Chapter 1043: Potter Speaks the Truth
Chapter 1043: Potter Speaks the Truth
While Umbridge lay ill in bed, Hogwarts regained its former vibrancy, and everyone was finally free from Toad's oppressive rule.
This good mood would last at least until the end of the Christmas holidays.
However, Madam Pomfrey of the school hospital was not in a pleasant mood. The Toad had nightmares more than once and lost control of her emotions, screaming loudly.
It was unbearable for anyone to endure this every few days, let alone trying to get a good night's sleep.
The sleep-deprived Madam Pomfrey was tempted to send Umbridge to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. If it weren't for her ethics as a healer, Madam Pomfrey would have already kicked Umbridge out of the hospital wing.
The students of Hogwarts continued their voluntary efforts to visit Umbridge, all influenced by the Anti-Toad League, hoping to drive her away for good.
However, these acts of kindness were merely a ploy by a few unscrupulous individuals to torment Umbridge. The students with a bit of wit knew that getting rid of Umbridge wouldn't be easy.
At the very least, the Toad wouldn't leave Hogwarts because of this, and she hadn't even gone to St. Mungo's to treat her strange illness.
Harry and Hermione were well aware of this, especially after Albert's reminder. The two of them, along with the Weasley brothers and Cedric, huddled together to discuss their next steps, deciding to increase the frequency of DA gatherings and strengthen the cohesion among its members.
What used to be a weekly gathering had now become four gatherings a week.
Frequent DA meetings were nothing short of a disaster for the fifth-year students. With the Christmas holidays approaching, homework was already piling up like an avalanche, leaving them barely enough time to breathe, let alone engage in intense Dark Magic defense training.
Of course, Harry didn't force all DA members to attend every meeting. But no one wanted to miss out on any of the DA gatherings because they could feel their Dark Magic defense skills improving at a visible rate since joining the "Defense Association."
The defensive spells learned at the DA gatherings were almost catching up to the number of dark magic defense spells they had learned since starting school.
It was somewhat amusing because while Hogwarts' Dark Magic Defense classes did teach students some useful knowledge, very few of them directly taught magic, combat techniques, and how to better protect themselves, like the "Defense Association" did.
What the students craved was practical training, not theoretical knowledge, and Umbridge's "Theory of Magic Defense" only exacerbated the situation.
So, despite the frequent DA gatherings, everyone was actually quite pleased because they were learning useful spells and how to truly defeat their enemies and protect themselves. They were making tangible progress in the subject of Dark Magic Defense.
Nevertheless, the increased frequency of DA gatherings did spark some dissent, especially among those who also had to train for Quidditch.
"Have you gone mad, Harry?"
Angelina, unable to bear it any longer, confronted Harry about the frequent DA gatherings as they conflicted with Quidditch practice. She didn't want to miss any DA meetings, so she hoped Harry could reduce their frequency.
Of course, this was what they had all initially agreed upon.
Facing the confused and puzzled gazes of the others, Harry took a deep breath and explained, "I know it's rushed, but this might very well be the last peaceful time we have for our gatherings."
"What do you mean?" asked a Hufflepuff boy, unable to contain his curiosity.
With the DA now boasting an impressive sixty-six members, it was necessary to raise your hand if you wanted to speak during the gatherings; otherwise, chaos would ensue.
Harry looked at Hermione, signaling for her to explain, as she was in charge of gathering this information.
"Umbridge's condition will likely improve after the Christmas holidays," Hermione said, emphasizing the word 'illness' as if to highlight the severity of Umbridge's condition. "I secretly asked Madam Pomfrey, and she said that at the latest, Umbridge's strange illness should be cured within two months."
"And that has to do with the DA..." Harry interrupted, raising his hand. "Given Umbridge's character, I think she'll start causing trouble for us again. So, for now, we can only make the most of our time and train as much as possible. Most students will be going home for the Christmas holidays, and after that, we'll likely have to deal with Umbridge's schemes again."
