Chapter 13: The Departure Of Umbridge!
Rachel, Harry, Amy with red hair, Kirsti and Clare were sitting together on the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall when Professor McGonagall made an announcement,
"I would like to let you know that after a very long delay the date for the Yule Ball has been set. It will be 14th May. There will obviously the Hogsmeade trips to buy your dresses and dress robes."
"Oh fantastic, how are we meant to get our dresses as we can't go to Hogsmeade." Kirsti said sounding frustrated.
"We could always talk to McGonagall to see if she could sort it out." Clare suggested.
"What about Umbridge?" Amy added.
"Don't even mention that name, she will now be known as the mutated amphibian. Let's go and talk to McGonagall, I think she's gone to her office." Rachel said.
They made their way to McGonagall's office, turned the corner and walked straight into Umbridge.
"Watch where you're walking." Umbridge said sternly.
"Erg, have you heard of toothpaste because your breath stinks like owl droppings." Kirsti said.
"I think your moustache could do with shaving too." Amy said sarcastically.
"Aye and your chins could do with an iron." Clare said timidly.
"You could do with doing a little exercise, you appear to be expanding around the mid-section at an alarming rate." Rachel added loudly. Umbridge looked ready to explode with rage.
"How dare you..." Umbridge shouted but Rachel simply froze her before knocking on McGonagall's office door.
"Professor, we wanted to talk to you about the ban stopping us going to Hogsmeade. You see, we don't have any dresses for the Yule Ball." Amy said.
"The ban will not be lifted. Professor Umbridge will never allow it." McGonagall said, looking a bit sympathetic.
"But Professor, how are we meant to go without dresses?" Rachel snapped.
"Rachel there is no reason to snap, maybe you could order them by owl post?" McGonagall suggested.
"Yeah but you never know what they really look like and by the time you get them it's too late to return them." Kirsti said.
"I will not hear anymore about it, you are not going to Hogsmeade and that's that." McGonagall said before showing them the door. They walked past Umbridge who was still frozen to the spot.
This was not the first instance of Umbridge being defied. Fred, George and Peeves were some of the other culprits. Fred and George had made a lot of money selling Skiving Snackboxes to students wanting to get out of Umbridge's lessons. At first Umbridge gave everyone detentions but after a while there were too many and she gave up. Fred and George also decided that they would streak at dinnertime in the Great Hall, they ran up the centre of the room, directly in front of Umbridge, and pranced around with a Gryffindor flag around the mid-sections and ran out the room before she could do anything. Peeves messed up Umbridge's office by drawing all over her kitty pictures. Kirsti and Clare had also had some fun in her Defence Against Dark Arts lesson when they set off sprinkler charms and caused Umbridge to cancel the lesson. But one of the best pranks occurred a week after Umbridge had banned eating in the Great Hall after someone put cockroaches in her food, that when she tried to get rid of them they actually multiplied. Rachel and Amy were feeling rather bored sitting in the common room eating their dinner.
"Why don't we have some fun?" Rachel asked looking very mischievous.
"How about a little tannoy announcement?" Amy said grinning.
"Lets owl Kirsti and Clare." Rachel replied.
Ten minutes later, Hobnob, Clare's owl, appeared with Clare's reply, and five minutes later, Serenity, Rachel's owl came back with Kirsti's reply. They met in the Room of Requirement.
"Sonorus!" Rachel shouted.
"A brief announcement for the ugly toad in the bonnet, yes that's right Umbridge we are talking to you. You appear to be failing at everything that you should be doing, a teacher is supposed to teach, not sitting on your flabby butt, farting around." Rachel said angrily, Amy, Clare and Kirsti noticed that Rachel's voice was projected around the school.
"Don't bother looking for us Umbridge because you will never find us. Feel yourself getting angry Umbridge. I bet that vein on your temple is just about ready to pop." Clare said, the rest of the school heard laughing in the background as Rachel simulated popping noises.
"But seriously Umbridge, your teaching methods are inadequate and unproductive and you have no sense of morality. Your ideas about what should and should not be done at Hogwarts are unorthodox and just plain boring. Your punishments are unreasonable and unethical, but spending anymore than five minutes in your company is punishment enough. Just one other thing, Professor Lupin is a better teacher and human being than you'll ever be!" Amy said angrily.
"Oh insult to injury, nice." Rachel shouted from the background.
"As for everyone else, raise your voices now if you think this ugly old bat should get out of Hogwarts!" Kirsti added before Rachel whispered, "Quietus."
Rachel transformed into her wolf form because of the wolf's enhanced sense of smell, if Rachel smelt Umbridge she led them in the opposite direction. Rachel and Amy quickly arrived back at the Gryffindor common room after making sure Kirsti and Clare got back to their common rooms. They were met by a welcoming committee and were praised by Fred, George and Peeves.
