Chapter 1044: Toad on the Christmas Tree
Chapter 1044: Toad on the Christmas Tree
"They've been occupying it all the time lately!"
Katrina, who was doing her homework in the library, took the opportunity to complain to Albert about the "Defense Association" monopolizing the Room of Requirement.
With Christmas approaching, Katrina was getting busier. In addition to dealing with a mountain of holiday homework, she also had to lead the prefects in helping the professors decorate the castle.
Recently, she had been hoping to spend some quiet time in the Room of Requirement to work on her assignments without interruptions.
She wondered how the Head Girl had so many things to attend to. Katrina suspected that her own busy schedule had something to do with the fact that the guy next to her often slacked off.
Of course, part of the reason was also that Umbridge was still hospitalized, and the professors wanted to have a pleasant Christmas. Otherwise, they might have just gone through the motions.
"Their time is running out."
Without lifting his head from his notebook, Albert calmly remarked, "Once Umbridge recovers and is discharged from the hospital, I expect things at Hogwarts will become unsettled again."
"I'm not so sure about that. Who knows if Umbridge will fall sick and be hospitalized again?" Katrina glanced at Albert beside her and continued, "By the way, I plan to stay at school for Christmas and finish my holiday homework while I'm at it."
"Isabella wants you to come home for Christmas," Albert interrupted.
"I've already signed the list for students staying during the holidays," Katrina reminded him, making a face.
To be honest, she had no interest in putting herself in an awkward situation.
"It's just a small matter. Just talk to Professor McGonagall about it," Albert said, although he could guess why Katrina didn't want to go home for the Christmas break. "Mrs. McDougal will also be joining us for Christmas."
"At home?" Katrina asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, somewhere else. I've prepared quite a few safe houses, and I don't want to take any risks," Albert explained.
"Never mind, I think it's better if I just stay at school," Katrina decided.
"Isabella said that if you don't go back, she will..." Albert trailed off, shifting his gaze from his notebook and reaching into his pocket to pull out a letter, which he then handed to Katrina.
Even without reading it, she could probably guess what it was about.
"It is quite annoying," Albert agreed, nodding.
"Exactly..."
Just as Katrina was about to launch into a tirade against Isabella, Albert added, "even though I often do the same thing."
This left her speechless.
At that moment, a girl hurried over to them and said, "Toad has gone missing from the school hospital. Professor McGonagall wants you to organize a search for her within the castle."
"Umbridge is missing?" Katrina repeated, her expression strange.
"Yes, she's disappeared. Professor McGonagall is at the school hospital now," the girl said, stealing a glance at Albert. "I hope she stays missing until the end of the term."
"I understand. We'll head there now," Albert said, closing his notebook and standing up.
"I bet your roommates are behind this again!"
After the girl hurried away, Katrina gave Albert a suspicious look. She suspected that there was a high probability that Albert had instructed his daring roommates to pull off this stunt, with the aim of making the toad disappear temporarily and thus solving the problem at its source.
"The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is already cursed. It would be strange if something didn't happen," Albert said nonchalantly.
"What a waste of time."
Katrina had no choice but to put down her quill and follow Albert to the school hospital. "I bet you know exactly where the toad is."
"Who knows?" Albert shrugged and knocked lightly on the door of the school hospital before entering with Katrina.
Professor McGonagall was talking to Madam Pomfrey, and the heads of the various colleges were also present, whispering among themselves about Umbridge's disappearance.
"As you can see, Professor Umbridge has suddenly gone missing," Professor McGonagall said, addressing the two Head Students and the heads of the colleges. "We suspect that she is 'hiding' somewhere within Hogwarts Castle, preparing a surprise for us. I need you to mobilize the other students to help find Professor Umbridge."
"Professor, what if we can't find her?" Ernie MacMillan raised his hand and asked. "I heard that... there have been similar cases of Defense Against the Dark Arts professors going missing in the past. Maybe..."
"Whether or not Professor Umbridge is missing, we must try to find her," Professor McGonagall replied.
In fact, her meaning was quite clear: they should just go through the motions.
