Chapter 27

The train ride to Hogwarts was a quiet and dreary affair. Once the train stopped at Hogsmeade, Ewan got out and had some prefects holding the doors open for everyone. One prefect in particular, Draco Malfoy, was already starting problems. After checking to make sure all the first years were off with Hagrid across the lake, he doubled back to the train to check for any straggling students.

Finally, he was in the school, at the end of the Ravenclaw table with Roger, Liam, and Le listening to the new sorting hat song:

In times of old, when I was new,

And Hogwarts barely started,

The founders of our noble school

Thought never to be parted.

United by a common goal,

They had the selfsame yearning

To make the world's best magic school

And pass along their learning.

"Together we will build and teach"

The four good friends decided.

And never did they dream that they

Might some day be divided.

For were there such friends anywhere

As Slytherin and Gryffindor?

Unless it was the second pair

Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,

So how could it have gone so wrong?

How could such friendships fail?

Why, I was there, so I can tell

The whole sad, sorry tale.

Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those

Whose ancestry's purest."

Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose

Intelligence is surest."

Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those

With brave deeds to their name."

Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot

And treat them just the same."

These differences caused little strife

When first they came to light.

For each of the four founders had

A house in which they might

Take only those they wanted, so,

For instance, Slytherin

Took only pure-blood wizards

Of great cunning just like him.

And only those of sharpest mind

Were taught by Ravenclaw

While the bravest and the boldest

Went to daring Gryffindor.

Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest

and taught them all she knew,

Thus, the houses and their founders

Maintained friendships firm and true.

So Hogwarts worked in harmony

for several happy years,

but then discord crept among us

feeding on our faults and fears.

The Houses that, like pillars four

had once held up our school

now turned upon each other and

divided, sought to rule.

And for a while it seemed the school

must meet an early end.

what with dueling and with fighting

and the clash of friend on friend.

And at last there came a morning

when old Slytherin departed

and though the fighting then died out

he left us quite downhearted.

And never since the founders four

were whittled down to three

have the Houses been united

as they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here

and you all know the score:

I sort you into Houses

because that is what I'm for.

But this year I'll go further,

listen closely to my song:

though condemned I am to split you

still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfill my duty

and must quarter every year

still I wonder whether sorting

may not bring the end I fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,

the warning history shows,

for our Hogwarts is in danger

from external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her

or we'll crumble from within

I have told you, I have warned you...

let the Sorting now begin.

"That had to be the longest sorting hat song, ever!" joked Roger during the sorting of the new first years. Once the sorting was finished Ewan and the rest of the school, enjoyed the feast prepared by the house elves.

Everything was the usual till the Headmaster introduced the new DADA professor. She arose; Ewan got a good glimpse at her. She is a short, squat woman, who looked like a white toad and had short curly brown hair.

The Headmaster started speaking again about the items banned when Professor Umbridge rudely interrupted.

"She works for the ministry, with my mum." said Liam.

"Thank you Headmaster from those kind words of welcome and how happy it is to see all your bright happy faces smiling up at me. I'm sure we'll all going to be very good friends-" Ewan snorted at that.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance, although each Headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, prefect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited."

She smiled and giggled, then took her seat.

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge, that really was most illuminating."

"What does that mean, what Umbridge said?" asked Cho Chang.

"It means… that the ministry is interfering at Hogwarts.

* * *

"I can't believe no one will believe you. I mean, you've always been right before." Said Liam. Liam, Roger, Le and Ewan were all looking over the Daily Prophet, who had just written another negative story about Harry and Ewan.

"Yeah, next their going to be saying Ewan's some dark wizard." added Roger.

"Well, it is kind of odd that you can do things that we can't." said Le

"And that Harry is a parsel tongue." said Roger.

"But Harry and I don't know why that is…it's not like we have any control over the abilities we're given." defended Ewan.

"Still it is odd."

"The prophet is stupid. The people who believe it are being brainwashed."

* * *

It was the next day, in Defense, when Ewan learned that N.E.W.T. Defense was going to be absolute rubbish.

"Good morning, class." squeaked Professor Umbridge.

"Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, N, E, W, T, more commonly referred to as N.E.W.T.s. Study hard and you will be rewarded, fail to do so and the consequences may be severe."

With a wave of her wand, the books began to pass themselves out.

"Your previous instructors in this subject, as been disturbly, uneven. Your be pleased to know, that your now be following a carefully structed ministry approved course of defensive magic."

"What about using defensive spells?" asked a Hufflepuff.

"Using spells, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."

"No magic?" asked a Slytherin.

"You're be learning about defensive spells in a secure risk-free way. Theory alone will be enough to get you through your exams."

"We're doomed." Ewan whispered to Roger.

