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Chapter 1082: The Toad's Mark
Chapter 1082: The Toad's Mark
After teaching Fred and George a harsh lesson, Filch felt his previously pent-up frustration melt away. Now, not only did he feel cheerful and healthy, but he also found that his meals tasted better than before.
It wasn't until after dinner that Filch slowly strolled towards the dungeon where the Weasley twins were being held. He intended to make the hungry twins clean bedpans in the hospital wing, believing that more work and hardship would cure them of their mischievous ways.
However, instead of finding dejected twins, Filch was astonished to discover that the dungeon was empty. The Weasley twins, who had been locked up securely, had vanished without a trace.
Staring at the empty dungeon, Filch froze, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. He couldn't tell if it was from anger or sheer excitement.
For Filch, the twins' "escape" wasn't exactly disastrous news.
Those two unruly young rascals were surely still within Hogwarts, and as long as they remained within the school grounds, they couldn't escape punishment. Their new Headmistress was not as lenient as Dumbledore; she would certainly not allow anyone to evade discipline.
The recent changes at Hogwarts were simply delightful to Filch.
He immediately made his way to the Headmistress's office to report this news to the new Headmistress, certain that the mischievous duo would face even harsher punishment. He anticipated the Headmistress using her whip to teach them a lesson, flogging them until they dared not defy the rules again.
Upon learning of Fred and George's "jailbreak" from Filch, Umbridge not only failed to become angry or furious; her smile actually widened.
"So, they chose to run away instead of facing their punishment?"
After hearing Filch's report, Umbridge glanced at the two wands on the rack and continued to inquire, "Do you know who helped them escape from the dungeon?"
"Not yet," Filch replied, bowing his head respectfully. "But I believe it would be extremely difficult for those two young scoundrels to escape on their own without their wands."
"Very well, put up a notice telling them to return to the dungeon to receive their punishment," Umbridge instructed, picking up a quill and swiftly writing out a notice on parchment, which she then handed to Filch to post on the bulletin board. "If they don't return by tomorrow to face their punishment, they will face even harsher consequences, perhaps even expulsion from Hogwarts."
If the Weasley twins refused to submit, she would use this opportunity to expel them, sending a warning to everyone else. They had to understand the cost of defying her.
News of the Weasley twins' "jailbreak" spread through Hogwarts Castle like wildfire. Everyone felt indignant about Umbridge's actions but felt powerless to do anything about it, and few dared to challenge the new Headmistress's authority.
Once the news had spread throughout the castle, Fred and George still failed to make an appearance, blatantly ignoring Umbridge's threat.
This bold move surprised everyone, and discussions arose about whether they would really be expelled by the toad if they didn't show up.
When Professor McGonagall learned of this development, she was so furious that she immediately sent for Albert to get an explanation.
"They probably ran away," Albert casually remarked to the grim-faced Professor McGonagall as he lounged on the sofa. "Those two have always wanted to drop out of school to start their joke shop."
"Drop out? You mean..."
Just then, there was a rapid knock on the door. Professor McGonagall frowned slightly and walked over to open it, only to find Umbridge standing there with a fake smile on her face.
"What is it?" Professor McGonagall asked impatiently.
"I'm here to discuss the matter of the Weasley twins," Umbridge said, her smile widening as she clearly relished Professor McGonagall's anger and helplessness.
"I'm currently getting the details from Mr. Anderson," Professor McGonagall said expressionlessly. "If you'd like to hear, come in and listen!"
Umbridge glanced at Albert, who was sitting on the sofa sipping tea, and smiled as she walked up to him, giving a slight cough to get his attention. However, Albert seemed not to hear and blatantly ignored her, as if nothing was more worthy of his attention than the cup of tea in his hands.
"You may continue, Mr. Anderson," Professor McGonagall said, ignoring Umbridge as she sat down across from Albert.
"Where were we? Oh yes, I believe Fred and George simply couldn't take it anymore, so they decided to drop out on their own," Albert said, taking a sip of his tea. "They've wanted to leave school and start their own business for a while now..."
"Ahem..."
Umbridge coughed again, this time a little louder.
"As you can see, their products are quite popular here at Hogwarts, so they have no reason to worry about their business failing," Albert said consolingly. "Perhaps they'll even end up happier than those who choose to work at the Ministry of Magic."
Umbridge coughed loudly once more, but neither Albert nor Professor McGonagall paid any heed, continuing their conversation as if nothing had happened.
"So, you believe they've left the school and dropped out on their own," Professor McGonagall said, her expression complex. She had been aware of their intentions when she provided career counseling to the twins, but she never expected that they would actually go through with it...
"They couldn't have left the school," Umbridge interrupted, her face darkening. "And they couldn't have escaped the dungeon on their own, free of their chains."
"Everyone knows that Fred and George are more familiar with the secret passages in the school than even Filch," Albert said, setting down his tea cup and turning to smile at Umbridge. "It's common knowledge that Hogwarts has secret passages leading out of the school. Remember, Sirius Black infiltrated Hogwarts through one such passage. Most people just don't know the exact locations of these passages.
"You let them go," Umbridge said, her eyes fixed on Albert. "They couldn't have escaped without their wands. You..."
