LRAB Page 464
Page 464
Umbridge started labeling people, a trick typical of Ministry of Magic bureaucrats.
She seemed well-prepared to handle similar questions, speaking rapidly and in rapid succession:
"If you have doubts about the overall goals of this course, I can only tell you this: you are not an educational expert specially trained by the Ministry of Magic. Our latest learning program was designed and developed by wizards who are much older and much smarter than you. You will learn defensive spells in a safe and risk-free way..."
Goodness! Ginny exclaimed, "Goodness!"
Before she could even speak, the professor had already set up a target for himself, effectively deflecting all potential criticisms in advance.
Such meticulous methods are truly befitting of a seasoned politician in the Ministry of Magic.
————————————————————
The picture shows Ginny.
Update [4/3], Bonus Chapter [105/115]
Please subscribe, and please give me flowers, monthly tickets, reviews, and tips! Give all your tickets to me, the author; it really means a lot to me!
Chapter 527 Hatting vs. Hatting
However, Ginny smiled slightly and was not intimidated by Professor Umbridge's imposing manner.
He secretly rejoiced that he had consulted Levin beforehand, before causing trouble for Umbridge.
Levin, as expected of her most admired person, easily found a series of loopholes. Now it seems that the loopholes Levin provided were precisely the ones that Umbridge couldn't defend against.
So Ginny decided to give him a taste of his own medicine.
“No, Professor, I have no objection to the Ministry of Magic. However, while reading this book, I discovered some serious errors. I even began to suspect that the author of this book might be an anti-Ministry of Magic element, or worse—a Death Eater.”
The best way to deal with people who like to label others is to put an even bigger label on them.
She learned this trick from Levin.
Levin knew exactly how to deal with these politicians.
Professor Umbridge was clearly not expecting Ginny's reaction. She froze, her drooping eyes fixed on Ginny, as if trying to find a flaw in her demeanor.
However, Ginny didn't give her that chance. She held up her book and read aloud, "On page twenty-five of the textbook, there's a sentence that says: 'Once extreme defensive magic is used, the wizard should use magic to severely punish their own body. Necessary asceticism helps to cultivate willpower and eliminate distracting thoughts.'"
Professor Umbridge frowned.
“Is there a problem with this?” she asked.
“Of course there’s a problem.” Ginny’s voice was firm and strong. She shook her head and said, “This violates the first rule of Adbe Wolflin’s Fundamental Laws of Magic: To arbitrarily alter the deepest secrets—the source of life, the essence of the self—one must be prepared to bear the most extreme and dangerous consequences. Asceticism is one of the most strictly forbidden rules.”
The young wizards around them were dumbfounded, staring at Ginny as if they didn't recognize her anymore.
Adbe Wolflin?
The Fundamental Laws of Magic?
Isn't this something they learned in first grade?
Those seemingly metaphysical and complex theories, can't they just be memorized casually?
No way, no way, surely no one actually takes the time to understand these theories and actually put them into practice?
How come Ginny is now using this to refute Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks? Does she actually understand what these theories are about?
How did Ginny suddenly become so amazing?
However, Ginny did not stop there.
"There's seventy-two pages left." She flipped through the pages quickly, her fingers flying across the pages, and all the students excitedly followed suit, eager to see what questions she would point out next.
"It actually says here, 'Muggles both crave and fear magic; they can become wizards simply by learning to chant spells and wield wands.'"
Ginny's voice was filled with indignation. "In 1672, a magical treatise published by the Mysticism Institute stated that wizards are born, not made. This treatise was also endorsed by the International Federation of Wizards."
She suddenly slammed her hand on the table, the loud bang startling everyone. "The author of this book actually said something like that in his book?"
Ginny's gaze was piercing; she stared intently at Professor Umbridge, and a barrage of questions poured from her mouth like a machine gun:
"Is Wilbert Slinka challenging the authority of the International Confederation of Wizards? Or is he deliberately sowing discord between wizards and Muggles? What are his intentions in writing these statements? Who is behind him? What is his true motive? Did he obtain permission from the Ministry of Magic before publishing these statements? Does the Ministry of Magic condone his actions? Who is backing him and supporting his writing? What does he want to do, what does he want to subvert, and what does he want to destroy?!"
Each question was like a bombshell, leaving Professor Umbridge completely bewildered.
She stood there, stunned, her expression shifting from surprise to confusion, then to panic. Ginny's questions had broken down her defenses one by one, leaving her mind a mess and completely unable to answer Ginny's questions.
Seeing Professor Umbridge's reaction, Ginny's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smug smile.
Labeling, literary inquisition, nitpicking... who doesn't know these methods?
Umbridge's attempt to use these methods against her has backfired spectacularly.
She may not be a match for these cunning politicians, but she has powerful backers.
Levin is a seasoned veteran; he knows exactly how to deal with these politicians.
The latest textbook, "Defense Against Magic," was actually hastily compiled under the secret instructions of Minister Fudge.
Fudge's purpose is obvious: he intends to interfere with Hogwarts's teaching freedom through this book, subtly weaken the students' magical abilities, and thus nip any potential "Hogwarts Rebellion" in the bud.
The book is filled with Fudge's self-righteous and whimsical ideas.
