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Chapter 675: Umbridge Got Fired?
🕑 Added 2025-04-03 11:31:23 +0000 UTCAfter the group returned to Hogwarts, Fred and George hurried over to them, their faces alight with mischief. In an exaggerated tone, Fred asked, “So, Mr. Minister-for-Magic-to-be, are you pleased with the office Fudge has arranged for you?”
“Did he give you his own office?” George chimed in.
“If you keep this up, you might become Minister before you graduate,” Fred added, laughing.
The two of them giggled as they continued.
“Then you’ll be famous...”
“No need to go to school anymore...”
“And you can hand out your own N.E.W.T. certificates!”
Fred suddenly grinned wider. “Just don’t let Percy see you, or he’ll be camping out on your doorstep—”
He abruptly stopped mid-sentence, his grin faltering. In a nonchalant tone, he added, “Sorry, forgot he doesn’t live at home anymore.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?” said George. “At least we don’t have to deal with him sticking his head around the corner every time we pass the stairs, telling us to keep it down.”
“Actually,” said Kyle, glancing at the twins, “we ran into him on the way back—in the same lift.”
“Oh, good,” Fred said, his grin returning. “So, did you give him a good hiding for us?”
“Or turn him into a Flobberworm?” George suggested eagerly.
“We’ve always wanted to do that,” Fred added.
“How could we? It’s the Ministry of Magic,” Kyle replied. “If I tried, the Aurors wouldn’t even have to leave their desks to cart me away.”
“Then we’ll do it when he’s not at the Ministry,” George muttered through clenched teeth.
Kyle shrugged. “I have the feeling he’s regretting it and wants me to apologize to Mrs. Weasley on his behalf.”
“Ho!” Fred scoffed. “If he really wants to apologize, he should do it himself, not get someone else to play messenger.”
“He knows where Dad’s office is,” George added. “He can’t have forgotten that.”
“Kyle, you didn’t say you’d help him, did you?” Fred asked sharply.
“Of course not,” Kyle said. “In fact, I told him exactly what you just said.”
“Good.”
The twins seemed satisfied but showed no interest in continuing the conversation about Percy. Their attention shifted as they spotted Cedric at the back of the group.
“You owe us an explanation, Cedric,” Fred called out, striding over with George.
They flanked Cedric, one in front and one behind, in mock menace.
George clenched his fists dramatically. “We agreed to open a joke shop together. So why did you go and take a job at the Ministry of Magic?”
Fred narrowed his eyes and leaned closer. “If your explanation isn’t good enough... well, let’s just say, you’re done for.”
Cedric gave a nervous laugh and glanced toward Kyle for a moment. “It’s... complicated,” he began hesitantly. “But I can promise you this: after graduation, we’ll definitely be able to work together.”
Fred and George froze, caught off guard. Of all the responses they had anticipated, this wasn’t one of them.
Did Cedric mean he wouldn’t be working at the Ministry of Magic after graduation?
If so, why take the job now? Surely, it wasn’t for the meager seven Galleons a month.
It didn’t make any sense...
“You’re not lying to us?” Fred pressed, stepping closer to Cedric.
“Of course not, I swear,” Cedric replied, though his eyes shifted away from Fred’s piercing gaze, betraying his unease.
Luckily, Professor McGonagall entered the castle just then, and Fred and George dropped the matter, following her with curious glances instead.
At dinner, the students who had visited the Ministry earlier that day quickly became the center of attention throughout the Great Hall. It was rare for students to join the Ministry of Magic before graduation, and now, suddenly, five had done so. Naturally, this sparked widespread curiosity and conversation.
“It’s no big deal,” Malfoy announced loudly from the Slytherin table. “They only take people with O.W.L. results. I’ll definitely be joining the Ministry after this year. You know, my father is quite close with Minister Fudge.” He smirked smugly, clearly enjoying the attention.
Meanwhile, at the Gryffindor table, the same topic was being discussed, albeit with a different tone.
“Don’t be upset, Hermione,” Harry said, glancing at her. She had been unusually quiet all evening. “It’s just because you didn’t take your O.W.L.s in fifth year. You’ll definitely be accepted next year.”
“I know,” Hermione replied with a sigh. “But that’s not why I’m upset.”
“Then why are you so angry?” Ron asked through a mouthful of sausage. “You’ve been in a bad mood since this morning.”
“Haven’t you noticed?” Hermione said, putting down her fork sharply. “The Ministry accepted five students. They selected people from the other three houses, but not a single one from Gryffindor!”
“So what?” Ron said with a shrug. “It just means none of us wanted to work at the Ministry of Magic anyway.”
