Author's Note: Even though I didn't say this last chapter, hopefully you all know that I don't own the rights to Harry Potter. I only own the characters and situations that you don't recognize from the series.

Chapter 13 The First of Many Education Decrees

Alex was in a good mood during the rest of the weekend. The fact she was going behind the Ministry's back as well as Umbridge's made her feel great. She guessed that came from her father's love of mischief and mayhem.

However, Monday morning, Alex's good mood was dampened when she arrived in the common room on her way to breakfast. Hermione had told her to go on ahead and that she'd meet Alex and the boys in the Great Hall. On the notice board in the common room was a large sign with an official looking seal and border. There was a crowd of people but Alex managed to push by them and stood with Ron and Harry. It was written in black, fancy calligraphy with a signature at the bottom.

-BY ORDER OF-

The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts

All Student Organizations, Teams, Groups, and or Clubs are hereby disbanded until permission to re-form has been asked for by the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge). No Student Organization, Team, Group, and or Club may continue without the permission and knowledge of the High Inquisitor. Any student who is a part of an unknown organization, team, group, and or club will be expelled.

Note: A Student Organization, Team, Group, and or Club is a collection of two or more students who meet on a regular basis.

The above statement is now and forever to be called

Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four

Signed,

Dolores Jane Umbridge

High Inquisitor

Alex stared at the notice with panic. Someone must've snitched about the meeting, how else would she have known? But something else, her lessons with Draco were regular which meant she'd have to get permission from Umbridge. The thought of crawling to Umbridge, asking to give permission to do something Alex loved, made her physically ill.

"We need to find Hermione," said Ron and asked Alex, "Is she in your dormitory?"

"Yeah, she wanted me to tell you guys to go ahead and she'd meet us down for breakfast. I'll go up and-RON! HARRY! WHAT ARE YOU-?"

Ron and Harry had raced and attempted to climb the stairs. However, the stairs seemed to melt and all that was left was a flat slope, like a slide. The boys slid down onto the carpeted common room floor as Stevie, Parvati, and Lavender slid down.

"What were you doing?" Parvati asked with raised eyebrows.

"We wanted to see Hermione," said Ron as he rose to his feet.

Lavender giggled and Parvati's eyebrows went up higher. As Stevie passed them, she muttered, "Pervert," under her breath. Ron and Harry turned to Alex, who was trying her best not to laugh.

"Why can't we go up your stairs but you can come up ours?" Harry asked curiously.

Alex let out a bark of laughter and went to her bag, pulling out Hogwarts: A History. She opened to a page and handed it to the boys.

"The founders believed that men were less trustworthy than women," said Alex as she giggled, "You really need to read your history."

Just then, Hermione slid down into the common room and saw the boys reading the book.

"Aha!" she cried triumphantly, "It's about time you read that book!"

"Don't get your hopes up, Hermione," said Ron, shoving the book into Alex's hands, "We were trying to get up to find you, look at this!"

Hermione read the decree and her expression darkened.

"Someone must've told," Alex whispered so only they could hear.

"No, they couldn't of. They signed the contract," said Hermione, obviously thinking.

"Oh come off it, Hermione!" Alex snapped, "Just because they wrote their name on a piece of paper doesn't mean that-"

"No, that's not what I meant," said Hermione, snapping out of her state, "I put a jinx on that parchment. Anyone who tells on us will really regret it. I borrowed the jinx book that Ron gave you in your first year, Alex."

"What'll happen?" Ron asked.

"You know Eloise Midgen and how bad her acne is?" They all nodded and Hermione continued, "This jinx will make hers look nonexistent."

Alex shook her head and they went down to breakfast. When they reached the Great Hall for breakfast, there were decrees posted everywhere. As the boys were letting the Gryffindors know, Hermione and Ginny went to the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff table. Alex caught Draco's eye and he got up, meaning for her to follow. She finished her toast quickly and left the hall. She felt him grab her hand and didn't even flinch as he led her into a deserted classroom. They sat on an empty desk together.

"I guess you saw the new decorations in the Hall?" Alex asked grimly.

"Unfortunately, I did," Draco said darkly, "It's so stupid! I guess she wants every single study group to go to her for permission to continue their lessons, huh? What's the point?"

"She wants to be in control," said Alex with a sigh, "Look, I have her later this afternoon, I'll just go and ask-"

"No, I'll do it," said Draco quickly, "I don't want you to have to deal with her more than is necessary. Plus, she…um, knows my dad pretty well."

Alex nodded and said, "So she'll say yes immediately if you ask."

"You could say it's one of the perks of having a father who's power-hungry," said Draco with a small smile, "They say that you draw friends who are like you."

Alex managed a smile and they left to go to their own classes.

...

"You may have noticed we have a guest here today," Snape said with his lip curled and Alex spun around to see Umbridge with her clipboard. "Directions are on the board and the storeroom has everything you'll need. You may begin."

