Chapter 424: Confrontation
Chapter 424: Confrontation
On Valentine's Day, the dinner at the School was particularly lavish, and even Liam, who had eaten a lot of snacks in Hogsmeade earlier, managed to eat quite a bit.
Unlike the high school Liam had attended in his previous life, Hogwarts maintained a neutral, even slightly encouraging stance towards the romantic relationships of upper-year students. The British wizarding world was relatively small, and most people found their future partners within the School. Moreover, the British wizarding world had long faced a population shortage, and people hoped that students would marry and start families right after graduation, ideally with many children.
For example, Ginny told Hermione that in the wizarding world, families received a child-rearing allowance after their third child, and the more children they had, the more allowance they received. This explained how the Weasley family, with so many children, managed to get by on Mr. Weasley's modest salary at the Ministry of Magic. Of course, the allowance wasn't substantial, so the Weasley family could afford to raise their children, but they still lived a frugal life.
Because of these customs, the Valentine's Day banquet was naturally more sumptuous than usual. However, unlike other holidays, this one wasn't openly celebrated.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Liam, who was eating a piece of roast beef, noticed that Harry, sitting across from him, looked a bit down and asked curiously.
"Today, Ginny and Ron were both at practice, and Sirius Black had something to do. It was so boring to wander around Hogsmeade alone", Harry said gloomily. "Not to mention Hagrid kept rambling about some strange things. I could tell he was upset and hiding something, but he seemed determined not to accept help. Overall, I had a terrible day. How about you and Hermione?"
"It was great, and we even chatted with Lupin", Liam said after swallowing a mouthful of beef.
"Blimey, I must have split up from you guys. I probably just left the Three Broomsticks as you were coming in. Otherwise, it would have been nice to chat with Lupin too", Harry said, looking a bit regretful.
After dinner, in the Common Room, Hermione was working on her homework, while Liam sat across from her, scribbling a bunch of complex rune formulas on a piece of parchment, even pulling out a metal plate to etch something on it.
"Hey, good evening", the Weasley Twins suddenly appeared from behind.
"Really complex stuff", Fred said, glancing at the runes Liam had etched on the silver plate. "That's why we can only make magical items and not alchemical artifacts. I reckon only someone like you could stick with such tedious research."
"Remember, both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord have invested a lot in their studies, and their power comes from that. So, it's always beneficial to spend some time on research", Liam said, then asked, "By the way, I saw you two sitting in the stands watching our house practice today. How were the newbies?"
"Ron and Ginny not here?" Fred dragged a chair over, looked around, and seeing Harry shake his head, said, "Good. Even though they're our younger siblings, we have to say that after watching the entire practice, we think they'll be utterly useless without us."
"Don't be so harsh", George interrupted his brother. "Ginny is actually doing quite well, even better than we expected. Honestly, it's impressive how much she's improved on her own. Ron, on the other hand, doesn't seem like our little brother at all in comparison."
"It's that bad?" Hermione asked, raising her head from a stack of thick books. "He's still your brother, and he's been practicing with you since he was little. Is he really that bad?"
"To put it this way, if no one is watching him, he can save a few shots", Fred said dejectedly. "We might only have a chance to win if he's the only one on the Quidditch pitch."
The Weasley Twins' prediction proved correct. On Saturday, the Gryffindor team lost the tournament 230-240, despite catching the Golden Snitch. It wasn't just the Keeper's fault; all the new players were struggling. The silver lining was that the tournament lasted only 22 minutes, and Ginny managed to salvage some dignity by narrowing the score gap at the end.
By Monday, the latest issue of The Quibbler was published and quickly spread throughout the castle. On the cover was a smug photo of Umbridge issuing an educational decree, with the cursive caption: "Umbridge's Struggle."
"Dolores Jane Umbridge is the eldest daughter of Aldworth Umbridge and Ellen Crannell, and the only daughter in the family—" The article thoroughly exposed Umbridge's background, especially detailing how she persuaded her father to accept a small pension and retire early, ensuring he quickly faded from her world. It also described how she claimed her father was a distinguished figure in the Wizengamot and made those who inquired about the truth suffer.
Additionally, there were private discussions about how she intended to secretly use "deserved" means to deal with non-magical communities. Liam noticed that her theories even made many Slytherin students uncomfortable.
Most importantly, the article explicitly pointed out that when Minister of Magic Fudge became paranoid, believing Dumbledore might try to take his position, Umbridge used a series of tactics, including flattering Fudge's vanity and fears, to rise to the highest level of power, while making him believe she was one of the few people he could trust.
"I hope Fudge and Umbridge start bickering, or at least that Umbridge gets distracted and stops focusing so much on the school", Ginny said excitedly in the common room.
"It would be great if that happens, but I'm really worried this article will provoke Umbridge and make her do something more extreme at the school", Hermione said, less optimistically. And the reality soon proved her concerns correct.
A few days later, Liam and Hermione were writing in the library when they heard a commotion from downstairs. At first, they didn't pay much attention, but the noise grew louder.
"What's going on?" Hermione looked up. "Why would Madam Pince, who hardly ever leaves the library, come downstairs? Something big must be happening."
"Let's go check it out", Liam said, packing up his things and running downstairs with Hermione. They arrived just in time to see Professor Dumbledore announce that, as Headmaster, he had the authority to allow the dismissed Trelawney to continue living in the castle.
"I can't believe it; this cow is really making a big move in such a situation", Hermione frowned.
"Expected", Liam said, folding his arms. "At a time like this, Umbridge needs to show her absolute loyalty to Fudge. Dismissing a professor from Dumbledore's side is the best way to demonstrate her stance."
Umbridge then began to question what would happen if a new Divination class teacher was needed, and Dumbledore stated that he had already found a new professor.
"Firenze." Liam and Hermione waved to the handsome Centaur with golden hair and blue eyes, who walked in with a light brown horse body.
"Seeing Umbridge's reaction, she clearly didn't expect Professor Dumbledore to find a new Divination class professor so quickly", Hermione smiled, looking at the stunned Umbridge.
"Indeed, the Ministry of Magic has gone too far this time", Liam turned to Hermione. "The Headmaster just wants to unite more people against the Dark Lord, not to completely back down. As the greatest White Wizard, Dumbledore's countermove is to make Fudge understand that he should know his limits. We can't let internal strife give the Dark Lord the chance to pick us off one by one."
"Will it work?" Hermione asked.
"Professor Dumbledore believes it will", Liam unfolded his arms and shrugged. "But I think Fudge, who is completely blinded by power, is unlikely to understand the Headmaster's goodwill and might even do worse."
(End of Chapter)
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