Dark Pasts { A Harry Potter Story }

Chapter 38 - The Ministry Interferes At Hogwarts

The next morning's volume of the Daily Prophet came as we were eating breakfast and completely cut off our appetite. There was a large photograph of Umbridge underneath the following headline:

Ministry Seeks Educational Reform

Dolores Umbridge Appointed First-Ever High Inquisitor

"What does that mean?" Harry asked before Hermione read aloud the article stating that Umbridge had been appointed by the Ministry and that she had apparently revolutionized the teaching of DADA and that she was a huge success. This new educational decree, however, made me even more uneasy, as it allowed her to inspect other teachers!

"It's outrageous!" Hermione said. Harry and I nodded, but Ron was smiling.

"Whatever are you smiling for?" I asked him.

"I can't wait to see McGonagall inspected! Umbridge won't know what hit her!" He said happily.

I chuckled as we stood up and walked to our first class of the week, which was very dull. Umbridge was not there to inspect Professor Binn, nor was she there to inspect Professor Snape, who returned our essays we had handed back on the last class. he had graded them according to OWL standards, and I smiled as I saw the E for Exceeds Expectations on my parchment. Hermione and I were comparing our grades as we walked toward the Great Hall for lunch. I was surprised to see I had gotten a higher mark, but also rather satisfied.

"I mean, all right, I wasn't expecting a top grade, not if he's marking to O.W.L. standard, but a pass is quite encouraging at this stage, right?" She said and I nodded, assuring her that she had done very well even if she may not have received the mark she had hoped for. Harry and Ron were particularly quiet beside us as she went on about OWLs and grades.

"Obviously, I'd have been thrilled if I'd gotten an O-" She said with a glance in my direction, but was caught off by an exasperated Ron.

"For the hundredth time, Hermione, if you want to know what grade we got, just ask," He said as we sat down at the table.

"Well, I, er... if you want to tell me-"

"I got a P," Ron said with a mouthful of food. "A big healthy P."

"Doesn't P stand for-"

"Poor, yeah," Fred said as he sat down beside us.

"Still better than D, isn't it?" George said. "Dreadful."

I stole a glance at Harry and saw that he quickly folded his essay into his bag.

"And then there's T," Fred reminded us.

"T?" Hermione said, looking appalled. "What on earth does that stand for?"

"Troll."

We all laughed, but I wasn't sure if he was being serious or not. We all finished eating before standing up to go to Divinations.

"Be a good boy and don't lose your temper with Umbridge today or Angelina will go nuts," George said before they walked away. We said goodbye to Hermione, who had dropped divinations and had Arithmancy lessons instead. We did not have to wait for DADA to see Umbridge, however, as she was standing in the corner when we entered  Professor Trelawney's class.

"We shall be continuing our study of prophetic dreams today," She began when everyone had settled into their seats. "

I opened my copy of The Dream Oracle and noticed Umbridge taking notes on her clipboard as she paced around the room. I absently flipped the pages of my book, not listening to the dream Neville was recounting in front of me.