Chapter 22 – So It's Treason, Then
There was nothing about what Umbridge had found in The Sunday Prophet. There were several articles surrounding the law and the incident in the staff quarters, but Harry didn't see a single mention of any found contraband. Only a few lines in one of the articles referencing Dumbledore lodging an official complaint against the Wizengamot, and something about some procedural thing regarding laws that Harry didn't understand.
But nothing about what Umbridge had found in Dumbledore's rooms. That ought to have been enough to ease Harry's anxieties, but it wasn't. Umbridge had to be waiting for something.
But Monday came, along with The Daily Prophet, and there was still nothing in the papers.
At least, nothing directly about Dumbledore. Nothing about the contraband Umbridge had found. There were the usual anti-Dumbledore, pro-Inquisition articles that spoke about things in vague and indirect terms, articles that Harry had come to expect from any edition of The Daily Prophet. There was an article about the family that owned Wandwright's taking a case to the Wizengamot over the enforced shut-down. Something about compensation rather than an attempt to repeal the law.
"This feels… off," Harry said at breakfast on Wednesday morning. He put his copy of the Prophet down and wedged it between his bowl of cereal and his goblet of apple juice. "The Inquisition found something in Dumbledore's rooms, and they haven't mentioned it once in the papers. Haven't even said anything about it at breakfast. And we know what Umbridge is like. She'd want to gloat about that, wouldn't she?"
"Maybe what she found wasn't very incriminating," Tracey said. "Maybe she thought it was, but it's actually something that's fine?"
"Yeah, maybe," said Harry. He didn't think so. The look on Dumbledore's face, the comment he'd made to Umbridge… It all suggested otherwise. At the very least, it probably wasn't a book about horcruxes or anything like that, but it still seemed likely to be something the Ministry would consider problematic. "It just feels off."
"You'll be seeing him tomorrow evening, won't you?" Blaise said. "You can ask him about it then."
Harry supposed that was true. He could ask about the book when he met with Dumbledore for occlumency training. Dumbledore might even bring the book up himself. Stranger things had happened, after all.
"Yeah," Harry said. "Well, that's if he doesn't cancel. Or if Umbridge doesn't pull anything. She's been awfully quiet since this all happened… but not in a good way."
Harry glanced up at the High Table where Umbridge sat next to Dumbledore on her little throne. She looked happy. Or, rather, she wore her usual false smile as she ate her breakfast and flicked through the paper. Her actual mood was a little harder to discern.
Since Dumbledore had ended the search of the teachers' quarters early, Umbridge and her Inquisitors had been quiet. Observers in lessons rather than an interference. Present for extracurriculars without getting involved.
It was nice, but Harry didn't trust it at all. There was something coming.
"We could be really lucky and this was just a massive overstep and everyone's realised the Inquisition has got to go," said Tracey. "Mam's said there's been something brewing in the Ireland and Wales Offices all week—maybe Umbridge doesn't want to make it worse."
Harry and Blaise simply stared at her.
"As if," Blaise said.
"Well, it could happen," Tracey said. "It's not the most ridiculous thing that could happen, is it? I mean…" Tracey paused. "Oh, but I don't even believe that, either. It'd be nice though, wouldn't it."
"Mm," agreed Harry.
After breakfast ended Harry went about his day as normal but couldn't get rid of the feeling that something bad was going to happen. It stuck with him all day, distracting him from his lessons and even prefect duties.
On Thursday evening at dinner Harry received another self-immolating crane from Dumbledore inviting him to an occlumency session. Harry had worried it would be cancelled. Given … everything … Harry still wasn't entirely sure the optics of continued meetings with Dumbledore were at all a good thing, but he wanted – needed – to learn occlumency, so didn't complain.
He spent the rest of his evening, near enough up to the curfew, working on the Mind Arts with Dumbledore in his office. Harry had grown used to the multitude of portraits, snoozing and chatting as they did; to the occasional odd sound of Dumbledore's inscrutable silver instruments; and even the fiery comings and goings of his phoenix, Fawkes. Against a backdrop of all that Harry would clear his mind, enter the correct state mental state, and attempt to occlude while Dumbledore attacked.
