On the following Sunday, the last burst of autumn sunshine persisted, so rather than sitting hunched over tables in the common room, Ron and Harry took their homework outside and lounged in the shade of a large beech tree on the edge of the lake.
Allison had finished her last essay the night before, and Hermione, who of course was up to date with all her work, brought more wool outside with her and bewitched her knitting needles so that they flashed and clicked in mid-air beside her, producing more hats and scarves, while she taught Allison how she could knit her own socks.
The high from the weekend was swiftly dampened on Monday morning, where Allie discovered that a large sign had been affixed to the Gryffindor notice board, so large that it covered everything else on there - the lists of second-hand spell books for sale, the regular reminders of school rules from Argus Filch, the Quidditch team training schedule, the offers to barter certain Chocolate Frog cards for others, the Weasleys' new advertisement for testers, the dates of the Hogsmeade weekends, and the lost-and-found notices.
The new sign was printed in large black letters and there was a highly official-looking seal at the bottom beside a neat and curly signature.
- BY ORDER OF -
The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts
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.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four.
Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor)
Some anxious looking Second Years were standing next to Allison, standing on their tiptoes to read the sign.
"Does this mean they're going to shut down the Gobstones Club?" One of them asked his friend.
"I reckon you'll be okay with Gobstones," She heard Ron's voice behind her and turned to find both him and Harry. The Second Years had jumped and were now hurrying away quickly.
"I don't think we're going to be as lucky, though, do you?" Harry asked Allie.
"She knows," Allison said. "How come she knows?"
"She can't," Ron said at once.
"It's not a coincidence," Harry said. "There were people listening in that pub. And let's face it, we don't know how many of the people who turned up we can trust...Any of them could have run off and told Umbridge..."
"Zacharias Smith!" Ron said at once, punching a fist into his hand. "Or - I thought that Michael Corner had a really shifty look too -"
"I wonder if Hermione's seen this yet?" Harry said, looking around at the door to the girls' dormitories.
"She was still in the bathroom when I went downstairs," said Allison.
"Let's go and tell her," Ron said.
"No, Ron!" Allie tried to warn him, but he had already bounded forward and set off up the spiral staircase.
He was on the sixth stair when it happened. There was a loud, wailing, klaxon-like sound and the steps melted together to make a long, smooth stone slide. There was a brief moment when Ron tried to keep running, arms working madly like windmills, then he toppled over backward and shot down the newly created slide, coming to rest on his back at Allie and Harry's feet.
YOU ARE READING
WE'LL TAKE ON THE WORLD ; h.j.p.
Fanfiction─ "i won't let go with you by my side, the calm, the storm we'll face it all." She had read about love all her life. Never had she imagined she would ever experience it herself, especially with dark forces rising to power and a war approaching fast...
