The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|68| High Inquisitor

Over a weekend of problems between Professor Umbridge's detentions; Malfoy's harassment during a practice– which Ron got keeper for; and two interesting Daily Prophet articles, one about a break-in at the Ministry and someone reporting Sirius Black is hiding— I hadn't expected this horrible news Hermione had read from her Monday morning post. 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'?" said Harry darkly, his half-eaten bit of toast slipping from his fingers. "What does that mean?"

"That means she's basically a curriculum inspector and has the power to change the way Hogwarts functions," I groan, pushing my breakfast away.

"No!" Ron slaps his hand on his forehead.

Hermione read aloud an excerpt on the article about Professor Umbridge, gasping in surprise, "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! I can't believe this. It's outrageous..."

"I know it is," said Harry.

Looking up at me, he gave me a concerned look. Hermione hadn't noticed his odd look because she was too busy looking at Ron's grinning face.

"What is it?" he looked up at Ron.

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

Feeling anxious, Hermione suggested we set off to our classes now, not wanting to be late if Umbridge was going to supervise. But Professor Umbridge hadn't inspected our History of Magic lesson nor was she in Snape's dungeon where we arrived for out double Potions, where Harry was handed a large, spiky black D scrawled in at the top of his paper.

"I have awarded you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your O.W.L," said Snape with a smirk, as he swept among us, passing back our 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 the class.

"The general standard of this homework was abysmal— only one O. 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."

Looking over my essay, I looked at the shiny O next to my name. From the corner of my eye, I could see Harry's disappointing grade and Hermione's gaze, trying to see what I'd gotten. Folding my essay in half, I slid the essay into my bag and pulled out my quill to take notes.

The class dragged on Hermione and I waited for others to finish the potion of the lesson: Strengthing Solution. My cauldron had a beautifully clear turquoise liquid bubbling away, but Harry's was darker and thicker than mine— at least not pink like Neville's.

"Well, that wasn't as bad as last week, was it?" said Hermione, as we climbed the steps out of the dungeon and made our way across the entrance hall toward lunch. "And the homework didn't go too badly either, did it?"

None of us spoke as she continued talking about Snape's grading system, "I mean all right, I didn't expect the top grade, not if he's marking to O.W.L. standards, but a pass is quite encouraging at this stage. I'd just like to know who had gotten the O in our class."

Hermione continued talking, trying to hint to us to tell her our grades, as we made our way to the Great Hall.

"Of course, a lot can happen between now and the exam, we've got plenty of time to improve, but the grades we're getting now are a sort of baseline, aren't they? Something we can build on..."