A whole month had passed. Umbridge kept firing at the students countless detentions and decrees. The most recent one was banning any Weasley Wizard Wheezes products, which made Fred and George Weasley - the two twin brothers who started creating joke products - displeased. 

‘But the Puking Pastilles were an amazing creation of ours!’ George said, Fred sadly nodding in agreement. 

The weather in October was starting to get chilly, but the cold didn’t bother everyone, for they were looking forward to the Hallowe’en feast that took place on the thirty first of October. 

It was a fine October day, when everyone inside the Great Hall - having breakfast - heard a loud and dramatic gasp. Some students got out of the Hall, including Amelia, Albert and Olivia, to see Isabell staring at a newly placed pale pink frame:

Proclamation

Educational Decree No. 21

The Hallowe’en Feast of the year 1995 has been cancelled according to the Minister for Magic Cornelius Oswald Fudge and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s High Inquisitor Dolores Jane Umbridge.

Classes shall proceed as normal on the thirty first of October. 

Some students had the same shocked expression as Isabell. 

‘They could cancel Valentine’s, not the Hallowe’en feast!’ Isabell said, looking like she was about to faint on the spot. 

They all heard a girlish giggle. They spun around to see Umbridge waddle past them, a terrible smile on her toad-like face. 

‘I swear if Umbridge continues teaching, I’ll cut my hair off and put on a fake facial moustache and beard so I can join Victor Krum’s school! And I’m serious about it!’ Isabell snapped as Amelia, Olivia and Albert tried to hold their laughter.

‘But still, how could they cancel such an important event in Hogwarts?’ Olivia said, also unhappy about the Ministry’s decision. 

Isabell looked at Amelia, Albert and Olivia for a while.

‘Wha-’

‘What if I tell my father in a letter about what’s happening?’

‘That won’t work,’ Albert said sadly. ‘They intercept each and every owl that is sending a letter. I tried to send one to my mum and then I found the owl that I placed the letter on sitting on the windowsill of my dormitory and its feathers were all in weird directions. I sent that owl to Professor Grubbly-Plank.’ 

Isabell groaned. 

They decided to continue with some homework before their morning lessons began in their common room. Amelia answered the knocker’s riddle and they entered the common room, which was deserted since everyone was in the Great Hall. 

‘When will we be able to go to Hogsmeade?’ Isabell asked. ‘I love Zonko’s, but Fred and George’s things are more creative, to be honest.’ 

‘Agreed,’ Albert replied. ‘But the bad thing is Umbridge the Frog banned all Weasley Wizard Wheezes products, unfortunately.’ 

‘Hogsmeade trips start in November,’ Amelia said. ‘There was a notice a few days ago that said that.’

‘We have Care of Magical Creatures now,’ said Olivia as she looked at her timetable.

For the first time in less than a month, Umbridge was there to inspect the lesson. She was holding a clipboard and a quill with an elegant peacock feather. Professor Mcgonagall had told them in September the twenty-third that Umbridge had the authority to inspect teachers and even sack them. 

‘You have received my owl saying that I will be inspecting your lesson today, is that correct?’

‘Yes,’ Professor Grubbly-Plank said with no hesitation in her voice. 

Umbridge scribbled something on the parchment placed on the clipboard. 

‘Alright, everyone. Today we will be looking at Bowtruckles. Can anyone explain to me what a Bowtruckle is?’

Isabell’s hand went up before Professor Grubbly-Plank finished saying the question.

‘Very well. Ms. Bluesky?’

‘The Bowtruckle, which eats insects, is a peaceable and intensely shy creature but if the tree in which it lives is threatened, it has been known to leap down upon the woodcutter or tree-surgeon attempting to harm its home and gouge at their eyes with its long, sharp fingers. An offering of woodlice will placate the Bowtruckle long enough to let a witch or wizard remove wand-wood from its tree!’

‘Every single word is from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. However, that was a lot to memorise! Five points to Ravenclaw for taking your time to study magical creatures!’ 

Umbridge’s quill made scratching noises on the parchment.

‘What do you think of the ways of teaching at Hogwarts?’ Umbridge asked Professor Grubbly-Plank. ‘And Dumbledore?’

The trio and Albert listened closely, not looking at the bowtruckles that Professor Grubbly-Plank had just gotten, but looking at Umbridge, who was glaring at Professor Grubbly-Plank. The bowtruckles had small, yet shiny brown eyes and their whole body was green, making it look just like a plant. It had three legs, which looked like roots and two thin, long arms with even thinner fingers. There were one or two leaves on each of the bowtruckles’ narrow, thin heads. 

‘You see, Dolores, I find the ways of teaching dependant on who the teacher is. Each teacher has a different unique way of teaching the students of Hogwarts, and I think each one is good the way it is,’ Professor Grubbly-Plank replied, though she wasn’t quite certain when she said the last sentence, mostly because she never liked how Hagrid, Hogwarts’ gamekeeper, taught them about magical creatures. ‘As for Albus Dumbledore, I simply find him very capable of taking control over Hogwarts. He cares for all his students. Even if the Ministry had requested him to be Minister for Magic, he never abandoned Hogwarts for the sake of the students and because the Ministry has been losing its touch these days…’

Umbridge wrote something on the parchment, but paused when Grubbly-Plank spoke about the Ministry. She scribbled over what she wrote and began writing furiously on the parchment. 

‘Assuming Rubeus Hagrid does not return from his “holiday”, will you continue the post of Care of Magical Creatures?’ Umbridge asked.

‘Indeed, I’ll be starting unicorns with them next week. I will forward you the whole list of wondrous magical creatures they are meant to do in their fifth year.’ 

‘Well, you seem to know what you’re doing.’

Umbridge wrote a final sentence and smiled thinly, then marched off and entered the school, appearing as a small pink dot to them.  

‘Alright, then. Homework’s simple: write me a parchment or two about bowtruckles and explain their feeding habits, that’s all. Off you go, then!’

The trio and Albert carried their bags and walked together across the Grounds. The smell of damp grass slowly entered their lungs as they breathed fresh air. Several owls were hooting in the distance, brown dots across a blue, cloudless sky.