Lost Memories

xxvii. professor umbitch

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her.

"Not about the chapter, no," said Hermione.

"Well, we're reading just now," said Professor Umbridge, showing her small, pointed teeth. "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.

Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows.

"And your name is— ?"

"Hermione Granger," said Hermione.

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.

"Well, I don't," said Hermione bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

"Using defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge repeated with 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. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron ejaculated loudly.

"Ron!" I whispered warningly.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr. — ?"

"Weasley," said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air.

Professor Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him. Harry and Hermione immediately raised their hands too.

"Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?"

"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."

"What use is that?" said Harry loudly. "If we're going to be attacked it won't be in a —"

"Hand, Mr Potter!" sang Professor Umbridge.

Harry thrust his fist in the air. Professor Umbridge promptly turned away from him again, but throwing caution into the wind, I shot my hand up and cleared my throat.

"And your name is?"

"Charlotte Harring."

"Well, Miss Harring?"

"Why do you propose we learn Defense Against the Dark Arts without practising it?" My voice was sickeningly sweet. "Although you think that there isn't a need to practice the defences, it has been quite clear that over the last couple of years there have been attacking at Hogwarts where these spells can help!"

"I repeat," said Professor Umbridge, smiling in a very irritating fashion at me, "do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"

"Do you plan on attacking—"

Professor Umbridge didn't let me finish my sentence as she strode over to me.

"If you meet to tell me that you believe that any professor would attack a student then—"

"But there has been; last year someone impersonated Professor—"

"An impersonator, Miss Harring, not a Professor. I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed — not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."