[identity profile] sweettalkeress.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] deathtocapslock
[The next day, an ominous newspaper article arrives at breakfast.]

Hermione: You'll want to have a look at this—it's talking all about Umbridge.

Harry: Oh, good! Maybe we'll finally get an explanation for this madness!

Hermione: It says here that the Ministry of Magic appointed her to teach us, by passing a decree saying they had the right. Oh, good—Dumbledore is innocent of forcing this horrible teacher on us after all!

Harry: I knew my darling was innocent! I just knew he'd never offer us an evil psychopath like that for a teacher willingly.

Hermione: Don't get too excited—it gets worse. Apparently Umbridge is going to be inspecting the other classes and teachers in the school, and weeding out anyone who doesn't perform to her liking!

Harry: Oh, no! This is terrible!

Ron: Well look on the bright side—at least Professor McGonagall won't be a target....

Hermione: And do you know how I know all this? Percy! He's the one explaining all this in the paper!

Ron: That monster!

Harry: Ron, why is your brother so mean to me?

Ron: Because...the plot says so?

[They go to History of Magic, and then Potions...]

Snape: I was very disappointed with your essays from last week—several of you got D's, which is a failing grade.

Harry: Oh, crap! That includes me! I'm so ashamed!

Draco: Ha ha, Harry Potter got a D on his essay!

Harry: Nobody asked you! [Cries]

[After lessons, they go to lunch...]

Hermione: Incidentally, why don't the two of you tell me your grades so I can gloat about how much better mine was?

Ron: I got a P. That's pretty bad, huh? Oh, well—at least it's better than D.

Harry: [Cries]

Fred: Aww, did you two fail? Cheer up, Harry—now you can tell any girl you've got a huge-assed D and you won't be lying!

Harry: That's supposed to make me feel better?!

Hermione: You know, despite the fact that I've been receiving these grades for five years now I could never be sure what they were or what they meant. Why don't you remind me?*

George: Well, O's the highest grade, and that means “Outstanding,” then there's E, for “Exceeds Expectations,” A for “Acceptable,” and those are the three passing grades.

Ron: The failing grades are P, which stands for “Poor,” and D, which stands for “Dreadful.”

George: And there's one grade lower. T, for “Troll.” I think their logic is that if you fail that hard you must be doing it on purpose to torment the teachers.

Hermione: Well...anyway...have you had an inspected lesson yet?

George: Yes, Umbridge was in Charms.

Harry: Did she traumatize all of you the way she delights in doing to me?

Fred: Actually, no. She just took some notes and left. She didn't bother Professor Flitwick much at all, and he didn't do anything that seemed to bother her.

Ron: Well, maybe these inspections won't be so bad after all...?

Harry: After what she did to me? I can be sure they will.

Ron: Speaking of, we have class with Umbridge today don't we?

Harry: Oh, no. I can feel my short, sweet life coming to an end. Good-bye, cruel world!

[But first, they go to Divination]

Umbridge: Hello!

Harry: Oh, shit! Umbridge is here!

Umbridge: I'm here and I'm ready to torment—I mean, evaluate Professor Trevolry here.

Professor Trelawney: It's Professor Trelawney, thank you! Ahem, anyway, let's split into pairs and continue interpreting dreams, yes?

[The students obey]

Ron: So, what should we say, in case Umbridge comes to interview us?

Harry: Tell her we're analyzing a dream in which Sirius makes Snape his bitch.

Ron: You're really going with that?

Harry: At least it'd be funny!

Umbridge: So, how long have you been teaching?

Professor Trelawney: I've been teaching for sixteen years.

Umbridge: Okay.... Are you by any chance the descendant of a famous seer?

Professor Trelawney: Why yes I am!

Umbridge: Well, then you wouldn't mind predicting something for me?

Professor Trelawney: You think I can just predict something on demand? Do you know how fortune-telling works?!

Umbridge: Fine then, if you won't predict for me I'll have you taken away—I mean, I'll sell the rights to your most treasured children's book to Hollywood!

Trelawney: NOOOOO! Anything but that! Alright...how's this? I predict that you will become the most hated character in the fandom, and everyone will think you're more repulsive than the goddamned central antagonist himself!

Umbridge: How dare you! I do a splendid job of burying my evil under a profound, grandmotherly sort of charisma! I do not inspire hate!

Trelawney: Oh, no... this won't end well....

Harry: Wow, Umbridge is so horrible she actually has me feeling sorry for Professor Trelawney! It's like she's so evil she distorts reality!

Trelawney: You there! Harry Potter! Let me interpret your dreams!

Harry: Fine, fine....

