The momentum of each and every word was like a powerful wave, leaving Umbridge helpless to resist.
The surrounding students roared thunderously, cheering for Harry.
Listening to it was so uplifting! It was practically a speech!
Umbridge retreated step by step, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
"Potter," Umbridge said after a long silence, curled her lips, "I am the Senior Investigator of the Ministry of Magic, and I have the authority to expel any professor or any student. I warn you, don't be mischievous, and don't stand against the Ministry!"
"The Ministry?" Harry scoffed, "How many divisions does it have?"
"Perhaps you still don't understand the seriousness of the matter; I have here—" she pulled out a scroll of parchment from her robe "—a signed dismissal order by me and the Minister of Magic. According to the 'Twenty-Third Education Order', the Chief Investigator of Hogwarts has the right to examine, detain, and dismiss any teacher she—meaning I—deem unfit by the Ministry's standards. I deem Professor Trelawney unfit—I have already sacked her."
"It's just a piece of scrap paper, Umbridge." Harry snapped his fingers, and the parchment spontaneously combusted, turning into ashes in azure flames.
"You are disrespecting the law!" Umbridge protested stubbornly, "I have already signed the education order, which will soon come into effect—Trelawney, that charlatan, will no longer be a professor at Hogwarts, and you… you will no longer be…"
Before she could finish, Harry raised his magic wand.
A flash of light, and Umbridge turned into a pink toad.
"Ribbit?" The toad croaked in confusion.
"This suits your condition much better," Harry sneered, "Live forever as a toad, perhaps the Black Lake is your real destination—let this be my first lesson to you as the Hogwarts Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts—never provoke those you cannot handle, not even if you're the Minister of Magic."
He wasn't wrong; power comes from violence; it is bottom-up, like how female protagonists in stories think they can act with impunity once they become emperor, as if their words automatically carry the force of imperial decree, and everyone must obey unconditionally.
However, their understanding was flawed. They mistook the power structure for the source of power.
And violence is the fundamental logic of power.
Dumbledore does not use violence to resist the Ministry because he wants to play by the rules.
If he wanted to overturn the table, no one could resist him, though that would create some minor issues.
The way with least fallout is to make someone unimpeachable.
Clearly, Harry thought the same, first letting Umbridge stir up public anger and make ordinary wizards lose faith in the Ministry, making it easier to take action.
And Umbridge's greatest role in her life might be stirring trouble within Hogwarts, nurturing hatred from students and parents, and finally being taken down by Harry, who reaps the fruits of victory and converts this negative reputation into positive prestige for himself.
The students roared, cheered, and celebrated.
For the Defense Against the Dark Arts class getting back on track, for those educational decrees soon to be turned into scrap paper.
"Potter." Professor McGonagall stepped forward from behind, somewhat worried, "You should consider the consequences. She is, after all, a Senior Investigator of the Ministry of Magic… Now that Dumbledore is not at the school, should the Ministry…"
She stopped mid-sentence.
"Don't worry, Professor McGonagall," Harry reassured her, "The Ministry is already preparing to impeach Fudge, and within a week, we will hear the results—for instance, who the new Minister of Magic is..."
As soon as he finished speaking, an owl flew over and deftly delivered a letter into Harry's hand.
Harry opened the letter; it was from Sirius.
After a brief read, Harry waved the letter joyfully, "Alright, it's settled. The Ministry has voted to remove Cornelius Fudge from the position of Minister of Magic, to be temporarily replaced by Sirius Black."
Upon hearing this, Professor McGonagall was initially delighted.
When she heard that Sirius would temporarily fill the Minister of Magic position, she clapped her hands excitedly.
"Black—oh, I knew he could do it, a Gryffindor Minister of Magic, I'm genuinely happy for him!"
However, behind her came a cold snort.
No need to guess, it had to be Sirius's arch-nemesis, Snape.
"Oh, the letter also comes with a Ministry order." Harry turned to look at the pink toad, "Ahem, the Acting Minister of Magic declares all previous unreasonable educational decrees repealed and declares the position of Hogwarts Investigator an illegal activity, banning all their activities within Hogwarts—"
"Ribbit, ribbit!" The toad croaked in distress.
Yet the students had no sympathy whatsoever; even the most saintly students joined in the mocking laughter.
It was impossible not to mock because many students had been subjected to Umbridge's detentions.
And Umbridge's favorite method of punishment was to force students to write lines with their own blood until their hands were raw and bloody.
It was rather nauseating.
"I should say," Harry turned his head to say, "I think Hogwarts needs a new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, now that Umbridge has been expelled from Hogwarts, I think..."