l

                                    

                                          
"THE MINISTRY TAKES OVER"
                          

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
                          
Over the course of many days, life at Hogwarts became less eventful than it had ever been before. Professor Umbridge was now more suspicious and odd than she had ever been before as well. Almost as if she were a sheepdog biting at the heels of sheep that she would have to herd. Now when the actions of a sheepdog become extreme enough to where the merchandise is impacted, those actions can only be blamed on its owner. And anyone who knows Umbridge very well knows who her owner is as well. 
                          
The wall before the Great Hall seemed to have been decorated with picture frames filled with Educational Decrees which only increased over time. One decree: Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three appointed Dolores Umbridge to a role within Hogwarts which was specifically made up for her. Cornelius Fudge gave her the role of Hogwarts High Inquisitor, which made sure unsatisfactory teachers were removed from Hogwarts and that these Educational Decrees administered by the Ministry of Magic were followed.
                          
The Defense Against the Dark Arts class became playtime for the students who knew that this class was useless to them. And worst of all it became a breeding ground for tension; since Neville Longbottom seemed to have caught the notion that Alana Wallace liked the new boy who seemed to have liked her back.
                          
Then again Alana sat alone. 
                          
Neville thought that perhaps Alana would feel disinterested with him, now that the new boy was in the picture. And the new boy distanced himself away from Alana; only a couple feet where he could protect her as he was hired to do. Only Alana,  her family, and a few professors knew that he was there only as bodyguard for her.
                          
And Alana's only friend left was her roommate, Erise, who seemed to be captivated by Jayden Brooks' steel-cold features — as any girl would be. For she seemed to say, "I know that Hufflepuffs aren't suspected of at the least liking a Slytherin. But I ... would just like to know if you feel the same way, about me?" He laughed at the thought of it to himself, as this would be illegal if he were to date her. But she took it to offense, as if Jayden were laughing at her, "Fine, you don't have to be rude about it; you know?!"
                          
The Hufflepuff girl slapped him across the back of his head with her ponytail when she sat up abruptly from her chair and turned to where Alana sat. Alana applauded for her, cheering, "Well done, Erise! I'm sure he's in love with you already."
                          
"Oh, stop making fun of me," she buzzed, crossing her arms together. She hid her face with the end of her blonde ponytail, but it seemed pointless since the redness increased due to the contrast in color. "I made a fool of myself, Alana, he laughed!"
                          
"He probably laughed at how cute you were when you proposed the idea to him. Do not be so hard on yourself. That is the only thing worse than some guy laughing at you." Erise nodded, and swung her ponytail back to the back of her head, but the fading pink stayed plastered on her face until the end of class.
                          
The two Hufflepuffs made an arrangement to go down to the lake for lunch to get away from the chaos that had been known as Hogwarts to them. In total: they packed 6 pumpkin pasties, 4 bread rolls, and two disposable bowls of bangers and mash. Neither of them wanted to eat in the silence of the Great Hall during lunchtime, as Professor Umbridge expected every student to be silent.
                          
Erise carried a basket of the foods while Alana led the both of them there, to the lake, holding a large blanket. Alana looked back at her before staring back ahead towards the lake, "I have been meaning to tell you something for the past couple of days. I do not trust the walls of Hogwarts ever since Professor Umbridge came here. We will talk about it when we get to the lake." Alana felt that the lake held some sort of secrecy from Hogwarts, and in some way it did, as nothing seemed to happen later after that day.
                          
Erise nodded it off, careful not to fall and spoil their lunch for the lake.
                          
Once they got there, the two found a shady spot underneath a tree, and set up their food on the blanket that Alana had laid down on the dry soft dirt beneath the tree. "So?" Erise asked, grabbing a pumpkin pasty before eating her bowl of bangers and mash. "What's the thing you had to tell me?"
                          
Alana took out her own bowl and began to eat, pausing to finally answer her roommate's question: "You know Jayden Brooks?"
                          
"What about h—"
                          
"Well, you best not tell anyone, but —" she took another bite. "—My parents hired him as my bodyguard a while ago and I guess they decided I needed him here at Hogwarts."
                          
"Well, no wonder I felt some sort of chemistry between the two of you!" Erise grinned, as though she was relieved.
                          
Alana nodded, looking up at Erise, then calmly to the still lake which seemed to have been holding its breath to hear what Alana would say next,  "I can tell you like him, I'm not bothered by that. In fact I encourage you to like him. There would be two pro's to that. One, I get the bodyguard hired by my parents off my shoulder; and two, you can pester him for as long as you want to."
                          
"Thank god," Erise said uneasily. She took another pasty from the basket and shrugged to Alana, "Before this, I really thought you had a thing for him."
                          
"And this is why I am so lucky to have you as my roommate."