Jupiter | Harry James Potter

lxxii ; the hogwarts high inquisitor

 
   Breakfast in the Great Hall was a ghastly ordeal, considering none of them had ended up falling asleep until the sun began to rise. However, they were all rudely awakened whenever a departing delivery owl came swooping down in front of them, dropping a thick newspaper onto the table. Hermione let out a huge gasp and flattened the newspaper to reveal a large photograph of Dolores Umbridge, smiling widely and blinking slowly at them from beneath the headline: 'Ministry Seeks educational reform; Dolores Umbridge appointed first ever 'High Inquisitor.'

" 'High Inquisitor'?" Harry scoffed darkly, his half-eaten bit of toast slipping from his fingers. "What does that mean?"

Hermione read aloud: "In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." 'The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time,' said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. 'He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve.' This is not the first time in recent weeks Fudge has used new laws to make improvements at the Wizarding school. As recently as August 30th Educational Decree Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person." 'That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts,' said Weasley last night. 'Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, so the Minister put in Umbridge and of course, she's been an immediate success —' "

"She's been a WHAT?" Harry gawked loudly.

"Wait, there's more," Hermione said grimly.

" '— an immediate success, totally revolutionizing the teaching of Defense Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the ground feedback about what's really happening at Hogwarts.' "It is this last function that the Ministry has now formalized with the passing of Educational Decree Twenty-three, which creates the new position of 'Hogwarts High Inquisitor.'

Hermione finished reading and looked across the table at the other three."So now we know how we ended up with Umbridge! Fudge passed this 'Educational Decree' and forced her on us! And now he's given her the power to inspect other teachers!" Hermione was breathing fast and her eyes were very bright. "I can't believe this. It's outrageous. . . ."

"Really?" Jupiter said sarcastically, glancing at her still-bandaged hand as she absent-mindedly stirred her porridge.

"I think she's great," Harry joked. Jupiter's eyes moved to Harry's clenched hand on the table, his scar fully out for anyone to see. She felt a wrench in her heart at the idea of him being so openly okay with people seeing his wound. She felt like she was letting him down in a way by not being as bold as him, and it was starting to tear at her from the inside.

"Oh, I can't wait to see McGonagall inspected," Ron grinned happily. "Umbridge won't know what's hit her." 

"Well, come on," said Hermione, jumping up, "we'd better get going, if she's inspecting Binns's class we don't want to be late. . . ."

But Professor Umbridge was not inspecting their History of Magic lesson, which was the exact same as the previous Monday, nor was she in Snape's dungeon when they arrived for double Potions, where Jupiter's moonstone essay was handed back to her with a large, spiky black O scrawled in an upper corner.

"I have awarded you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your O.W.L," Snape said with a smirk, as he swept among them, passing back their homework. "This should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in your examination." Snape reached the front of the class and turned to face them. "The general standard of this homework was abysmal. Most of you would have failed had this been your examination. I expect to see a great deal more effort for this week's essay on the various varieties of venom antidotes, or I shall have to start handing out detentions to those dunces who get D's."