Umbridge clearly did not want to answer Professor Marchbanks's question, especially with Harry and the others not far away.
But faced with Professor Marchbanks, she clearly could not refuse to answer either. She could only hem and haw before saying, "There's indeed no news yet, but I'm certain the Ministry of Magic will capture him very soon."
"Capture Dumbledore?" Professor Marchbanks was tiny, but her voice was exceptionally loud. "I don't know how you can be so certain, but if you ask me, no one can catch Dumbledore unless he wants them to.
"Ha, I examined him for his Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test back then, in Transfiguration and Charms. Merlin, the magic he performed with his wand was beyond anything I'd even imagined before. Both his command of magic and his imagination were ahead of his time.
"With the Ministry of Magic as it is now, I can't imagine how they could possibly catch him."
Professor Marchbanks did not mince her words, and the group of elderly, wizened wizards beside her all nodded and voiced their agreement.
This made Umbridge's already unpleasant expression turn even uglier.
"It looks like it might be true that older people are wiser," Harry suddenly remarked as he watched Umbridge accompany the examiners away.
All he got in return was an eye roll from Hermione. "Umbridge is older than you, and so is Fudge. Are you sure you want to stand by that opinion?"
"No," Harry said, immediately shaking his head.
His complete lack of conviction made Lavender and Qiu beside him chuckle.
The next morning, Harry and the others waited outside the Great Hall.
The other students had all gone to class, while they had to wait for the examinations to begin.
At half past nine, the fifth-year students were called in first to