Mua ha ha I loved writing this chapter. Mainly because I really hate Umbridge. Hope you all enjoy ;)
"MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM. DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR!"
"This is unbelievable." Hermione hissed as she continued to read the Daily Prophet article to Harry and Ron. "She's going to be inspecting teacher to see if they are 'up to scratch'." Harry glared resentfully up at the head table where the teachers were conversing in hushed, urgent tones while Umbridge smiled sweetly down at the students gathered in the Great Hall for breakfast.
"This is just Fudge trying to discredit Dumbledore. It disgusts me." Hermione said coldly hurling the offending newspaper onto the long table with enough force to knock over the pumpkin juice.
Harry agreed. There was something about Umbridge's pink fuzzy cardigan and her simpering laugh that made Harry loath her almost as much as Snape, which Harry thought was impossible. To Harry's surprise Ron wasn't looking outrage but rather smiling.
"What are you so happy about?" Harry asked rather aggressively.
"I can't wait for Umbridge to inspect Mcgonagall and Snape." A grin spread across Hermione's face too but it vanished quickly.
"But remember what Sirius said about Umbridge hating non-humans? I hope Professor Legolas is going to be okay." She said anxiously.
"Drop the professor already Hermione and I'm sure he'll be fine. He can handle his classes can't he?" Ron did have a point there.
Harry had found the elf to an excellent teacher. Even though they didn't study spells and jinxes in class Legolas did his best to assign reading and other assignments to ensure they wouldn't fall behind. Class time was devoted to covering the best ways to tackle dark creatures. The classes reminded Harry of when Lupin had been at Hogwarts in their third year.
It turned out the trio didn't need to wait long to see how their elven professor would hold up to inspection. Umbridge was already perched on a chair to the side of the defense against the dark arts classroom when Harry shuffled in with the rest of the class.
Her small eyes glinted maliciously like a toad waiting for a juicy morsel. Harry positioned himself as far away from her as possible and waited with bated breath as the bell tolled and the class fell silent waiting for Legolas to arrive.
The professor marched purposefully to the front of the classroom. The only acknowledgment he gave that the High Inquisitor was present was a small nod in her direction. Harry saw Umbridge become rigid in her chair as if she was being forced to be in a room with something dangerous and distasteful.
"Today we will continue with the most effective ways to deal with mountain trolls." Legolas began, positioning himself in the front of the class.
"Hum hum." The sharp irritating cough came from Umbridge's corner. Harry had soon discovered that the elf had extraordinary hearing and therefore remained unconvinced when Legolas feigned deafness and continued with his lecture.
"Has everyone researched the differences between mountain, river, and cave trolls?" The class nodded and began pulling out the paragraphs Legolas had assigned the previous class.
"Hum! Hum!" Umbridge coughed louder this time and Legolas turned towards her, his face carefully blank.
"Yes Miss Umbridge may I be of assistance to you?" Harry found himself hating the ministry women more and more as her high, false laugh grated on his ears.
"Oh no. I wished to make sure you received my note giving the time of my inspection." Legolas smiled though there was no humor in his eyes.
"Indeed I received your kind warning." He said before turning resolutely back to the class.
"Who would like to illustrate the main difference between the sub-species of trolls?" Many hands went up including Harry's own but before any of them could answer Umbridge spoke up again this time standing up and moving only five feet away from Legolas. Unfortunately this position brought her closer to Harry.
"If you don't mind there are some questions I would like to ask you."
"I would prefer to wait after cla…" Legolas never got to finish.
"Perfect. I understand you were just given this post by Dumbledore just before the start of term and you were recommended by a friend of Dumbledore's?" Legolas nodded stiffly. "What is the name of this friend?"
"The identities of Master Dumbledore's friends shall remain his business and his alone." Umbridge's small smiled made her look more venomous.
"Do you have any previous experience teaching this subject?"
"I have taught defense before but not to a class focused on magic." Umbridge made a tutting sound and ticked off a disapproving mark on her clipboard.
"Very well. Could you please perform a simple spell for me then? Something any Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher should know. The Patronus charm perhaps?" Harry noticed Legolas's jaws clench ever so slightly and he felt his own anger rise at her attempt to mortify the elf.
"I'm afraid, as you very well may be have been informed, that I cannot perform magic." Umbridge gave a sickening little laugh.
