"If it were just the Educational Decree No. 22, it wouldn't be that big a deal. The key point," Emily continued, "is that in less than half a month, Fudge has already issued this new Educational Decree No. 23."
"The main purpose of this decree is to prevent Hogwarts' educational standards from declining any further."
"And what does that have to do with Umbridge?"
John suddenly appeared and said this.
He was also holding the latest issue of The Daily Prophet. After greeting Link and Cedric, he sat down across from them, waiting for Emily's answer.
"It's very clearly written in The Daily Prophet," Emily said in a mocking tone.
"Umbridge has made great achievements. She supposedly brought a 'breakthrough reform' to Defense Against the Dark Arts, making it easier for young wizards to learn and master."
John snorted.
"Ha! Getting rid of all the practical lessons, yeah, that's definitely a 'breakthrough reform.' Whether it's good or bad is another story."
"If she keeps teaching us like this, I'm not even sure I'll qualify to apply for Auror training anymore. Who knows if that guaranteed admission and 'training camp' she talks about are even real!"
"The real question isn't how she became this so-called Senior Investigator," Cedric said, ignoring John's remark, "but what exactly she's supposed to investigate? And what kind of authority has the Ministry given her?"
He tapped the newspaper and read aloud with a faint sneer, "'The Hogwarts Senior Investigator shall have the authority to investigate her colleagues and use regulatory measures to prevent a further decline in Hogwarts' educational quality.'"
He looked up and said, "Do you believe that?"
Link smiled and shook his head.
"Whether we believe it or not doesn't matter. What matters is that the ordinary parents believe it. Fudge can't very well say outright that he gave Umbridge this power just to go after Dumbledore, that 'great man,' can he? Public opinion would tear him apart."
"I know, of course I know." Cedric nodded.
"Parents are always easily manipulated when it comes to their children. It's a powerful force, and Fudge would never pass up the chance to exploit it.
The only thing I'm worried about is that now that Umbridge has this much power, she might force Dumbledore to hand over the management of the factory or workshop. And if that happens… she might..."
"So you still don't trust me," Link interrupted flatly. "I told you already, she's no match for us."
Cedric looked embarrassed.
"Link, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just that… you know me. I'm not worried that Umbridge will make the factory lose money, and I don't care about my reputation either. I'm just afraid that because of her, the poor students will lose the little bit of hope they still have."
Honestly, if someone else had said that, Link would've found it unbearably pretentious.
But coming from Cedric, it only moved him.
Because Cedric really was that kind of noble person.
What made Cedric truly rare was that everything he thought, said, and did, from beginning to end, was guided by integrity and kindness.
History has seen many people show noble character at key moments, but people like Cedric, who stayed that way always, were few and far between.
Mostly because those kinds of people tend not to live long.
Just like Cedric in the original story.
That's why Link valued Cedric so much.
In truth, he genuinely admired and cherished him.
Seeing Cedric's downcast mood now, Link unconsciously softened his tone to comfort him, "You're not wrong to think that way. But if you want to get things done, you'll need to toughen up emotionally."
"Let me be clear, Umbridge is Fudge's planted agent inside Hogwarts. And to fight Dumbledore, a mere title of Senior Investigator won't be nearly enough."
"You'll see, this Decree No. 23 is just the beginning. Soon there'll be more decrees, giving Umbridge even greater power."
"If you're already having a hard time now, what will you do when things get worse?"
Cedric took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.
Link turned to John and said to both of them, "I can't directly oversee the factory operations myself, so I'll need you two to keep a closer eye on that."
"As for the opening ceremony, let's hold it this afternoon. Make it overlap with the first class after lunch, and send Umbridge an invitation. Tell her to skip her class and attend instead. I'd rather not sit through another one of her useless Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons."
He paused, pulled out a heavy cloth pouch, and pushed it into John's arms. Then he leaned close to John's ear and whispered something only he could hear.
As soon as he finished, John's eyes widened and his face flushed red with anger.
But Link quickly covered his mouth.
"I know it's humiliating, but it's temporary. For the factory, and for Hogwarts, you'll have to bear with it for now."
"It's not the humiliation that bothers me," John said after prying Link's hand away. "I just think your plan is brilliant!"
"Then I'll leave it to you two," Link said with a smile. "Emily and I are heading to class. You should get going too."
He tidied up his dishes, and he and Emily left the Great Hall together.
Behind them, John, eyes gleaming, clutched the cloth pouch and whispered excitedly with Cedric.
———
"So that means we don't have class this afternoon?"
As they stepped into the dim, deserted underground corridor, Emily asked softly.
Her tone didn't change much, but in the darkness, Link couldn't hide the faint smile that crept onto his face.
"My dear, we just spent two whole days locked in the Room of Requirement yesterday. Don't tell me you're in the mood again?" he teased, pinching her waist.
"Not that I'd mind. I've been thinking about it too."
Emily's face flushed crimson. She swatted his hand away.
