The Pacifist Necromancer of Hogwarts

Chapter 312 Umbridge’s Counterattack

Although Anthony and Professor McGonagall would rather believe that this article does not exist, "Wizard Weekly" is still the most popular publication for witches in the British wizarding community.

Before breakfast was over, four or five more owls flew in together with the newspaper delivery owl and dropped letters on top of Umbridge's breakfast. Filch cursed these filthy birds loudly, while Umbridge frowned and picked up the jam-stained envelopes, roughly tore open one of them with her thick, short fingers, took out the letter and read the ten lines. Read on.

As she read, her eyebrows rose higher and higher, and so did Anthony's sense of foreboding. Finally, when her eyebrows almost ran into her hair, she quietly put down the letter, wiped her fingers carefully, turned to Anthony, and said in the sweetest tone Anthony had ever heard: "Professor Anthony, could I trouble you?" Pass me that magazine?"

Anthony handed over the Daily Prophet that he had not yet read.

"The magazine," said Umbridge softly, "not the newspaper. That - the magazine."

Anthony calmly handed her the Wizarding Weekly.

Lockhart said cheerfully, "Oh, yes, that's right! Dolores, you should read that article too. I think I mentioned you in it! And, you wouldn't have guessed—"

Umbridge flipped to the page with a large photo of her and Lockhart, glaring at the Umbridge who was staring out in the photo.

Filch, who was sitting next to her, had his lips trembling and looked at the thing in front of him almost blankly, as if what he saw was not a magazine, but Professor McGonagall suddenly flew up and jumped up with Peeves in his arms. Waltz.

"What-" he tried, "how-"

"That's right!" said Lockhart beaming. "A picture with me, Dolores! What a surprise! I won't say that I would have preferred the picture with all the little Cupids... anyway. So, this is the version published...Of course, I also like my hat in this one! The angle is just right..."

"I'm really—very—surprised," Umbridge said slowly.

"I know!" Lockhart smiled brightly. "It's great, isn't it? There were so many people wanting to take pictures with me that for a while I had to take my own cameraman with me when I went out. "

Judging from Professor Flitwick's posture, he was probably trying to stop Lockhart from continuing under the table, but his height made it difficult for these actions to be too obvious. Snape, who sat on Lockhart's other side, watched them inscrutably, sipping his pumpkin juice slowly.

It was at this time that Professor Bubaji walked into the hall.

"Good morning." She said angrily, pulling out a chair and sitting next to Anthony, "Have you read the newspaper, Henry?"

"Not yet, what's wrong?" Anthony said, looking at the "Daily Prophet" placed in Umbridge's hand.

Professor Bubaji also glanced over there and whispered: "Education Order No. 23. That woman now has the power to deduct points."

Anthony said in surprise: "Really?"

"You'll see. Those dung bombs drove her crazy," said Professor Bubbaji. "I heard she went to see Fudge last weekend, but I thought she was just throwing our Show it to him P or A."

Umbridge's snoring voice continued to come from the other end of the staff table.

"...The photographer, Mr. Colin Creevey, if I remember correctly, should be in Gryffindor House? Second year, right, Minerva?"

Professor McGonagall had a straight face and did not answer her.

Umbridge looked at her with sympathy: "I'm sorry, I think Gryffindor needs to be deducted ten points because...well..." She frowned artificially, "Photographed and published a lady without permission. Photos. Students should learn some basic etiquette, right?”

Anthony turned his head to look at the college hourglass, just in time to see several gems flying up.

"How is this possible!" Anthony looked at Professor Bubaji in surprise, "The principal hasn't agreed to give her the power to deduct points, right?"

"Normally, Educational Orders," Professor Bubbaji said through his teeth, "take precedence over the orders of the Headmaster of Hogwarts, as they represent the wishes of the Ministry of Magic and, in theory, any other orders that allow Fudge still means the people who sit in the minister's office - which means most wizards and witches."

"But……"

"The Ministry of Magic usually does not interfere with Hogwarts." Professor Boubaji said. "The Ministry of Magic has been established for more than three hundred years. Until last year, it had only issued twenty-one educational orders, and three of them were for Amend or repeal previous education orders and issue two education orders in one year..."

She shook her head, glanced in Umbridge's direction, and began to sprinkle a thick layer of black pepper on her omelette.

……

Within a morning, Anthony understood what Education Order No. 23 meant.

Katie Bell was deducted five points for interrupting a conversation between Umbridge and Professor Kettleburn; Kenneth Toller was deducted five points for humming while Umbridge was speaking. ; Ernie Macmillan was deducted two points for bumping into Umbridge while running down the corridor; Kevin Jones was deducted two points by her for arguing with Filch.

Roger Davis was also deducted five points for hawking Roger the Snake on the lawn - but some said it was because Roger insisted that the faint scar on his neck was just a handsome tattoo, while others said it was because Umbridge smelled the stench of dung bombs on Roger the Snake.

Ron Weasley was deducted ten points for being caught laughing and reciting "Her presence made my heart beat wildly" over a copy of Wizarding Weekly; Harry Potter was deducted for telling blackmail. Mmbridge's bow was like a fly on a toad and was deducted ten points; Hermione Granger almost survived, but Umbridge wanted to confiscate her copy of Wizarding Weekly, much to her chagrin , loudly retorted that Umbridge did not have this power. Umbridge cited the Ministry of Magic's regulations for searching suspicious magical items, and while confiscating the magazine, she deducted ten points from Gryffindor for obstructing the Ministry of Magic from collecting suspicious items.

By lunch time, except for Slytherin's house hourglass, which was still green, the piles of gems at the bottom of the hourglasses of the other three houses were obviously dented. By the end of the night, Gryffindor had the fewest house points.

