A/N: If you recognize it, it doesn't belong to me and they are not my words or characters. Umbridge's speech was taken from the books. I hope you enjoy, please leave me a review and let me know if you like it or not. :)
A hush fell over the Great Hall as a small and very soprano cough interrupted Dumbledore's beginning of the year speech. Everyone, dazed and confused, looked around, unsure of how to react. No one, I mean no one, interrupted Dumbledore. Her heels made the most bothersome clicking noise as she walked to the podium, where Dumbledore stood. He gestured towards it, relinquishing his hold on the student body to this… person. Hermione sat, bouncing her foot up and down, anxiously awaiting the nonsense that this was about to be, and absolutely seething. Harry and Ron could feel the energy rolling off of her, and gave each other a look.
The woman, who resembled a pink toad, with a squat and wide stature and covered head to toe in pink began speaking.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching.
At this, Hermione's eyes travelled up to the faculty table, finding Professor Lupin. He gave her a small shake of his head, and pointedly looked at the woman; Dolores Umbridge, she was called. Hermione frowned. Ron and Harry, who both watched the interaction, but didn't know what to make of it, just shook their heads.
"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation..."
Across the hall, Draco Malfoy stared at the woman. It was, after all, one thing to talk about tradition and cultivating skills, but this woman was flat out trashing Dumbledore in front of everyone. He looked up at Severus, catching his eye and cocking his head slightly. It was so slight, if you hadn't been watching Malfoy, it would have just looked like a slight sway. He felt Severus nudge his words into his mind.
"Pay attention. Don't react. Be on guard."
Malfoy righted himself and looked back at the woman. This year was going to be… interesting. To say the least.
"... because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited.
Thank you, Inspector Umbridge, for that assessment. It was most illuminating."
He clapped his hands together and gained the attention of the hall swiftly.
"I find that after such a riveting speech, I am quite hungry, so I shall not take up any more of your time. Let the feast begin."
Harry made a plate for Hermione, who was still staring at the podium, as though she was unable to function after listening to the speech. Harry could see the wheels turning in her eyes. He knew she was recording and dissecting every word of that speech, and from the look on her face, it wasn't good.
"But what did it all mean?" asked Ron to anyone who would listen. That finally pulled Hermione's attention. She picked up a fork and started viciously stabbing at the food Harry had selected for her. A dollop of mashed potatoes flew off the fork and landed on Harry's shirt. He took the fork from her. She looked at him apologetically. He shrugged it off as no big deal.
It means," everyone stopped to look at her, even curious ears from other tables, "that the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts." Everyone shifted uncomfortably.
"Interfering how?" asked Neville. He was staring at Remus. Hermione followed his line of sight and frowned even more.
That's what I'm afraid of, Nev." She looked at Dumbledore, who was listening to a very concerned Professor McGonagall. Even Snape looked perturbed. Hermione's insides retched. It was not going to be an easy year, she knew that much.