Macmillan's dazzling performance left Umbridge red in the face.
She snorted and told Macmillan to sit down, then turned to Ron, who was still standing because he had failed to answer her question, yet was grinning foolishly at her embarrassment. A chill flashed through her eyes. "Mr. Weasley, since you cannot pay attention in class and follow your professor's instructions, you will serve detention! Tonight!"
"You can't do that." The moment Ron heard that he would be serving detention too, he grew frantic.
"I don't think I need you to decide what I can and cannot do, Mr. Weasley." Seeing Ron's anxious expression, Umbridge once again felt that everything was under her control. She said smugly:
"My teaching and disciplinary methods have been approved by the Ministry of Magic. Those amateurish professors you had before cannot compare. Heh, they could not even be considered qualified professors. Not one of them could pass a Ministry of Magic investigation. Hmm, perhaps Professor Quirrell was an exception. At least he seemed to teach you only material appropriate for your age..."
"Yes, Quirrell really was a wonderful teacher," Harry scoffed. "If you ignore the fact that he broke into Gringotts and tried to steal the Philosopher's Stone."
Umbridge treated Harry's words as so much hot air and did not even glance at him.
When Ron returned to the Common Room, his face was pale. He had always been healthy, and his complexion had never looked this bad.
"Ron, are you all right?" Harry, Hermione, Lavender, and several other Gryffindors, who had been waiting in the Common Room, gathered around him.
"Maybe not that great." Ron's voice was a little low and weak. The stray hairs around his forehead were stuck together; clearly, he had sweated a great deal earlier. In fact, there was