The Boy Who Lived

Order and Rules

It was impossible, Harry thought, to forget her high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish voice from the hearing and, again, Harry felt a powerful rush of dislike. He loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan. And she proceeded to address them all like they were five-years-old.

'hem-hem...' she coughed again and Harry wanted to throw a tin of throat lozenges at her horrible toady face. 'The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance...There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering... Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited...'

Perhaps, thought Harry, Sirius was right. She sounded like she was intending to re-write the rule book and that the Ministry were behind it. Harry didn't trust a word she said and it was confirmed by Hermione who said through gritted teeth that the Ministry was interfering at Hogwarts.

Harry felt very tetchy and angry. He had been all summer since Cedric's death.

He left Umbridge's first Defence class merely five minutes in with a note for Minnie. He was in a foul mood but what was new these days. It didn't help that he got in an argument with Peeves outside the deputy-headmistress's office.

'What on earth are you shouting about, Harry?' Minnie snapped, as her door flew open and she emerged looking grim and slightly harassed.

Peeves cackled gleefully and zoomed out of sight.

'Why aren't you in class?'

'I've been sent to see you,' said Harry stiffly, not looking forward to a reprimand from Minnie too.

'Sent? What do you mean, sent?'

He held out the note from Umbridge and she took it, frowning, and tapped it open with her wand. Her eyes narrowed as she got further and further down the page.

'Come in here, Harry.'

The door closed automatically behind him.

'Well?' she said, rounding on him. 'Is this true?'

'Is what true?' Harry asked, rather more aggressively than he had intended. 'Mum?' he added, in an attempt to sound politer. He knew better than to cross Minnie.

'Is it true you shouted at Professor Umbridge?'

'Yes.'

'You called her a liar?'

'Yes.'

'You told her Voldemort was back?'

'Yes.'

She sat down behind her desk, watching Harry closely. Then she said, 'have a biscuit, Harry.'

'Have... what?'

'A biscuit,' she repeated. 'And sit down.'

He sat down heavily and helped himself to a Ginger Newt from the tartan tin. He felt wrong-footed.

'Harry,' she sighed. 'You need to be careful. Misbehaviour in Dolores Umbridge's class could cost you much more than House points and a detention.'

'What do you...?'

'...use your common sense, Harry. I've brought you up to think more critically than this,' she snapped. 'You know where she comes from, you know to whom she is reporting. You'll have to attend her detentions...'