So... Has the Competition Ended?
A few minutes earlier...
Umbridge walked through the corridors with a proud expression while the students passing by watched her with curious looks.
She looked disapprovingly at those with untidy uniforms, couples walking hand in hand, and groups chatting loudly while bursting into laughter.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk." She shook her head in disapproval. "It's fortunate that I've been sent here to straighten this place out," she said to herself proudly. She even puffed out her chest, which, to everyone else, looked rather like that of a pink toad.
But before she could continue on her way, she spotted a small furry creature scampering down the corridor, already beginning to cause trouble, making several students quickly step aside the moment they recognised it.
It was one of the little hippogriffs, happily hopping through the corridor as though searching for its next bit of mischief.
Several students smiled at the sight of the mischievous little hippogriff, which had somehow sneaked back into the castle again. Some even offered it pieces of their sandwiches, which the little creature swallowed in a single gulp.
"What are these things doing inside the castle?!" Umbridge blurted out immediately in a disgusted tone, drawing the attention of the nearby students—and of the little furry creature as well.
The hippogriff tilted its head to one side, staring at her with its birdlike eyes.
"KIAA!" it cried.
And as though it had just marked her as its next victim, it immediately charged straight towards her without a second thought.
Umbridge's eyes widened in shock as the little beast rushed to attack her, and she quickly pulled out her wand.
A red flash burst from its tip.
The little hippogriff leapt sideways, effortlessly dodging the spell.
"KIAA!"
Before Umbridge could react, it was already on top of her head.
Its tiny claws latched onto her elaborate hairstyle.
"AAAH!"
Umbridge began spinning in circles, desperately trying to shake it off.
"You filthy little pest!"
The little hippogriff gave her hair one final yank before taking flight and circling around her.
"Kiaa!"
The students' laughter echoed throughout the corridor.
Many of them didn't even take a single step to help. If anything, they seemed to be enjoying the sight of a tiny hippogriff making a fool of the inspector.
Some didn't even bother hiding their laughter, only making the pink toad even angrier. Umbridge kept her eyes fixed on the creature circling overhead and raised her wand once again.
The laughter vanished almost instantly.
Several students frowned.
Even the little hippogriff stopped playfully flying around and looked at her in confusion.
No one had expected her to actually attack it.
"Incendio!" she shouted.
A stream of flames burst from her wand like a flamethrower.
The little creature was startled and tried to dodge, but Umbridge kept moving her wand, steering the flames directly towards it. The little hippogriff twisted sharply, desperately trying to escape the fire, but in the end, it was struck.
"KIAAA!"
It let out a cry of pain before falling to the floor.
For a moment...
Everything fell silent.
The little hippogriff remained curled up on the ground, letting out tiny whimpers as it tried to straighten its singed feathers.
Then...
A deep growl echoed from outside.
One so low it made even the window panes vibrate.
But Umbridge didn't notice.
Her attention remained completely fixed on the little hippogriff.
"Hmph. Stupid creature," Umbridge said with a voice full of contempt.
As though she still wasn't finished, she raised her wand once more, staring coldly at the magical creature as it licked its still-smoking feathers.
Her wand pointed directly at it.
"Please wait, Inspector. There's no need. The castle's hippogriffs may be a little chaotic, but they're not bad. They just like having fun," one of the students said, trying to stop her. "Besides... if you hurt it..." The boy glanced nervously towards the windows. "...the others aren't going to take it well."
"You, as a student, do not tell me what to do," Umbridge replied with a small fake smile on her lips. "Incen—!"
Before she could launch the next attack...
She felt a chill run down her spine.
Instinctively, her eyes turned towards the nearby windows.
There, she saw several pairs of eyes staring directly at her.
Fluffy, the enormous three-headed black dog.
A massive unicorn whose silver horn shone brilliantly, as though it were gathering an immense amount of magical energy. It slowly lowered its head, pointing its horn directly at Umbridge.
A fully grown hippogriff with its wings slowly spreading wide, its threatening gaze fixed firmly on her.
A crimson bird that seemed to burn with living flames.
And several other little hippogriffs trying to force their way through the window to protect their little brother.
Under the gaze of those creatures, Umbridge felt genuine fear.
None of them looked away.
Fluffy let out another growl that made the glass tremble.
Even Fawkes slowly spread his wings, tiny golden sparks drifting from his feathers.
Umbridge swallowed hard.
For the first time since arriving at the castle, she felt true fear.
Her hand tightened around her wand.
