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Here is the next chapter for Cruel Angel Thesis, hope you enjoy.
They had expected to have to comb Hermione's Daily Prophet carefully next morning to find the article Percy had mentioned in his letter. However, the departing delivery owl had barely cleared the top of the milk jug when Hermione let out a huge gasp and flattened the newspaper to reveal a large photograph of Umbridge, smiling widely and blinking slowly at them from beneath the headline.
Ministry Seeks Educational Reform
Dolores Umbridge appointed first ever High Inquisitor
"Umbridge 'High Inquisitor'? That doesn't sound good.", Harry said, his half-eaten piece of toast slipping from his fingers, "What does that even mean?", they continue to read the article
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 the going-ons at Hogwarts for some time.", said the 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 of."
This is not the first time in recent weeks that the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, has used new laws to effect improvements at the wizarding school. As recently as 30th August, Educational Decree Number 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." Weasley said last night, "Dumbledore couldn't find anyone so the Minister put in Umbridge, and of course, she's been an immediate success."
"If she has been a immediate success than I am a hobbit." Claire muttered, rising her eyebrow at the look her friends were giving each other.
"Best not to comment on that..." Alex said.
"My girlfriend is not a hobbit." Harry said.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Alex said as they turned back to the paper.
"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 Number 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. 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." Weasley said, "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 Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation." Mr. Lucius Malfoy, 41, said 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 are 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 employment 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 towards ensuring that Hogwarts has a headmaster in whom we can all repose our confidence." A Ministry insider said 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." Madam Marchbanks said, "This is a further, disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore." (For a full account of Madam Marchbanks's alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page seventeen.)
Claire finished reading, "That explain why we ended up with Umbitch. Thanks to tis 'Educational Decree', Fudge has passed and forced her on us, and now he's given her the power to inspect the other teachers." she said, "I wonder how long before were making a Spanish Inquisition joke..."
Hermione was breathing fast and her eyes were very bright, "I can't believe this. It's outrageous!"
The others agreed but a grin was unfurling on Ron's face, "I can't wait to see Jeager inspected. Umbridge won't know what's hit her." he said with a smirk.
"Well, come on. We'd better get going, if she's inspecting Binns's class we don't want to be late...", Hermione said jumping up.
But Umbridge was not inspecting their History of Magic lesson, which was just as dull as the previous Monday, nor was she in Snape's dungeon when they arrived for double Potions, where Harry's moonstone essay was handed back to him with a large, spiky black 'A' scrawled in an upper corner.
"I have awarded you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your OWL." Snape said with a smirk, as he swept among them, passing back their homework, "This should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in the examination."
Snape reached the front of the class and turned on his heel 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 a 'D' or those who try to leech of another's work."
He smirked as Malfoy sniggered and said in a carrying whisper, "Some people got a 'D'? Ha!"
Determined not to give Snape an opportunity fail him this lesson, Harry read and reread every line of instructions on the blackboard at least three times before acting on them. His Strengthening Solution was not precisely the clear turquoise shade of Claire's nor 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?" Hermione said, as they climbed the steps out of the dungeon and made their way across the Entrance Hall towards lunch, "And the homework didn't go too badly, either, did it?"
When neither Harry, Claire, Alex, Ron nor Neville answered, she pressed on, "I mean, all right, I didn't expect the top grade, not if he's marking to OWL standard, but a pass is quite encouraging at this stage, wouldn't you say?"
Harry made a non-committal noise in his throat.
"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..."
Alex let out a deep sigh, "Hermione. Do you want to know the grades we got?" he asked just as they sat down together at the Gryffindor table.
"I don't... I didn't mean..." Hermione said with a sheepish grin, "Well, if you want to tell me, than sure."
"O. I got an O." Claire said, placing a sandwich in her mouth, ignoring the surprised look Hermione was giving her.
"Lady Kent getting an 'O'?" Fred said in mock surprise tone, he had just arrived at the table with George and Lee and was sitting down on Harry's right, "In other breaking news, water is wet and the sky is blue!"
"Nothing wrong with a good healthy 'P' though.", George added.
