbridge had noted that Professor Quirrell was the only good exception of the past Defence Against the Dark Arts professors they had, for sticking to age appropriate subjects, which lead to Harry loudly stating: 'Yeah, Quirrell was a great teacher, there was just that minor drawback of him having Lord Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head'. Now, here he was after another night of torturous detention, sitting around the common room with Ron and Hermione. His hand soaking in a bowl of yellow liquid that Hermione had given him to soothe the stinging.

"He really is out there, isn't he?" Hermione asked. The rolling of thunder nearly overpowered her words. Sirius had appeared to them in the fireplace just minutes ago. Putting Hermione in a firm state about learning defence against Voldemort. Seeing as the Ministry felt the need to hand them over on a silver platter. "We've got to be able to defend ourselves. And if Umbridge refuses to teach us how, we need someone who will."

"If you're talking about Lupin..." Harry began.

"No, no I'm not talking about Lupin. He's too busy with the Order, and anyway, the most we could see him is during Hogsmeade weekend, and that's not nearly often enough."

"Who then?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione said. "I'm talking about you, Harry."

"About me what?" he asked, not liking where this was going.

She gave a heavy sigh and met him square in the eye. "I'm talking about you teaching us Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Ron imputed, stepping into the conversation. "I mean, why not you?"

Harry had a sudden déjà vu moment. It was like the Goblet of Fire all over again. His name being picked out of the flames when he never put it in there in the first place.

"Let's face it, Harry. You're the best in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Think of all that you've done," Hermione told him.

"No, but I –"