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A NEW DECREE OF UMBRIDGE'S HAD GONE UP ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON. Filch was climbing up his rickety old ladder with another one of those stupid decrees and a hammer. The wall outside the Great Hall had now become dedicated to Umbridge's rules and at least two new ones were put up every week. Cassiopeia stopped paying attention to it after a while. She hated that Umbridge was given so much power over the students in a school she didn't even run.
But this one had caught the eye of many Slytherin students as they made their way to the Great Hall from their Double Potions lesson. Draco had stopped them and they all looked up at the new decree. Cassiopeia rolled her eyes the moment she saw it.
EDUCATIONAL DECREE NUMBER 98
THOSE WISHING TO JOIN THE INQUISITORIAL SQUAD FOR EXTRA CREDIT MAY SIGN UP IN THE HIGH INQUISITORS OFFICE
The youngest Coldwell scoffed, "'Extra credit?' For what? Being the Ministry of Magic's puppets?"
"I can't understand why you don't like her, Cass," Draco spoke as they made their way into the Great Hall and sat down at the Slytherin table. "Hogwarts has actually been bearable this year with her around. Those Gryffindorks are finally getting put in their place."
Cassiopeia gave him a bewildered look but kept her mouth shut. Draco had reluctantly apologized for their little argument and Cassiopeia hadn't complained to him about anything since. She mostly vented to Ron, who was always happy to help her blow off steam and spend time with her. She was grateful that Ron never invalidated her feelings and listened to what she was saying.
Blaise, who was sitting next to Cassiopeia, spoke up, "You have to admit, mate, that some of her rules are just plain mad. I mean, she's gone a bit overboard on a few. Remember when she told me my shoes weren't polished enough?"
"And she's not a very good teacher," Cassiopeia added, loading her dinner plate up with roasted potatoes. "I haven't learned one thing from her all year."
"Then you obviously haven't been reading your textbook, Cass," Draco rolled his eyes and placed a lamb chop on his plate. He then proceeded to swipe a few peppermint humbugs off Crabbe's plate.
"I don't need to. It's a beginners' book, first year material. I've learned everything that it has to teach. We should be learning O.W.L material and actually practicing spells."
"Exactly," Blaise agreed. "It's like she purposefully doesn't want us to pass our O.W.L.s"
Draco looked taken aback by this. "You're the mad one, Zabini. No competent teacher would do that."
"Except Umbridge isn't competent," Cassiopeia retorted, earning a glare from the blonde boy.
He was one of the few students in the school who actually liked Umbridge and the way she took advantage of berating and punishing students of other houses for ridiculous things. In fact, most of the Slytherin students were supportive of her and the Ministry of Magic.
