The Great Hall was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation. Dumbledore tossed his long silver beard over his shoulder to keep it out of the way of the plate in front of him.
A table full of delicious dishes appeared out of nowhere, much more abundant than last year.
"Great!" Ron grabbed a large chicken leg. "The dinner party was just as good as the one last year when Beauxbatons and Durmstrang came!"
In just a few seconds, his mouth was stuffed full, as if it were about to explode at any moment.
Harry, however, showed little interest in the delicious food in front of him; his mind was preoccupied with the new song the Sorting Hat had just released.
"Knowing the danger, understanding the signs, history warns us that our Hogwarts is facing peril, with enemies outside the school eyeing it with predatory intent..."
Danger, enemies— Voldemort's ugly and terrifying face suddenly filled Harry's mind.
He shook his heavy head vigorously, forked a golden-brown fried pork chop, and stuffed it into his mouth.
After the students had eaten and drunk their fill, the Great Hall gradually became noisy.
Dumbledore stood up again, and his voice stopped abruptly.
"Alright, now that we're digesting another incredibly delicious meal, I ask everyone to be quiet for a moment and listen to me talk about some important things to note for the new semester, as usual."
His tone was the same as in previous years. "First-year students should know that the Forbidden Forest in the hunting grounds is not for students to enter."
He glanced instinctively toward the Gryffindor table, his gaze lingering somewhat forlornly on an empty chair.
Vincent is gone, but his place remains.
Dumbledore turned his gaze to Fred and George, who were whispering to each other. "Our upperclassmen should know this by now."
The twins seemed to sense something and looked up at the empty chair on the other side of the long table.
Dumbledore's voice continued, "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me—he told me this is the four hundred and twenty-sixth time—to remind everyone that magic is forbidden in the hallways during breaks, along with some other rules, all listed on a long list that is posted on Mr. Filch's office door."
The twins exchanged a glance and immediately perked up again.
"This year, we have two changes in our teaching staff." Dumbledore turned to a meticulously groomed witch sitting at the staff table. "Welcome back, Professor Grubbly-Plank. She will be teaching you the Care of Magical Creatures."
He then looked at Umbridge beside him, and the students' expressions almost all darkened.
"We are also pleased to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
A polite but lukewarm round of applause rang out in the Great Hall; clearly, the students were not very welcoming of her.
The applause quickly subsided, Dumbledore continued, "The selection for the House Quidditch team will be held at—"
Umbridge suddenly stood up, and if Dumbledore looked over, no one would have noticed that she was about the same height when she was standing or sitting.
"Ahem—" Umbridge cleared his throat.
It turned out she was going to give a speech. Dumbledore surprised, but quickly sat back down, looking at her expectantly, eager to hear her speak.
Unlike Dumbledore, the other professors didn't cleverly conceal their astonishment. Professor Sprout's eyebrows almost reached into his flowing hair, McGonagall's lips were pursed tighter than ever before, and even Snape was unusually taken aback for a moment.
No new professor has ever dared to interrupt Dumbledore in public. This is Hogwarts, not the Ministry of Magic, which plays power games.
Many students chuckled inwardly, realizing that this short, fat, pink toad clearly didn't understand the rules of Hogwarts.
Fred and George, in particular, would probably have burst out laughing if they hadn't covered their mouths tightly.
"Thank you, Headmaster." Umbridge's fake smile and forced imitation of a little girl's voice made all the teachers and students feel nauseous. "Thank you for such a warm welcome speech."
Dumbledore twitched his eye. Anyone with eyes could see that no one at the school welcomed her, yet she still had such a high opinion of herself.
"Ahem—" Umbridge cleared her throat again. "Well, I must say, it's wonderful to be back at Hogwarts!"
She grinned, revealing a row of sharp teeth. "It's so nice to see all of you looking up at me with such happy little faces!"
"Vomit--"
Not a single face in the entire Great Hall looked happy. The students were quite surprised; did Umbridge think they were five-year-olds?
This can't be explained by her feeling good about herself; she's probably living in her own world.
"I eagerly hope to get to know all of you soon, and I believe we will become very good friends!"
Upon hearing this, the students exchanged glances, some even revealing undisguised mischievous smiles.
Parvati whispered to Lavender, "I'll be friends with her, as long as I don't have to borrow her cardigan."
After saying that, they both chuckled silently.
Hermione, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't hold back anymore.
Is this the level of Senior Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Magic?
"Ahem—" Umbridge cleared his throat for the third time.
George grinned mischievously and whispered in Fred's ear, "I think she has a lump of old phlegm in her throat."
"Pfft—" Fred covered his mouth tightly and nodded repeatedly.
It would be strange if someone spoke in a high-pitched voice all the time and didn't have phlegm in their throat.
"Cough cough—" This time it took Umbridge a little longer, and her voice was much normal. She no longer spoke in a strained tone.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered educating young wizards to be a very important matter."
Some of your innate talents may yield no results if they are not nurtured and developed under careful and meticulous guidance.
The ancient techniques unique to the magical world must be passed down from generation to generation, or they will be lost forever. The precious treasure trove of magical knowledge accumulated by our ancestors must be protected, supplemented, and perfected by those fortunate enough to engage in noble educational professions.
At this point, Umbridge gave the professors a slight bow, but none of them returned the bow.
Professor McGonagall's eyebrows were furrowed tightly together, making her look just like an eagle. As Umbridge coughed lightly twice to continue her speech, McGonagall and Sprout exchanged a meaningful glance.
"The successive headmasters of Hogwarts have all been innovative in their responsibilities of managing this historic school, which is entirely expected, because without progress there will be stagnation and decline."
However, the pursuit of progress for the sake of progress should never be encouraged. Our traditions have been refined through countless trials and tribulations and do not require clumsy revisions.
I believe we need to achieve a balance, between the old and the new, between the eternal and the changing, between tradition and innovation...
The attention of all the teachers and students gradually began to wander. Umbridge's long-winded lecture was so soporific that it was even more sleep-inducing than Professor Binns's History of Magic class.