— by order of —
The Ministry of Magic
Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Al- bus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight.
The notices had gone up all over the school overnight, but they did not explain how every single person within the castle seemed to know
that Dumbledore had overcome two Aurors, the High Inquisitor, the Minister of Magic, and his Junior Assistant to escape.
No matter where I went within the castle next day, rumours were being spread, and not just about how Umbridge became headmistress, I even heard one or two about how Umbridge had sent her own daughter to Azkaban and covered it up, although I didn't believe this at all, I doubted anyone would be able to make a child with Umbridge in the first place.
But in terms of what had happened last night, though some of the details might have gone awry in the retelling (I overheard one second-year girl assuring another that Fudge was now lying in St. Mungo's with a pumpkin for a head), it was surprising how accurate the rest of the information was.
Everybody seemed aware, for instance, that Harry, Marietta, and I were the only students to have witnessed the scene in Dumbledore's office, and as Marietta was now in the hospital wing, Harry found himself besieged with requests to give a firsthand account wherever he went, I'm sure people would've asked me more, but earlier in the morning a small first year asked me for details, and well he ended up in a suit of armour. I think most people got the message after that.
"Dumbledore will be back before long," said Ernie Macmillan confidently on the way back from Herbology after listening intently to Harry's story, and eying me warily. "They couldn't keep him away in our second year and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me . . ."
He dropped his voice conspiratorially, so that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I had to lean closer to him to hear, ". . . that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gargoyle. The Head's office has sealed itself against her." Ernie smirked. "Apparently she had a right little tantrum. . . ."
"Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office," said Hermione viciously, as they walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall. "Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old —"
"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Granger?"
Draco Malfoy had slid out from behind the door, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His pale, pointed face was alight with malice.
"Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," he drawled.
"It's only teachers that can dock points from Houses, Malfoy," said Ernie at once.
"Yeah, we're prefects too, remember?" snarled Ron.
"I know prefects can't dock points, Weasel King," sneered Malfoy; Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad —"
"The what?" said Hermione sharply.
"The Inquisitorial Squad, Granger," said Malfoy, pointing toward a tiny silver badge upon his robes just beneath his prefect's badge. "A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, handpicked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points...
"So, Granger, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new headmistress...Macmillan, five for contradicting me...Five because I don't like you, Potter...Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that...Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a Mudblood, Granger, so ten for that...Riddle...I liked the way you dealt with that first year...I'll give Slytherin ten for that I think."
YOU ARE READING
The Weasley of Slytherin: The Order of the Phoenix
Fanfiction(Y/n) "Weasley" having learned about his biological father and more about the mysterious Edgar enters his fifth year of Hogwarts only to be greeted with more chaos