Rachel, Amy, Kirsti and Clare arrived at the Great Hall at the same time and noticed that Umbridge had not arrived for dinner yet Umbridge had now lifted the ban on eating in the Great Hall for fear that someone else would do another tannoy announcement, she thought if everyone was kept together she could watch them all.
"Shall we have some more fun?" Rachel said who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"I don't know, we've already caused enough trouble today." Clare replied seriously.
"What are you talking about? There's no such thing as enough trouble in one day." Rachel replied sarcastically.
"How about a bit of laxative, that never fails!" Amy added. Rachel and Amy sat at the Gryffindor table, while Clare took her seat at the Ravenclaw table and Kirsti at the Slytherin table, all waiting for Umbridge to show up. They did not have to wait long as she waddled like a penguin to her seat at the teacher's table
"Right, keep an eye out for when she has a drink then I'll freeze the room." Rachel said quietly.
"She's got a drink, freeze away!" Amy said, trying to look innocent. Rachel immediately froze the room so only her, Amy, Kirsti and Clare remained unfrozen.
"How are we going to do this? Do any you have a laxative potion?" Kirsti asked as they walked up to the teacher's table.
"I just so happen to have one actually, I was going to give it to Mrs Norris but this is a better cause. Plus I think it may be a bit too strong for a cat" Rachel replied, as she poured the contents of the bottle into Umbridge's goblet and stirred it with her wand.
"Everyone back to their seats and I'll unfreeze the room." Rachel said as she sat down in her seat. Rachel unfroze the room, Umbridge drank some of her drink and the room filled with chatter. Two minutes later the Great Hall's doors flew open and Dumbledore strode in, Rachel instinctively re-froze the room,
"You want to embarrass Umbridge further?" Rachel said quickly.
"Yeah, how?" Amy asked
"Clare, go up there and perform a sticking charm on her chair, so she can't stand up." Rachel replied. Clare quickly ran up to Umbridge and performed the charm. When they Clare was back to her seat Rachel unfroze the room and Dumbledore strode up to the table. Umbridge went to rise to meet him but found that she could not get out of her chair, she blushed slightly,
"Dumbledore, what are you doing here?" Umbridge shouted.
"The matters of the decree have been rectified and unfortunately, your services are no longer required, of course you may remain for the feast but if you would then vacate your office as it will be needed for our dear Professor Lupin." Dumbledore said so the whole hall could hear, everyone clapped but Amy, Rachel, Kirsti, Harry and even Clare jumped up and pranced around on the tables. Once the clapping had stopped there was a loud rumble and Umbridge put her hand on her stomach and her face turned tomato red. Umbridge barked at Flitwick to help her out of her chair. Flitwick took hold of her arms while Snape pulled the chair,
"Ooh my stomach." Umbridge moaned, Snape quickly let go of the chair in fright and Umbridge landed on top of Flitwick and was picked up by Hagrid, while the hall erupted into laughter. Umbridge was still trapped in her chair when Lupin walked in.
"You ought to do this, it s a simple sticking charm, even you should know how to reverse that." Lupin said. Umbridge stormed out of the hall, which broke into a run after she let loose a huge fart.
It was the day of the Quidditch final between Slytherin and Gryffindor, the Gryffindors hoped they would win after all the strenuous practice sessions that Oliver had been putting them through. After taking an early lead, the Gryffindor players were quickly becoming the victims of several fouls, including Katie Bell being whacked round the head with one of the Beater's Bats and Rachel had been hit by a few Bludgers throughout the game.
"Slytherin are in the lead with 280-130." Lee Jordan hollered, "Get your arses into gear Gryffindor!"
"What did you just say?" Rachel snapped as she flew past Lee Jordan.
"Nothing." Lee replied sheepishly. "Black scores! Slytherin keeper can't maintain focus!"
After another five minutes Rachel scored, this meant that if Harry caught the Snitch Gryffindor would win.
"Potter needs to catch the Snitch for Gryffindor to win and OH HE'S DONE IT!" shouted Lee.
The Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff stands erupted into cheers. Oliver, with Lee's Sonorous charm, announced that he was dating Kirsti.
An hour after the match had finished, Rachel, Amy, Kirsti, Clare, Harry and Ron were called to Professor Dumbledore's office.
"Before you start sir, I just want to say that we haven't done anything wrong for ages, providing your starting from the time since Umbridge left." Amy rambled.
"Amy, I have not called you here to berate your behaviour, I wish to discuss the ban on your Hogsmeade trips in regard to the purchasing of your Yule Ball dresses and dress robes, please sit down." They all sat down and Dumbledore continued,
"You will be allowed to make one visit to Hogsmeade to buy your attire but you will be escorted by some adults because it is far too dangerous for you to go alone."
"Why have you made this decision?" Rachel asked.
"I am allowing this trip because of the loyalty you showed me during my absence and because of Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup!" Dumbledore replied, with a smile on his face.