Chapter Twelve: In Which Harry Is Outraged
Hermione shook her head exasperatedly and, ignoring Ron, who was continuing to watch her, said to Harry, "Well? What do you think? Will you teach us?"
"Just you and Ron, yeah?"
"Well," said Hermione, now looking a mite anxious again. "Well . . . now, don't fly off the handle again, Harry, please —"
"You want to organise a — what's the word — coup!" exclaimed Harry.
"A coup?" said Hermione, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes! If I'm teaching you guys, it is just three friends practicing spells together! Don't go around inviting people to join some sort of anti-Umbridge army!"
There was a pregnant pause.
"Anti-Umbridge army?"
"Well," said Harry awkwardly, "we are undermining her authority or whatever, aren't we? Not that I'm not all for that, it would help if the people who I was going to teach weren't going around calling me a nutter. Look at it this way — we're taking a lot of risk here, and I would rather the risk be taken for people that actually matter to me, not people who would swing the other way the second the Prophet prints some more lies."
"That . . . actually makes sense, Harry."
"It does? I mean, of course it does."
"Which is why we are going to get rid of Fudge himself."
Hermione had a particular gleam in her eye as she said this.
The next DADA class started out quite normally, except for the fact that Harry Potter was missing.
"Put your books away. There will be no need to talk," said Umbridge sweetly.
The students were pleasantly surprised by this.
"Today, we are going to talk about Voldemort," she began.
Everyone gasped.
"He is at large again," she continued. "The Ministry does not wish for me to tell you this, but I have done so at great personal risk. He was resurrected at the end of last year, during the third task of the Triwizard Tournament."
More gasps were heard.
"Cedric Diggory's death was not an accident. Voldemort murdered him."
Some people were now openly weeping. Murmurs filled the classroom.
"The Ministry of Magic has deemed it necessary to cover up the truth; but I feel that peace for peace's sake must be discouraged. Minister Fudge does not want to be known as the Minister who let Voldemort rise again, but he fails to recognise the real threat to the stability of the Wizarding World. I —"
Umbridge stopped suddenly. She continued, this time with a definite sense of urgency in her voice, "The Imperius grows stronger. I cannot —"
There was a pregnant pause.
". . . well? Why aren't you all reading from the textbook?"
The class, bewildered, did as Umbridge said.
The next day's Prophet was . . . interesting, to say the least.
"According to reliable sources at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Dolores Umbridge, who took up the Defense Against the Dark Arts position in September walked into class one day, claiming that You-Know-Who has indeed returned. (For full details, see page 7)
Has Minister Fudge staged a coverup? Did he place her under the Imperius Curse? Here's what prominent figures in the Ministry say. . . ."
Harry, Hermione and Ron exchanged glances at the breakfast table.
AN: What happened to Umbridge? (She's definitely not under the Imperius) Why did she say what she said? What was Hermione's plan? Guesses are appreciated in reviews!
PS: The answer will be in the next chapter's notes.