Hermione felt like and adult among children as her peers argued over who would get to take Ginny to the ball. Harry thought that he should, because he was a champion and therefore needed a partner. The others thought that meant that he should take Hermione, and of course they hadn't actually asked whether she had made her own plans. Neville wanted to take her because he'd been the first to ask and he'd actually managed to obtain permission from her father, and Theo just seemed to not want to ask Daphne, who was his second choice, because he'd accidentally knocked his goblet of pumpkin juice over her new weekend robes at breakfast and was too embarrassed to face her.

'It could be worse.' Hermione finally commented, peering down at the courtyard from her spot on the window seat. Ginny, who had long since grown tired of the boy's conversation, left her transfiguration homework and headed over. In the open square of grass below them, Ron Weasley was stumbling through a line dance under the instruction of his older brother. The youngest Weasley snickered.

'You're going with Krum aren't you?' Ginny eventually asked under her breath. Hermione opened her mouth to answer but the door slammed open with a resounding bang, ricocheting off the wall and being caught by the person that had just burst through the doorway.

A cheshire grin peeled up at Umbridge's lips as she took in the group of students.

'Detention! All of you!' The woman sang, sickly sweet and delighted.

'What?' Harry demanded, loud voice drowning out similar exclamations from the rest of them.

'Detention, Potter. You're all in direct contravention of educational decree twenty eight.'

'Pardon?' Hermione asked, confused and disbelieving.

'Educational decree twenty eight, Miss Grindelwald.' Umbridge replied condescendingly, as if Hermione should have known what that was. In reality she should have, and she didn't understand how they'd managed to get all the way from twenty three to twenty eight without her hearing about a single one. Sirius, Lord Nott and Lady Longbottom all held and actively used their wizangamot seats; it shouldn't be possible for any legislation to get through without her knowing about it.

'Educational decree twenty eight; students of different genders shall not convene privately without the express permission of professors.' Umbridge read from the scroll in her hand, looking gleeful whilst Theo spluttered at the ridiculous rule.

'That's ridiculous.' Hermione scoffed.

'To the contrary, Miss Grindelwald. The minister was quite concerned about what a group of children might get up to behind closed doors. He signed off on this decree yesterday, and you are now gathering in direct contravention.'

'But we didn't even know that was a rule.' Harry protested, then grunted as Neville kicked him under the table for realising their ignorance.

'Ignorance is no excuse in the face of the law, Mr Potter.' Umbridge crowed.

'Just a moment, it doesn't work like that.' Ginny stood and Hermione realised that she must have stood as well at some point. 'You can't assign detention for breaking a ministry law. '

'You shouldn't argue, Miss Weasley. You wouldn't want this to end up in court and on your permanent record. I'm being awfully gracious, considering the number and severity of your little group's past offences.'

'No,' Theo argued. 'You don't want this to go to court. You know it would never stand up - charging a group of children for studying in contravention of a law you created yesterday… a law that couldn't have gone through the wizangamot in the first place.'

'Unfortunately, Mr Nott, you'll find educational decrees no longer need to go through the ministry.' Umbridge crowed.

'What?' Theo demanded sharply. Umbridge fixed him with a look of contempt.

'After my reports on the state of the school and the entry of a student in a dangerous tournament, Minister Fudge declared a state of emergency at Hogwarts school. Educational decrees can now be provisionally approved without a wizengamot vote.'

'That's ridiculous.' Ginny breathed.

'And that's how we got from decree twenty three to twenty eight in less than two weeks.' Hermione scoffed.

'But that doesn't change the facts.' Ginny tossed her hair. 'You don't want this to go to court because you know Grindelwald would have to attend and he'd have it laughed out.'

The dark expression that uncurled across Umbridge's face at that statement made lead settle in Hermione's gut. It was somewhere between glee, smugness and victory, and it couldn't be a good thing from the ministry witch.

'Oh, haven't you heard? Fraü Tunninger has enacted her authority as head of MISC to restrict all access to Gellert Grindelwald and Nurmengard prison. There is the potential of a serious threat to international security, after all; Miss Grindelwald has admitted to being an active combatant in his cause.'

It took everything Hermione had not to gape.

