Chapter Fourteen
Harry poked his head up through the trap door that led to Professor Trelawney's classroom and gave himself a moment to adjust to the heady smell on incense before climbing all the way through.
"I can feel the heat from down here." Daphne grumbled, climbing up the ladder behind him.
Harry wasn't surprised to see Professor Trelawney, wrapped in several shawls next to the fire glaring into space.
Harry sat down in one of the comfortable armchairs, next to Daphne and Pansy. Ron spotted him and walked quickly over to sit next to Harry.
"Sorry about earlier." Ron said cheerfully, "I didn't mean to upset that Chang girl."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Too late to do anything about it now."
"Do you like her?" Ron asked.
Harry glared at him, "What's it to do with you?"
Ron shrugged, "I was just wondering. I like Lavender. I've got a bit of a thing for blondes."
Harry didn't respond, he wasn't sure what to say to that.
"Hermione would look better with blonde hair." Ron mused.
"Hermione is very pretty at the moment." Harry hissed.
Ron looked slightly shocked, "Oh, so you like Hermione? I thought you'd want someone a little prettier than her."
Harry was about to snap something back, to defend his friends but all of the students had now taken their seats and Professor Trelawney had risen from her own seat to address them all.
"Good day," Professor Trelawney said in her strange, misty voice, "And welcome back to Divination. I have, of course, been following your fortunes most carefully over the holidays, and am delighted to see that you have all returned to Hogwarts safely… as, of course, I knew you would. On the tables before you you will find copies of 'The Dream Oracle' by Inigo Imago. Dream interpretation is a most important means of divining the future and one that may very probably be tested in your O.W.L. Not, of course, that I believe examination passes or failures are of the greatest importance when it comes to the sacred art of divination. If you have the Seeing Eye, certificates and grades matter very little. However the Headmaster likes you to sit the examination, so… Turn, please, to the introduction and read what Imago has to say on the matter of dream interpretation. Then, divide into pairs. Use 'The Dream Oracle' to interpret each other's most recent dreams. Carry on."
It was a very long introduction, many times saying the same thing over and over in a different way. Thankfully it was not a double lesson so by the time he'd read through the introduction there was only ten minutes left to the lesson.
Much to his dismay Daphne and Pansy were far faster at reading than he was and had already paired up with one another leaving Harry with an eager looking Ron.
Harry forced a smile, "Go on then? What did you dream about?"
"I dreamed I was playing Quidditch." Ron shrugged.
The book was clear you needed more details than that, "I need more details." Harry sighed, "Like what were you wearing? What broom were you ridding?"
"I was wearing Gryffindor robes." Ron said, "And I can't remember which broom I was riding but it was fast. So go on, what does it mean?"
"It means you're jealous of your brothers, you feel you will never be as good as them and Neville becoming Prefect rather than you, when nearly everyone else in your family has managed to achieve the honour, has caused all of this self doubt to resurface." Harry said simply.
Ron looked at him in shock, "Yeah well…"
The bell rang, giving Ron a convenient excuse to turn his attention from Harry and packed his bag away.
"Homework please." Professor Trelawney said, as a couple of students tried to make it to the door before she got the chance, "I would like you all to keep a dream diary, that we will all decipher in the next lesson."
Harry packed his bag away, at least it was homework that wouldn't take long. A voice in the back of his head told him to leave out the bit about a strange black door at the end of a long corridor.
Harry made sure Ron had a little bit of distance on him before climbing down the ladder with Daphne and Pansy. He didn't fancy having to have an awkward walk all the way to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
The door was already wide open when they got there so they filed into the classroom quietly. Draco was already sitting, in the middle row, Harry slipped into the seat next to him, Daphne and Pansy sitting at the desk beside them, Hermione and Neville just behind.
Professor Umbridge was standing at the front of the class, with a beaming smile, wearing the ugliest pink cardigan Harry had ever seen. It wasn't long before all the seats were filled and Professor Umbridge flicked her wand, closing the door.
"Well, good afternoon!" she said happily.
A few people mumbled good afternoon back to her but most were silent.
"Tut tut." sighed Professor Umbridge, "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply, 'Good afternoon Professor Umbridge'. One more time please. Good afternoon class."
"Good afternoon Professor Umbridge." they chanted back to her.
"There, now." Professor Umbridge said sweetly, "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Now wands away please, you shan't be needing them but you will be needing your quills."
Harry looked over to Draco for a second before putting his wand away and laying out his quill and ink.
Professor Umbridge was still holding her own, rather short wand, and tapped the blackboard, at once the words 'DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS: A Return to Basic Principles' appeared.
"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" Professor Umbridge beamed down at them, "The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your O.W.L year. You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory centred, Ministry approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please."
Once again Professor Umbridge tapped her wand on the blackboard, causing another set of writing to appear.
'COURSE AIMS:
1: Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic.
2: Learning to recognise situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.
3: Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.'
Harry quickly wrote down the 'course aims'. He had a lot of questions, he didn't think he was going to get any answers though. The biggest question playing on his mind was how on earth they were going to pass their O.W.L, which needed practical magic without learning to use it?
Once the sound of scratching quills had died down and everyone had turned back to Professor Umbridge, she waited a few moments patiently before continuing.
"Very good, Miss Brown you have lovely hand writing." Professor Umbridge smiled to a Gryffindor girl in the front row, "Has everybody got a copy of 'Defensive Magical Theory' by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
There was a murmur of agreement from the class.
