Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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Chapter 27: The Centaur and the Sneak

Divination classes start in a new classroom as Firenze cannot climb the ladder to Trelawney's room. Firenze mentions that he is now an outcast from the forest, rejected by the other centaurs for taking too much of an interest in human affairs. Firenze says that humans are essentially unable to see the future and that most of what Trelawney did was "human nonsense".

Firenze asks Harry and Ron to tell Hagrid that he should give up what he is doing because it is not working. Harry and Ron have no idea what he is talking about!

In DA classes, the students are trying to make Patronuses. Hermione is able to conjure her otter very easily. Dobby interrupts to warn them that Umbridge knows about the class and is on the way. The students all run for it and just manage to avoid being caught red-handed, even though Malfoy is lying in wait to trip them up.

Umbridge takes Harry to Dumbledore's office, which is full of people including McGonagall and Fudge. Harry denies he has been doing anything against the rules so Umbridge brings in Cho's friend Marietta who gave them away. Hermione's jinx has taken effect and Marietta has the word "SNEAK" written across her face in horrible purple pustules. Umbridge hasn't been able to work out a countrjinx. She reveals that Willy Widdershins overheard Harry in the Hog's Head and in exchange for giving the Ministry the information it overlooked his exploding toilets charges.

Dumbledore steps in to say that the group does exist but it was formed before Decree Twenty-four came in. Nobody has any evidence that there have been meetings since. Umbridge sent Pansy Parkinson to find a list of students in the group, and found it in the Room of Requirement. However, the names are listed as members of Dumbledore's Army and so Dumbledore says that he set up the group and the Ministry must punish him rather than the students. When Fudge says that he will be arrested at once, Dumbledore says that he won't come quietly. He hexes most of the people in the room to give himself time to escape. Dumbledore and Fawkes escape, the others wake and Fudge says that is the end of Dumbledore.