Chapter 549: Toad Takes Power

Chapter 549: Toad Takes Power
Ministry of Magic Order
Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The above regulations are in compliance with the "Education Order No. 27".

—Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic

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The next morning, the moment the students opened their eyes, they discovered that Hogwarts had completely changed.

The notice of Education Order No. 27, which symbolizes the absolute authority of the Ministry of Magic, was posted in all conspicuous places, from the entrance of the auditorium to the entrances of various public rooms, to the stone walls of the corridors, and even on the doors of the bathrooms.

Everyone in the castle seemed to have heard that Dumbledore had fled after overpowering two Aurors, the Senior Inquisitor, the Minister of Magic and his junior assistant, but the notice did not explain it. There was a tense atmosphere everywhere, people whispered, and various rumors began to spread, but everyone knew one thing - Dumbledore was gone.

Dumbledore, who was once hailed as the greatest headmaster in the history of Hogwarts, was not only stripped of his title by the Ministry of Magic, but also became a high-ranking wanted criminal on the run, and was forced to start a life of escape. Of course, whether the Ministry of Magic has the courage to organize people to hunt him down is another matter.

What really makes all the students uneasy is the identity of the new principal.

Dolores Umbridge, a name that was originally despised and hated by everyone, became a feared existence overnight. Under the effectiveness of Education Order No. 27, she has now replaced Albus Dumbledore and become the supreme authority of Hogwarts.

——And the first step she took to come to power was to restore order.

"From today on, I am the highest authority in Hogwarts."

Umbridge's voice echoed in the hall, announcing the official start of her reign. She appeared in the center of the teacher's seat, with that annoying smile still on her face, but the coldness in her eyes was no longer concealed, which made everyone, including the professor, shudder.

Her first order was to dismiss Filch, the administrator who had lost his former sharpness, and replace him with her own confidant, Willy Widdershyn. This habitual criminal who enjoyed playing pranks on Muggles finally put his skills to good use. He was proficient in almost all kinds of prank curses. Once a student violated the school rules and was caught by him, he would be punished unforgettably.

Her second order was to strengthen the power of the "Justice Patrol" and make it superior to the Student Union and prefects. They could deduct points from other students at will, even other prefects and the Student Union President. The prefect system that had been maintained for centuries gradually lost its prestige, and the prefects became security guards and patrolmen who maintained order, and the deans of the four major colleges were helpless.

Not only that, with Umbridge's deliberate indulgence, the power of the Justice Pickets expanded to an unprecedented level -

All patrol members wore a shining silver badge of the Ministry of Magic on their left arms, symbolizing that they had officially joined the Ministry of Magic and were assigned to the Ministry of Magic. In this way, their actions and law enforcement directly rose to the legal level of controlling underage wizards. For the first time, they had the power of trial and conviction. Once they were found to have violated school rules, they could decide on the punishment of confinement on the spot. This move was very deterrent. After all, no one wanted to clean all the toilets in the school or go to the dangerous Forbidden Forest to collect materials.

Every change of power will bring about a situation where some are happy and some are sad, and this time is no exception.

Umbridge's supporters were ecstatic. They no longer had to hide in the dark and secretly inform on others, nor did they have to worry about being obstructed by the dean or the prefect. The Justice Picket Team was officially recognized by the Ministry of Magic, which gave them the power to truly "govern" the students.

In contrast, as if Umbridge was showing off her power, the Hogwarts Student Union underwent a shocking change.

The two student union presidents, Cedric Diggory and Elsie Montgomery, were stripped of their positions by Umbridge for no reason and demoted to ordinary prefects because they refused to join the Justice Watch and obeyed the unreasonable orders of the new headmistress. This meant that from then on, like other students, they had to live under the tyranny of Umbridge and the Justice Watch.

The new student union presidents are Roger Davis and Schuyler Fawcett from Ravenclaw, both of whom are Umbridge's most loyal supporters and important members of the Justice Watch.

Although they were not as domineering as McLaggen, they were not good men and women either.

