Mass Collision

30. New Management

— by order of —

The Ministry of Magic

Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Al-

bus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft

and Wizardry.

The above is in accordance with

Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight.

Signed:

Minister of Magic

The notices had gone up all over 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 of Magic, and his Junior Assistant to escape. Everybody seemed aware, for instance, that Harry and Marietta were the only students to have witnessed the scene in Dumbledore's office, and as Marietta was now in the hospital wing, Harry found himself besieged with requests to give a firsthand account wherever he went.

Natalia unfortunately had the displeasure to be right next to Harry as he was recounting the story for the hundredth time and so was Draco.

"Dumbledore will be back before long," said Ernie Macmillan confidently on the way back from Herbology after listening intently to Harry's 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 conspiratorially, so that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had to lean closer to him to hear and Draco stomped his feet in frustration as Natalia rolled her eyes .

"Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office," said Hermione viciously, as they 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?" Draco had gone around them and appeared at the doors in front of them with Crabbe and Goyle. His pale, pointed face was alight with malice."Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," he drawled.

"It's only teachers that can dock points from Houses, Malfoy," said Ernie at once. It was their only leverage they had against the Slytherin prefects, but that was now gone.

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

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

"The what?" said Hermione sharply.

"The Inquisitorial Squad," said Natalia as she walked around them and stood next to Draco, pointing toward a tiny silver "I" upon his robes just beneath his prefect's 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 . . . 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. . . ."

Ron pulled out his wand, but Hermione pushed it away, whispering, "Don't!"

"Wise move, Granger," breathed Malfoy. "New Head, new times. . . Be good now, Potty . . . Weasel King . . ." Natalia smiled at him sarcastically as he strode away, laughing heartily with Crabbe and Goyle. She was going to hurt him for that.