Hogwarts fifth year really begins here. Harry sits through Dolores Umbridge’s first Defence class as she forces the room back to “basic principles,” bans practical magic, and calls Voldemort’s return a lie, while Hermione, Dean and Parvati push back and pay for it. Harry joins the debate with a colder, sharper argument, then swallows his fury for Snape’s sake.
Potions is no relief: the Draught of Peace, OWL pressure, and public humiliation when Harry “forgets” an ingredient to keep up his old academic mask. Over lunch, he finally snaps at Hermione, and in the dungeons Snape quietly sentences Draco to long detentions for the summer curse, privately admitting to himself that Harry has become more than just a responsibility. Guardianship and classroom tension collide in this chapter.
