"Forget it," Hermione said, looking at Anne.
"Hehe, " Anne gave a sheepish giggle.
"But, there's one more thing…" Hermione added.
"Hm?"
"About Umbridge yesterday, " Hermione had barely started when Anne hushed her.
"Not here..." Anne glanced around. Most people had already finished eating and were leaving the Entrance Hall. She checked her watch. "We've got a bit of time. Let's find a different spot."
On the first floor of the castle, at a bend in the corridor, there was an old, barely noticeable wooden door. Most students walked past it without a second glance. Anne pushed it open and motioned the others inside before shutting it behind them. The small room had only one tiny window, and the floor was cluttered with broken suits of armor and old broomsticks.
Anne gave them a quick summary of the conversation she'd had with Umbridge the previous day.
"What's Umbridge trying to do?" Ron asked, clearly confused.
Hermione stayed silent. Anne didn't speak either, but Fanny added, "You might want to start calling her 'Professor'... just a suggestion."
Harry glanced between Hermione and Anne, visibly agitated. "Oh, come on! Can we stop the guessing game? Just tell us already!"
Anne shrugged. "I wasn't trying to be cryptic. The truth is, I don't know exactly what she's planning yet, it's still just a theory."
"What theory?" Harry pressed.
"The Ministry is tightening its grip on Hogwarts," Anne and Hermione said in unison.
They looked at each other and gave a small smile.
"What? Even more control? What'll that look like?" Ron said in disbelief.
"I'm not entirely sure," Anne replied. "But it's obvious Umbridge is trying to win over, or at least test, students like me who have family working at the Ministry. She's clearly gearing up for something big at Hogwarts."
Harry looked furious. To him, Umbridge was already being completely unreasonable.
"She's already awful! How can Dumbledore just let her do whatever she wants here?" Harry burst out.
"Harry!"
"Hey!" Anne scolded as she cracked the door to check outside. No one was there.
"You really need to get a grip on your emotions," she said firmly. "Besides, Dumbledore's hands are tied. Umbridge has the full backing of the Minister for Magic, Fudge. You need to understand that. Getting angry in class won't help anything, it'll only make things worse."
"But I'm telling the truth!" Harry protested, clearly frustrated.
"Oh, Merlin…" Anne muttered under her breath. She tried not to look at Harry like he was clueless, but Hermione and Fanny definitely noticed.
"Listen carefully, this has nothing to do with truth or lies," Anne said seriously. "What matters now is keeping a low profile and staying out of trouble. Manage your temper, okay? Unless you want another week of detention and missing your precious Quidditch match?"
Harry glared at her.
"I'm certain Professor Umbridge has both the authority and the will to make that happen," Anne added. "Now would be a good time to practice managing your anger. Take a few deep breaths. Think about Gryffindor's Quidditch Cup. Think about the match."
Harry turned away, refusing to look at her, but obediently took several deep breaths, forcing himself to focus on what Angelina, the team captain, had told him that morning.
"See? That's much better." Anne smiled, checking her watch. "Time for Care of Magical Creatures. We all have it together, so let's go."
They exited the oak front doors and walked down the sloping lawn toward Hagrid's hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, pulling their robes tighter against the sharp wind.
Ron and Harry walked ahead, while Hermione stayed back with Anne and Fanny.
"Anne, I've been wondering about something…" Hermione said.
"What is it?"
"Professor Dumbledore is the Headmaster of Hogwarts. I've read the Ministry's education policies, the Ministry doesn't have the authority to appoint teaching staff. So how did Umbridge get hired?"
"That's an interesting question," Anne replied. "You're right, technically. But first of all, no one wants to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. And secondly, the Ministry can still influence things through new legislation, like appointing Umbridge via loopholes in their decrees."
"But, " Hermione said, stunned and indignant, "That's a complete abuse of power…"
Anne said nothing. The group trudged silently the rest of the way to Hagrid's cabin.
Professor Grubbly-Plank stood ten meters from the door, waiting for the students. In front of her was a long table covered in bundles of twigs.
"Bowtruckles. I keep a few in my basement at home, they're not as harmless as they look…" Anne said as she sketched the creature's body on parchment. Fanny held a Bowtruckle still so Anne could get the details right. Their assignment for the class was to draw a detailed diagram of its anatomy.
When the bell rang, Anne turned in her sketch and earned five points for Slytherin. Harry had asked Professor Grubbly-Plank about Hagrid as soon as class began, but she refused to say anything.
Draco Malfoy took the opportunity to mock Harry cruelly, claiming that even if Hagrid came back, he wouldn't last long. It was Hermione who managed to stop Harry from retaliating.
By the time class ended, the sky had begun to darken.
As they walked back toward the castle, they passed the fourth-year Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students coming out of Herbology.
Ginny was among them, and so was Luna Lovegood, with a smudge of dirt on her nose. The moment she spotted Harry, her eyes lit up and she walked straight toward him, drawing curious glances from the others.
Without even a greeting, Luna said plainly, "I believe You-Know-Who has returned. I believe you fought him and escaped."
Harry looked deeply uncomfortable. "Um, yeah," he muttered awkwardly.
