winded.explanation.of.a.nightmare.involving.a.pair.of.giant.scissors.wearing.his.grandmother.s.best.hat;.Harry.and.Ron.merely.looked.at.each.other.glumly..
.I.never.remember.my.dreams,..said.Ron,..you.say.one...
.You.must.remember.one.of.them,..said.Harry.impatiently..
He.was.not.going.to.share.his.dreams.with.anyone..He.knew.perfectly.well.what.his.regular.nightmare.about.a.graveyard.meant,.he.did.not.need.Ron.or.Professor.Trelawney.or.the.stupid.Dream.Oracle.to.tell.him..
.Well,.I.dreamed.I.was.playing.Quidditch.the.other.night,..said.Ron,.screwing.up.his.face.in.an.effort.to.remember...What.d.you.reckon.that.means?..
.Probably.that.you.re.going.to.be.eaten.by.a.giant.marshmallow.or.something,.
.said.Harry,.turning.the.pages.of.The.Dream.Oracle.without.interest..It.was.very.
dull.work.looking.up.bits.of.dreams.in.the.Oracle.and.Harry.was.not.cheered.up.when.Professor.Trelawney.set.them.the.task.of.keping.a.dream.diary.for.a.month.as.homework..When.the.bell.went,.he.and.Ron.led.the.way.back.down.the.ladder,.Ron.grumbling.loudly..
.D.you.realise.how.much.homework.we.ve.got.already?.Binns.set.us.a.foot‐and‐
a‐half‐long.essay.on.giant.wars,.Snape.wants.a.foot.on.the.use.of.moonstones,
.and.now.we.ve.got.a.month.s.dream.diary.from.Trelawney!.Fred.and.George.weren.t.wrong.about.OWL.year,.were.they?.That.Umbridge.woman.had.better.not.give.us.any…..
When.they.entered.the.Defence.Against.the.Dark.Arts.classroom.they.found.Professor.Umbridge.already.seated.at.the.teacher.s.desk,.wearing.the.fluffy.pink.cardigan.of.the.night.before.and.the.black.velvet.bow.on.top.of.her.head..Harry.was.again.reminded.forcibly.of.a.large.fly.perched.unwisely.on.top.of.an.even.larger.toad..
The.class.was.quiet.as.it.entered.the.room;.Professor.Umbridge.was,.as.yet,.an.unknown.quantity.and.nobody.knew.how.strict.a.disciplinarian.she.was.likely.to.be..
.Well,.good.afternoon!..she.said,.when.finally.the.whole.class.had.sat.down..
A.few.people.mumbled..good.afternoon..in.reply..
Tut,.tut,..said.Professor.Umbridge...That.won.t.do,.now,.will.it?.I.should.like.you,
.please,.to.reply..Good.afternoon,.Professor.Umbridge...One.more.time,.please.
.Good.afternoon,.class!..
.Good.afternoon,.Professor.Umbridge,..they.chanted.back.at.her..
There,.now,..said.Professor.Umbridge.sweetly..That.wasn.t.too.difficult,.was.it?
.Wands.away.and.quills.out,.please...
Many.of.the.class.exchanged.gloomy.looks;.the.order..wands.away..had.never.yet.been.followed.by.a.lesson.they.had.found.interesting..Harry.shoved.his.wand.back.inside.his.bag.and.pulled.out.quill,.ink.and.parchment..Professor.Umbridge.opened.her.handbag,.extracted.her.own.wand,.which.was.an.unusually.short.one,.and.tapped.the.blackboard.sharply.with.it;.words.appeared.on.the.board.at.once:.
Defence.Against.the.Dark.Arts.A.Return.to.Basic.Principles
.Well.now,.your.teaching.in.this.subject.has.been.rather.disrupted.and.fragmented,.hasn.t.it?..stated.Professor.Umbridge,.turning.to.face.the.class.with.her.hands.clasped.neatly.in.front.of.her..The.constant.changing.of.teachers,.many.of.whom.do.not.seem.to.have.followed.any.Ministry‐approved.curriculum,.has.unfortunately.resulted.in.your.being.far.below.the.standard.we.would.expect.to.see.in.your.OWL.year..