Alice's Travels

Umbridge's confinement punishment was extended from a day to a week - which is what she wrote to Professor McGonagall.

On the first day of confinement, Harry was fined to write a sentence for one night.

Alice had told him so when they saw him, Hermione, and Ron the next day.

"Oh, is it?" Alice said, watching Harry's slightly flickering eyes, "then she is a kind and good person, and we have wronged her - even the Ministry of Magic is just a good-natured person who doesn't know the truth." my teacher—is it?"

Harry dodged Alice's penetrating gaze.

"You're lying, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed immediately, realizing something, "Umbridge's punishment won't be that simple, she's not a kind person at all, what the hell did she do to you—"

"Tell me, Harry..." said Hermione, looking at him imploringly.

Harry looked into Hermione's eyes, moved his lips, and slowly raised his right arm.

Hermione immediately brought the back of his hand to her eyes - a line of writing carved deep into the skin, surrounded by open flesh and dried blood.

It says - I must not lie.

Harry told what had happened to him during those few hours in Umbridge's office.She asked him to keep writing that sentence on the parchment with a strange black quill, and each stroke would appear on the back of his hand as he wrote on the paper, as if he was using it. It was as if the sharp pen was engraving words on the back of his hand.

Hermione bit her lip tightly as anger flashed in her eyes.

"That old hag!" said Ron in disgust. "This is just so bad—"

Alice took out her wand and cast a spell on Harry's hand, but the scars remained there after the white light disappeared on the back of his hand.

"It didn't work," said Harry. "The pen must be using some kind of special magic. Ordinary spells won't work on it."

"She's abnormal!" Ron growled in a low voice, "We have to explain the situation to Professor McGonagall!"

"I'm afraid not," Hermione said calmly. "Don't forget that she wrote to Professor McGonagall—about the punishment of confinement. In the next few days, we may be able to tell Dumbledore—"

"No," said Harry firmly, "he has too many things to think about."

Alice stared fixedly at Harry's hand, and felt as if time had gone back decades—a time when there was no democracy and power ruled.

No, at least Dumbledore was still there.It wasn't that bad, Alice thought.

However, just as Alice was thinking this way, a week later Umbridge was appointed as the first senior investigator by an education order issued by the Ministry of Magic.

She started showing up in every class to censor the teachers and stare at every student, asking questions and deliberately misinterpreting their responses.

The atmosphere in the school gradually became stagnant, and everyone was afraid to speak casually, for fear of getting into trouble if they were not careful—Umbridge took cruel punishment measures similar to Harry's for disobedient students.

Of course, there is no doubt that Harry is the person who received the most detention punishment.

Alice felt that every day was difficult in this state of being suppressed and monitored, and she could hardly stay any longer.

Malfoy was the first to notice what was wrong with her.He turned a lot around the castle, and finally found Alice on the astronomy tower.

"What are you doing here?" Malfoy said as he walked over.

"A breath of fresh air," Alice looked back from the distant night sky, turned around and said, "Isn't it too depressing recently?"

"Listen, there's nothing wrong with that," Malfoy said, looking at her seriously, "just follow the instructions of the Ministry of Magic—you know what I mean, don't you?"

"No, I don't like this," Alice lowered her voice, leaning on the window sill and feeling the cool wind blowing outside, and said softly, "I don't like it at all——when everyone loses their freedom of speech, the teachers don't like it. When the background and any question are over-interpreted, I don't think there is anything good about it..."

"That doesn't include Slytherin!" Malfoy said, lowering his voice and approaching her, "and it doesn't include you and me—they're just targeting the deceitful Potter and that old fool Dumbledore!"

Malfoy had already walked up to Alice, so close that Alice could clearly see his own reflection in his eyes.

"So, tell me," Alice said, looking up into his eyes, "has Harry lied?"

Malfoy pursed his lips, his gray-blue eyes staring at her unblinkingly.

"You know," said Alice, dropping her eyes, "that things have gotten worse, haven't they—"

"Listen to me!" Malfoy leaned closer again and put one hand on the window sill behind him, his warm breath hit Alice's face, his eyes fixed on her eyes and looked at him, his deep voice carried A little imperceptibly dull, "Your worry is too much, nothing is more beneficial than the current situation, and Slytherin's status will be greatly improved in the future. You don't have to think about anything, don't worry about others, that's just will bring you supreme glory—”

As he spoke, he moved forward unconsciously, their eyes met at one place, and the distance was so close that the tips of their noses almost touched the tips of their noses.

There was a moment of silence in the atmosphere, and the sound of breathing seemed to be clearly audible.

