A/N

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Disclaimer: Operation take over Harry Potter has commenced. Further updates will be given as we progress. Heroes of Olympus still remains firmly in Uncle Rick's hands...for now.


Harry's POV | Hogwarts

MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM: DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST-EVER "HIGH INQUISITOR"

In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 'The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time,' said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. 'He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve.'

This is not the first time in recent weeks Fudge has used new laws to effect improvements at the Wizarding school. As recently as August 30th Educational Decree Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person.

'That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts,' said Weasley last night. 'Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, so the Minister put in Umbridge and of course, she's been an immediate success, totally revolutionizing the teaching of Defense Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the-ground feedback about what's really happening at Hogwarts.'

It is this last function that the Ministry has now formalized with the passing of Educational Decree Twenty-three, which creates the new position of 'Hogwarts High Inquisitor.'

'This is an exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to get to grips with what some are calling the "falling standards" at Hogwarts,' said Weasley. 'The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post, and we are delighted to say that she has accepted.'

The Ministry's new moves have received enthusiastic support from parents of students at Hogwarts. 'I feel much easier in my mind now that I know that Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation,' said Mr. Lucius Malfoy, 41, speaking from his Wiltshire mansion last night. 'Many of us with our children's best interests at heart have been concerned about some of

Dumbledore's eccentric decisions in the last few years and will be glad to know that the Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation.' Among those 'eccentric decisions' are undoubtedly the controversial staff appointments previously described in this newspaper, which have included the hiring of werewolf Remus Lupin, half giant Rubeus Hagrid, and delusional ex-Auror 'Mad-Eye' Moody.

Rumors abound, of course, that Albus Dumbledore, once Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, is no longer up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Hogwarts.

'I think the appointment of the Inquisitor is a first step toward ensuring that Hogwarts has a headmaster in whom we can all repose confidence,' said a Ministry insider last night.

Wizengamot elders Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden have resigned in protest at the introduction of the post of Inquisitor to Hogwarts. 'Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office,' said Madam Marchbanks. 'This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore.' (For a full account of Madam Marchbanks' alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page 17).

Harry gaped at Hermione, who had just finished reading.

"So now we know how we ended up with Umbridge!" Hermione fumed. "Fudge passed this 'Educational Decree' and forced her on us! And now he's given her the power to inspect other teachers!" She rolled up the newspaper, slamming it back down on the table. "And we still don't know what happened to Professor Binns… I bet it has something to do with them."

Harry had no trouble understanding who 'them' was. He glanced surreptitiously up and down the table, but as usual, the transfer students were nowhere to be seen. They rarely ever ate at their house tables, instead disappearing from the Great Hall to do who knew what.

"Where do they go?" Ron groaned in annoyance.

"I have no idea." Harry sighed.

Hermione was frowning at her porridge.

"I don't understand." She said frustratedly. "Umbridge, Verbeck, the transfers, and now this? They have to be connected, I just don't know how…"

When they arrived at History of Magic, Percy and Hazel were already present, seated in their usual spots at the back of the classroom. Harry cast them a wary look before throwing down his bag and slumping into the seat next to Ron.

His hand was still smarting from detention with Umbridge. Percy, he knew, had also had detention, though his hadn't been at the same time as Harry's. Whenever Harry caught sight of Percy's hand, however, he saw no trace of words. Either Umbridge was giving him a different type of detention, or Percy was somehow thwarting her.

The latter seemed to be the most likely, for as they days went on, Umbridge seemed to be getting more and more frustrated with Percy. Barely a class passed where she didn't take points from him, which was saying a lot, considering all they were doing was reading.

Harry wasn't sure how he felt about Percy's support. On the one hand, he was grateful towards anyone that would believe him, much less back him up. The other part of him, however, believed Hermione in that Percy and the other transfers were somehow connected to everything that had been going on recently.

As he sat thinking, the class around him slowly filled while Professor Verbeck bustled around behind the teacher's desk. She was a kindly looking woman of about thirty, unusually young for a Hogwarts professor. Her hair was long, light brown and swept back in an elegant knot, a few strands hanging lose around her olive-skinned face. Her eyes were a warm brown, darker than her hair, but filled with a light Harry had seen in very few people.

