MM Racing Chapter 287 The New Semester Begins
Chapter 287 The New Semester Begins
After breakfast, I led Hermione and Ron into the prefects' box, where several prefects from other houses were already chatting.
After we nodded to each other, we found an empty seat and sat down.
The private room was filled with an atmosphere that was both formal and slightly relaxed.
They occasionally chatted about school affairs and discussed potential activities for the upcoming new semester.
Just then, Draco, the Slytherin prefect, opened the door and entered, and we all looked at him.
He first strode arrogantly toward Hermione and Ron, his eyes filled with an innate sense of superiority, his Slytherin black robes swaying gently with his movements.
Seeing Hermione and Ron's stares, Draco slightly raised his chin, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
"Oh, so you're all here." His voice carried a hint of mockery. "What, is Gryffindor in such a bad state that they made you two prefects?" He walked up to Hermione and Ron, looked them over, and then scanned them, as if trying to find some flaw in their expressions.
"You~" Ron wanted to stand up and challenge Draco, but Hermione grabbed him.
"Draco Malfoy, who becomes a prefect in Gryffindor is none of your business, isn't it? This selection is done by the headmaster and his colleagues, isn't it?" Hermione didn't say anything directly, but indirectly responded to Draco's sarcasm.
Upon hearing Hermione's reply, Draco's face instantly darkened, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his grey-blue eyes.
He snorted dismissively, a mocking smile curving his lips.
"So what if the headmaster appointed him? Maybe he just misjudged him. That's all Gryffindor is capable of. They can't find anyone more suitable to be a prefect, so they can only use the two of you to make up the numbers." Draco crossed his arms, his tone full of disdain.
His gaze darted back and forth between Hermione and Ron, trying to find a trace of panic or anger in their expressions.
When he saw Ron's face turn red with anger, while Hermione remained calm, his dissatisfaction intensified.
"Hmph, Hermione Granger, don't think you're so great just because you've read a few books. The position of prefect isn't something you can hold onto just by reading books." Draco deliberately emphasized the words "read books," trying to provoke Hermione.
Hermione frowned, but quickly regained her composure. Looking Draco directly in the eye, she said, “Draco Malfoy, I don’t care what you think. I became a prefect to fulfill my responsibilities to Gryffindor, not to listen to your sarcasm. If you have nothing else to say, please leave.”
Draco was taken aback by Hermione's words; he hadn't expected her to respond so forcefully.
A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his arrogant demeanor.
"Fine, Hermione Granger, you're certainly stubborn. But I'd like to see how long you can stay as a prefect." Draco sneered, then turned to leave.
Just as he turned around, he turned back again and said viciously, "Don't think you Gryffindors can be so smug forever. Slytherin will show you who the true king of Hogwarts is sooner or later."
"Alright, seeing how engrossed you two are in your conversation, I feel bad interrupting. Draco, just say a few words and come sit over here with me." Last semester I thought their relationship had improved a lot, but now they're starting to dislike each other again.
Hermione was sitting to my left, Ron was sitting next to Hermione, and the seat to my right was empty; I had intentionally left that seat for Draco.
"Hmph!" Draco snorted and sat down next to me, just out of respect for me, when he saw that I had spoken.
The male and female prefects of the other colleges watched the show in silence.
Next, as the student council president, I assigned patrol duties, intentionally separating the Gryffindor and Slytherin patrol areas to be very far apart.
Our Hogwarts Express arrived safely at its destination.
The Great Hall was brightly lit for the opening banquet, and long tables were laden with delicacies. Hogwarts students sat around tables from their respective houses, their laughter and chatter filling the air.
In the cheerful atmosphere, Headmaster Dumbledore slowly stood up, and the Great Hall fell silent instantly, with all eyes focused on him.
“Dear students,” Headmaster Dumbledore’s voice was loud and steady, “I have an important announcement to make. This semester, the Defense Against the Dark Arts class will be taught by Ms. Dolores Umbridge from the Ministry of Magic.”
The news was like a bombshell, causing an uproar in the auditorium.
The students whispered to each other and talked a lot.
Some students looked puzzled, wondering why the Ministry of Magic would be invited to teach the course; others looked worried, expressing doubts about the new professor's teaching methods and abilities.
Hermione frowned and whispered to Harry and Ron, "It feels a bit strange that someone from the Ministry of Magic is coming to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. I wonder if she'll just teach us the theory and not the practical magic."
Ron scratched his head and muttered, "Hopefully she won't be too strict, otherwise this class will be difficult to teach."
Harry fell into deep thought. He had always had a special feeling for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and he needed to learn how to fight Riddle through this class.
He worried that the professor from the Ministry of Magic wouldn't be able to give them any truly useful guidance.
Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Dolores Umbridge strode onto the stage.
She was short, dressed in a bright pink suit, wearing an oversized hat, and her face was plastered with a fake smile.
"Hello, dear children," Umbridge said in a high-pitched voice. "It is an honor for me to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. In my class, you must maintain strict discipline and study the knowledge in the textbook diligently."
Her words displeased some students, especially those eager to learn practical magic.
But under Headmaster Dumbledore's watchful eye, everyone quieted down for the time being.
After the opening banquet, the students returned to their respective dormitories with mixed feelings.
They were all speculating about what changes Professor Dolores Umbridge from the Ministry of Magic would bring to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and what challenges they would face this semester.
It was a great honor that our first class in the senior years was taught by Professor Dolores Umbridge from the Ministry of Magic.
To be honest, the word "honor" carried a bittersweet connotation, as everyone knew what Professor Umbridge's arrival meant.
