The Hogwarts High Inquisitor
On the front page of the Sunday paper, above a large photo of Dolores Umbridge and her wide, pointed smile, glittered the headline "MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST-EVER 'HIGH INQUISITOR'." (B5, 306)
"And the last, if I've anything to say about it," Siria tsked as she and Ron sandwiched Hermione between them to read the article together.
The article explained Educational Decree Twenty-two, which was passed just before the start of term. If the headmaster of Hogwarts is unable to find a teacher for a position, the Ministry selects "an appropriate person." Percy was quoted explaining that the decree is how Umbridge ended up at Hogwarts, but called her "an immediate success, totally revolutionizing teaching [...]" (B5, 307). Siria pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned back.
"Do you suppose they actually believe the rubbish they print?" Siria asked. She swept more eggs onto her plate.
"It's worse. Educational Degree Twenty-three, makes her the 'Hogwarts High Inquisitor' and she'll be inspecting other professors," Hermione told Siria. "Then the usual rubbish, Lucius Malfoy throwing suspicions on Dumbledore, jab at Remus and Hagrid, stab at Dumbledore… oh, poor Madam Marchbanks got quoted saying it's an attempt to discredit Dumbledore, so they're dragging her name in the mud with ' ties to subversive goblin groups'," Hermione sighed and folded up the paper. [B5, 307-308]
"Thank Merlin you're brilliant," Ron told Hermione. He swallowed down some bacon. "No matter what she comes at us with, if we've got you, we'll be good."
"So stay out of detention," Siria warned.
"Pot, kettle," Hermione said. "I won't get detention again. We should warn the others. Cassius—"
"He didn't," Siria shot a glare across the Great Hall, to Cassius. He was none the wiser as he ate with Alice.
"Just one night," Hermione said. Siria clicked her tongue.
"It's only lines," Ron reminded Siria.
"Anyways," Hermione cleared her throat, "it's a good thing we got the Herald out before this. I don't know how many more we'll be able to squeeze in."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
"Well, I hope I'm wrong, but," Hermione sighed and put the Daily Prophet down. "If I were the Ministry or anyone trying to claim Voldemort wasn't back, I'd do whatever it took to silence the other narratives."
"Won't that just make people more suspicious?" Siria asked.
"Not if they don't know it exists," Hermione said. "They've tried to lump Lumos with the Quibbler, but people can't believe that… not everyone anyway."
Down in the kitchens, Hermione was greeted like royalty. The house elves bowed so low that their noses touched the ground and nearly every single one greeted her. She was ushered to a table and into a decorated chair. Hermione's face flushed when they handed her a bouquet of flowers.
"Told you," Ron whispered to Siria. "It's in their nature. They can't help it— doesn't matter if they're free." Siria placed her hand on his shoulder.
"It matters because they have a choice. If any future Headmaster tries to hurt them, they can leave," Siria said. "They didn't have the option before, and that's what matters." Kreacher nearly lost it when Siria and Sirius proposed freedom to him. He was happier now though, she hoped. Sirius was still worried Kreacher would betray them to someone like Bellatrix Lestrange, but Siria had the piece of mind that Bellatrix Lestrange was still in Azkaban.
It was a solid hour before Hermione, Ron, and Siria left the kitchens. Professor Vector was actually in Augusta Dungeon when they arrived. She wasn't the only one. There was another Professor that Siria hadn't seen before and, in their shadows stood Umbridge with a clipboard. Her toadlike eyes bludged when the trio entered.
Hermione went straight for Cedric and the other Hogwarts Herald members. Ron and Siria started to follow her, but were called by the other professor. "Potter-Black, Weasley, why don't you set up the younger students first?" There was something in the way he tilted his head of dark brown hair, ever so slightly, in their direction that felt urgent.
"Sorry," Siria chuckled, "I'm just always so eager to answer the letters." She placed her hand on Ron's back and walked to other students with him.
Astoria, three of her friends, and Colin leaned over Dennis, some other second years, and a few first year students. Colin jerked toward Siria, but stilled himself. He placed a hand on Dennis's back, though Dennis had not moved.
"Potter-Black," Astoria said, "you remember Ren Franklin, Leah Greyson, and Jeanie Brewer, who helped out last year, right?" Siria smiled at them, three students she only ever saw in passing at the Sunday study group or else in the hall with Astoria.
"It's so good to see you again," Siria said. "Did you enjoy helping younger students out?"
"Absolutely," said Ren Franklin.