Or, while Dumbledore poked and prodded with legilimency. Harry didn't think what Dumbledore was doing could technically be called an attack, given how gentle the elderly wizard was being. But it was enough to give Harry a challenge.
And the very fact that Dumbledore felt comfortable enough exposing himself to a potential legilimantic incursion from Harry was enough to give Harry reason to celebrate. That meant Dumbledore wasn't overly worried about Voldemort and the connection between him and Harry, and that was fantastic.
"You are, I should think," said Dumbledore once they reached the end of the session, "skilled enough for me to call you an occlumens. You should be very proud of your progress."
"I—thank you, sir. Does that mean I'm—am I ready for—"
"Not quite," said Dumbledore, interrupting. "Soon. Before Christmas, I expect. But you are able to maintain a basic occlusion even under a sustained—albeit weak—legilimantic incursion. This is real progress, Harry."
"Oh," said Harry. "I thought… well, I'd hoped that I was ready for you to tell me what—what you'd said you wanted to say." Harry shrugged. "It's not that I'm disappointed. It's just… er…"
"I understand," said Dumbledore. "But I think with just a couple more sessions you will be there. And after Christmas I think I can hand you over to Professor Snape for a more, ah, intensive schooling in occlumency. It is there your skills will truly be tested."
"Yes, Professor," Harry said.
The idea that he still wasn't ready even though Dumbledore was prepared to call him an occlumens wasn't a nice one. And the idea that he'd be handed over to Snape for much less pleasant lessons was even worse. But it did at least represent some real progress and given that Dumbledore was probably unwilling to go too deep just in case Voldemort was lurking… well, Snape was probably Harry's best bet for mastering occlumency.
"I understand. It's just a bit… well, I was hoping that I was a little bit better than I am, that's all," Harry continued. "I just feel like I could be doing better."
"You are doing remarkably well, in fact," said Dumbledore. "You have taken to the Mind Arts brilliantly. I daresay you, with some time and practise, will become a master occlumens."
Harry hoped so. The obvious benefits of protection from Voldemort's legilimency notwithstanding, Harry wanted some of the ancillary advantages too.
"Thank you, sir. With everything going on—Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, the Inquisition—I feel better having done this," Harry said. The process of meditation, mind-clearing, and entering the occlumantic state had very positive effects on Harry's general stress levels, too, which was a nice little bonus in his OWL year. "Sir, do you think that Lucius Malfoy is a legilimens now? If he's still got that bit of Voldemort in him, and Voldemort's a legilimens…"
Thinking about it induced more than a little anxiety in Harry, but it was something he thought worth considering. If Lucius was a legilimens too, that meant Harry would need to watch out just in case the connection between Lucius and Voldemort meant Lucius could exploit the connection between Voldemort and Harry.
Harry stared past Dumbledore and at the odd instrument on his desk that looked like a seesaw with balls at either end of the pole. In a gravity defying display of enchantment, the seesaw wobbled up and down seemingly without any force being applied to it. Every so often the balls swapped places, but quite what it was doing, Harry hadn't worked out.
Harry had asked once, but Dumbledore had insisted it was a mere desk ornament. Harry still wasn't sure whether to believe him or not, but it did make for a nice distraction.
"As with many things involving what Lucius Malfoy has become, I cannot say," said Dumbledore. "This is—perhaps you recall me saying once before—an unprecedented situation. Perhaps, and perhaps not. Lucius Malfoy is an occlumens—I know this because I have tested his defences myself. Whether this is a previous skill, or something he has inherited from Voldemort, I do not know."
Harry chewed on that. A Lucius Malfoy possessed by Voldemort who wasn't a legilimens was better than one who was. Marginally. That still left one Voldemort who was a legilimens, but that Voldemort was a creepy ghost thing, so that was something…
"Why do you think Voldemort hasn't completely taken over Malfoy?" Harry asked. "That's what he was trying to do with Draco last year—it's what he told me. I remember. But what I saw when I saw him talking to Voldemort—and from what you've said—it seems like neither of them is properly in control. He's not exactly Lucius, but he isn't Voldemort either. So… why?"
"Now that, Harry, is an extremely interesting question," Dumbledore said. "Part of it will be because, while the horcrux fragment will wish to become fully realised, neither Lucius nor Voldemort will want the same thing. There is a clash of wills."
