Adventures at Hogwarts

Chapter 27: Professor Umbridge

The next morning, Meg wandered to the Great Hall to eat with her friends. As she made her way down, many people were giving her glares and questionable looks. Once she made it to the Gryffindor table, she sat across from Hermione and Ron and sat next to Harry. The conversation was a bit dull, but it was still insightful. "I wonder what makes Umbridge think she has the right to walk around school like she's the queen of the world," Meg began. Harry responded in agreement, "Honestly, though. Plus, you saw Dumbledore's face when she interrupted him." The four laughed hysterically, and when the laughter dialed down a bit, Meg asked Harry one of the many questions she's had for months. "Speaking of Dumbledore, have you heard from him?" Harry shook his head and looked at his plate of food in despair. Neither him nor Meg had heard from Dumbledore in months and it was unnerving for both of them. Hermione then jumped in the conversation, "You all do realize what these events tie into, right?" The group shook their heads and she continued, "The Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts." Both Harry and Meg exchanged looks. With the Ministry interfering, that would mean that no one is safe.

On that happy note, the four walked to their first class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts with Umbridge. Neither of them were ready for this class this year. Yes, the past years had been interesting when it came to this subject, but with Umbridge teaching, all of them had a hunch that they wouldn't learn anything this year. As they all walked into the classroom, Meg bolted for the spot next to Draco in the back, Harry and Ron sat together towards the middle, and Hermione sat a desk cattycornered to theirs. Before class had started, and Umbridge was nowhere to be seen, the students started messing around a bit. However, not thirty seconds into the fun, Umbridge came in and put a stop to it. However, she did it standing at the back of the room, and when she greeted the class, everyone was shook. "Good morning, children." Once she said those three words, everyone turned towards the door in a bit of shock. She walked towards the board using her wand to write on it and began to teach. "Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. O.W.L.s, more commonly knows as OWLs. Study hard and you will be rewarded; fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe." At this point, she was standing at the front of the room talking to her students as if they were first years. She then waved her wand towards a pile of textbooks passing them out and continued. "Your previous in this subject has been disturbingly, uneven, but you will be pleased to know, from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry approved course in defensive magic." Once Meg received her textbook, she look at Draco and protested. "Textbook?!?! We're using textbooks?!?!" Draco didn't disagree with her, but he wasn't sure where Umbridge would be going with it. Hermione raised her hand and said, "There's nothing in here about using spells." At that comment, Umbridge mocked her, "Using spells? Haha, why I can't imagine why would need to use spells in my  classroom." Meg began to get heated; she protested, "We're not gonna use magic?!?!" Umbridge replied, "You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk free way." Meg took the protest even further. "What use is that? If we're going to be attacked it won't be 'risk free'" Umbridge began to get annoyed and shut Meg down. "Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class. It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge would be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which after all, is what school is all about." Meg got more heated, "And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" "There is nothing out there, dear. Who'd you imagine would want to attack children like yourself." "Oh I don't know, maybe Lord Voldemort." With that last comment, the entire room fell completely silent. Meg looked at Draco for support. "Am I right?" He responded, "Yes, but she's not going to admit it." After a long pause, Umbridge responded. "Now, let me make this quite plain. You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie." Harry picked up the protesting, "IT'S NOT A LIE! I SAW HIM, I FOUGHT HIM!" Umbridge responded, "DETENTION, MR. POTTER!" Harry continued, "SO ACCORDING TO YOU CEDRIC DIGGORY DROPPED DEAD OF HIS OWN ACCORD." "CEDRIC DIGGORY'S DEATH WAS A TRAGIC ACCIDENT." "IT WAS MURDER! VOLDEMORT KILLED HIM! YOU MUST KNOW THIS..." "ENOUGH!" At this point both Harry and Meg were through the roof at Umbridge. Meg, without hesitation stood up against Umbridge. "UMBRIDGE, WHAT HARRY'S SAYING IS INDEED, INFACT CORRECT! VOLDEMORT IS BACK AND THE MORE YOU AND THE FUCKING MINISTRY DENY THIS, THE MORE INIMANT AN ATTACK IS TO COME! SO I SUGGEST YOU GET YOUR FAT ARSE OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE AND CONSIDER TEACHING US ACTUAL MAGIC THAT WILL COME IN HANDY FOR US TO PROTECT OURSELVES, INSTEAD OF GIVING US THESE SHITTY TEXTBOOKS AND SAYING THIS IS THE BETTER WAY TO GO! HAVE I LEFT ANYTHING OUT?!?" Once Meg finished her speech in protest, the room was silent, and everyone just stared at her in awe. Draco also stared at Meg, not just in awe, but snickered to himself. He knew she would crack, he figured it would be later in the year, not the first day. Umbridge broke the silence, "See me later, Mr. Potter, Ms. McCown, my office." With that Meg grabbed her bag and stormed out of the classroom; Draco followed her to make sure she wasn't going to go on a killing spree. Umbridge did nothing to stop her and kept class going.