Many Gryffindors and Slytherins around them burst out laughing.
"You can laugh," Luna said loudly, "but people used to think Nargles and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks weren't real either!"
"Right, because they aren't," Hermione snapped. "There are no such things."
Luna glared at her and abruptly turned away, heading down the hill. At the bottom, Anne and Fanny were slowly climbing the stairs. Anne had stayed behind to help Professor Grubbly-Plank tidy up and took the chance to ask about Billywig stings.
"Hey, Luna! Cute carrot earrings~" Anne called out cheerfully. She'd noticed Luna had been with Harry and the others, though she hadn't heard their conversation. Fanny gave Luna a polite nod.
Luna's earrings swayed wildly as she walked, only slowing when she reached Anne.
"Anne, I'm walking with you," she said without explanation.
Fanny gave Anne a puzzled look. She had heard the rumors about "loony" Luna from Ravenclaw but hadn't expected Anne to be on such friendly terms with her.
Anne gave Fanny a reassuring glance. "Sure, just a heads-up, there's a bit of dirt on your nose. How was Herbology?"
Luna wiped her nose with her sleeve and answered airily, "Professor Sprout is wonderful. We studied Mandrakes today, "
"Anne, what did Professor Grubbly-Plank say about Billywigs?" Hermione had caught up, glancing briefly at Luna, who stared back with her large protruding eyes.
Anne glanced uphill at Harry and Ron, still standing in place. Clearly, Hermione had run off without telling them.
Sensing the tension, Anne replied quickly, "She said Billywigs are native to Australia, about half an inch long, bright blue, with wings on either side of their head. They spin when they fly. If a wizard gets stung, they'll float uncontrollably for days. In severe cases, the levitation can become permanent…"
Hermione grinned. "Fascinating creature."
"Yeah, my uncle told me that there was a time when Aussie wizards would deliberately get stung just for the fun of floating."
At the Great Hall doors, they parted ways. Anne let out a long sigh of relief.
Fanny, in a teasing tone, said, "Looks like Hermione's not in the best mood today…"
Anne shot her a look but said nothing.
"Hey Anne, tell me, how did you end up getting along with Luna Lovegood? She's Ravenclaw's most famous weirdo, "
Anne speared a meat pie and explained, "Third year, Christmas holidays. I overslept on the train back, and she woke me up. We got to talking and became friends."
"Luna's not like what people say. I think she just thinks differently. She and Hermione are total opposites, Luna relies on instinct, Hermione trusts facts and logic. Hermione draws from structure and precedent, but... well, even she can be unpredictable sometimes."
"Oh? Like what?" Fanny asked, intrigued.
"Like founding S.P.E.W. last year," Anne chuckled, "Nobody asked her to do that. It was thankless work, but she did it anyway. Or spending ages researching for Buckbeak's case in third year, even though she knew it wouldn't help. She just… couldn't not do it."
The smile on Anne's lips widened with every word. By the time she stopped, her full cup of milk tea had gone cold.
Fanny had quietly listened the entire time. Then she said slyly, "Didn't expect you to be so thoughtful about someone, "
"Ahem..." Anne coughed, turning away, embarrassed. She silently scolded herself and said, "You already knew most of that. Anyway, eat up. I need to go check in with Professor McGonagall later."
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A few days later, during breakfast…
Anne sat bleary-eyed at the table, mechanically chewing her bread. A tawny owl and her own owl, Momo, landed in front of her and Fanny.
Fanny skillfully untied the letters from Momo and grabbed the Daily Prophet and The Quibbler from the tawny owl. She placed The Quibbler and Momo's letter in front of Anne and opened the newspaper herself.
Almost immediately, she gasped, "Merlin's beard! "
"What is it?" Anne took a long sip of milk tea, finally waking up a little.
"Look!" Fanny laid out the front page.
It showed a large photo of Dolores Umbridge smiling and winking at them. The headline read:
Ministry Seeks Education Reform: Dolores Umbridge Appointed First High Inquisitor
"In a surprise move last night, the Ministry of Magic passed a new decree, giving it unprecedented control over Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the article began.
"For some time, the Minister has been increasingly concerned about the situation at Hogwarts," said Percy Weasley, the Minister's assistant. "He acted after hearing the worries of concerned parents who believe the school is heading in a direction they strongly oppose."
This wasn't the first change. On August 30th, the Ministry passed Educational Decree Number Twenty-Two, allowing the Ministry to appoint teachers if the Headmaster fails to fill a post.
"That's how Dolores Umbridge was appointed," Weasley stated. "Dumbledore couldn't find anyone. The Minister stepped in, and she's been a tremendous success, revamping Defense Against the Dark Arts and providing accurate reports on Hogwarts' internal affairs."
This latest decree, Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three, establishes the new post of High Inquisitor of Hogwarts.
"In the Minister's efforts to control the so-called decline in educational standards, this is a thrilling new initiative," Weasley said. "The Inquisitor will be able to inspect her fellow staff members and ensure they're up to par. Professor Umbridge has graciously accepted the role."
The Ministry's actions have been met with strong support from Hogwarts parents.
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