Educational Decree Number One Hundred and Twenty-Three: Special lessons will henceforth commence, taught by members of the Inquisitorial Squad and overseen by the Hogwarts Headmistress and High Inquisitor Dolores Jane Umbridge, to reinforce the methods of creating a peaceful Magical world as set out by the Ministry of Magic.

"What the bloody hell does that mean?" Ron exclaimed, reading the leaflet that had been left on the table in the Great Hall. "The other ones are clear enough – no hands under cloaks, no howlers, no Quidditch – but this?"

Harry stayed silent and they both looked across the table at Hermione (who was a full thirty-six inches away, just to be safe).

"I don't know," she answered. "But I'm sure we'll hear about it soon."

"Well, I don't like the sound of it," Harry said. "'Reinforce the methods of creating a peaceful magical world as set out by the Ministry of Magic'? The Ministry think the way for a peaceful world is to ignore everything that's happen. They probably would like to see the back of me."

"Don't say that!" Hermione hissed. "They aren't going to try to get rid of you; they just want to cover up everything you've said about You Know Who."

"The Inquisitorial Squad is the part I don't like," Ron put in. "If Malfoy comes anywhere near me, I'll knock his teeth out."

"What do you think 'specific' means?" asked Harry.

"Maybe the lessons are very specific in nature?" Hermione guessed. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"Attention students," Dolores Umbridge said in her sickeningly sweet voice. The new Headmistress of Hogwarts was standing behind Dumbledore's pedestal and could barely be seen behind the wing span of the owl. Umbridge cleared her throat daintily and waited until everyone in the Great Hall was looking at her; this took a considerably longer than it would have taken for Dumbledore and the professors at the staff table were doing nothing to help quiet the students.

"Thank you," Umbridge said, smiling flakily. "I wish to speak to you about the arrangements that have been made for the special lessons indicated in educational decree number one hundred and twenty-three. These lessons are intended for students whom I consider lacking the proper education on what sort of behaviour will make our magical world even more magical."

If Umbridge was waiting for a murmur of laughter or wave of smiles, it never came and she continued.

"Your Heads of Houses will be speaking to the selected students and will provide the time and place of your lesson. If there are any questions, please ask your Head of House to make an appointment with me and I can assure you everything will be sorted as quickly as possible."

Umbridge left the pedestal and returned to Dumbledore's chair. The chatter in the hall resumed.

"That told us nothing," Ron complained, taking a bite of chocolate mousse. "I mean, who are the students? How are the lessons going to be taught?"

"I don't know," Harry said. "But I would bet all my gold that we're going to be in that group."

Later that evening, Professor McGonagall came into the Gryffindor common room and read names off a piece of parchment.

"Would Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnsn, Colin Creevey, Cormac McLaggen, Dean Thomas, Dennis Creavey, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Katie Bell, Lavender Brown, Lee Jordan, Neville Longbottom, Nigel Wolpert, Parvati Patil, Romilda Vane, and Ron Weasley please assemble in front of the fire? I need to speak with you."

"Here we go," Harry muttered, leaving his books open on the table and joining the surge of people crowding around the sofa in front of the fireplace. Harry immediately noticed that Professor McGonagall looked upset and much older than she had at the beginning of the year.

"I have called you together because you are the Gryffindor students Professor Umbridge has selected to receive a special lesson."

"It's because we were members of Dumbledore's Army, isn't it?" asked Colin.

"I suspect so, Mr. Creavey." McGonagall answered. "You have been divided into groups by the Headmistress and each group has a specific time and place to report to."

"What will happen?" Parvati asked. "What are they going to do?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that," the teacher said. "But I do wish to impart words you'd be wise to follow: the house of Gryffindor has always been home to exceptionally brave wizards and witches who have stood for they know to be right. It is very possible that this lesson involves some sort of punishment or you may be asked to do something you do not agree with. Please know that if any of you decide you cannot do what is being asked of you, you will have my full support but I will not be able to help or protect you. Proceed knowing the cost of what will be required may be extremely high."

She looked directly at Harry for a brief moment and then held up her parchment again. As she announced the groups of students, Harry looked at Hermione.