Professor Umbridge sighed dramatically, "Well I think we'll try that again, don't you? Yes Professor Umbridge or No Professor Umbridge. So, has everyone got a copy of 'Defensive Magical Theory' by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
"Yes Professor Umbridge." rang through the classroom.
It was grating on Harry that she was treating them like children, worse than that; there was no respect. Mrs Ijewsky had treated them with respect from the day they started school at five years old and not like simpletons.
"Very good." Professor Umbridge smiled, "I should like you to turn to page five and read 'Chapter One, Basics for Beginners'. There will be no need to talk."
Harry slowly turned the pages and sighed, he'd already flicked through the book so already knew how desperately dull it was. Everything was over written and easily as boring as one of Professor Binn's lectures.
Professor Umbridge was settled behind the desk, sitting down but still watching them all, as though watching children read was the most interesting thing in the world.
Hermione however wasn't reading; she was sitting, the book closed before her, with her hand raised in the air. Professor Umbridge was clearly trying to ignore her.
Several more minutes passed, Harry struggling to concentrate on the chapter he should have been reading with Hermione sitting right behind him, her hand still raised up. Several other people were watching her as well. Professor Umbridge was finally started to get annoyed with the lack of concentration from her students.
Professor Umbridge pretended she had just spotted Hermione's hand, "Do you have a question about the chapter, dear?"
"Not about the chapter no." Hermione said politely.
"Well, we're reading just now." Professor Umbridge whispered, still smiling, "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."
"I've got a query about your course aims." Said Hermione, clearly trying to keep her voice as inoffensive as possible.
Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrow, "I see, what is you name, dear?"
"Hermione Granger, Professor Umbridge." Hermione said clearly.
"Well, Miss Granger, I think you'll the course aims are perfectly clear if you just read through them carefully." Said Professor Umbridge, trying her best to keep her voice annoyingly sweet.
"Well, I don't." Hermione said bluntly, "There is nothing about actually using defensive spells."
Harry looked up, giving up on pretending he was reading his book. Professor Umbridge's smile wavered for a moment.
"Using defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge gave a little laugh, "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. Are you expecting to be attacked in my classroom?"
"We're not going to use magic?" Ron gasped.
Professor Umbridge sighed loudly, "Students will raise their hands if they wish to speak in my class, Mr…?"
"Weasley." Ron said, thrusting his arm into the air, "Ron Weasley."
Professor Umbridge smiled sweetly and then turned her back on him so she could ignore him more easily.
"Yes, Miss Granger? You waned to ask something else?" Professor Umbridge asked, giving another little laugh.
Hermione nodded, "Surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to practise defensive spells?"
"Are you a Ministry trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" Professor Umbridge asked, batting her eyelashes and smiling.
"No but-"
"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards and witches much older and cleverer than you have devised our new programme of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk free way..."
"I really don't think that's going to be very helpful." Harry said, rolling his eyes, "If we're going to have to fight, it's never going to be 'risk free'."
"Hand!" Professor Umbridge snapped, before gaining control of herself, "Hand, Mr Potter."
Professor Umbridge looked around, several more people hand their hands in the air now and she looked more than a little flustered over her lack of control.
"And your name is?" Professor Umbridge asked.
"Neville Longbottom." Neville said, sitting up a little taller, "I agree with Harry; if we are attacked it's not going to be risk free, is it?"
"I repeat," said Professor Umbridge, smiling in an overly sweet smile, "do you really expect to be attacked in my classroom?"
Neville gritted his teeth, "We're not going to be in this classroom forever-"
"I do not wish to criticise the way things have been run in this school." Professor Umbridge said, sarcastically, "But you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed… not to mention, extremely dangerous half-breeds."
Harry slammed his hand on the desk, "If you are talking about Professor Lupin he was a brilliant teacher and far more deserving of the title of Professor than you are!" he yelled, his anger bursting from him before he could stop it.
"Mr Potter!" Professor Umbridge said with fake shock, "That is more than enough, ten points from Slytherin. As I was saying, very irresponsible wizards who have frightened and scared you into believe there are dark wizards around every corner!"
"No they haven't." Daphne snapped, "We just-"
"Quiet, please all of you!" Umbridge laughed, "Now really, who would want to attack children, such as yourselves?"
"Oh, I don't know." Harry said, dramatically pretending to think, "Lord Voldemort maybe?"
The room fell silent, most people weren't used to people saying Voldemort's name out loud. Professor Umbridge took several deep breaths, glaring down at Harry.
"Ten more points from Slytherin Mr Potter." Umbridge said coolly, "Let me make this very clear to all of you, you have been told that a certain dark wizard has magically come back from the dead."
"He wasn't dead!" Harry told her, "But yes, he is back."
Professor Umbridge shook her head, "This. Is. A. Lie."
"I'm not lying!" Harry said, "I was there! I saw him, I fought him!"
"Detention Mr Potter." Umbridge said quietly, "In my office, five o'clock tomorrow evening. I repeat: this is a lie. There is no dark wizard back. Now all of you, back to your books, in silence."
Hermione raised her hand again.
"No more questions." Professor Umbridge said, a slight edge to her voice.
Harry took several deep breaths. He had already said too much, she'd wanted him to explode at her, that much was clear but there was so much more he wanted to say. He dug his nails into his palms to stop himself from shouting more to her, asking, demanding to know how she thought Cedric had died but he didn't. He managed to keep his head buried in his book until the bell rang and he could quickly leave the class.