An Animated Dinner
After exiting the library, Harry Ron and Hermione decide to do a small detour and go to the owlery.
Dear Padfoot,
I have a question concerning the Map. Do you know of creatures that don’t appear on it ? We think we met one but asking would mean admitting to having the Map…
Hope you're doing well, here it’s starting to become stifling, the new DADA teacher is denying the return of You-Know-Who and forbidding lots of things.
Take care!
Love, Harry.
Asking Sirius was becoming quite urgent now, because yes they had the book, or, well, a copy of it, but for the second mystery, that of the Head Librarian himself, they were still at the very beginning ! No hint, no clue !
“Let’s hope he’ll answer quickly” sighed Hermione. With how things were progressing in the school, she was afraid they wouldn't be able to communicate much longer.
It was then decided to go to an unused classroom to start working on the book. Less chance of another student getting curious there than in the library.
“Also” said Ron, “it feels weird doing it where Pince can see us, it’s as if we were doing homework.”
***
Surrounded by loose sheets of parchment covered in scribbles and old dictionaries and grammars, the trio agreed on a pause for lunch.
“Why is it so hard, it’s just a small book ! I mean it’s, what, thirty pages ? Remind me, why are we doing this ?” moaned Harry. After two hours of work, they had established that the book was full of complicated, legal jargon. It was definitely not a story book but they had managed to make sure Hermione’s translation was correct and had gone a little further.
“Guys ! Come here, and look !” called Hermione. “What do you read ?”
“It…looks like the names of the Founders ? Mione, you were right !” exclaimed Ron.
This discovery fuelled them with a new energy and, after sandwiches and a hardworking afternoon, they finally reached the conclusion that indeed the text was an agreement between the four Founders of Hogwarts and Erestor, the same person who wrote the book in the first place.
“So…this means we know where the Founders got the place to build Hogwarts ?” asked Harry.
“Yes, and we know who had the land in the first place !” answered Hermione. “But we still don’t know who that person is. He must have been important to have that much land and for the Founders to go to him.”
“And so…the name of that land would be Thargelion ? That’s the name we need to search for if we want more info on the school’s history. Hey, do you think we might learn of new secret passages ?”
“Maybe, but right now we should go to dinner before someone comes searching for us.”
***
When they enter the Great Hall, they are instantly greeted by the usual brouhaha that comes with having hundreds of students in the same place. They quickly walk to the Gryffindor table to try and find a seat. Luckily for them, Luna and Neville had kept them three seats.
Tonight’s dinner is a delicious spread of roasted potatoes with herbs, a very tender meat with a brown sauce, and to go with it many steamed vegetables. An excellent meal with the weather outside getting colder and colder with each passing day.
As they eat and chat lightly with their friends, the trio and really all the students suddenly turn their heads to the teachers’ table after a great shout was heard.
“i will NOT let that stand ! You have no place here, as if music had any place in a school program ! If one of us is illegitimate it’s YOU !”
It was Dolores Umbridge, DADA teacher and ministry employee that had risen from her chair, quick as a viper, seemingly reacting to something her music colleague had said.
“Oh that’s rich ! Tell me, ministry employee, have you noticed this is a school and not a forum ? Nor is it a prison ? If you’re here, it’s to teach.”
“Ha, teaching, yes. Remind me, what is it you’re doing all day ? Playing, that is what you’re doing. Honestly Flitwick should have dropped the frog choir entirely and be done with it instead of finding a pompous nobody to keep it going…”
“Better a pompous nobody than a disgusting hag ! The only thing you’re good at is scaring the kids !”
“Useless canary, I'm teaching them the ministry-approved textbook !”
“And a liar at that ! You pathetic TOAD.”
And on that last word, the glass Umbridge was holding exploded in her hand, tiny shards of glass embedding themselves in her flesh. Blood started dripping in her plate and she was silent for a few seconds, paling at bit before furiously leaving the Great Hall, probably to get her hand healed.
“Dear colleagues, I apologise for the scene but it’s been a long day and I was provoked. Some students had problems with their hands and had trouble playing. It was frustrating…”
“I think it was time someone said something, if you want my opinion” answered Flitwick.
Dinner resumed without any other incident, and soon the hall was full of animated chatter, the students replaying the scene of the frail looking music teacher holding his ground before Umbridge’s rage.