Slytherin Princess | ✓

thirty-eight

Professor Dumbledore had been sacked as Headmaster of Hogwarts for conspiring against the Ministry of Magic. Now, Professor Umbridge was Headmistress.

Marching behind Draco, I shot daggers at the back of his head. The idiot signed me up for Professor Umbridge's Inquisitional Squad, whatever that meant. Along with Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and a few other Slytherins accompanied us to Umbridge's very pink office.

"Ah, my lovely squadron," Professor Umbridge smiled at us. "Come in, close the door."

Since I was the last one to come in, I closed the door and stood in line with my friends. Professor Umbridge droned on about how the Inquisitional Squad was a group of students I believe will help better the school who have the authority and ability to punish those who do wrong; like being a Prefect but more extreme.

Opening the box, she pulled out a silver long shaped pin. The pin had a small engraving on it that I couldn't read from where I stood. She handed us each a pin and motioned for us to put it on. In tiny letters, the pin read Inquisitional Squad. Even Filch got a little pin.

Umbridge dismissed us with a wave of her hand. Passing a mirror, I saw my brows were furrowed and I pushed my fingers against the knot to relieve the stress. It did not.

Walking over to the Hall, for breakfast, I saw a group of lovely people from Dumbledore's Army. Uh-oh.

"— she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office," said Kemper viciously, as we walked up to the entrance hall where she and her group of friends stood. "Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old —"

"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Kemper? Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," Draco drawled.

"It's only teachers that can dock points from Houses, Malfoy," said Macmillian at once.

Sighing softly, I decided to stand next to Draco, as I promised I'd support him.

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

"Prefects can't dock points from other Prefects, Weasley," I rolled my eyes. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad —"

"The what?" Granger sharply interrupted me.

"The Inquisitorial Squad, Granger," said Draco, pointing toward the tiny little silver plaque on 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—"

"Draco!"

"— Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that... Five points for Granger's unruly hair... Oh yeah, Kemper, I forgot, you're a Mud —"

"I dare you to finish that sentence," I whispered sharply in his ear.

"Watch yourself," Harry pulled his wand out, but Kemper grabbed his wrist, whispering, "Don't!"

"Wise move, Kemper," I breathed. "New Head, new times."

"Be good now, Potty... Weasel King ..." Draco cackled. He shot me a warning look and walked away with Crabbe and Goyle behind me. I hadn't even known they were behind me.

"He was bluffing, right?" said Macmillian nervously. "He can't really be..."

"He's not bluffing," I breathed.