"Good morning, class." Professor Verbeck smiled, once everyone had taken their seats. "Today we will be learning about the Great Betrayal.

"As we have already discussed, Gaea birthed many children by Ouranos. When, however, Ouranos found them dissatisfactory, Gaea hatched a plot to destroy him…"

And so the lesson went. Harry scratched down notes as Professor Verbeck spoke, often drawing a quick diagram on the chalkboard behind her. Harry couldn't help but feel sorry for this Ouranos guy. Betrayed by his wife and cut into a billion pieces by his own son? His life was worse than Harry's.

Except, that wasn't right. These were myths, made up the Greeks centuries ago, not actual historical events. Yet Professor Verbeck told them like they were fact, and a portion of Harry couldn't help but start to believe her.

As the lesson neared the end, Hermione paused in her hurried note-taking to raise a hand.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Professor Verbeck asked, turning to her.

"How does Greek mythology relate to our magical world?" said Hermione breathlessly. "Everything Professor Binns taught us had nothing to do with mythology."

"All magic has a source, my dear." Professor Verbeck replied, not unkindly. "Rather like the gift of fire from Prometheus, humans did not always have magical powers like yourselves."

"But I read that the first wizard was created—"

"There are many theories." Professor Verbeck said, cutting across her, though not in a rude manner. "I choose to hold with the ones of the ancient teachings of the Greeks. Professor Dumbledore would like you to have a wide variety of knowledge in the matter, and I am here to help."

Hermione looked rather confused, but satisfied. Dean, however, raised his hand.

"What happened to Professor Binns, though?" He asked brusquely.

Harry held his breath, waiting for Professor Verbeck's answer. No one had yet dared to ask her this, despite her kindly manner. She did not answer at once, instead biting her lip and surveying the class.

"I'm not sure." She said finally. "But I believe Professor Dumbledore said something about him wanting to retire. I did not question him further. Albus is an old friend of mine, and so when he asked if I would teach at his school, I accepted at once and asked little questions."

At this, the bell rang and the class stood as once, stowing their notes and quills into bags and chattering as they left the classroom. Harry spotted Percy and Hazel whispering to each other. As he passed them, he caught Percy mumble something that sounded like 'chai Ron'.

Harry shook his head. He had no idea how chai tea was related to Ron, but it only reaffirmed his belief that the transfers were complete and utter weirdos.

"Can you believe this rubbish?" Ron said, catching up with him. "The magical world formed by Greek gods? Pur-lease!"

Harry was strongly reminded of the Hufflepuff that had said something quite similar to Ron, except concerning Harry's story of Voldemort's return. He didn't say anything as Hermione ran up alongside them.

"I don't know, Ron." She said, panting slightly. "The idea of the magical world seemed just as ridiculous to me before I got my letter."

"You're not telling me you believe her?" Ron gaped.

"It's different for you, you were born knowing you were a wizard." Hermione replied. "Harry and I grew up in the muggle world. When we got our letters, it seemed completely impossible. But then we came to Hogwarts, and everything here is so...magical."

"Yeah, but—"

Harry tuned out their bickering as they headed down to the dungeons for double Potions. Luckily, Professor Umbridge was not inspecting Snape's class; Harry wasn't sure he could stand both his least favorite teachers right now.

Snape was handing back their moonstone essays. Harry's was handed back to him with a large, spikey black D scrawled in the upper corner.

"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 them, passing back their 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 them.

"The general standard of this homework was abysmal. 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."

He smirked as Malfoy sniggered and said in a carrying whisper, "Some people got D's? Ha!"

Harry realized that Hermione was looking sideways to see what grade he had received; he slid his moonstone essay back into his bag as quickly as possible, feeling that he would rather keep that information private.

Across the room, one of the transfers— Piper, was frowning at her paper. Harry angrily began to get out her potions. No way she had gotten a bad grade— she was in Slytherin.