On the first day of school, I got up early as usual, got ready, and then went to the lobby or auditorium to have breakfast.
The Great Hall at Hogwarts is always bustling with activity, long tables laden with sumptuous food, and the air filled with the aroma of bread and jam.
Surprisingly, Harry showed up in the Great Hall early this morning.
His hair was still messy, and he looked like he hadn't slept well.
I went straight up to Harry and greeted him, "Harry, didn't you sleep well last night? Why are you here so early today?"
Harry forced a smile: "I can't sleep. The thought of going to Umbridge's class makes me anxious."
I nodded in understanding and sat down with him at the Gryffindor table.
"It's okay, I'm here. She won't do anything to you." I gently patted his shoulder.
“I’m not afraid of her making things difficult for me in class,” Harry said with a listless smile.
"Since you're not afraid, why didn't you sleep well last night?" I reached out and smoothed Harry's hair; at least it looked much neater now.
“Actually, I had another nightmare about you leaving me.” This time, Harry put down his fork and knife and looked at me seriously.
"How silly, I'm right here beside you, aren't I? I'm standing right in front of you now, so why are you still having such nightmares?" I secretly squeezed Harry's slightly cold hand under the table.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Ayers." Harry could feel the warmth of Ayers' hands, and the chill from last night's nightmare dissipated a little.
I spent breakfast with Harry like that, and seeing that we had some extra time, I took Harry directly to his classroom for his first day of school.
Then I headed toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Along the way, the students whispered among themselves, filled with curiosity and unease about Professor Umbridge.
On my way to the classroom, I ran into Fred and George, who had just finished breakfast and were also walking to class together.
Then the three of us went into the classroom together and found that Umbridge was already sitting on the podium.
She was wearing a pink suit, looking enormous, with an unsettling smile on her face.
"Students, welcome to the Defense Against the Dark Arts course." Umbridge's voice was high-pitched like a bird's call. "From today onwards, we will be studying strictly according to the Ministry of Magic's syllabus."
She picked up a thick book from the table. "This book contains all the courses we have for this semester. You only need to memorize the theoretical knowledge in it."
The audience erupted in uproar.
Fred raised his hand and stood up, saying, "Professor, Defense Against the Dark Arts isn't something you can learn just by theory; we need practice!" Umbridge's smile vanished instantly, her eyes turning icy. "Practice? In my classes, you don't need to risk yourselves practicing. It's not in the Ministry of Magic's syllabus."
George couldn't help but stand up: "But, Professor, we're dealing with real black magic. How can we do it without practice?"
Umbridge's face darkened. "Mr. George Weasley, are you questioning the Ministry of Magic's decision? I expect you to follow classroom rules and refrain from making such pointless remarks."
"This is the first time I've heard such talk of a peaceful world. Is the Ministry of Magic going to assign an Auror to each of us to protect us? Does the Ministry of Magic have enough manpower? I never imagined we were so important." A mocking smile curled at the corner of my lips, completely unfazed by Umbridge's ugly expression.
Umbridge's face flushed red, his eyes blazing with anger: "Mr. Ayles Hall Grindelwald, this is a serious offense! The Ministry of Magic's decisions are made after careful consideration, how dare a mere brat like you question them!"
I crossed my arms and said nonchalantly, "Deliberate consideration? I think it's just cowardice! There are so many evil wizards outside, but the Ministry of Magic pretends not to see them and forbids us from talking about it. Isn't that just burying our heads in the sand?"
My classmates all knew I was bold, but they didn't expect me to speak so directly. Some nodded in agreement, while others looked at me with concern, afraid that I would be punished by Umbridge.
Umbridge was trembling with rage. Pointing her finger at my nose, she said, "You...you're absolutely lawless! I'll report your behavior to the headmaster and make sure you get the punishment you deserve!"
"Discipline? Did I say something wrong?" I scoffed dismissively, slapping Umbridge's hand away from my nose. "Why don't you tell me what I said wrong?"
I looked at Umbridge with a sarcastic expression; she was practically fuming.
At this moment, Fred and George straightened their backs beside me and said firmly, "We think Ayers is right, don't you think?"
Other students echoed this sentiment, and the classroom suddenly became lively as everyone expressed their dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Magic.
Umbridge felt a sense of panic as she looked at her agitated classmates.
She didn't expect my words to cause such a big reaction.
She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Quiet! All of you, be quiet! Or I'll deduct points from all of you!"
But the students were not intimidated by her threats; instead, they became even more agitated.
George shouted, "Professor, you can deduct points from us, you can punish us, but you can't stop us from learning about and studying magic to protect ourselves!"
Umbridge, realizing she couldn't control the situation, angrily turned and left the classroom.
Inside the classroom, the students' discussions continued, as everyone mentally prepared for the upcoming battle.
"Ayers, you really enjoyed hitting that pink-haired toad just now," Fred said happily as he moved closer to my left.
“Ayers, won’t you be punished for talking back to the professor like that?” George said, moving closer to my right.
“She wouldn’t dare. Not even her boss would dare offend me.” I patted Fred and George on the shoulders with both hands to reassure them.
"Why are you so calm, Ayers?" Fred asked me curiously.
"As far as I'm concerned, I can certainly say something about the Ministry of Magic," I replied to Fred's question with a smile.
My control over the British Ministry of Magic is not just a figurehead; it's real power. In fact, I've long since sidelined the Minister of Magic. Butler Chen is no pushover.
My sugar daddy has assigned me a very capable housekeeper.