it wasn't only that one Hufflepuff who was afraid of Umbridge.
In fact, the moment Umbridge appeared, a kind of "silent street" effect spread through the entire Great Hall.
Everyone, no matter how happily they had been chatting or how loudly they'd been laughing just moments before, fell completely silent.
Under the gaze of the crowd, Umbridge slowly walked up onto the speaking platform in the Great Hall.
That caused a few weak groans to sound in the otherwise quiet hall, while even more people were screaming in anger inside their own heads.
Based on past experience, they were certain that Umbridge was about to subject them to a long-winded speech that sounded reasonable on the surface but was actually full of empty nonsense.
For students who had just endured a long journey and were now starving, this was pure torture.
But this time, the students had misjudged things.
Umbridge didn't start speaking right away as expected. Instead, she waved a hand toward the volunteers below.
The volunteers, wearing no house insignia, only black-and-blue armbands on their arms, immediately understood. They walked straight to the Gryffindor table and reached out to grab Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
George and Fred tried to stop them, but two volunteers immediately pressed their wands against their heads.
"George, I'd advise you not to do that," the leading volunteer said with a vicious grin.
"Professor Umbridge has given us permission to open fire. I guarantee that if anyone dares to move again, you'd better be ready to spend half a month lying in the hospital wing!"
As soon as those words were spoken, the Gryffindors around the table, who had been about to stand up, froze in place.
George was unwilling to back down, but Fred grabbed the hem of his robes and discreetly gestured in Link's direction.
Seeing that, George's eyes rolled a few times before he finally sat back down in a huff.
Fighting the volunteers head-on was a last resort. Before that, they were more willing to believe that Link wouldn't let them down.
The volunteers dragged the still-struggling trio up onto the platform.
At the same time, four other volunteers carried Hagrid into the Great Hall.
Hagrid looked terrible.
He could only lie on a stretcher now, his entire back and head wrapped in thick layers of bandages, making him look like a mummy.
Through the gaps where the bandages shifted with the movement of the stretcher, thick layers of dried blood were clearly visible.
The severity of his injuries made many people suck in a sharp breath, their own backs itching in sympathy.
What they didn't know was that Hagrid's original injuries had been far worse than this.
After taking so many "Blasting Curses," even if they hit his back instead of a vital spot, a normal person should have died on the spot, body torn to pieces.
Yet not only had Hagrid survived, he had regrown most of his flesh in just a few days.
Link could only say that giant blood truly was terrifying.
Hagrid wasn't lying still on the stretcher, especially after he saw Harry and the others being restrained on the platform. He ignored his injuries and struggled fiercely.
Unfortunately, there was a reason giants had been slaughtered to near extinction by wizards.
The people around him now weren't inclined to show Dumbledore any respect.
Just as Hagrid managed to push himself up slightly and the roar in his throat had only just begun, a volunteer beside him raised a wand.
"Blasting Curse!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A series of explosions rang out in the Great Hall.
That volunteer seemed to be deliberately aiming at Hagrid's uninjured face. Bloody blossoms burst open again and again across his features, leaving horrifying wounds, until he was quickly knocked unconscious.
At the same time, every burst of blood made the nearby students who witnessed it tremble in fear.
"That's going too far," Cedric sighed.
Link nodded silently, but his gaze grew even colder.
The stretcher, still dripping with blood, was hoisted onto the platform. Harry and the others had been pushed to the brink by what they'd just seen.
Harry and Ron struggled and shouted nonstop, while Hermione was already crying uncontrollably.
Umbridge lifted her chin smugly and shouted at the utterly silent crowd below, "First of all, let me welcome you all back to Hogwarts. The people you see here," she said, pointing at Harry and the others.
"Deliberately raised a giant during your time at home and attempted to attack Hogwarts Castle! I believe you've already heard a bit about this from students who stayed behind, so I won't go into details. Now I will..."
Bang!
The doors of the Great Hall were slammed open, crashing against the wall with a loud noise.
Professor McGonagall, dressed formally and wearing a grim expression, strode into the hall.
Behind her came Professor Flitwick, Professor Snape, Professor Sprout, and many other teachers.
The group moved in force past the four house tables and took their seats at the staff table.
Once everyone was seated, Professor McGonagall stood and looked down at Umbridge.
"Umbridge, I believe I said this matter must be fully investigated and then decided by Dumbledore before any conclusion is reached, didn't I?"
"Yes, that's right, you did say that," Umbridge replied sharply.
"But I don't recall ever agreeing to it. And I also remember you saying that Dumbledore would return by the start of term. Well? Term has started, so why hasn't he returned yet?"
"Should I take this as a delaying tactic? Or are you suggesting that if Dumbledore doesn't come back until Harry Potter graduates, I can never punish him?"
Professor McGonagall's expression darkened. The professors behind her were equally furious.
They had entered the hall together precisely to use the pressure of numbers to force Umbridge to behave herself for the rest of the term.
What they hadn't expected was that Umbridge would be far tougher than anticipated.
Professor McGonagall gathered her words, about to continue, but Umbridge impatiently waved her hand. Then she grabbed Harry by the hair, yanked his head up, and said loudly to the crowd, "Take a good look. This is the savior of the British wizarding world. I regret to say that our savior has fallen, and all of this is Dumbledore's fault!"