'Restrict access?' She asked, suddenly feeling very much her age; uncertain, nervous. She'd done a lot in her short years; dealt with powerful adults and delved in politics and societal structure, but she'd always had a powerful guardian looming over her; Lady Grindelwald, the uncrowned queen of wizarding Germany lending weight to her actions or Gellert Grindelwald, the shadowy dark wizard looming over her shoulder to smite anyone who wronged her. She should have known, considering the thorn the arrangement of magical guardianship had already been in the side of the ministry, that they would eventually find a way to cut them off from one another, but it still felt like the rug had been hauled out from underneath her.

'Correct. No letters, no visits and certainly no legal representation.' Umbridge gloated.

'She doesn't need Grindelwald to represent her.' Theo announced, jumping to his feet and moving to stand between Hermione and Umbridge. 'She's got the House of Nott to represent her.'

'Yeah. I don't think you can just make up new laws like that, then use them as an excuse to assign detention.' Harry had jumped up as well, moving to stand with Theo. 'Either its a law or it isn't. If it's a law, she's got rights and there needs to be a trial.'

'Just what is going on here?' McGonagall's sharp voice made them all jump. The Scottish witch had appeared from her office behind the classroom.

'Umbridge is trying to arrest Hermione.' Ginny spat, from her spot beside Hermione. The high priestess wasn't quite sure that she'd imagined the eye roll from the transfiguration teacher.

'On what grounds, Delores?' McGonagall sighed.

'Miss Grindelwald and her little friends are overreacting.' Umbridge defended. Her smile had disappeared. 'I assigned detention, on the grounds of a violation of educational decree twenty eight.'

'Another one?' McGonagall huffed.

'But she can't just go around assigning detention for breaking laws!' Ginny protested, talking over McGonagall's quiet statement. 'Either it's a law, and Hermione's got a right to defend herself, or it's not and she's done nothing wrong.'

This time, Hermione was certain that she'd seen the older professor's shoulders move in something that was unmistakable a sign of exasperation.

'Let's see this new decree then?' McGonagall reached out and Umbridge reluctantly handed her the parchment scroll. There was a moment of silence as McGonagall read it over.

'I fail to see the breach of the rule.' McGonagall finally stated, rolling the scroll back up and sharply returning it to Umbridge.

'Pardon?' Umbridge spluttered.

'These students have my express permission to be here.' Professor McGonagall spoke slowly, as if Umbridge were particularly stupid.

'What?'

'They're here for remedial transfiguration study. I am sure you've heard of Miss Gorlois' failure to successfully transfigure a hedgehog into a throw pillow.'

It hadn't been so much a failure as her usual ethical objection, but Hermione wasn't going to say anything to contradict McGonagall blatantly and inescapably lying in their defence. She did her best not to openly gawp at the professor. Umbridge pursed her lips unhappily.

'Very well. I shall include that in my report to the minister. If you happen to have any other… disciplinary issues, I would be only too happy to assist.' She finally said, drawing herself up and leaving the room. None of them dared to breathe for several seconds after the pink-clad witch had disappeared.

Then McGonagall let out an exasperated sigh and turned to face them all.

'Perhaps you have become accustomed to a certain respect from the ministry of magic, but it would behove you to remember that that respect is not the same as authority.' McGonagall held up her hand to stop Harry interrupting. 'This is not the world you may remember, Miss Grindelwald; a family name alone will not get you as far as it might have once. You can not afford to challenge those in authority until you are in a position to wield your own authority… and that means at least being of age.'

'But-'

'Yes, Mr Nott, I understand that she had the backing of several influential individuals.' McGonagall eyes up the three heirs in the room, 'however there are just as many, if not more, equally influential individuals working to ensure that she does not have, and can never achieve, her own influence. If that means discrediting her with a petty arrest, they will do so. Do not give them ammunition.'

'So we should have just let her give Hermione detention?' Harry demanded.

'Yes, Mr Potter.' McGonagall sounded exasperated. 'You should have let her assign detention, and then gone to an adult, with authority, and asked them to argue on your behalf.'

Hermione's friends all sagged in resignation, but nobody argued any further. McGonagall surveyed them all as if checking for any more dissent among them. Then she heaved another heavy sigh.

'And now, I must truly assign you all additional transfiguration homework. Perhaps you would like to begin human transfiguration?'