The Hogwarts High Inquisitor

• Next morning, the front page article of the Daily Prophet is, "MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM – DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR" (15.1).
• The article claims that Professor Umbridge has been "an immediate success" (15.5) as Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher as Hogwarts.
• So, the Ministry has appointed Professor Umbridge to inspect "her fellow educators and make sure they are coming up to scratch" (15.9).
• The article also contains a quote from Lucius Malfoy saying that he's glad that there is someone in place at Hogwarts to oversee Dumbledore's decisions.
• They get through History of Magic and Potions without seeing Professor Umbridge.
• In Potions, Harry gets his essay back with a "D" on it – D for Dreadful.
• Professor Snape claims to have graded according to OWL standard, where "O" is Outstanding, "E" is Exceeds Expectations, "A" is Acceptable, "P" is Poor, and "D" is Dreadful.
• Fred and George claim that there is a grade called "T," Troll, but Harry isn't sure if they are joking.
• Professor Umbridge does come to observe his and Ron's Divination lesson with Professor Trelawney.
• Professor Umbridge turns on Professor Trelawney and demands that she demonstrate her psychic abilities right here, right now.
• Of course, Professor Trelawney goes into her usual spiel about grave peril.
• Professor Umbridge notes something down on her clipboard and says on, "Right [...] Well, if that's really the best you can do" (15.101).
• Ron and Harry agree that Professor Trelawney is a fraud, but they still feel bad for her in this moment.
• In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Umbridge makes her class read again.
• Hermione has already finished the whole book.
• Professor Umbridge tries to stump Hermione with a question from Chapter Fifteen, but Hermione gets the question right.
• Then, Hermione dares to disagree with the conclusions of the author.
• Professor Umbridge takes Gryffindor points to punish Hermione for being outspoken.
• She also says that the only decent Defense teacher they have ever had was Professor Quirrell (from Book One).
• Harry shouts out, "Yeah, Quirrell was a great teacher [...] there was just that minor drawback of him having Lord Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head" (15.127).
• Of course, Professor Umbridge gives Harry more detention.
• Angelina Johnson is also furious at Harry for getting detention, since he's missing more Quidditch practice.
• And Professor McGonagall takes points from Harry for continuing to make Professor Umbridge angry.
• Professor Umbridge comes to their next Transfiguration class to observe Professor McGonagall.
• Professor Umbridge keeps trying to interrupt Professor McGonagall, but Professor McGonagall refuses to be put off.
• She's too tough for Professor Umbridge to shake.
• Professor Umbridge comes to Care of Magical Creatures and asks Professor Grubbly-Plank if she knows, "what is causing Professor Hagrid's very extended leave of absence?" (15.176).
• Professor Grubbly-Plank says she doesn't know.
• But Professor Umbridge keeps asking the students about what Hagrid's class was like.
• Draco seizes the opportunity to talk trash about Hagrid, as he loves to do.
• That night, when Harry leaves detention, his hand is bleeding so badly he needs to wrap it in a handkerchief.
• Ron and Hermione are waiting with a Murtlap tentacle solution to make his hand feel better.
• Harry continues to refuse to tell any of the professors what Professor Umbridge is doing to him.
• Hermione is outraged that they don't have a decent Defense teacher during their OWL year.
• What she wants is "a teacher, a proper one, who can show us how to use the spells and correct us if we're going wrong" (15.215).
• Hermione wants Harry to teach them Defense Against the Dark Arts.
• Harry is stunned. He thinks Hermione must be joking.
• But Ron agrees with Hermione.
• Harry tells them, "You don't know what it's like! You – neither of you – you've never had to face him, have you? You think it's just memorizing a bunch of spells and throwing them at him, like you're in class or something?" (15.247).
• Hermione and Ron both assure Harry that that's why they need him. They need a teacher who knows what it's like to face Voldemort.