Chapter 373

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"Headmaster," I turned to Dumbledore before Umbridge showed up, and I'm one hundred percent sure it's her. "I hope you will support my little impromptu."

"Depends on the impromptu," he smiled sparingly.

"I want to know," Umbridge said from the doorway, walking in importantly and quickly. She was still wearing some sort of pink business-style combination. "Why is Hogwarts turning into a passageway, and the signal charms won't stop beeping every now and then in the DADA office."

"Dolores," Amelia nodded.

"Oh, what an unexpected surprise," Umbridge smiled sweetly, looking around the audience and paying special attention to Moody and Nymphadora. "Amelia. What brings you at such a late hour to such an atypical place for the head of the DMLE? And in such extravagant company. Also, Mr. Knight, why aren't you in bed at that same late hour? Conspiracies? Intrigue?"

"Investigations," I couldn't resist answering.

"Please explain," Umbridge immediately shifted her gaze to me.

"A case will be opened on a recent incident," I explained briefly. "Will you sit down?"

Pulling up a chair for Professor Umbridge, I smiled politely, and this pink woman thanked me with a smile and sat down. She evokes strong associations with one teacher in my past life. They are very similar both in appearance and in the manner of speaking.

"The thing is, Professor," I continued to explain my point. "That in the person of these children from, of course, respected and influential families, we are faced not only with the organization of a serious crime, in case of success of which we could expect some sad consequences for individual families in the near future but also with a much bigger problem."

Umbridge squinted her eyes, looking at me intently with a smile.

"Which one, may I ask?"

"A public, active, demonstrative disregard for the Ministry in general, and Minister Fudge in particular."

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand you."

"Do you know what kind of rumors the Slytherins involved in the incident are spreading? No? What were their motives? I'll tell you. They're spreading rumors that You-Know-Who is back."

Umbridge's face hardened, making the smile less lively, stony.

"More than that. The organizer of the action was Draco Malfoy himself, saying that, allegedly, You-know-who personally instructed him to deal with the Greengrass girls. But that's not all. The others listened, agreed, shared, saying, "Yes, yes, the Dark Lord is great."

" That's enough, Mr. Knight," Umbridge held out her hand in front of me. "I don't wish to hear such blatant lies about Voldemort's alleged revival."

"And I understand you perfectly, believe me. But that's not the point. If we leave everything as it is..."

"The position of the Ministry and the Minister regarding what happened is obvious," Umbridge cut off. "Miss Granger exceeded the acceptable measure of self-defense."

"However, the paragraph on self-defense does not specify permissible measures with the numerical superiority of the attackers, whose number exceeds the defending side by more than three times."

Umbridge looked at me again with slightly squinted eyes and a slight sly smile.

"But, on the other hand, there is a medical examination, certified by the seal of the Healing Master. It says there are traces of Imperio on Daphne Greengrass. Unfortunately, the wands of the attackers have probably already been erased, and Priori Incantatem will show only a set of simple household spells. There are only memories..."

"Which don't count as evidence," Umbridge finished for me.

"Exactly," I nodded, smiling slyly in response. "As a result, we have a stalemate in which a lot of things seem to have happened, but there is no one really to blame. But isn't the ministry, like the minister himself, supposed to maintain not only the law but also order by stopping harmful, malicious ferment in society that can destabilize and destroy all that our society has been hard at work building for the last fourteen years?"

" Very curious," Umbridge smiled even wider. "As I understand it, you have some sort of suggestion? Some opinion?"

"Absolutely..."