Today, Umbridge was dressed especially grandly.
She was wearing a pale pink short formal dress, a French-style half-face veil, and, most unusually, a pair of bright yellow high heels.
Why "most unusually"?
Because, with her short and plump figure, walking in high heels was sheer torture for her.
And for those watching her walk, it was torture too.
Perhaps because of the pain, or maybe because of some strange sense of confidence, Umbridge twisted her waist constantly as she walked in those heels.
That grotesque posture was enough to make any male creature physically uncomfortable.
"Ahem! Ladies and gentlemen, hello there. I'm so glad to see you here! I've been looking for you for quite some time. If it weren't for those hardworking house-elves, I don't think I'd have found you even by tomorrow."
After a long and painful "shuffle," Umbridge finally stood before Link and the others.
She cleared her throat and spoke in a girlish voice.
As she spoke, her eyes, full of fake smiles, swept back and forth across everyone's faces, lingering the longest on Harry and Link.
Harry took a deep breath, forcing down the nausea rising in his chest and stomach.
He felt like he was about to vomit from Umbridge's disgusting mannerisms.
But more than disgust, what filled him now was fear.
He was extremely grateful that Link had noticed Umbridge's arrival in time and stopped them from continuing their conversation.
Otherwise, if they'd gone on talking about how to deal with her right in front of her, that would have been downright idiotic. Umbridge probably would've dragged them all to her pink office to copy lines until their hands fell off.
At that thought, Harry felt a sharp pain on the back of his right hand again.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the corridor had turned strange.
Umbridge stood there with her false smile, clearly waiting for someone to return her greeting.
But Link and the others were all silent, each with their own expression, each lost in thought.
After a long pause, impatience flickered across Link's face as he said, rather curtly,
"Professor Umbridge, what exactly brings you here today?"
Umbridge didn't seem at all offended by Link's tone.
Her smile brightened even more as she bared her teeth and said, "I came to bring you good news! Link, Cedric, after a meeting among the professors and Dumbledore, your proposals for the 'Student Council Direct Factory Plan' and 'Hogwarts Workshop/Factory Establishment Application Channel' have both been approved. Congratulations!"
With that, Umbridge began to clap.
Clapping all the while, she walked along the corridor, looking around at the newly renovated classrooms that had been turned into workshops.
Her eyes gleamed with a burning, greedy light as she gazed at the brand-new worktables and machinery inside, and her breathing grew heavier.
"So this is the factory site you've chosen?" she went on.
"You've worked so fast! These abandoned classrooms have been completely transformed in such a short time. Is this the power of the Flamel family? Truly… astonishing!"
At those words, Cedric clearly let out a breath of relief.
The pressure on him these past weeks had been immense. Even though Link had repeatedly assured him the factory's paperwork was solid, he'd still been nervous.
Now, hearing that everything was approved, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of joy.
But Link and Emily both frowned deeply.
They instinctively sensed that something was wrong with Umbridge coming here personally to deliver good news.
After all, their application had been submitted through the four Heads of House. Normally, the response should have come from Dumbledore himself, or at least from one of the Heads. No matter how you looked at it, Umbridge shouldn't have been the one.
Sure enough, after pausing to gauge their expressions, Umbridge narrowed her eyes and continued, "However, both Dumbledore and I agree that letting students alone manage such an important factory might not be entirely reliable. So after some discussion, we've decided to assign a professor with rich management experience to oversee your factory operations. That professor… is me."
Saying this, Umbridge extended a hand toward Link.
"I hope we'll work well together, Mr. Link Flamel."
Link and the others all looked less than pleased at the sight of that outstretched hand.
Especially Harry and Hermione.
They knew that, even though they wanted to believe in Link, the best move right now was for him to shake Umbridge's hand, to show goodwill. Otherwise, with Umbridge in charge of factory affairs, she could easily cause them endless trouble.
Link truly was torn.
His expression didn't change, but his eyes flickered as he glanced over at Emily and Cedric, then at Harry and Hermione, pausing on them a bit longer before finally returning to Umbridge.
"Hehehe…"
A low, mocking laugh escaped his lips.
Mimicking Lucius Malfoy's aristocratic arrogance, Link lifted his chin, his face curling into a look of cold disdain. With a voice dripping with sarcasm, he said, "Dolores Jane Umbridge, a half-blood witch born of Orford Umbridge and a Muggle woman, Ellen Cracknell."
"A despicable opportunist from the Office for the Misuse of Magic, who clawed her way up through petty scheming and flattery. You really think you are fit to speak to me of cooperation?"
"Do you imagine that just because you carry the title of professor now, you're somehow my equal? You ignorant village hag! As the head of the Flamel and Beckman families, I could crush you with a single finger."
Everyone was stunned.
Umbridge's face had already changed the instant Link mentioned Orford Umbridge's name, and by the time he finished, she was trembling all over, barely able to contain her fury.
She yanked back her outstretched hand, clenching it tightly into a fist as she shouted, "Mr. Link Flamel! You should know I have always treated you with utmost respect! That is no excuse for you to humiliate me!"