"We can keep Umbridge hospitalized for a few more months, or even until the end of the term," suggested a Gryffindor student.
Everyone knew that Umbridge had a skin condition, and her transformation into a toad was no accident; someone had cursed her. If it had happened once, why couldn't it happen again?
"That was the doing of a Dark Magic Defense professor, and it was just an accident," Harry said, never believing that Umbridge was a fool. Otherwise, how could she have become a deputy? He didn't buy into the idea that she got the position because she was involved with Fudge.
Even if Harry thought so, others would surely remind him. They were convinced that months of bed rest would be enough for the Toad to figure out what had happened and take precautions, or even go after them directly.
"Don't forget the prophecy," Fred chimed in. "Umbridge will drive the headmaster away, and things will only get worse then."
"We're concerned that it will be difficult to continue the DA gatherings, so we must seize the opportunity to learn as much Dark Magic Defense as possible," Cedric agreed with Harry's approach. While Cedric valued the Quidditch Cup, his enthusiasm had waned since Umbridge interfered with the Quidditch match. Learning more Dark Magic Defense techniques now would not only help them navigate the impending chaotic times but also benefit their future careers at the Ministry of Magic.
"I never force anyone to attend DA gatherings," Harry said, clearing his throat. "You are all free to choose whether to attend or just participate in the more important gatherings. Going forward, Hermione will create a schedule for the gatherings, and you can decide for yourselves."
Everyone murmured among themselves, discussing the changes to the DA gatherings and whether they would attend all the upcoming meetings.
"Quiet, please," Hermione requested, her wand at the ready as she faced the noisy crowd.
The room gradually fell silent.
"For those from Muggle families," Hermione continued, "I suggest you attend every gathering and work hard to learn the survival skills we teach." She raised her hand to signal for them to hear her out before asking questions. "I've talked to Albert about it, and the 'Self-Defense Guidebook' was actually written with Muggle-born wizards in mind. Although you'll be able to buy the book next year, there's no harm in getting a head start now. It's always better to learn from someone than to figure things out on your own."
"Muggle-born wizards?" Hufflepuff's Justin Finelli furrowed his brows slightly.
"Yes." Cedric replied, "According to Albert's prophecy, Muggle-born wizards will face great difficulties in the coming years, so Albert spent a lot of time compiling this book in the hope of helping them as much as possible."
"Great difficulties?"
People whispered among themselves, discussing what they meant by "great difficulties", and there were also Muggle-born wizards among them.
"That's indeed the case, and we knew about it a long time ago." Fred and George explained, "It has something to do with the chaotic situation in the coming years, what Albert calls the Second Wizarding War. It's said to be related to Umbridge, and she ended up in Azkaban probably because of this."
"Chaos... Second Wizarding War?"
The news undoubtedly made everyone feel uneasy.
"By the way, I want to give you a heads-up. There will be a prison break in the wizarding world soon." Fred scanned the noisy crowd, knowing how to convince them, "If any of you have a grudge against the people imprisoned in Azkaban, you'd better be careful from now on."
"A prison break? Is it Mr. Anderson's prophecy?"
The crowd became even more unruly.
"Quiet!" Harry held his wand to his throat, and his voice echoed in the Room of Requirement, causing everyone to cover their ears.
"Listen, I'm telling you this, and if you think I'm talking nonsense, then feel free to ignore me." Harry lowered his wand and continued to address the DA members, explaining the summary that Hermione had prepared.
"Voldemort is back." Harry looked at the wizards who seemed fearful at the mention of "Voldemort" and said flatly, "His return was to be expected. Anderson prophesied Voldemort's return a long time ago, and Professor Trelawney also predicted the coming of the Second Wizarding War."
