Educational Decree 24

A newly placed frame was near the wall of the Great Hall:

Proclamation

Educational Decree no. 24

All Student Organisations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded. 

An Organisation, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students. Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge). 

No Student Organisation, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor. 

Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organisation, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.

Dolores Jane Umbridge,

High Inquisitor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

‘She knows about the group!’ Isabell said, horrified. 

The trio and Albert saw Harry, Ron and Hermione with the same expression as them.

‘She can’t have! No one who signed the parchment could have told her.’

‘Oh, you’re so naive, Hermione. Honestly, you always think everyone is trustworthy and-’ Ron began.

‘It’s not that!’ Hermione snapped. ‘I put a curse on the paper so whoever touches it and sends it to any teacher will be embarrassed to death!’

‘Ah, so their pants will fall off and everybody will see their heart-printed underwear. Really embarrassing,’ Ron said sarcastically.

‘No. The word “sneak” will be written on their face. You call that embarrassing?’

‘I guess so,’ Ron sighed sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

‘Hem, hem.’

The little clearing throat that they all dreaded to hear echoed in their heads. It was indeed Umbridge standing behind them, her face, as usual, representing a pink, toad-like animal. She looked at Olivia and Albert, then looked at one of the pink frames. Olivia and Albert walked away from each other and were far from the other. 

‘That’s better, Umbridge said, adding a girlish giggle in the end. ‘Don’t want to see you skipping lessons for doing something inappropriate, do we now?’

‘We don’t-’ began Olivia, but Umbridge was already walking away, her small pink heels stepping on the ground. 

‘Did she mean snogging?’ Isabell said, roaring with laughter.

‘Hilarious.’

Albert’s ears went red. Amelia and Isabell were now roaring with laughter as they headed to their next lesson, Transfiguration. Olivia and Albert were left there, awkward silence separating them. 

They walked to the Transfiguration classroom and were greeted by an exasperated voice. 

‘You are a minute late,’ Professor Mcgonagall fumed.

She seemed to be in a bad mood, so they decided not to argue. In the corner of the classroom was Umbridge, holding her usual pink clipboard and a peacock feathered quill. 

‘That will do,’ she said, and the silence fell immediately. ‘Mr. Duckstein, kindly come here and hand back the homework- Miss Wood, please take this box of mice- don't be silly girl, they won't hurt you- and hand one to each student-’

‘Hem hem,’ said Professor Umbridge, giving the same silly little cough she always gave when she wanted to speak.

Professor McGonagall ignored her. Andrew Duckstein, a Hufflepuff, handed back Isabell's essay. Isabell took it immediately and saw, to her relief, that she had managed an A. She looked at Amelia’s paper, which said E (stood for Exceeding Expectations). She then looked at Albert’s, which said A, then finally looked at Olivia’s, which, as usual, said O (which stood for Outstanding).

‘Right then, everyone, enough with looking at your homework scores. Listen closely- Mr. Weasley, if you do that to the mouse again I shall put you in detention! Most of you have now successfully vanished your snails and even those who were left with a certain amount of shell have the gist of the spell. Today we shall be-’

‘Hem hem,’ said Professor Umbridge, interrupting Professor Mcgonagall.

‘Yes?’ said Professor McGonagall, turning round, her eyebrows so close together they seemed to form one long, brown, severe line.

‘I was just wondering, Professor, whether you had received my note telling you of the date and time of your inspec-’

‘Obviously, I received it, or I would have asked you what you were doing in my classroom!’ said Professor McGonagall, turning her back on Professor Umbridge. 

Many of the students exchanged looks of glee and they smirked at Umbridge, who wrote something on the clipboard. ‘

As I was saying, today we shall be practising the altogether more difficult vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell-’

‘Hem hem.’

‘I wonder,’ said Professor McGonagall in cold fury, turning on Professor Umbridge, ‘How you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk, as in do a ridiculous cough, when I am talking.’

Professor Umbridge looked as though she had just been slapped in the face. She immediately began writing what seemed to be negative comments, for she was writing furiously and almost punctured the paper when she wrote the dot for the “i”. 

Looking supremely unconcerned, Professor McGonagall addressed the class once more.

