Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

Chapter 935: Ten Points from Gryffindor

“But, Professor, surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells.” Hermione interrupted her.

“Please never interrupt when I speak in the future. And, speaking about the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts, are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?” asked Professor Umbridge in her falsely sweet voice.

“No, but…”

“Well then, I’m afraid you are not qualified to decide what the ‘whole point’ of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. There have been no questions in the morning class. And I can make it clear that you will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way…”

“What use is that?” said Harry loudly, interrupting Umbridge again, and he was even angrier when he thought that Evan had compromised with Umbridge in the morning, “If we’re going to be attacked it won’t certainly be in a …”

“Quiet!” sang Professor Umbridge. “I said don’t interrupt me, Mr. Potter, and hand up please.”

Harry thrust his fist in the air, and Professor Umbridge repeated the same trick again.

She promptly turned away from him, but now several other people had their hands up too.

“And your name is?” Professor Umbridge said to Dean.

“Well, Mr. Thomas?”

“Well, it’s like Harry said, isn’t it?” said Dean. “If we’re going to be attacked, it won’t be risk-free…”

“I repeat,” said Professor Umbridge, taking a deep breath while smiling in a very irritating fashion at Dean, “do you expect to be attacked during my classes?”

“No, but—”

“That’s enough; I have to say that your class is the most problematic among all years. Apart from personal factors, these problems are based on the school itself. To be honest, I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school.” Professor Umbridge talked over Dean, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, and she gave a nasty little laugh. “but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed — not to mention; extremely dangerous half-breeds.”

“If you mean Professor Lupin,” piped up Dean Thomas angrily, “he was the best we ever had; and Hogwarts Magic he’s running with Evan is also my favorite newspaper.”

“Hand, Mr. Thomas! About that newspaper, I will talk to Mr. Mason, and let him carefully choose his staff and what content should be published. As for this class, as I was saying, you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. Look, you have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day ……”

“No, we haven’t,” Hermione said angrily, and Harry beside her was also annoyed, “We just…”

“Your hand is not up, Miss Granger; and do not interrupt me!”

Hermione put up her hand, Harry held his up high too, and Professor Umbridge turned away from them.

“Apart from that dangerous half-breed and an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, I believe that my predecessor, that Moody, not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you.”

“Professor Moody is the best, we learned a lot from him!” Harry shouted angrily, “Also, Sirius is not a fugitive who escaped from prison. You wronged him fifteen years ago …”

“Your hand is not up, Mr. Potter!” trilled Professor Umbridge, the smile on her face fading, “I am not here to argue with you about the crazy things my predecessor did. This is not what we should discuss in this class, and your understanding is quite one-sided. Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?” she added, staring at Parvati, whose hand had just shot up.

“Parvati Patil, and isn’t there a practical bit in our Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.? Aren’t we supposed to show that we can actually do the countercurses and things?”

“Well, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions,” said Professor Umbridge dismissively. “If you can’t, it will obviously be your own fault.”

“Without ever practicing them before?” said Parvati incredulously. “Are you telling us that the first time we’ll get to do the spells will be during our exam?”

“I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough…”

“And what good’s theory going to be in the real world?” said Harry loudly, his fist in the air again.

His voice was very loud, almost roaring out with all his might.

Professor Umbridge looked up and said softly, “This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world.”

“So we’re not supposed to be prepared for what’s waiting out there?”

“There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter. Your thoughts are very dangerous.”

“Oh yeah?” said Harry.

His temper, which seemed to have been bubbling just beneath the surface all day, was reaching boiling point.

Indeed, just as he made up his mind to ask Umbridge, it had already erupted.

“Wake up, Mr. Potter. Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?” inquired Professor Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice, with no smile on her face.

“Hmm, let’s think …” said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice, “maybe Lord Voldemort?!”

” Huuuhhh!” The class gasped, and some uttered little screams; Neville even slipped sideways off his stool.

Umbridge, however, did not flinch, as though she’d just heard a common name.

She didn’t seem to be as afraid of the name as everyone else was, of Voldemort.

She was staring at Harry with a grimly satisfied expression on her face.

“Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter.”

The classroom was silent and still. Everyone was staring at either Umbridge or Harry.

Harry was furious, and Hermione hurriedly stopped him, not letting him be so impulsive. She then understood the meaning of what Evan had said when he left at noon, why she was asked to keep an eye on Harry and not have a conflict with Umbridge. She kind of regretted she didn’t do what Evan had said.

Harry was now almost exactly like Sirius before, a powder keg ready to explode at the slightest touch…

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