At Hogwarts, where complaints were rampant and life felt bleak, Ron Weasley suddenly received a heartfelt letter from his mother.
"Approved by Senior Investigator Dolores Umbridge." He gritted his teeth and tore apart the section of the envelope stamped with bright red letters, which had already been opened. "Let's see what Mom sent. Hopefully, it's not a Howler."
A copy of the Daily Prophet fell out of the envelope, its bold black headline glaringly prominent.
*"Reforms Show Initial Success, Parents Delighted"*
[Since Professor Dolores Umbridge took her position at Hogwarts, her reforms have achieved significant success, gaining the approval of students' parents.
Even those parents who were initially skeptical about the Ministry of Magic assigning Umbridge to manage the school have changed their opinions after seeing the results.
"Our children are receiving excellent training," Mr. Weasley told our newspaper. "They've been pampered since they were young, and we're glad to see a teacher who loves education providing them with a new experience. We hope they come to understand their parents' hard work, clean the house, and cook for the family during holidays instead of always enjoying the fruits of others' labor and making their mother wash their dirty socks."
"We've heard nothing but praise for the new professor from our children," Mrs. Weasley echoed her husband's sentiments. "This alleviated my concerns about Umbridge's previous comments against Dumbledore. It turns out she is a good professor, and my children say she is as kind and caring as a mother."]
Ron was dumbfounded. Fred, George, and Ginny, who had gathered to peek at the letter's contents, were equally stunned.
They strongly suspected that their parents' words might have been heavily "edited" by the newspaper.
"So love really can disappear, huh?" Ron murmured. "Has Umbridge turned us Weasley kids into outcasts?"
Sniffling, Ron stubbornly continued reading the newspaper.
[... Recently, our paper has received an outpouring of enthusiastic letters from students' parents, expressing high hopes for the school.
"We hope the school can organize a parent observation event," said Mr. Diggory, who works in the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. His son, young Mr. Diggory, currently serves as the school's student council president. "Some parents have privately expressed their happiness with the school's changes. We hope the Ministry of Magic will officially promote Hogwarts, especially with such an excellent teaching model in place, to expand the influence of the British magical community."
It is reported that Mr. Diggory has suggested this idea to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who is happy to accept reasonable requests from parents. Fudge has decided to initiate the first-ever Parent Open Day next month, allowing the entire magical community to witness the progress at Hogwarts and experience its positive atmosphere.
"This will benefit Hogwarts' future recruitment efforts and help it stand out in competition with other European magical schools," Fudge told our paper. "I believe that under the leadership of Senior Investigator Professor Umbridge, the British magical community can truly go global..."
"Of course, parents will witness the dramatic changes in their children," Professor Umbridge told our paper. "The children are now polite, respectful to teachers, kind to classmates, and united."
We eagerly anticipate the first-ever Parent Open Day in Hogwarts' history...]
"It's always like this," Ron complained. "The Daily Prophet only reports the good news and ignores the bad. They never cover anything troubling!"
But Hermione frowned. In the common room, free from the need to maintain an eight-foot distance, she finally knocked Ron on the head:
"Can you use your brain for once, Ron? Your mother suddenly sent you this newspaper—she must have a reason!"
"Have you ever thought about where Yu might have gone after leaving the school? For safety, Dumbledore would definitely arrange for her to stay somewhere with members of the Order of the Phoenix—most likely at Sirius's house. This newspaper is a hint, don't you see? It suggests your mom and dad are with Yu and that she told them what's happening at school! She must be working tirelessly for us outside the school—but she can't say it outright because no one would believe her!"
"That makes sense," Ron murmured. "My dad and Mr. Diggory are close; he could help... Yu definitely won't let Umbridge, who dared to expel her, get away with it... She must be fighting for us too..."
As the smartest Gryffindor prefect of their year, Hermione quickly had a flash of inspiration and realized the opportunity:
"Parent Open Day—this is the chance Yu and your parents fought for us! It's the perfect time to showcase Umbridge's so-called 'educational achievements.' Although Umbridge will surely restrict what the parents can see, we just need to sabotage her plans. If we ruin the Open Day, the higher she's praised now, the harder she'll fall later. I don't believe she won't be ousted!"
Hearing the word "ousted," Ron's eyes lit up with newfound energy, as if an old man on the brink of death had returned to being 15:
"Brilliant deduction, Hermione! If it means getting her out of the school, I'd even kiss a toad!"
"And the great Yu—though she's left the school, her legacy and image will forever remain in our hearts. I, Ron Weasley, will always remember her and never forget that she sacrificed herself to resist Umbridge—"
Hermione and Harry slapped his face and mouth from both sides, while Ginny punched his head and rolled her eyes, leaving Ron swollen and teary-eyed.