Determined not to give Snape an excuse to fail him this lesson, Harry read and reread every line of the instructions on the blackboard at least three times before acting on them. His Strengthening Solution was not precisely the clear turquoise shade of Hermione's but it was at least blue rather than pink, like Neville's, and he delivered a flask of it to Snape's desk at the end of the lesson with a feeling of mingled defiance and relief.

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

When neither Ron nor Harry answered, she pressed on, "I mean, all right, I didn't expect the top grade, not if he's marking to O.W.L. standard, but a pass is quite encouraging at this stage, wouldn't you say?"

Harry made a noncommittal noise in his throat.

"Harry." Hermione said suddenly, stopping in her tracks.

Harry's stomach dropped, sure she had somehow discovered he had gotten a D, but she was staring triumphantly at him.

"Your map!" She said, eyes bright.

"What?" Harry asked dumbly.

"Your map!" She repeated. "We can figure out where the transfers are going—"

"—using the map!" Ron finished for her. "Hermione, you're a genius!"

Harry scrambled in his bag, pulling out the map. They rushed into an abandoned classroom in a side corridor, and Hermione locked the door behind them.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Harry murmured, tapping the yellowed parchment with his wand tip.

Black ink spread from where his wand had touched, crisscrossing and spider webbing across the paper until a full map of Hogwarts had appeared. There were the three dots, marking Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, a few doors from the Great Hall.

"There!" Ron said suddenly, pointing to a fifth floor corridor.

Two dots labeled Percy Jackson and Hazel Levesque were moving along the paper.

"Let's go!" Harry said triumphantly, standing and making to grab the map from the table.

"Wait!" Hermione said. "No…that can't be…"

"What?" Harry asked impatiently.

"They've gone." Hermione said simply.

Harry peered down at the map. Sure enough, both dots had disappeared. Furthermore, after scanning the map for several minutes, they were unable to find any sign of the other transfers.

Frank's POV | Hogwarts

"This is amazing, Frank!" Hazel said, looking around the room.

She and Percy had just arrived. Percy shut the door behind them with a decisive click and they sat down.

Frank had found this room yesterday, when searching for a way out into the Hogwarts grounds. They had meant to meet in their usual spot in the Forbidden Forest, but he had gotten lost.

Frank had always been terrible at directions, but how he had managed to find his way up to some fifth floor corridor while he was trying to leave the building was beyond him. He could only assume that some magic was at work.

He had been thinking very hard about their meeting spot, when a door had popped into existence where before there had only been stone wall. Curious as ever, Frank had gone in, discovering a small room filled with a wooden table. Benches provided seating on either side, and an odd silver contraption sat in the center of the table, spewing fine mist when a switch was flipped.

This was the room in which they now sat. With only a limited supply of golden drachmas, they had yet to contact Chiron again. As nothing entirely interesting had happened, this was not the purpose of their meeting, but rather to further discuss a certain History of Magic professor.

"So she's teaching that the magical world was formed by Greek gods?" Jason reaffirmed.

"Well, yes and no…" Annabeth sighed. "I read further into that book of hers— Magic and Mythology, and she presents the idea that the wizards were created by Ouranos."

"How does she go about that?" Percy asked around a mouthful of potato salad.

"Well after Kronos murdered Ouranos," Piper began, "his blood splattered everywhere— creating a bunch of monsters and, you know, my mom— but she suggests that part of the blood also created the first wizards."

"But that's impossible." Hazel scoffed. "Prometheus created the first humans, and that was long after Ouranos died."

"She covers that too." Annabeth shrugged. "In her book she explains that a portion of the blood remained, sitting for centuries in a cave somewhere. It was later discovered by a human, who touched it and—"

"—became a wizard." Nico finished for her. "Do people actually believe this? I know Greek gods exist and I still think it's complete baloney."

"What about Muggleborns?" Leo asked suddenly. "Does she explain that?"

"Something about blessings from Ouranos' spirit…" Annabeth sighed.

"And she expects people to buy into this?" Frank asked incredulously.

Annabeth shrugged.

"If Chiron hadn't told us differently, I might've believed her."

