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Chapter 1037: Racing Towards Disaster
Chapter 1037: Racing Towards Disaster
"Professor Umbridge would like to see you."
Cedric, who had just finished his class and was about to head for lunch, was stopped by Filch in the entrance hall.
"What does Umbridge want with Cedric?"
Cedric's friends glared at Filch, as everyone now knew that being singled out by Umbridge was never a good thing.
"Follow me."
Filch ignored the hostile glares and led Cedric towards Umbridge's office.
Cedric glanced back at his friends, shrugged, and followed Filch away from the entrance hall.
"That damn toad! We have to do something!"
Though they spoke bravely, and knew they ought to help Cedric out of this predicament, none of them made a move to do so.
Perhaps they didn't know what to do, or perhaps they simply dared not.
As they reached the door to Umbridge's office, Cedric's expression remained calm. He had anticipated this day would come. After Filch knocked lightly three times, Cedric stepped into the room as the door was pushed open.
Umbridge sat in a chair behind her desk, writing something. She only looked up at Cedric and put down her quill when he entered. She offered her trademark smile and gestured to the chair across from her with a raised finger, "Please, take a seat, Mr. Diggory."
Cedric stole glances around Umbridge's office; it was his first time here. The room was filled with pink decorations that completely clashed with Umbridge's age, and various cat-themed trays were displayed on the shelves, giving the room a girlish flair.
But the owner of the office was an old witch.
Cedric suddenly understood why Umbridge preferred to speak in a girlish, high-pitched voice—it seemed she had always harbored a girlish heart.
However, considering Umbridge's current age, it made him feel rather nauseous.
On the wall behind the desk, a thick, sturdy iron bolt was affixed, and three brooms—Firebolt, Cleansweep Five, and Nimbus Two Thousand and One—were chained and locked to it.
Cedric immediately recognized Potter's Firebolt and the Weasley twins' Cleansweeps. Thanks to Umbridge's "help," Hufflepuff might be able to beat Gryffindor in the upcoming match. Yet, Cedric couldn't bring himself to feel happy about it.
"Professor, what did you want to see me about?" Cedric asked after composing his expression.
"I've heard some rumors lately, and I wanted to chat with you about a few things." Umbridge fixed her gaze on Cedric, her face still bearing her usual fake smile. "Oh, and would you like something to drink?"
"What?" Cedric's heart skipped a beat as he thought, So it's finally here?
"What would you like, Mr. Diggory? Tea, coffee, pumpkin juice?" Umbridge's smile widened.
"Then I'll have milk tea!" Cedric blurted out without thinking.
Hearing this response, Umbridge felt a strange discomfort, though she didn't know why. Still, she waved her wand and conjured a cup of steaming milk tea for Cedric.
Cedric stared at the milk tea in front of him, knowing he probably couldn't avoid what was coming. He took a sip and said with a stiff expression, "The taste of this milk tea is really... indescribable."
"What?"
Umbridge was momentarily taken aback.
Cedric put down the cup after taking a sip and began his performance, "This milk tea is awful. It's making me feel a bit sick."
Umbridge raised an eyebrow and glanced at the partially drunk milk tea before looking at Cedric with a smile that was both sinister and affectionate, "I've heard that you have the 'Defense Guide' with you?"
"The 'Defense Guide'?" Cedric replied calmly, "I did read that book once."
"Once?"
Umbridge's face darkened.
"Yes, once. I found it on a table in the library, and after reading it, I put it back. That's the unspoken rule among us students—to prevent Professor Umbridge from knowing who took the book," Cedric explained expressionlessly.
"Who came up with that rule?" Umbridge asked, her face turning uglier by the second.
"I don't know," Cedric shook his head.
"So, you don't know who has the book now either?" Umbridge's face darkened further.
"No, only the person who took it would know," Cedric replied.
After a brief silence, Umbridge asked again, "Mr. Diggory, how much do you know about Dumbledore's Army?"
