While the students who had escaped from the Requirement Room were returning safely to the common rooms of their respective houses, Umbridge in the principal's office was in a state of frantic.

"Are they all asleep, is it because of potions or magic?" asked Umbridge anxiously. Looking at it like that, if it weren't for the Malfoy family, maybe she would have grabbed Malfoy's collar and shook it.

"No, not really. Malfoy looked a little scared, he had never seen Umbridge do this to him. "Professor Snape had confirmed that they had not been poisoned, had not been cursed, were healthy, and had just fallen asleep. ”

"So you're going to charge me with the perjury of a young girl you coerced? I don't think it's appropriate to rely on this only witness to insist that I'm trying to overthrow the Ministry. Not to mention that this witness's parents are completely under your control, so the veracity of her testimony is also worthy of doubt. Dumbledore sat behind his desk and spoke in a very calm tone, just as he had recommended a cockroach heap to someone else. But Harry could hear some relief and confusion in Dumbledore's tone.

"We—this—" Umbridge began to speak incoherently, his chest rising and falling violently like a toad in a puddle.

But Harry still organized an illegal extracurricular group. After stopping Umbridge, who was in a rage of incompetence, Fudge said, "As far as I know, Potter met with many of his classmates at Hogsmeade's Hoghead pub in October—"

"Potter is meeting with these students," Umbridge snapped up, "to convince them to add an illegal group whose goal is to learn some spells and curses that the Ministry of Magic has ruled unsuitable for students-"

"I think you'll find yourself wrong on this point, Dolores. Dumbledore whispered, the half-moon glasses drooping over his crooked nose, and he was staring at Umbridge from above them. "You know, the Ministry of Magic didn't take effect until two days after Harry's Hogsmeade meet, so he didn't break anything while he was at Hoghead's Bar. ”

The people from the Ministry of Magic were stunned, and they realized that they seemed to have overlooked something important. But Umbridge was quick to react and said, "That's all good, Headmaster, but it's been almost six months since we implemented Education Order 24." While the first gathering was not illegal, all gatherings since then have certainly been illegal. ”

"What about the evidence? We can't convict a person by speculation alone. Dumbledore said as he looked at her politely and with interest from above his fingers crossed, but in Umbridge's eyes it was a thick mockery.

Harry heard a rustle behind him, and even thought Kingsley was muttering something quietly. But soon the movement disappeared, as if all he had just found was a hallucination.

"Didn't Miss Ekmore tell us?" said Umbridge, turning to Marietta, who was cowering to the side, "good girl, you are doing exactly right, so you need not be ashamed." Now you're telling us that such gatherings have been held regularly for the past six months?"

Under Harry's nervous gaze, Marietta actually shook her head. Harry was keenly aware of Marietta's strange eyes, as if she hadn't woken up.

Umbridge asked repeatedly, but Marietta just shook her head. Finally, when Umbridge was furious, Professor McGonagall finally couldn't take it anymore. She directly interrupted Umbridge angrily: "Please don't intimidate the students, I think she means very clearly, that is, there have been no secret gatherings in the past six months." Is that so, Miss Ekmo?"

Marietta nodded at Umbridge's cannibalistic gaze. Umbridge said angrily, "There's a meeting, Miss Ekmo, you told me, in the Room of Requirement! Potter is the head, that's him, Potter organized the party, Potter—why do you keep shaking your head, girl?" she even grabbed Marietta and pulled her over to face herself, and began to shake her violently.

"Enough. Seeing the anger on Dumbledore's and Professor McGonagall's faces, Fudge hurried up to Umbridge. "Calm down, you shouldn't be like this to a student. ”

Umbridge only stepped back, but after retreating to Fudge's side, her eyes flashed with resentment as she looked at Fudge's back.

"But one thing is undeniable, Harry did organize an illegal rally tonight. Fudge, a seasoned politician, saw that there was no way to remove Dumbledore from power on charges of conspiracy against the Ministry of Magic, so he simply turned his attention to Harry, trying to open a breakthrough in Dumbledore's Savior.

"It is important to know that the previous Education Order No. 24 made it clear that if a student is found to have formed or joined any organization, association, team or club without the approval of the Senior Ombudsman. Summarous dismissal. Fudge looked smug. "So we should fire Harry and warn the others not to disobey orders. ”

Harry felt relieved at this time, now that he had caused all this trouble, it would be nice if he had only fired him and not implicated the others. Thinking that even if Sirius was expelled from him, Sirius would take him in, and he could even try to study his own middle school courses and then try to get into college.

"No, I don't think so. Dumbledore said. "The education order says that any organization, association, team, and club is formed or joined with immediate expulsion. But now the evidence only proves that Harry had gathered a group of people tonight, so it was most likely just a gathering of Harry. I don't think it's appropriate to fire him because of that. Otherwise, several people get together to chat after dinner, and they can be fired. ”

Fudge's face turned the color of pork liver, and now everyone knew what had happened tonight. However, because Umbridge dropped the chain at a critical moment, his plan did not have enough evidence to support it, so he could only watch Dumbledore press on him step by step.

"Okay, I think everyone should have been overly nervous and created too many misunderstandings tonight, now that it has been explained, you can do your own thing, and there is no need to stay here and waste time. Dumbledore stood up as if to see off the guest.

"You-" Fudge was furious, and held out a trembling finger at Dumbledore, but he remembered that Dumbledore in front of him was one of the most powerful wizards in the world. So stiff there is no dare to do anything.

Just when Harry thought everything was fine, suddenly there was a knock outside the window. The thump was so noticeable in the silence of the office that everyone turned their heads to the windows.

Outside the window was an owl with a letter, and Umbridge seemed to be in good spirits when he saw the owl, with a sickly smile on his face. "They've replied, Dumbledore, open the window and let the owl in. ”

McGonagall, who was standing next to the window, frowned, but opened the window at Dumbledore's signal and removed the letter from the owl's leg.

This letter is no different from a regular letter, it is a parchment envelope. Strangely enough, the envelope's fire paint was printed with the Hogwarts crest, but the owl had flown a long way to get there.

"What is?" Professor McGonagall looked at Professor Dumbledore with some confusion, but Dumbledore ignored her and opened the envelope. After reading the contents of the letter. Dumbledore stared at Fudge at his desk, his blue eyes burning with flames.

"Cornelius, I always thought we were in the same camp. But I didn't expect you to be so obsessed with your official position, which makes it easy for you to lose your proper judgment at the instigation of some careerists. ”

Seeing Dumbledore's sudden outburst of rage, Harry felt confused, he didn't know why a letter made Headmaster Dumbledore so angry, and now he wondered what was written on it.