"And that means Lucius is sort of stuck, half-possessed?"
"I have pondered this myself. I have, in fact, discussed this very thing with Mr Flamel—and quite recently. I believe that Lucius Malfoy and the Horcrux-Voldemort form an alchemical amalgam, a new entity which is neither Lucius Malfoy nor Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "It is something new. Something of the both of them, but not wholly either of them. Or will be if the process completes. This is not what Voldemort would have wanted to occur. As to why… I cannot say. Nicolas did not have any good suggestions, either—this is strange magic. New magic, perhaps. The interaction between the horcrux and the soul of a living host is not something which has been studied. Perhaps for obvious reasons."
"That's… well, it makes sense," Harry said. An accidental alchemical amalgam had been created from Voldemort's horcrux and Lucius Malfoy for whatever reason. Harry didn't doubt that Voldemort would have fiddled with the Diadem when Malfoy had brought it back to him. Maybe that had done something unusual. "But if they are an alchemical amalgam, how does that—"
"Do not dwell on this," suggested Dumbledore. "At this stage, I believe the original shade of Voldemort—the one you faced in your first year—is the more dangerous thing to consider. And I shall, of course, share information on the Dark Amalgam when I have unearthed it. Until then I believe you will be served best by continuing with your occlumency and dedicating yourself to your studies. Can you do this?"
Harry nodded.
"Of course, Professor," Harry said. Not that he'd have much choice in the matter, as he was stuck at school and needed occlumency to keep Voldemort out of his head – and to keep Harry out of Voldemort's.
"Wonderful," said Dumbledore. "One last request—I would like you to try and maintain your occlusion at all times throughout the day. When you are at breakfast. When you are in lessons. When you are spending time with your friends. Is this something you think you could do?"
"I can try, Professor," Harry said. It sounded difficult. He'd need to maintain an occlusion while paying attention to daily life, his lessons, his surroundings… but Harry supposed that was the end goal of every occlumens. If he couldn't occlude in those situations the entire process, the whole rigamarole with Dumbledore, would have been pointless.
"Er, I wanted to ask—you know the last Educational Decree? What happened with that? I read in the paper that it was unconstitutional, or something like that. But what does that mean?"
"Ah, that disaster," said Dumbledore. He sighed. "It is true that the law is unconstitutional. The Ministry of Magic derives its power largely from the Statute of Secrecy and the considerations that brings. Indeed, the original Wizards' Council was a much looser entity with merely an advisory role. Of course, in the centuries since its formation the remit of the Ministry has changed somewhat, but that does not give the Ministry power to pry into the homes of private citizens—which is what the staff quarters are—without sufficient cause. And a vague idea that there might be 'seditious material' hidden away—essentially rumour driven by one woman—does not constitute sufficient cause."
Dumbledore frowned.
"Or should not, were the Ministry run by more competent wizards." He sighed once again. "That would be bad enough, but more than that, proper procedure was not followed—such a law cannot be voted into being without the presence of the Chief Warlock. Unfortunately, I do not think the sitting Minister cares overly much. And as I was caught with something which by law I should not have had I fear that my protestations will go unheeded."
"Oh," said Harry. "I think I get it. Er, what was the—"
"It was nothing you would find especially interesting," said Dumbledore. "It was a book recently banned by the Ministry. A rather dry treatise on the last goblin rebellion—Ranrok's Rebellion. I was young when it happened and did not pay attention, as the young often do not. Given the grievances put forward by the goblins today, I thought it prudent to better acquaint myself with the history."
"And Umbridge found it…" Harry murmured. "That was unlucky."
"Indeed," said Dumbledore with a wry smile. "Perhaps someone as old as I should have better hidden my contraband, but such a law is unprecedented and I did not think. Even during the War no such action was taken. Do not trouble yourself with this, Harry. What the High Inquisitor does with her little victory will pass quickly enough. I have weathered far worse in my time and likely will do so again."
Harry nodded.
"Thanks for telling me, Professor," Harry said. "And I reckon I'll have to be more careful now, too—you know, with letters from Sirius and talking about things with my friends. Just in case. Since if the Inquisition has done this with the teachers I can't imagine they'd be against doing it with the students, too."