Alex got to work and tried to go as fast as she could without making errors. She wanted to be able to hear what Umbridge would ask Snape. The potion wasn't as complicated as Snape made it out to be, it just had to be brewed the right way without too many errors. Finally, Alex finished five minutes into the second period, a new record. Even Snape looked surprised when Alex handed him her vile.

"Are you sure you followed every direction, Miss Ratcliff?" he asked, looking at the potion closely.

"Yes sir," she said, swallowing the pride in her voice, "It's all correct to the last shred of bowtruckle skin."

He grunted, his own way of showing his reluctant approval, and Alex returned to her seat to pack up her belongings. Soon, however, a shadow passed over her workspace and she looked up to see Umbridge smiling with fake sweetness at her. Even when Alex was sitting down on the stool, she was just barely taller than Umbridge.

"I couldn't help noticing you finished well before the other students," she said with that sharp-tooth smile, "Is there any particular reason for this?"

"I've always finished first, Professor," said Alex with as much respect as she could muster, "You can ask Professor Snape if you wish. Potions has always been one of my strongest subjects."

"Yes, I've seen your records," said Umbridge, smiling even more at the look of horror on Alex's face. This beast had the right to look at her records? "It seems you are a great student. Yet, you've struggled in Arithmancy, haven't you?"

"Professor, with all due respect," said Alex as she tried desperately to remain in control, "If you looked at my most recent records, you'd see I am not struggling anymore in that class. I found myself an excellent tutor and he has helped me improve greatly."

Umbridge nodded and went to Snape to interrogate him. Alex listened as she pretended to be busy with her cleaning.

"I have here that you have tried for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position multiple times, but you haven't gotten it?" Umbridge asked, "And how long have you been working here?"

"Fourteen years." Snape looked very angry and Alex found herself praying they'd start dueling each other.

"I see…do you have any thoughts on why Dumbledore had denied you the job fourteen times in a row?"

"The Headmaster has his reasons, whatever they may be," Snape said through tight lips, "And I suppose this is relevant to my examination?"

"Oh yes, it is," Umbridge said with a girlish giggle, "We at the Ministry like to know the backgrounds of our teachers."

Alex looked at Snape, using her long hair to hide her eyes, and saw he looked angrier than she had ever seen him. He then turned his black eyes on Harry's potion, which was reeking horribly like burnt rubber. Harry received no credit for his potion that day.

After a quick lunch, Alex and Hermione arrived to Arithmancy. Once everyone was in and talking quietly, a puffy-eyed Professor Nellie entered the classroom.

"Good afternoon, class," he said without his usual enthusiasm.

"Good afternoon, Professor Nellie," the class said cautiously.

"Since it seems I am incapable of remembering what I do in this class, I will allow you all to work on homework for the period," Professor Nellie said and his eyes filled up.

"Er…Professor?" Alex asked, raising her hand tentatively, "Is something…um…wrong?"

"Wrong?" he asked and laughed grimly, "Why would you think that? I am perfectly fine. Insulted maybe, but I shall survive."

"Does this have anything to do with Professor Umbridge?" the one Slytherin boy asked with a smirk.

"If you want to get anything done, I suggest you start now!" Professor Nellie said loudly and with a touch of ferocity they had never heard from him before.

The class fell silent and pulled out books, quills and inkwells, and parchment. Alex looked at Draco, who was just as red with anger as Alex felt.

"That old cow," he muttered quietly for only Alex and Hermione to hear, "If she sacks Professor Nellie-"

"There's nothing you can do," snapped Hermione without looking up, "Unless your father is so powerful that he can take down the High Inquisitor?"

"He wouldn't anyway," Draco said darkly, "He likes that Umbridge woman, didn't you read what he said in the Prophet?"

"Unfortunately, I did," said Hermione icily, "And I'm surprised you're not on his side of the argument. Don't you always follow what your father says without thinking of others?"

Draco opened his mouth to retaliate, but Alex caught his eye and he stopped. He just let out an annoyed sigh and continued is work. As Alex wrote her essay for History of Magic on dwarf rebellions, she heard a feeble voice calling out for help…a voice that she knew well.

"My wing, my wing…someone let me in!"

Alex looked up in alarm and scanned the windows carefully. She let out a gasp as she saw her owl, Monty, attempting to land on the small window ledge outside. Looking up at Professor Nellie, who was obviously not paying the students any attention, she ran to the window and opened it, taking her owl in her arms.

"Alex! Thank Merlin it's you!" Monty said weakly and his muscles relaxed.

"Monty, what happened?" she asked panicky.

"Someone caught me while I was flying here…they tried to get your letter but I managed to get away." Monty said and Alex saw a roll of parchment attached to her owls' leg. She pulled it off as she closed the window and tucked it into her pocket.

