Chapter 296 Dolores Umbridge

Chapter 296 Dolores Umbridge

"Dolores, welcome back to Hogwarts." Dumbledore said kindly, as if he truly thought her arrival was a happy event, "Please let me take you to your room...ah, You can leave your luggage here and we will take it to your room for you.”

He took a step downwards and extended his hand politely to Umbridge.

Umbridge still had an ugly fake smile on her face, and said in a high and shrill voice: "That's great, Headmaster, thank you for your warm welcome. However, I would rather take my luggage with me."

She reached out her hand and touched Dumbledore, then quickly took it back. Her fingers were thick and short, and she wore huge rings.

"No problem, Dolores, as long as you are willing." Dumbledore said nonchalantly, "Come in and warm yourself up. Your room has been tidied up..."

"How considerate, Headmaster, you are so considerate," said Umbridge, walking up the last steps to stand next to Dumbledore. Her suitcase floated up unsteadily for a while, then fell heavily to the ground, almost hitting Ron's instep.

The students looked at Umbridge in surprise and silently stepped back to make room for her. Professor McGonagall stood on the other side of Dumbledore, with a tense face, exchanging glances with Professor Bubbaji.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear," Umbridge said to Ron, "My suitcase isn't used to standing so close to people."

Ron said cautiously: "Well...it doesn't matter." He stepped back to make more room for the suitcase.

Umbridge's smile widened.

"You must be Arthur Weasley's child," she said softly, "Very well."

Ron frowned and looked at her warily. But Umbridge ignored him and turned to Dumbledore with a satisfied look.

"Shall we go, Headmaster?" she said. "Oh, I'm so happy to be back at Hogwarts!"

Dumbledore still had a calm smile: "Of course, Dolores. It must be very tiring coming from London, right?"

…

After entering the hall, Umbridge suddenly stopped and turned to face the professor and students. Everyone stopped and looked at her in confusion. Several students were discussing whether to go back to the common room to play wizard chess together, but they stopped talking in surprise and stayed to watch.

Umbridge just looked at Dumbledore, as if waiting for something.

Dumbledore looked down at her and suddenly said: "Oh, of course!" He said to the bewildered students, "This is Ms. Dolores Umbridge. I am pleased to announce that she will be here Join us in the new year in the role of Senior Investigating Officer.”

"Senior Investigator?" Anthony heard someone in the crowd mutter, "Investigating what?"

"Ahem, cough." Umbridge cleared her throat, her sweet voice echoing under the high ceiling of the hall, "I'm so happy to see you! See the young wizard full of energy and healthy. I am very touched that I am enjoying my study life in school."

"You're welcome." One student said.

Umbridge glanced at the source of the sound with her bulging, bubbly eyes. When she spoke again, her voice became a little dry.

"In order to ensure that your precious talents are not sadly wasted, the Ministry of Magic is willing to work with Hogwarts to ensure that the younger generation of the wizarding world receives serious and qualified instruction. Precious magical knowledge must be properly passed on, so that Only in this way can we ensure that our culture and strength are passed down from generation to generation, and contribute to the prosperity and harmony of the entire magical world. Those who shoulder the noble task of educating young wizards-" She nodded slightly towards the silent professors. "——To this end, a safe environment full of opportunities for learning and growth should be created. According to the wishes of the wizarding community at large..."

Although her voice was still high-pitched and thin, going straight into people's ears, the students were obviously distracted by such boring content.

The two students standing in front of Anthony put their heads together and grumbled quietly about why they were so curious. Ron yawned and tilted his head to listen to Ginny. Fred and George started chatting about Quidditch very loudly, attracting the attention of several classmates nearby; Professor McGonagall put her hands on their shoulders, so hard that the fingertips turned white, and then asked them to shut up. Mouth.

Percy was listening to Umbridge's speech. At first he was still nodding slightly, but as Umbridge spoke more and more, his eyebrows gradually knitted together, as if he didn't understand what he was listening to.

At this moment, with a rhythmic clicking sound, Professor Kettleburn walked into the castle.

"What are you all doing standing here?" he asked the students confusedly and majestically, using crutches to gently push the students in front of him away, "Go, go! Today is Sunday and it is a holiday. You should go around like little ponies. Running around."

"Okay, Professor Kettleburn." The students said hurriedly and scattered.

Umbridge coughed a few more times, but no one cared.

Professor McGonagall calmly let go of the Weasley twins and allowed them to leave. Dumbledore maintained a pleasant smile on his face and made no comment on the students' departure.

Even Snape made way to the underground stairs for a junior Hufflepuff beside him. During Umbridge's speech, the student kept winking at the people next to him in horror, hoping someone would switch places with him.

Only then did Professor Kettleburn notice Umbridge.

"Oh, it's you." He said, "What are you doing here?"

Umbridge still had a smile on her pale face, as if someone had placed a permanent sticking spell on her face. However, there was no smile in her eyes.

"Professor Kettleburn, Sylvanos, it's so nice to see you again!" Umbridge said coquettishly, "Maybe you don't know yet, but I have been appointed as Senior Investigator, come here -"

Professor Kettleburn stamped her cane and interrupted her: "I know. That question is just to tell you that I don't welcome you. Finish investigating anything as quickly as possible, and then leave Hogwarts with your findings. ”

"Oh, I don't recommend you to talk like that." Umbridge said in the tone of a little girl singing, "Considering the record of violations you accumulated when raising Chimaira beasts..."

"Those rules make no sense!" Professor Kettleburn said angrily. "I told you when I paid the fine last time. They don't make sense! Thorns can bite, so why should a Chimera be born?" Can't growl? Besides, it's just yawning!"