"A wise decision," said Dumbledore. "Now, remember—you must occlude at all times moving forward. I will attempt legilimency on you at random where appropriate to test your defences, should we meet in the halls. Do this, and we shall be ready to progress."
"Yes, Professor," Harry said.
"You should hurry along—it is almost curfew, and I would not have you get into any trouble on my account."
Harry left the office and returned to the Slytherin Common Room. While he walked, Harry cleared his mind and attempted to occlude, although it was made harder by all the things Dumbledore had told him that evening.
Nothing appeared in the papers on Friday morning. Harry went about his day as he usually did with the sole exception of maintaining his occlusion at all times. Or almost all times, anyway – he dropped it several times due to distractions – but Harry thought it was good enough. He'd tried. He didn't notice Dumbledore using legilimency on him, but then, he tended not to encounter Dumbledore outside of occlumency sessions on Thursdays.
Given another week, Harry thought he'd be able to keep up the occlumantic shield for the entire day. Would have to, since that was what Dumbledore wanted from him. Maintaining it was difficult over the course of Harry's usual activities, but… it was possible. Especially without having to face off against an actual legilimens.
So Harry spent the weekend paying only scant attention to his friends and the various conversations he was part of, with the greater part of his mental faculties devoted to occlusion. By Sunday morning he felt like he was managing quite well, had even started to see some of the ancillary benefits to the Mind Art. He felt less stressed, for one thing.
At breakfast on Sunday morning Harry was glad for that, as an article in The Sunday Prophet would have otherwise worried him.
"You were right," Blaise said to Harry, nudging him and handing him the copy of The Sunday Prophet. "Have a look at this."
That did sound rather ominous to Harry, but under the effects of an active occlusion, it all seemed eminently more bearable. Harry took the paper and scanned the article.
BANNED BOOKS AND SEDITIOUS SCHOOLMASTERS
In a shocking turn of events Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, Headmaster of Hogwarts school has been found in possession of banned books! The elderly wizard was found with forbidden texts in his private quarters after the High Inquisition conducted a search in accordance with new Ministry legislation. It is understood that Dumbledore was found in possession of at least one Category 2 banned book, the identity of which is unknown to the press, as there are a number of books within that category.
Were that not quite enough to raise the ire of the average law-abiding wizard, it seems that Albus Dumbledore has been directly contradicting Ministry guidance and indeed, actual laws, with the running of Hogwarts School. Dumbledore is believed to have prevented Inquisition staff from conducting their search of staff quarters and has allowed teachers and other staff at Hogwarts School to place new and stronger enchantments on their rooms to prevent access by Ministry representatives.
This comes after Dumbledore has publicly criticised the Ministry, the Minister, and the democratically elected government selected by the people. It is understood that Dumbledore has led a challenge to a number of pieces of recent legislation to force a repeal, including the most recent law allowing the High Inquisition to conduct searches of staff quarters at the Ministry of Magic's discretion.
The beleaguered Hogwarts Headmaster has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons, from his open criticism of the Ministry to rumours of inappropriate relationships with students. Word of his recent behaviour has even reached the Board of Governors. We reached out for comment.
"Time was, the name Albus Dumbledore meant a safe pair of hands," said Edwina Quillfeather, long-time Board member and mother of three, all Hogwarts alumni. "With all what's coming out about him makes you wonder how long he can keep at the job. Really, what we all want is someone to work with the Ministry, not against it."
Albus Dumbledore was not available for comment.
There was no by line. Harry thought that wise, if cowardly. He sighed.
"That's a bit shit," Harry said. "They stopped just short of accusing Dumbledore of outright treason. I wonder who wrote the article."
"This time—for once—it might actually not have been Rita Skeeter," Blaise said. "There is a political correspondent at the Prophet, but they didn't put his name on that…"
"For good reason," said Tracey. "I can't imagine Dumbledore will be happy with this."
"He isn't," Harry said, glancing up at the High Table. Dumbledore appeared calm. Serene, even. Almost as if nothing had been written about him in the paper… or as if he hadn't read it. But Harry knew he would have. Dumbledore read several papers every morning. "But last night…" Harry lowered his voice. "Last night, he said he thinks this is just a little win for Umbridge. Nothing he can't handle. The book wasn't even that bad—I asked. He said it was a book about some old goblin rebellion that happened when he was our age. So not even anything… you know," said Harry, waving his hand vaguely. "So I think it'll be fine."
