Challenge.

"You may open your books to chapter three page one twenty-one.", Umbridge spoke sweetly in a high-pitched tone as she paced around the class, walking through aisles and peering over students' shoulders, making everyone uncomfortable even if she wasn't trying to do so.

Loki barely spared a glance at the woman while hiding with an illusion as he continued reading his book about the secrets of magic by Rowena Ravenclaw.

Umbridge did walk up to Loki who was sitting in the last row of the class, but when she 'saw him' diligently looking at the introduction of the first page of the third chapter and reading through it, she smiled and turned around, happy with her inspection results.

"Now that everyone has their textbooks open, I want you to study the chapter open attentively, since there will be a quiz at the end of the class from the first five pages."

Most students frowned at this as they'd gotten used to Professor Lupin and Professor Moody's practical classes, making them feel like they were at the helm of an adventure, directing a small fight of their own each time they came face to face with these mythical creatures that would've otherwise only been moving pictures in their thick tomes.

Even Professor Quirrell had let them 'duel' simple creatures.

So hands quickly shot up into the air.

Umbridge looked around completely unaffected before opening her mouth to speak quietly.

"Did I say you could raise your hands?"

Some hands faltered when Umbridge said that while others became even more adamant at getting an answer from her.

"Would it not be more helpful for us if w-"

Umbridge licked her wand and outshot a small blob of white light that caused the student's mouth to be glued shut.

"There will be no questions to ask."

"What if we have doubts!?" Harry asked boldly.

Umbridge first assessed that everyone else in the room had the same question and then looked at Harry with her simple sweet smile that promised a kind version of herself.

Yet when she spoke, everyone felt a slight mental suppression.

Loki was the fastest to recognise what was happening.

'Psychological cue?'

Hermione quickly caught on next after which Harry and Ron recognised what was happening immediately.

While they all guarded their minds against the attack, Loki did something different.

He simply latched onto the connection that had formed in his mind for planting the psychological cue for mental suppression and examined it in detail.

'This is a well-made connection.'

'But not too good.'

'It's about as good as what a Sequence five or four would be able to pull off.'

'So she's a Demigod?'

'Why did 'Adam' let her become one?'

'Or was it to curry favour with the Minister that he allowed 'Her' to become one?'

Irrespective of Loki's thoughts, however, Umbridge walked closer to Harry and spoke softly like a mother would, even if her words were laced with a strict sharpness and poison of an assassin out for revenge.

"I'm sorry. For not obeying the rules laid out, you will lose ten points from Gryffindor."

Harry wanted to retaliate but Umbridge spoke faster. He wasn't even able to open his mouth before Umbridge reacted, as if afraid to let him speak.

"I understand that several of you have questions regarding this matter, and I have a simple answer. Everything you need to know is in the textbook. As long as you write exactly what the textbook says, you will pass your OWLS."

The words put a frown on the faces of each student, be it Gryffindor or Slytherin.

Everyone was looking at Umbridge with a little hostility, especially those who were particularly looking forward to the year that they'd be allowed to come in contact with the more 'dangerous' spells that they'd not been introduced to yet, their expectations had been increased because of Professor Moody using the unforgivable curses after all.

But Umbridge didn't take another question, she simply walked over to her chair and table and sat down while intertwining her fingers and looking at everyone.

"You might want to get on with reading the textbook. You will have a quiz at the end of the cla-"

"We need to learn how to defend ourselves! We need to learn how to defend ourselves from you-know-who! He's back and he'll come for you! For each one of us as long as we refuse to bow to him!" Harry shouted.

Umbridge completely ignored Harry for a few seconds as she saw that everyone else in the class was a little frightened by what Harry had just said.

But she didn't respond directly.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for spreading lies and causing pani-"

"This is not a lie and you know it! I saw it with my eyes! He's come back! However, he managed to do it! He's back! Daphne died! A student has already been killed for his ambitions! He has marked his return!" Harry shouted again, his words ringing not only in Umbridge's ears but in those of all the students in the class too.

Umbridge stood up and walked over to Harry before speaking in a stern tone of voice while still keeping the sickly smile as she spoke in a high-pitched tone.

"You will serve detention with me after classes today Mr. Potter."

Everyone became a little stunned at the blatant disregard for reasoning or discussion on Umbridge's part, but it also gave them all a deep sense of her character.

Most students were immediately able to recognise that Umbridge wasn't here to help teach them Defence Against the Dark Arts, or even any sort of defence really.

She was here to defend the Ministry's viewpoint on Voldemort.

And combined with the oppressive psychological cue that Umbridge was pushing onto them, everyone felt like the walls of the room were enclosing them into a dark space, it made them feel claustrophobic and underfed.

Yet in this darkness, a simple sound broke the effect, shattering it into a million pieces without regard.

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

Loki stood up, clapping as loudly as he could.

The loudness coupled with the stifling silence that Umbridge had created made Loki's claps feel extraordinarily impactful.

Umbridge's smile thinned and it was clear that Loki's interruption had annoyed her greatly.

And while Umbridge was feeling terrible about it, everyone else was a little excited.

They knew Loki was a bold speaker and knew that he wasn't someone who would simply sit down and take whatever Umbridge was dishing out.

The Slytherin felt a little afraid since they were reminded of the time Loki had used Voldemort's name in the Great Hall, while the Gryffindor knew that he was up to something since he was adventurous.

It was only Hermione who was biting her lips in worry, wondering what Loki would say to Umbridge.

Umbridge was about to say something, but Loki cut her off and began speaking boldly.

"I didn't know I'd find such a great friend in you, Professor Umbridge! How amazing!!! I mean, I thought I was the only fool who thought there was nothing to be afraid of about Voldemort. The bald-headed nut was a stain on humanity and had nothing going for him that should keep people afraid."

Loki paused and then, with a deliberate soothing smile, which he used to spread calmness into everyone around the class by hijacking Umbridge's mental connection with everyone while amplifying it with his own ability to insert thoughts, he spoke.

"Are you afraid, Professor Umbridge? You're not afraid of Voldemort, are you? 'He's' a lie after all? Right?"

Loki hadn't said everything.

But it needn't be said, his intention was clear, he was challenging Umbridge to speak 'His' name.

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A/N : We crossed three hundred powerstones!!! Whooo hoooo!!!!!!! Extra chapter tomorrow! Let's goo!!!! Thank you for reading!

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