The two students who were about to leave stopped and looked back in surprise. Anthony quickly waved at them and drove them away.

Dumbledore took a step forward and subtly inserted himself between Umbridge and Professor Kettleburn. He still looked very happy, as if he had not heard the conversation between the two at all: "Sylvanos, please let me introduce, this is Ms. Dolores Umbridge, Senior Investigator."

Professor Kettleburn took a long breath out of his nose and snorted.

"Dolores, this is our Professor Kettleburn, responsible for the Care of Magical Zoology. Now, please allow me to show you where your future office will be in the castle." Dumbledore said, floating first Pick up Umbridge's suitcase.

"Well -" Umbridge made a delicate, thoughtful voice, "Okay, that sounds good. Thank you very much, Headmaster."

She turned around and walked toward the stairs as if Professor Kettleburn didn't exist at all. Professor Bubbaji curled his lips towards Professor Sprout and glanced sideways at Umbridge. Professor Sprout shook his head and smiled, patting Professor Kettleburn comfortingly - the old professor's chest was rising and falling with anger, as if he was about to give up the Chimera to Umbridge in the next second. a surprise.

"Are you okay, Professor Kettleburn?" Anthony whispered as he passed.

"No, that's terrible," said Professor Kettleburn firmly.

Professor Flitwick said: "But didn't we already know she was coming?"

"Yes, that doesn't make this any easier." Professor Kettleburn stared, "How does knowing it in advance help us? Should we set a trap on her way over, or should we set a trap in her room?" "A bear trap?" He shook his head sharply, "No, I only have two attitudes. If the annoying thing is not here, everything will be fine; if she is here, things will be terrible."

He turned around angrily and walked out of the castle again.

…

Under the leadership of Dumbledore, the professors slowly walked up the stairs.

"Where is her office?" Anthony asked Professor Sprout quietly.

"On the third floor." Professor Sprout said, "Don't worry, it's not directly above you. We originally planned to arrange for her to live next to Filch, but the corridor on the right side of the third floor has been empty, so Might as well let her live there.”

"Have all those things been cleared away?" Anthony asked. "Three-headed dogs, trap doors, devil's traps and all that?"

Professor Bubbaji turned around and said, "No, that's why Minerva decided to give her that room."

Professor Sprout said: "It has been packed up a long time ago. Several students even went there to explore this semester. They found nothing."

"Even lost twenty points." Professor Flitwick participated in their conversation.

"Twenty-five points," said Professor Sprout. "You have forgotten the last Mr. Davis Severus met."

Snape glanced at them, as if he wanted to make some comment about the adventure. However, at this time, a spirited voice belonging to a famous adventurer came from above them.

"So many people!" said Lockhart cheerfully. "What happened?"

Dumbledore said: "Ms. Dolores Umbridge..."

"Ah, Dolores!" exclaimed Lockhart, "how good to see you again!"

He stood by the railing of the stairs, wearing a light green wizard robe and a wizard hat of the same color tilted on his head. In contrast to him, Umbridge, standing at the foot of the stairs, looked even shorter.

Umbridge's eyes narrowed and she said sweetly: "Mr. Lockhart, no, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. Of course, I remember you. You are now teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts ,Right?"

"Exactly." Lockhart chuckled and walked down a step, "I still remember I told you that my goal will always be to fight against the dark arts... Ah, that was when the Order of Merlin was awarded. At the ceremony, right? Did I remember correctly?" He tapped his head with his fingers, shook his head, and said affectionately, "You know me, Dolores, I don't care much about honors and medals. Ah... They are all false names... Besides, I may have participated in so many ceremonies that sometimes I can't tell which one they are."

"Very well, very well," said Umbridge, "but what -" she paused and turned to Dumbledore, "the Ministry of Magic has indeed noticed an unusual frequency of changes in Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, and I am very concerned about this. When Hogwarts decided to hire Professor Lockhart, he must have gone through a lot of considerations, right?"

"Ah, well," said Dumbledore, "Gilderoy seems very suitable, doesn't he? He is an adventurer who fights with dark magic, and he is very talkative and will not be afraid of facing students."

"Of course, you can trust me, Headmaster," Lockhart said. "I still remember my adventure in Venezuela four years ago, and the people there couldn't even master the basics of wand use. But they were very welcoming - very nice. a group of people - so I gave them a little bit of guidance while I was living there... just occasionally teaching them a few tips that I discovered on my own, since I was still adventuring most of the time... Anyway, I When they left, they all said that they had become masters of dueling... I wrote this experience in "Magical Me" just as a souvenir..."

Umbridge looked critically between Dumbledore and Lockhart.

Dumbledore stared at Lockhart with interest, leaning forward slightly, as if he had long wanted to hear Lockhart tell how the little boy in the village used his wand to draw pictures on the ground.

Umbridge turned to look at the professors again. Anthony quickly put on a serious listening expression.

"And what, Gilderoy?" Professor Sprout asked.

"Then I had to tell him my name!" Lockhart smiled brightly. "I said, 'I'm Gilderoy Lockhart.' He gasped and stared at me: 'No way. "You can't be..." I asked him to explain, otherwise I wouldn't know who he thought I was. "You're Gilderoy Lockhart," he said softly. Lockhart. 'Oh, the tears were rolling down his eyes. I held his hand and said, 'I'm just your friend now.' I'll never forget the look on his face. This is the meaning of my adventure..."

Umbridge finally showed a trace of impatience under her smile.