"But why is she doing this then?" Piper asked impatiently. "What's the point?"

No one had an answer to that. They sat silently, eating their lunches, until Percy finally broke the silence.

"I say it's bound time we do some investigating."

Leo nearly choked on his taco.

"What do you mean?" He spluttered.

"Exactly what I said." Percy rolled his eyes. "I think we should send a small group— maybe two or three people, to spy on Professor Verbeck. Her window is fairly small; I'm sure Jason could fly outside without being noticed. Hazel could do something with the Mist, and Piper—"

"Or, you know," Annabeth interrupted, "I could go in my invisibility hat."

"Oh." Percy said. "That works too."

They decided that Friday would be the best day for Operation Expose Verbeck (as Leo had deemed it), thus giving them ample time to prepare and plan.

Hufflepuff Quidditch tryouts were coming up as well, something that both Nico and Frank had sworn to stay far away from. Jason, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

"You should try out!" Percy said that Wednesday afternoon, as he, Hazel, Nico, and Frank walked down the foggy grounds to Herbology.

"I dunno," Jason shrugged. "I've never ridden a broom before, how am I supposed to make the team? I don't even know what positions I could try out for…"

"I heard Harry made the Gryffindor team in his first year, only minutes after he had ridden his first broom." Hazel said knowledgably. "He probably didn't know how to play either."

Jason threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Well if it's so easy why don't you just try out?"

"Are you kidding?!" Hazel yelped. "Your dad would blast me out of the sky!"

"Oh come on," Jason scoffed. "You know their powers are limited so far away from Olympus. What's the worst that could happen?"

"The sky is no place for a child of Hades." Nico reiterated firmly.

With a pang Frank recalled how Nico's mother, Maria di Angelo, had been struck down by Zeus, leaving him and his sister orphaned. It seemed Jason had also remembered this, for he was silent the rest of the walk down to the greenhouses.

Although his father didn't have any rivalries with the Lord of the Sky, Frank knew for a fact that he would never get on a broomstick, much less try out for the Hufflepuff team. He wasn't sure he trusted the stability of the flimsy looking broomsticks in the window of 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' in Diagon Alley, and he wasn't too keen about having people hit rock-hard balls at him while he was fifty feet in the air.

Harry's POV | Hogwarts

"Do I still have to come back tomorrow?" said Harry, picking up his schoolbag with his left hand rather than his smarting right.

The wounds he had been forced to carve into his hand had not faded, leaving 'I must not tell lies' emblazoned in crimson red against his skin. A few drops of blood oozed down his hand, dripping onto the floor.

"Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge, smiling widely. "Yes, I think we can etch the message a little deeper with another evening's work."

Harry had never before considered the possibility that there might be another teacher in the world he hated more than Snape, but as he walked back toward Gryffindor Tower he had to admit he had found a contender.

She's evil, he thought, as he climbed a staircase to the seventh floor, she's an evil, twisted, mad, old

"Ron?"

Harry had reached the top of the stairs, turned right, and almost walked into Ron, who was lurking behind a statue of Lachlan the Lanky, clutching his broomstick. He gave a great leap of surprise when he saw Harry and attempted to hide his new Cleansweep Eleven behind his back.

"What are you doing?"

"Er — nothing. What are you doing?"

Harry frowned at him.

"Come on, you can tell me! What are you hiding here for?"

"I'm — I'm hiding from Fred and George, if you must know," said Ron. "They just went past with a bunch of first years, I bet they're testing stuff on them again, I mean, they can't do it in the common room now, can they, not with Hermione there." He was talking in a very fast, feverish way.

"But what have you got your broom for, you haven't been flying, have you?" Harry asked.

"I — well — well, okay, I'll tell you, but don't laugh, all right?" Ron said defensively, turning redder with every second. "I-I thought I'd try out for Gryffindor Keeper now I've got a decent broom. There. Go on. Laugh."

"I'm not laughing," said Harry. Ron blinked. "It's a brilliant idea! It'd be really cool if you got on the team! I've never seen you play Keeper, are you good?"

