"Didn't know you was into gingers, Malfoy?"
"Shut up Weasley"
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Gemma Weasley shared many similarities with her siblings, the ginger hair, pale skin, freckles and a super sense of humour, yet she was the one that stood out from them all. Even her tw...
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The first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with Professor Umbridge was filled with an uneasy silence as we all shuffled into the classroom. Rumors had already been swirling around about the Ministry's new influence over Hogwarts, and the sight of Umbridge—a small, pink-clad woman with an unsettlingly sweet smile—confirmed them. She stood at the front of the room, watching us with that fixed, too-wide grin as we took our seats.
Harry and I shared a glance as we slid into chairs next to Ron and Hermione, and I could feel the tension radiating off of him. He'd been on edge since the Welcome Feast, and now, with Umbridge's presence, he seemed ready to snap.
Once everyone was seated, Umbridge cleared her throat with a high, girlish giggle that made my skin crawl.
"Good morning, children!" she chirped, clasping her hands together. "Wands away, please. There will be no need for them today."
Confused murmurs spread through the classroom, and we all hesitated. Hermione gave me a quick look, her eyebrows raised, before slowly tucking her wand back into her robes. Umbridge flicked her wand, textbooks began to fly infront of us, Dart Arts Defence: Basic for Beginners. I scanned the room making eye contact with Harry, we both were as confused as eachother, this book would teach us no spells to defend ourselves.
"As you may be aware," Umbridge continued, "the Ministry has decided to implement a new... more appropriate curriculum. We'll be focusing on a theoretical approach to Defense Against the Dark Arts. There will be no... dangerous spell-casting under my instruction. We are here to learn the theory, which is all you need for your exams."
I felt a spark of irritation rising in me, and I wasn't alone. Ron whispered something to Hermione, who looked equally frustrated, while Harry just stared at Umbridge, his jaw clenched.
"Excuse me," Hermione said, raising her hand. "But... isn't the point of Defense Against the Dark Arts to prepare us to defend ourselves?"
Umbridge's sickly sweet smile didn't waver. "There is nothing to defend yourselves against, dear," she replied, her voice patronizing. "The Ministry assures us that all is well. You are perfectly safe here at Hogwarts."
"So we won't be learning magic?" I say instinctively, looking up at Umbridge confused.
"You'll be learning about defensive spells but in a secure risk free way." She says back calmly.
"What use is that" Harry butts in. "If we're going to be attacked it won't be risk free."
"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class." Umbridge shots back, her voice raising slightly.
"It is the view of the ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations" She says at the front of the room. "Which after all is what school is all about." She carries on, making clear eye contact with Harry who looks like he's brewing to say something more.
