Chapter 552: The Senior Undersecretary’s Absurd Proposal
Moody took longer to return to Hogwarts than anyone had expected—nearly a month. On a Friday night, as everyone was enjoying dinner in the Great Hall, the doors were suddenly flung open. Moody limped in, his face set in a dark scowl.
Though his usual demeanor was intimidating, tonight it was clear he was in an especially foul mood. His scarred face was drawn taut, and his mismatched eyes—one natural, the other magical—darted restlessly, scrutinizing every person in the room.
The oppressive air around him silenced even the boldest students. Those who might have greeted him quickly abandoned the idea, sitting stiffly and avoiding his gaze altogether.
"Kyle, do you know what's going on?" Cedric whispered from his spot at the Hufflepuff table. "I've never seen Professor Moody so angry before."
"I'm not sure," Kyle replied, shaking his head. "But I think it might have to do with what's been happening at the Ministry."
His eyes flicked to the Daily Prophet lying open beside him. The front page featured a bold headline:
"Former Deputy Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Dolores Jane Umbridge, Appointed Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic."
Unlike the brief mention of Bartemius Crouch a month ago, this article about Umbridge dominated the entire front page, detailing her past achievements and contributions to the Ministry. Kyle had skimmed most of it, uninterested, but one detail near the end had caught his attention.
It mentioned that Umbridge believed Aurors had too much autonomy and suggested banning certain powerful spells, including the Blasting Curse. She had also proposed restructuring the Auror Office, placing it under direct oversight by the Minister's Office, similar to the Hit Wizards, instead of leaving it under the authority of the Auror Office Head.