“Only you would think that,” Hermione snapped. “I wasn’t the only one who went to Professor McGonagall to apply. Others did too, but none of us were chosen. I’m sure Professor McGonagall must be terribly disappointed.”
“Maybe it’s not our fault,” Harry suggested. “Let’s not forget about Umbridge. Everyone knows she hates Gryffindor. We don’t behave the way she wants us to, and she’s never liked us.”
“Are you saying she turned down Gryffindor applications?” Hermione asked, frowning. “As Undersecretary of the Ministry, I suppose she might have the power to influence the decision.”
“Exactly,” Harry said grimly. “She doesn’t care about fairness. And think about it—how many Slytherins have we seen sneaking off to her office lately? Angelina mentioned their training results weren’t even that great this morning.”
“That foul toad,” Ron muttered darkly. “I wish the Headmaster would just chuck her out of here.”
“Even if everyone wants that, it’s not likely,” Hermione said in a hushed voice. “She’s still a representative of the Ministry of Magic. Even if she’s no longer the High Inquisitor, the Headmaster doesn’t have the authority to dismiss her outright.”
The three of them exchanged a heavy sigh.
...
None of them could have imagined that Ron's seemingly impossible remark would actually come true the very next day during their visit to Hogsmeade.
“Umbridge has been fired?”
Inside The Three Broomsticks, Professor McGonagall, who was quietly enjoying a drink and chatting with Hagrid, instinctively turned her head when a loud exclamation pierced the air beside her.
“Don’t be so loud, Potter. This hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
“Sorry, Professor,” Harry apologized, but his curiosity remained undeterred. “But is it true? Is Umbridge really going to be fired?”
Had it been anyone else, Professor McGonagall would have sternly reminded them to address her as Professor Umbridge, but this time, she chose not to comment.
“Not fired,” she corrected, her tone brisk yet calm. “It appears the Ministry has found more pressing duties for Professor Umbridge, so she will no longer be able to continue at Hogwarts.”
Harry felt a wave of astonishment crash over him, even more exhilarating than when they had been awarded the Quidditch Cup early. No—this was far beyond that.
His heart pounded wildly, leaving him no room to think about Butterbeer or anything else. Without a backward glance, he bolted out of The Three Broomsticks. He only had one thought in mind: to be the first to tell Hermione and Ron the incredible news.
Meanwhile, in the Office of the Minister for Magic for Defence Against the Dark Arts, Umbridge was seething with rage.
“This is your doing!” she snarled, her face dark with fury, her usual saccharine smile entirely absent.
Her words dripped with venom as she glared at Kyle. “You despicable little brat—you must have said something to the Minister to have me removed from Hogwarts!”
Being called a despicable person by Umbridge was, in its own way, a novelty.
Kyle met her fiery gaze with a calm demeanor. “Don’t get so worked up, Professor Umbridge. This is, in fact, a good thing.”
“A good thing?” she shrieked, her voice rising to a piercing pitch. “You’re trying to tell me that my dismissal is a good thing?”
The more she dwelled on it, the angrier she became. Her fury boiled over as she bellowed, “Because of you, I lost my position as High Inquisitor! Because of you, I can’t even keep my job as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor! And you call that a good thing?”
Her hand shot to her wand, yanking it out with a flourish. She aimed it directly at Kyle, her voice shaking with rage. “Why are you always against me?”
Kyle, however, had anticipated this reaction. Calmly, he slid his hand into the sleeve of his robe, making a subtle motion.
A second later, Umbridge’s wand flew from her grip, spinning through the air before landing neatly in Kyle’s hand.
“I told you, Professor Umbridge, don’t be so nervous,” Kyle said patiently. “This really is a good thing. And besides, you’re not being expelled—you’re being given a more important role.”
Umbridge, on the verge of exploding, felt mocked by Kyle’s words. Her voice rose into a furious roar:
“You’re lying! I haven’t received any notification.”
“This matter is still under wraps, so naturally you wouldn’t have been notified yet,” Kyle replied calmly. “In fact, there won’t be any formal written notification. When you return to the Ministry of Magic, Minister Fudge will personally inform you.”
“You’re not lying?” she asked in a lower voice, her skepticism evident.
“You’re leaving Hogwarts, aren’t you? Why would I need to lie?” Kyle shrugged nonchalantly. “Forget it. It seems you don’t want to know. Just consider this me meddling.”
He tossed her wand casually onto a nearby table and turned to leave.
“Wait…” Umbridge ignored her wand and hurried to stop him, trotting after him anxiously. “You need to explain yourself!”