‘As I was saying, the Vanishing Spell becomes more difficult with the complexity of the animal to be vanished. The snail, as an invertebrate, does not present much of a challenge; the mouse, as a mammal, offers a much greater one. This is not, therefore, magic you can accomplish with your mind on your dinner. So, you know the incantation, let me see what you can do…’

Professor Umbridge did not follow Professor McGonagall around the class as she had followed Grubbly-Plank; perhaps she thought that Professor McGonagall would not permit it. She did, however, take many more notes while she sat in her corner, and when Professor McGonagall told them all the pack away, rose with a grim expression on her face.

‘Well, it's a start," said Albert, holding up a long, wriggling mouse tail and dropping it back into the box Amelia was passing around.

As they filed out of the classroom, Amelia saw Professor Umbridge approach the teacher's desk; she nudged Isabell, who nudged Olivia in turn, and the three of them deliberately fell back to eavesdrop.

‘How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?’ Professor Umbridge asked.

‘Thirty-nine years this December,’ said Professor McGonagall brusquely, snapping her bag shut.

Professor Umbridge made a note.

‘Very well,’ she said, ‘You will receive the results of your inspection in ten days' time.’

‘I can hardly wait,’ said Professor McGonagall in a coldly indifferent voice, and she strode off toward the door. ‘Hurry up, you four,’ she added, sweeping Albert, Amelia, Isabell and Olivia before her as though they were large specks of dust.

‘Oh, by the way, happy birthday, Amelia,’ Olivia said as they exited the classroom.

‘Thanks.’

They were about to head to the Great Hall when Isabell grabbed Amelia’s shoulder so suddenly that she was about to fall on her back.

‘In every single birthday, there’s always gifts,’ Isabell chirped.

‘You really don’t need to-’

But Isabell was already pushing Amelia towards the Ravenclaw tower. 

‘Aren’t you hungry, Isabell?’ Olivia panted as she followed them to the Ravenclaw Common Room.    

But they had already arrived at their destination. 

‘You already gave me a present last year, you don’t have to give me every year…’

‘I’m making up for the years your father and stepmother didn’t give you presents.’

‘You think your birthday means nothing?’ Olivia asked with her eyebrows raised. ‘Of course you should get presents every year, or what would the point of a birthday be?

‘I prepared the cake,’ Albert said, hurrying after them. 

‘I forgot your talent with cakes,’ Isabell said. ‘There better be a chocolate layer in there.’ 

‘What if I told you the brown coloured part isn’t chocolate? It’s actually caramel and lotus.’

‘Still cake.’ 

Isabell threw Amelia a present, who caught it easily. She opened it and found an image of herself, Isabell and Olivia.

‘Where did you get that?’ Olivia asked, her eyebrows arched. ‘And why isn’t it moving like all of the other magical images?’

‘Because I created it.’

‘How?’

‘Oh, wow, the superiour Olivia Dragonheart asks the stupid Isabell Bluesky how to do something.’

‘You are not stupid and I am not superiour. Also, I wasn’t asking how you performed the spell, I was asking how you created it!’ Olivia snapped.

‘Yeah, right. Anyway, it’s a Muggle thing my mum taught me, by the name of drawing.’

‘Oh, I know that!’ Albert said excitedly.

‘And I do too.’

‘Uhm… what’s that?’ Amelia asked. ‘I think I’ve heard of it before and it’s something like writing, correct?’

‘Yeah, it’s, er… writing but with images…’

‘Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surfaces. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, erasers, markers, styluses, and metals,’ a voice said.

It was Isabell, grinning.

‘Can we finish with presents?’ Amelia said nervously. 

Olivia handed hers to Amelia, who caught it. The wrapping on the box was blue with miniature golden snitches. Amelia eagerly ripped off the wrapping, which magically turned into snitches floating in the air like shining, golden chandeliers. Amelia gaped at them in awe. She gingerly opened the lid of the box to find three hand-sized sculptures. They were Amelia, Olivia and Isabell, with Amelia in the middle, Olivia on her right side and Isabell on the left. All their hair was loosened down. They were wearing the Ravenclaw uniform and cloaks. Amelia, with golden-blonde short hair and calm blue eyes, was smiling brightly. Olivia, with long black hair and emerald green eyes, was wrapping one of her arms around Amelia and had the same smile as Amelia. Isabell, with smooth wavy dark brown hair and greenish-brown eyes, was wrapping her arm around Amelia as well, and was laughing. 

‘Where’s mine?’ Albert said, looking down. 

Olivia looked at him and smiled, handing him something that was in her fist. It was a hand-sized sculpture of Albert, with messy dark ginger hair, bright hazel eyes and a handsome face. 

‘Now, that’s more like it,’ he said, examining his sculpture. ‘You made me more handsome in here, don’t ya think?’