"It'll be okay," she murmured. "They won't turn."

Harry knew she was probably right but the smallest part of him wanted them to. He didn't think he could stand to see his friends – all of those who had faith in him and what he knew to be true – hurt again. He couldn't be responsible for more deaths like Cedric's.

"Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter."

Ron, who was closest to McGonagall, accepted the envelope she handed him. They returned to their table and Hermione took the envelope and ripped it open.

"Students: Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Harry Potter. Location: Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Time: This Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Instructor: -"

Hermione's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open.

"What?" Harry exclaimed. "Who is it?"

"Instructor," Hermione repeated, her face pale. "Draco Malfoy, Inquisitorial Squad. Please leave your wands and any other magical objects in your dormitories."

"If she thinks I am going anywhere without my wand," Ron said bitterly. "She's off her rocker."

"Professor!" Harry called, hurrying to catch McGonagall before she left the common room. She stopped by the portrait hole.

"What is it, Potter?"

"This can't be right. Malfoy is supposed to teach our lesson."

"This is out of my hands. There is nothing I can do."

"He will try to kill us if there's no one else around." Harry said seriously. "His father was in the graveyard that night; they're supporting You Know Who."

"I'm sorry, Potter. Professor Umbridge has kept all her plans private so even if I wanted to do something, I couldn't."

She sighed.

"Let me sleep on it," she said finally. "When is your lesson?"

"6:30 on Thursday in the Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom. Thank you, Professor."

"Don't thank me yet, Potter. I may not be able to help."

Harry nodded and Professor McGonagall climbed through the portrait hole. Harry returned to the table and told Hermione and Ron what she'd said.

"I don't like the look of this," Hermione said nervously. "We need a plan."

"How can we plan? We don't know anything."

"I wish there was a way I could talk to Sirius," Harry said.

"It's too dangerous," Ron said and Hermione nodded.

"We can think about this later," Hermione said after a few moments of each of them lost in their own thoughts. "Let's finish our homework."

As Thursday drew closer, Harry, Hermione, and Ron, along with the rest of Hogwarts, began to notice strange thing, the most noticeable being students absent from lessons.

"They're all DA members," Hermione whispered across breakfast Wednesday morning. "Or Inquisitorial Squad members."

"Where do you think they've gone?" Ron asked. Hermione shrugged.

"But not all of them are gone," Harry said. "There are too many DA members for the Inquisitorial Squad to deal with and I know some of them have had 'lessons' already but they're still here."

"Do you know who the lessons were with?"

Harry looked around the hall.

"Millicent Bulstrode," he said, pointing at the Slytherin girl across the Great Hall. "She was scheduled to 'instruct' Ginny, Pavarti, and Lavender yesterday."

The three looked around the Gryffindor table and, not surprisingly, didn't see any of the girls.

"We need to look for them," Ron said, much more invested now that his sister was among the missing.

"We can't miss class." Hermione protested.

"We'll say we're ill and ask to go to the hospital wing," Harry replied. "Once Madam Pomfrey gives us whatever potion we ask for, we can say we're going back to class but we'll start searching the castle instead."

Hermione sighed but agreed to skip the lesson. They decided Professor Binn's class was easiest to get out of and as soon as the bell rang, Harry put his hand up.

"Professor, I don't feel well. May I go to the hospital wing for some pepper-up?"

He was given permission and waited in the hall for Hermione and Ron to convince the ghost that Harry must be contagious because they, too, didn't feel well.

"Oh, I hope I don't miss anything important," Hermione said anxiously as they walked through the first floor corridors to the hospital wing.

"Why do we actually have to go to the hospital wing?" Ron asked. "We could just start searching now."

"Because if we get caught searching the castle, Madame Pomfrey will confirm that we've actually been up there for a potion. Otherwise, we'll just get in trouble for ditching History of Magic." Harry answered.

"What potion are we asking for?"

"Headache reducer," Hermione replied. "It's harmless and Madame Pomfrey won't be able to tell we don't actually need it. If she gave us pepper-up and steam doesn't start coming from our ears, she'd know we were faking."