* * *

That After noon, found Ewan and the rest of the Ravenclaw quidditch team in their blue and bronze robes on the pitch. Ewan face brightened when he saw that the pitch was back to normal, the maze hedges gone from last year's tournament. Holding the quaffle under his arm, he flew around watching the people trying out fly, occasionally throwing the quaffle towards one of them. Roger was yelling at one second year, who was trying out for reserve beater, because he hit him in the face with the bat. Cho and Samantha were trying to stifle their laughs from the side, but Seth and Eddie were laughing up a storm by the goal posts. Ewan grinned but didn't laugh. When Roger was done yelling, and sent away the poor second year, he flew over to Ewan.

"See anyone you like?" asked Ewan.

"No, they're all rubbish." complained Roger.

"What about that Goldstein kid, Anthony or something, for Keeper?" suggested Ewan.

"He's good, a bit."

"Better than the rest, at least."

"Yeah, okay. Let's wrap up, I'll tell Anthony he got Keeper position, and write up a list of the reserves, tonight."

"Thank Merlin, I'm starving, next time you schedule the pitch make it sometime after dinner." said Ewan, flying down to the changing rooms.

Once he was changed and showered, he headed off to the Great Hall, to eat a late minute dinner. He wasn't the only one late; Ron, Harry, and Hermione were there also.

Ewan learned that Harry had already served a detention for Professor Umbridge.

"She made me write lines." complained Harry.

"Doesn't sound that bad." said Ewan

"Wait till you serve a detention with her." mumbled Harry, unconsciously rubbing his hand.

"What's wrong with your hand?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing." showing Hermione is right hand.

"Your other hand." she said pulling his hand.

I must not tell lies, was written on Harry hand. "She did this?" asked Ewan.

"You have to report this to Dumbledore." said Ron.

"Dumbledore's got enough on his mind right now." said Harry.

"What do you mean?" asked Ewan.

"Haven't you noticed?" asked Harry.

"Noticed what?"

"How he's been acting. He's avoiding me, might be avoiding you too."

"If the parents knew about this they'd flip." said Ron.

"Well, I don't exactly got those do I." said Harry.

"You have Sirius." said Ewan

"I don't want to give Umbridge the satisfaction." said Harry.

"Bloody hell, Harry, the woman is torturing you."

"You have to report it." said Hermione.

"It's simple, go to a teacher, not Umbridge, of course."

"It's not simple." said Harry, leaving the table. Ewan sighed. Something was happening with Harry, something Ewan didn't know. Ron had said the Harry had been more secluded, more alone. At nights, Harry would have nightmares, but of what Ron didn't know.

* * *

"Pardon me but what are you insinuating?" said a voice out of the Great Hall, the next day. It was Professor Umbridge.

"I' am merely requesting that when it comes to my students you conform to the proscribed disciplinary practices." Said Professor McGonagall. By then the whole student body that was in the Great Hall was now watching the two witches argue.

"So silly of me, but it sounds as your questioning my authority in my own classroom, Minerva."

"Not at all, Dolores. Merely your medieval methods."

"I' am sorry, dear. But to question my practices is to question the ministry, and by extension the Minister himself. I' am a tolerate woman, but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty."

"Disloyalty?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"Things at Hogwarts, are far worse then I feared. Cornelius would want to take immediate action."

And with that the Hogwarts High Inquisitor was made, with Professor Umbridge as its head. She was stricter than ever, making everyone tuck in their shirts, no snogging in the corridors, interviewing the current staff DURING CLASS, stopping all fun in its tracks.

Then she made new decrees, the very first was disbanded quidditch. Thankfully, Ravenclaw was able to rejoin rather soon, without any problems. Then there was that the High Inquisitor had supreme powers over punishments.

Ewan, at first, thought this to be good only because he had always had detention with Snape, unfortunely he discovered the truth after one night of writing, 'I will not support mischief making.' all because he laughed at a joke of the Weasley twins. The Weasley twins were also unable to sell any of their items do to another new decree.

Ewan and the rest of the students had to watch as Umbridge fired Professor Trelawney. And though Ewan never had Divination with her, it was still hard to watch. Thankfully, for those in Divination, Trelawnly was soon replaced with a centaur named Firenze.

Harry had tried to get Dumbledore attention, when the Headmaster had came out to get Professor Trelawnely, however Dumbledore didn't even acknowledge him.

Later that day, Ewan and Harry received a letter from Sirius:

Ewan and Harry,

We've heard something's are going on at Hogwarts with Umbridge, I can't say much about it but know that Fudge doesn't want any of the students trained in combat. He is afraid Dumbledore is making his own force to attack the ministry. Things aren't going well with the order, Fudge is blocking the truth, and there are more disappearances. Voldemort is own the move. Sorry I can't be more help.

Sirius