"But doesn't 'P' stand for...", Hermione said.
"'Poor', yea." Lee said, "Still, better than 'D', isn't it?"
"Dreadful? So top grade's 'O' for 'Outstanding'." Hermione said, "and then there's 'A'..."
"No, 'E', for 'Exceeds Expectations'." George corrected her, "And I have always thought Fred and I should've got 'E' in everything, because we exceeded expectations just by turning up for the exams.", they all laughed except Hermione.
"So, after 'E' it's 'A' for 'Acceptable'." Hermione continued, "And that's the last pass grade, isn't it?"
"Yep.", Fred said, dunking an entire roll in his soup, transferring it to his mouth and swallowing it whole, "Then you get 'P' for 'Poor'." Ron raised both his arms in mock celebration, "and 'D' for 'Dreadful'."
"And then 'T'." George said.
"T?" Hermione asked, looking appalled, "Even lower than a 'D'? What on earth does 'T' stand for?"
"Troll.", Fred said promptly.
Harry laughed again, though he was not sure whether or not George was joking. "You lot had an inspected lesson yet?" Fred asked them.
"Not during Potions, but I am not sure about History..." Claire said, "I slept through most of it." making the twins and Lee laugh.
"We had, just before lunch." George said, "Charms."
"What was it like?", Harry, Hermione and Alex asked together.
Fred shrugged, "Not that bad. Umbridge just lurked in the corner making notes on a clipboard. You know what Flitwick's like, he treated her like a guest, didn't seem to bother him at all. She didn't say much. Asked Alicia a couple of questions about what the classes are normally like, Alicia told her they were really good, that was it."
"I can't see old Flitwick getting marked down." George said, "He usually gets everyone through their exams all right."
"Well, Lady Kent, be a good girl and keep your temper with Umbridge today." Fred said with a wink.
Entering the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Umbridge was humming and smiling to herself. Harry, Alex, Ron and Neville told Claire and Hermione, exactly what had happened in Divination while they all took out their copies of Defensive Magical Theory, but before they could ask any questions Umbridge had called them all to order and silence fell.
"Wands away." she instructed them all with a smile, and those 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."
Still smiling her wide, self-satisfied smile, she sat down at her desk. The class gave an audible sigh as it turned, as one, to page nineteen. Claire wondered dully whether there were enough chapters in the book to keep them reading through all this years lessons.
She had almost fallen asleep until she noticed that Hermione had her hand in the air again.
Umbridge had noticed, too, and what was more, she seemed to have worked out a strategy for just such an eventuality. Instead of trying to pretend she had not noticed Hermione she got to her feet and walked around the front row of desks until they were face to face, then she bent down and whispered, so that the rest of the class could not hear, "What is it this time, Miss Granger?"
"I have already read Chapter Two.", Hermione said.
"Well then, proceed to Chapter Three."
"I've read that too. I've read the whole book."
Umbridge blinked but recovered her poise almost instantly, "Well, then, you should be able to tell me what Slinkhard says about counter-jinxes in Chapter Fifteen."
"He says that counter-jinxes are improperly named. He says 'counter-jinx' is just a name people give their jinxes when they want to make them sound more acceptable." Hermione said promptly, Umbridge raised her eyebrows and Claire knew she was impressed, against her will, "But I disagree."
Umbridge's eyebrows rose a little higher and her gaze became distinctly colder, "You disagree?" she repeated.
"Yes, I do." Hermione said, who, unlike Umbridge, was not whispering, but speaking in a clear, carrying voice that had by now attracted the attention of the rest of the class, "Mr. Slinkhard doesn't like jinxes, does he? But I think they can be very useful when they're used defensively."
"Oh, you do, do you?" Umbridge said, forgetting to whisper and straightening up, "Well, I'm afraid it is Mr. Slinkhard's opinion, and not yours, that matters within this classroom, Miss Granger."
"But..." Hermione began.
"That is enough." Umbridge said, she walked back to the front of the class and stood before them, all the jauntiness she had shown at the beginning of the lesson gone, "Miss Granger, I am going to take five points from Gryffindor house."
