"Alright, alright, pay attention." Harry said, he was once again standing in the middle of the courtyard and was surrounded by students from all years and houses. "So, the banishing charm, 'depulso', not to be confused with the other banishing charm 'Evanesco'. Can anyone tell me the differences between them?" Harry asked, several students raised their hands. "Go on." Harry said, pointing at Flora Carrow who had enthusiastically raised her hand.
"Evanesco is the vanishing spell and is used to vanish things but is sometimes called the banishing charm, 'depulso' actually blasts someone away." She answered with a smile.
"Correct," Harry nodded, causing her smile to go bigger. "the word 'depulso' sounds similar to 'repulse', long story short it is driving/pushing something away. Now, when you blast someone away, the effectiveness of the spell is dependent on what?"
"Oh, magical strength?" Katie Bell guessed.
"Partly," Harry nodded. "magical strength undoubtedly is part of it, but let's say that you and me were magically equal, I'd still be able to blast someone farther away than you can. You want to know why? Because of intent. Does everyone here know what boxing is? It is a muggle combative sport where two opponents face each other and are only allowed to punch each other. When they fight they don't just throw their arms, they use their feet and hips to help generate power and twist their whole body into a punch. And when they do they don't aim for their opponent's face, they aim past it, like they want to punch someone behind the opponent and the opponent is simply in the way. You've got to act like that when you blast someone, not necessarily in a friendly duel but in a life or death situation you should imagine how intense you want your attack to be. You don't want to just knock them over, you want to blast them back! When you cast the spell you should..."
As Harry continued his little impromptu lesson, a certain someone was watching from a window above, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the Harry, the boy she believed to be nothing more than a trouble making little half-blood who was corrupting innocent pureblood children and trying to cause trouble for the Ministry. But soon, soon she would prove to everyone exactly what he was and then shove the miserable brat into Azkaban, the very thought of it caused her to giggle.
"Harry," Angela said as she, Harry and the other Slytherin's in his year stopped outside of the great hall at dinner time. "you might want to take a look at this." She said, gesturing to a new decree that had been posted on the wall.
Educational Decree Number Twenty-four: All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded. An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students. Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge). No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor. Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organization, Society, Team Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.
All of the Slytherin's stared at Harry, waiting to see his reaction to the latest decree. Harry read the decree, paused and then read it again. The group watched as Harry's lips thinned considerably, at first the group thought he was doing an angry imitation of Professor McGonagall, except that thought died away as his cheeks puffed out and turned slightly red, the group blinked as they saw Harry was trying to control his laughter. He didn't succeed as a few seconds later a loud laugh escaped from his mouth as he continued to stare at the decree.
"Has he gone mad?" Draco whispered to the others.
"I'm sure he's no more mad than usual." Tracey replied.
"That's not comforting." Theo replied.
"Shut it." Daphne said.
"Harry, are you okay?" Angela asked.
"I'm brilliant." Harry laughed. "I've just had a Slytherin." He grinned.
"What? Just had a Slytherin?" Blaise asked in a confused voice.
"An idea, Blaise," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "I've had an idea." Harry said before he walked into the great hall with the other students following after him. Harry looked around and saw that the hall was nearly full and all of the Professors were sat at the teacher's table.
"Are you going to tell us your idea?" Daphne asked impatiently.
"Better than that, my Queen," Harry grinned before handing Thor and Jet over to Tracey and Daphne. "I'm going to show you. I'll see you guys in the common room."
"But what about dinner?" Draco pouted.
"Not now, Angela come with me, the rest of you go back to the common room. I'll send some elves to bring food, go." Harry said before he walked forwards with Angela following after him.
"Is this going to get us in trouble?" Angela asked.
"It just might," Harry shrugged. "though if it goes well then it might just be worth it."
"Here's hoping." Angela commented just as they stopped in front of the teacher's table.
"Mr Potter?" Dumbledore asked. "What is the problem?"
"Problem? Oh, there's no problem." Harry smiled. "I'm just here to help make sure the students obey school rules."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Oh, I'll explain in a minute." Harry said before he cast a sound amplification spell on himself and turned to the students. "Excuse me everyone," Harry spoke, catching everyone's attention. "I've just recently learned of a very important reason for us to not be here. The teachers need you all to leave now, this is very important. Everyone needs to return to their common room as soon as possible, and please do not panic or rush." Harry said before he paused and saw that nobody was moving. "Did you hear what I just said?! Get your stuff and go out the door!" He yelled, magic lacing his voice, the students all exchanged looks but did as he said and got up and began walking out of the room.
"Mr Potter!" Umbridge spoke up, narrowly beating out Professor McGonagall. "What are you doing?!"
"You're welcome." Harry said after cancelling the sound amplification spell and turning to face the teachers. "So...do I get any points for that?" He asked hopefully as the students kept walking out.
"Points for what?" Professor Dumbledore calmly asked before any other Professor could speak.
"Helping enforce the rules, obviously." Harry replied, just as calmly.
"And what rules do you think you are enforcing?" Umbridge sneered. "You just kicked out the entire school population from dinner."
"Well, I am enforcing 'Educational Decree Number 24'." Harry answered.
"What?!" Umbridge blurted out in a surprised voice as all of the other teachers looked back and forth between the pink loving Professor and the emerald eyed wizard.
"The decree clearly says that 'All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded. An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.'. All of the students in Hogwarts regularly meet in the great hall for dinner, and clearly there are more than three students in Hogwarts. So until you officially declare to the student population that you are okaying dinner time, we may not attend dinner, lunch or even breakfast unless we desire to be expelled." Harry finished with an innocent smile.
