Next day, Megan went to wander the grounds for a while. Hermione wanted to study for a Numerology test, and the boys were too behind homework to spare a moment of the day. And Megan had to admit she preferred that. She wanted to be alone for a bit. One the other hand, she never felt worse than when she was alone... it was a little frustrating to not know what she wanted... She was walking around the edge of the forest, when she spotted another of those strange black horses. She stepped towards it and saw Luna stroking another one. Megan also noticed Luna was barefooted.

"Hello, Megan." she said.

"Hi, Luna... er... aren't your feet cold with no shoes?" she asked tentatively.

"A bit," she agreed dreamily. "But all my shoes have disappeared."

Megan meant to comment but was too intrigued by the black horses to.

"What are they?" Megan asked.

"Thestrals. They're very gentle, but people avoid them because they're a bit..."

She seemed to search for the right word.

"Different?" Megan suggested.

"Yes. They appear to people who've seen death. You saw your parents, I suppose. And Cedric Diggory was hit by a Killing Curse, so maybe he died for a few moments before he fell into the coma."

"... So... you saw someone die...?"

"Yes. My mum. She was a great witch, you know, but she was very keen on experiments. And one day it went wrong. I was nine."

"I'm sorry..." Megan said.

"Yes, I do miss her... but I've got Dad. We keep each other company."

She threw an apple to a baby Thestral a few feet from them.

"My Dad and I believe you, by the way," she said. "About You-Know-Who."

"Thanks." she said. "It sounds like you're the only ones, though..."

"Oh, I don't think that's true," she said. "But I expect that's how he wants you to feel." she added thoughtfully. "You-Know-Who."

"What d'you mean?"

"Well, if I were him, I'd weaken my enemy by crushing their spirit. Your strength is your friends, so if I were You-Know-Who, I'd want you to feel cut off from everyone else, because I'd see you as less of a threat, that way."

Megan thought about that as the baby Thestral tottered up to her expectantly. It was true that it made sense, somehow.

"Here, give it some food," Luna said, handing her a slab of meat.

Megan crouched down and handed the meat to the baby. It chewed happily away and rubbed its little head against Megan's arm. Thestrals really weren't that bad, she thought with a smile.

The next morning, Hermione opened the Daily Prophet expecting to have to comb through it but...

"What?!"

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Look!" Hermione said, spreading the paper out.

Megan peered over her shoulder to look at the flattened paper. Glancing up to see Cedric, she saw him stand and come over.

"You got the Prophet," he said.

They nodded. He leaned over to read with them. On the front page was a large picture of Umbridge smiling in her awful pink cardigan.

MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM

DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR

"High Inquisitor?" Harry asked frowning. "What does that mean?"

"... listen to this," Megan said.

In a surprise move last night, the Ministry of Magic has passed new legislations giving itself an unprecedented level of control over Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"The Minister has been uneasy about the occurrences at Hogwarts for some time," says Junior Assistant to the Minister Percy Weasley. "His actions now are merely a response to the voiced and justified concerns of parents, who feel the school may be going in a direction they disapprove."

This is not the first of Minister Cornelius Fudge's new laws to improve the school. As from the 30th of August, Educational Decree number 22 was passed, stating that in the event that the current Headmaster cannot propose a suitable replacement, the Ministry would take charge of selecting one.

"That is how Dolores Umbridge became appointed to teach at Hogwarts," concluded Weasley last night. "Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, and she's been an immediate success."

"She's what?!" Ron said in outrage.

"That's not all," Cedric said darkly. "Read on, Megan."

– An immediate success indeed, revolutionising the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts and supplying on-the-ground feedback of what's happening at Hogwarts. It is this last post that has been formalised with Educational Decree number 23, which creates the post of Hogwarts High Inquisitor.

"It is part of the exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to remedy what some see as the falling standards of Hogwarts school." Weasley explains. "The Inquisitor will have authority to inspect her fellow educators and make sure they are coming up to scratch." Professor Umbridge has indeed agreed to fill the post as well as her teaching duties, and these moves have been enthusiastically supported by parents of Hogwarts students.

