Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 186 Ravenclaw Without Ike

The opening banquet is basically the same every year.

When Harry entered the foyer, the Great Hall was already filled with cheerful voices. Everyone was talking loudly, recounting their holiday experiences. However, when Harry and his friends sat down at the Gryffindor table and their gaze followed Luna's to the Ravenclaw table, they finally noticed something different.

Ravenclaw is so quiet tonight.

The eaglets were quiet. Even Stuart, who was usually the most cheerful, was only talking quietly to Terry beside him. The others were either staring blankly at the ceiling or at the long table.

"What's wrong with them?" Harry asked in a low voice, somewhat confused.

"I know that." Ron glanced at Hermione, who was whispering with Lavender Brown, then leaned closer to Harry. "Because of Ike..."

"You know, since that night, no one has heard from Ike for the entire holiday, even though he did that..."

“Before this, he was the best in Ravenclaw,” Ron said, shaking his head. “But to me, it all seems a bit hypocritical.”

"According to Fred, Ike didn't have a good reputation in Ravenclaw, at least not before he became a Warrior."

Harry nodded subconsciously, still not understanding why Ravenclaw was in such a state just because one person was missing. Without thinking too deeply about it, his attention was quickly drawn to the professors' table.

"Hagrid isn't here, and... that woman named Umbridge!" Harry was stunned. He never expected that the woman who had impressed him so much during the trial would be here.

"Who?" Ron asked.

"The one next to Dumbledore, she participated in my interrogation, she's one of Fudge's people." Harry frowned. "What's she doing here...?"

"have no idea……"

No one gave him an answer, not even Hermione. She just looked thoughtfully at Dumbledore and Umbridge, who seemed to be having a pleasant conversation on the professors' table, and did not answer Harry's question.

Then, there was another change in the professors' seats. Professor Grappleland, who had taken over Hagrid's role in guiding the new students, entered and sat directly in Hagrid's seat. Shortly after, the doors of the Great Hall opened, and a group of seemingly shaken first-year students walked in, led by Professor McGonagall, who was still carrying the worn-out Sorting Hat.

The buzzing in the auditorium gradually subsided, and everyone's attention turned to the upcoming Sorting Ceremony. Professor McGonagall didn't keep everyone waiting long; she placed the Sorting Hat on the chairs, waited for it to finish singing the carefully choreographed school song, and then began the Sorting Ceremony.

"Welcome, our new students!" Dumbledore stood up with a radiant smile after the Sorting Ceremony. "And welcome back, our returning students!"

"Now, let's enjoy our dinner to the fullest!"

Immediately, the hall erupted in praise and applause. Everyone loved Dumbledore's speeches after the Sorting Ceremony; each one was a concise two-sentence speech, which was simply wonderful.

Gradually, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, and the noise in the hall returned. At this moment, Dumbledore stood up again.

"Alright, I need to take up a little of your time to talk about some important things to note for the new semester, as usual," Dumbledore said with a smile. "First of all, first-year students need to know that students are not allowed to enter the Forbidden Forest in the Hunting Grounds."

"Then, Mr. Filch asked me, and he said this was the 426th time he had asked me to remind you that magic is not allowed in the hallways during breaks. As for the other rules, you can see them on the door of Mr. Filch's office."

"This year, there are two changes to our teaching staff," Dumbledore said, pointing to Grapple and Umbridge. "Professor Grapple will teach you Magical Creatures Protection, and Professor Umbridge will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

"Of course, the Quidditch selection that everyone is most concerned about..." Suddenly, Dumbledore stopped and looked questioningly at Umbridge, who had stood up at some point. He showed a hint of surprise, then sat back down and stared intently at Umbridge.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Umbridge said with a smile, though there was something odd about the smile. "Thank you for such a warm welcome."

"I must say, it feels great to be back at Hogwarts, and I'm sure we'll become very good friends."

Suddenly, she dropped the unpleasantly high-pitched part of her voice and became serious.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young wizards to be a very important matter." Her expression turned serious as she said, "Some of the talents you are born with may be completely useless without proper guidance..."

Umbridge spoke with utmost seriousness, and Dumbledore remained as earnest as ever, but the students below were a different story. They weren't about to give any face to this guy who had inexplicably interrupted the headmaster. Before they knew it, the Great Hall became noisy, and people started whispering among themselves. Even those who had been watching Umbridge speak were now staring blankly, clearly not listening.

"...Some changes prove to be good at first, but in due course we find they are wrong. It's fine to keep some old habits, while it's only natural to discard some outdated ones..."

Suddenly, Umbridge stopped, looked around at the students below, and his tone became much more serious.

"We shouldn't just focus on students' magical education; their moral character also needs sufficient attention..."

Upon hearing this, some of the students stopped talking and frowned, especially the Ravenclaws, whose atmosphere was already tense.

"Who does she think she is?" Stewart said indignantly to Terry beside him, "Since when has Defense Against the Dark Arts had to consider morality?!"

"She's the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic, Stuart," Terry sighed. "Clearly, the Ministry of Magic is getting involved in Hogwarts, and Ike's affair has given them a reason."

"A complete liar!" Stuart said. "Who knows what's really going on with Ike? They've inexplicably labeled him a Death Eater dark wizard and put him on the wanted list!"

"Enough!" Terry pulled Stewart back from his rambling, his expression serious as he whispered, "It's a done deal; he did do something wrong."

"But..." Stewart was about to say something when Anthony and Michael looked over as well. He opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't speak.

Anthony turned to look at Umbridge, who was still talking incessantly on the professor's bench, and whispered:

"Friends, be careful, this year won't be easy for us."

(End of this chapter)