He hoped so, anyway. He went about his business as usual, occluding where possible and getting everything done that he needed to get done, hoping all the while that everything would be fine.
But it wasn't.
On Tuesday morning The Daily Prophet came with a full front-page feature about Dumbledore. Not about anything recent, which had surprised Harry. Instead, Rita Skeeter had gone digging, and had unearthed some long-forgotten information about Dumbledore as a young man, just after he'd left Hogwarts. Including photographs.
THE SECRET LIFE OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
By Rita Skeeter
We all know the story of Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. Dumbledore defeated the Dark wizard, Europe's worst until He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and sent him to live out the rest of his days in his own prison, Nurmengard. Dumbledore was a hero, a saviour.
Or… was he? Well, he was eventually, certainly. But to begin with? That, my dear readers, is an altogether different question.
What people don't know is that the young Albus Dumbledore was a friend of Gellert Grindelwald. As young men the two were very, very close. In interviews obtained recently, the contents of which have been published in part in my upcoming new book, I have been able to uncover just how close they were. For you see, young Gellert Grindelwald once lived on our very own shores. There is more information in my unpublished book, soon to hit the bookshelves, but a young Dumbledore met Grindelwald in the mixed village of Godric's Hollow when they were both young men. They struck up a fast and solid friendship.
I have even been able to acquire letters from Dumbledore to Grindelwald, and what I have read in them is shocking. Indeed, the contents of these letters are even more poignant when one considers the recent controversies surrounding Dumbledore.
One such letter is reprinted here, in part:
My dear Gellert,
How I long to see you again! To discuss our future, our great works and plans, yes—but more than that, the time spent without you causes an ache in my heart. I cannot stress enough how happy I was to receive your last letter; indeed, it was the highlight of my week! I find myself in agreement with what you said regarding the Problem of Good Governance, and I feel that your assertion that we must always work for and strive towards the Greater Good most appropriate. Indeed, it is…
There is more, my dear readers. Much more. This letter, and many others besides, are printed in full in my upcoming book, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, to be released in the new year. Keep an eye out for that on the shelves of your favourite bookshop! This book is the culmination of years of painstaking research, of interviews conducted in secret, and a dogged determination to uncover the truth. It is only because it is nothing more than the honest, transparent truth that I am comfortable with publishing it at all, as a man with Dumbledore's power and connections is not a wizard easily crossed.
But modest self-promotion aside, it is interesting to see that the vaunted saviour of the wizarding world, the man who brought an end to war in Europe, was friendly enough with Grindelwald to call him 'My dear Gellert'. Just how close was Dumbledore with Grindelwald? This, and other questions, have an answer.
Harry stopped reading.
"Ugh," he said. "That's the worst time for something like this to come out," Harry said. "And what's Dumbledore doing, being friends with bloody Grindelwald?"
"Sounds like they were more than friends," Blaise said. "But… it seems like this was before Grindelwald went Dark. Or before he went all… well…"
"But 'the Greater Good' was Grindelwald's motto," Tracey said. "It was… he had it written on all sorts of things. So even if they weren't Dark then, it's still a bit…"
Harry nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah, even if he wasn't Dark then, it's still… I mean, Dumbledore obviously isn't Dark now—doubt he ever was—but this coming out now… bad timing," Harry said. Bad timing indeed. No doubt Skeeter had more lined up, more little titbits she would drip into the papers ahead of her book's publication.
Assuming Dumbledore didn't launch a legal challenge. Slander, libel – there had to be an angle there. Assuming Dumbledore would go for that. Assuming that it was even a smart thing to do.
But if Rita had chosen then to release the book Harry assumed she had a powerful benefactor, someone willing to fight her corner if it came to it… or at the very least provide funding.
Which was exactly what Lucius Malfoy was likely to do.
Harry sighed.
