A smattering of polite but thoroughly unenthusiastic applause rippled through the hall. Harry, Orli, Hermione, and Ron exchanged deeply troubled glances—Dumbledore hadn't specified how long Professor Grubbly-Plank would be teaching, which meant Hagrid's return remained frustratingly uncertain.
Dumbledore continued:
Dumbledore "Quidditch trials will be held—"
He stopped abruptly, turning with mild bewilderment toward Umbridge. She had already risen from her seat and was striding rather imperiously to the front, clearly intending to address the school.
Dumbledore immediately stepped back with characteristic grace, settling into his chair as though Umbridge's interruption had been perfectly planned.
Never in Hogwarts history had a new teacher interrupted the headmaster's opening remarks. A ripple of unease passed through the staff table: Professor McGonagall's lips compressed into a razor-thin line, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout exchanged bewildered glances, and Snape turned his head slightly, his jaw hardening into a cold, unforgiving line.
Students throughout the hall began whispering among themselves, casting looks of mockery and disgust toward Umbridge. She remained either blissfully oblivious to their reaction or supremely indifferent to it.
Umbridge "Thank you, Headmaster,"
Umbridge simpered with nauseating false sweetness,
Umbridge "for those kind words of welcome."
Her voice pitched unnaturally high and syrupy, dripping with artificial girlishness that, filtered through her toad-like throat, produced an almost unbearably grating effect.
Perhaps straining for such an unnatural register, she coughed delicately before continuing:
Umbridge "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!"
She beamed, displaying prominent, yellowed teeth:
Umbridge "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"
Orli surveyed the hall and found not a single expression that could remotely be described as happy. Umbridge was addressing them as though every student had suddenly regressed to nursery age.
Umbridge "I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"
The Gryffindors exchanged incredulous looks, several struggling to suppress outright laughter at the absurdity of her patronizing tone.
Umbridge cleared her throat again, but when she resumed speaking, the sickeningly sweet pitch had vanished entirely. Her voice now carried bureaucratic authority, each word clipped with officious precision and underlying arrogance.
Umbridge "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Umbridge paused here, offering a condescending nod toward her future colleagues. Not a single professor acknowledged the gesture.
Professor McGonagall's eyebrows had contracted into a thunderous scowl that could have intimidated a dragon. Orli instinctively glanced toward Snape, catching his eye at precisely the same moment.
They shared a look of mutual understanding—both recognizing the dangerous undercurrents beneath Umbridge's honeyed words. Then both turned their attention back to the pink-clad interloper, who had cleared her throat once more:
Umbridge "Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation..."
Orli felt ice crystallizing in her veins. This wasn't merely a new teacher introducing herself—this was a Ministry takeover disguised as educational philosophy. Umbridge's carefully chosen words carried the weight of governmental authority, each phrase a subtle threat wrapped in bureaucratic doublespeak.
The real battle for Hogwarts had begun, and it wouldn't be fought with wands or spells, but with regulations, inspections, and the slow strangulation of everything that made their school magical.
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