"Professor Nellie," Alex said frantically, "My owl's been hurt, can I go find Hagr-Professor Grubbly-Plank?" She realized suddenly there was no Hagrid for her to go to.

"Why not?" the old man wheezed, "It seems no one has respect for my teaching anyway."

Alex was too worried to respond as she grabbed her bag and took off down the corridors, seeing both Hermione and Draco watching her with anxiety. They both knew well how much Alex loved her midnight black owl.

Alex ran to the nearest window and looked out onto the grounds. Professor Grubbly-Plank wasn't teaching so where could she be? She didn't have an office so maybe the faculty lounge area? It was worth a shot.

She dashed down the corridors as silently as she could (the last thing she needed was a teacher stopping her for making too much noise) and made her way to the door. Swallowing nervously, she knocked on the door and waited as her owl muttered in pain. Alex petted the bird's head in a soothing manner and Monty hooted softly. The door opened and Professor McGonagall appeared.

"Miss Ratcliff, please don't tell me you received yet another detention?" she asked with a hint of anger. However, when she saw Alex's stricken face and limp owl, she said, "What happened here?"

"I…I don't know Professor," said Alex, her voice shaking a little, "I was in Arithmancy and he appeared by the window. He sa-I think someone did this to him." She said this last part in a whisper in case Umbridge was in the room. She also didn't want to mention her owl had told her, in case Umbridge didn't already know.

"Oh my, come inside. Wilhelmina, come look at Miss Ratcliff's owl please!"

Alex walked in and saw the Astronomy teacher Professor Sinistra, Professor Flitwick, Professor Grubbly-Plank, and Professor Snape. The substitute rose from her chair as Alex placed the owl on a table, trying to ignore Snape's gaze. She didn't want him to see how much this affected her.

"Hmm…his wing is broken in at least two places…it seems something had attacked him. Thestrals will go for birds, but Hagrid has them trained well to not go for owls…I wonder what could have done this."

"Please Professor," Alex said, laying a hand on the back of her owl's head, "Is he going to be all right?"

"Oh, I'm sure he will," said Professor Grubbly-Plank and Alex let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, "The breaks don't look terribly bad but he won't be flying very far for at least two months."

"Miss Ratcliff," said Professor McGonagall, her face stony, "Do you know where this owl was coming from?"

"Um…either London or Wiltshire," said Alex, "My uncle sometimes stays in London in an apartment while I'm at school so he's closer to work."

But McGonagall knew when Alex said "London", she didn't mean her uncle. What she really meant was "number twelve, Grimmauld Place". McGonagall's face turned stonier and she nodded.

"And you have your letter?" she asked.

"Yes," said Alex, holding it up, "Got it right here. Professor Grubbly-Plank, you'll let me know how he's doing, right?"

"Of course," she said with a kind smile as she picked the owl up gently, "I shall keep you fully updated. Now I think you better head off to your next period, this one is almost finished."

Alex nodded and reached out to scratch her ebony owl's feathery stomach.

"Be strong, Monty!" she whispered.

Professor McGonagall put a comforting hand on her shoulder and Alex smiled gratefully, if not a little teary. She heard the bell ring and thanked everyone and left. When she arrived in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, it was silent and empty. Looking around, she took out her letter and unrolled it under her desk. It was her father's handwriting.

Today, same time and place

Quickly, she tore it up into little pieces and stuffed them into her pocket. When Hermione, Harry, and Ron came in, they went straight over to her with worry written across their faces.

"We heard what happened," said Harry as he sat down and pulled out his book, "Will Monty be all right?"

"Professor Grubbly-Plank says he'll be fine. He won't be able to fly far for some time though," said Alex and looked around before adding quietly, "He told me someone attacked him."

"Who?" Ron and Harry asked appalled, but Hermione frowned even more.

"I expected as much," she whispered, "Umbridge's been trying to control the castle so why not our mail?"

"You mean," said Ron in horror, "She wanted to read Alex's mail? But why?"

"It was Orion," said Alex so quietly that the other three had to lean in more, "He said tonight, same time and place."

"I hope no one else read it," said Hermione suddenly.

"They couldn't have," said Alex, more for her own good than anyone else's, "The seal wasn't broken and Monty said he got away."

"Well, Ron and I'll be there," said Harry cynically, "Umbridge hasn't given us permission to practice but she had no problems giving it to the Slytherins."

Alex was about to respond apologetically but Umbridge entered the room and great hatred flooded inside of her.

"Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Professor Umbridge!" the class rang out, if not without some eye rolls.

"Wands away please and open to the next chapter and begin reading," said Umbridge smugly, "There will be-"

"No need to talk," Alex, Hermione, Ron, and Harry muttered under their breath along with her.

Author's Note: Since this chapter is rather short, I'm posting the next one with it as well. I'd still like to know what you thought of this chapter though! How did you like that I changed which owl got hurt? And any thoughts about Professor Nellie? Your input is greatly appreciated! :)