"Oh well then Mr. Tranduilion I hardly think you belong in a school for teaching magic and even less so a school for teaching magic to human children." Harry heard snickers from the class concentrated around the Slytherin students. Nobody in their class had ever seen Legolas look so uncomfortable.
"Master Dumbledore decided that I have knowledge worth passing onto the hîn of this school, I believe it is for the headmaster to determine the staff of this institute." Harry blinked. It seemed as though Legolas was slipping into another language in his agitation.
Legolas seemed to notice his slip and scowled. Umbridge's eye brows rose ever so slightly.
"Seems to be... unable... to communicate without... resorting to a... lesser language." Umbridge muttered in a carrying whisper writing on her clipboard. Something tightened around Harry wrist and he looked down to see Hermione's hand. Her eyes were flashing in anger.
"Oh she's a horrible women." Hermione hissed. Harry nodded his agreement and looked back at Legolas and immediately wished he hadn't.
The elf always struck Harry as graceful and mysterious but gentle and patient, now however, he looked livid. His icy blue eyes filled with anger glared down at Umbridge. In his fury the elf looked regal yet terrible. Harry felt the sudden need to flee the room.
Apparently he wasn't the only one who noticed. The entire class, even the gleeful Slytherins, fell deathly quiet. Umbridge noticed nothing, finishing her comment she looked up.
"Well Dumbldore has been known to make rather eccentric decisions and that is why I am here. To ensure that all the staffing appointments are in the best interest of the students." Legolas's eyes remained cold and he said nothing.
"Well since you possess no magical talents and are not accustom to the noble culture of the wizarding community I can hardly see your instruction to be beneficial for our students. I will continue this Defense Against the Dark Arts class you may take a seat to observe for the rest of the period." She said pointing to an empty chair near the edge of the classroom.
Legolas looked as though she had struck him. Umbridge made a couple more notes on her clipboard before walking promptly to the front of the class. Legolas stepped out of her way instinctively to avoid colliding with her.
"I understand that because of a constant change of instructors your education in this subject has been inconsistent and fractured." Umbridge began, addressing the stunned class and ignoring a very disconcerted elf to her side. Legolas stood for a couple more seconds before walking stiffly to the side of the classroom eyes narrowed on Umbridge. He blatantly resufed to be assigned to a seat and listen to lecture like some misbehaving student.
Harry heard him mutter. "Chen hedithon min noer o Orodruin." As he walked by Harry's desk. Harry didn't understand the foreign words but he was sure Legolas wasn't complementing Umbridge. The stony expression made it clear the elf wasn't admitting defeat by any means. Harry wondered if the pink toad realized she had just declared war on an adversary she was not prepared to handle.
"Many of your previous instructors seemed to have followed no ministry approved curriculum and some," She gave a little laugh "Were even quite dangerous half-breeds." Harry was sure she was referring to Lupin but the toadish women also shot a disdainful look towards Legolas. "None of them would have passed ministry inspection with the exception of perhaps Professor Quirrell."
Born of frustration he'd been nursing since the beginning of the day and a need to rebel against the minestry's tyranny Harry called out.
"Yeah Querrel was great expect for the fact that he had Lord Voldemort growing out of the back of his head." Hermione groaned next to him and Legolas looked rather alarmed but Umbridge just smiled sweetly. Her eyes were triumphant as if she was hoping Harry would say something.
"Ten points from Gryffindor Mr. Potter. You have been told that a certain Dark Lord has returned from the dead please let me make it quite clear that this is a lie. You are under no danger. For this precise reason this Defense Against the Dark Arts course will from now on be a non-violent, theory based class."
"He wasn't dead but yeah he's back." Harry protested but his own cried were drowned by another voice.
"What do you mean non-violent theory based?" Umbridge narrowed her eyes.
"Detention Mr. Potter." She said in a singsong voice before addressing the class. "We will read over the various theories of defense from wizards, much older and wiser then you children, without taking the unnecessary risk of using the dangerous spells."
"We won't be doing magic?" Hermione asked incredulously. Harry was sure he wasn't the only one who saw the hypocrisy in Umbridge belittling Legolas for not being able to use magic then saying they weren't allowed to use magic in the class anyway.
"I can't imagine why any of you would need to use the spells. The Dark Lord has been vanquished and the Ministry of Magic guarantees your protection."
