Faith .|. H. J. POTTER ✔

Chapter thirty-one

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" She asked Hermione who finally put her hand down.

"Not about the chapter, no,"

"Well, we're reading just now," Umbridge smiled at her. She acted like she was so sweet but just her voice made everyone's teeth fall out. Too much sweetness is never good. Certainly not in the form of the Minister's pet. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class,"

"I've got a query about your course aims," Hermione told her, eying the blackboard. Professor raised her eyebrows at that.

"And your name is?"

"Hermione Granger,"

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," She told Hermione with a sweet smile. It made Faith cringe.

"Well, I don't," Hermione said abruptly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells," That certainly was a good point Hermione made there. The whole class turned to look at Professor Umbridge to see what she had to say about that. They couldn't just continue through the year without using defensive spells.

"Using defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge exclaimed in disbelief and 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 exclaimed now, quite loud.

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

"Weasley," Ron told her as he rose his hand. Professor Umbridge smiled at him before completely ignoring him and turning away. That made Harry and Hermione raise their hands too. Umbridge was saying some ridiculous stuff and they couldn't let her get away with that. Umbridge looked at Harry for a second with narrowed eyes before turning to Hermione.

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

"Yes," Hermione said, putting her hand down again. "Surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to practise defensive spells?"

"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" Her overly-sweet voice was back again.

"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 decided our new programme of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way -"

"What's the use of that?" Harry asked loudly and Faith sighed mentally. They could've expected him to object to everything she had been saying with his bad mood. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be in a -"

"Hand, Mr Potter," Of course, she knew his name already. Harry thrust his fist in the air but she just turned away from him and focused her attention on other students who had their hands up. "And your name is?" She asked Dean.

"Dean Thomas,"

"Well, Mr Thomas?"

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

"I repeat," Professor Umbridge turned to the entire class. "Do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"

"No, but -" Umbridge didn't let him finish.

"I do not wish to criticise 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 smiled sickeningly, "extremely dangerous half-breeds,"