BY.ORDER.OF.THE.HIGH.INQUISITOR.OF.HOGWARTS
All.student.organisations,.societies,.teams,.groups.and.dubs.are.henceforth.disbanded.
An.organisation,.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.organisation,.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.organisa‐tion,.society,.team,.group.or.club.that.has.not.been.approved.by.the.High.Inquisitor.will.be.expelled.
The.above.is.in.accordance.with.Educational.Decree.Number.Twenty‐four.
Signed:.Dolores.Jane.Umbridge,.High.Inquisitor
Harry.and.Ron.read.the.notice.over.the.heads.of.some.anxious‐looking.second‐
years..
.Does.this.mean.they.re.going.to.shut.down.the.Gobstones.Club?..one.of.them.asked.his.friend..
.I.reckon.you.ll.be.OK.with.Gobstones,..Ron.said.darkly,.making.the.second‐year.jump...I.don.t.think.we.re.going.to.be.as.lucky,.though,.do.you?..he.asked.Harry.as.the.second‐years.hurried.away..
Harry.was.reading.the.notice.through.again..The.happiness.that.had.filled.him.since.Saturday.was.gone..His.insides.were.pulsing.with.rage..
This.isn.t.a.coincidence,..he.said,.his.hands.forming.fists...She.knows...
.She.can.t,..said.Ron.at.once..
There.were.people.listening.in.that.pub..And.let.s.face.it,.we.don.t.know.how.many.of.the.people.who.turned.up.we.can.trust….any.of.them.could.have.run.off.and.told.Umbridge…..
And.he.had.thought.they.believed.him,.thought.they.even.admired.him….
.Zacharias.Smith!..said.Ron.at.once,.punching.a.fist.into.his.hand...Or.‐.I.thought.that.Michael.Corner.had.a.really.shifty.look,.too.‐..
.I.wonder.if.Hermione.s.seen.this.yet?..Harry.said,.looking.round.at.the.door.to.the.girls..dormitories..
.Let.s.go.and.tell.her,..said.Ron..He.bounded.forwards,.pulled.open.the.door.and.set.off.up.the.spiral.staircase..
He.was.on.the.sixth.stair.when.there.was.a.loud,.wailing,.klaxon‐like.sound.and.the.steps.melted.together.to.make.a.long,.smooth.stone.slide.like.a.helter‐skelter.
.There.was.a.brief.moment.when.Ron.tried.to.keep.running,.arms.working.madly.like.windmills,.then.he.toppled.over.backwards.and.shot.down.the.newly.created.slide,.coming.to.rest.on.his.back.at.Harry.s.feet..
.Er.‐.1.don.t.think.we.re.allowed.in.the.girls..dormitories,..said.Harry,.pulling.Ron.to.his.feet.and.trying.not.to.laugh..
Two.fourth‐year.girls.came.zooming.gleefully.down.the.stone.slide..
.Oooh,.who.tried.to.get.upstairs?..they.giggled.happily,.leaping.to.their.feet.and.ogling.Harry.and.Ron..
.Me,..said.Ron,.who.was.still.rather.dishevelled...I.didn.t.realise.that.would.happen..It.s.not.fair!..he.added.to.Harry,.as.the.girls.headed.off.for.the.portrait.hole,.still.giggling.madly...Hermione.s.allowed.in.our.dormitory,.how.come.we.re.not.allowed.‐?..
.Well,.it.s.an.old‐fashioned.rule,..said.Hermione,.who.had.just.slid.neatly.on.to.a.rug.in.front.of.them.and.was.now.getting.to.her.feet,..but.it.says.in.Hogwarts:.A.History,.that.the.founders.thought.boys.were.less.trustworthy.than.girls.