"Accusations require evidence," Albert replied, meeting Umbridge's gaze with a smile. "Otherwise, I will sue you for defamation.
"Well, while the Ministry of Magic doesn't seem to have perfected the laws regarding defamation, you ought to supplement them. I think it's quite reasonable to demand compensation for mental distress."
"Ahem, if that's all, you may leave now." Professor McGonagall gently coughed, not wanting Albert to get into an unpleasant conflict with Umbridge.
She was all too aware that Albert didn't put Umbridge in his eyes at all, or that he simply didn't care.
"They really don't care, I'm sure of it, so don't worry about them. They're all adults and should take responsibility for their choices." With that, Albert pushed open the office door and left.
"It seems they'll have to be expelled early. I hope you'll write to them..."
"It hasn't been officially confirmed, has it?" Professor McGonagall interrupted impatiently. "You can't just announce that they've dropped out based on mere suspicion..."
"It's not dropping out, it's expulsion," Umbridge corrected with a fake smile.
"What if there are other circumstances?" Professor McGonagall said impatiently. "At the very least, we need to confirm the specifics of the situation and be certain that they've left the school, rather than being knocked out and hidden away by someone."
"Are you suggesting that they didn't leave the dungeon on their own, but were forced to leave by someone else?" Umbridge raised an eyebrow, finding Professor McGonagall's suggestion quite amusing.
"Who knows?" Professor McGonagall didn't even glance at Umbridge as she continued, "This isn't the first time something like this has happened. At the very least, I believe that as professors imparting knowledge to students, we need to handle every matter impartially and serve as role models for our students."
Professor McGonagall's words were as good as pointing her finger at Umbridge's nose and accusing her of being unfit to be a professor.
Umbridge's face darkened at a visible rate. Before she could open her mouth, however, a sharp firework exploded outside, filling the night sky with a dazzling emerald green light.
It appeared that something had exploded in the air, and a toad-like mark now shone in the sky above Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, instead of the usual Dark Mark.
"What is that?"
Professor McGonagall turned to Umbridge, her tone and expression implying that she believed the strange mark shining above the castle was Umbridge's doing.
"How should I know?"
Umbridge's face darkened as the mark above them resembled the Dark Mark, except that the skull had been replaced with a wide-mouthed toad.
"You don't know? But it says 'Toad Alliance Recruiting Members' right next to it." Professor McGonagall pointed to the words that had just appeared next to the mark, seemingly certain that this incident was related to Umbridge.
"It must be them, it must be those two troublemakers. I will expel them!" Umbridge was infuriated by Professor McGonagall's suspicious gaze, and she couldn't stop cursing the Weasley twins, whom she believed were responsible for this fiasco.
"We don't have any evidence." Professor McGonagall glanced at the flustered Umbridge and calmly reminded her, "Albert is right. Accusations require evidence. We must not slander others, nor let the real culprits off the hook."
"I don't need you to lecture me!" Umbridge stormed out of the room in a rage.
"A toad, huh?"
Professor McGonagall gazed at the mark in the sky and sighed softly. She had a pretty good idea who was behind this incident, and there weren't many students brave enough to pull something like this under Umbridge's nose.
The sharp firework and the flashing mark drew the attention of more and more students to the toad mark above the Quidditch pitch, especially after the 'Toad Alliance Recruiting Members' message appeared. The entire Hogwarts Castle erupted in chaos, with students howling and responding to the toad mark in the sky.
This really infuriated Umbridge.
Anyone standing by the window and looking up could easily see the toad mark and the recruitment advertisement floating above the Quidditch pitch.
People began discussing who could be behind this incident.
Once they had calmed down, they quickly identified the culprits.
Fred and George.
It was highly likely that the Weasley brothers were responsible for this, and as students discussed the matter loudly, they didn't forget to mock Umbridge's toad mark. Some students even drew it and considered using it as the symbol of the Toad Alliance.
At that moment, Umbridge was rushing angrily towards the Quidditch pitch to remove the floating toad mark above Hogwarts. She knew she couldn't let this situation continue.
Just as Umbridge drew out her wand, ready to dispel the mark, she heard the sound of a camera clicking nearby.
Then, a flash of light illuminated the darkness, and before Umbridge could turn to look, she found herself spinning in mid-air, hanging upside down with her head facing the ground. It felt as if an invisible hook had caught her by the ankle.
Umbridge struggled frantically, and her wand fell from her hand in the chaos.
However, the attackers never showed themselves or made a sound. They slipped away quietly, leaving no evidence behind.
All signs pointed away from Fred and George, as they couldn't have possibly attacked and subdued Umbridge without their wands.
However, Fred and George's wands had indeed been confiscated by Umbridge. It was true that they had sneaked up on Umbridge as she hurried over.
The twins had borrowed new wands from Albert and, after finishing their business at the Quidditch pitch, were about to leave when they spotted Umbridge approaching alone, without her entourage.
Both Fred and George felt that this was a good opportunity, and after a quick discussion, they decided to give her a little surprise, hence the hanging-by-the-ankles stunt.
As for the wands that Umbridge had confiscated, Albert had quietly retrieved them when she rushed out of the castle in a huff.
(End of Chapter)
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