Ron looked to Siria, their backs to Umbridge. His expression spoke volumes. She moved her arm around his shoulder and pulled his ear close. "Umbridge is obviously 'inspecting' the group to make sure we aren't an army for Dumbledore," Siria whispered through the clenched teeth of her smile.
For longer than they wanted, Ron pretended to check over some first years and Siria actually checked on the fourth and third years. Ron finally sat down to work on his homework. Siria pulled her things out, only to be pulled away.
A seventh year Hufflepuff boy with long dreadlocks that Siria only knew of because he was often with Cedric, waved her over. Cedric and Hermione were helping Herald members with their research or finalize their topics. Siria looked to Ron, but left for the Herald's tables.
"Wilkins," the boy introduced himself quietly. He handed her a stack of letters. "Don't forget, we need the replies by Thursday," Wilkins told her in a more audible voice.
"Come on, Wilkins, I know" Siria told him. She marched the letters back to her bag. Siria slid them in when someone placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Potter-Black, so sorry to bother you," the Professor she didn't know said. Siria pulled another smile in place.
"Not at all," she told him. "What can I do for you, Professor?"
"I was just wondering if you could show the High Inquisitor some of your N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration skills," he proposed. Siria's heart sank into her stomach, but she smiled more. "Would her hair color suffice?" He asked Umbridge.
"Quite," Umbridge gave Siria a sharp tooth grin.
Siria turned her hair the dark red of her mother's. At Umbridge's request, Siria changed her eyebrows as well. Cedric and Hermione watched, frozen. Siria's heart sank through the floor. She changed it blonde, blue, then back to its usual jet black.
"And where did you learn such advanced magic?" Umbridge asked Siria. There wasn't a "right" answer, but every answer felt wrong. They bounced around in Siria's mind.
"Here," Siria said.
"This, rather large, study group?" Umbridge asked.
"No," said Siria. "It was more a general 'here'," and she knew not to say "The wizarding world."
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Siria asked and quickly added. "I'm just really hoping to get some homework done before it's all over." She looked to her watch. There wasn't even an hour left.
"Potter-Black certainly showed she's qualified to help younger students in Transfiguration," the professor, who Siria still didn't know the name of, suggested to Umbridge. Umbridge gave him a grin that made Siria's stomach flip again.
"I suppose she has," said Umbridge, "that'll be all, Vector, Chaudhary." Then she finally left.
Professor Chaudhary placed a hand on Siria's desk. "Sorry, Potter-Black," he said. "I'm Professor Chaudhary. I teach a few N.E.W.T. electives."
"Like, if people fail all their O.W.L.s?" Siria asked.
"More like if people decide to drop something or add an extra class," he smiled. "Mostly term classes, but I'll let you get your homework in," he nodded to Ron, "Mr. Weasley."
Sunday evening, Siria leaned against a dusty wall of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Myrtle sat on the top of her stall and watched Siria read. Siria sighed, but focused more intently on the Hogwarts Herald. It was full of articles like "The Current Hogwarts School Rules," "How to Dispute Rules," and "Knowing Your Rights." No matter how much Siria examined the words, she couldn't absorb them any further. She glanced over her glasses, at Myrtle. Just as before, Myrtle turned away.
"If you've got something to say," Siria told Myrtle. Myrtle shook her head. Siria folded the paper up and placed it under her arm.
"No. Nothing," said Myrtle. Siria sighed again. "I just don't see why you've got to keep them a secret, if you're trying to teach everyone who wants to learn."
"I don't want Voldemort or the Ministry to know," Siria said. "If Draco Malfoy finds out and tells his father, his father will tell Voldemort. He'd probably tell the Ministry too."
"But why practice here?" Myrtle asked.
"I'm the only one that can open it and you'd never rat me out," Siria said very matter-of-factly.
"How can you be sure?" Myrtle teased.
"We're friends, aren't we?"
"Oh? I suppose," Myrtle ducked into her stall.
Myrtle peered over the top, but dove right back down when the washroom door opened. Siria shook her head at Fred and George.
"We know, we know," said George, who lifted his arms in surrender.
"We're late," said Fred.
"You can't say you got lost," Siria reminded them because they had been to the Chamber of Secrets. She shook her head and walked over to the tap.
When Siria instructed the door to "open" the word was a harsh hiss. The sinks rumbled and revealed the slide down. Fred and George went first. Siria eyed Myrtle's stall. "You're welcome to join us," she reminded Myrtle, "if ever you're up for it." She hopped onto the slide and rode down.
