Kassandra Bauer and the Order of the Phoenix. (Book 5)

Chapter 27: The Shadow of War.

(Kassandra P.O.V)

BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced  Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty Nine. 

Signed: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic. 

I couldn't believe it. This was horrible. And it was all my fault. 

The notices all went up around the school overnight, but they did not explain how every single person within the castle seemed to know that Dumbledore had overcome two Aurors, the High Inquisitor, the Minister for Magic and Percy to escape. No matter where I went in the castle, the sole topic of conversation was Dumbledore's flight, and though some of the details went awry in the retelling...( say for example how one second year girl said that Fudge was now lying in St. Mungo's with a pumpkin for a head) it was surprising how accurate the rest of their information was. Everybody knew for instance that Harry, Marietta, and I were the only students to have witnessed the scene in Dumbledore's Office and, as Marietta was now in the Hospital Wing, Harry and I found ourselves besieged with requests to give first hand accounts. 

"Dumbledore will be back before long." I heard Ernie Macmillan confidently on the way back from Herbology, after listening intently to the story. "They couldn't keep him away in our second year and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me-" He dropped his voice so that that we had to lean closer to him to hear. "-that Umbitch tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle grounds for him. Couldn't get past the Griffon. The Head's Office has sealed itself against her." He smirked. "Apparently, she had a right little Tantrum." 

"Well... that's good." I commented. 

"Am I the only one who wants to see an Umbitch Tantrum?" Ryan asked. 

"Congratulations! We've all just seen the corruption of the Ministry for Magic." Anubis grunted. I could tell that he sounded livid. "This Woman tortures and does all heinous crimes... and gets rewarded?" Ron's eyes started to glow dangerously red. 

"Calm yourself, Anubis." Horus told him. "I'm just as upset about this as much as you are." 

"Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's Office." Hermione said viciously, as we walked up the stone steps into the Entrance Hall. "Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old-" 

"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Granger?"  A voice had asked.

Malfoy had slid out from behind the door, closely followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His pale, pointed face was alight with malice. "Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points form Gryffindor and Hufflepuff." He drawled.

"What did you do with Mira?!" I demanded.

"Oh... her? The Headmistress will deal with that traitor." Malfoy answered.

"It's only teachers that can dock points from Houses, Malfoy." Ernie said at once.

"Yeah, we're prefects too, remember?" Ron snarled.

"I know Prefects can't dock points, Weasel King." Malfoy sneered; while Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad-" 

"The what?" I asked sharply.

"The Inquisitorial Squad, Greek Freak." Malfoy answered, pointing toward a tiny silver capital I upon his robes just beneath his Prefect badge. "A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, hand picked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points... So, Granger, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new headmistress... Macmillan, five for contradicting me... Five because I don't like you, Potter. Ten for being a Greek Freak, Bauer. Five for having a mental disability, Tyler. Five more for your ball of chaos, sister. Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that... Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a Mudblood, Granger, so ten for that..."