The 'immediate action' was started the next day, when the educational decrees started coming in.

Cassia had originally asked Hermione what all of it meant, but she got the gist. This was the ministry's way of controlling Hogwarts, and with each decree passed, Fudge then had more and more authority over Dumbledore's school.

So, as they came in one by one, Filch, who worshipped Umbitch, was given the responsibility of nailing them to the wall in the entrance hall. He climbed a rickety ladder every single time, it was almost comical. Well, it would've been if he hadn't been putting those up.

They were okay at first, really. There wasn't much change to start off with. It was only at Educational Decree No. 23 when things started to get out of hand.

PROCLAMATION
Educational Decree No. 23

Dolores Jane Umbridge has been appointed to the post of Hogwarts High Inquisitor.

At first, Cassia had no idea what the fuck this stupid shit was, but soon, she realised Fudge was basically making Umbridge a second head without calling it that.

She now walked around school like she owned the place, casting apart students that were kissing, telling girls to tie their hair up, and putting in place all these stupid rules.

She had also, rather strangely, been given the power to inspect other teachers' lessons, and put teachers that were 'below standard' on pronation. She had even been told she could sack them, if they were that bad.

"You've been in this post, how long, exactly?" She'd asked Trelawney during the fifth years' divination lesson.

"Sixteen years," the teacher had answered meekly.

Umbitch was everywhere you looked in the corridors, tightening ties, lengthening skirts, and doing up trousers.

She even had the nerve to hold a tape measure to Flitwick and get his height.

The only funny part was when Snape was inspected.

"You applied first for the defence against the dark arts post, am I right?" Umbitch asked the man, walking around him.

"Yes," Snape snarled.

"But you were unsuccessful?"

"Obviously."

After Umbitch had left, Ron got smacked over the head to laughing.

She even stopped fun things like the magical fireworks the Weasley twins liked to pass around, diminishing the sparks at once.

She banned Weasley products, skirts above fingertips, any newspaper apart from the Prophet, basically everything that didn't fit the ministry's new regime at Hogwarts.

All at once making students carve their own hands out.

"Could you please predict something for me?" She asked Trelawney during their next divination lesson after the first inspected one.

"I- wh- what?"

"One, teensy little prophecy?" Umbridge asked in her little baby voice.

As Trelawney stayed silent, Umbridge marked a box on her clipboard. "Okay then."

But as she turned and left, Trelawney shouted. "No, wait! I do see something! You, are in great danger!"

Umbitch just smirked. "Lovely."

She ticked a second box before walking out.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

It didn't take long for a sacking to happen.

One afternoon in November, Cassia joined a stream of students headed for the courtyard. Cassia sought out someone she knew in the crowd, trying ask of information, and the first person she found was-

"Potter," she said, as she found him. "What's happening?"

Harry just looked at her. "Professor Trelawney."

And sure enough, as she got out to the courtyard, there was Trelawney, three suitcases around her, crying hard. Umbitch was facing her, sugary sweet smile fixed there.

"Six... sixteen years I have taught in this castle," Trelawney sobbed. "H-Hogwarts is my home. Y-you can't do this!"

Umbitch just smirked, holding up a scroll that no doubt contained Educational Decree No. 23. "Actually, I can."

McGonagall, meanwhile, wasn't taking that, and rushed into the centre of the courtyard to put her arms round Trelawney, comforting her.

"Something you'd like to say, dear?" Umbridge raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, there are several things I would like to say," McGonagall snapped.

However, she didn't get a chance to say anything, because next second the doors were banging open and Dumbledore was appearing.

The students cleared a gap in the crowd for him to walk towards Umbitch, McGonagall and Trelawney.

"Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore said commandingly. "Might I ask you to escort Sybill back inside?"

McGonagall and Trelawney slowly started to move inside, Trelawney sobbing to Dumbledore. "Thank you, thank you, thank you-"

Dumbledore just gave her a nod before Umbitch turned on him.

"Dumbledore," she said, a warning in her tone. "May I remind you, that under the terms of Educational Decree No. 23, as enacted by the minister-"

"You have the right to dismiss my teachers," Dumbledore told her. "You do not, however, have the authority to banish them from the castle. That power remains with the headmaster."

