CHAPTER FIVE:
NEW WORLD ORDER

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FREYA WASN'T SURPRISED WHEN Umbridge was made the 'High Inquisitor' of Hogwarts. The day following her incident with McGonagall, while everyone was whispering about it in disbelief, Freya simply watched on to make sure Solana didn't go off her rocker. The position was bullshit, yes, but Umbridge was nothing if not determined, Freya could give her that. Wicked to the core, she was intelligent in a borderline lethal type of way. She knew how to get what she wanted and that, in this new world order especially, was an incredibly dangerous thing. If she wanted Hogwarts under Ministry rule, Freya feared that was exactly what would happen.

As the muggle saying went, Umbridge could merely say 'jump' and Fudge would ask 'how high?'

Hence, she also wasn't surprised when Umbridge appeared in Professor Flitwick's Seventh Year Charms class the following morning. It took everyone a good minute to see the manically smiling woman sitting in the back right corner of the room, eyes locked on a nervously shuffling Flitwick as she scribbled words on the notepad pinned to her clipboard. In fact, Freya was the first to notice the woman, spotting the blur of pink from the corner of her eye and stopping mid-step down the aisle. George had ran right into her back, wincing when he knocked his shoulder against the base of her head, but it went unnoticed to Freya as she leant into him slightly and nodded at Umbridge. It was only then that her presence was really noticed by everyone held up by Freya, and boy did it cause an uproar.

"Settle down, now, settle down." Umbridge merely watched with an unimpressed scowl as Flitwick ushered everyone into their chairs pleadingly, Fred and George grumbling about their stolen spot as they shuffled into the second row behind Freya and Solana. Then, the class finally went quiet, waiting to hear what Flitwick had to say about the obvious intruder in the room. "Now, as you might have noticed by now, we have a special guest with us today..."

There was a derisive snort from Freya's right that everyone obviously heard, but Flitwick chose not to pay attention to it as he coughed over it awkwardly, hands nervously fluttering around as he spoke. A nervous Professor Flitwick was truly a sight to behold, one that Freya wasn't sure she'd ever seen in the seven years she'd been at Hogwarts. Flitwick was always so confident, determined, both in himself and in his teachings. But in true Umbridge fashion, she had managed to interfere where she wasn't wanted and shook the whole natural order of the room.

"Professor Umbridge is going to be watching you practice the Bubblehead Charm today, so if she comes around to speak to you at any point in the hour, please do your best to make her feel welcome."

"Like that'll happen," two identical voices muttered in response from behind Freya. A smirk tugged at her lips as she chanced a glance over her shoulder, catching George's amused eyes briefly before she turned back to the front.

With a few final stuttered words from Flitwick and an awkward wave for them to begin, Freya and Solana turned in their seats to face the twins. Surprisingly, most of the class went well. Granted, Freya was the only one of the four who couldn't properly produce the charm, but she was getting there and Umbridge had steered clear of them, so that was definitely a bonus.

It was only at the end as everyone was starting to pack away their things that anything of note actually happened. After interviewing several rather begrudging students, Umbridge seemingly returned to the back of the room to collect her own belongings. Flitwick took the time to address his students, a little less tense now that the hour was almost over, and it looked like he'd performed adequately.

"A brilliant effort from everyone today!" he chirped, clapping his hands together in appreciation of their work. "We'll continue with the charm next lesson where, hopefully, the few of you who haven't quite mastered it yet can get into the swing of things."

Freya felt her face heat up at that, her eyes dropping to the table with unnoticed anxiety. She knew that Flitwick wasn't targeting anyone with his words, but Freya had never been particularly good at magic. She could produce the basic spells just fine, albeit they were a bit dodgy, but charms like the Bubblehead Charm were just not in her area of expertise. They were nowhere close, if she was being brutally honest. Hell, she wouldn't have even taken the class had it not been for Solana's pleading and the only other subject available being Divination.

Before she could ponder on it, however, a shocked gasp erupted around the room. Finally glancing up, Freya's own eyes widened in surprise. Umbridge had wandered to the front of the room, her clipboard neatly stacked under one pink-stained arm. Meanwhile, her other clutched her wand pointed at a spluttering Flitwick, the man's face burning red as she produced a tape measure to determine his height.

"R-Right, that's it for today, everyone. Class d-dismissed."

No one hesitated to leave after that. Flitwick and Umbridge were conversing in muffled voices where they'd left them, but Freya couldn't find it in her to listen after witnessing Flitwick's embarrassment that looked rather like her own. To be so humiliated in front of his students, just when he thought he was doing well, it made Freya's heart hurt. Flitwick's subject wasn't her best by any means, but she enjoyed the lesson even when she was flunking because he made it so interesting to participate in. He didn't deserve such treatment from anyone.

Solana seemed to feel the same way, for the moment they were out of earshot from the door, she erupted. "The nerve of that bitch!"

"Did you see Flitwick's face?" Freya sighed back.