Cedric Diggory presented the chalkboard he "borrowed" from a spare classroom. Neville found a way to keep the path lit with Hedera Meridiem, which were glowing vines that looked like Christmas string lights. Maddy and Patricia managed to sneak mats from the Room of Requirement. Cassius filled a small cabinet, which Ron found in an unfamiliar version of the Room of Requirement, with healing balms. Alice sat on a long table she made.
"Tada!" Hermione cheered when Siria entered with the twins. Siria chuckled.
"It looks brilliant," she said and stepped onto one of the mats. "These'll be nice. I'm hoping to introduce spells in the Room and practice dueling in the Chamber."
"Then that's what we'll do," Cassius said. Siria's eyes fell to her boots.
"Does everyone have a coin?" Hermione asked. Alice silently raised her galleon. Maddy and Patricia tapped theirs together.
"You gave everyone a galleon?" Ron asked in awe. "I didn't get one."
"Cool it," said Fred.
"They're not real," said George.
"See here," Hermione showed Ron as she handed him the galleon. "It's normally the serial number, but it'll show who is teaching where and when." Hermione explained. "If the first numbers are '74318' then Cassius is teaching in the Room, on Tuesday at six in the evening, but if it said '52708' then Siria's teaching in the Chamber on Saturday at eight in the morning."
"Right," Siria nodded. "You'll have to explain when I need to change them, but that'll be later."
Alice slid off the table and faced it. Siria put down the very worn parchment of the Marauder's Map and three similar looking pieces of parchment. Cassius, Cedric, Fred, George, Maddy, Neville, Patricia, and Ron crowded around the table with Alice, Hermione, and Siria.
"So…" Fred grinned at what he knew to be the Marauder's Map. Patricia pointed her wand at a shoe box on top of the cabinet.
"So indeed," said George with an identical grin. The box zoomed over to Patricia. She took lid off and pushed the box near the middle. It was filled with compact mirrors.
"A gift, from Chloe," Patricia smiled. "She didn't even ask what they were for."
"What are they for?" Neville asked. Siria pulled a similar mirror from her robes, as Cassius did from his. She snapped hers open and showed Neville his reflection. Cassius opened his and Neville gasped as Cassius turned his and Neville saw its view in Siria's mirror.
"And these?" George tapped the Marauder's Map.
"You don't get the original back," Siria told him and put her hand over the Map.
"How did you copy it?" Fred asked. He traced along the edge of a piece of parchment with a grin on his face.
"No," said George, who looked to Fred.
"Sirius and Remus," Fred shook his head. Siria nodded.
"Are you going to tell us what the parchment actually is?" Maddy snapped.
"May we?" Fred asked. Siria nodded. Fred and George each placed their wand on the parchment of a Map copy, while Siria placed hers on the original. Ron put his wand on the final copy. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," they said.
"You added the Chamber of Secrets," Fred noted. Ron slid his Map to Cassius.
"And the Room of Requirement," said George. He handed his to Cedric and looked at Fred's.
"We only had time to make three copies," said Siria, "the original Marauders designed the Map to be uncopyable and didn't bother to engineer a way to reverse that."
"You copied these by hand?" Cassius asked.
"We had to," said Hermione, "the spell that prevents them from being duplicated is tied into their design."
"I don't think I've ever regretted you giving up the Time Turner more," Siria sighed. They divided the maps: Siria kept the original, while Cassius, Cedric, and the Weasley twins kept a copy.
"Now," said Hermione, "I think it's really important we keep a low profile from now on. That Umbridge woman is here to spy on us—"
"What?" Neville asked.
"Didn't you hear her speech? Then the Daily Prophet this morning" Hermione said.
"It's why she was snooping around the Study Group too," said Siria.
"Umbridge is here to stop us from learning," said Cedric. "That's what she meant when she said that 'progress for progress's sake should be prohibited'," he paraphrased (B5, 213).
"It's alright though," said Patricia. "According to Cedric's test, the school is very competitive, we have people's favor, or both."
"The clapping was a test?" Cassius asked.
"How do we find out who likes us and who just doesn't like to lose?" Siria asked.
"One by one," said Hermione. "We should have everyone sorted out by the first Hogsmeade visit and can meet up there for one large explanation."
"That's not 'til October!" cried Fred.
"Hermione, I can't believe you'd wait so late," said George.
"Actually," Siria interrupted, "that works in our favor."