Hazel made her way back to the school and entered the great hall where many students were enjoying conversations and tucking into yummy meals.
"Do you ever stop eating?", Hermione asked Ron, as he stuffed his face with a perfectly cooked sausage whilst reading a study book.
Hazel and Ginny laughed at Hermione's obviously ridiculous question; Hazel had gotten to know Ron so well during her summer with the Weasleys, so she knew that Ron was always in the mood to eat, no matter the occasion.
"What? I'm hungry", Ron replied, taking another bite of the sausage.
Hermione rolled her eyes and chuckled alongside Hazel and Ginny before being approached by a familiar figure.
"Harry", Hazel said, as the boy walked towards his Gryffindor friends with a slight sense of timidness.
"Can I join you?", he asked.
Hazel was about to open her mouth to answer his question, but was immediately silenced by the loud chatter between two professors just outside the hall. Naturally, everyone in the hall walked out to see what was going on.
Hazel and Harry walked out, shortly being followed by Hermione, Ron, Ginny and the twins, with a clear view of two professors facing each other on a short flight of stairs, and both seemed to be in a disagreement. Hazel recognised the conflicting adults straight away. McGonagall and Umbridge.
"Pardon me, professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?", Umbridge spoke with her patronising and, somewhat unsettling, giggle.
"I am merely requesting that, when it comes to my students, you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices", McGonagall softly hissed back, her voice sounding a little raspy, but clear enough to get her point across.
Umbridge revealed a condescending smirk across her mischievous face.
"So silly of me, but it sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom", Umbridge replied, almost questioning her.
"...Minerva", she added, as she took a step higher on the stairs, giving herself a sense of superiority and power.
McGonagall tried to regain her superiority back, and took a step higher that Umbridge.
"Not at all, Dolores, merely your medieval methods", she suggested, her voice now sounding a little concerned.
The students blatantly watched the conflict gradually blow up before them, as though they had front row seats to a live confrontation.
"What the bloody hell is Umbridge doing, challenging McGonagall?", Ron whispered with widened eyes and questioning brows.
"I am sorry, dear. But to question my practices is to question the Ministry and, by extension, the minister himself", Umbridge said, with a surprised and impatient expression.
"I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty", she continued, leaving McGonagall almost speechless.
McGonagall stepped down, as though her heavy heart dropped to the pit of her stomach, acting as an anchor.
"Disloyalty", McGonagall spoke softly, looking Umbridge in the eyes with utter disgust and shame.
Umbridge, with that condescending grin still illustrated on her face, took another step higher, maintaining her power and looking down on McGonagall and all the other students who watched their little disagreement explode.
"Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared! Cornelius will want to take immediate action", Umbridge demanded, scanning the faces of students, then stopping at Hazel's.
YOU ARE READING
Shifted: Book Two
Fanfiction"You know, Hazel, we can really do this", Harry said, turning his attention back onto Hazel's hopeful smile. "Even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have". - It's Hazel's second year in her desired rea...
