Falling For a Friend || Ron Weasley

7 - umbridge

Y/N's POV

"THANK you, headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. And how lovely to see all your bright faces smiling up at me. I'm sure we're all going to be the very good friends." Professor Umbridge greets as she takes the podium at the end of the welcome feast.

"That's likely." Fred and George say simultaneously. It takes all my strength to hold back a snort, and when I glance across the table, I notice Ron is doing the same. I didn't see him for the entirety of the train ride but once we all met up again on the carriage ride, he was perfectly normal. There wasn't a trace of anger or whatever it is he feels towards Theo. Instead, he was perfectly calm and polite. It would've been unnerving if it wasn't for the fact that it gave me a slight reprieve to enjoy time with all my friends at once without any bickering. 

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what can be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." She giggles, an annoying sound. 

"What does that even mean?" Ron asks. 

"It means the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts." 

*****

HERMIONE was right. The Ministry is most definitely interfering at Hogwarts. After Umbridge gives us a presentation about our OWLs this year, she then proceeds to speak to us about our future course material. 

"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you will be pleased to know from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic." She tells us.

Hermione is the first to raise her hand, which I should have predicted. 

"Yes?"

"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells." Hermione points out. 

"Using spells?" Umbridge asks incredulously, punctuating it with a terrible fake giggle. "Well I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."

"We're not using magic?" Ron questions. 

"You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way."

"Well, what use is that? If we're gonna be attacked, it won't be risk-free." Harry interjects. 

"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class." She scolds. "It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which after all, is what school is all about."

Harry narrows his eyes. "And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?"

"There is nothing out there! Who do you imagine would possibly want to attack children like yourself?"

At that, I've had enough. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe Lord Voldemort!" I exclaim. 

The class falls silent, shocked at my outburst and most likely also shocked that I said his name. I'm shocked at myself as well. I've never said his true name. Well not his true name, but his feared named. Then again, why shouldn't I? Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. And I'm done being scared. What's coming is going to come whether I'm scared or not. We'll all be able to deal with it better if we just face it head-on. 

Umbridge advances closer to my desk. "Now let me make this quite plain." She says in an eerily calm voice. "You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large again. This...is...a...lie."

"It's not a lie! I saw him! I fought him!" Harry yells, coming to my defense.

"Detention Mr. Potter! And you as well Miss y/l/n!"

Normally detention would be enough to make me fall back. But this is more serious than a prank gone wrong or a late assignment. "So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?" I challenge.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident."

Now Harry is furious. "It was murder! Voldemort killed him! You must know!"

"Enough! Enough. See me later, Mr. Potter and Miss y/l/n, in my office." She says sternly and this time I slump back in my seat, Ron giving me a sympathetic look.