Light in the Darkness

Chapter 12: Detention With Umbridge

Fred and George despised Umbridge's class. A week into classes had proven that this school year was going to be dark. After Harry had received detention every night the previous week, Fred and George decided to lie low. Angelina would have certainly killed them if they got detention. But Umbridge's classes were so dreadfully boring. All they did was sit there and read the dullest book ever written. Fred and George decided it was time to fix that. Besides, they needed some place to work on their inventions, Umbridge's class seemed the most fitting.

Fred and George were the last to arrive for class and happily took seats in the back of the room.

"Good morning, class!" Umbridge said in false cheer.

"Good morning, Professor Umbridge," chanted the class.

"Wonderful. Wands away and books out, please." Fred was certain this was becoming her favorite thing to say. "We will be following a Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please."

Fred tuned out the rest of the lesson. He and George knew better than to challenge her, like Harry did. As the students read the textbook Fred and George decided it was time to entertain the class.

Fred tossed a box of fireworks into the middle of the room and sent a Stunning Spell at it. Immediately, it exploded, sending fireworks of greens and oranges dancing across the ceiling. The fireworks were loud and demanded attention that the bored class was all too willing to give. The class clapped and whistled until the last firework had disappeared.

Professor Umbridge, though, was not amused. "Which one of you threw it?" Fred glanced at Angelina Johnson, who was sitting in the front of the classroom. She was glaring at them. No doubt they would be receiving detention for the fireworks. Harry had already received detention for crossing Umbridge, ruining Quidditch practice for Angelina. Fred sighed.

"I did," he told her.

"And why, Mr. Weasley, did you see fit to set off fireworks in my classroom?"

"Well, I reckoned anythin' would be better than sitting here reading about stuff instead of actually learning it."

"Perhaps you are not reading the text carefully, Mr. Weasley."

"Reading about something isn't going to make you put it into effect, Professor. Reading in Defense Against the Dark Arts isn't going to teach us anything. We have to actually practice it. In case-"

"In case of what, Mr. Weasley," Umbridge said in false sweetness. Fred glanced at Angelina again. Harry had given this same speech the week before and all it got him was detention for a week. He couldn't talk at this woman. He was smarter than that.

"Nothing, Professor," mumbled Fred. "But I stand with Harry. If he says You-Know-Who is back, then he is."

"10 points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, and detention this evening. Five o'clock. My office." Angelina's head fell to the desk in exasperation.

-----

Fred was glad George didn't have detention with him. Angelina nearly hexed him for what he had done in Umbridge's class. Thankfully, it was just one detention, whereas Harry had detention for every night that week and would be missing the Keeper tryouts.

"Sit down, Mr. Weasley," Umbridge called when he entered. He took a seat at one of the numerous desks in the classroom. Harry entered then, too, but was ushered into Umbridge's office away from Fred. Umbridge knew to keep them apart. "You will be writing lines."

"I didn't bring a quill," Fred told her.

"Oh, that's quite alright. You'll be using a special one of mine." She handed him a long, thin black quill with an unusually sharp point and some parchment. "I want you to write 'I must not cause trouble'," she told him.