.Well,.I.know.it.can.t.be.fun.when.it.hurts,.but.we.don.t.think.it.s.anything.to.really.worry.about..It.kept.aching.all.last.year,.didn.t.it?..
.Yeah,.and.Dumbledore.said.it.happened.whenever.Voldemort.was.feeling.a.powerful.emotion,..said.Harry,.ignoring,.as.usual,.Ron.and.Hermione.s.winces.
.
.So.maybe.he.was.just,.I.dunno,.really.angry.or.something.the.night.I.had.that.detention...
.Well,.now.he.s.back.it.s.bound.to.hurt.more.often,..said.Sirius..
.So.you.don.t.think.it.had.anything.to.do.with.Umbridge.touching.me.when.I.was.in.detention.with.her?..Harry.asked..
.I.doubt.it,..said.Sirius...I.know.her.by.reputation.and.I.m.sure.she.s.no.Death.Eater.‐..
.She.s.foul.enough.to.be.one,..said.Harry.darkly,.and.Ron.and.Hermione.nodded.vigorously.in.agreement..
.Yes,.but.the.world.isn.t.split.into.good.people.and.Death.Eaters,..said.Sirius.with.a.wry.smile...I.know.she.s.a.nasty.piece.of.work,.though.—.you.should.hear.Remus.talk.about.her...
.Does.Lupin.know.her?..asked.Harry.quickly,.remembering.Umbridge.s.comments.about.dangerous.half‐breeds.during.her.first.lesson..
.No,..said.Sirius,..but.she.drafted.a.bit.of.anti‐werewolf.legislation.two.years.ago.that.makes.it.almost.impossible.for.him.to.get.a.job...
Harry.remembered.how.much.shabbier.Lupin.looked.these.days.and.his.dislike.of.Umbridge.deepened.even.further..
.What.s.she.got.against.werewolves?..said.Hermione.angrily..
.Scared.of.them,.I.expect,..said.Sirius,.smiling.at.her.indignation...Apparently.she.loathes.part‐humans;.she.campaigned.to.have.merpeople.rounded.up.and.tagged.last.year,.too..Imagine.wasting.your.time.and.energy.persecuting.merpeople.when.there.are.little.toerags.like.Kreacher.on.the.loose...
Ron.laughed.but.Hermione.looked.upset..
.Sirius!..she.said.reproachfully...Honestly,.if.you.made.a.bit.of.an.effort.with.Kreacher,.I.m.sure.he.d.respond..After.all,.you.are.the.only.member.of.his.family.he.s.got.left,.and.Professor.Dumbledore.said.‐..
.So,.what.are.Umbridge.s.lessons.like?..Sirius.interrupted...Is.she.training.you.all.to.kill.half‐breeds?..
.No,..said.Harry,.ignoring.Hermione.s.affronted.look.at.being.cut.off.in.her.defence.of.Kreacher...She.s.not.letting.us.use.magic.at.all!..
.All.we.do.is.read.the.stupid.textbook,..said.Ron..
.Ah,.well,.that.figures,..said.Sirius...Our.information.Irom.inside.the.Ministry.is.that.Fudge.doesn.t.want.you.trained.in.combat...
.Trained.in.combat!..repeated.Harry.incredulously...What.does.he.think.we.re.doing.here,.forming.some.sort.of.wizard.army?..
That.s.exactly.what.he.thinks.you.re.doing,..said.Sirius,..or,.rather,.that.s.exactly.what.he.s.afraid.Dumbledore.s.doing.‐.forming.his.own.private.army,.with.which.he.will.be.able.to.take.on.the.Ministry.of.Magic...
There.was.a.pause.at.this,.then.Ron.said,.That.s.the.most.stupid.thing.I.ve.ever.heard,.including.all.the.stuff.that.Luna.Lovegood.comes.out.with...
.So.we.re.being.prevented.from.learning.Defence.Against.the.Dark.Arts.because.Fudge.is.scared.we.ll.use.spells.against.the.Ministry?..said.Hermione,.looking.furious..