"He was as pure as a blank sheet of paper, but Dumbledore's authoritarian ways ruined him! If Dumbledore hadn't insisted on using such crude teaching methods at Hogwarts, if Dumbledore hadn't indulged a mongrel giant like Rubeus Hagrid, someone completely unqualified to teach, our Harry Potter would never have become this!"
Her face flushed with excitement. She paused, took a deep breath, and continued shouting, "Fortunately, I came here with an order from the Minister himself to 'make Hogwarts great again'! I will change this awful teaching system! I will give you better discipline and better futures!"
With that, Umbridge spread her arms wide in a dramatic, moon-embracing gesture.
Unfortunately for her, the cheers and applause she'd expected never came.
The students below just stared at her blankly, the horrific scene with Hagrid had already shattered their nerves.
A hint of irritation appeared on Umbridge's face.
She turned expressionlessly and pointed at Hagrid.
"Now, I will announce the punishments for these individuals!"
"First, the main culprit, Rubeus Hagrid. Tonight, he will be handed over to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for trial. The Ministry will bring charges against him on sixteen counts, including endangering public safety, intentional homicide, inciting riots, and obstruction of official duties!"
"Before coming to Hogwarts, I worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for a long time."
"Based on my experience, even if Rubeus Hagrid isn't executed, he will be sentenced to more than three hundred years in prison."
"And as for where he'll serve that sentence, there's no doubt it will be Azkaban!"
She blinked playfully.
"Honestly, I highly doubt he'll last even a year in there. After all, his filthy giant blood doesn't give him the ability to resist Dementors!"
As soon as she said that, laughter erupted from the Slytherin table.
The entire hall turned to look, seeing Draco and his two cronies bent over laughing, nearly unable to stand upright.
Ignoring how furious the Gryffindors were, Umbridge nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Next, the giant that Rubeus Hagrid raised! Regrettably, although our volunteers have launched a powerful manhunt, this dangerous creature has yet to be captured."
"Therefore, I must solemnly warn everyone to remain vigilant during this period and stay away from the Forbidden Forest."
"But please believe me, this is only temporary. The giant in the forest will soon be found, and our volunteers will eliminate it on the spot in accordance with Ministry regulations. You'll all be able to return to normal school life very soon!"
After speaking, Umbridge and the young volunteers beside her bowed deeply to the students below. Then she pointed at Harry and the others.
"Finally, we come to the punishment for our savior."
"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger! As accomplices who assisted Rubeus Hagrid, these three are exempt from criminal liability due to minor protection laws. However, as students of Hogwarts, their actions are utterly unforgivable!"
"Therefore, I have decided to expel all three of them from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
Umbridge leaned forward, locking eyes with Harry with pure malice.
"You know what this means, don't you? You, Harry Potter, and your little mistress Hermione Granger all come from pure Muggle families!"
"So being expelled from Hogwarts doesn't just mean losing your education. It also means your wands will be snapped! All memories of magic in your minds will be erased!"
"From now on, you will live as nothing more than a Muggle, humble down in the dust!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Hermione and Ron were crying too hard to speak.
But Harry, at that moment, looked eerily calm.
As if… his mind had gone blank.
Harry had dreamed countless times about being expelled from Hogwarts, returning to that awful house on Privet Drive, being exploited by his aunt and uncle, being sent to some miserable juvenile school, growing up to be nothing but a petty delinquent…
For a long time, those nightmares had terrified him.
But when the moment actually arrived, he found that his mind was completely empty.
The shock was simply too intense, wiping out his thoughts entirely, leaving him unable to feel anything at all.
Then, suddenly, a familiar voice rang out, "I object!"
Buzz!
It felt to Harry as if a powerful current surged straight through his brain, rebooting his thoughts and snapping his awareness back into place.
Instinctively, he looked toward the source of the voice.
The next instant, tears burst from his eyes.
"Link!"
Ron's voice was hoarse and anguished, like the cry of an old ape.
Link's appearance gave him a single thread of hope. He struggled desperately to move toward Link, but the moment he tried, the two volunteers behind him pinned him down again, unable to move.
Link, now standing, gave the three of them a reassuring smile before taking two steps forward to face Umbridge's hateful glare and repeating, "I object!"
This time, everyone in the Great Hall heard it clearly.
Link's action was like a signal. Cedric and John beside him quickly stood up as well, followed by the entire Hufflepuff house, Emily, Sigurd, Newland, the Weasley twins…
Driven by them, nearly every student in the Great Hall stood up.
Even Slytherin and Ravenclaw, who had long played the role of detached observers, did the same.
When Link first stood up, Draco still wore a mocking smile. But as more and more people rose to their feet, it was as if he suddenly remembered something. His face went deathly pale, and he hurriedly stood up as well, dragging his two followers with him.
Although none of those standing spoke out as directly as Link, their actions clearly expressed their dissatisfaction with Umbridge and their support for Link.
The professors at the staff table nodded repeatedly at the sight.
Professor McGonagall even smiled, a rare occurrence.
As for Umbridge, her entire face had turned red with rage, looking no different from a monkey's backside.
Her face twisted into a feral snarl as she locked her gaze onto Link and screeched in a distorted, shrill voice, "Mr. Flamel, all of these decisions were made by me in my capacity as Hogwarts High Inquisitor! I am exercising authority granted to me by the Minister of Magic himself. As an ordinary student, you have no right to veto my decisions!"
Link looked at Umbridge as if she were an idiot.
He sighed helplessly, deliberately slowing his tone, and repeated once more, "I said, I object!"