They all burst into sudden laughter. 

‘You guys are the best,’ Amelia said. 

‘I know, everyone loves me so much they want to be my best friend,’ Isabell said, rolling her eyes. 

‘Now, for the cake!’ Albert said, before anyone else could say anything. 

They all looked in his direction to see four small cakes on blue plates. 

‘Take the one that you think suits you!’ 

The first cake had blue frosting on it. The cake’s flavour was chocolate, and there was a majestic unicorn that was running on the cupcake and its horn was lit, emitting pink and blue sparks as though they were fireworks. 

‘Definitely mine,’ Isabell said, snatching the cake and licking the frosting. 

The second cake had red frosting, this time. The cake’s flavour was red velvet, as Albert had said, and there was a small red dragon with green eyes flying around the cupcake. The third one had orange frosting, and the flavour was caramel. There was a grey wolf on the top, bearing its pointed teeth. It then howled. Albert quickly took it, already knowing it was his, since he was the one who designed the cakes. The last one, which was Amelia’s, had pure white frosting, almost resembling a snowy mountain. An elegant phoenix was soaring around the frosting, beautiful musical cries following it. The cake flavour was vanilla, Amelia’s favourite. 

‘Albert, those are amazing…’ Isabell said, eating the unicorn on the cake, which was actually made of chocolate. 

‘There goes the unicorn,’ Amelia laughed. ‘And thanks, Albert! These really are amazing.’ 

Albert bowed. 

‘What are the grades you can get in your O.W.Ls?’ Isabell asked casually.

‘Outstanding, O. Exceeding Expectations, E. Acceptable, A. These are the passing grades. Poor, P. Dreadful, D. Troll, T. These are the failing grades,’ Olivia replied.

‘We have to go to our lessons and pray Umbridge doesn’t give us detention,’ Olivia said after they had finished eating their cake. 

They had Potions next, and as they expected, Umbridge was standing in the corner with her pink clipboard and peacock feathered quill in her hand. Snape’s face didn’t show any emotion, but they could tell that he was irritated. 

‘Take your seats. Today you will be brewing a Strengthening Solution.’

‘Hem, hem.’

‘Yes, Professor Umbridge?’ Snape said, his lips curling.

‘I assume that you have received my owl talking about the time of the inspection?’

‘Indeed…’ 

Everyone got the ingredients that were written on the board, but the trio and Albert were listening deeply to Snape and Umbridge’s conversation. 

‘Hem, hem.’

‘Yes?’ Snape said slowly.

‘Don’t you think the Strengthening Solution is a bit advanced for fifth year students?’

‘What do the ministry think Dumbledore’s trying to do?’ Albert whisper-shouted furiously. ‘Forming some sort of wizard army?’

Snape looked at Albert then faced forward, his lips not visible. Umbridge, for the first time, stood up and her heels made her reach some students. Umbridge went to Pansy Parkinson, who gave the trio and Albert the image of a pug with a smushed face, and whispered something to her, so that they couldn’t hear it. Pansy started speaking loudly, so the trio and Albert had a hunch of what Umbridge had asked her. 

‘Oh, Professor Snape’s lessons are simply wonderful!’ 

Pansy looked at Snape and a stupid grin formed on her smushed face, as though telling him he owed her one. But Snape had no expression on his face, and in fact, his eyes quickly flashed at her as though he was surprised. Umbridge scribbled something on the pink clipboard and started surveying Snape: 

‘When have you started teaching at Hogwarts?’

‘1981, September,’ Snape said, his eyes looking at Harry, whose eyes widened, then faced forward. 

‘And how long has that been?’

‘She can’t calculate it, honestly,’ Amelia whispered, rolling her eyes.

‘Fourteen years and some months,’ said Snape coldly.

Umbridge wrote something on her clipboard. 

‘Now, the Strengthening Solution-’

‘One last question, so that you can proceed with your lesson. I hear that you wanted to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. Is it true that you have failed to take the profession?’

Snape’s lips curled even more. Ron snickered and others were eager to hear what Snape would say. 

‘Obviously...’

‘Wonderful. Your inspection results will be given to you in ten days' time.’

‘Perfect.’

After Umbridge had waddled out of the classroom, Snape walked over to Ron, a book in his hand. Snape smacked the unsuspecting Ron with the book on his head, making Ron yell in surprise. 

‘Continue,’ Snape said coldly.

Everyone continued to brew their potions.