"I must make this clear, here and now, I am a pure-blood witch! My father is dead, and in his lifetime, he was a distinguished member of the Wizengamot! You owe both me and my father an apology!"
But the more she said, the more the mockery deepened on Link's face. Laughing loudly, he replied, "You say your father, Orford Umbridge, was a distinguished member of the Wizengamot? Funny, I seem to recall he was a janitor at the Ministry of Magic. Well, if keeping the Ministry clean counts as a distinguished contribution, then sure, I suppose he qualifies!"
Cedric and Emily both smirked faintly.
Harry and Hermione outright burst into laughter.
In the midst of that derisive laughter, Umbridge's face turned an ugly shade of purple. She let out a furious snort and stormed off toward the corridor exit.
Maybe she forgot she was wearing high heels, because halfway down the hall she tripped, nearly twisting her ankle, which sent Harry and the others into another fit of uproarious laughter.
Only after her figure had completely vanished did Harry exclaim excitedly,
"Link, that was brilliant! That pink toad won't dare act so high and mighty again!"
Overcome with emotion, Harry was about to keep talking when Hermione tugged him back.
Her expression was full of worry as she looked at Link and said, "Link, was that really a good idea? She's going to be the factory's managing professor now. If you treat her like that… won't she retaliate later?"
She didn't finish the sentence, but her meaning was clear enough. Even Harry hesitated.
Emily and Cedric stood silently nearby, watching Link with questioning looks.
They weren't afraid of Umbridge's revenge, they were simply puzzled as to why Link had chosen such an aggressive, arrogant approach today, burning the bridge completely.
After all, since the start of term, Umbridge had always acted friendly toward him. With a little finesse, she might even have been swayed to their side.
Link looked at them all, smiled faintly, and said, half explaining to Emily and Cedric, half replying to Hermione, "I had planned to get along peacefully with Umbridge, maybe even cooperate with her on a deeper level."
"But after what I've seen today, and from what my own investigations tell me, I see her clearly now. She's an overbearing, self-righteous, cruel, and utterly controlling piece of trash. Someone like that is never a good partner."
"And don't worry, she won't interfere with our plans. I have plenty of ways to deal with fools like her. As the saying goes, 'To destroy her, first make her go mad.' For now, I don't plan to stop her antics, in fact, I want to let her dance even higher."
Everyone was used to Link occasionally tossing out these cryptic Eastern proverbs.
They might not understand every word, but from context, they got the gist.
Harry, for his part, was deeply moved.
He was already imagining that Link had done all this for his sake, and his eyes grew red, he was nearly in tears.
Emily and Cedric, too, seemed satisfied by his explanation, nodding in support.
But after a moment's thought, Emily's face darkened again.
"Umbridge herself isn't much of a threat," she said firmly.
"But the real question is, how did she become our factory's managing professor? Dumbledore knew she had bad intentions. Why would he give her that kind of authority? He can't not realize that it could ruin everything."
"Something must've happened that we don't know about."
She finished speaking and looked directly at Link.
The others did the same, because of all of them, Link was the only one with deep enough ties to both Dumbledore and Barty Crouch Sr. to possibly know the truth.
Link smiled faintly.
Of course he knew. He knew exactly what had given Umbridge the courage to challenge him.
He also understood why Dumbledore had agreed to give her this post, to shift public hostility away from himself and toward Link, easing the pressure on his own side.
But after that small smile, Link only said, "You'll all understand soon enough."
Everyone looked at him, confused. But no matter how much they pressed, Link wouldn't say another word. Eventually, they had no choice but to return to their own rooms, full of unanswered questions.
As it turned out, they didn't have to wait long.
Because the very next morning, the Daily Prophet revealed the reason behind all of yesterday's strange events.
"Link, the Ministry of Magic just issued Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three. It creates a new position called Hogwarts High Inquisitor. And Umbridge, because of her previous 'accomplishments', has been appointed as the first one."
At the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall, Emily was holding up a copy of the Daily Prophet as she spoke to Link and Cedric.
By now, the three of them had formed a clear alliance, and breakfast was their daily "morning meeting" to share information.
Link didn't react much, he simply nodded slightly and went on eating his soft-boiled egg.
Cedric, on the other hand, frowned.
"Wait a second," he said, "that's a lot to take in. First of all, what the hell is an 'Educational Decree'?"
"Educational Decrees are directives issued by the Ministry of Magic regarding magical education, usually targeting Hogwarts," Emily said grimly.
"Traditionally, the Ministers have all upheld the idea of keeping Hogwarts as a pure ivory tower, so for centuries, only twenty-one decrees have ever been issued."
Her expression darkened. "But this August 30th, that idiot Fudge issued Educational Decree Number Twenty-Two, which states that if the current headmaster can't provide a candidate for a teaching position, the Ministry can appoint one instead. That's how Umbridge became the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
"I honestly don't believe Dumbledore would be foolish enough to let someone like her in voluntarily, but that's what this article says."
As she spoke, Emily tossed the Daily Prophet onto the table.
On the front page was Umbridge's hideous, nauseatingly smug face.