Chapter Twenty: The Giant Ring of Umbridge's Torment
Nico's P.O.V.

I HATED SCHOOL EVEN MORE. I don't see why we actually have to do the homework and all the studying if we're probably going to leave next year. I mean, next year Percy and Annabeth will be forced to leave, so how can we continue the quest without completely restarting?

The OWLs are stupid. I mean, who even came up with the name? Besides, why do I even have to care about what the Statute of Secrecy is or how to perform a Silencing Charm. I only have magic because Hecate gave it to me for the sake of the quest.

And that wasn't the only thing I was irritated about. For the past few weeks nobody would not shut-up about Harry's interview with the Quibbler. At first I didn't think much about it, but when Annabeth started getting concerned it worried me.

"If we're supposed to keep Harry safe and all- we should be making sure he doesn't draw too much attention to himself," Annabeth said frustratedly, quickly grabbing the attention of the other four of us in the Room of Requirement.

We had been meeting less and less the past few months, between dreaded homework, Leo on the Quidditch team(which I wasn't convinced was going well), and the DA.

"And how are we supposed to be doing that?" asked Leo, "Trust me Annabeth, you've never been in the same class as him. Umbridge and Snape call him out constantly. There's no way we can prevent everyone from paying attention to him."

That seemed to shut her up for the time being. Two more weeks passed and most of the chatter concerning Harry subtly died down. It was a while before anything actually interesting happened. And no, I don't mean Professor McGonagall's lesson on the Doubling Charm.

It was just a regular Tuesday night in the Great Hall. The day had been dull enough I had almost considered skipping dinner and going straight to the dormitory. But somehow I ended up following Leo and Piper there.

Halfway through the meal there was a ear-splitting scream from outside of the Hall. Like many others, I had been quick to jump out of my seat. The shrieks and screams of a woman were coming from the Entrance Hall.

It was like a sea of chaos as everybody turned towards the Entrance Hall to see the commotion. I felt bad for the first years; most of them were getting shoved out of the way by the older students.

In the center of the Entrance Hall stood Professor Trelawney. She looked like a mess, her hair sticking up on one end; her large glasses lopsided. Two trunks sat on the floor next go her, one of which looked as if it had been thrown down the stairs after her.

Naturally, everyone formed a ring around the scene, watching with great interest. My main focus was on Umbridge, who was walking down the marble staircase with a spring in her step.

Beside me, someone was pushing their way up to the front of the crowd; Harry. On my opposite side, I noticed Percy and Annabeth share glances. They were thinking the same thing as I was, why wasn't he in the Great Hall?

Yes, there were rumors among the DA members that he had to attend mandatory Remedial Potions lessons. But who actually believes that? I knew there was more going on. Sometimes when he came back to the dormitories I knew something was different, it was like he was more drained. Weaker.

"No!" Trelawney shrieked. "NO! This cannot be happening.... It cannot... I refuse to accept it!"

"You didn't realize this was coming?" said Umbridge high girlish voice, sounding amused. She was now at the base of the stairs.

"Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realized that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable you would be sacked?"

That was crossing the line there. Trelawney might be a dreadful Professor, but she could at least recite prophecies. Already made prophecies... but she was able to do it word for word.

"You c-can't!" she howled, tears streaming down her face from behind her enormous lenses, "you c-can't sack me! I've b-been here sixteen years! H-Hogwarts is m-my h-home!"

"It was your home," corrected Umbridge, "until an hour ago, when the Minister of Magic countersigned the order for your dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this hall. You are embarrassing us."

I saw Piper start to move forward, but Percy and Leo dragged her back, "Piper, it's not worth it. Don't draw attention to yourself."

Professor McGonagall had broken away from the crowd, marched straight up to Professor Trelawney and was patting her firmly on the back while withdrawing a large handkerchief from within her robes.

"There, there, Sybill... Calm down.... Blow your nose on this.... It's not as bad as you think, now.... You are not going to have to leave Hogwarts...."

"Oh really, Professor McGonagall?" said Umbridge in a deadly voice, taking a few steps forward. "And your authority for that statement is...?"

"That would be mine," said a deep voice. I turned. "The oak front doors had swung open. Students beside them scuttled out of the way as Dumbledore appeared in the entrance.

"And Dumbledore to save the day," I muttered under my breath.

"Yours, Professor Dumbledore?" said Umbridge with a singularly unpleasant little laugh. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position. I have here-" she pulled a parchment scroll from within her robes. She proceeded to read the whole degree in a bossy little voice that left ringing in my eyes and a smile on Dumbledore's face.

"I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch," finished Umbridge. "I have dismissed her."

"You are quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge. As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid," he went on, with a little bow, "that the power to do that still resides with the headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts."

He turned to Professor McGonagall.

"Might I ask you to escort Sybill back upstairs, Professor McGonagall?"

"Of course," said McGonagall. "Up you get, Sybill..."

With the help of Professors Sprout and Flitwick, they managed to help Professor and her things get up to her room. Meanwhile Umbridge was standing still as a Medusa victim, staring at Dumbledore, who continued to smile.

"And what," she said in a whisper that nevertheless carried all around the entrance hall, "are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs her lodgings?"

"Oh, that won't be a problem," said Dumbledore pleasantly. "You see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor."

"You've found-" said Umbridge shrilly. "You've found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree Twenty-two-"

"-the Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if- and only if- the headmaster is unable to find one," said Dumbledore. "And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded. May I introduce you?"

He turned to face the open front doors, through which night mist was now drifting. Through the mist came a centaur. Many other students around us gasped, but I managed to hold my astonishment. After meeting Chiron for the first time, I did kind of well with shock.

"This is Firenze," said Dumbledore happily to a thunderstruck Umbridge. "I think you'll find him suitable."

This, must be one of Chiron's so called 'friends'.

Me: I do not own any of the characters. All characters either belong to-
Trelawney: *Runs all the way from Divination Tower* I forsee your world's future.... You are going to say J.K. Rowling and Veronica Roth are partying together.
Me: *Blinks about ten times*
Rachel: What kind of fortune telling is that? She says the same thing every chapter. 'BrokenTimeTurner does not own any of the characters. All characters either belong to Rick Riordan or J.K. Rowling.' Gods, for a seer you're pretty stupid.
Trelawney: But... but I cannot be wrong. I declare your inner eye is false!
Me: Actually... it's true. I was going to say that all characters either belong to Rick Riordan or J.K. Rowling.
Rachel: *crosses arms* Told you.
Trelawney: But- but- but-
Umbridge: Trelawney! Out of Hogwarts! Tut tut!
Rachel: Whoa! Who are you and why do you look like a toad?
Me: *sighs* People, Rachel, Toads! Stop it! I swear I will delete this book if there are any more fights today....

Adapted from an entry of yzgheib21.

7/19/15