Trelawney: [Reads off Harry's dream diary] You will be the blandest and most passive protagonist of your genre, whom everyone will be expected to root for simply because you are brave and have tricked them into buying cowardice as the ultimate mortal sin.

Harry: You're mean! [Cries]

[They go to Defense Against the Dark Arts...]

Umbridge: Alright, today we'll continue reading your books. If reading is not the way you learn best that's simply too bad—I'm here to torment you, not educate you. Wait...did I just say that out loud? Oops....

Hermione: Professor Umbridge, Professor Umbridge!

Umbridge: Yes, what is it, you that the cat dragged in?

Hermione: I've already read the entire book!

Umbridge: Alright, then you can tell me all about what Slinkhard says about counterjinxes?

Hermione: He says that “counterjinx” is just a euphemism for jinxes. I don't know why he thinks they need to be discussed with a euphemism—jinxes are awesome already!

Umbridge: Nobody asked you! [Sulks] Kids these days. Don't they know that the teacher is always right?

Harry: The teacher is always right?! What the hell?!

Hermione: Harry, you idiot! This time she'll kill you!

Umbridge: As I was saying, your previous teachers were obviously inferior to me because they actually allowed you to have an opinion. Well...maybe Professor Quirrell was okay....

Harry: How dare you say something positive about Professor Quirrell! He had Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head!

Umbridge: And how dare you talk back to me! I sentence you to another week's worth of detentions, and this time I'll have you draw a kitty face after your lines just so your hand gets cut up to an even greater extent than it already--! [Pauses] Did...did I just say that in front of a room full of students? Ugh—I have to get better at concealing my truly evil nature. Maybe Professor Trevolrey was right about me after all?

[Later, Harry's cornered by Angelina again]

Angelina: How dare you miss practice AGAIN! If you keep it up I'll destroy your mind and turn you into an obedient doll just to get you to stop getting in trouble!

Harry: Don't you think that's going a bit far?

Angelina: Hardly! If you can't put quidditch at the center of your universe you don't deserve to play!

Harry: But my position doesn't even require any real skill!

Angelina: Like I care! If you use that as an excuse everyone else might realize how useless your position is too!

Professor McGonagall: Alright, you've shouted at each other enough. I may have to take some points off.

Harry: It's not my fault! Umbridge put me in detention again!

McGonagall: Harry, what are we going to do with you? If you keep causing trouble for her she's just going to torture you more. Just give up already.

Harry: Why should I have to take any of this from her? [Cries]

McGonagall: Because the plot says so. Maybe if I take points off from you as well, you'll behave yourself?

Harry: Why is everyone so meeeeean to me?! [Bursts into tears]

Ron: It's okay—I'll still be nice to you.

Hermione: Oh, come on—it's not that she's mean, it's that she doesn't want you to get on Umbridge's bad side. Is that really much of a surprise to you?

Harry: But I'm morally right.

Hermione: Being morally right won't matter if she tortures you to death.

Harry: What? It'll matter in every sense possible! In this series you get brownie points just for being brave! Besides, I'm the main character and there's still two books left! What would they call the last two, Navel Longbottom and the...whatever?

Neville: FOR THE LAST TIME MY NAME IS NEVILLE!

Hermione: ...Okay, you have a point there.

[They go to Transfiguration later and find Umbridge there]

Ron: Hmph, Professor McGonagall won't take any of her crap—that much I know!

McGonagall: Alright, today we'll be vanishing mice.

Umbridge: By the way, Professor—you do know I'll be inspecting you today, right?

McGonagall: Of course—why else would you be here? Anyway, earlier we tried vanishing snails, but this week we'll move up to mice, which are vertebrates and hence more complicated and difficult to vanish--

Umbridge: By the way, I'm right here. I'm inspecting you. Did you know that?

McGonagall: Of course I did. I'm not stupid.

Umbridge: ...Do I not intimidate you even in the least bit?

McGonagall: No. Now be quiet so I can teach my students, or else.

Umbridge: Hmph!

[The students practice vanishing their mice for the remainder of their class]

Umbridge: I'll give you lower marks on your inspection for ignoring me!

McGonagall: By all means. I am under no obligation to cater to your sadistic whims.

[Umbridge is also at Care of Magical Creatures]

Harry: AAAGH! She's everywhere!

Umbridge: So, Professor Grubbly-Plank, you're a substitute teacher, correct?

Grubbly-Plank: Yes I am. I'm standing in for Hagrid.

Umbridge: Well would you mind telling me why Hagrid isn't back yet?

Grubbly-Plank: You're acting as if I know anything. Dumbledore just sent me a letter one day giving me the position until further notice.

[Umbridge goes around asking the students questions, and they give positive responses.]