If Umbridge truly vanished like Professor Roavena Smith, then there was nothing she could do. After all, she had already mobilized the entire student body to search for her.
As for not finding her, that was no longer her concern.
"I really wish the toad would just vanish into thin air."
"Is it the curse of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"
...
After leaving the school hospital, Albert cleared his throat and addressed the group. "As you can see, Umbridge has suddenly gone missing."
Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to look at Albert.
"It's clearly unrealistic for us to find Umbridge on our own," Albert said to all the heads of the colleges. "So, I hope that each of you will pass on this message to the students in your respective colleges and mobilize the entire school to help with the search."
Whether or not others were willing to help was another matter.
As Katrina had guessed, Albert indeed knew where the toad was "hiding."
The previous night, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan had shared some big news with Albert: the Anti-Umbridge Alliance had decided to launch a major strike against Umbridge.
They planned to turn Umbridge into a toad and place her on top of one of the Christmas trees in the Great Hall.
Yes, Umbridge was right there in the Great Hall, immobilized by a Body-Bind Curse and perched on top of a Christmas tree as its star.
Having a toad on top of a Christmas tree was certainly bizarre, so someone had cast a Disguise Spell on Umbridge.
However, the effects of the Disguise Spell gradually wore off as they were having dinner that evening.
"What is that?"
Someone pointed at the toad on top of the Christmas tree and shouted.
With that shout, more and more students noticed the toad on the tree.
Then, for some unknown reason, the Disguise Spell on Umbridge suddenly wore off completely, causing some students to almost spit out the food they were eating.
But an even stranger scene unfolded.
Umbridge, light as a feather, began to spin on top of the Christmas tree, and the surrounding students began to sing "The Toad Song" to the tune of "Merry Christmas."
It seemed deliberate that the professors just stood there, doing nothing to rescue Umbridge, who looked ridiculous spinning on top of the tree.
Suddenly, there was a sound like a firecracker exploding from under the Christmas tree, and above Umbridge's head appeared the words: The Anti-Umbridge Alliance presents "The Toad Song."
"The Anti-Umbridge Alliance?
"Professor McGonagall murmured.
Someone began to sing "The Toad Song" to the tune, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became cheerful.
The students in the Great Hall, upon realizing what was happening, enthusiastically joined in, singing "The Toad Song" to the tune of "Merry Christmas."
That night, Umbridge's antics became the talk of Hogwarts, with students buzzing about the "Anti-Umbridge Alliance" and their bold move. Many students who had previously been unaware of the group's existence were now eager to learn more.
At that moment, the members of the "Anti-Umbridge Alliance," or more accurately, the DA, were holding a celebration in the Room of Requirement, reveling in their first victory.
Indeed, what had just transpired was Harry and the DA's doing.
They had used Skiving Snackboxes to create a fake illness, tying up Madam Pomfrey, and then used the Imperius Curse to approach Umbridge's bed undetected. They stunned her, and with Cedric's exceptional Transfiguration skills, turned her into a toad. Finally, they had the prefects, who were decorating the Christmas tree, place the toad on top.
The reason Umbridge could spin slowly was that she was standing on a plate enchanted with a Hovering Charm, and as for the song, that was a simple matter as well.
There was no doubt that the prank, orchestrated by the mischievous Weasley twins, brought joy and laughter to everyone, boosting the confidence of the "Anti-Umbridge Alliance" and drawing more students into the fold of opposition against Umbridge.
Initially, Hermione had not been entirely on board with the twins' plan.
"Uniting against Umbridge will strengthen the DA's unity. If Harry wants to stand against Voldemort in the future, he will need his own supporters. He can't do it alone, nor can he rely solely on us. Harry needs a broader base of support," George said meaningfully. "Albert understands this, which is why he gave you that book and helped form the DA."
In the end, Hermione was persuaded by George's argument.
Harry needed supporters and could not afford to be isolated.
To prevent Umbridge from spending the Christmas holidays alone in the hospital wing, Professor McGonagall had Hagrid bring in a Christmas tree and place it next to her bed.
