The Siren's Call (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

72. Frustrated and Infuriated

'Yes, Professor Umbridge,' rang through the class. 

"Good," Umbridge said. "I should like you to turn to page five and read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners.' There will be no need to talk." Dioleh turned to the page but began fiddling with her ring again, not bothering to read a syllable. Glancing to her right, she saw tears streaming down Imani's cheeks. Just as she opened her mouth to check in on her, Umbridge asked, "Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" Looking over, Dioleh saw that Hermione had had her hand raised. 

Ignoring every eye on her, Hermione said, "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

"Using defensive spells?" Umbridge repeated. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom there would require you to use defensive a spell, Ms Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?" Dioleh frowned. 

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

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

"Weasley," Ron retorted, raising his hand forcefully. Harry, Hermione, and Ron all raised their hands.

"Yes, Ms Granger, you wanted to ask something else?"

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

"Are you a Ministry trained expert, Ms Granger?" Umbridge retorted scathingly.

"No, but-"

"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is," Umbridge retorted. "Wizards much older and cleaver we than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way-"

"What use is that?" Harry snapped. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be in a-" 

"Hand, Potter!" Umbridge yelled. He instantly raised his hand again. "And your name is?"

"Dean Thomas," Dean replied.

"Well, Mr Thomas?"

"Well, it's like Harry said, isn't it?" he replied. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk-free."

"I repeat, do you expect to be attacked in my class?"

"No, but-" 

"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school, but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed - not to mention," she said, letting out a sick laugh that made Dioleh's stomach lurch, "extremely dangerous half-breeds." All the blood drained from Dioleh's face. 

"If you mean Professor Lupin, he was the best we ever-" Dean pushed on angrily. 

"Hand, Mr Thomas!" Umbridge shouted. "As I was saying - you have been introduced to spells that have been complex inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day-" 

"No we haven't," Hermione protested earnestly. "We just-" 

"Your hand is not up, Ms Granger!" Umbridge shrieked. To her own great surprise, Dioleh raised her hand. "Yes, Ms?" 

"Granger," Dioleh said. Her voice was far softer and less angry than the others, causing Umbridge to raise her chin slightly as she readied to listen. With more respect than she expected to be able to muster, Dioleh said, "Professor, I understand that having a paranoid outlook isn't healthy, but we still have to be realistic. Even if there isn't a dark attack, there are still other dangers out there we need to be prepared for if they do come to us even in the no-maj world." 

"Really?" she called, turning on her. "Who would you imagine would want to attack children like yourselves?"

"Well," Dioleh said, still keeping her tone sensible. "There are still bad people in the world like murderers, rapists, and you never know what might come in the future. The real world isn't as safe as you're pretending." 

"I repeat," Umbridge snapped, discarding Dioleh's very sensible objection. "Who could you possibly imagine would attack mere children like you?" 

"Hum, let's think," Harry replied in a mock thoughtful voice, his anger boiling over the edge. "Maybe Lord Voldemort?"

"Ten points from Gryffindor," Umbridge snapped with a sickly sweet smile. "Now, let me make a few things quite plain. You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead-"

"He wasn't dead," Harry said angrily. "But yeah, he's returned."

"Mr-Potter-you-have-already-lost-your-House-ten-points-do-not-make-matters-worse-for-yourself," Umbridge said in one breath. "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

"It's not a lie!" Harry yelled. "I saw him, I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr Potter!" she shouted. "Tomorrow evening, five o'clock, my office. I repeat, this is a lie."

Sending his chair crashing to the floor, Harry got to his feet, demanding, "So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?" Dioleh's breath hitched in her throat as she looked in surprise at Harry. She had never heard him speak of that night and neither had anyone else aside from Ron and Hermione. 

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," Umbridge said in a voice that shook with forced power and ice. 

"It was murder!" Harry shouted. His entire body was shaking. Dioleh recognized that look in his eye. He was in complete anguish. 

"Harry," she whispered, leaning across Hermione to tug on his sleeve and try to get him to sit down. 

Angrily, he hit her arm away from him as he cried, "Voldemort killed him and you know it! Just like he'll kill at least one person in this room before this is all over!" Imani let out an agonized cry as she covered her mouth. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her eyes were wide. 

Dioleh's grabbed onto her hand as Umbridge said in the most sickening voice yet, "Come here, Mr Potter, dear." He kicked his chair farther away and stormed over to her desk. After a few quiet words, he left, a pink piece of parchment in hand.