This was all I needed to know. From that first Defence class onward, it was plain to see that this would be the year that my gloves were going to have to come off. I'd avoided coming into direct conflict with teachers or the Ministry so far, but when it was pretty plain that their puppet-strings are being pulled by the Death Eaters, I decided that any measures I chose to take were justified. Even Ron's brother, Percy, who works right beside Fudge, tried to warn us, but because he wrote as though he were pleased with what was going on, Ron-the-ruddy-halfwit took his letter at face value and chucked it. And after we had heard that owl post was subject to interception, too! What was Percy supposed to do, for Merlin's sake? Write "Oh, I say, Ron, be careful of Dolores Umbridge; she's out to get Harry Potter and bring down Dumbledore because my boss can't stand the idea of You-Know-Ruddy-Well-Who being back?" Ron might do it that way, but Ron is not, as I have said, the sharpest knife in the drawer. Harry's got more cunning than Ron does---those Dursleys taught him things without either side knowing it.