Alice looked at him for a few seconds, felt her chest tremble violently, and a gust of heat rushed upwards. She turned her face to the other side and slowly distanced herself.

"You're too close to me—" Alice paused, and said slowly, "You're a boy, be careful—"

Malfoy looked down, his eyelashes drooped, he quickly withdrew his hand and stood up straight, flushed on his pale face, and said angrily, "It's not because you have to lean on this place to talk - you have to run at night Come here, how many times do I have to warn you not to wander around at night, eh?"

"Mr. Prefect, do you want to deduct points for me? I see that you have played a lot of prestige..."

"I'm just performing my duties as a prefect!" Malfoy argued with a blushing face. "Those students should have been restrained, so that they know the consequences of breaking the school rules—"

"It refers specifically to Gryffindor students, right?" Alice raised the corners of her lips and said, "It would be best if the surname is Potter?"

"Are you trying to defend him again—" Malfoy's tone cooled down, with an angry look flashing in his eyes, "Are you going to fight for your Gryffindor friend?"

"Let's not do that," Alice said, flicking his forehead quickly with her hand, "be good, okay?"

"We should go back," Malfoy put his hands on his forehead, turned around and said stiffly, "It's too late, let's go—"

He said and strode out.Alice's eyes sank, she pursed her lips, looked at Malfoy's back with deep eyes, and left with a blank expression.

The Ministry of Magic's education order was issued again, Umbridge's power in the school was getting bigger and bigger, and his hidden desire for control was fully revealed, and the domineering situation became even more out of control.She even fired Professor Trelawney, the divination teacher, for just a few words, and tried to drive her out of Hogwarts-although Dumbledore came to stop her in the end, Professor Trelawney did Was expelled, and the divination class was taught by the centaur Firenze.

All groups and organizations in the school were banned and prohibited from being established again, and all clubs were disbanded.The Ministry of Magic explicitly banned any group activities at Hogwarts, and Umbridge was responsible for supervising and flawlessly implementing them - they were afraid of some kind of power, and they were even more worried that Hogwarts would unite to support Dumbledore.

However, the more you block and worry about something, the more likely it is to be self-defeating.Under Umbridge's high-pressure policy, it aroused the resistance of the students. Harry and Hermione secretly established a small group to fight against Umbridge's various practices-named Dumbledore military.

"You should join us," Hermione whispered to Alice, "I know you've always been disgusted with Umbridge's approach too - she can't teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at all, we need to practice on our own, we have to have The ability to protect yourself..."

"I really don't agree with her," Alice said, lowering her eyes, "but sorry, I can't join—"

"Why?" said Hermione, staring at her in surprise.

"Voldemort has returned, Alice!" Harry said a little excitedly, "The dark wizards are about to make a comeback, and we must at least know some ways to deal with them-the Ministry of Magic can't count on it, don't you want to see yourself or Was someone else attacked?"

"You're all right," said Alice slowly, raising her eyes, "but I'm afraid I won't need to—"

"I'm going to go." She said with no expression on her face.

"Go—where are you going?" said Hermione in surprise.

"Are you going home?" Ron opened his mouth wide. "No, you, you're not..."

"Not going back to the orphanage, I got some news about my life experience," Alice said without changing her face, "I want to go and see."

"But—but—" Hermione stammered, "we're about to have our OWLs..."

"What are you going to do with the school?" Harry asked.

"No more," Alice said quietly.

"Have you figured it out yet?" said Ron gravely. "This is no joke—"

"Yes, it is quite clear," Alice said calmly, "I intend to leave tomorrow."

They fell silent.Hermione frowned slightly, looking at her from time to time.

Alice pursed her lips and stopped talking.

She had indeed figured it out, Voldemort was back, the Ministry of Magic was incompetent and pedantic, and Dumbledore obviously couldn't keep each of them - at a time when the wizarding world was already in crisis, peace was no longer peaceful, and personal safety was threatened , why doesn't she leave?

Now that she is 15 years old and has enough money to go back to China, it's time to go back to her real hometown and her family - this is more important than anything else.

Everything else has nothing to do with her.

Hermione and Harry did not try to persuade Alice in the end. They could understand the eagerness to get back their parents, which was indeed more important than anything else—they blessed Alice and hoped to keep in touch in the future.

Hermione gave Alice a hug, and said reluctantly, "You must be careful outside, and you must remember to write to us..."

"We'll write and let you know what's going on at school," said Harry.

"If, if not - you can come back," said Ron, "I'm sure Dumbledore would still welcome you back to Hogwarts..."

"I see," said Alice at last, smiling slightly at them. "Thank you."