Poisoned Youth | ✓

24- HBIC

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 E. 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 E 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.

Hermione spent most of our lunch hour talking about our marks and how upset she was over the fact she had gotten an A and not the single E. She had been even more upset when she found out I had been the one to get an E and not a Slytherin. After our lunch, Professor Umbridge wasn't present in Hermione's Arithamncy lesson or my Alchemy class because she was in Divination with Harry and Ron. They caught us up on what had happened in their class, especially Professor Trelawney's meltdown.

Walking into class, Umbridge was humming and smiling to herself when we entered the room. Harry and Ron spoke in hushed voices as they continued to tell us on had happened in their class. Before we could ask any questions Professor Umbridge had called us to order and silence fell.

"Wands away," she instructed everyone smilingly, and the people who had been hopeful enough to take them out sadly returned them to their bags. "As we finished chapter one last lesson, I would like you all to turn to page nineteen today and commence chapter two, 'Common Defensive Theories and Their Derivation.' There will be no need to talk."