Harry looked up at the High Table. Thanks to his new and improved eyes, Harry could see with some detail that Dumbledore had a copy of The Daily Prophet in front of him, along with a few others. Foreign papers Harry didn't recognise. So Dumbledore had to have read the paper that morning. He always read the papers. And even if he hadn't done any of his own reading, the increasingly loud buzz of conversation all throughout the Great Hall would have alerted him to the story. If that hadn't, Harry was sure one of the other teachers would have pointed it out. McGonagall, maybe, as they usually sat next to one another.
But Dumbledore didn't appear at all angry. Not annoyed, not frustrated, not even mildly perturbed. He simply sat there eating his breakfast, McGonagall on one side and Umbridge on the other.
"He's taking it rather well," Harry said. "To look at him you wouldn't think anything had happened."
"Well, doesn't want to cause a scene, I expect," said Blaise. "I mean, you wouldn't, would you? But he can't let all this go ignored, surely. He'll have to make a comment this time…"
"I wonder if that was the point of this," Harry said, thinking aloud. "You know, force Dumbledore to start defending himself in the papers instead of—well, whatever he's been doing behind the scenes at the Ministry?"
"Probably," said Blaise. "Although it does make you wonder who's pulling that particular string, doesn't it? I can't imagine Umbridge going after Dumbledore so… so…"
"Openly?" offered Tracey. "Aggressively? No, I don't think so, either. She'd have got more regulations, passed new rules… all of that nonsense. But this seems more like… well, you know."
"Definitely," Harry said. It had Lucius Malfoy – or the Malfoy-Voldemort amalgam, whatever had become of that – written all over it. Umbridge would be wary of going toe to toe with someone like Dumbledore, someone who had his own authority and didn't have to borrow it from the Minister. She would prefer to keep at what she'd already been doing, chipping away at Dumbledore's authority within the school.
Malfoy – Voldemort – wouldn't be quite so worried. After all, Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever been afraid of. Neutralising him… well, that would go a long way on a lot of counts. With Dumbledore as Chief Warlock in the way of Malfoy's plans for the Wizengamot, Harry reckoned Malfoy and Voldemort were having a rougher time of it than they wanted. The torrent of anti-Dumbledore articles and rumours and everything else had to be aimed at removing him from post. Or at least, making it difficult for him to do his job.
"That book, though…" said Blaise. "That's going to be a best-seller. I kind of want to read it, to be honest. I mean, I don't think I will—but you know…"
Harry wanted to protest, say it was nobody's business but Dumbledore's… but he wanted to read the book, too. Not that he wanted to give Rita Skeeter any of his money, of course. But the book seemed like it would be full of the sorts of things that Dumbledore wouldn't want people to know, and secrets like that were always interesting. Although they wouldn't be secrets too much longer, Harry supposed.
Assuming that the book had any actual truth in it to begin with, of course, and with Rita Skeeter it was always hard to tell.
Soon enough the only topic of conversation Harry overheard in the Great Hall was to do with Dumbledore and Grindelwald. It was the only thing on anyone's lips – from the prefects, to the first years, and even some of the teachers judging by how they kept sneaking glances at Dumbledore.
At the end of breakfast there were no announcements, no speeches by Umbridge, nothing like that. Instead, Dumbledore simply got up as he usually did and strode out of the Hall like nothing at all was wrong… even though every eye in the place watched him leave.
The furore didn't die down as everyone left the Great Hall to attend lessons, either. If anything, it got worse.
On Wednesday, Dumbledore didn't attend breakfast, nor lunch, nor dinner. The rumour around school Harry had heard the most was that he'd spent all day at the Ministry, although some claimed he'd gone to some Spellman and Spellman in London to file a proper complaint against Umbridge or Rita Skeeter. In a departure from the norm – at least, in Harry's experience since starting at Hogwarts – the Board of Governors did meet.
Quite publicly, in fact, converging on the school through the Entrance Hall just as dinner ended. The full complement of governors, less one Lucius Malfoy as he'd been banned from the role. And with Dumbledore still gone from the castle. The Board hung about in the Entrance Hall just long enough to be seen, then disappeared deeper into the castle to conduct their business.
Harry wasn't one for divination, but the omens didn't appear good. He'd been tempted to sneak after them with his Invisibility Cloak to have a listen in, but Tracey had persuaded him not to. They'd all gone some time before curfew, anyway.
