Chapter 1028: Lying Low
Chapter 1028: Lying Low
"What in the world do you three think you're doing?!"
Having just finished a lap around the Quidditch pitch, an exhausted Harry and the Weasley twins were summoned to Professor McGonagall's office for a scolding. The events that had just transpired seemed to have infuriated the professor.
"We're not up to anything, Professor," George replied, taking a moment to regulate his breathing, grateful for the Energizing Potion he had taken earlier.
"Not up to anything?!" Professor McGonagall shook with rage, slamming her hand on the desk, creating a loud thump. "You almost caused a massive uproar!"
"That wasn't us, Professor," Fred corrected, taking a deep breath.
"Perhaps you need a Calming Draught, Professor," Harry interjected, reaching into the pocket of his outer robe and retrieving a vial. He poured himself a dose before offering it to the twins. "Would you like some?"
"No, thank you," they replied.
"I think we're quite calm," George added.
"I think you should have one, just in case," Harry suggested.
"What?" Professor McGonagall was taken aback.
Fred snatched the vial from Harry and poured a dose for himself and George.
"What are you doing?!" Professor McGonagall glared at the trio, her frustration growing as she witnessed their nonchalant expressions.
"Having a Calming Draught, Professor," Fred explained calmly. "We've been maintaining our composure, so it's not like we're looking for trouble. You should ask Slytherin what they're up to." He handed the vial back to Harry.
"Malfoy instigated the whole thing by insulting our parents. You can't expect us to just stand there and take it," George shrugged.
"Instigating?!" Professor McGonagall yelled. "But you didn't let Professor Hooch handle it!"
"They even made up that offensive song. It's clear that Professor Hooch couldn't handle the situation," Fred cut in. "So, please, don't blame her."
"We just retaliated by insulting his family," Harry said calmly. "We didn't get angry and punch him or anything like that."
"He insulted us, so we insulted him back. I think that's fair," George stated coolly. "You can't expect us to just take the insults and not fight back."
"I think we showed great restraint," Harry argued. "It was them who cast the first spell. We only used the Iron Armor Charm to defend ourselves against their hexes."
"But the Slytherins took it too far, inciting the anger of the other Gryffindors," Fred pointed out. "Perhaps, Professor, you haven't noticed the growing number of students who are dissatisfied with Slytherin's behavior. Today's incident was just the spark that lit the fire."
"Even without this, an unpleasant conflict would have erupted sooner or later."
"That's pretty much how it is, Professor. You can ask anyone else if you don't believe us."
"Of course, don't worry, Professor," Harry reassured her. "Even if a conflict does break out, we're confident we can take them down and protect ourselves."
Professor McGonagall stared at the trio, dumbfounded, unable to find the words to respond.
"Come on, Professor, accept the facts," George consoled.
"You can't expect us to just bow our heads and avoid trouble," Harry said, a hint of self-mockery in his tone. "Though, I wish it were that simple. Trouble always seems to find me."
"For heaven's sake, do you realize how terrible this is?!" Professor McGonagall's lips were pressed into a thin line. "You even forgot about Dolores Umbridge!"
"Oh, we saw," George said with a shrug. "Looks like someone hit her with a Stunning Spell from the crowd. She's probably lying unconscious in the hospital wing right now. You should know, Professor, that the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher isn't exactly lucky. It's normal to encounter some trouble."
Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, but for a moment, she was at a loss for words.
Harry struggled to hold back his laughter.
Who had stunned Dolores Umbridge?
None other than Lee Jordan, of course, who had taken advantage of the chaos to take down the unpleasant woman, thus avoiding further complications.
"I must remind you," Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, "that Dolores Umbridge now wields significant power. She has the authority to detain you, or even..."
"Put us in detention."
"Or ban us for life," George added, recalling the prediction. "Don't forget the old fraud's prophecy—I mean, Professor Trelawney's."
"Maybe the toad will ban the entire Gryffindor team," Fred speculated.
"You..." Professor McGonagall was so angry she couldn't speak. She couldn't comprehend how they could discuss these matters so calmly, as if they had nothing to do with them.
"We already know," George consoled her. "Albert made a similar prediction. The toad will be gone next year, so let her do whatever she wants for now."
"Come on, Professor, have a Calming Draught and relax. You'll realize that she's just a toad, and we can just watch her hop around and make a fool of herself."