"You think of everything," Ron said admirably. Hermione was too nervous to recognize the compliment and merely shrugged.

The trio arrived at the hospital wing and pushed open the big doors. Inside was a maze of screens and they looked at each other in surprise.

"What's going on?" Ron wondered out loud. "Is there some sort of sickness going around?"

As they were still unnoticed by the matron, Hermione hurried to the nearest screen and peered around it.

"Guys, come here!" she whispered urgently. Harry and Ron joined her on the other side of the screen and they found themselves starting at a very bruised, swollen, and sleeping Lavender Brown.

"Ginny!" Ron said urgently and bolted from the cubicle. Harry and Hermione quickly followed him and by some miracle didn't get caught as they checked behind every screen until they found Ginny.

"Ginny!" Ron exclaimed, coming to the edge of her bed. "Can you hear me?"

Ginny looked very much like Lavender. One of her eyes was black and blue, swollen shut; there was a nasty, yellowish bruise on her other cheek; and her lip had been split open and traces of dried blood were still visible.

Ginny slowly opened her eyes and tried to smile but it only caused her to groan.

"Shh," Hermione soothed, coming to her other side and taking Ginny's hand in hers. "Who did this to you?"

Ginny shook her head.

"Did they put a jinx on you to stop you from talking about it?"

Ginny nodded.

"Was it Millicent?"

Another nod.

"Did they use curses on you?"

Nod.

"And punches?" Harry asked.

Nod.

"Did you leave the castle?"

A hesitant shake no that changed to a nod.

"You don't know where you were?"

Shake.

"Did you go through any strange doors?"

Shake.

"Portkey?"

Nod.

"Did they tell you it was a portkey?"

Shake.

"Are you in pain?"

Shake.

Harry and Ron both breathed a sigh of relief at this answer. At least the potions were working to keep her comfortable.

"Are all the other people here members of the DA?"

Nod.

"And they were all hurt somehow?"

Nod.

"Excuse me," a sweet voice asked and Hermione, Ron, and Harry turned in horror to see Professor Umbridge standing at the entrance to the cubicle. "I believe you are supposed to be in class."

"We came here for a headache potion," Hermione said. She quickly dropped Ginny's hand.

"All of you?"

"Yes. We couldn't find Madame Pomfrey."

"That is because she is at St. Mungo's Hospital picking up supplies. If you will follow me, I will get your potions and escort you back to class."

They had no choice but to follow, though Ron quickly squeezed Ginny's hand on his way out. Umbridge led them into a small annex and pulled three phials of purple liquid off the shelf.

"Here you are," she said pleasantly.

The last thing Harry wanted to do was drink the potion – he didn't trust Umbridge – but he had no choice. However, nothing drastic happened when he swallowed the liquid and Ron and Hermione looked alright as well.

"Back to class now," Umbridge said, ushering them out. She led them back to Professor Binns's classroom.

"It would be best," she said crisply. "If you don't share what you just saw. If you do, I will know about it and you will be punished. You should also note that the hospital wing is strictly off-limits for visitors."

She opened the door for them and they shuffled back into their seats. Professor Binns didn't even notice.

"What potion did we just take?" Harry asked Hermione quietly.

"I'm not sure exactly but I bet it was jinxed. It's likely the same potion she's been giving to everyone so they can't talk about what happened in the lessons."

"At least we found them," Harry sighed.

"Did you see Lavender and Ginny?" Ron exclaimed and quickly lowered his voice when a few people turned around. "They looked terrible."

"We need to work on our plan," Hermione said. "If that's what Millicent did to them, imagine what Draco will try to do to us."

It was a chilling thought and one Harry couldn't escape for the rest of the day.

Quick note that this is a mix of movie and book verse – the biggest indicator being all the educational decrees from the movies that were not mentioned in the book. I hope that was good enough that you'll stick around for the next chapter! Reviews are very much appreciated, thank you.

Additionally, I'm pleased to announce a new writing initiative! I'm actually trying to schedule writing into my days now and I hope to always update on Friday evening. This doesn't just apply for this story but for all the stories I'm currently working on, including a few Merlin stories and one Cinderella one – feel free to check them out if these are your fandoms =)