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chapter five | things are a changin'
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Stella Mason escorted Harry Potter back into the Great Hall after their forest adventure. They both agreed the first step for Harry to reconcile with their friends was for him to open up more and finally let them in. And that started with having a civil lunch with them.
She walked with the Potter into the Great Hall and immediately spotted their friends. Giving him a reassuring look, they sauntered over to them.
"Harry," Hermione greeted in apprehension and surprise.
The girl and Ron glanced at Stella who gave them a slight nod and smile, silently telling them she got through to him.
"Can I," Harry paused and glanced and Stella, "can we join you?"
Before anyone could respond, an argument outside the hall caught the attention to most students. They all went to see what was going on and saw Professor McGonagall and Professor Umbridge talking on the staircase.
"—Professor but what exactly are you insinuating?"
"I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students, you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices," McGonagall exclaimed.
Someone must have reported Umbridge's detention methods to Professor McGonagall.
"So silly of me but it sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom," Umbridge stepped up on the staircase, "Minerva."
McGonagall wasn't far behind, "not at all, Dolores. Merely your medieval methods."
Umbridge scoffed in disbelief, "I am sorry, dear. But to question my practices is to question the Ministry, and by extension the Minister himself. I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty," she sternly spoke before turning to the students who were gathered around to watch, "things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action."
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And take action she did. Over the next few weeks at Hogwarts, it seemed that Umbridge had taken over the entire establishment. Her favorite hobby was putting up Educational Decrees that limited everything the students did at Hogwarts. The woman put all of the teachers through examinations of their teaching skills and sucked all the fun out of life on campus. Some of her decrees were getting out of hand.