Fred placed the Calming Draught in front of Professor McGonagall and said calmly, "As for that ridiculous Educational Decree, do you really intend to abide by it?"
"You..."
Professor McGonagall was certain that it was these three who had stunned Umbridge, and their current attitude completely disregarded the rules of Hogwarts, not to mention their blatant disrespect for Umbridge herself.
"Just as Albert said, if a professor doesn't earn the respect of the students, then they are nothing more than a professor," George said nonchalantly. "Even if she's the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Magic, she's still just a toad. You don't need to worry about the Ministry, according to Albert's prophecy, the Ministry will soon collapse, and those foolish Educational Decrees can be treated as jokes. If you truly care about them, you will only end up losing."
Alright then! From the time they enrolled until now, all the unfortunate incidents that had befallen Umbridge, she suspected, were orchestrated by these troublemakers.
"If Dumbledore truly cared about the students' education, he wouldn't have allowed a toad like her to teach at Hogwarts," Fred shrugged. "Perhaps he just wanted everyone to see the true face of the Ministry of Magic, just like when Lockhart was appointed as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
"Who knows what Professor Dumbledore is thinking," Harry muttered. "There are quite a few students who are dissatisfied with this situation. I've heard they've been writing letters to the headmaster to complain."
"Well then, we'll be going now. Have a pleasant afternoon."
Fred waved at Professor McGonagall with a smile, opened the office door, and left, leading the way out.
Professor McGonagall stared at the closed office door, feeling a weight on her chest. She picked up the Calming Draught that Fred had left on the table, swallowed it, and took a deep breath before slumping back into her armchair.
Alright, she thought. Now she understood that Albert, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan didn't take their final year seriously at all. Their conversation was their way of laying their cards on the table, indicating that they intended to stir up trouble and that she shouldn't get involved.
Currently, Umbridge had become a laughingstock at Hogwarts, providing endless entertainment since the start of the school year.
Just as the Weasley twins had said, if Dumbledore truly wanted to resolve the issue, none of this would have happened.
He had compromised.
Professor McGonagall was well aware of this, and that was why Hogwarts had become what it was today.
The students knew it too, so they didn't care, figuring that if the headmaster himself had compromised, why should they bother?
For some reason, Professor McGonagall's mood suddenly improved.
She, too, had been holding back for a long time.
However, Professor McGonagall's good mood didn't last long. That evening, Umbridge knocked on her office door.
"Suspend them? They've already been suspended," Professor McGonagall said flatly in response to Umbridge's suggestion of suspending the students. "As for Mr. Malfoy and his gang, I am discussing the matter with Professor Snape. I think they should also be suspended. You know, they almost caused a big disturbance, and they need to calm down."
Seeing Umbridge's face twist in disgust, Professor McGonagall added with a smile, "Of course, if you want to ban the Quidditch match altogether, I can understand that."
The office fell into a terrifying silence.
The fake smile on Umbridge's face froze.
"We can't be that cruel; suspending Potter and the Weasley twins is enough. Of course, I need to confiscate their brooms. You..."
"That won't do," Professor McGonagall interrupted. "Brooms are private property and are not prohibited items. They are not criminals, and even the Ministry of Magic has no reason to confiscate students' belongings, let alone a professor at Hogwarts. We don't have that kind of authority. You need to understand that a professor is just a professor."
Before Umbridge could respond, Professor McGonagall continued, "If you have any other questions, I suggest you talk to Professor Snape, as the whole incident was started by students from Slytherin."
"Of course, if you have a different opinion, I suggest you announce it to the students yourself. Perhaps that would be more persuasive," Professor McGonagall added, not wanting to deal with Umbridge's nonsense anymore. She made a shooing gesture, indicating that the conversation was over.
As for the matters within Hogwarts, she really didn't want to deal with them anymore, and she didn't have the authority to do so anyway. Let Umbridge deal with her own mess! Professor McGonagall believed that Umbridge would eventually encounter bad luck, especially considering the string of incidents that had already occurred, showcasing the capabilities of Fred and his group.
After shooing away Umbridge, who left in a huff, Professor McGonagall suddenly felt her mood lift, and the suppressed emotions she had been feeling were alleviated.
(End of Chapter)
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