Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures

Chapter 943: Fallen Percy and the Plan

The content of Percy’s letter went on, inexplicably exasperating.

As your older brother, I am bound to give you some advice. Seriously, Ron, you do not want to be tarred with the same brush as Mason and Potter, it could be very damaging to your future prospects, and I am talking here about life after school too.

As you must be aware, given that our father escorted them to court, it has become a disgrace to the entire Ministry of Magic.

Potter had a disciplinary hearing this summer in front of the whole Wizengamot and he did not come out of it looking too good.

He got off on a mere technicality if you ask me and many of the people I’ve spoken to remain convinced of his guilt. As for Mason, his fabricated newspaper has also faced resistance from the entire wizarding community. If he continues like this, he’ll end up in Azkaban sooner or later, and his reckless magical experiments are causing concern.

Professor Umbridge’s recent letter confirms this point, and the Minister believes it’s necessary to take immediate action.

It may be that you are afraid to sever ties with them— I know that they can be unbalanced, behaving extremely abnormally; and, for all I know, they have tendencies towards violence and spellcasting beyond their age…

If you have any worries about this, or have spotted anything else in their behavior that is troubling you, I urge you to speak to Dolores Umbridge, a really delightful woman, who I know will be only too happy to advise you.

This leads me to my other bit of advice.

As I have hinted above, Dumbledore’s regime at Hogwarts may soon be over.

For the sake of your own future, Ron, your loyalty should be not to him, but to the school and the Ministry.

I am very sorry to hear that so far Professor Umbridge is encountering very little cooperation from staff as she strives to make those necessary changes within Hogwarts that the Ministry so ardently desires. Her authority, even in disciplining students, has been questioned.

Trust me though, she should find this easier soon because the Minister has made up his mind. The entire Ministry is working overtime to ensure that this matter is carried out (again, see the Daily Prophet tomorrow!)

I shall say only this — a student who shows himself willing to help Professor Umbridge now may be very well placed for Head Boyship in a couple of years, which is the highest honor a student can get!

Don’t worry about the current Head Boy; he won’t keep it much longer.

Lastly, I am sorry that I was unable to see more of you over the summer.

It pains me to criticize our parents, but I am afraid I can no longer live under their roof while they remain mixed up with the dangerous crowd around Dumbledore.

I count myself very lucky to have escaped the stigma of association with such people; and the Minister really could not be more gracious to me.

And I do hope, Ron, that you will not allow family ties to blind you to the misguided nature of our parents’ beliefs and actions and to the true nature of those around you either.

I sincerely hope that, in time, they will realize how mistaken they were and I shall, of course, be ready to accept a full apology when that day comes.

Please think over what I have said most carefully, and congratulations again on becoming prefect.

Your brother,

Percy

After reading the letter, everyone looked up at Ron.

“Well,” said Harry, trying to sound as though he found the whole thing a joke, “if you want to — er — what is it? ‘Sever ties’ with us; I swear I won’t get violent. “

“”And I absolutely won’t stop you from becoming the Head Boy,” added Evan.

“That’s enough. Give it back,” said Ron, holding out his hand and he snatched the letter. “He is the world’s biggest git,” said Ron, tearing Percy’s letter in half, then into quarters, then into eighths, and finally into shreds.

“A hopeless git,” he said impulsively, throwing the pieces into the fire.

There was a moment of silence. Ron’s actions were undoubtedly gratifying, and Percy’s level of degradation was shocking.

It was hard to imagine that he now wanted to drive Dumbledore out of the school and lock Evan and Harry in Azkaban.

Just a few months ago, he was one of the most trustworthy people on their side.

“Oh, by the way, what happened to you two this evening?” said Hermione in a light tone, trying to change the subject. “That line in the letter, what does it mean when it says ‘Her authority, even in disciplining students, has been questioned’?”

“Oh!” That was something Harry didn’t want to talk about, but Evan thought there was no need to hide it.

“When I got to Umbridge, she was torturing Harry, and then Harry and I left her office directly to find Professor McGonagall!” said Evan. “Professor McGonagall had an argument with her, but it seems to be futile, and Harry still has to go to detention.”

“I thought you said she was giving Harry lines?”

Harry hesitated for a moment before telling the truth about what had happened to him in Umbridge’s office.

Hermione and Ron also saw the red mark on the back of his hand. If he continued to write, the lines would have been carved into his skin.

“Goodness!” Hermione put her hand over her mouth, even more shocked than when she read Percy’s letter.

“The old hag!” Ron murmured in disgust. “I knew it, she wasn’t normal!”

“Scary woman!” said Hermione. “Will what Professor McGonagall said have any effect?”

“You hit the nail on the head. I think it should be useful in the short term, but once that woman gains greater rights, Professor McGonagall’s words will have no effect,” said Evan. “So, we must do something.”

“What? Tell Dumbledore?”

“He’s got enough on his mind, and I don’t want to bother him with such a trivial matter,” said Harry hurriedly. He was still dissatisfied with Dumbledore’s actions, and besides, what use would it be to go to Dumbledore? He couldn’t just drive Umbridge out of school, as though he had lost this ulterior battle.

If it weren’t for Evan, he wouldn’t even have mentioned this to anyone.

“Well, how about putting this in the newspaper?”

“It would have a very limited impact. If you look back at past newspapers, you’ll see that the woman’s reputation isn’t exactly good, but she doesn’t seem to care. And that black quill isn’t considered a Dark Magic item, and professors have the authority to punish students, although this form of punishment is sickening,” said Evan. “There won’t be many people paying attention to this, and it will only highlight the chaos in Hogwarts, pushing the Ministry to accelerate its reforms.”

“So, what should we do? Just do nothing?” Ron asked.

“Well, I have a plan, but we need to take it slow. Let’s start by rendering that quill ineffective…”

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