HP Approaches the Magical World

"HP Approaches the Magic World ()"

Hermione looked a little disapprovingly, and asked, "Since Dumbledore is back, are all the troubles gone?"

"Yes," said Neville, "everything is back to normal."

"I guess Filch must be quite happy?"

asked Ron, leaning a Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog card against his water jug.

Although he had inadvertently guessed the truth, it was not the truth that everyone believed.

"It's not like that at all,"

Ginny said, "He was really, really disappointed..."

She said in a low voice, "He kept saying Umbridge was the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts..."

The six of them looked back together. Professor Umbridge was lying on the bed opposite them, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Dumbledore alone went deep into the forest and rescued her from the horsemen;

How he did it - how he managed to get Professor Umbridge out of the forest unscathed - no one knew, certainly not Umbridge.

She had not spoken a word, so far as they knew, since her return to the castle.

No one knew what was wrong with her.

Her normally neat gray-brown hair was now disheveled, with tiny twigs and leaves between it, but she didn't look like she was hurt at all.

"Madam Pomfrey said she was just freaked out," Hermione whispered.

"I'd rather be mad," said Ginny.

"Yes, she will move, if you try."

Ron said, making a light horseshoe-like sound with his tongue.

Umbridge sat up straight with a jerk, looking around in panic.

"What's the matter, Professor?"

Madam Pomfrey poked her head out of her office and asked loudly.

"No...nothing."

Umbridge said hastily, burying his head in her pillow again, "Nothing, I must be dreaming."

Hermione and Ginny laughed muffled in the mattress.

"Speaking of centaurs," Hermione stopped laughing a little, and said, "Then who is the current divination teacher? Is it Firenze?"

"It's supposed to be him," said Harry, "the other centaurs won't let him go back, will they?"

"Looks like both he and Trelawney will continue to teach," said Ginny.

"I daresay Dumbledore wished he could have made Trelawney go forever."

Ron said, munching on the fourteenth chocolate frog, "Listen well, if you ask, the prophecy class is useless at all, and Firenze is not much better."

"How can you say that?" Hermione demanded. "Is it because we've just discovered that there are real prophecies?"

Harry's heart began to beat faster.

He didn't tell Ron, Hermione or anyone else what the prophecy was about.

Neville had already told them that the orb had shattered when Harry dragged him up the steps in the Hall of Death.

Harry hadn't corrected that statement yet, he wasn't ready for how he'd face their expressions once they knew they had no choice but to be murderers or victims.

"It's a shame it broke," murmured Hermione, shaking her head.

"Yes, it's really a pity," said Ron, "but, at least, the mysterious man will never know what's in it—where are you going?"

he asked, looking puzzled and disappointed, seeing Harry stand up.

"Oh—to Hagrid's," said Harry. "You know, he just came back, and I said I was going down to see him, and tell him how you two are doing."

"Oh, okay then." Ron said with a sullen tone, just looking at the clear sky outside the window, "I wish we could go too."

"Say hello to him for us!"

Hermione yelled at Harry, who was walking out of the ward,

"Ask him how his little friend is doing!"

Harry waved to them as he walked out of the dormitory to show that he had heard them.

...

Even on Sunday, the castle seemed too quiet.

It looked like everyone was out on the sunny grounds enjoying the relief after exams and the last few days of term without classes and homework.

Harry walked slowly down the empty corridor, staring out the window...he could see groups of people floating above the Quidditch pitch, and two students swimming in the lake with a giant squid.

He found it difficult to decide whether he wanted to be with people, and when he was with them, he wanted to walk away;

But when he was alone, he wanted someone to accompany him.

However, he thought maybe he should really check on Hagrid, since he hadn't had a good chat with Hagrid since his return.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were coming out of the door to the Slytherin Common Room on the right when Harry came down the last marble step and into the hallway.

He stopped abruptly, and so did they, and now there was only the shouting and laughing and splashing of the field from the open front door.

Malfoy glanced around - Harry knew he was looking for the teacher - then returned his gaze to Harry and whispered, "You're dead, Potter."

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"It's funny, you should think that I'm here for you..."

Harry had never seen Malfoy so annoyed.

He looked angrier than ever, and Harry felt a pang of pleasure looking at his pale, wrath-contorted face.

"You will pay," said Malfoy, his voice barely above a whisper, "I will make you pay for what you did to my father..."

"Yeah, I'm so scared right now."

Harry said sarcastically, "I suppose Voldemort is just a warm-up program compared to the three of you - what's the matter?"

He saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle panicking at the name, and added, "Isn't he your father's buddy?

Not afraid of him, is it? "

"Do you think you're some great big shot, Potter?"

Malfoy said and approached Harry: "You wait, I will make you pay, you can't send my father to prison—"

"I think I've done it," said Harry.

"The dementors have left Azkaban,"

Malfoy said softly, "My dad, and others will be coming out soon..."

"Fine, I hope they'll come out soon," said Harry, "but at least now everyone knows what scumbags they are—"