Umbridge: Well, this particular professor seems to be doing okay, and I can't find any fault in her. But I wonder, what was the OTHER professor like?

Draco: He was horrible! I was attacked by a Hippogriff in his class and he didn't even bat an eye!

Umbridge: Oh, really?

Draco: Yes, really!

Harry: Draco you scum! You'll pay for this!

Umbridge: Nobody asked your opinion! Just for that I think I'll give you an extra night of detention.

Harry: Bring it on!

Umbridge: You'll have to write lines with your left hand.

Harry: So?

Umbridge: And I'll extend the detention by five minutes for every line I can't read.

Harry: That'll just make me even more of a beautiful martyr and give me more sexy scars. Bring it on, I say!

Umbridge: And I'll perform a dramatic reading of The Draco Trilogy while you're at it!

Harry: You evil monster!

[After detention, Harry returns to the common room to find Ron and Hermione waiting for him.]

Hermione: I've prepared some healing goo from Murtlap tentacles for you.

Harry: Wow, thanks! I wonder if this will become a plot point?

Ron: So...now are you going to complain?

Harry: As if!

Ron: Seriously, there is no shame in telling Professor McGonagall that you're being tortured!

Harry: But I don't want to get Professor McGonagall in trouble! What if she complains and gets kicked out?!

Hermione: Are we really at that level yet?

Harry: I suspect we're getting closer all the time.

Hermione: Well...we should do something.

Harry: Do something? Like what?

Hermione: Well, if Umbridge isn't going to teach us how to cast defensive spells we should do it ourselves.

Ron: You mean...we'd have to do extra work and stuff?

Hermione: Well yes, but it'd be worth it if we could fight.

Ron: Even if it cuts into homework time?

Hermione: Absolutely! This is far more important than mere homework!

Ron: ...Wow, I can't believe this is what it's come to!

Harry: But who will be our teacher?

Hermione: You will.

Harry: Hermione, you might want to work on your sense of humor. Now, come, tell me who our teacher will be.

Hermione: Oh I wasn't joking. I was serious.

Harry: ...You...you honestly expect me to teach you lessons?!

Hermione: Well, quite simply, yes.

Harry: But I can't even pass a stupid exam!

Hermione: But you've stood up to Voldemort so many times!

Harry: How does that make me qualified to teach?!

Ron: Well since killing Voldemort is the end goal of this entire series....

Harry: But all my previous victories have been luck!

Ron: Maybe your luck will rub off on us?

Harry: You're scraping the barrel. This will never work.

Ron: It has to!

Hermione: If nothing else, Harry, you at least know what it's like to face down Voldemort.

Harry: ...That's true.

Hermione: At least think about it.

[Ron and Hermione go to bed]

Harry: A plot-relevant thing that involves me actually communicating with others and making my own way rather than just sitting back and letting the plot sort things out for me? Outrageous! [Goes to bed]

*Okay, seriously—if this were important it should have been introduced a lot earlier. As it is it's a completely forced conversation, that they're having for no other reason than to inform the audience of the grading system! It's yet another thing you'd see in amateur fanfic, not professionally-produced novels!

Date: 2014-01-08 11:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] josephinestone.livejournal.com
Okay, this one was really funny. I really need to reread these books as there are so many things I've forgotten since I read them. I love the fan fiction references you put in this. I never noticed the grading system thing before. It's details like that I've just spaced or maybe read too fast and ended up skipping them...I'm a bit guilty of this from time to time. Though I will probably not be able to read Hermione asking about the grading system she'd used for over four years without laughing now.

Date: 2014-01-10 12:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hwyla.livejournal.com
True - I could possibly imagine the question coming from Harry or even maybe Ron - but grade obsessed Hermione? Unless - perhaps she never bothered to learn the grades below Exceeds? After all, she'd never get one of those!

Date: 2014-01-10 04:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hwyla.livejournal.com
What's really frustrating about the 'Grades' discussion is that it once really DID seem to be an important clue. Especially in light of the fact that it was the twins who gave the lecture.

Not long before this, we had Molly exclaiming that Ron making prefect meant everyone in the family had been one, while the twins asked 'what about us?' And then to give out this spiel about grades that's a word game for Adoptee?

We were all sure that would lead somewhere. And yet none of the orphans (neither Tom or Harry) is ever adopted. At least not formally. I 'suppose' Harry is sort of adopted by the Weasleys, but Molly more or less claimed Harry as a son much earlier in this book, when she was fighting with Sirius over how much Harry should be told.

Date: 2014-01-10 06:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oneandthetruth.livejournal.com
*Okay, seriously—if this were important it should have been introduced a lot earlier. As it is it's a completely forced conversation, that they're having for no other reason than to inform the audience of the grading system! It's yet another thing you'd see in amateur fanfic, not professionally-produced novels!