"Old enemies return. The darkness never truly fades, it must be forced back less it gain hold and destroy all you have worked for." Legolas's voice was barely above a whisper but it carried clearly through the class and silence fell once more. Umbridge's eyebrows were now raised impossibly high.
"And what would you know of these matters." She scowled dismissively. The elf gave a low chuckle but his eyes were tired and for the first time Harry felt a great sadness from the being. His clear blue eyes looked ancient and careworn.
"My people have had our own troubles. I know not the evils of this land nor if the return if this Dark Lord is truth or lie but I know things in the dark creep back when you least expect them. My people thought we drove out the darkness that lay on our land but it soon came back stronger than ever. We have been fighting, fighting for over three thousands year to return peace but the war with the Shadow continues on."
The room was unnaturally silent, the very breath of the students seemed to be frozen and even Umbridge was silence. Harry looked intently at the elf, seeing their teacher for the first time.
"Even if as you claim these are peaceful time the world is full of other toils. Should these children not be prepared? Should they not know the evils that they will face and learn to defend themselves? Trouble does not always show itself in forms of Evil Lords and Nameless Shadows but they exist none the less and you will never be able to protect the young ones forever." Legolas's voice was sad but his eyes determined.
Umbridge stared, lost for words but she soon recovered her haughtiness.
"Three thousand years you say." She gave a disbelieving snort. "Well if you are speaking the truth then I must say you have done very poorly indeed. If in so many years you have yet to overcome your own troubles then I think we should hardly take example from such incompetent elves." She spat the last word out as if it were something toxic and unwanted. Harry saw Legolas's carefully arranged features tautened and his hands curled into fists.
"We have bled and died for centuries to gain peace." He growled.
"In vain then, if you have accomplished so little." Umbridge retorted.
In that moment Harry couldn't decide if the ministry women was fearless or extremely foolhardy for Legolas looked more infuriated then Harry had ever seen the gentle creatures. The elf looked ready to leap at Umbridge. For a second a flash of fear crossed the toad like face and she reached for her stubby wand. The class froze waiting for either party to make a move.
Just then the bell tolled loudly calling the class to an end and Harry released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. The death grip on his wrist, which Harry hadn't even felt until then, was released and Hermione visibly relaxed.
The students gathered their things in record speed and dashed out unwilling to be in the same room with the horrible ministry women or the irate elf.
Umbridge, looking uncaring and lofty once more, strode out of the classroom without a spare glace at Legolas who stood seething in silence. Harry dawdled unsure if he was doing the right thing but walked hesitantly up to the professor.
"Are you all right?" Legolas seemed to come back to himself and looked down at Harry. A small but genuine smile lifted his lips.
"I am well penneth. I am sorry to have frightened you." His voice was soft once more.
"I wasn't frightened." Harry quickly assured, although that wasn't entirely truthful.
"She shouldn't have said those things. It was awful." Hermione said next to Harry. Her eyes shone with anger. Legolas sighed.
"She was insensitive," That's putting it mildly Harry thought, "But I should not have lost my temper, it was improper of me." Harry couldn't believe the professor. Was he really berating himself for losing his temper?
"I don't like her either." Harry said suddenly and Legolas laughed.
"Well some people even the wisest have a hard time tolerating and I am far from being the wisest among my people." There was a spark of humor back the elf's voice and Harry felt lightened.
"You better hurry to your next lass. You do not wish to be late do you?" Legolas said walking with Harry, Ron , and Hermione out of the classroom and into the corridor beyond. Harry nodded and made to turn left.
"Where are you going Legolas?" He asked seeing the professor walk in a different direction.
"I think a visit into the forest would do me some good right now." He replied before vanishing around a corner.
"He's a bit obsessed with the Forbidden Forest isn't he?" Ron commented as the trio walked.
"Did you hear the way he talked about the elves' war? He sounded so sad." Hermione muttered her own gaze troubled. "Three thousand years can you even imagine it? He made it sound like he was actually there."
"Can't have can he?" Ron said. "He's only about what, twenty?" Harry shrugged.
The elf was usually so guarded but today Harry felt he saw Legolas for what he really was. A being of light and beauty fighting in a world prevailed by darkness yet refusing to yield.
Harry wondered just how much they really knew about the enigmatic elf. He was beginning to think they were oblivious to a great deal.
Elvish translations:
Hîn – Children
Chen hedithon min noer o Orodruin - I'm going to hurl you into the fires of Mt. Doom
