Call it what you want {Theodore Nott}

chapter fifty-eight

"Then you just explain why you need Fluxweed picked at full moon." Iris said, concluding her explanation of their Potions homework as they walked out of The Great Hall.

"Right..." Amy replied, trying to cover up her confusion but didn't do a very good job as Iris sighed and said, "I'll write that bit for you." To which Amy thanked her for multiple times. She was then interrupted by a herd of students passing them and heading to the courtyard as they all spoke amongst themselves. The two girls looked to each other equally as confused before turning around and following the crowd.

When they were outside Amy caught sight of four Slytherin boys by the front of the crowd so they pushed through and made their way over. Once she got close enough, Amy could actually see what everyone was surrounding. Professor Trelawney was standing in the middle of the courtyard with her wand in one hand and an empty sherry bottle in the other, looking utterly mad. Her hair was sticking up on end, her glasses were lopsided so that one eye was more magnified than the other. Two large trunks lay on the floor and Trelawney was staring, apparently terrified, at something Amy could not see through the crowd.

They eventually reached the boys who were watching the scene carefully. "The hells going on?" Iris asked them. "Trelawney's getting fired." Enzo replied, still watching the teacher. "By who?" Amy asked.

"You didn't realise this was coming?" said a high voice, sounding callously amused, and Amy, moving slightly to her left, saw that Trelawney's terrifying vision was nothing other than Professor Umbridge. "Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realised that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable that you would be sacked?"

"You c-can't!" howled Professor Trelawney, tears streaming down her face, "you c-can't sack me! I've b-been here sixteen years! H-Hogwarts is m-my h-home!" Amy couldn't help but feel bad for the woman.

"It was your home." said Umbridge, and Amy was revolted to see the enjoyment stretching her toadlike face as she watched Professor Trelawney sink, sobbing uncontrollably. "Until an hour ago, when the Minister for Magic countersigned your Order of Dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this courtyard. You are embarrassing us."

Professor McGonagall had then walked out from the crowd and marched straight up to Trelawney and was patting her firmly on the back. "There, there Sybill....calm down... 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. The oaken front doors had swung open. Students beside them scuttled out of the way as Dumbledore appeared in the entrance.

"About time old man." Blaise whispered.

He strode forwards forwards through the circle of onlookers towards Professor Trelawney. "Yours, Professor Dumbledore?" said Umbridge, with an unpleasant little laugh. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position I have here -" she pulled out a parchment scroll from within her robes "- an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister of Magic. Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation and sack any teacher she - that is to say, I - feel is not performing to the standards required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her."

To Amy's surprise, Dumbledore smiled. "You are quite right, you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You cannot, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid that the power to do so still resides with the Headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continues to live at Hogwarts." He turned to Professor McGonagall, "Might I ask you to escort Sybill back inside."