"I for one feel much more at peace knowing that Dumbledore is subjected to fair and objective evaluation." says Mr Lucius Malfoy, from his Wiltshire Manor last night. "We parents have our children's best interests at heart, and some of Dumbledore's eccentric decisions have been cause for concern to many of us. And I am glad to see that the Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation."

Among these "eccentric decisions", there is namely staff appointments of werewolf Remus Lupin, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid and paranoid ex-Auror "Mad-Eye" Moody. Rumours abound, of course, that Albus Dumbledore, once Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, is no longer up to managing the prestigious school.

Elders of the Wizengamot Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden have resigned in protest at the appointment of a High Inquisitor.

"Hogwarts is a school, not an extension of Fudge's office," Madam Marchbanks said. "This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Dumbledore."

"So we know how we got Umbridge now," Cedric said. "Fudge used that Educational Decree and forced her on us."

Megan nodded.

"And now, Umbridge has the power to inspect the other teachers!" Hermione said angrily. "It's just outrageous!"

"We know it is..." Megan said, glancing at the thin outline of the cut on her hand.

"Megan!"

Cedric caught it and looked at her new scars.

"What is this?"

"Her detention," Hermione said darkly. "Umbridge had her writing lines with her blood."

Cedric's eyes widened in shock.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"Because I don't want you to get into trouble too. It's just a cut."

"That evil..."

"We know, but we can't report it, that's what she's waiting for..." Harry said.

Suddenly, Ron snorted with laughter.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I can't wait to see McGonagall inspected. Umbridge won't know what hit her!" Ron grinned. "She'll never get to McGonagall in a million years."

Umbridge wasn't inspecting any of the classes that morning. And when they were in double Potions, Megan saw, to her amazement, an "A" on her moonstone essay. She had been sure she hadn't done very well.

"I have graded you the way one would for the OWL exam," Snape said. "This should give you an idea. The general standard was abysmal. Most of you would have failed, had this been your exam. I expect a great deal more effort for this week's essay on venom antidotes or those who get a "D" will receive detention."

"Some people got "D"?" Malfoy smirked.

Megan noticed Ron was very red and trying to keep Hermione, who was glancing to try and see his grade, from doing so. Determined not to give Snape any reason to fail her this time, Megan carefully read each instruction three times. Her Strengthening Solution wasn't quite the same shade of turquoise Hermione's was, but hers was a bright blue and not pink, like Neville's, so she took a flask to Snape.

"Well, I wasn't expecting "O" if he was marking to OWL standard, but a pass is encouraging, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sure..." Harry said.

He had scraped a P.

"And anyway there's still time to improve," Hermione said, not noticing Ron and Harry's uncomfortable looks.

"Just ask if you want to know what grades we got." Ron said grumpily.

"I didn't mean... well... if you want to tell me..."

"A P." Ron said. "Harry got a P too. Megan?"

"... A." she admitted finally.

"Nothing wrong with a good old, healthy P, little bro," Fred said, sitting down at Megan's right with George and Lee Jordan.

"But P's for..."

"Poor, yeah." Lee said. "But still, better than D for Dreadful, isn't it?"

"So top grade's O, isn't it, for "Outstanding?"

"Yep," Fred said. "Then there's A..."

"No, E, for Exceeds Expectations," George corrected. "A's for Acceptable, and that's the last passing grade."

"Then there's P for Poor and D for Dreadful." Ron said.

"And T." Fred reminded.

"For Terrible?"

"For Troll." Lee said. "You lot had an inspected lesson yet?"

"No, have you?" Megan asked.

"Just now, Charms." answered Fred.

"What was it like?"

"Not so bad," Lee said. "She basically sat in a corner, asked Alicia a couple of questions about how the lessons usually were, Alicia said they were fine. That's about it."

"I can't see Flitwick being marked down, he always gets his students through exams." Lee said.

"Yes, but he's a dwarf, and don't forget Umbridge hates non-humans," Megan said.

"Who've you got this afternoon?" Fred asked.

"Trelawney and Umbridge," Megan said.

"Well, try and keep your nose down with Umbridge," Fred advised. "We don't like her either, but Angelina'll go bonkers if you miss any more Quidditch practises."