"Is Minerva okay?" Anthony asked worriedly, noticing that Professor McGonagall had not come to dinner.

"I think so, Professor Anthony." Professor Flitwick told him. "I saw her heading towards the principal's office with great energy."

Whatever Dumbledore said to Professor McGonagall, it clearly appeased her. In the following days, she miraculously did not protest against Umbridge's way of deducting points, but sometimes looked at her students with worries and annoyance in her eyes. Anthony once heard her sternly warning Lee Jordan: "Don't be stupid, Jordan, don't fight her. She's just waiting for that."

In the flood of points deducted, Anthony secretly increased the frequency of his extra points, but compared with the speed with which Umbridge and Snape deducted points, it pales in comparison.

Professor McGonagall still strives to maintain her fair way of deducting and adding points, but Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout have, like Anthony, begun to add points for some small efforts and improvements. Professor Kettleburn even removed his own prosthetic limb and put it into the hands of the students, and then gave them extra points for their enthusiastic help in holding the old professor's left leg.

He said confidently: "You can deduct points for nonsense reasons, why can't you add points for nonsense reasons? - Hey, you guys, your Pu Rong Rong is going to escape! Very good, add five points to each person Points for saving me from losing my teaching tools! What are you doing here? Points to Hufflepuff for not feeding him daisies."

Even so, few can compare to Lockhart.

While explaining the story of "Wandering with Werewolves", Lockhart called Hermione, who had memorized the entire passage, his best student. Hermione blushed very reluctantly and asked if the reward photo could be replaced by Lockhart's solo photo and extra points. He smiled brightly and added twenty points to Gryffindor - because Hermione was perfect. Answered the entire set of "Lockhart and Dangerous Creatures" - another twenty points for Gryffindor - because of Hermione's humble character - and finally another ten points for Gryffindor - Because Harry brilliantly played the werewolf he subdued. He also gave Slytherin five points because Malfoy kept making contemptuous and mocking sneers and wasn't paying attention.

Umbridge undoubtedly viewed his actions, along with the previous Valentine's Day musical message, as provocation. Some students would deliberately walk around in front of her with a copy of Wizarding Weekly in their arms. Whenever Lockhart's shining smile smiled at Umbridge from the cover, she looked a little darker.

Professor Sprout tried to persuade Lockhart not to be so pushy, but finally came back shaking his head. Lockhart comforted her gently and told her that if she worked hard, she would definitely become very famous one day and there was no need to be jealous of him.

"Gilderoy is in trouble," Professor Sprout said worriedly, "I just don't know what the trouble is."

"I don't see the need to worry about him, Pomona," said Snape. "I thought the respected adventurer was the best at resolving trouble and saving the day."

"I just don't know what the trouble is." Professor Sprout repeated.

The answer appeared two days later in the morning. He was wearing a bright yellow wizard robe, a crocodile skin bag slung in his arm, and his nails were painted with red nail polish.

"Rita Skeeter!" said Professor Bubbaji in disgust, "What are you doing here?"

Rita was standing at the door of Hogwarts, looking at the students passing in front of her with interest. Her eyes visibly lit up when she saw the scar on Harry's forehead, but Professor Bubbaji's question forced her to stop.

"Ah, Caredi, what a pleasure it is to see you!" she exclaimed happily. "I'll do the interview, of course."

Professor Bubaji asked: "Who invited you?"

"What? No, no one invited me. I have always wanted to be able to report on the daily lives of the Hogwarts professors, and Ms. Umbridge graciously agreed to my small request."

"Oh, my God," Professor Bubaji whispered.

Rita's interested eyes had fallen on Anthony.

"You must be Henry." She smiled at Anthony, like a crocodile that had found its target. "Graduated from outside Hogwarts and is currently a Muggle Studies professor? Ah, mysterious, great..." She opened the bag and took out a roll of parchment and a long, green quill. She half-closed her eyes and sucked on the tip of the pen. "What made you decide to teach at Hogwarts? Yes?" What made you pursue Muggle Studies as your career?"

While she was speaking, the quill stood suspended in the air and fluttered its feathers, then jumped onto the parchment and started writing.

"A thrilling adventure story? A poignant love story?" Rita asked eagerly, "A secret?"

The quill kept writing, the parchment scroll moved slowly, and the top of it hung upside down.

Anthony glanced at him: "The young professor, Henry Anthony, always has a smile on his handsome face. But under the mask of the smile, there is an unknown hidden in his eyes..."

"Never mind that," Rita said firmly.

"Don't bother Henry," said Professor Boubaji.

"I'd rather not be interviewed, Miss Skeeter," Anthony said politely.

The quill paused for a moment and continued writing. Rita glanced at the content, then at the stairs, then reached out and grabbed the pen and parchment.

"Of course, no problem, Henry." Rita said hurriedly, "Maybe at a more suitable time... Gilderoy!"

Anthony and Professor Bubbaji turned their heads just in time to see Lockhart coming down the stairs in all his glory. Several students gathered around him, asking him if he could sign the Wizarding Weekly for them.

"Normally, I don't sign more than five a day," Lockhart smiled, "otherwise I wouldn't have to do anything else all day...but I can make an exception for you today. And -" He The smile became more charming, "——Of course this article will be included in my new book. Since you like it so much, you should buy it as soon as the new book is released...otherwise it will be sold out early in the morning. . Don’t say I didn’t remind you.”

"Gilderoy!" Rita yelled.

"While I appreciate your liking, in school I'd rather be called...oh, Rita?"

Rita pushed her way through the crowd and came to Lockhart, her quill clutched in her hand.

"Can I have a few words with you—"

"Sorry, dear Rita," Lockhart said with an impeccable smile, "I don't accept walk-in interviews. You know, as a celebrity, this is a last resort necessity."

(End of this chapter)