There was an outbreak of muttering at this. "What for!?" Alex asked angrily.
"For disrupting my class with pointless interruptions.", Umbridge said smoothly, "I am here to teach you using a Ministry-approved method that does not include inviting students to give their opinions on matters about which they understand very little. Your previous teachers in this subject may have allowed you more license, but as none of them, with the possible exception of Professor Quirrell, who did at least appear to have restricted himself to age-appropriate subjects."
"Yeah, Quirrell was a great teacher." Alex muttered to Neville, "Except that he had that minor drawback of him having Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head."
The next day as they entered Combat Class, Umbridge and her clipboard were sitting in a corner.
"Let's see Umbridge get what she deserves." Alex whispered with a wicked smile as they sat down in their usual seats.
Professor Jeager marched into the room without giving the slightest indication that he knew Professor Umbridge was there.
"That will do." he said and silence fell immediately, "Today, the traditional Fifth Year Duel Tournament starts."
"Hem, hem." Umbridge, employing the same silly little cough she had used to interrupt Dumbledore on the first night of term.
But Professor Jeager ignored her. "I drew up a bracket, the ruleset we will be the same they use in the Official Dueling Circuit."
"Hem, hem." Umbridge said.
"Yes?" Professor Jeager said, turning round.
"I was just wondering, Professor, whether you received my note telling you of the date and time of your inspec..."
"Obviously. Or else I would have wondered what you are doing in my classroom." Professor Jeager, turning his back firmly on Umbridge, many of the students exchanged looks of glee, "As I was saying: Win and you move on to the next round in the bracket, lose and you will move on to the loser bracket."
"Hem, hem."
"At the end of the year, we will have one final round between the winners of both brackets."
Umbridge let out a whistle as if she was calling an animal. "Don't whistle at me, I'm not your bloody dog." Professor Jeager said dangerously in cold fury, turning on Umbridge, "You look more like a dog than I do."
Umbridge looked as though she had just been slapped in the face. She did not speak, but straightened the parchment on her clipboard and began scribbling furiously. Looking supremely unconcerned, Professor Jeager addressed the class once more.
Umbridge did not follow Professor Jeager around the class as she had followed Professor Trelawney; perhaps she realized Professor Jeager would not permit it. She did, however, take many more notes while sitting in her corner, and when Professor Jeager called the last round of the class, she rose with a grim expression on her face.
As they filed out of the classroom, Claire saw Umbridge approach the teachers desk; she nudged Harry, who nudged Alex, who nudged Ron, who nudged Neville, who nudged Hermione, and the six of them deliberately fell back to eavesdrop.
"How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" Umbridge asked.
"Twenty-Four years now." Professor Jeager said.
"It was Minister Eugenia Jenkins who advised Dumbledore on appointing you the Combat Class Professor." Umbridge said.
"She advised him. It was a dark time when the position was created." Professor Jeager said, "And since the Defense Against the Dark Art teacher changes every year, Dumbledore thought it would be best to keep a consisted professor who could teach the students to defend themselves."
Umbridge made a note, "Very well. You will receive the results of your inspection in ten day's time."
"I will be looking forward to it." Professor Jeager said, in a indifferent voice, and he strode off towards the door, "Come along now, you six." he added, sweeping Harry, Claire, Alex, Ron, Neville and Hermione.
Harry could not help giving him a faint smile and could have sworn he received one in return.
When they walked down the lawns towards the Forest for Care of Magical Creatures, they found her and her clipboard waiting for them beside Professor Grubbly-Plank.
"You do not usually take this class, is that correct?"
Claire heard her ask as they arrived at the trestle table where the group of captive Bowtruckles were scrabbling around for woodlice like so many living twigs.
"Quite correct." Professor Grubbly-Plank said, hands behind her back and bouncing on the balls of her feet, "I am a substitute teacher standing in for Professor Hagrid."
The group of friends exchanged uneasy looks. Malfoy was whispering with Crabbe and Goyle; he would surely love this opportunity to tell tales on Hagrid to a member of the Ministry.