"I'm not bad," said Ron, who looked immensely relieved at Harry's reaction. "Charlie, Fred, and George always made me Keep for them when they were training during the holidays."

"So you've been practicing tonight?"

"Every evening since Tuesday . . . just on my own, though, I've been trying to bewitch Quaffles to fly at me, but it hasn't been easy and I don't know how much use it'll be." Ron looked nervous and anxious. "Fred and George are going to laugh themselves stupid when I turn up for the tryouts. They haven't stopped taking the mickey out of me since I got made a prefect."

"I wish I was going to be there," said Harry bitterly, as they set off together toward the common room.

"Yeah, so do— Harry, what's that on the back of your hand?"

Harry, who had just scratched his nose with his free right hand, tried to hide it, but had as much success as Ron with his Cleansweep.

"It's just a cut— it's nothing— it's—"

But Ron had grabbed Harry's forearm and pulled the back of Harry's hand up level with his eyes. There was a pause, during which he stared at the words carved into the skin, then he released Harry, looking sick.

"I thought you said she was giving you lines?" Harry hesitated, but after all, Ron had been honest with him, so he told Ron the truth about the hours he had been spending in Umbridge's office.

"The old hag!" Ron said in a revolted whisper as they came to a halt in front of the Fat Lady, who was dozing peacefully with her head against her frame. "She's sick! Go to McGonagall, say something!"

"No," said Harry at once. "I'm not giving her the satisfaction of knowing she's got to me."

"Got to you? You can't let her get away with this!" Ron shouted. "Is that what that Percy bloke has been doing as well?!"

"I don't know." Harry sighed. "I haven't seen any cuts on his hand, but I've kept mine hidden for this long."

"He's probably in on it with Umbridge." Ron said darkly. "He stood up for you in class to get us to think he's on our side, but having a cupper with the toad during his supposed deten—"

He was interrupted by The Fat Lady, who had been watching them sleepily, and now burst out,

"Are you going to give me the password or will I have to stay awake all night waiting for you to finish your conversation?"

"Sorry." Harry muttered hastily.

He gave her the password and he and Ron entered the Common Room, which was empty, save Hermione. Her hair was disheveled and she was spread across several tables, paper and open books scattered across their surfaces.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, surprised.

"Oh." She said breathlessly, her hair rather frizzier than usual. "Hello."

"Why are you still up?" Harry asked, crossing the room and picking up one of the books from the table.

"A Magical Study of America?" Ron said, reading over Harry's shoulder. "Why are you reading this?"

"I'm studying." Hermione said shortly, snatching the book back.

Harry stared down at her for a few moments, a gaze she returned with defiance.

"Hermione…" He said slowly. "You're not still on about the trans—"

"So what if I am?" She interrupted defensively.

Ron rolled his eyes.

"If you want to know who they are so much, why don't you just ask?"

"If they wanted us to know, they would've already told us, Ronald." Hermione snapped angrily.

Wisely, Ron did not argue, instead moving over a stack of books so he could sit down. Harry followed suit.

"You don't think—" Harry began tentatively. "—that you're becoming a bit obsessed, Hermione?"

She glared daggers at him, and he fell silent. After a few moments of quiet, in which Hermione flipped the pages of A Wizarding Perspective of Greek Mythology a little more forcefully than was strictly necessary, Harry finally sighed, and stood.

"I'm going to bed." He announced.

The other occupants of his dormitory were already sound asleep when he arrived. The sheets on Percy's bed had shifted slightly, revealing his bare chest. It was covered in scars, standing white against his tanned skin. His arm dangled off the side of the bed, fingertips brushing the floor. Emblazoned on his forearm was a tattoo of the letters SPQR, underneath which was a trident and single dark stripe.

Harry shuddered. He pulled on his pajamas and got quickly into bed, facing away from the rest of the room. When he had first saw the tattoo, he had though it was the Dark Mark; the sign of Voldemort's followers.

Despite what Ron might say, Harry didn't believe that Percy or the other transfers were Death Eaters. He was far from trusting them, but they didn't seem evil.

When he finally fell asleep, his dreams were filled with murky rivers and dark weapons.