"As we all know, the Ministry of Magic is unwilling to acknowledge this fact and is vehemently denying it. The reason that toad from the school hospital appeared in Hogwarts is to cover up the so-called truth." Harry continued, looking at the slightly anxious crowd, "Remember the prophecy about Fudge being driven out of office? If Voldemort stops hiding and fully reveals himself, Fudge, who has been denying this, will naturally be forced out, and a tougher Minister of Magic will take his place to deal with this situation, unless the Ministry of Magic plans to compromise with Voldemort, but that's obviously impossible."
"I admit that I don't like Fudge, not only because he tried to expel me and snap my wand but also because he gave Voldemort time to gain strength." Harry said with disdain, "If you didn't know better, you'd think they were in cahoots."
"I know that when faced with a harsh reality, many of you may not want to believe it. But you will soon have the opportunity to experience the arrival of a chaotic era. Because Voldemort is not a patient person, he has already endured for half a year, and there will be a prison break soon, and all the Death Eaters imprisoned in Azkaban will be released." Harry noticed that the others were looking at him with awe, and he wondered if he would have been able to hold himself together if he hadn't taken a calming draught.
"So, as Fred said..." Harry said softly, "After the Christmas break, it's best to ask around and find out if you have any grudges against the people in Azkaban, and then be careful."
"You mean the prisoners in Azkaban will break out?" Neville's expression turned ugly.
"Yes." Harry raised his hand to stop others from asking questions and continued, "You can patiently wait for the news in the newspaper to judge whether I'm lying or not."
"It is said that Voldemort has already won over giants and werewolves to serve as his minions, and Dementors, as well as other dark creatures and even Dark Wizards, will join his ranks." Harry went on, "In a few years, the Ministry of Magic will likely collapse and be controlled by Voldemort's followers, and that's when Muggle-born wizards will suffer."
"As for the reason, Death Eaters hate Muggles and Muggle-born wizards, so after the Ministry of Magic collapses and falls under Voldemort's control, I believe that the majority of Muggle-born wizards will be in a bad situation."
"That's about it. We will post a schedule of the gathering activities later, and if you feel that there are any classes that you don't need to attend, then you don't have to come on those days." Harry thought for a moment and added, "Of course, you can choose not to believe me and think that I'm talking nonsense."
"I dare say that Dumbledore will definitely not allow the Ministry of Magic to be controlled by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Someone interjected.
"Yes, I had the same doubt, but Anderson also prophesied the coming of this chaos a long time ago. He prophesied that Voldemort would probably return, and he also prophesied the collapse of the Ministry of Magic, and his prophecies have never been wrong." Harry said calmly, "I can't pretend that he got it wrong this time just to comfort myself, because only a fool would need such self-deception."
"Moreover, Professor Trelawney once said: 'For over a decade now, the wizarding world has been living in false security, a sense of jinxy old peace that's lulled us into a false sense of security. Mark my words, it won't last. The Dark Forces are going to rise again.'"
The students all murmured to each other, feeling uneasy about Harry's so-called Second Wizarding War. Harry's words put a lot of pressure on the Muggle-born wizards.
While many people were doubtful about whether Voldemort was still alive, they certainly didn't believe Umbridge's nonsense, and Albert was obviously more trustworthy. No one knew exactly what he had prophesied, but it certainly wasn't anything good, or he wouldn't have taken the time to write such a book.
Fame, wealth, status?
Albert obviously didn't need any of those things. He was already famous enough, not only for his many Quidditch championships but also as a formal candidate for the Wizengamot, having practically reached the pinnacle of success even before graduating.
As for the idea of making money from the "Self-Defense Guidebook"?
That was a joke. The "Self-Defense Guidebook" was priced quite reasonably at only two galleons, which was considered cheap compared to similar books.
To dispel the oppressive atmosphere and encourage everyone to actively participate in the DA gatherings, Harry announced that he would be teaching them the Patronus Charm.
This spell was undoubtedly the most challenging one in the "Self-Defense Guidebook", requiring a lot of practice. Even Cedric hadn't mastered it yet, and Harry wanted to teach it to them early so that they could practice in their own time.
(End of Chapter)
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