Chapter XII - Problems and Solutions

It was not long before Umbridge's tyrannical grip on the school began. Within a week she was made High Inquisitor through Educational Decree number twenty-four, and she began inspecting each professor during their classes. She made her way through each of the professors in turn, eventually arriving at Ancient Runes.

"Turn to page five seventy in your books, please, and translate the runes," Rosemary turned from the class before her toward Umbridge's patronizing smile. Umbridge clutched a clipboard to her chest and pulled out a quill.

"This is your first year teaching, is it not?"

"Yes," she answered, watching as Umbridge meandered toward her desk and inspected it casually.

"But your NEWT marks in Ancient Runes... You hardly received Exceeds Expectations, correct?"

Rosemary turned a little red, glancing once at her students, some of which had begun to watch every now and then as they worked. "Professor Dumbledore felt it was sufficient enough to-"

"Hm," she made a mark on the clipboard and adjusted a few knickknacks on the desk. "And you are reluctant to hand out detentions?"

"My advanced students are very good about turning in their assigned work, and I haven't felt the need to give detentions for minor misbehavior." She paused and then fidgeted a little. "Please- don't- don't touch that."

Umbridge paused as well and looked back at her before making a few more notes and Rosemary took the chance to readjust the placement of the things on her desk again. "Dumbledore asked you to teach this year, didn't he?"

"Yes..."

The High Inquisitor's eyebrows raised slightly. "Even though you were involved in the disappearance of Lauren Black fifteen years ago?"

Rosemary froze, taken aback by this sudden question. Several students, one of which was Hermione Granger, were watching now, their quills lax in their hands as Rosemary turned defensively toward Umbridge. "I was not involved... Professor."

"High Inquisitor," she corrected, unfazed. "But you are friends with mass-murderer Sirius Black, are you not?"

"I was, when I was a student," she answered more confidently now as nearly the whole class had stopped writing to watch. "If you're trying to imply that-"

"Dear, dear," Umbridge said with a high-pitched laugh, making a few more notes. "I am trying to imply nothing." She turned and walked toward the door with a glance over her shoulder. "But as they say, truth will out."

With a sigh Rosemary took her seat at her desk, momentarily unaware of the class that sat frozen in front of her, their gazes settled on her.

"Professor," Hermione spoke up, and she looked up toward the fifth year. "I'm having difficulty with a translation."

She knew very well that Hermione was probably not having trouble with a translation, but got up anyway and walked to Hermione's desk before looking up at the others. "Is anyone else having trouble?"

Another two weeks went by before the Order of the Phoenix conducted another meeting. Dumbledore stayed behind at Hogwarts while Snape, McGonagall, and Rosemary left for Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Snape had nothing new to report on Lauren, except her new residence in Malfoy Manor. This information was not taken lightly by Sirius, who was barely kept content by the search in the library that he and Remus still continued.

As soon as the meeting was concluded, the three met again in the library.

"Have you found anything yet?" Rosemary asked, slipping in the doorway and closing it behind her quietly. Sirius returned to his armchair and picked up a book from a stack beside it, Remus following suit.

"Not yet," Sirius said, sounding slightly frustrated.

"Sirius has been looking almost all day, every day," Remus said under his breath so that only she could hear before raising his voice to a normal level. "We've still got a lot to go through, though. Have you had a chance to check the Restricted Section yet?"

She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sure you've been reading the Prophet?" They nodded. "Umbridge has been making it hard to get away from the usual things. She's High Inquisitor now, which means that she's been interrogating all of the professors. She's been watching us all like a hawk, in and out of the classroom."

"Interrogating?" Sirius asked.

Rosemary nodded. "She came into each class two weeks ago to inspect our teaching methods- you've read the paper- I might have to be careful about what I do, though. Some of the questions..."

She paused a moment, and they looked at her expectantly.

"She implied that I was involved in Lauren's disappearance, and that I'm still friends with 'mass-murderer Sirius Black'. I denied both, but I don't think it did much good."

Remus shook his head. "She's going to be dreadful no matter what you do, but denying it is a good start."

"I have a feeling that if I'm going to find anything in the Restricted Section I'll have to look soon."

"Good," Sirius interjected. "Let's just hope you have enough time to look properly."

"Yeah..."

"It would be wise to get a move on with the search," Remus said. "She'll do whatever she can to stop you if she gets even a hint that you're up to something, especially with how your inspection went."

"You'll have to wait to hear from me about it until the next meeting, though. I don't want to risk it, with the way the Ministry is intercepting owls."

They nodded, and Sirius spoke up again. "You could try the fire in your office if there's anything extremely important. They're not monitored yet."

Rosemary frowned. "How do you know they aren't?"

"I spoke with Harry recently."

"Through the fire? Sirius, what if someone saw you? You could put yourself in danger- you could put Harry in danger."

"Relax, Remus," Sirius said, sounding a little irritated. "Ron and Hermione were the only others that saw, really. And they confirmed what we expected from Fudge. He's preventing them from learning defensive spells."

"Well," Rosemary broke in. "I'll try the fire one night if I find anything. Keep a good eye on it."