"Before I send you to Azkaban, let's try other methods and see if you'll agree."
A hint of mad delight flickered across Umbridge's ugly face as she slowly approached Tom.
However, before she could react, she suddenly lost consciousness.
...
When Umbridge woke up again, she found herself hanging in a dilapidated room.
Tom was sitting on a chair in front of her, idly tapping her wand.
Besides Tom, there were others in the room.
Two figures dressed in black robes, black hoods, and silver masks, clearly Death Eaters, stood behind Tom.
"Where am I? Let me down! I'll send you all to Azkaban! The Ministry of Magic will surely come looking for me since I'm missing!"
Umbridge yelled and struggled.
"Apparently, our Ms. Dolores Umbridge hasn't quite grasped the situation yet!"
Tom raised Umbridge's wand with a smile.
"Crucio!"
The soul-searing pain made Umbridge feel as if death would be a release, and she instantly shut her mouth.
"It seems only Crucio can make Ms. Umbridge obediently shut her mouth. Now we can have a good chat. You know, it took me a lot of effort to get you from Hogwarts Castle to here. I'd especially like to thank Gilderoy Lockhart for his strong support."
Umbridge's heart tightened. Lockhart was involved in this too. But before she could think, Tom clapped his hands.
A person pushed open the door from outside. With a face identical to Umbridge's and similar attire, who else could it be but Umbridge herself?
Under Umbridge's horrified gaze, Tom slowly began, "As for being missing, isn't that a problem a Polyjuice Potion can solve? Now, you go back to Hogwarts first. Don't let our Umbridge investigator disappear for too long."
After 'Umbridge' left, Tom turned to the utterly distraught Umbridge and said,
"Now, I can reintroduce myself. My name is Tom Riddle. I am Professor Dumbledore's most trusted person among the Death Eaters. I am the only angel personally bestowed by him among the Death Eaters, codenamed 'Death'."
As Tom spoke, he randomly gestured across his chest and began to chant in an operatic voice: "Great Dumbledore, may your will be done on Earth, as it is in your kingdom."
The two Death Eaters behind Tom, being perceptive, followed their boss, randomly gesturing across their chests and chanting loudly.
Only, under their masks, their eyes twitched uncontrollably.
Since when did Death Eaters have so-called angels, and codenamed Death? Shouldn't it be Beyond Death? But their master's storytelling ability was truly astonishing.
Dumbledore, it's truly his good fortune to know you, Master.
Umbridge, too, was stunned by Tom's words: "So, Dumbledore really became the new leader of the Death Eaters? And Lockhart is also a Death Eater?"
"Of course, Professor Dumbledore never hides such things. I'll tell you a little secret, Professor Lockhart is Professor Dumbledore's personal favorite, you know."
Tom spoke with certainty, showing no sign of lying.
Just as Umbridge was trying to process the information in Tom's words, Tom's next words made her whole body tremble uncontrollably.
"Dolores Jane Umbridge, your father, Orford Umbridge, once worked in the Magical Maintenance Department. Your mother, Ellen Craiwell, is a Muggle, and you have a Squib brother. After you turned 15, you lived with your father in the magic world, while your mother and Squib brother lived in the Muggle world. Is that right? From then on, you, a half-blood Wizard, tried every means to disguise yourself as a pure-blood Wizard. Am I right?"
"Oh, don't rush to deny it. I have a lot of evidence, you know."
"You… how do you know?" Umbridge cried out, her voice trembling.
Her greatest, most shameful secret was mercilessly exposed by Tom. Her pupils dilated in horror, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
Tom observed Umbridge's reaction with pleasure. Killing the spirit was far more effective; how could physical pain be as unforgettable as mental torment?
"However, I must say, as a half-blood impersonating a pure-blood, your methods are truly clumsy. And your pure-blood theories are quite crude. Your methods of currying favor with superiors to get promoted are also very deliberate. You are simply a disgrace to Slytherin."
Tom casually belittled Umbridge. It must be said that in the magic world, perhaps others might dispute this, but for Tom, he had too much right to speak.
"Also, have people privately said that you are more like a Death Eater than a Death Eater? But I'm sorry, we Death Eaters also have aspirations and ideals. Not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can join. Someone of your caliber… hmm… sorry, you are far from meeting our standards for Death Eaters."
"Crucio!"
"See, you can't even withstand the pain of Crucio. You're truly far inferior to us Death Eaters."
Umbridge was first exposed of her biggest secret by Tom, then utterly negated by Tom in every aspect, and on top of that, she received a Crucio. The double torment of mind and body made her seem to lose all spirit, no longer possessing her former haughty demeanor, appearing utterly dejected.
"Alright, that's enough for tonight. You two 'take good care' of her, but don't kill her, okay?"
Hearing their master emphasize the word 'care', the two exchanged knowing glances and nodded understandingly.
The next evening, when Tom entered the dilapidated room again and saw Umbridge, her mental state clearly showed she had been well 'taken care of' by his two subordinates.
Umbridge was about to speak, but Tom knocked her out with a Stupefy.
When she opened her eyes again, she found that Tom had brought her to the Centaur territory.
"What do you want to do? No, don't… Help…"
After Tom had a friendly exchange with the Centaurs using his own strength, Umbridge was given to them as a gift by Tom. Watching the Centaurs happily drag Umbridge away, Tom felt truly delighted.
The next night, when Tom saw Umbridge again in the Centaur tribe, she was curled up on the ground, trembling. When she saw Tom, she said to him in a weak voice: "Take me away… Save me, please…"
It seemed Umbridge had truly spent a pleasant day here.
After being knocked out by Tom with a Stupefy, Umbridge woke up again to find herself hanging in the dilapidated room once more.
For the next two days, Tom did not appear again, as if he had forgotten about her. Only his two Death Eater subordinates diligently 'cared' for her.
Just as she had resolved to agree to whatever Tom demanded after being 'cared for' to her breaking point, Tom reappeared.
Only this time, she woke from the Stupefy to find herself in a luxurious room, lying on a comfortable sofa.
Feeling the treatment she hadn't experienced in days, Umbridge's heart filled with unease.
What was that man going to do now?