In the Defence Against the Dark Arts office, Umbridge sat on the floor, seemingly unable to comprehend what had happened, looking utterly baffled.
It wasn't until she felt a stinging pain throughout her body that she suddenly reacted.
"Damn it, you... you dare..."
"Snap!"
Another crisp sound echoed.
A plate with a cat painted on it slowly flew over and directly smashed onto Umbridge's head.
Then came the second, the third...
Only then did Umbridge remember to dodge. She scrambled to her feet and clumsily avoided what were once her favorite decorative plates.
Kael sat in an armchair with his wand in hand, conducting like a symphony with calm composure.
Umbridge gritted her teeth in hatred. She wanted to speak, but each time she opened her mouth, a plate would strike her, and when she remembered she was a wizard and tried to grab her wand, a plate would hit her wrist.
Empowered by magic, the plates hit hard, causing her to scream in pain.
The room sounded like a firework display, lively and chaotic.
Only when all the plates on the wall were exhausted did Umbridge, beaten black and blue, manage to catch her breath.
Leaning against the door, she glared at Kael with venomous eyes and said through clenched teeth,
"Assaulting a Senior Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Magic, you've got some nerve... you'll pay for this!"
"Then just make sure you don't say anything afterward?" Kael casually replied, "It's not that hard."
As he spoke, he raised his wand again.
Umbridge was so frightened she nearly fell again, her first instinct not even to draw her wand but to run away.
She turned and grabbed the doorknob, trying to escape.
Outside were students and professors. If Kael continued, he'd definitely be stopped.
Yes, as long as she could leave, she'd be safe.
Umbridge thought.
But in the next moment, she was horrified to find the doorknob seemingly welded shut. No matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't budge.
"Don't waste your energy," Kael said, chuckling.
He glanced at a white, spinning peeping mirror on the table.
This thing should be anti-spying; he had seen Professor Moody use one just like it at No. 12 Grimmauld Place during the holidays.
"If even you can think of it, how could I not?" Kael said, "I locked the door when I came in. Unless you use an Unlocking Charm, it won't open."
"Unlocking Charm, right, Unlocking Charm!" Umbridge hastily pulled out her wand...
"Expelliarmus!"
Umbridge watched as her wand spun through the air, landing in Kael's hand.
"A simple Disarming Spell," Kael nonchalantly caught the wand and said, "As a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, you must be familiar with it."
To be honest, Kael didn't expect Umbridge to be so foolish, turning her back on her enemy to draw her wand.
How short-staffed is the Ministry of Magic... how did someone like this climb to the position of Deputy Minister?
Kael, looking at the wand in his hand, tossed it disdainfully to the ground.
The average wand is about ten inches long, but this one's less than seven. In combat, this wand would naturally cast spells slower, as it needs to travel a bit further.
"You... you..."
Seeing her wand discarded, Umbridge was too angry for words but still tried to appear fierce.
"I am Dolores Umbridge, Senior Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts Inspector..." Umbridge said in her shrill voice, "If you dare attack me, it's considered a provocation to the Ministry. You'll be expelled, and Aurors will arrest you... even Dumbledore can't save you!
"You can't escape, if anything happens to me, Aurors will investigate everything you've done."
"I'm really scared," Kael said, "But could you please not mention it?"
"If you put the wand down..." Umbridge screamed, "I might consider letting you go."
"Oh, of course, no problem." Kael placed the wand on the nearby table.
Seeing this, Umbridge thought Kael was afraid, immediately regaining her spirit.
She straightened her disheveled sweater, returning to her arrogant demeanor.
"Now I order you to open the door..." Umbridge demanded without courtesy, "If you don't want to be expelled, you'd better do as I say."
"That's also no problem, but Professor, aren't you forgetting something?" Kael reminded, "I'm here for detention, need to write lines."
"Ah, yes, that's right."
The recent scare made Umbridge forget all about it. Remembering now fueled her further hatred towards Kael.
"Damn uncouth brat... dreaming if you think I'll let you off!" She cursed inwardly while her face resumed its usual fake smile.
"I want you to write 'I must not defy Professor Umbridge', write a hundred, no, five hundred times, until you memorize it."
"Yes, Professor," Kael said.
Despite saying so, he remained seated.
"Why aren't you writing yet," Umbridge impatiently urged, "Hurry, use the pen I gave you earlier, or I'll change my mind."
"Just a moment," Kael said, pulling out a box and rummaging through it.
"What are you doing?" Umbridge said warily, "Put that down, put it on the floor!"
"Okay," Kael complied.
Umbridge cautiously walked over, attempting to pick up the box.
But as she reached out, a thorny vine suddenly shot out, instantly binding her.
"Damn it, what is this!" Umbridge screamed.
"I advise against moving, Professor," Kael said, "It's Poisonous Tentacles. If those spikes prick you... I don't need to say what happens next."
Umbridge froze, terrified, eyes fixed on the vine's gleaming thorns.
She recognized it, a deadly toxic plant.
"What are you trying to do!" Umbridge's voice trembled, "Poisonous Tentacles are Category C prohibited items; trafficking them is illegal!"
"No, no, no, you're mistaken, Professor. These seeds were given by your Ministry," Kael shook his finger and said,
"As for what I'm doing... finishing the detention you set, writing those lines five hundred times."
Speaking, Kael picked up the slender quill on the table, inspecting it.
Without a doubt, it was a standard Dark Arts item. Its function...
Kael fetched a piece of parchment and lightly touched it with the pen's tip.
Simultaneously, his hand tingled as if pricked.
Clearly, writing with this pen is akin to inscribing on the user's skin... hence its blade-like sharpness.
And the 'ink' is blood.
However...
Kael studied the pen for a moment, adding a few Magic Text Talisman marks with his wand.
"Not so complicated, this should do it."
He approached Umbridge and silently stabbed the pen into her hand.
Accompanied by Umbridge's shrill scream, the once-black feather turned red.
Kael then tapped the parchment.
This time, his hand felt nothing, but Umbridge sharply inhaled beside him.
"Seems effective," Kael nodded, grabbed a blank parchment, and wrote: I must not defy Professor Umbridge.
Umbridge trembled in pain, yet dared not move, resorting to swearing at Kael.
Kael pretended not to hear.
By the tenth line, Umbridge's curses turned to threats, targeting Kael, Chris, even Dumbledore... no one was spared.
But by the fiftieth line, her threats turned to pleas.
Yet the burning pain on her hand made her voice falter.
Kael remained indifferent.
"Don't hurry, Professor, didn't you say five hundred times?" Kael switched to a new parchment, "We're only at a tenth, can't just stop."