Once outside, Draco had caught up with Meg and began to congratulate her on her protest. "You're amazing! You're also a bit scary sometimes. You know that, brilliant and brave, but scary." Meg laughed, "Always the tone of surprise." Draco responded, "Not surprise, but an observation of wonderment." He then wrapped his arm around her and they went back to the Slytherin dormitory. Once there, they both sat in the common room talking. Draco began, "I had a hunch you would snap, I just figured it would be next month." Meg laughed, "I admit, I'm right there with you. The problem is, she's acting like she knows it all. Just because you work for Fudge does not mean you can just come waltzing into Hogwarts and take over everything." Draco agreed, "Yeah. According to father, no one at the Ministry likes her. Not even Fudge. Rumor has it that she hexed Fudge somehow and got the position of Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic." Meg replied, "I wouldn't put it passed her, and it wouldn't surprise me if that were true." Draco continued, "I take it you're not going to detention later on in the evening." Meg busted out laughing, "Are you kidding?!? I wouldn't set foot in her office even if I had four foot tall stilts on!" Draco laughed and scooted towards her on the couch and began to kiss her. Meg broke the kiss to tell him what she had wanted to tell him last night. "I felt him again last night. Only this time, he spoke my name. My real name." Draco's eyes widened. He figured her encounters would get more personal, but the main thing he was worried about was her getting hurt through her mind. Meg continued, "I don't know what to do. I can't keep this charade up forever! Something is going to happen and I'm not sure if I'm ready for that." Meg started to cry, but Draco took this as a sign and held her in his arms tightly. He calmed her down to a point where she ended up asleep in his grasp.

Meanwhile, earlier in the evening, Harry did go to Umbridge's office after classes ended to see what she wanted. Once he walked through the door, he was bombarded with pink aesthetics throughout the room. She motioned him to sit at a desk across from hers. When he sat down, he noticed that there was a blank sheet of parchment on top, but nothing else. Umbridge walked in front of him and began to explain. "You're going to be doing some lines for me today, Mr. Potter." As soo as Harry heard these instructions, he started to pull out one of his quills, but Umbridge stopped him rather quickly. "Not with your quill! You will be using a special one of mine." She handed him a black long quill that didn't look suspicious at all. Harry took notice that she didn't give him any ink. She, however, insisted he wouldn't need any. "Now, I want you write the following: I must not tell lies." "How many times?" "Let's just say, as many times as it takes for the message to sink in." Harry was rather confused, but he rolled with it. As soon as he started riding, however, the quill was doing something to the top of his left hand. As he wrote the words she wanted him to write, they would write in blood in his skin on his hand. His finished the first sentence, but he looked up at her as if she was insane. Umbridge asked him what the matter was; Harry refused to tell her, but she responded in the most horrid way possible. "That's right, because you know deep down, you deserve to be punished."

Once finished, Harry made his way back to the Gryffindor common room. He sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace and began to read. Hermione and Ron joined him and began to talk to him. Hermione was first. "What's wrong with your hand?" Harry tried to blow it off but Hermione was persistent. "You have to tell Dumbledore!" Harry refused, "No! Dumbledore has enough on his mind. Besides, I don't want to give Umbridge the satisfaction." Ron began to disagree, "Bloody hell, Harry, the woman is torturing you! If you parents knew about this..." "Well, I haven't got any of those have I, Ron!" Hermione spike again, "Harry, you have to report this! It's perfectly simple!" "No it's not! You wouldn't understand!" "Then help us to!" At that moment, Harry was pissed more than ever. He stormed to his room, sat on his bed, and contemplated life altogether. He decided that there was only one person he could talk to about this whole thing. Meg.