Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 316: First Impressions
The next day, all the students received their schedules.
"Double Defense Against the Dark Arts first thing in the morning?!" Ron made a face of pure disgust.
"At least it's not double Potions like last year," Seamus reminded him.
"I mean…anything except for that again, but…have you seen the new professor? She looks and sounds insufferable," Ron said.
"Come on, maybe she's not that bad." Neville decided to say something he was going to regret very soon.
Harry glanced at the schedule for the day. There was indeed a double class with Umbridge and no History of Magic until the next day.
'This gives me a good chance…' He thought about going directly to inform Dumbledore of his findings with Rookwood, but he could already imagine how the old Headmaster was going to react. It would be better to first have a good conversation with Umbridge.
'I just need to secure a private meeting with the toad…that shouldn't be difficult,' Harry thought as he finished his breakfast.
Professor Umbridge was already standing at the end of the classroom when the students began to enter. She waited with an impassive gaze as they took their seats.
"Ten points from Gryffindor!" Umbridge announced.
"Wait, what?" Hermione exclaimed.
"What did we do already?" Ron looked confused.
"You arrived late!" Umbridge glared at them.
Hermione raised her hand. "Professor…there are still two minutes until the-"
"Silence!" Umbridge shouted at her.
"You have to be here ten minutes before the start of class in order to prepare. I expect you to be on time next…or it will be twenty points then."
Some of the Slytherin students who shared their classroom began to chuckle.
"Hold on!" Ron pointed at the other half of the class.
"They got here at the same time. Why aren't you taking points from Slytherin too?"
"I do not need to excuse myself to students. But I will make an exception just this time, Mister…" Umbridge looked directly at Ron with intensity.
Ron got a bit nervous.
"W-Weasley…"
She scowled.
"Of course…you look like your useless father after all."
Ron was about to snap, but Neville stopped him.
"Shhh! Don't!" he warned his friend.
Umbridge saw this and grinned.
"For your information, Mister Weasley… the reason I have not punished the Slytherin students is because the dungeons are much further away from this classroom than the other houses. So I can forgive a few extra minutes."
Hermione was about to raise her hand to tell the professor that she was wrong about that statement, but Parvati was quick to grab her hand.
"No…"
It was easy to tell that this woman was very biased toward the house of the snakes. They already had experience with this, thanks to Professor Snape. Arguing with her would only serve to lose more points for their house.
"Now…if there are no more interruptions, we will begin the class."
The students pulled out their Defense books and placed their wands next to them, as they had always done during their previous D.A.D.A classes.
Umbridge saw this and gestured for them to put the wands away.
"You can store the wands back in your bags. The book will be enough for this class."
"So we're not going to practice any magic?" Daphne raised her hand and asked.
Umbridge frowned.
"There will be no need for any practical use of the wand. The theory will be more than enough to pass your tests."
Daphne's eyes widened at hearing this.
The class stood in silence as the information began to sink in. It was not just for today. This woman was not planning on teaching them anything practical for the entire year.
"But what about the O.W.L.s? There's a practical part to it! How can we pass if we don't practice?" Hermione couldn't take this without saying something.
"That won't be a problem. Our beloved Minister Parkinson, along with the Board of Education, and of course…me…have decided to create a new law that will change the way the O.W.L. exams work. The practical part will be removed, leaving only the theoretical test," Umbridge explained.
"So you see, there's no need for the wands. In fact, once this law passes, we will also remove the practical part from every single class that still has them, like Charms."
Umbridge smiled after seeing the horrified expressions on her students' faces.
In fact, the laws that the Minister had planned for the future, went far beyond that.
He intended to completely take away the wands of every student until they passed their final exams. And even then, only those that the Ministry of Magic declared as 'trustworthy' would be given the right to use magic.
In the future, they would be able to control who could even use magic at all. And of course, they would only give this right to those loyal to their cause.
'No more mudbloods and blood traitors with wands…' Umbridge almost giggled at the mere thought of what the future held.
"Now…if there are no more pointless questions…perhaps we can begin this class."
A student lifted his hand, and her mood immediately dropped a few notches at noting who this was.
The student in question was none other than Harry Potter.
"I do have a pointless question," Harry said with an innocent face.
Umbridge gritted her teeth. She had not forgotten about him...this was the one she hated the most and the one she was the most wary of. She could not wait for the moment when she could take his wand away.
"And what is it?!. Be quick about it. " She snapped at Harry.
"Is it true that you are half-magical toad?" Harry asked without skipping a beat.
The class stared at him with shocked eyes.
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