"That was cruel, uncalled for," she hissed, hands balled into fists at her sides. Freya had noticed her usually soft-hearted (passionate, yes, but calm) best friend getting angrier and angrier by the day as of late. Much like the nerves of Flitwick when teaching, Umbridge brought out the worst in students who couldn't stand the sight of her. Solana was like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, and Freya feared the aftermath when it inevitably happened. Only then would Solana let go.

"But are we surprised at this point?"

Solana didn't answer, she just shook her head with fire still burning in her eyes, and that was that.

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FREYA HAD NEVER CARED much for Professor Trelawney, but as she watched Umbridge ridicule the woman in front of the entire school, she couldn't help feeling pity for her. In the end, much to Freya's disbelief, the wicked woman had deemed twats like Snape fit to continue teaching but kind perhaps a little kooky Professors like Trelawney were given their notice. She simply did not fit in Umbridge's warped perfect reality. Freya was surprised that Flitwick had, let alone her.

"I don't see how she can do this," Solana seethed from where the side of her face was pressed against Fred's chest. As much as everyone would've loved to see it, he had stopped her from running out to deck Umbridge the moment they noticed the commotion, and he was still clinging to her even after she calmed down. Now, none of them were Trelawney's biggest fan, especially Solana. She and Freya had joined her class for about a week in their third year and bailed out the moment Trelawney looked into Freya's eyes and screamed for everyone to hear about her dead aunt's spirit residing within her. But she and Freya both, even though Freya had good reason not to like her, would stand up for anyone who wasn't Snape or Draco Malfoy in the eyes of Dolores Umbridge. No matter how shitty her subject was, Trelawney didn't deserve to be kicked out of her home, especially not so publicly.

"This isn't fair," Freya agreed quietly, frowning as Trelawney began to whimper, clinging to her luggage like it was her lifeline. Right now, it was the only thing she had left to her name, with no job and no home anymore.

"Sixteen years I've lived and taught here," she stuttered as she stared at Umbridge with disbelief. "Hogwarts is my home! Y-You can't do this!"

Umbridge just smiled, "Actually, I can." In her hands, she held a letter signed by Fudge, and everyone knew what that meant. Including Trelawney, who burst into ugly sobs that shook through her whole body.

McGonagall forced her way through the crowd, fury in her eyes as she embraced Trelawney in a hug and shot the scariest glare Freya had ever seen at Umbridge. If the timing was appropriate and she didn't have such a heavy heart, Freya would've pondered the odds of her genuinely clawing Umbridge's eyes out. Instead, she reached for Solana's spare hand that wasn't holding onto Fred's arm, holding on like her life depended on it.

"Something you'd like to say, dear?" Umbridge cooed.

"This is disgusting," Freya scoffed, her stomach twisting at the sound of her giggles. The world spinning out, she reached out with her other hand and grabbed onto George's sleeve, nails clenched around the fabric as if to hold herself steady. Normally, she would've pulled away once either of them noticed, but she needed something to keep her grounded at the sight before her. George didn't seem to mind either, stepping closer with cold eyes vacant of their usual mischief.

"Oh, there are several things I would like to say," McGonagall snapped. Her voice wobbled as she turned to hush Trelawney's cries, gaze not once leaving Umbridge's over the woman's head. However, before she had the well-deserved chance to say anything scathing to her, out stepped the last person anyone expected to see out of his office.

It wasn't often that Professor Dumbledore came downstairs to mingle among his students, but it seemed the situation called for it, as he was striding through the front doors with purposeful steps. The sea of students parted for him wordlessly, still watching on in awe. Nothing like this had ever happened before at Hogwarts, that much they were sure of.

"Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sybil back inside?"

At that, Trelawney breathed a sigh of relief, sobbing out of joy as she allowed McGonagall to lead her past Dumbledore, pausing only briefly to grip his hands in gratitude before they disappeared the way he had come. Umbridge's triumphant smirk was replaced with a scowl as she strode over to Dumbledore, her short stature almost comical in contrast to his towering frame.

"Dumbledore, may I remind you that under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three, as enacted by the Minister..."

"You have the right to dismiss my teachers," he finished for her, and there was something dangerously low about his voice. "You do not, however, have the authority to banish them from the school grounds. That power remains with the Headmaster."

Umbridge looked at him for a moment, lips pursed. When the silence became almost unbearable, she let out a classic giggle, saying, "For now."

Freya's eyes widened in surprise. "Uh, am I just reading the room wrong, or did she just threaten Dumbledore?" Solana breathed out with the same shocked expression.

No one responded, though, too transfixed on Dumbledore's next move. The man pursed his lips but said nothing as he turned away from Umbridge, shooting a stern glare at the shamelessly eavesdropping students. "Don't you all have studying to do?" Immediately, everyone dispersed, Dumbledore disappearing into the crowd and out of sight.

Freya thought seeing Flitwick ridiculed and Trelawney almost banished was hard enough. If only she knew things were about to get a whole lot worse.