None of the creatures moved.
They simply kept staring at her.
Waiting.
She took a step backwards and raised it again, pointing towards the window.
But before she could say or do anything...
An explosion blew apart the wall behind her.
When she turned around, she saw a massive chunk of stone flying straight towards her face...
Before everything went black.
"Hahahaha! Peeves found his cannons!" the poltergeist shouted as he floated through the hole he had blasted in the wall. "Hmm... wasn't somebody here?" Peeves said as he looked around.
He only saw the nearby broken window.
He shrugged.
"Bah."
And continued flying down the corridor with his cannons trailing behind him.
The students wanted to tell him that the person who had been standing there had just been sent flying, but...
What would be the point?
All they did was lean out of the windows to look at Umbridge, who was now lying outside beneath the gazes of Fluffy and the other creatures.
Seeing her unconscious, Fluffy sniffed Umbridge for several seconds before snorting with obvious disinterest.
Buckbeak checked that the little one was alright. The small hippogriff answered with a weak "Kia..." before hiding beneath the adult's wing.
Only after making sure the little hippogriff was safe did Buckbeak finally relax.
Then the creatures began leaving one after another.
As though Umbridge no longer deserved even their attention.
Umbridge was extremely lucky Red hadn't been nearby.
"Should we call a professor or the nurse?" one of the students asked.
"I think she's still breathing," another replied.
"Oh, Potter and his friends are over there. They'll probably take care of it," a third said when he saw Harry approaching with the others while they argued intensely.
"Hey, Potter, can you deal with this? We still have another lesson," one of the students said, pointing towards Umbridge.
Harry turned his head towards her and watched her in silence for several seconds.
"What a strange place to sleep..." he said before continuing to walk as though nothing had happened.
"Oh, leave it to me. I'll make her a nicer bed," Daphne said as she pulled out her wand.
With one simple movement, a glass coffin formed around Umbridge.
Daphne tilted her head slightly as she admired her work.
"Hmm... Much better. Now she actually looks elegant."
Then the four of them returned to their argument.
...
"Wow... The fact none of this was our fault feels strange, doesn't it?" Daphne said with an amused smile as she patted Sirius on the shoulder, who didn't exactly have the best expression at that moment.
"Get back in your place," Selene told her sternly.
"Yes," Daphne replied obediently, rejoining the line.
Now it wasn't only the usual four standing there, but also Astoria, Luna, Tommy, and, for some reason, Billy and Neville, who had nothing to do with any of it but had somehow ended up trapped alongside the others.
"First, explain why Umbridge is like that," Narcissa said in a serious tone, sweeping her gaze over each of them.
"Ah, well... Technically, we found her like that. We only gave her a lovely place to rest," Daphne said, immediately raising her hand.
Sirius tried to keep a serious expression.
He managed it for exactly two seconds.
Then one shoulder began trembling.
Then the other...
And finally, he burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
He tried covering his mouth.
It didn't work.
"You lot...! You weren't even responsible this time! HAHAHAHA!"
"It's as though chaos simply appears wherever you step!" Sirius said between fits of laughter.
The group lowered their heads in obvious resignation.
The worst part was that they couldn't even defend themselves.
Technically...
Sirius was right.
Sirius placed one hand over his chest, trying to catch his breath.
"I've spent years waiting to see Umbridge inside a coffin... and it turns out you lot were only passing by."
He doubled over laughing again.
Wanda lightly shook her head as she looked at her three sons standing in the line, even though one of them technically hadn't done anything.
Narcissa closed her eyes, as though pretending she couldn't see any of it might somehow free her from the entire situation.
Beside her, Susan was trying to hold back her laughter at how absurd everything was.
Selene let out an exhausted sigh as she watched her daughters trying to wear the most innocent expressions possible.
Wanda slowly looked over the destroyed courtyard, the enormous tree now growing in the centre, the kidnapped professors, and the glass coffin.
Finally, her eyes settled on Sirius, who was still laughing like a madman.
And that man was the Headmaster.
Even Wanda didn't know where to begin, so all she could do was let out a long sigh, though she couldn't completely hide her smile.
"For now, your competition is suspended," Wanda finally declared.
The four raised their heads at exactly the same time.
"Aaaah!" they complained in unison.
But the severe looks from their mothers silenced them immediately.
"And release the trainee professors already," Wanda added in the end.
Astoria and Luna exchanged a quiet glance.
Releasing them didn't mean they would stop watching them.