Miss Quinn

141 ~ The New Headmaster

BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced

Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of

Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight.

Signed: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic

The notices had gone up all around 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 for Magic and his Junior Assistant to escape. No matter where Emma went within the castle, the sole topic of conversation was Dumbledore's flight, and though some of the details may have gone awry in the retelling (Emma 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 their information was. Everybody knew, for instance, that Harry and Marietta 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 first-hand account.

Emma was one of the lucky ones who had found out about Dumbledore's daring, flashy escape from Harry before the rumors started. All the Gryffindors in the DA had waited in the common room for Harry to return, and he spilled the story to all of them. Marietta Edgecombe, Cho Chang's friend, had snitched to Umbridge about the meeting being held and now Umbridge had a list of all the students in the DA, as well as supreme power after Dumbledore was forced to flee the castle.

"Dumbledore will be back before long," said Ernie Macmillan confidently on the way back from Herbology, after listening intently to Harry's story. "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, Emma, Venus, Ron and Hermione 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."

"Sounds like her," Venus admitted.

"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, closely followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His pale, pointed face was alight with malice.

Emma stared him down. "She might not, but I will: 'bitch'."

Draco tsked at her and shook his head in mock disappointment. "Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," he drawled.

"It's only teachers who 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 Draco. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad --"

"The what?" said Hermione sharply.