Chapter 655: Teasing Umbridge (Edited)

"I think I need to remind you of something, Mr. McGonagall," Umbridge said through clenched teeth as she stared at Fish, who had no respect for her. "I called you here to be punished!"

"Fish knows that..."

(?ω?)

She gave him an inexplicable look, twitched her ears, and said, "If you're not going to invite Fish for a midnight snack, are you going to tell Fish a story like Minerva?"

In Fish's mind, "punishment" was basically the same as "a midnight snack," "a story," and "a new place to sleep."

"I may have misunderstood something, Mr. McGonagall." Umbridge's toad-like eyes shot him a sinister glance as she said sternly, "I'm not like the other teachers who give you favorable treatment..."

She pulled out two long, thin black quills with particularly sharp tips and placed them in front of Fish and Harry.

"I want you to write: I am not allowed to lie." Umbridge said in an increasingly soft tone, but with a deadly look in her eyes directed at Fish.

"No!"

(〃｀3〃)

Fish crossed his hands over his chest, pouted, and tilted his head, firmly refusing, "Fish doesn't like to write!"

"That's up to you," Umbridge said with a fake smile instead of getting angry. "As the Senior Investigator of Hogwarts, I have the power to punish students for last night's disobedience, and if you continue to be stubborn, I can expel you."

The revelation of Voldemort's resurrection had struck a chord with Fudge, so he had sent Umbridge his final decision earlier today at noon: a heavy blow had to be dealt to Dumbledore's followers, even if it meant striking Fish.

Fudge's affection for Fish did not match his obsession with power, and when faced with a real choice, Fudge had no hesitation in giving up recruiting Fish.

And with Minister Fudge's permission, Umbridge squealed with excitement, eager to give Fish, the half-human, half-cat monster, a good beating!

"Nya?"

?ω?

However, instead of panicking as Umbridge expected, Fish's reaction was calm.

Fish tilted his head, blinked, and asked curiously, "After they expel Fish, does Fish no longer have to do homework or take exams nya?"

Umbridge: "..."

What a mistake!

She then remembered that the Fish in front of her used to sleep in class and that only Professor McGonagall made him do homework.

And...

A wizard who can defeat a fire-breathing dragon without assistance doesn't really need to study much.

Umbridge also felt depressed when she remembered the story about Fish's involvement in the Triwizard Tournament last year. Especially when she recalled that Rita Skeeter had also written that story.

But shortly after, she said, "Without your status as a Hogwarts student, you will be judged and imprisoned for defaming the Ministry of Magic!"

"Locked up? Is that Azkaban?"

(?ω?)

However, Fish's reaction once again exceeded Umbridge's expectations, and he stood up with his hands on the table, his eyes shining, "Yes, yes! The last time Fish fought the Dementors, Albus stopped him, so he can go and fight them again!"

Umbridge fell silent again.

She recalled that Minister Fudge had exclaimed once that there was a genius student at Hogwarts capable of chasing a group of Dementors... Was this the little monster in front of her?

But after calming down and thinking about it, Umbridge had to admit that there was no other student at Hogwarts who had that ability, aside from Fish.

While Umbridge wondered what to do, Fish took the initiative and asked, "Umbridge, when are you going to take Fish to Azkaban?"

(??ω??)

Fish wagged his tail excitedly and looked at her with keen eyes.

Umbridge avoided the question. She knew that if she sent Fish to Azkaban, Minister Fudge would send her there as well...

No, they would have transferred her with the Dementors and locked her up elsewhere.

Besides, the idea of sending Fish to Azkaban was nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment attempt to scare him; she didn't have the power to truly judge Fish.

"Ahem, ahem." Umbridge coughed awkwardly and plastered a fake smile on her face. "I was just joking with you. You were saying nonsense in a magazine, but not to the point of expulsion or even imprisonment."

"Yawn... so boring nya..."

(´?`)

Fish crossed his arms and reclined, annoyed.

Umbridge's cheeks twitched slightly, deciding not to get on Fish's bad side just yet.

"What are you waiting for, Mr. Potter?" She looked at Harry. "Take a quill and write on a piece of paper: 'I am not allowed to lie.' Keep writing until the words are engraved in your heart."

"And what about Fish?"

(?ω?)

Fish raised his hand and asked.

"..."

Umbridge forced herself to contain the anger welling up in her mind, put on a stiff smile, and said, "Don't you want a snack? I'll bring it to you."

And she turned toward the cabinet behind her.

"And Sybil's flower tea nya!"

(≧≦)

Fish reminded aloud.

Umbridge staggered for a moment and then, without looking back, muttered through clenched teeth, "Understood! Understood!"

What she didn't know was that as she turned around to grab the snack, Fish reached out and slapped Harry on the body, casting a Petrifying Charm on him and whispering to Harry to try making a stroke on the parchment first.

Harry did as instructed and found that the parchment only had a mark, no ink, and he felt a slight tingle on the back of his hand, as if he had been gently scraped with nails...

"Why don't you start, Mr. Potter?"

Umbridge returned with the snacks and tea, reluctantly placing them in front of Fish, and then looked at Harry in exasperation.

"You didn't give me any ink." Harry grimaced, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, you don't need ink," Professor Umbridge said, with a slight chuckle in her voice, before realizing what was happening.

Harry dropped the tip of his quill onto the paper and wrote, "I am not allowed to lie."

The parchment remained blank, with only the faint trace of the grooves Harry had made while writing.

Harry looked at Umbridge innocently.

"What the hell?!" Umbridge shouted in disbelief.

She stared at Harry's unblemished back of the hand for a moment, fixing her toad-like eyes on it, before angrily snatching the black quill from his hand and pulling a piece of parchment toward her, forcefully scribbling on it...

"Ahh~!"

Umbridge screamed, throwing the quill aside and covering the back of her hand.

"Harry, would you like some tea, nya?"

(??~??)つ

Fish calmly handed her a piece of cake, and Harry took it calmly.