The Order of the Phoenix | Hermione Granger x Male Reader (Book Five)

13. Education Decrees

My eyes were in awe of her intelligence, Harry and Ron were supposedly very impressed as well.

"Damn 'Mione, you continue to impress me every day." I said, smiling.

I then turned to the two boys. "So now that Hermione has very clearly proved that it wasn't me, because I'm currently not swarmed with acne, apologies?"

Ron looked at me with a look of hatred. "Sorry..." he said half-heartedly.

"My bad." Harry said.

I nodded. "Thank you. Now if you don't mind, I have to go meet Draco."

Before I left, I gave Hermione a hug and returned to Draco, acting like nothing had happened.

Later, I found myself tagging along with Draco, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle and made our way to Umbridge's office, the Slytherin Quidditch captain, Montague, was busy and although it was his responsibility to ask for the team to be reformed, he told us to do it.

"Ahem, come in." we heard the sweet, sickly voice of Dolores Umbridge say from behind her door. As I entered the office the first thing I noticed was the alarming amount of cats and pink in her office. I looked around only to see cats meowing, purring and hissing at me.

"How can I help you boys today?" asked Umbridge.

Draco had agreed that he would do all the speaking, I didn't want to speak to her since we didn't really get off to the best of starts.

"Professor, we were wondering if you would let us reform the Slytherin Quidditch team." Draco said confidently.

"Of course, I think sport is a very good way to support your education." Umbridge replied in her fake tone. That was it? Instantly she let us reform the team, I knew that if Gryffindor asked, they wouldn't have had such an instant and positive response.

"Whilst you boys are here, I have a very interesting proposition for you," Umbridge started to speak, "the Ministry want me to handpick select students to help improve Hogwarts alongside me. Do you want to join the Inquisitorial Squad?"

Draco looked at me, then the rest of us. I shrugged. "What does it require us to do?" I asked.

Umbridge looked at me. "Well you would just be like Prefects, but you will be able to have higher privileges than Prefects and you will just be helping alongside me to make Hogwarts the great school it used to be."

"Does does that mean we can take points and give detentions to other Prefects?" asked Draco hopefully and Umbridge just nodded.

"We're in." Draco said, not even bothering to consult me again. Obviously the thought of being able to take points away from Harry, Ron and Hermione made him very happy.

"Excellent, you will have badges that show you are part of the Elite at Hogwarts, I will have them given to you by the end of the week." Umbridge smiled before dismissing us.

"I'm not too sure about this whole Umbridge thing..." I said to Draco once we had left.

"You should do it F/N," he said, "you wanted to be a Prefect didn't you? This is better than a Prefect, mother and father will be extremely pleased."

I sighed. "Fine."

That night, I was thinking, would being part of the Inquisitorial Squad be beneficial to the club Hermione was starting. Would it be useful to them to have a double agent? I could try keep Umbridge as far away from them as possible and try to make sure they didn't get in trouble. It would be quite helpful, I would be a double agent. A good guy pretending to be bad, sometimes I wondered why I wasn't a Gryffindor, I mean I would've made a perfect Gryffindor, I don't really think I was meant for Slytherin, I just didn't seem to fit in. Everyone just seemed to respect me since I was Draco's brother. If I wasn't a Malfoy I would've had a tough time at Slytherin.

Something else that confused me was how Draco told me he got sorted by a hat, a hat that can read your characteristics and put you in a house. Why wasn't I given that opportunity? Why was I just merely sorted into Slytherin. I had so many questions and whenever I brought it up with Draco he would change the topic, talk about something else. Whenever I wrote to my parents they wouldn't tell me anything, they would just see how I was doing, who I had made friends with. They were alarmingly concerned about my social life and less about my academics.

This had all gotten to the point where it was infuriating, no one was giving me answers to questions that would bother me all day and all night. I would have countless sleepless nights thinking about my forgotten childhood, my similarities to the deceased Y/N L/N, how I didn't fit in with Slytherin and so much more.

I needed answers now but no one was going to give me them.

I just had to trust that all would be revealed in due time.