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010.
THE PROMISING ASPECT of actually working towards something tangible seemed to disintegrate the moment the feeling met Esme's bloodstream. She should have known, after all these months continuously drowning in self deprecation and horrifying nightmares, that nothing good could last — even something as perpetually insignificant as a Defense Against the Dark Arts group they hadn't even begun yet.
As soon as she awoke on Monday morning, Esme headed downstairs to the sunlit common room where she planned to meet Lavender before heading to breakfast, only to be met with a crowd of Gryffindor students gathered around the notice board, where a big sign that covered all the other papers hung up was affixed right in the middle of the board. Lavender was nowhere to be found — instead Andrew bombarded Esme as soon as she managed to make it down the steps from her dormitory, sleep still addling her mind.
"That evil little toad!" he exclaimed as soon as Esme was in earshot. If it weren't for the fact that her eyes were scanning over the notice with panic, Esme would have laughed at the resemblance Andrew bore to Amara just then.
BY ORDER OF The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts
All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded. An Organization, 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 Organization, 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 Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four. Signed, Dolores Jane Umbridge. HIGH INQUISITOR.
Esme clenched her fists and whirled around to face Andrew – but instead came face to face with Hermione, who was leaning so close to her Esme let out a strangled gasp.
Regaining her composure, she lowered her voice as much as she could and eyed the students standing around them warily. "Who told?"
Hermione shook her head. "No one told, trust me, I would know." There was such a dark look in her eyes that Esme felt inclined to believe her straight away. "And we're not disbanding. Harry's still on board if you two are."
"'Course we are," said Andrew, glancing at Esme before nodding resolutely to Hermione.
"But Hermione," Esme furrowed her brows, "if no one told, why would Umbridge post this the day after we had our meeting?"
