Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J. K. Rowling [99]
When more than half the class were staring at Hermione rather than at their books, Professor Umbridge seemed to decide that she could ignore the situation no longer.
“Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?” she asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her.
“Not about the chapter, no,” said Hermione.
“Well, we’re reading just now,” said Professor Umbridge, showing her small, pointed teeth. “If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class.”
“I’ve got a query about your course aims,” said Hermione.
Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows.
“And your name is — ?”
“Hermione Granger,” said Hermione.
“Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully,” said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.
“Well, I don’t,” said Hermione bluntly. “There’s nothing written up there about using defensive spells.”
There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard.
“Using defensive spells?” Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. “Why, I can’t imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren’t expecting to be attacked during class?”
“We’re not going to use magic?” Ron ejaculated loudly.
“Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr. — ?”
“Weasley,” said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air.
Professor Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him. Harry and Hermione immediately raised their hands too. Professor Umbridge’s pouchy eyes lingered on Harry for a moment before she addressed Hermione.
“Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?”
“Yes,” said Hermione. “Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?”
“Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?” asked Professor Umbridge in her falsely sweet voice.
“No, but —”
“Well then, I’m afraid you are not qualified to decide what the ‘whole point’ of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way —”
“What use is that?” said Harry loudly. “If we’re going to be attacked it won’t be in a —”
“Hand, Mr. Potter!” sang Professor Umbridge.
Harry thrust his fist in the air. Professor Umbridge promptly turned away from him again, but now several other people had their hands up too.
“And your name is?” Professor Umbridge said to Dean.
“Dean Thomas.”
“Well, Mr. Thomas?”
“Well, it’s like Harry said, isn’t it?” said Dean. “If we’re going to be attacked, it won’t be risk-free —”
“I repeat,” said Professor Umbridge, smiling in a very irritating fashion at Dean, “do you expect to be attacked during my classes?”
“No, but —”
Professor Umbridge talked over him.
“I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school,” she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, “but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed — not to mention,” she gave a nasty little laugh, “extremely dangerous half-breeds.”
“If you mean Professor Lupin,” piped up Dean Thomas angrily, “he was the best we ever —”
“Hand, Mr. Thomas! As I was saying — you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day —”
“No we haven’t,” Hermione said, “we just —”
“Your hand is not up, Miss Granger!”
Hermione put up her hand; Professor Umbridge turned away from her.
“It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you —”
“Well, he turned out to be a maniac, didn’t he?