Chapter 280: Revelation, Failure, and Inspector
Harry, returning from detention, bumped into Ron, who was sneaking out to practise.
"Oh Harry, what happened to your hand?" Sharp-eyed Ron noticed Harry's trembling right hand.
"Nothing," Harry said, hiding his right hand.
Ron grabbed Harry's hand. After a week of writing with Umbridge's cursed quill, Harry's hand bore deep, ugly scars where the words had been carved repeatedly into his flesh.
"She's physically punishing you! You must tell Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore," Ron exclaimed.
"No, better not to trouble them," Harry said, lowering his head.
"No, I have to tell Aiden!" Ron said, yanking off the necklace around his neck.
A little silver dragon Patronus flew out of the necklace.
"Why so late? I didn't sense you were in danger," Aiden's voice came from the little dragon.
"Umbridge physically punished Harry, making him write confessions with a dark magic item!" Ron reported.
"Oh right, I'd forgotten about this if you hadn't mentioned it," the silver dragon said, tapping its head.
Then, far away in the Defence Against the Dark Arts office, resting Umbridge suddenly fell into a nightmare.
She frowned and stood up, took out a piece of parchment, picked up the pen that had been used to punish Harry, and began writing.
"I, Dolores Umbridge, Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, now consider Harry Potter's punishment sufficient and hereby announce!"
Then Umbridge waved her wand, and the parchment flew and stuck itself to the Great Hall entrance at Hogwarts.
"Alright, starting tomorrow you won't need to go to Umbridge for detention anymore, yawn."
The silver dragon yawned, then flew back into Ron's necklace, which automatically repaired itself.
"That's it?" Harry asked, looking at Ron.
"Should be resolved. Aiden is quite reliable," Ron said, not knowing how else to respond.
"By the way, where are you going dressed like that?"
Harry looked at Ron, who was wearing protective gear and carrying a broom.
"Going to practice Quidditch. I applied for Angelina's Keeper recruitment," Ron said, still willing to share with Harry.
"Really? Then I wish you success in advance," Harry said, happy for Ron.
"Just watch!" Ron said, patting his chest.
The next day, news that Harry had been exempted from detention by Umbridge spread throughout the castle.
"What? How can he be let off so casually?" A platinum-haired boy in the crowd complained.
Students buzzed with discussion, but it didn't change Umbridge's decision. She didn't even know she had let Harry Potter off.
The pink toad excitedly went to the Great Hall for breakfast and saw her blood letter.
"What!" Umbridge said, her eyes widening.
"I didn't write this! This is invalid!" Umbridge shouted.
"But the blood and magic on it can't be faked," Professor McGonagall said, coming out to retort.
"I think as professors, we should have the right to..." Umbridge started but was interrupted by McGonagall.
"I also think that as professors, we should have some credibility, rather than clinging to authority like old relics and going back on our word," McGonagall said seriously.
"Excuse me, Professor, you seem to be implying something!" Umbridge said, raising her voice.
"I only hope that when you act as a professor, you can better follow our school's standards!" McGonagall didn't back down.
"It seems like you're questioning my conduct, Minerva!" Umbridge said, deliberately walking up two steps to look down at McGonagall.
The Deputy Headmistress, noticing her little move, also stepped up two steps, using her height to suppress Umbridge.
Below, Aiden frowned. Why had Umbridge broken free from his hypnosis?
"I'm very sorry, dear, but questioning my teaching is questioning the Ministry of Magic, and furthermore, you're questioning the Minister himself," Umbridge said, using power to pressure.
"I am a tolerant person, but the one thing I cannot tolerate is disloyalty!" Umbridge said, turning to look at the young wizards.
"Disloyalty?" McGonagall said, sensing something and stepping back two paces.
Waves from the collective unconscious sea, stirred by wizards' recognition of the Ministry, surged toward her.
But a castle appeared in the collective unconscious sea, blocking the waves.
At the same time, a net drew McGonagall's island of consciousness under protection.
McGonagall calmed down and glanced at Aiden.
Aiden shook his head at her, indicating that his control over Umbridge had failed.
"In light of Hogwarts' alarming decline in standards, Minister Fudge has appointed me as Senior Undersecretary to the Minister and High Inquisitor of Hogwarts."
The Minister's decree transformed public trust in the Ministry into tangible magical protection, wrapping Umbridge in institutional power.
Umbridge proudly raised her head, surveying the wizards below as if she could already see them trembling under her command.
"Pure power, pure evil?" Aiden said, looking at Umbridge on the platform and murmuring.
"What did you say?" Edmund asked.
"Nothing. Have you already read the materials I gave you?" Aiden asked back.
"Already finished. This time we'll definitely bring down Fudge. By the way, the Ministry's elections are so strange. Why every eight years?" Edmund complained.
"Although seven is a magical number, eight represents infinity, symbolising the beautiful wishes of past wizards for us," Aiden said, his delicate face showing a gentle smile.
This made everyone around who was looking at Aiden fall into a daze.
What happened next was largely within Aiden's expectations.
Fudge immediately signed Decree No. 23, officially appointing Umbridge as Hogwarts' Senior Investigator.
At the same time, through the conservative faction's influence in the Daily Prophet, the news spread widely.
"After reforming Defence Against the Dark Arts, Umbridge will have the authority to reorganise Hogwarts, whose teaching quality has been declining."
Fudge's voice was recorded on a recording stone and sent to all parts of Britain through the Lestrange family's channels.
The Lestrange family thus gained favour with the Ministry's conservative faction, receiving green lights in all business channels.
However, they didn't notice that a dragon's shadow was mixed in, being transported to various places.
Having gained power from Hogwarts, Umbridge was in high spirits.
She began patrolling around Hogwarts with a clipboard.
At the same time, she used her authority to issue multiple restriction orders targeting Hogwarts.
She clearly intended to strangle all students' freedom in regulations.
On Thursday, in Potions class, a pink toad circled around Professor Snape.
Professor Snape, experiencing helplessness for one of the few times in his life, actually cast a pleading look toward Aiden.
Meanwhile, Aiden entertained himself by imagining Snape's thoughts: 'Umbridge, would you be willing to be my sun?' he pictured the professor saying with mock affection.
"Oh, Severus, I'm willing," the pink toad said.
"Then please maintain a 1.6-mile distance from me," Professor Snape sneered coldly.
"Daydreaming in class. Five points from Ravenclaw," Professor Snape's tapping brought Aiden back to reality.