Chapter 20: Umbridge's First Lesson, Version 2
"I repeat," said Professor Umbridge, smiling in a very irritating fashion at Dean, "do you expect to be attacked during my classes?" Harry raised his hand again. He was feeling daring, but then Gryffindors were supposed to be daring. "Not necessarily during class, Professor, but by you, almost certainly." Umbridge's face turned red with fury, but Harry didn't stop. "It's common belief that the Defence teaching post is cursed. Our first year, Hermione was almost killed by a troll that got into the castle – let in by Professor Quirrell - who almost killed me at the end of the year.
Second year, Lockhart the fraud tried to wipe my and Ron's memories – and it was only because he'd grabbed Ron's broken wand instead of his own that he didn't manage it, and wiped his own instead. And that's not forgetting that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets – that had been attacking people since Halloween - was a basilisk, which kills with direct eye contact or with venomous fangs, and it was only through luck that no-one did look it directly in the eye.
Third year, the Dementors attacked me during a Quidditch match. and if it hadn't been for Dumbledore, I'd have fallen from my broom to my death – wouldn't that have been a headline – "Dementors stationed at Hogwarts by Ministry kill Boy-Who-Lived", and Professor Lupin almost attacked me, Ron and Hermione, but he'd forgotten to take his Wolfsbane Potion, so that wasn't really his fault.
And last year, our teacher turned out to be an escaped Death Eater impersonating Mad-Eye Moody with Polyjuice Potion. So yes, I do expect to be attacked, most likely in June." Umbridge's face had gone redder and redder as Harry laid out his thoughts. Then Hermione raised her hand. "There's something else, Professor. Since you were appointed directly by the Minister, have you considered that he may be hoping the curse will… remove you in some way? Firing you would have repercussions for him, but if you died or did something that meant you had to be sent to Azkaban, he would be unaffected by it." Umbridge's jaw dropped, and her face turned from red to pale white. It was clear she hadn't.
The rest of the class went surprisingly well, and the next morning, Professor Umbridge was nowhere to be seen. The rumours circulated around the Great Hall, but when copies of the Daily Prophet landed on the tables with the post, the front page bore the news that she had resigned after a single day, claiming she had "come to the realisation that she was unsuited to a teaching position of such importance". In her place, Professor Dumbledore would teach the class himself, until he could find a suitable replacement.