In fairness to Rowling, she may have done this to answer the questions of readers who aren't familiar with Britain's grading system, particularly Americans. In America, we follow a simple alphabet grading system: From best to worst, it goes A, B, C, D, F. (I don't know why there's no E.) I'm sure Rowling got letters from readers asking, "Why is Hermione complaining? She got an A. How much better does she want her grade to be?"

Date: 2014-01-10 10:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] urbanman1984.livejournal.com
With the introduction of the A*, the British system became still more convoluted! I remember the grade went all the way down to G for some subjects - to get a G in the English oral exam it was only necessary to turn up!

I didn't think that T was seriously a real grade when it was first mentioned, but in HBP it turns out it was. Very fanfictionesque.

Date: 2014-01-11 01:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nx74defiant.livejournal.com
In fairness to Rowling, she may have done this to answer the questions of readers who aren't familiar with Britain's grading system, particularly Americans. In America, we follow a simple alphabet grading system: From best to worst, it goes A, B, C, D, F. (I don't know why there's no E.) I'm sure Rowling got letters from readers asking, "Why is Hermione complaining? She got an A. How much better does she want her grade to be?"

If that is the reason a better way of adding it in is to have Hermione being a good Prefect and explaining the grading system to a first year. That would do two things, explain the grading and show how Hermione took her position seriously, caring about the new students

Date: 2014-01-11 03:11 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] annoni-no.livejournal.com
Considering how racist Umbridge is made out to be, I expected Rowling to have her hassle Flitwick as well, or at least be noticeably irritated that she couldn't find anything she could legitimately mark him down on. As it stands she seems to value competence over ancestry, and to recognize it when she sees it*. Which would be a nicely subtle bit of characterization if I thought Rowling put it in intentionally.

*At least when it comes to 'human' occupations like teaching. Centaurs have rejected human, or at least wizarding, society entirely, so Umbridge didn't have a frame of reference she understood by which she could evaluate the centaurs' genuine intelligence and competence.

Date: 2014-01-11 04:36 am (UTC)
sunnyskywalker: Young Beru Lars from Attack of the Clones; text "Sunnyskywalker" (spandex jackets)
From: [personal profile] sunnyskywalker
And here we all thought Harry learning leadership and communication skills for the DA would be useful someday. And look, three out of four Houses working together -- it must be the start of something! Yeah, those narrative promises really panned out...

Date: 2014-01-11 05:58 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oneandthetruth.livejournal.com
That's a good point. I think the problem is that Rowling herself doesn't take Hermione's prefecture seriously, so she doesn't portray it that way. Giving Hermione that office was just another way to show how wonderful Rowling's self-insert was; i.e., it's a pasted on characteristic. JKR spends the rest of the series treating the office like a joke at best and a means of meanie oppression at worst. Having Hermione actually do something meaningful with her position would make it look like prefecture is actually useful, which would undermine Rowling's anarchistic message.

Date: 2014-01-11 06:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oneandthetruth.livejournal.com
In America, we have plus or minus grades, but no stars, e.g., A+ is higher than a regular A, and A- is lower. For example, if an A is 90-100%, an A+ would be 97-100, a regular A would be 94-96, and an A- would be 90-93. That G grade sounds like those sports where everybody gets a trophy for participation, no matter how much they stink at playing the sport.

Date: 2014-01-11 11:05 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] urbanman1984.livejournal.com
It is at any rate acknowledged that only grades A* to C are any use at all. No employer would think anything of grades D-G! So those lower pass grades do have a strange status. They would have less value than a trophy made of paper.

Date: 2014-01-11 05:08 pm (UTC)
From: [personal profile] oryx_leucoryx
There is nothing inherently wrong in acknowledging participation. Kids know the difference between that and actually standing out in some way. I had a collection of certificates of participation in assorted events (fund raising for charities, sports, events related to other hobbies) - it's nice to have something to go with the memories. That is very different from a grade that says - yes, you showed up, but you sucked big time!

Date: 2014-01-11 05:11 pm (UTC)
From: [personal profile] oryx_leucoryx
Well, she did call the twins out for experimenting on first-years in her capacity as prefect. Also, being a prefect put Hermione in contact with the prefects of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and that was how she decided to invite them (and their close friends) to the DA.

Date: 2014-01-12 08:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nx74defiant.livejournal.com
It is interesting how Rowling makes it clear Umbridge is a horrible person and the evaluations are terrible idea, but the only teachers who fail the evaluation are incompetent.

Date: 2014-01-29 11:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] urbanman1984.livejournal.com
I bet JKR was an incompetent teacher herself.

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