"What? I-I-have you gone mad, Potter?!" Umbridge said, all but yelling. "The decree was not meant to be taken that way and you know it!"
"With all due respect, Madam, unlike with magic, intent is not a factor here." Harry shrugged apologetically. "The words written in the decree are what matter, not the intent behind them. And according to that very decree, we students cannot attend dinner. Oh," Harry said as he turned to Professor Dumbledore. "you may want to quickly let out a notice to inform the students that all classes are cancelled tomorrow since our High Inquisitor has not yet officially declared them to be okay to attend."
"What?" Umbridge blinked.
"More than three people and multiple meetings, therefore goes against the decree." Angela summarised on Harry's behalf.
"Exactly." Harry nodded before turning thoughtful. "Hmm, though that probably means that the common rooms are off limits as well. Ah well, I'm sure it would be fine for a single night until new accommodations can be made for the students." Harry said before smiling at the Professors. "Well, good evening and good night." He said before he turned and walked away with Angela following after him. Angela took a glance back and saw Umbridge turn so red that she looked like she was going to burst a blood vessel. She waited until she and Harry were outside of the great hall.
"That was brilliant." Angela told him as they walked back to the common room.
"Ah well, I try." Harry chuckled. "Dobby, Flipsy." Harry called, suddenly the two elves popped in and began walking along with Harry and Angela.
"Master Harry calls us?" They asked.
"Yeah," Harry nodded. "go to the kitchens and instruct the elves to deliver food to the student common rooms since the students have not been able to eat in the great hall tonight. Then in an hour I want one of you to come back and take a letter from me to Lord Black."
"Flipsy will do it!" Flipsy said quickly, causing Dobby to curse under his breath.
"Why a letter to Lord Black?" Angela asked curiously.
"He has his head on straight and his mind in the right place," Harry responded. "after his argument with Fudge he began preparing in several ways which include buying as many stocks of the Daily Prophet as possible. I also had Ted buy some on my behalf as well, together we own about seventy percent of the newspaper. Educational Decree Number 24 is totally going to make the front page." Harry said with a grin. "They won't completely go after the ministry, that will just cause problems. Still, neutrality suits me just fine, especially when I'm in the right."
"Oh," Angela said in understanding before her lips twisted into a smile. "I love it when you act all Slytherin." She said before giving him a meaningful look. Harry looked at her for a couple of seconds before turning to his two house elves.
"You know what, after you give the students food then wait two hours before you come back to me." He told them. "Off you go." Harry said, he waited until they were gone before turning to Angela. "So...want to stop in an abandoned classroom or go straight to my room?" He asked casually.
"Classroom," Angela replied. "too many people in the common room, too many questions."
"Fair enough." Harry said before pulling her into the nearest empty room.
The next day the staff all announced to the students that decree number 24 was no longer in effect and students were allowed to return to the great hall and go to their lessons, the student all gladly went into the great hall for breakfast, as the students started eating the newspapers arrived and nearly every student in the hall was found either reading their own newspaper or reading one of their friend's. It just so happened that yesterday's event was in the papers.
Ministry Decree backfires!
Yesterday Hogwarts's High Inquisitor, Dolores Jane Umbridge, had introduced a new educational decree:
'Educational Decree Number 24: All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded. An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students. Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge). No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor. Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organization, Society, Team Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.'
The reasoning behind this particular decree is not yet known, but whatever the case, it appears to have caused more harm than good. Yesterday evening, during dinner, a student saw the decree and decided to take action. This student was none other than Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived and Triwizard champion. Harry Potter walked to the front of the great hall and asked the students to leave and return to their dormitories, once the students were gone he began explaining his actions to the teachers.
Harry Potter had simply pointed out that the decree does not allow the students to gather for dinner as 'An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students', meaning the students were not allowed to convene in the great hall, or attend classes as they also fall under the same category. The decree has been scrapped due to how it basically prevents students from eating, attending classes or even living in Hogwarts. The fact that the decree was cancelled near immediately does not generate confidence in anyone, especially given the so called 'howler incident', which Minister Fudge insists is nothing more than a vicious prank.
Minister Fudge has assured the public that this was all but a minor setback.
"These sort of things can happen occasionally, the important thing is to learn from them. I'm sure that there will be no repeats of an incident like this." Minister Fudge has said when asked about the removal decree
We have not yet been able to contact Professor Umbridge to ask her opinion, though we will keep trying.
As the students continued reading, Harry looked towards the teacher's table and saw Umbridge staring at him with undisguised hatred. Harry knew he probably shouldn't antagonise her more for a while at least, but decided it would probably be worth it, which was why he winked and saluted her by raising his goblet. She turned so red that Harry was really not sure if she would pop.
"Oh, you're going to drive her mad." Tracey said in an amused voice.
"As if she wasn't already." Daphne snorted.
"By the end of the year I'm going to be in all of her nightmares." Harry smirked.
"Oh, can I be in them too?" Jet asked.
"Hmm, sure."
"Yay!"
A.N: Hi guys, hope you liked the chapter. I feel like I've already said sorry about responding to messages late and all that, but just in case anyone missed it, I have been very busy. In fact I have been so busy that I still have ot been able to finish reading the second Percy Jackson book. I get so busy that I forget and when I do remember it I become busy again. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Also I was going to put an omake in this chapter but l've got less than half an hour before I got to go sleep and I have other stuff to do so I'll put it in the next chapter.
Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a review.