The Tale of Dark Hermione

Year 5 - Great Hall Speech

A.N.   -   Sorry for the late chapters but school started up again and I've been BUSY!  WHOOO well, hope you enjoy...

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The Great Hall never changed every time she walked in. Hermione and the other Slytherins sat down towards the middle of the table. She looked up and saw all the professors and one stood out among them all. A toad faced woman, who was large and short, her short curly brown hair was almost hidden underneath a pink hat. The lady also wore a pink dress with a pink sweater on top, white stockings, and pink shoes. Overall she was just pink.

Hermione questioned to the others, "Who is that Madam Pink up there?"

The others looked. "That would be Dolores Umbridge. Works in the ministry...never really paid attention long enough to know what she does," Theo explained.

"God...that much pink in nauseating...I can't believe she thinks that's a good look," Daphne complained.

"I heard that she's a half-blood, but really into the whole make sure the world stays pure and anti muggles and muggle-borns...she also really hates halfbreeds even if it was forced onto them..." Draco also explained.

Before anything else was said a high pitched noise was echoing throughout the Great Hall.

"HEM! HEM!" the voice was high pitched, squeaky, and above all annoying to just listen too. 

At first, everyone couldn't figure out where it was coming from until it rang out again getting everyone to look towards her.

The pink hair lady was standing up looking at all the students with a tight-lipped sick smile, "HEM! HEM!" 

The Great Hall finally quieted and looked at the woman standing everyone was scowling at the woman.

"Lovely...now welcome boys and girls to another year at Hogwarts. It's so wonderful to see all your smiling faces..." Umbridge smiled and Hermione noticed that there were no smiling faces.

"Why the hell is she talking?" Blaze questioned and Theo hit him in his ribs. "Shut up..."

Umbridge continued smiling, "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever." 

"The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching. Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay." 

"There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment."

"Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited." She finished and sat down.

The hall was quiet and no one clapped. Dumbledore stood up, "Thank you, Madam Umbridge for those wonderful words...now there is a time for speech-making and this is not it...TUCK IN!"

A loud round of applause came as food appeared and the new students gasped in surprise as everyone else started eating away.

"What was she getting at?" Daphne questioned, "That was quite a horrible speech..."

"The ministry is watching Hogwarts and is trying to put their control in now...I have a feeling that Madam Umbridge and I won't be getting along any time soon..." Hermione scowled down at her plate of food.

"Hogwarts is going to change isn't it..." Blase stabbed his potatoes with his fork glaring down at his plate.

"Yes, it is...whether it's for the better or not...we'll find out..."Draco said as a feeling of unease sat upon the group.

Theo threw his head back, "WHY ARE WE  SO CURSED WITH THE WORST DEFENSE PROFESSORS...every year I swear!"

The group smiled and laughed not noticing certain dull blue eyes glaring at them from the head table or more like at a certain someone before turning to glare at another from the Gryffindor table.

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Classes started the next day and for once Hermione was not too happy as she looked at her schedule.

"What's got you so down this morning?" Draco questioned slipping across from her and Daphne for breakfast. Without saying anything she shoved her schedule towards him. He picked it up...

"Damn, we have pinkies class first..."

"I know it sucks doesn't it..." Daphne replied to him as they ate.

"Hey Granger, Snape wants to meet us before our classes."

She glared up at Draco who just eating, "and why did you wait to tell me this now we could be late to defense because of this." 

"Hey think of it this way, the more Snape keeps us the less we have to be around Madam Pink."

Hermione looked thoughtful at that, "you know what let's take our time..."

"No fair...I have to get going now since I don't get that excuse," Daphne pouted getting up and grabbed her bag.

"Look at it this way Daphne...you can pick out what seat you want!" Draco smirked.

"That's worst with Theo and Blase already deciding that they are going to be partners...you know that Pansy is going to fill my other seat just to piss off Granger," Daphne complained before she started walking off.

"YOU'RE WELCOME!" Hermione yelled after the annoyed girl as she thought of Pansy.

"PISS OFF!" Daphne yelled back and the two left laughed.

"Come on Malfoy...I know I don't want to be early for Umbridge...but Snape will kill us if we're late to his meeting," Hermione stood up and grabbed her bag before starting her way down to Snape's office with Draco trailing behind her. 

They reached the office and knocked on the door. The door opened slightly and a voice rang out, "Come in..."

Hermione pushed Draco and he stumbled in a little before he straightened back up, Hermione followed without a glance towards the harsh stare of the boy next to her.

"Let's make this quick...here..." Snape held out two badges to them.

"Wait! This is a perfect badge," Hermione was shocked as she held her in her hand.

"However did you notice that Ms. Granger," Snape sarcastically said. "If you don't believe you are right for the job I could always give it to Parkinson."

"No. This is good," Hermione said pinning her badge onto her shirt and Draco did the same. 

"Now the Head boy and Girl will pass out the patrol schedule later. Be sure to get it."

"Sir, why did you give this to us now and not through a letter?" Draco questioned.

"Letters can be lost, Mister Malfoy...this way it will be not misplaced. Now off you with two so I can get to my lesson with the sniffling first years."

The two nodded and walked out. 

"Wished that was a longer meeting...but I suppose the meeting was a lot better than what I expected," Hermione said looking down at her badge.

"Yes, but now we are actually going to be on time for our lesson with the Madam Pink," Draco complained.

"Don't remind me," Hermione scowled as the walked to Defense against the Dark Arts classroom.