His twin brothers stuffed an illegal Ton-Tongue Toffee into his mouth, using his own tongue to silence him, so Hermione could continue with her plan:
"There's a regular prefect meeting tonight—a rare opportunity for a legal gathering. We must unite the prefects from other houses and find a way to get her out, so Dumbledore can come back, and Yu can return to school!"
"What? A prefect meeting? In front of Malfoy?" Ron pulled out his tongue, slurring and drooling as he asked a series of questions. "...He's one of those higher-ups... a member of the investigation action group! Specifically sent by Umbridge to monitor the prefects! Today, he even deducted 10 points from me just because... I have freckles!"
Hermione's eyes flashed with hesitation, but after a brief pause, recalling last year's Yule Ball and certain events, she made a decision:
"I'm not sure, but after Umbridge expelled Yu, I doubt he'll support her."
"In any case, we can test him... If he dares to tattle, I'll hit him with an Obliviate."
Harry, enviously watching his two friends head out to the prefect meeting, had never wished so much to be a prefect himself.
To personally drive Umbridge away and bring Jane Yu back—what a wonderful thing that would be!
...
But neither Ron nor Hermione nor Harry, who was eagerly looking out from Gryffindor Tower, expected—
The person they suspected most, Draco Malfoy, with all his veiled hints, was the first to propose a plan in front of everyone.
"You all now have a chance to cry to your mom and dad." The investigation action group member and prefect supervisor smugly held up a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Weasley, go cry to your mom already!"
Ron's face turned as red as his hair, his freckles even more prominent. He gritted his teeth, wishing to punch Malfoy, but held back due to Malfoy's authority.
"I think you're the one eager to cry to your dad!" Hermione retorted. "Have you weaned yet, you little ferret?"
Draco glared, looking like he wanted to take 10 points from Hermione and Ron, but he held back, then said in a low voice:
"What kind of idiots are you? Can't you understand human speech? Next month's Parent Open Day—isn't this the perfect opportunity to do something?"
Ron and Hermione stared at him, as if a ferret had suddenly turned into a human and started speaking.
"But... but... your dad... your dad and Nott... aren't they supporters of Fudge and Umbridge?"
Draco rolled his eyes so hard they almost got stuck. "I have my own way with my dad. Just say whether you're in or not. If you two choose to remain fools, then I can only choose not to respect, not to bless, not to understand."
Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance, seeing hesitation in each other's eyes.
But in the small classroom, their low conversation naturally reached the ears of other prefects.
Cedric Diggory, the student council president, had been listening intently and quickly approached:
"Draco, if you're talking about actions for next month's Parent Open Day, then Hufflepuff is willing to join."
This sincere and kind-hearted Hufflepuff demonstrated his unwavering commitment to justice:
"Although you're part of Professor Umbridge's investigation action group, I believe what you're doing now is the right thing."
Draco let out a reluctant snort and turned his face away.
"But how do we know you won't tattle?" Ron pressed. "You could report us all and get us expelled—"
Draco's eyes nearly rolled to the ceiling. "Do you really think I'd report to a professor who expelled Yu... a Slytherin? Merlin's beard, if she doesn't leave, how can Yu come back?"
Ravenclaw's Anthony and Padma joined in, choosing solidarity over division in the face of a common enemy:
"As long as you also hate Umbridge, then we're siblings from different parents—at least until she's gone."
"But my trust in Malfoy is near zero," Ron muttered. "How many points has he deducted from Gryffindor?"
Draco was about to snap, but Cedric intervened. "The current scoring system is meaningless. Under Umbridge's unjust rules, house points have lost all credibility."
"If you're willing to accept my suggestion, let's agree to equalize house points until Umbridge is gone. Once fairness is restored, we can compete properly again."
The prefects of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff agreed to this "dynamic balance" and decided to implement it.
"Draco, what about you?"
Draco hesitated. While the idea of Slytherin monopolizing the House Cup was tempting, the thought of uniting to drive Umbridge out and bring Jane Yu back ultimately won. He gritted his teeth and demonstrated his decision:
"Weasley, because your freckles are getting bigger, Gryffindor gets 10 points."
"Granger, because your front teeth are bigger than a squirrel's, Gryffindor gets another 10 points."
Hermione, maintaining her composure, held back Ron, who was ready to explode.
Thanks to her efforts, the prefects reached a peace treaty and decided to set aside internal conflicts to unite against their common enemy.
Thus, the Anti-Umbridge Four Houses Alliance 1.0 was officially established.
However, this was not the first underground organization to form. Deep in the Slytherin dungeons, another force had long been brewing in secret.
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