The Eight Part Soul

Educational Decree

"What? An Educational Decree?" I asked, shocked first thing the next morning.

I had forgotten, or not cared the slightest that Professor Umbridge had been made a Hogwarts Inquisitor and had been inspecting classes. Life hasn't been harder either way, and the Toad hasn't been inspecting any classes I have been in but...

"Yes, unbelievable, isn't it?" Blaise asked, "Why would someone put such a decree? This also includes Quidditch! What if we can't reform our team?!" He said it like it was the impending doom of the world.

But I have other things in mind. Why would they put up such an absurd degree... now? Could someone know about that meeting yesterday... and want to prevent it? What for?

"Don't worry. We will definitely reform the team," a pompous voice spoke out. It was Draco Malfoy.

"Hmm?" Blaise asked.

"My father has a lot of connections with the Ministry and since Professor Umbridge is from the Ministry, I'm sure she would do anything to please the son of such a man," Malfoy said with his head high.

"Thank God for that," Blaise said, "I can't imagine Hogwarts without Quidditch."

"I'm sure the other houses should surely reform their teams as well, though I'm not very sure about Gryffindor, but what's one less?" Malfoy said.

"Hey, why do you think Umbridge made such a ridiculous decree?" I asked.

"Who knows?" Blaise shrugged.

"Maybe it's because she doesn't want any prohibited clubs going around school," Malfoy said with an air of superiority.

So, it was because of yesterday, huh?

"Prohibited?" I asked, mostly out of sake of curiosity.

"You do know that the Ministry has put much emphasis into reworking the curriculum of this school, and there might be some who objected to it. So, those some might be plotting to teach themselves spells outside the curriculum which is disastrous to the Ministry," Malfoy answered.

"And where did you get all that?" Blaise asked in astonishment.

"I was made aware. Apparently, Professor Umbridge somehow found out that a certain set of students wanted to learn prohibited spells outside her knowledge and made this decree to prevent it," Malfoy said.

So, it had something to do with yesterday's meeting!

"But you can't say that the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Umbridge has taught us was very reliable for the exams. It's what caused the first rebellion and now this. If the professor had taught normally, what she deemed as 'prohibited', this will never happen," I said.

"Hmm... you have a point, Nico. If it were me, I would also like to learn a few spells here and there rather than read that rubbish," Blaise said.

"Me too actually," Malfoy admitted, "But she's from the Ministry and if she wants to reform, we really can't do anything about it."

"Is that so?" I said, smiling, "But when something doesn't want to change, it won't, you know?" The temperature went down a little.

Both Malfoy and Blaise shivered.

"Mate," Blaise addressed to me, "Sometimes you are too scary."

"I get that a lot," I said in a near dismissive tone, "Let's go to class."

***

That Toad has really no sense of freedom for the students. Banning this and that for some time. Why did I have to do the mission at the worst possible time?