I'm re-reading book 5 right now (so it's a little easier, as I'm a bit smug since I know what ultimately happens to Ms. Dolores), and I'm finding her laughable at times...I mean, really, she's a power-crazed/hungry secretary who completely over-estimates her value, worth, purpose, and importance to anyone!
I *loved* when Professor McGonagall took her down to size every single time!
Shoot, if any character can make me feel sorry for Trelawney, you know they're bad!
Now, that's not to say I still didn't get creeped out by her detentions
...surely that constitutes as child abuse of some sort...no teacher, magical or not, should be allowed to get away with that!
And then there's the business of her ordering the dementors (which she had to know they'd try to 'kiss' Harry and Dudley!
) to get Harry...that's worse than had sent someone to kill them...had the dementors succeeded, Harry and Dudley would have suffered a fate worse than death!
The insane part is that Fudge and Umbridge and all them made this huge to-do about Harry flagrantly using powerful magic in front of a muggle, but she (Umbridge) nearly had the soul sucked out of a muggle AND an innocent wizard besides!
Granted, we didn't know that at that part, and the Ministry was all about doing whatever the he** it felt like...the ends justifiying the means or some such nonsense like that! Did Umbridge ever suffer any disciplinary action at the end of book 5??
Just as a warning, as I re-read book 5 some more, you'll probably see more posts of this nature about Umbridge and probably Fudge!
Consider yourselves warned
...and feel free to join in!
~ Lizzy
<---------that's how I feel about Umbridge, first AND second time around!