A Glimpse Beyond - Echoes of a different star

Chapter 5 - The Reckoning Begins

As the screen flickered to black, the hall was left in silence, but the weight of what they had just witnessed lingered heavily. Esmeralda's promise to Harry, the revelation of the Ministry's manipulations, and the strategic dismantling of Umbridge's power-it all hit far too close to home. This wasn't just a distant scene from another reality; it was a reflection of what was happening right now at Hogwarts, in the wizarding world, under Fudge's regime.

The students and professors were grim-faced, exchanging nervous glances. This was the first time they had seen something that resonated so deeply with their current situation. The idea that Harry Potter was lying had been ingrained in many of them by the Ministry, but after hearing Esmeralda so clearly outline the Ministry's lies, many were questioning everything they had been told. Especially those who had suffered under Umbridge's reign of terror-they knew, without a doubt, that Esmeralda was right.

But the silence didn't last long. The scene had barely ended when Cornelius Fudge started ranting again, but this time, the hall was different. His shrill voice no longer commanded the same fear or authority.

"All of this is lies!" Fudge bellowed, waving his arms dramatically. "This is Potter's delusion, some twisted fantasy to make himself the hero! None of this is true! You've all seen how unstable he's become-how his mind is clearly broken after the events of last year. He's just seeking fame!"

But his words, once able to sway crowds, were met with grim silence. The students were no longer merely listeners. They were part of this now. Umbridge's cruelty was not a fantasy-it was their reality.

A figure stood up from the Hufflepuff table. It was Justin Fletchley, his face set in a determined expression. "Minister, with all due respect," he started, his voice ringing through the hall, "we've all seen what Professor Umbridge has done. You may want to call it lies, but we have proof."

He extended his hand, pulling up his sleeve to reveal red, jagged scars on his hand, spelling out the words "I must follow rules ." The hall gasped, the reality of the situation finally sinking in for many who hadn't known how far things had gone.

Hannah Abbott, sitting next to him, followed suit. "We were punished for no reason. And it wasn't just us. We were tortured for reading books, for questioning her decrees. Some of us were hurt for speaking out against her!"

Suddenly, dozens of students across all the houses were standing up, revealing the cruel punishments they had endured at the hands of Umbridge. The hall erupted into murmurs-there were too many to ignore. Students from every house-Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and  Hufflepuff had been victims.

"And what was the point of her hundreds of decrees?" A voice from the Ravenclaw table called out, indignant. "No more than an excuse to humiliate and control us! What kind of education is that? If anything, she was making sure we learned nothing at all."

Viktor Krum, sitting with his arms crossed, looked unimpressed as he turned to Fudge. "Reading books? Is this what Hogwarts calls magic?" he asked, his thick Bulgarian accent cutting through the noise. "No offense, but in my country, magic is taught by practice, by spellcasting. Not by... reading books all day long."

Beside him, Fleur Delacour nodded, her silver-blonde hair glinting in the torchlight. "I 'ad no idea your education system 'ad fallen zis low," she said, her French accent lilting but laced with disdain. "'Ogwarts was once ze finest school, non? But it seems..." she trailed off, shaking her head.

These remarks did not go unnoticed. International scrutiny was now falling upon the Ministry of Magic, and it was clear that Fudge's regime was losing all credibility.

Before Fudge could respond, the air in the room shifted as more students spoke up, voicing their anger.

"We've been enduring this for a year," shouted Neville Longbottom, standing with a steely expression on his usually soft face. "She made it impossible to practice magic. She punished us for everything-even the smallest things. We've been living in fear, not education!"