The Pacifist Necromancer of Hogwarts

Chapter 320 Conversation with Umbridge
Umbridge's office is basically a collection of fussy decorations. All the furniture is covered with lace cloths, and even the chandelier is hung with decorative tassels and velvet bows. A group of cat plates hang on the wall, and each cat is so fat that it looks like it can block three Mrs. Norris. The position where the three-headed dog used to lie is now occupied by a desk covered with a bright red tablecloth.

"Good afternoon, Professor Anthony," Umbridge said in a sickly sweet voice.

Anthony closed the door behind him. "Good afternoon, Ms. Umbridge. I have received your letter."

"Yes, please sit down, please sit down." Umbridge nodded to a chair opposite the desk. "I think a face-to-face, open conversation will be good for both of us, don't you?"

"Of course," Anthony said cautiously. He checked the survey reports he had received, and none of them were below an A. He couldn't think of anything Umbridge might want to say to him.

Umbridge watched Anthony sit down and smiled with some satisfaction.

"Tea, Professor Anthony?" she asked in a pretentious tone, tapping a teapot on the shelf beside her with her stubby fingers.

There wasn't much space on her desk, most of it was occupied by parchment and letters. Several books were piled together, and Anthony glanced at them and saw names like "Leviticism Quick Course" and "Pure-Blood List". Umbridge noticed his sight and blocked them with a pile of parchment, and then put a tattered black-covered book on the parchment, completely blocking Anthony's sight.

"Not for now, thank you," Anthony said. "Thank you for inviting me to come and talk, Ms. Umbridge. In order not to waste too much of your time, should we start now?"

Umbridge said: "Of course, Professor Anthony, in fact the conversation has already begun. I am glad that you can come on time. Punctuality is a good habit, and I appreciate it... Anyway, I think you should have received those investigation reports?"

"Yes."

"Well, I think you should have noticed that although not all the survey results are satisfactory, they are much better than your actual performance." Umbridge said, "I believe you do realize this tolerance, but unfortunately, I don't see much progress in you. You can regard this conversation as a friendly warning, Professor Anthony."

Anthony asked, "What kind of improvement would you like to see in me, Ms. Umbridge?"

"Oh, you have your own answer." Umbridge said ambiguously, "In order to help make Hogwarts a better school, we must do something."

Anthony responded, "Okay... OK."

Umbridge stared at him for a moment with her bulging eyes, then suddenly said, "You know you are being treated very specially, Professor Anthony. Let me be clear: I know you are planning something, but that is your business. If I were you, I would certainly not mess with a senior investigative officer from the Ministry of Magic. Think about it."

Anthony repeated, "What am I planning?"

Umbridge grinned, like a toad with its mouth open: "Oh, Professor Anthony... don't forget, I know your background. However, correspondingly, you should have known that your... companions have long disappeared in the past."

Anthony didn't expect her to bring up the fact that she was a necromancer. He looked at Umbridge sitting opposite him, and he didn't understand where this conversation was going. A painted cat was staring at him from behind Umbridge.

"There's a reason for that, Anthony, there is. Some people might mythify what wizards can do - that's fine, people like the sound of those words: the most powerful wizard, they say, the greatest headmaster - but you certainly don't know what's more powerful, do you?" "Uh..."

Umbridge didn't even wait for Anthony's answer, and continued on her own: "Ministry of Magic. I want to remind you that the reason you have the opportunity to sit here and talk to me is because the Ministry has decided not to pursue your past mistakes for the time being." She narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled, "This is very magnanimous, Professor Anthony, but I suggest you remain respectful. Believe me, we all don't want to see the editor of the Daily Prophet worry about the little secrets of the Professor of Muggle Studies."

Anthony suddenly felt that he understood what she was talking about. Just as Professor McGonagall said, the Ministry of Magic - or Fudge - saw the death of Peter Pettigrew as a threat to Dumbledore, and he, as the person who helped Dumbledore break into and out of Azkaban and directly caused Pettigrew's death, would undoubtedly be suspected.

He felt he needed to say something: "You misunderstood, Ms. Umbridge. I am not planning anything, nor have I made any active attempts to provoke the Ministry of Magic. As for the matter of Sirius and Peter Pettigrew... I'm sorry, maybe there would be a better way to deal with it, I don't know. But the situation was too urgent at the time, and everything happened at the same time. Mr. Scrimgeour should have written the corresponding report."

Umbridge seemed about to say something, so Anthony finished his words before she could. "Anyway, I just want to -" he thought for a moment, "- live."

"Of course, Anthony," said Umbridge, sounding quite unconvinced. "A well-prepared defence... but I am not referring to the case of Peter Pettigrew."

"no?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Professor Anthony."

"No, Madam Umbridge," Anthony said, confused. He really, completely and utterly did not understand what Umbridge was talking about. She could not be referring to her own practice of necromancy, nor was she talking about her research in flesh magic.

Could this conversation be about him providing Roger Snake with a Muggle tape recorder as inspiration?

"Well, I'll tell you." Umbridge said condescendingly but with a smile, "I really don't want to remind you, but it seems that I often run into you near the girls' bathroom on the second floor, Professor Anthony."

Anthony felt a wave of disbelief, almost nausea. He didn't want to think about what she was implying, and said politely, "Yes, Ms. Umbridge, if you noticed, that's the door to my office."

"Yes, a perfect choice of location." Umbridge grinned with satisfaction, as if she was happy to see him a little angry. "An almost completely abandoned bathroom, a corridor that almost no one visits - relax, Professor Anthony - I'm not referring to something shameful... Of course, the pursuit of unknown power may be shameful in the eyes of some people, but if you ask me, it is even more shameful to be unable to recognize your own position."

Anthony stared at her, thinking about the relationship between this string of nonsense. Maybe he should lift the cushioned vase and smash it on the head of the senior investigator to determine whether he was experiencing an inexplicable dream?

"The Ministry of Magic is more powerful than you think. We have some wizards in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes who are very proficient in memory magic." Umbridge said, "It is not advisable to rudely erase memories, Professor Anthony, even if no one has realized the hidden secrets before... Consider this as the last friendly reminder... You know, you actually have more choices. Mr. Fudge and I sincerely hope to achieve closer cooperation with you."

She picked up a floral-print teapot with a curved spout and poured half a cup of tea into the matching cup.

"Now, tea?"

(End of this chapter)