Harry-Dementor

16- Interrogation

Harry was concerned. Auror Scrimgeour, or rather High Inquisitor Scrimgeour, looked terrifying. He looked sterner than McGonagall, just as paranoid as Moody, and as capable as Kingsley. At least he wasn't wearing pink. He did however say quite plainly in his opening statement at breakfast the next morning that he thought the Inquisitorial Squad was a wonderful institution, that most of the Educational Decrees seemed reasonable, and that he would be interviewing anyone and everyone who may have interacted with Dolores Umbridge during the last day she was seen. Harry really hoped he wouldn't end up having to eat this High Inquisitor as well.

The students watched the wall covered in Educational Decrees as Scrimgeour had a few removed…a few as in actually three. Quidditch was still out to everyone's dismay. "We're taking bets on if he'll be better or worse than the toad," one of the Weasley twins whispered to Harry as they watched the slight changes being made to the wall.

"You want in?" The other twin asked from Harry's other side.

"I'll put five knuts on me getting detention by the end of his first week," Harry remarked wryly as Hermione turned and rolled her eyes at him from where she was standing just to the front of the group.

"We can't give you good odds on that one, mate. Everyone thinks you'll be getting detention by the end of the week," the twin Harry thought was Fred responded with a smirk.

"Fine, I'm out then," Harry shook his head as Ron sniggered from beside Hermione.

"I think betting should be the next decree," a voice dryly remarked behind the group, causing everyone to spin around in surprise.

Harry was face-to-face with the grizzled countenance of the new High Inquisitor that looked remarkably like a stern lion who wanted to eat him. "Er, hello, Headmaster, sir," Hermione mumbled from behind Harry.

Scrimgeour completely ignored her as he pinned Harry with a look. "Mr. Potter, I believe I would like to start my interviews tomorrow after lunch with you. I see from the school records that you had detention with my predecessor on the night of her disappearance."

"She never showed, sir," Harry quickly explained as his heart began to race.

"Regardless, you will be in my office by 12:30pm tomorrow. Understood?" The man raised a commanding eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Yes, sir," the teen quickly replied with a tense nod of his head. His stomach sank as the man walked away from their group.

"Nice knowing you, kid," the twin…probably George, clapped him on the shoulder as they walked off laughing.

"You need to get your story straight and not break down like you did with us," Hermione hissed worriedly in his ear as they walked away from the rest of the students.

"You think Snape will back you up? You said he was the one to patch you up after," Ron asked in concern while they made their way to another day of Care of Magical Creatures and Harry avoiding all the creatures to the best of his ability. "It'd suck if he just sold you out to Scrimgeour."

"He owes me," was all Harry said in response. He quickly pulled them into an alcove and cast the standard HSMC privacy ward.

"What was that spell? Where did you learn it?" Hermione gasped in interest as she examined the strong ward.