Shifted: Book Two

Chapter Twelve - First Day on the Job

"Bring it over here!", one student called out from one side of the classroom.

"Over here", said another.

Hazel and her classmates were sat at their desks, awaiting for their first lesson to begin; their Defence Against the Dark Arts class with their, rather unwelcoming new professor, Dolores Umbridge.

"Go on, Seamus, go on, get it", another student called out, as they watched Seamus catch a paper bird Padma had created.

The environment was joyous, but Hazel couldn't seem to feel happy at that moment. She sat next to Hermione, who was reordering her quill and ink pot neatly on the table, and to their left sat Harry and Ron, who both seemed rather tired and glum too.

Seamus and Dean exchanged ecstatic smiles and laughed as he smacked the magical thing, causing it to fly over to Draco and Crabbe. Crabbe stood up and used his slingshot to hit it to the front of the class room. However, the paper bird was quickly disintegrated into small amber, crimson and sooty flames. The entire class turned to the back of the room to be greeted by the cheerful lady in pink.

"Good morning, children", Umbridge welcomed with a cold yet happy tone.

She slowly walked to the front of the room, tapping her heels against the cobble ground as she stretched out her arm and pointed her wand to the chalkboard just ahead.

"Ordinary.. Wizarding.. Level.. examinations...", she spoke gently, as the chalk lifted in the air and spelled out what Umbridge was speaking.

"O.W.Ls.. more commonly known as OWLs", she finished, putting her wand back in her pocket and facing the unimpressed class.

Everyone turned to each other, quietly snickering to their friends.

"Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe", she giggled, hunching her shoulders and dropping them again as she continued to smile condescendingly.

Umbridge then pointed her wand to a stack of books on either side of her, and everyone watched the stack of books float to each table, handing themselves over to each student. The books were rather childish indeed; they were rimmed with an off-mustard border, and in the centre of the hardback cover was an illustration of a witch and wizard, reading the replica of the book given. The book was even titled "Dark Arts Defence: Basic for Beginners".

"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven", she added, watching the faces of the students drop to confusion and disgust.

"But you'll be pleased to know, from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic", she ended, letting out another little giggle.

Hermione immediately raised her arm, presumably with several questions on her mind, as everyone else sighed in disbelief with the childish books that had been placed in front of them.

"Yes?", Umbridge asked.

"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells?", she questioned, eager for an answer.

Umbridge's face turned to shock, as she answered Hermione question with a patronising tone.

"Using spells?", Umbridge laughed as she slowly approached Hermione.

"Well, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom", she replied, restoring her surprised face to a happy one.

"We not gonna use magic?", Ron intervened, slumped over his desk and closing the book in his hand.

"You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way", Umbridge reassured, making her way back to the front of the class whilst everyone looked at each other with disbelief and concern.

"Well, what use is that? If we're gonna be attacked, it won't be risk-free", Hazel interrupted, her impatience growing tiresome.

"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class", Umbridge roared.

Umbridge swiftly turned around and snapped back at Hazel, examining her.

"Hazel Jones, am I correct?", she asked, somewhat politely, approaching Hazel.

Hazel nodded, biting her tongue and digging her nails into her palms.

"I can't imagine you understanding how our school should function, dear. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you start your education last year- and, might I add, didn't you arrive rather abruptly, and unexpectedly from thin air?", she asked, a hint of darkness twinkled in her mahogany eyes.

Hazel's stiff posture broke and she let go of her tongue. By doing so, Umbridge tilted her head and slightly sunk her brows.

"I thought so, dear", she replied, making her way back to the front of the class, once again.

"It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations which, after all, is what school is all about", Umbridge encouraged.

"And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?", Harry intervened, his voice growing in anger and impatience.

Umbridge chuckled, propping up her shoulders and looking down at Harry.

"There is nothing out there, dear. Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourself?", she questioned, expecting Harry to stay silent.

Harry scoffed and looked at Umbridge dead-straight in her eyes.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe, Lord Voldemort", he replied.

The classroom fell to a state of quietness, with hushed murmurs from some students, and shameful head nods from some others. Umbridge's smile vanished and was replaced with an restless and agitated frown. She slowly approached Harry, clasping her hands together. The closer she got, the more darkness was felt.

"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", she reassured before being immediately cut off by Hazel's angry voice.

"It's not a lie, Harry and I saw him, we fought him!", Hazel declared, slamming the book on the table, her leg bouncing with aggravation underneath.

"Detention, Miss Jones", Umbridge hissed back, raising her voice.

"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?", Hazel questioned, her blood boiling with fury.

She had never felt so angry before.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident", Umbridge spoke, still keeping that fake smile plastered across her face.

"It was murder! Voldemort killed him, you must know that!", Harry yelled back.

"Enough!", Umbridge cried out, her patience evaporated.

"Enough. Mr Potter, you will be joining Miss Jones in Detention. My office", she declared, gripping onto her wand in both her hands firmly.

Umbridge took a deep breath and resumed her false, happy persona.

"Now, would you all please turn to page 1, where we will study the contents of this book", she said, her voice now calm and soft.

Hazel and Harry exchanged glances; the two of them were in utter annoyance at Umbridge's outburst and unfair punishment, but they weren't surprised. They both knew something was very unsettling about this woman, she wasn't an ordinary professor. Though she seemed innocent and sweet on the outside, there was a hungry monster within, waiting to be fed the fears of others.