Davis, the captain of the Quidditch team, has always been unwilling to accept the fact that he has been rejected or broken up with by beautiful female students many times. Now that he has finally gained power, he wants to see who dares to easily reject him. Fawcett comes from a weak mixed-blood family, whose family can't even afford the cheapest ticket to the Quidditch World Cup. Now that she has tasted the power, she can't help but sink into it and can't extricate herself. The little wizards she catches are forced to pay a hefty fine. Of course, it is unknown whether the fine will be paid in full in the end. There are still many people like Davis and Fawcett, which has led to the rapid expansion of the Justice Picket Team. Many small people who were once humble and unknown took this opportunity to climb to high positions and began to enjoy the pleasure of power.

The fate of Cedric and Elluci frightened many students - Cedric and Elluci were both considered the "elites" among Hogwarts students, with excellent character and academic performance, and were deeply respected by their classmates and professors, but Umbridge was still able to ruthlessly kick them out, which shows that under her control, Hogwarts no longer had any room for resistance.

Now let's talk about the fate of Dumbledore's Army.

"The rebels must pay." This was the first sentence Umbridge said at the trial meeting, which basically announced the tragic end that the members of Dumbledore's Army who were successfully captured were destined to face.

Although the members of Dumbledore's Army were lucky enough to avoid expulsion because Dumbledore took all the blame on himself, they were still severely punished. All of them were sentenced to two weeks of detention, and Umbridge's detention was not just writing a reflection after class like Snape or Professor McGonagall -

Hideous scars appeared on the backs of their hands, blood seeped into the parchment, and Umbridge's vicious quill engraved the words "I Will Comply" deeply into their flesh.

When the arrested members returned to the common room, their hands were covered in blood, their faces were pale, and they sat there silently without saying a word. Seeing this scene, other students were terrified, and many people did not even dare to look them in the eye.

Dumbledore's Army - this name once symbolized resistance, but now it has become synonymous with terror.

The fall of Dumbledore's Army was a painful lesson.

Although Dumbledore took all the responsibility and the members were not expelled, the terrible confinement punishment for several consecutive weeks was enough to silence the students in the entire school and completely lose the courage to resist.

Students began to realize that courage and justice alone were not enough.

Harry Potter's impulsiveness, Hermione Granger's idealism, Ron Weasley's indecision...all these flaws seemed vulnerable under Umbridge's iron-fisted rule.

Those who once believed in Dumbledore's Army began to question: Is Harry really worthy of their wholehearted support?
They need a new leader, someone smarter, more visionary, and better at surviving in the darkness.

In this chaos, Shaylin Malfoy became another option.

When the entire campus was in panic and anxiety, his silence and calmness made him stand out.

It was not difficult for those who were interested to notice that even though Umbridge and the Justice Watch were extremely powerful, and even though Sherin and McLaggen had a long-standing feud, no one dared to provoke him. This gave hope to those students who were unwilling to submit to Umbridge but did not dare to openly resist her.

Thus, the Mianlong Society, an underground organization buried deep underground, began to expand in the darkness.

The existence of the Society of the Sleeping Dragon has always been a secret. Although the shrewd Dumbledore had begun to notice it not long ago, he was still Dumbledore after all. In comparison, Umbridge was far behind in terms of wisdom, talent, and control over Hogwarts.

In addition, compared to Dumbledore's Army, which always gathers in the Room of Requirement, the Dragon Society has different spaces in Hogwarts, such as the secret passage on the fifth floor, the Ravenclaw Chamber of Secrets, the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets, the briefcase space, etc., and Peeves patrols outside. In addition, there are surveillance tools such as the Marauder's Map, the Magic Mirror, the Sneak Mirror, the Alchemical Eye, etc. How can McLaggen and his idiots catch them? It's just a dream!
Sherin issued a strict order, prohibiting the members of the Sleeping Dragon Society from having any conflict with Umbridge and the Justice Pickets. From the conversation between Sherin and Umbridge that day, it can be seen that Umbridge absolutely hates him, but he is not a soft persimmon like Cedric and Ellucy who can be manipulated at will. As long as he does not violate the school rules and does not have any handle in her hands, she has no way to deal with him.

The Sleeping Dragon Society's top priority now is to seize this rare opportunity and fully assist the only new Gryffindor student, Katie Bell, to recruit new members and expand the Sleeping Dragon Society's influence in Gryffindor.

When everyone thought that Umbridge had complete control of Hogwarts, she herself did not realize that the real power struggle had moved underground.

In this school that seems to have succumbed to the Ministry of Magic, the real war has just begun.