Professor McGonagall: ...
What kind of person asks a suspect if they have committed a crime?
But her helplessness lies precisely in that. In this incident, Hogwarts has always been the passive party, whether it's expelling or retaining, punishing or letting go, the ultimate authority is not in the hands of the school. When there are conflicts with the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts naturally finds itself in a disadvantaged position.
And Professor McGonagall couldn't prevent Umbridge from trying to get the "truth" from the Dementors.
"In fact, we could leave right now." Umbridge's thoughts changed a bit; she felt she should seize the opportunity and catch Minerva off guard.
"Didn't you say you wanted to try the school's pudding?" Minerva rolled her eyes, feeling that Umbridge wasn't speaking a single true word.
"It's not even snack time yet; we should get back on time." Umbridge jumped out of her chair and rushed towards the exit of the Great Hall. After taking a few steps, she remembered something. "Let's also take some students as witnesses. It was great to have the two who used the Patronus spell that day, plus a Prefect."
Professor McGonagall naturally had no objections.
"Yodel, Granger, Percy." She called the three from the table, asking them to join her.
Then, Umbridge spotted the prankster who had stood up.
Tom's words left a deep impression on her.
She looked at Tom, raised her eyebrows, but didn't say much more, simply leading the group to the school gate.
At that moment, the Dementors guarding Hogwarts' entrance floated in the air doing nothing, emitting an ominous hiss.
But if someone could understand them, they wouldn't be so creepy.
Because what they're shouting is.
"So hungry... so hungry, I'm really... so hungry!"
"I want... to eat... food..."
"I want... to eat... food... from the Ministry of Magic... When... will they bring it?"
"It's been... several weeks already..."
The Dementors, who hadn't been replenished in a long time, came to invade Hogwarts last week and paid a terrible price: they were hit by a strange Patronus whose flames were so hot that they could burn a hole through their bodies, and half of their bodies were burnt if they were hit directly. Several Dementors were so badly injured that they had to return to Azkaban to recover.
Dementors can't die, but that doesn't mean they can't be hurt. Wizards' Patronuses can harm them, and too much harm requires a return to their former home, Azkaban, to recuperate and take their time there.
"Someone... is coming..."
"Food?"
The Dementors became excited when they saw someone approaching the school. They know that the wizards inside should not be "eaten," but that doesn't stop them from getting a little snack. They seize the opportunity to suck out their happiness when wizards get closer.
Unfortunately, the delicious little wizards inside the castle don't come out often. They only occasionally gather and go to Hogsmeade. But today, suddenly, there were five people coming! It's truly a godsend! Five people would be enough for a good meal.
The Dementors at the gate stirred, like students before the last morning class. They huddled a bit towards the visitors...
Umbridge led the group, even though she had the shortest legs of the five, she went at the front. She noticed the changes at the entrance to Hogwarts but didn't pay much attention to it. She thought the Dementors were forming a line to welcome her!
When she got closer to the Dementors, Umbridge couldn't help but shiver.
"Cold!" That was the first sensation Umbridge had when she approached. The Dementors were like huge, hard chunks of ice, turning the entrance area of the school into a freezer.
The Dementors gathered around Umbridge, and before she could say anything, they all opened their putrid mouths and began sucking Umbridge simultaneously.
Umbridge's head buzzed, and she was on the verge of being completely sucked dry. Her body froze as if submerged in a barrel of icy water, unable to move, while all kinds of sad memories flooded her mind, as if all happiness was draining away from her.
Tom and Professor McGonagall stepped back in silence, letting Umbridge enjoy the Dementors' "enthusiasm." Of the four, three knew how to conjure the Patronus Charm, but none of them drew their wands to help Umbridge.
"Stop! Halt!" She bit her tongue hard to regain her composure. "I am a Senior Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic! Stop right now!"
The Dementors stopped sucking and withdrew a bit, giving Umbridge a breather.
Umbridge exhaled a large puff of white vapor. She had just felt like her lungs were filled with icy water, but now it seemed like she was expelling the icy water from her lungs, and with every breath, she felt a sharp pain in her chest.
"Monsters!" Umbridge thought indignantly as she looked at the Dementors' bodies.
"I have come to investigate the incident that occurred on the Quidditch field last Saturday," Umbridge said, regaining her haughty air after calming down a bit.
She looked at the Dementors and spoke quickly, "According to reports, you entered Hogwarts without permission from the Ministry of Magic last Saturday. The Ministry of Magic has warned you that you can only enter Hogwarts in emergency situations. What you did is forbidden. Do you have any explanation for this?"
Umbridge's voice was shrill, and combined with her rapid speech, the lead Dementor couldn't understand it immediately. It only grasped a few keywords: Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts, forbidden, explanation.
Explain what? The Dementors were a little confused, explaining why they attacked her a moment ago?
"Jhh... Juhh... (It was unintentional)," the Dementor mumbled.
Umbridge realized that the Dementors couldn't argue in their favor. McGonagall and the others didn't understand what the Dementors were saying.
Tom, from behind, asked, "Did you enter Hogwarts because you were hungry?"
This sentence was understood by the Dementors, but their attention wasn't focused on those words. They were watching Tom closely, feeling like they knew him from somewhere, even though they couldn't remember where they had seen him.
However, they had to respond to the question.
The Dementors nodded, admitting that they had indeed entered Hogwarts out of hunger. That statement had no issue at all!
Umbridge was left dumbfounded: What was happening? Why were the Dementors admitting guilt so easily? Why were these things so stupid?