At breakfast on Thursday morning, Dumbledore was absent. More than that, Umbridge sat in his usual chair, her own little throne occupied by Inquisitor Arlecchino instead. At the end of breakfast Umbridge stood to make an announcement. She wore different robes than usual – a deep forest green, none of her usual pink accessories – along with a traditional witch's hat.
She looked happy. Genuinely happy, not her usual sickly smile.
Harry felt uneasy at the sight of her.
"Hem, hem," she coughed. "I would like your attention, please. These past few days have been rife with speculation and rumour. It has been a trying time for us all. I can confirm that Albus Dumbledore—formerly Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot—has been removed from his post as Headmaster of Hogwarts School under suspicion of treason. In the interim the High Inquisition will take over the running of Hogwarts School, and the post of High Inquisitor shall be merged with that of the Headmaster. As per Educational Decree Number…"
Harry stopped listening. Dumbledore, gone from the castle. Dumbledore, no longer Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Dumbledore, suspected of treason.
Has he been arrested? Harry wondered. Dumbledore didn't seem like the sort of man to allow himself to be arrested. And who would even attempt to arrest Albus Dumbledore, anyway? But treason wasn't exactly a minor crime. It was a Kissable offence. That meant something. For anyone else, it would mean Aurors sent to their house. A general warrant for their arrest. Suspicion laid upon all friends, associates, and assorted acquaintances. Unspeakables, perhaps, although Harry wasn't entirely sure what they did.
But for Dumbledore?
Harry didn't think Dumbledore even owned a house. Even so, Dumbledore had to have gone somewhere. Perhaps he would turn himself in and allow the justice system – such as it was – to follow due process. Although probably not – Dumbledore seemed more like the sort of man to follow the rules that were convenient rather than the rules in general.
Harry wondered what it would mean for…
"Oi," hissed Blaise. "You'll want to be listening to this." He gestured to Umbridge.
"…the Inquisitorial Squad will be a student-led initiative designed to make students part of the process of governing a school such as Hogwarts. Squad members will report to the Inquisition and will undertake nightly patrols, be responsible for assigning detentions, and will have the power to award and deduct House points—subject to review by Inquisitors. Any students wishing to join the Inquisitorial Squad should see Inquisitor Arlecchino before Monday. Prefects need not apply. In addition to this the High Inquisition will be conducting a review of Hogwarts rules and bylaws with a view to repealing some of the previous administration's changes to school tradition and guidelines. Students are to be advised that keeping up with the rules—however they may change—is their own responsibility and ignorance of the rules, as with the law, is no excuse for wrongdoing. Breakfast is concluded and you are all dismissed."
Umbridge left the High Table. Slowly, the students started to move as well.
"This is awful," Harry said to Blaise and Tracey on their way out of the Great Hall. All around him the other students were talking about much the same thing, the end result being an indistinct buzz peppered with snippets of conversation.
"It's clever to ban prefects from joining her little Squad," Tracey said. "She's made her own team now. People who can spy on the prefects."
"And they can give out detentions without going through teachers," Harry said. "Well, only for review. We're not allowed to do that. We have to recommend it to the teachers and then they're the ones who actually…" He shrugged. That didn't matter. "This is a mess…"
"I was thinking about joining the Squad, actually," said Blaise.
Harry stopped. Stared.
"Oh, don't look at me like that," said Blaise. "I want to see what they talk about at meetings and all that. And it'd be good to have one of us on the inside. I don't actually…" He waved a hand vaguely. "Well. You know. It's a good idea," he insisted. "And it makes us look like we're not anti-Inquisition if one of us is part of it."
Put like that, Harry had to agree. Still, it wasn't a nice thought.
"Aright," said Harry. "I suppose."
"Glad you agree," said Blaise. "Not that it would have mattered—I was going to try to join anyway. Looks good. Never know how long this whole Inquisition malarkey is going to last, so we've got to keep up appearances."
"I get it, I get it," Harry said. He didn't like it very much, but Harry understood the principle. Looking like they were on Umbridge's side was key to being able to continue their activities. He sighed. "We'd better get off to lessons sharpish—no telling what the Inquisitors will be like now they're actually in charge."