“Professor,” Kyle said coolly, “if I tell you any more, the Minister will be angry.”
“Then what about what you said just now—”
“That was just then,” Kyle interrupted, his tone even. “Now, I don’t feel like discussing it further.” He glanced at her with feigned indifference. “I tried to remind you out of kindness, and this is how you react?”
Umbridge’s face shifted through a series of expressions before settling on forced contrition.
“Sorry, I was just… a little upset,” she said, donning her familiar fake smile. “Can you tell me now?”
That’s better. Umbridge was most herself when she was pretending, Kyle thought.
“Alright.” He cleared his throat and began. “Professor, you’re in luck.”
“Luck?”
“Yes.” Kyle walked over to a chair, sat down, and leaned back. “Do you know what’s troubling Minister Fudge the most right now?”
“Dumbledore?” Umbridge guessed.
“No.” Kyle shook his head. “Given the current situation, Dumbledore has no chance of competing for the position of Minister for Magic in the near future. Naturally, the attitudes of the other professors are irrelevant too. That means your presence at Hogwarts is no longer necessary.”
Kyle didn’t wait for her to respond before continuing. “It’s the Death Eaters. After their escape from prison, they’ve gone into hiding, doing absolutely nothing. This has made the Ministry’s earlier public statements look like a complete joke."
“Now, a lot of people are starting to question whether You-Know-Who has actually returned. They’ve been sending angry letters to the Minister, demanding answers.”
“How dare they…” Umbridge fumed. “How can they doubt the Ministry of Magic?”
Interesting. She’s only concerned that the Ministry is being doubted, Kyle noted, rather than reaffirming the truth of its claims, as she used to. Clearly, she doesn’t fully believe it either.
Kyle didn’t point this out and pressed on. “Exactly. But there’s nothing the Ministry can do about it. It’s been over a week since the breakout, and no significant action has been taken. Naturally, people are skeptical.”
“That’s why we need to act now. The Minister needs to set an example—just like ten years ago—to demonstrate the Ministry’s absolute opposition to the Death Eaters.”
“And what does that have to do with me?” Umbridge asked, frowning.
“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Kyle tapped the table with mild impatience. “If we’re going to take action against the Death Eaters, we need intelligence on them.”
Either due to her rise to the rank of Undersecretary or her innate shrewdness, Umbridge seemed to grasp Kyle’s meaning immediately.
“Exactly,” Kyle said with a thin smile. “This has to be kept absolutely confidential. The Minister can’t entrust this to the Hit Wizards or Aurors; they’re not loyal enough."
“Only you, Professor Umbridge… or should I say, Minister Umbridge?”
“It's Senior Undersecretary,” Umbridge corrected, her voice trembling slightly.
“Same difference,” Kyle said with a dismissive wave. “After this, you’ll be seen as a hero—a champion against dark magic. This will earn you immense prestige, enough to surpass all the division heads in one move.”
“Now do you understand why I said this is a good thing?”
“But why are you giving this to me?” Umbridge took a deep breath, still suspicious. “You could have done it yourself.”
“Don’t be absurd. I’m still a student,” Kyle replied with a helpless shake of his head. “Dumbledore wouldn’t allow me to leave the school, so there’s no way I could take on this task.”
It was true—Kyle was still a student with more than a year left before graduation, meaning he would be stuck at Hogwarts for most of that time.
Realizing this, Umbridge’s breathing grew heavier, and her smile, for once, seemed genuine.
“What else?” she asked eagerly.
“That’s all I know,” Kyle replied. “The specifics of how to proceed are up to the Minister. He hasn’t shared the details with me.”
“Of course,” Umbridge said thoughtfully. “For a covert operation like this, the fewer people who know, the better.”
“I’ll give you one piece of advice,” Kyle said, his expression turning serious. “You’ll be representing the Minister and the Ministry of Magic. Your stance against the Death Eaters must be firm—unyielding, even. The more resolute, the better."
“If you’re unsure of what to do, take inspiration from Barty Crouch Sr. or Alastor Moody. Both had a reputation for dealing with the Death Eaters decisively.”
“I know what to do,” Umbridge snapped, her tone defensive. “And you should remember your place. Even if the Minister trusts you, you’re just an intern assistant. Don’t presume to tell me how to do my job.”
“Naturally,” Kyle said with a polite smile, rising from his chair. “I’ll be waiting at Hogwarts to hear the good news you’ll bring us, Minister Umbridge.”
Whether intentionally or not, Umbridge didn’t correct Kyle’s title as he left the office.