For example, he strongly advocated taking a passive stance when facing conflict and even opposed the use of any aggressive spells.
In short, he wanted wizards to be as docile as sheep when faced with conflict, and to give up the right to use magic.
There are also corresponding regulations regarding how much magic power constitutes offensive power.
As for the crucial question of "how much magic power constitutes offensiveness," Fudge gave a vague yet laughable standard—reminiscent of the absurd notion that "anything with kinetic energy greater than 1.8 joules is considered a firearm."
So, how should wizards protect themselves when faced with real danger?
Fudge seemed unconcerned. In his description, the entire magical world appeared to be a scene of peace, prosperity, and flourishing.
The wizards lived a peaceful and prosperous life under his leadership, while wizards abroad were plunged into misery.
The "danger" he spoke of had nothing to do with this prosperous magical kingdom.
By writing seemingly impartial textbooks while secretly inserting their own agendas, the Ministry of Magic of the Underworld is doing the same things as their Muggle relatives.
With such a biased stance, how can one expect this book, "Defense Against Magic," to offer many objective and correct viewpoints?
Moreover, even those time-tested potions textbooks are not immune to errors—errors so numerous that even some mediocre young wizards can easily spot them and offer suggestions for improvement. (For example, a certain half-blood prince.)
This Wilbert Slinka was nothing more than an obscure, third-rate magical writer, even less skilled than Lockhart. It's no wonder he rushed through this toilet paper book in a single summer break, riddled with errors.
What's even more worrying is that Slinka's so-called textbook is not only riddled with errors, but also blatantly includes a lot of personal bias and prejudice.
· ········Requesting flowers···· ·········
These personal biases and prejudices are like undercurrents hidden between the lines, always ready to corrupt the reader's mind.
However, for a wizard like Levin, who possesses profound academic knowledge and extensive magical knowledge, figuring out these problems is a piece of cake.
This is like an undergraduate thesis defense. You think that what you've painstakingly written is at least presentable, but to the professors participating in the defense, it's an insult to their intelligence and dignity.
Since the book has problems, it gives Levin a lot of room to attack it.
Although Levin, on behalf of the Erudite Society, reached an agreement with Fudge for non-interference at Hogwarts, this does not mean he will allow Umbridge to run rampant.
When Ginny approached him for help, he offered a solution almost without hesitation. He was willing to cooperate with Umbridge, but that didn't mean he thought much of this pink toad.
Doesn't Umbridge like to label people?
Then let's defeat magic with magic!
.... ..... ...
Therefore, in Umbridge's first class, Ginny only took twenty minutes to subtly guide and hint at the conclusion that Wilbert Slinka was a Death Eater! He must have someone behind him, attempting to overthrow the Ministry of Magic!
Ginny's words were full of contempt for Slinka and concern about the potential overthrow of the Ministry of Magic, but she skillfully avoided directly mentioning Fudge.
After all, even now, wizards generally still have faith in the Ministry of Magic.
In this situation, could she possibly ask, "Why is the minister plotting a rebellion?"
"Enough! Enough!" Umbridge finally couldn't stand Ginny's relentless pressure and shouted, trying to interrupt Ginny.
However, Ginny showed no sign of stopping: "Professor, would you like to know where Headmaster Dumbledore went today?"
Ginny suddenly changed the subject, leaving Umbridge momentarily caught off guard.
She hadn't seen Dumbledore this morning, and Ginny's words made her feel uneasy.
"Where did he go?!" Umbridge exclaimed anxiously, as she hadn't seen Dumbledore that morning.
"The wizards of Wizengamo have united to impeach Minister Fudge," Ginny said alarmingly. "That's right, it started today. But you're in class, so it's normal that you don't know."
Upon hearing this, Umbridge froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.
Her hands and feet were ice-cold, her lips were trembling, and her eyes were filled with fear.
The Minister of Magic being impeached by Wizengamor is not the first time in British history, nor is there a precedent of a Minister of Magic being successfully impeached and removed from office.
If this impeachment succeeds, Fudge will indeed be ousted from office, and she will lose her biggest backer, making any future promotions and raises a distant dream.
Umbridge was extremely anxious; she desperately wanted to gather more information in order to find her footing in this sudden political storm.
However, Ginny was like a cunning little fox, constantly pestering her with clever questions.
----------
The picture shows the cunning little fox, Fan.
Chapter 528 Umbridge Cried
"Professor, let's get back to the question about this book."
Ginny feigned seriousness and reopened the textbook that Umbridge considered invaluable. "As a professor, did you really not notice so many errors? Or are you deliberately misleading us?"
Umbridge's face darkened further. She opened her mouth, but found herself speechless.
“By the way, Professor,” Ginny suddenly changed the subject, “could you tell everyone what your OWL grade was for Defense Against the Dark Arts? I imagine you must have excelled in that area, as a professor?”
"I'm not doubting you, I just want to open everyone's eyes."
Ginny wore a sincere expression, as if she were genuinely asking the question out of curiosity.
However, her question completely broke Umbridge.
Umbridge suddenly covered her face and began to sob. Her cries were high-pitched and shrill, making those who heard them feel uncomfortable.
She looked exactly like a female teacher who had been bullied by delinquent students in the first class.