Chapter 187: Hermione's Plan

"Is this what happening in your detentions, Umbridge?" Professor McGonagall shouted at Umbridge.

Umbridge looked at Fudge fearfully. Fudge opened his mouth but no sound came out. Professor McGonagall stood defensively between Harry, Chris and Umbridge while glaring at her.

"I'm afraid, Minister that I do not agree with these punishing methods of Professor Umbridge or Ministry," Dumbledore said angrily. "I will not allow this. Your Ministry employee can not use Dark magic on my students and blame them for that."

"I was just trying to help, Minister," Umbridge said with a trembling voice. "I thought, if they knew even a little bit of this magic they will try to ease their pain and I will catch them."

"An excellent plan," Professor McGonagall muttered furiously.

"Dolores this is — this is —," Fudge was speechless.

"I am sorry, I should not have," Umbridge suddenly looked self-conscious. "I got carried away, I didn't mean any harm, Minister. I was doing it for school. I thought this way I can stop them using dark magic on the younger student. I've heard complains about them."

Chris knew very well that like her Umbridge's misery was also fake but as expected Fudge fell for it.

"Well then your intentions were not bad, Dolores," he said after few moments.

"Hardly," Professor McGonagall mumbled.

"But that doesn't excuse the fact that Professor Umbridge had tortured my two students, Minister," Dumbledore said coldly.

"Yes, yes, for sure," Fudge flushed red then cleared his throat and faced Dumbledore. "I know what are you trying to do Dumbledore but I will not take Dolores out the school. I agree she did a mistake so I will not grant her any more power now, but she will continue to teach here."

"I have to repeat that you are placing your trust on wrong people, Fudge," Dumbledore said quietly.

There was a heavy silence. Fudge and Dumbledore's gazes were fixed at each other. McGonagall was glaring at Umbridge. Chris and Harry exchanged looks.

"I think the students need to go to the hospital wing, Minerva," Dumbledore said at last.

"Yes Albus," Professor McGonagall nodded at once and directed them towards the door.

"Our wands?" Chris looked at the Auror.

But before he could react Professor McGonagall snatched the wands from him and gave them to Harry and Chris. 

Then they set off to the hospital wing.

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Chris expected the common room to be empty when she and Harry returned from the hospital wing fully healed, but Ginny, Colin, Ron and Hermione had sat up waiting for them.

"What happened?" Colin asked. "We heard Umbridge took you both to Dumbledore's office? Peeves said they were going to expel you."

Chris and Harry looked at each other and grinned. Harry enthusiastically launched into the story.

"She's an awful woman," said Hermione in a small voice as Harry finished. "Awful. How could Fudge support her after this?"

"I think we established the fact last year that Fudge is a dung head idiot," Ron said. 

"Seconded, and have I mentioned I jinxed Umbridge's chair, table and flower vases permanently," Chris said grinning.

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They all laughed loudly.

"You know I'm learning wandless magic too," Hermione said to Chris after they stopped laughing. "And the way you used it today. I think you should teach me, Chris."

"Sure, why not," Chris replied scratching Crookshanks as he curled up on her lap.

"Actually," Ginny smiled. "We were talking that we've got to do something about how we're going to learn to defend ourselves."

"Yeah well, we were thinking that — maybe the time's come when we should just — just learn Defense Against the Dark Arts ourselves," Hermione said tentatively.

"Wait, where was I when you were discussing this?" groaned Ron. "And d'you realize Harry and I are behind on homework again and it's only the second week?"

"But this is much more important than homework!" said Hermione surprising everyone.

"I didn't think there was anything in the universe more important than homework," said Ron.

"Don't be silly, of course, there is!" said Hermione. "It's about preparing ourselves, for what's waiting out there. It's about making sure we really can defend ourselves. If we don't learn anything for a whole year —"

"We can't do much by ourselves," said Ron in a defeated voice.

"We can Ron, I and Colin have," Ginny said firmly.

"Gin, where are you going with this?" Chris said suspiciously.

"We are thinking about a club, you know like duelling club, but it will Defense Against the Dark Arts club," Hermione explained. 

"Alright, then what? We can learn hexes and jinxes from the books Hermione but you can't learn everything from books. I mean you can if you try but still it will be too much for a club to learn things from books." Chris said seriously.

"No, I agree, we've gone past the stage where we can just learn things out of books," said Hermione. "We need a teacher, a proper one, who can show us how to use the spells and correct us if we're going wrong."

"Well, then who is going to teach us?" Chris said. "You know right, that Umbridge will soon recover from today's blow and will try to blow up our little club as soon as she can."

"Yeah we know," Ginny said rolling her eyes. "But we also know that there is a person who will not stop teaching because of Umbridge."

"Who?" Chris was guessing the answer but didn't want to say out aloud. 

"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione grinned. 

Chris looked around at Colin, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry and realized the answer was written on their excited faces.

"You," Colin said at last. "You know Chris, you can teach us."

"Colin, Gin, you are also good at defensive spells. We have learned loads of those things together, remember?" Chris said. "And Hermione you are already great, you will learn wandless magic in no time, trust me."

"But we are not good as you," Colin said.

"Yes and we are not talking about only us," Hermione said.

"We are talking about those people who want to learn and fight but can't because of Umbridge," Ginny said. 

"Listen, Chris, you and Harry had done many things," Hermione said. "You two have faced the real danger last year. You two can teach us."

"Where did I come from?" Harry said suddenly.

"What do you mean? You are from the beginning Harry," Colin said looking surprised.

"Not like that, it's —" Harry began.

"If I'm doing this then you are joining me, Potter. No excuses," Chris said then turned to Hermione and Ginny. "Are you sure though? This is incredibly dangerous. If we get caught then —"

"We know this is dangerous, Chris but you know why we have to prepare," Hermione said seriously.

Chris sighed and there were a few minutes of silence.

"Fine, let's do this."

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To be continued...