"I know a bit. There are all sorts of rumors circulating about Dumbledore's Army within Hogwarts," Cedric looked at Umbridge and continued, "Some say Dumbledore's Army is an organization founded by the Anti-Toad League, and its purpose is to drive Professor Umbridge out of the school."
The smile vanished from Umbridge's face, and Cedric's words were undoubtedly an insult to her. Yet, she couldn't get angry because Cedric, under the influence of Veritaserum, could only speak the truth.
"Others say that Dumbledore's Army is an organization founded by Dumbledore himself. This group is recruiting students from Hogwarts and teaching them how to use magic in combat. Their goal is to overthrow the current Minister of Magic, Fudge. People say Dumbledore has set up their headquarters somewhere in the Forbidden Forest, but no one knows the specifics."
"Are there students who have joined? For example, Potter?" Umbridge hinted.
"No," Cedric shook his head, "Everyone thinks it's just a rumor."
"Go on," Umbridge said expressionlessly.
"There are also rumors that Dumbledore's Army is actually a student-initiated group because the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes taught by Professor Umbridge are so terrible. Students who want to excel in their upcoming important exams have joined, and it's supposedly called the 'Defense Association'..."
"You think this has something to do with Albert Anderson," Umbridge interrupted again.
"It doesn't matter. Albert is busy. The last time I asked him about the knowledge in the 'Defense Guide,' he refused to help me," Cedric shook his head.
"What is he busy with?" Umbridge asked warily.
"It's almost time for graduation, and Albert is rushing to finish reading some of the books in the Restricted Section," Cedric replied calmly, "He has access to any book in the Restricted Section."
"Who gave him that authority?"
"Headmaster Dumbledore," Cedric replied, and then fell silent.
"You may leave."
Umbridge sized Cedric up and down, and when she was certain she wouldn't get any more answers, she let him go.
Staring at the closed door, Umbridge's brows furrowed. Her intuition told her that Cedric might be lying, but she couldn't pinpoint the lie.
Is there something wrong with the Veritaserum?" Umbridge frowned slightly as she stared at the half-full cup of milk tea.
Finally, she summoned her house-elf, had it drink the remaining milk tea laced with Veritaserum, and then questioned it to confirm that the potion was indeed effective before dismissing the creature.
"Am I just being paranoid?" Umbridge muttered to herself.
If Albert were here, he would have certainly mocked Umbridge's inept potion-making skills, as she apparently didn't know that Veritaserum had an antidote.
Of course, it was also possible that Umbridge didn't think Cedric would have the foresight to prepare an antidote in advance and quietly consume it under her very nose.
Cedric had actually taken the antidote on his way to Umbridge's office, thanks to Albert's innovative preservation method for the Felix Felicis potion.
News of Umbridge summoning Cedric to her office spread quickly throughout Hogwarts Castle, immediately stirring up discontent among the Hufflepuffs.
If Albert was the face of Gryffindor, then Cedric was the face of Hufflepuff, and Umbridge's actions were undoubtedly a slap in the face to the Hufflepuff house.
This news startled Hermione, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she confirmed that Cedric hadn't triggered the curse she had placed on the list.
"How did you do it?" Harry asked expressionlessly.
Due to his secret crush on Cho, Harry's relationship with Cedric wasn't exactly amicable. However, with the help of a Calming Draught, he was able to maintain his composure.
"With an antidote for Veritaserum."
Cedric still held considerable influence among the DA members, especially with the Hufflepuffs.
During the split-group practice sessions, Cedric, along with the Weasley twins, would assist Harry in teaching the others, thereby increasing the efficiency of everyone's spellcasting practice. Otherwise, it would have been extremely difficult for everyone to master the contents of the 'Defense Guide' and receive adequate training within a short period.
"An antidote for Veritaserum?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide, "Can you brew an antidote for Veritaserum?"
"Of course not. Albert gave it to me," Cedric shook his head, "Don't get your hopes up, though. He doesn't have much of the antidote left either."
"If Umbridge uses Veritaserum on other members, DA will still be at risk of exposure.
