A day at Hogwarts.

Chapter 629 I can't understand her thoughts

Before they knew it, the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of fifth grade had arrived.

Professor Umbridge was still wearing her signature fluffy pink cardigan, which was loose and eye-catching.

She still wore that oversized bow on her head, which seemed completely out of place with her overall style, as if it were an integral and indispensable part of her image.

Charles was speechless at her unique outfit, filled with doubt. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether it was a deliberate disguise or whether she simply liked this style of dress.

Or perhaps, through her long experience in bureaucratic work, she has gradually incorporated this slightly affected style into her life, making it her true self.

Cedric was already standing on one side of the classroom, his expression very serious, his body ramrod straight, like a soldier on an important mission.

His state reminded Charles of Dumbledore when he started eating healthy meals—although he tried to maintain a respectable image, he always revealed a kind of forced and tense feeling that was hard to put into words.

When the whole class entered the classroom, they all remained silent without prior agreement.

To them, Professor Umbridge was like a huge mystery, full of unknowns.

No one knew whether the new professor was strict or lenient in his requirements for classroom discipline.

Meanwhile, Cedric's appearance here also aroused everyone's strong curiosity.

When Umbridge wasn't looking, Seamus even secretly made a face at Cedric.

After all the students had found their seats, Professor Umbridge stood up and said in her cloyingly sweet voice, "Good afternoon, students!"

Less than half of the students in the classroom responded with a few scattered "Good afternoon".

Umbridge's face immediately darkened.

It's important to understand that, as the Senior Deputy Minister of Magic, the fact that her subordinates didn't give a loud and unified response when she spoke was, in her view, an unforgivable sin, so serious that it almost warranted being sent to Azkaban to do cleaning work.

"Too quiet, I can't hear you!" She said sternly, her voice suddenly rising to a high level, carrying a reprimanding tone, "You think you can learn magic with such a soft voice!"

She paused, then forced a smile. "I expect you to reply like this: 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.'"

"Please do it one more time. Good afternoon, students!"

This time, the students shouted in unison, "Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge!"

“That’s right,” Umbridge’s voice returned to that unpleasantly affected, affected tone, and she seemed quite satisfied. “It’s not too difficult, is it?”

After speaking, she sat back down behind the podium, crossed her fingers, and placed her hands neatly in front of her chest, adopting the standard bureaucratic posture for a meeting.

“Students, I must point out that the teaching of your course has been intermittent, unsystematic, and poorly managed for many years.” As she spoke, she glanced meaningfully at a student, then quickly adopted a smug tone. “However, you are pleased to know that these regrettable problems have now been completely rectified.”

"It is worth mentioning that four years ago, thanks to Mr. Charles Smith's active advocacy, Hogwarts' teaching materials—including this crucial course—were able to receive the necessary and standardized renewal under the guidance of the new curriculum standards approved by the Ministry of Magic!"

As she spoke, she gave Charles a smile that she thought was incredibly friendly, but which actually sent chills down one's spine.

Charles stared blankly at the blackboard in front of him, trying to ignore the curious and inquisitive gazes coming from all directions.

He felt a sense of absurdity—he knew that Voldemort was the chief editor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, and Dumbledore knew it too, but he didn't know whether Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic officials behind her knew.

If you don't know, that's fine; but if you do know, then it's a big problem.

Umbridge took an unusually short wand from the matching pink handbag and tapped it on the blackboard beside her.

“Now, please copy down everything on the blackboard word for word,” she commanded.

Several neat lines of writing instantly appeared on the blackboard: Course Objectives
1. Understand the basic principles of Defense Against Magic.

2. Learn to identify situations where it is legal to use Defense Against Magic.

3. Use the Magic Defense spell in a practical context.

As Charles copied these contents into his notebook, he had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

He had originally thought that Umbridge would, as he vaguely remembered, have the students start reading the textbook aloud.

However, what happened next was completely unexpected.

“Very good,” Umbridge said, a smile spreading across her face as she watched the students finish copying, her voice growing increasingly sweet. “Now, let’s ask some questions.”

"Could any student tell me about the 'Smoke Curse,' its function, and... well, perhaps its applications?"

Almost instantly after she finished speaking, Hermione's arm shot up as if propelled by a spring, almost lifting off her seat.

Her face was filled with eagerness, her eyes were burning, and she was clearly confident that she had the answer in mind.

However, Umbridge's gaze lingered on Hermione for only a second before sweeping past her lightly.

Her gaze swept across the classroom, finally landing precisely on Charles, who was trying to hide behind his textbook and was clearly slacking off.

“Mr. Smith,” her voice was so sweet it was almost honeyed, “would you please answer this question for everyone?”

All eyes instantly focused on it.

Charles sighed inwardly, reluctantly put down his textbook, and stood up.

He quickly gathered his thoughts and answered clearly and calmly, "The Smoke Curse is a spell used to instantly create a thick, defensive cloud of smoke around the caster."

"It can be used in duels or skirmishes, and its main function is to obstruct the opponent's line of sight, preventing them from accurately aiming at the spellcaster."

"At the same time, this cloud of smoke can also provide cover for the caster, making it easier for them to quickly adjust their position or disengage from the battle undetected."

His answer was accurate and concise.

"Oh! Fantastic! Perfect!" Professor Umbridge exclaimed dramatically, clapping his short, chubby hands vigorously, his smile almost blindingly bright. "Precise description, thorough understanding! Mr. Smith, you have once again proven your excellence! Ten points for your outstanding performance in Gryffindor!"

Her enthusiastic praise drew surprised and even uncomfortable looks from many students in the audience.

Hermione pursed her lips, her face clearly showing disappointment and resentment.

However, considering the score, everyone refrained from saying anything more.

Throughout the entire session, Professor Umbridge remained calmly seated behind her lectern, showing no intention of getting up to demonstrate.

She turned to Cedric, who had been standing seriously to the side, and instructed him in that cloying tone, "Mr. Diggory, now that the theory is clear, please demonstrate to everyone the correct way to cast this spell."

"Let's all see what it looks like to use Defense Against Magic in a practical context."

Cedric nodded and expressionlessly drew his wand.

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and began the demonstration.

The students looked at Cedric with curiosity, while Charles looked at Umbridge, wondering what she was thinking.

(End of this chapter)