"Go Dumbledore," Cassia smirked.

Umbitch just gave him a smile. "For now."

Dumbledore turned his back on her, walking back into the castle.

"Professor!" Potter quickly moved, running to the headmaster. "Professor!"

Now, Cassia hadn't really seen a lot of Harry and Dumbledore lately, so she was surprised to see that Dumbledore just ignored Harry, sweeping straight into the castle.

Cassia frowned. Why would Dumbledore just ignore Harry like that?

What had Harry done to deserve that?

❦︎❦︎❦︎

"That foul, evil old gargoyle!" Hermione yelled as she paced in front of the fire, the other four sitting on the sofa in front of her. They were alone in the common room, as everyone else was at dinner. "We're not learning how to defend herself, we're not learning how to pass our OWLs... she's taking over the entire school!"

"I'd suggest poison," Cassia shrugged.

However, she shut up as the radio crackled on the table next to them, Fudge's voice coming from it.

"... and security has been and will remain the ministy's top priority," his voice became clearer as Harry turned the volume up. "Furthermore, we have convincing evidence that these disappearances are the work of notorious mass murderer, Sirius Black."

"Oh fucking hell," Cassia rolled her eyes. "First I thought he was jealous, now I think he's just- insane-"

"Harry!"

Cassia was cut off as a hiss came from the fire, all five of them turning to see Sirius, face amongst the flames.

"Sirius!" Harry said, he and Cassia kneeling down beside the fire as the other three sat behind them. "What are you doing here?"

"Answering your letter," Sirius replied. "You said you were worried about Umbridge."

"Um, worried? No. Fucking annoyed at? Yes," Cassia replied.

"Oh, nice to see you too, Cassia," Sirius smiled at the girl. "You coming to visit at Christmas?"

"If Dumbledore lets me in," Cassia admitted.

"Oh, he will," Sirius chuckled. "Anyway, why are you annoyed at Umbridge? What's she doing? Training you to kill half breeds?"

"Sirius, she's not letting us use magic at all!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well, I'm not surprised," Sirius sighed. "Our newest information from inside the ministry is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."

"The fuck?" Cassia demanded. "What's he think we're doing, forming some sort of wizard army?"

"That's exactly what he thinks," Sirius rolled his eyes. "That Dumbledore is assembling his own forces to take on the ministry."

"Oh my- has Fudge been put under the imperius curse?" Cassia asked.

"That is a possibility, but we've shut it down, for now," Sirius said. "We don't think he's who Voldemort would target."

"I mean, Umbridge could be," Poppy shrugged.

"Nah, she's evil enough," Ron shook his head.

"Ah, Poppy, your mother said to say hello," Sirius said.

"Ah, did she?" Poppy smirked. "You got any further along on the love confessio-"

"No, we already told you, it's not happening!" Sirius snapped.

"What about my mum?" Ron raised his eyebrows.

"She doesn't know I'm here, and would tell me off if she found out."

Ron rolled his eyes at this.

Cassia chuckled slightly as she said. "So, what has the Order been up to?"

"Well, all we know for sure is that Fudge is becoming more paranoid by the minute," Sirius told them. He sighed. "The others wouldn't want me telling you this, but things aren't going all too well with the Order. Fudge is blocking the truth at every turn, and these- disappearances are just how it started before. Voldemort is on the move."

Cassia bit her lip. She knew, realistically, that she was safe, but Cedric hadn't been. And neither had Harry. So she knew it was very easy to become not safe.

"Sirius? Are you down here...?"

"Someone's coming!" Sirius hissed. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help, but for now at least... it looks like you're on your own."

As he disappeared from the fire, Hermione got up, heading to the window, where thunder, lighting and rain was lashing in the sky. Hermione looked out it, face hard, voice harder.

"He really is out there, isn't he?" She said. "We've got to be able to defend ourselves. And if Umbridge refuses to teach us how, we need someone who will."

For a second, Cassia wondered who she was meaning.

But as she turned round to look at Potter, she realised exactly what she meant.

And she was completely in on it.