"Hmm." Umbridge said, dropping her voice, though Claire could still hear her quite clearly, "I wonder... The Headmaster seems strangely reluctant to give me any information on the matter... can you tell me what is causing Professor Hagrid's very extended leave of absence?"
"Afraid I can't." Professor Grubbly-Plank said breezily, "Don't know anything more about it than you do. Got an owl from Dumbledore, would I like a couple of weeks' teaching, work. I accepted. That's as much as I know. Well... Shall I get started then?"
"Yes, please do." Umbridge said, scribbling on her clipboard.
Umbridge took a different approach in this class and wandered among the students, questioning them on magical creatures. Most people were able to answer well; at least the class was not letting Hagrid down.
"Overall." Umbridge said, returning to Professor Grubbly-Plank's side after a lengthy interrogation of Dean, "How do you, as a temporary member of staff, an objective outsider, I suppose you might say. How do you find Hogwarts? Do you feel you receive enough support from the school management?"
"Oh, yes, Dumbledore's excellent." Professor Grubbly-Plank said heartily, "Yes, I'm very happy with the way things are run, very happy indeed."
Looking politely incredulous, Umbridge made a tiny note on her clipboard and went on, "And what are you planning to cover with this class this year. Assuming, of course, that Professor Hagrid does not return?"
"Oh, I'll take them through the creatures that most often come up in OWL." Professor Grubbly-Plank said, "Not much left to do, they've studied unicorns and Nifflers, I thought we'd cover Porlocks and Kneazles, make sure they can recognize Crups and Knarls, you know..."
"Well, you seem to know what you're doing, at any rate." Umbridge said, making a very obvious tick on her clipboard.
Claire did not like the emphasis she put on 'you' and liked it even less when she put her next question to Goyle, "Now, I hear there have been injuries in this class?"
Goyle gave a stupid grin. Malfoy hastened to answer the question, "That was almost me. If it wasn't for a class mate, I would have been slashed by a Hippogriff."
"A Hippogriff?" Umbridge said, now scribbling frantically, "Well, thank you very much, Professor Grubbly-Plank, I think that's all I need here. You will be receiving the results of your inspection within ten days."
"Jolly good." Professor Grubbly-Plank said, and Umbridge set off back across the lawn to the castle.
It was nearly midnight, when Harry, Claire, Alex, Ron, Neville and Hermione sat in the common room.
"She's an awful woman." Hermione said in a small voice, as they worked on their homework, "We have got to do something about her."
"I suggested poison." Ron said grimly.
"I second that." Claire said.
"No... I mean, something about what a dreadful teacher she is." Hermione said, "And how we're not going to learn any Defense from her at all."
"Well, what can we do about that?" Neville asked yawning, "Too late, isn't it? She's got the job, she's here to stay. Fudge will make sure of that."
"Well... At least for a year, that is."
The group turned around startled in the direction of the voice. As if he had just faded into existence, Sephylon stood there.
"Hello." Sephylon said with a wave, "It's been a while."
"Your early tis year." Alex said, "Normally you appear at the end of the school year."
"True, true." Sephylon said gesturing with his index finger, "I came with a proposition."
"That would be?" Harry said.
"A meeting, to learn real Defense Against the Dark Arts." Sephylon said.
"Come off it." Ron groaned, "You want us to do extra work?"
"Dude, we have the opportunity to learn Defense with the fecking Cruel Angel himself!" Alex said, "That is much more important than homework! It's about preparing ourselves for what's waiting for us out there. It's about making sure we really can defend ourselves."
"Exactly." Sephylon said placing both hands on the table, "You need a teacher, a proper one, who can show you how to use the spells and correct you if you're going wrong. More than once a week with Jeager."
There was a moment's silence, a light night breeze rattled the windowpanes behind Ron, and the fire guttered.
Claire was frowning slightly, apparently thinking, then she said, "That's not a horrible idea."
Sephylon stood up to his full height, "I will send invitations once we are ready. Until then just think about it." and he disappeared again in the same crimson flames, leaving the students behind to ponder.
That's the chapter.
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Mischief Managed.