However, instead of a star, this tree was adorned with a pink toad.
"I think it would be fine to leave the toad on the tree for a longer time," Fred commented, feeling that they should make the most of this opportunity to embarrass Umbridge.
"Do you want to turn her into a popsicle?" Lee Jordan rolled his eyes. He felt that the timing had been perfect—not only had they exposed Umbridge's true form, boosting the reputation of the Anti-Umbridge Alliance, but they had also humiliated her, brought joy to their peers, and made the "Toad Song" a hit. It was a multi-layered success.
"Can you all keep it down?"
George, who had been discussing Harry's teaching progress with Albert, found it to be slower than he had anticipated. Despite Harry's dedication to teaching, the group's learning curve remained steep.
"Harry's teaching them the Patronus Charm," George said, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Albert, who was reading a book. "You don't seem too concerned about it."
"What they learn is up to them. Why would I be worried?" Albert replied, flipping through the pages of the book in his hand—a Christmas gift from Dumbledore titled "The Tales of Beedle the Bard."
"What are you reading?"
"The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Dumbledore's edition."
"What do you mean, Dumbledore's edition?" George asked, curious.
"Is Dumbledore planning to publish 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'?" Lee Jordan asked, perplexed.
"I don't think it's for now," Albert mused. "It'll probably be published after Fudge steps down to avoid unnecessary trouble."
"It does feel different from the version I read before," Fred remarked, passing the book to Lee Jordan.
British wizards had essentially grown up listening to stories from "The Tales of Beedle the Bard."
"I don't quite understand it. What do you think Professor Dumbledore is trying to convey?" Lee Jordan asked, handing the book back to George.
"Why don't you tell us your thoughts?" George suggested, returning the book to Albert.
After a brief exchange, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" found its way back into Albert's hands.
"Everyone will have their own interpretation," Albert said, closing the book and yawning. "I'm feeling a bit tired. Let's get some rest."
"Good night!"
However, their sleep was short-lived, as they were soon awakened by urgent knocking on their door.
When Lee Jordan opened the door, he found Professor McGonagall standing outside.
"Professor, is something the matter?" Lee Jordan asked, stifling a yawn.
"Tell Fred and George to meet me in the common room right away. It's urgent," Professor McGonagall said, turning to leave and head towards Ginny Weasley's dormitory.
"Fred, George, wake up," Lee Jordan said, his eyes still bleary with sleep as he watched Professor McGonagall's retreating figure. He turned to rouse the still-groggy Weasley twins.
"What's going on?" Fred and George mumbled, rubbing their eyes.
"Professor McGonagall said it's urgent. She wants you to meet her in the common room," Lee Jordan explained, furrowing his brow.
"Urgent? Us?" George repeated, still dazed.
"Remember to bring your cloaks to keep warm, and don't forget your Signalling Books for communication," Albert reminded them.
"Do you know what's happening?" Lee Jordan asked, watching the Weasley twins leave. He turned back to Albert, seeking an explanation.
"Perhaps... something happened to their family?" Albert replied.
He wondered if, after Nagini's demise at Dumbledore's hands, Voldemort had sent another snake to attack Arthur Weasley, intending to mislead Harry Potter.
Or perhaps something else had transpired?
"Is it because of the Order of the Phoenix?" Lee Jordan intended to join the Order after graduation.
"Perhaps," Albert yawned. "Get some rest. You can use the Signalling Book to contact them tomorrow."
"Can prophecies really control our destinies?"
Lee Jordan glanced at Albert, who had turned over to continue sleeping, and yawned. He lay back down, his thoughts momentarily soothed by Albert's words.
That guy always had a way of calming people down.
Prophecies?
No, the tears of a phoenix could heal most wounds, even those inflicted by a Basilisk. Arthur Weasley would be fine.
As long as he was alive.
However, the price of using the tears of a phoenix to heal Arthur's wounds might be high. It could mean Arthur losing his job.
Even someone as foolish as Fudge would be able to guess that Arthur Weasley was one of Dumbledore's men, given the priceless gift of a phoenix's tear.
(End of Chapter)
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