After the students had all left, the Great Hall quickly became empty as well.
The teachers all returned to their private offices. As they left, they gathered in twos and threes; only the unpleasant pink toad was ignored by everyone.
Umbridge did not care in the slightest. At least, there was nothing unusual in her expression as she returned to her office alone.
Although Umbridge was a Senior Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic, she technically counted as one of the professors as well.
Thus, Umbridge had an office of her own—the former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office.
After taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Snape had refused to change locations, continuing to use his underground office and conveniently swapping the classrooms for Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potion lessons.
Professor Slughorn, meanwhile, had found the former Defense Against the Dark Arts office insufficiently grand, unworthy of his status and incapable of letting him properly enjoy life.
So he had applied to Headmaster Dumbledore to reopen his former office—
An office located high up, where he could lie by the window and see the Quidditch pitch, and enjoy the sunlight every morning.
Vice Headmistress McGonagall, who oversaw the school's teaching budget, had always been frugal and could not bear to see the Defense Against the Dark Arts office sitting unused.
Though everyone despised the office, it would have been too wasteful to leave it vacant, and Umbridge needed somewhere to live.
So, after careful consideration, Professor McGonagall "kindly and generously" assigned it to Umbridge.
After all, being hated by people and dogs alike did not stop a toad from living there, did it? Perhaps a toad was even better suited to such an environment!
Professor McGonagall even silently praised her own cleverness and decided to