Because his two rightful pay sources didn't grant him the lifestyle he felt he deserved and had grown used to. But he couldn't afford to siphon off much from the school accounts as they were periodically checked by the School Board. And really, considering the only things to do here outside of classes and homework was play quiditch or go to the Library, that fund probably wasn't very large. So that had left the bulk of his needs to be met by Harry's accounts which, until recently, the goblins had been happy to go along with. They no longer were and that was keeping the old man distracted from the school which was probably the only reason Harry was actually having a quiet year.
Madam Umbridge, the new Defense Professor, kept giving him odd looks in her class as he wasn't challenging her statement to the class that Voldemort hadn't returned as they had been told he had. Considering most of the students hadn't heard any such thing they mainly gave her puzzled looks for her statement. Only the Unholy Duo ever reacted as she expected. Albus swore the madman had returned and told them that Harry knew he had. So they gave her the reaction she'd been expecting and tried to get Harry to confirm it for them when he'd remain silent saying nothing.
But, for Madam Umbridge the Minister said he hadn't and the Minister, according to her, knew best. It had been clear to Harry that she'd honestly been expecting him to react to that blind statement but he hadn't done so. Weasely and Granger did. But Harry hadn't. When other students had turned to look at him in confusion, he had simply ignored them and sat patiently waiting for her to finish her tirade. When she told them to read their books, he did so. He never raised a fuss in her class any more than he did in his other classes. He simply went, did what she instructed and then left. Usually without saying a word. So Granger and Weasely were her targets of choice. Not Harry.
After the class, several of his classmates had asked why he hadn't argued the facts with her and he had quietly told them, "Because it would do no good. She's a Ministry Spy sent here by the Minister to shut down any opposition to the Minister. And because Cornelius Fudge is scared to the point of turning his green short pants brown, he refuses to admit there might be any truth to the rumors of what happened at the end of last year. So it is her job to cover it up along with anything else she thinks the Minister doesn't want the people to know about. Because that's what she draws her first paycheck for."
"Understanding that, speaking out against her in class would get us nowhere. We gain nothing by it as she'll never believe us over him and given her position here, she's the one with the power to enforce her belief. Not us. Therefore, it's better to keep quiet, stay true to what we believe and just go along with her indoctrination until she's forced to admit she's wrong. Or until she's proven right which is actually a lot harder to prove."
"But what about our Defense Owls? How are we to pass them if she isn't actually going to teach us anything we need to know?" asked Seamus Finnigan.
"Just because she, the Ministry and your parents seem to be ok with you graduating deaf, dumb and stupid doesn't mean you have to, you know, Finnigan. You all know where the library is and how to use it. Everyone of you knows how to read a book. And you can all read and speak Latin. If you can't, what are you doing attending school here? There is no rule in the rule book against practicing on your own or asking another teacher you know can do the spells to help you learn them. Both Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick can help with that. We saw Professor Snape back in our second year when that popinjay tried to run a Dueling Defense Club. And Professor Flitwick is reported to have dueled on the professional circuit long enough to have won the title ten years running. I believe even Professor Sinistra has some experience with Defense spells. I know Professor Vector does as she often spars with Professor Snape in the dungeons on the weekends. I bet even Professor Sprout has some things to teach us about using nature for defending ourselves. Go to them and ask for help. Arrange times to practice under their watchful eye and tutelage. Defense class is not the only place to learn to defend yourself. And a bad teacher or course curriculum isn't a good reason to fail your Owls as they seem only to last a single year here. At least I've never had the same teacher two years in a row."
Word had spread through the school and it wasn't long before all the student body had heard Harry Potter said not to challenge her. To just let her ramble about her beloved Ministry and practice their defense during their downtime. Needless to say a lot more students had taken to haunting the library for books on good defense practices and spells. The Defense Study Hall was also completely filled up every weekend from right after breakfast until the dinner hour with fifth through seventh years as students who were trying to make up for the deficiencies in their Defense lessons. Third and fourth year students crammed the room to it's limits after the dinner hour until curfew. First and second years were whining and complaining because they couldn't find a place in the Defense Study Hall.
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