The next two months burst by rapidly, with everyone was studying diligently for their OWLs while the Ministry tightened it's grip on the school until it became a chokehold. Eric could tell that Harry Potter and his friends were still up to their group meetings. He did what he could to support them, ordering Willy to keep the entrance to the Room of Requirement discreet while directing Blue into mischief before and after meetings so that their passing would be unobserved. The pixie's antics were largely blamed on Peeves the Poltergeist, whom Eric also enlisted whenever he could.
It honestly felt good to be doing something supporting – it was as much as he could do, though no more. He knew that he was being watched by Inquisitor Umbridge, even if she focused most of her time on Harry's triad and the faculty. He knew he could get into trouble with the Ministry, but he had been quiet for seven months, and it was beginning to grate on him.
The beginning of March was noted with the release of a special edition Quibbler which contained an interview with Harry, allowing him to state his version of the end-of-term happenings and the return of Voldemort. The Quibbler was little more than a trash rag, which was as much regard as he could give it, even though the editor's daughter was one of his close friends. However, having some other version of events besides the Daily Prophet's clearly biased point of view made the magazine extremely popular.
How popular Eric wasn't aware of until he was approached by several students, lead by Fred and George Weasley. It seemed that the Quibbler had been banned from the school, and everyone was dying to know why. "It's up to you, mate! You know as much about moving things in and out of Hogwarts as anyone. We're too busy with our own projects, so you can be the hero!"
Eric was more than dubious about the title of 'hero', but it was a simple enough thing to do. Midget was dispatched to Hogsmeade mid-morning with a missive to Mr. Pyginwhol, while Widget was sent to Hardbinder's Books. Blue provided the noontime distraction that allowed Eric access to the lower chambers, where his brooms were waiting. Arriving at the post office, he found a clerk from Hardbinder's turning over a bundle of magazines to Avery, who was binding them tight.
It was an expensive gamble, but a galleon purchased the bundle for the school, which was quickly smuggled back in for equal distribution among the houses. Sheena and Tylena would get the materials into Slytherin house, denying all involvement once the magazines were in place. All the other houses were more than generous with their donations for the opportunity to read the banned article. It was a substantial profit which Eric shared equally with his friends.
The other bonus to the action was the malicious joy of watching Dolores Umbridge skulk about evilly. True, possession of the Quibbler was now an expulsion offense, but the only house where the magazine could be found was Slytherin, where the students were more than willing to give up their copies while denying any knowledge of how they got into their common room. Faced with the proposition of expelling the only house that supported her, Umbridge took no action, but searched the rest of the school high and low unsuccessfully for any further copies.
For two weeks this kept up, turning the Professor's mood more and more sour. Then one day her mood improved considerably. Eric knew this was trouble, but several attempts had failed to ascertain the nature of her cheerful demeanor. the answer to this disturbing shift came as a scream from downstairs. Professor Trelawney had finally been dismissed.
Eric stayed out of sight, but watched with some small amount of satisfaction as Professor Dumbledore granted her the right to remain even though she was no longer on the staff. He followed discretely as Professor McGonagall took her back up to her room, then settled her down. It was hours before the other staff members felt comfortable leaving Sybill upstairs on her own, which left Eric stiff and cramped in the tight corners he was hiding in.
It was nearly midnight when he finally approached his clairvoyance teacher. "You know, as long as Dumbledore wants you around, you're safe."
She shook her head sadly. "Even he won't be able to protect me forever. This is what I've been afraid of." She motioned him to sit across from her, both of them facing her crystal ball. "You've been watching her for some time, trying to learn more about her. I, on the other hand, may not have true inner sight but I try to make up for that with practical wisdom. Dolores Umbridge has been gathering strength and influence for years so that she could finally punish people for her childhood."
Sybill's statement took Eric by surprise. "Excuse me?"
She sipped her tea slightly to try and calm her nerves. "Dolores Umbridge has always been a tad heavy, with an obnoxiously high pitched voice and a pushy attitude swaddled in false sweetness. As a girl she was routinely teased and shunned, then spoiled horribly by over-compensating parents who let her do whatever she wished. This is her revenge against all the students that ever made her unwelcome, as well as all the teachers who told her to work harder. Now she's in charge so she gets to be the bully."
"But Dumbledore's still here to keep her under control."
She shook her head. "Not for much longer. Albus is preparing to deal with much greater things, and having to protect the school will only be a hindrance to him. Soon, that job will fall to the students themselves, for the teachers will be paralyzed against an assault from the Ministry which was supposed to support us."
Eric looked to his teacher desperately. "What are we going to do?"
She smiled slightly. "What I know you've already done; secure your position and prepare for the worst!"