"Wh-who said anything about that! I mean, since we don't have class, you should be doing something serious!"
"Serious? What I just said was serious," Link said, still grinning. "Ask my mother, she'd definitely agree that's serious business."
He reached toward her again, but when he saw that Emily wasn't reacting, only watching him with a cold face, he finally reined himself in.
Once she noticed he was acting properly again, Emily said, "I mean Umbridge. I don't like that woman."
As she spoke, her right hand began to tremble slightly.
The dim lighting couldn't hide it from Link, whose heightened senses picked up on everything.
He took her cold hand and frowned.
"I didn't think Mr. Victoria was that cruel, to leave you with such a lasting trauma."
"That wasn't my father," Emily said quickly. "The one who made me use the Honduran Blood Quill was a retired professor from Ilvermorny. My father had hired her as my tutor.
She was… disgusting. Ugly. A tyrant, just like Umbridge. She claimed that only harsh discipline could produce the best students, and lots of American parents believed her. But only the ones who experienced her teaching firsthand knew, it was all just an excuse for her sadism!"
"Where is she now?"
Link's voice was calm, emotionless, only slightly slower than usual.
But anyone who knew him could tell, that was when he was truly angry.
"She's dead," Emily said coldly. "My father found out what happened and was furious. He fired her right away and took me to Britain. Not long after we left, she fell ill and died."
Link nodded.
"That was her good luck, and our misfortune. But now, since another one like her has appeared in Umbridge, we'll take care of our unfinished business through her."
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
"Let her lose everything, then die miserably under the power of the Honduran Blood Quill. How's that sound?"
"Oh, I like that idea."
The two of them shared a smile, holding hands as they entered the Potions classroom.
The room was as gloomy as ever.
Though there was still some time before class started, many students were already there.
Apart from a few Slytherins, most were checking their potion tools carefully, something necessary, since if their equipment failed during class, that poisonous snake named Snape would surely lash out.
But today, everyone seemed distracted.
Many were sneaking glances toward one corner of the room.
There sat Umbridge, perfectly straight-backed, smiling and nodding politely at any student who looked her way.
Even though she'd picked a seat in the corner, her bright orange sweater made her impossible to miss, and so, the moment Link and Emily entered, they spotted her.
Umbridge clearly noticed them too.
Her fake smile widened, and she nodded to them with such exaggerated politeness that it almost looked like a bow.
It was as if she had completely forgotten what had happened yesterday.
Unfortunately for her, Link and Emily ignored her completely and went straight to their usual seats.
After a while, Snape finally entered the room.
And only then did John rush in, nearly bumping into Snape as he crossed the threshold.
"Late. Hufflepuff, minus five points," Snape said flatly.
John glanced at his pocket watch, it clearly showed there were still a few minutes before class officially began.
But he wasn't stupid enough to argue with Snape over that. He just smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Bang!
The classroom door slammed shut with a thunderous echo.
Snape stepped among the silent students and said in his low, mocking voice, "You'll all notice that we have a new guest today."
He pointed toward the corner, and everyone's eyes followed his hand, to Umbridge.
"Good morning, Professor Snape, and good morning to all you lovely students," Umbridge said sweetly, as if she hadn't noticed the hostility in Snape's eyes.
"As you may have read in The Daily Prophet today, I have been appointed as the Hogwarts Senior Investigator."
"I'm deeply honored by this, and I will do my utmost to fulfill my duties and live up to the expectations of both the Minister and you students. For now, I'll be auditing this Potions class and assessing Professor Snape's teaching methods. I hope I won't be a disturbance."
She sat down again, pulled out a notebook, and perched it on her lap like an eager student.
Her little speech left many students confused. Only those who already knew the situation, like Link and Emily, were truly intrigued.
After all, on one side stood Snape, the most notoriously cruel and sarcastic professor at Hogwarts. On the other, Umbridge, the newly minted "Senior Investigator."
Watching those two clash was going to be very entertaining.
"Today we begin brewing Polyjuice Potion," Snape said, tapping his wand on the blackboard, which instantly filled with instructions.
"Today's task is to prepare the ingredients and make the base potion. If everything goes well, in two weeks, you'll complete it."
"Let me remind you, the school provides materials only once. Handle them with utmost care. If you make mistakes and can't replace them yourself, you'll fail this year's Potions course, completely."
He paused, then barked, "Begin!"
At his command, everyone's focus snapped back to their cauldrons.
The room went quiet again, save for the faint, rhythmic scraping of knives slicing ingredients.
Well, almost quiet.
Because Snape was prowling between desks, inspecting each student's work.
He was clearly in a bad mood today.
Anyone who slipped up, no matter the house, even Slytherins, got a sharp tongue-lashing.
As for Umbridge, for the first half hour, she sat quietly in the corner, taking notes. This disappointed the students who had been hoping for drama, Link and Emily included.
But just as everyone started to refocus on their brewing, Umbridge suddenly stood up.