Cedric shared with the two of them the three suggestions that Albert had given him.
"The first option seems more reliable. We can't possibly distribute the antidote to everyone, and as for the Forgetfulness Charm... it's best not to use it unless you're skilled in casting it." Hermione immediately said, "So, the best outcome would be to find an opportunity to stall for time and allow others to come to our aid and cause some chaos."
"We should probably talk to Fred and George about this. They're better at this sort of thing." Harry agreed with Hermione's proposal, "Let's organize the next gathering as soon as possible and make sure everyone stays on high alert!"
"We should also expose Umbridge's suspected use of Veritaserum on students." Hermione added.
...
"I think that toad is just asking for it. She actually dared to use Veritaserum to interrogate a Hogwarts student." During Herbology class, George took the opportunity to inform Albert of the news.
"Really?" Shan'na widened her eyes.
"Not long ago, Umbridge summoned Cedric to her office for 'tea'. Now everyone's worried about being called in for 'tea' with her." George lowered his voice, "It's making everyone anxious."
"What about Dumbledore? Won't he do something about this?" Shan'na couldn't understand why Umbridge was acting so brazenly.
"There's no evidence."
"Evidence?"
"The world of adults is far crueler than you imagine, and it's not uncommon for people to resort to underhanded means to achieve their goals. To be frank, if necessary, I wouldn't put it past her to use the Cruciatus Curse on students." Albert spoke casually as he tended to the plants in front of him.
"Pay attention, everyone! Mr. Potter is almost finished, so you'd better hurry up!" Professor Sprout called out as she passed by.
"Do you think Umbridge would really use the Cruciatus Curse?" George found it hard to believe that Umbridge would stoop so low.
"Cruel people are often capable of using the Cruciatus Curse. It's the source of power for most Dark Wizards." Albert had just plucked a small brown sphere from a tree; it was an Exploding Fruit, which would detonate upon ripening to scatter its seeds. It was highly destructive to ordinary flora and fauna, so it had to be harvested before maturity and frozen with a Freezing Charm.
A minute amount of extract from the Exploding Fruit was added to the Exploding Bonbons sold at Honeyduke's.
"I think we should do something to make her stay in the hospital for a while. That would give everyone some peace of mind." George looked at Albert, hoping for some suggestions.
"Some spells cannot be mixed, or they may have undesirable effects." Albert paused in thought, "Of course, there are potions that can achieve similar results."
"That's a great idea." George said without hesitation, "It wouldn't be unusual for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to have some odd occurrences."
"Are you really going to do that?" Shan'na found it hard to understand the world they were in. Hogwarts no longer felt like a warm and welcoming home. She felt like everyone around her had gone crazy.
The relationship between Umbridge and the students was especially strained, to the point of mutual hatred.
"That's what happens when a chaotic era is approaching."
"Chaotic era? Looks like we're not so lucky after all." Shan'na stopped in front of the entrance hall, looking at the students gathered around the notice board with a disgusted expression. Undoubtedly, a new Educational Decree had been issued.
"Actually, our luck isn't that bad. At least we're graduating soon." Albert glanced at the Educational Decree on the notice board and joked, "Imagine having to copy that decree; it would drive anyone insane."
"Umbridge plans to form an action group to maintain stability in Hogwarts and prevent conflict incidents. How disgusting!" Lee Jordan suddenly appeared, his face full of disgust, "I bet that so-called action group is made up of Slytherins. That toad has even forgotten that she's from Ravenclaw."
"She's already had the Ravenclaws who opposed her expelled." Albert reminded him kindly.
Albert wasn't surprised by Umbridge's actions; adults tended to be more pragmatic, and he himself was no exception.
"She should be punished!"
On their way back to the common room, George suddenly spoke up, "If Umbridge isn't punished, she'll only get worse.
"Do you have a plan?"
"I want to transfigure her into a toad." George lowered his voice, "Or, we could secretly cast a spell on her, giving her a serious skin condition that would force her to stay in the hospital for the next few months."
(End of Chapter)
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