Hogwarts, a Mystery: Chapter 1
Dolores Umbridge
"Oh, Merlin," muttered Harry, as he made his way up to Dumbledore's office. He looked down at his burned hands, and felt a rush of anger towards Professor Snape, the Potion's Master.
"Cockroach Clusters," Harry said, once he reached The Headmaster's office. The gargoyle leapt aside and Harry stepped onto the upward moving staircase.
Dumbledore's office hadn't changed since the last time he'd been there…last year, to discuss a dream he had had about Arthur Weasley, his best friend's father. Harry shuddered as he remembered. He stepped deeper into the office and discovered that his Headmaster wasn't there, and that all the portraits on the wall started chatting excitedly once he walked in.
The first thing he noticed was the Pensieve.
It was sitting right there, out in the open, swirling ominously on Dumbledore's desk. Harry felt a jolt of temptation, and found himself moving closer to the bowl. Dumbledore wouldn't mind if he had a look, would he?
Before he could answer his own question, he was in a swirling world of color.
It was fast however, and he was snapped out of his confusion when his feet hit a cold, stone floor and his knees buckled. He hadn't remembered it being so painful. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at an arched ceiling, and when he sat up, found himself in a familiar spot. He was outside the Room of Requirement.
A tall, slender girl was walking down the hallway towards him. She had black hair that was pinned up in a bun, and her wand was in her left hand, which was helping her right carry the books she was holding to her chest. Her face was screwed up in anger, and Harry nearly ran away when he recognized the girl.
She was Dolores Umbridge.
Once he recognized her, he mentally kicked himself for not noticing the similarities before. She had the same toad-like face, only this Umbridge was slimmer.
Young Dolores Umbridge paced in front of the entrance of the Room of Requirement. Harry heard her muttering, "I need a place where everything has a place. I need order." Over and over again to herself, before the magic door appeared, as wide as it was tall.
The room was just as Harry thought it would be; a replica of the Hogwarts library, only with one table in the center of the room, and much less people inside. The books were strange, too…most seemed to be dictionaries and old newspapers.
Dolores dumped her books on the table, her wand still in hand. "How dare they!" she shrieked suddenly, making Harry jump. "The rules of Hogwarts strictly state…" she laughed quietly to herself before continuing. "Look at me, expecting those imbeciles" she shot a hex in Harry's direction, and it went right through him and hit the wall. "to listen to the rules. Stupid Gryffindors. They think that the law is below them…" she pointed her wand to her left, but instead of hexing something, an old book zoomed into her hands. Hogwarts, a History.
She cracked it open and pored into its pages, like Harry had seen Hermione do. She was reading quietly to herself, so that Harry had to step closer to hear.
"Until the early 1800's, Hogwarts used methods that were common in that time to punish students. Some of these methods included locking them in a dungeon, throwing them in a pit with hungry hippogriffs, or having them duel to the death with another rule-breaking student. These methods were banned, however, when Achilles Cunningham became Minister of Magic." She quietly cursed Achilles Cunningham. "When I'm Minister of Magic, I'll bring those methods back," she vowed darkly. "Who was he, anyway? To take away such…brilliant ways to deal with naughty students?" When she spoke, she spoke as if she were admiring a piece of art. Her face went red with emotion, and her eyes were filled with ambition. "It's just a matter of time," she whispered.
Just then, Harry saw the Room of Requirement lurch forward and collapse in front of him, as he and the contents of the Pensieve swirled once again. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself face to face with a blonde, curly haired youth.
A/N – Reviews are always good! I hope you enjoyed my fic!