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'Who expects Devils Snare to turn up in a hospital disguised as a pot plant？' said Ron sharply。 'It's not our fault； whoever sent it to the bloke is to blame！ They must be a real prat； why didn't they check what they were buying？'
'Oh； e on； Ron！' said Hermione shakily。 'I don't think anyone could put Devils Snare in a pot and not realise it tries to kill whoever touches it？ This … this was murder： a clever murder； as well： if the plant was sent anonymously； how's anyone ever going to find out who did it？'
Harry was not thinking about Devil's Snare。 He was remembering taking the lift down to the ninth level of the Ministry on the day of his hearing and the sallow…faced man who had got in on the。 Atrium level。
'I met Bode；' he said slowly。 'I saw him at the Ministry with your dad。
Ron's mouth fell open。
'I've heard Dad talk about him at home！ He was an Unspeakable … he worked in the Department of Mysteries！'
They looked at each other for a moment； then Hermione pulled the newspaper back towards her； closed it； glared for a moment at the pictures of the ten escaped Death Eaters on the front； then leapt to her feet。
'Where are you going？' said Ron； startled。
To send a letter；' said Hermione； swinging her bag on to her shoulder。 'It： well； I don't know whether： but it's worth trying： and I'm the only one who can。'
'I hate it when she does that；' grumbled Ron； as he and Harry got up from the table and made their own； slower way out of the Great Hall。 'Would it kill her to tell us what she's up to for once？ It'd take her about ten more seconds … hey； Hagrid！'
Hagrid was standing beside the doors into the Entrance Hall； waiting for a crowd of Ravenclaws to pass。 He was still as heavily bruised as he had been on the day he had e back from his mission to the giants and there was a new cut right across the bridge of his nose。
'All righ'； you two？' he said； trying to muster a smile but managing only a kind of pained grimace。
'Are you OK； Hagrid？' asked Harry； following him as he lumbered after the Ravenclaws。
'Fine； fine；' said Hagrid with a feeble assumption of airiness； he waved a hand and narrowly missed concussing a frightened…looking Professor Vector； who was passing。 'Jus' busy； yeh know； usual stuff … lessons ter prepare … couple o' salamanders got scale rot … an' I'm on probation；' he mumbled。
'You're on probation？' said Ron very loudly； so that many of the passing students looked around curiously。 'Sorry … I mean … you're on probation？' he whispered。
'Yeah；' said Hagrid。 〃S'no more'n I expected； ter tell yeh the truth。 Yeh migh' not've picked up on it； bu' that inspection didn' go too well； yeh know： anyway；' he sighed deeply。 'Bes' go an' rub a bit more chilli powder on them salamanders or their tails'll be hangin' off 'em next。 See yeh； Harry： Ron：'
He trudged away； out of the front doors and down the stone steps into the damp grounds。 Harry watched him go； wondering how much more bad news he could stand。
* * *
The fact that Hagrid was now on probation became mon knowledge within the school over the next few days； but to Harry's indignation； hardly anybody appeared to be upset about it； indeed； some people； Draco Malfoy prominent among them； seemed positively gleeful。 As for the freakish death of an obscure Department of Mysteries employee in St Mungo's； Harry； Ron and Hermione seemed to be the only people who knew or cared。 There was only one topic of conversation in the corridors now： the ten escaped Death Eaters； whose story had finally filtered through the school from those few people who read the newspapers。 Rumours were flying that some of the convicts had been spotted in Hogsmeade； that they were supposed to be hiding out in the Shrieking Shack and that they were going to break into Hogwarts； just as Sirius Black had once done。
Those who came from wizarding families had grown up hearing the names of these Death Eaters spoken with almost as much fear as Voldemort's； the crimes they had mitted during the days of Voldemort's reign of terror were legendary。 There were relatives of their victims among the Hogwarts students； who now found themselves the unwilling objects of a gruesome sort of reflected fame as they walked the corridors： Susan Bones； whose uncle； aunt and cousins had all died at the hands of one of the ten； said miserably during Herbology that she now had a good idea what it felt like to be Harry。
'And I don't know how you stand it … it's horrible；' she said bluntly； dumping far too much dragon manure on her tray of Screechsnap seedlings； causing them to wriggle and squeak in disfort。
It was true that Harry was the subject of much renewed muttering and pointing in the corridors these days； yet he thought he detected a slight difference in the tone of the whisperers' voices。 They sounded curious rather than hostile now； and once or twice he was sure he overheard snatches of conversation that suggested that the speakers were not satisfied with the Prophets version of how and why ten Death Eaters had managed to break out of the Azkaban fortress。 In their confusion and fear； these doubters now seemed to be turning to the only other explanation available to them： the one that Harry and Dumbledore had been expounding since the previous year。
It was not only the students' mood that had changed。 It was now quite mon to e across two or three teachers conversing in low； urgent whispers in the corridors； breaking off their conversations the moment they saw students approaching。
They obviously can't talk freely in the staff room any more；' said Hermione in a low voice； as she； Harry and Ron passed Professors McGonagall； Flitwick and Sprout huddled together outside the Charms classroom one day。 'Not with Umbridge there。'
'Reckon they know anything new？' said Ron； gazing back over his shoulder at the three teachers。
'If they do； we're not going to hear about it； are we？' said Harry angrily。 'Not after Decree： what number are we on now？' For new notices had appeared on the house noticeboards the morning after news of the Azkaban breakout：
BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS
Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information that is not strictly related to the subjects they are paid to teach。
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty…six。
Signed： Dolores Jane Umbridge； High Inquisitor
This latest Decree had been the subject of a great number of jokes among the students。 Lee Jordan had pointed out to Umbridge that by the terms of the new rule she was not allowed to tell Fred and George off for playing Exploding Snap in the back of the class。
'Exploding Snap's got nothing to do with Defence Against the Dark Arts； Professor！ That's not information relating to your subject！'
When Harry next saw Lee； the back of his hand was bleeding rather badly。 Harry remended essence of Murtlap。
Harry had thought the breakout from Azkaban might have humbled Umbridge a little； that she might have been abashed at the catastrophe that had occurred right under the nose of her beloved Fudge。 It seemed； however； to have only intensified her furious desire to bring every aspect of life at Hogwarts under her personal control。 She seemed determined at the very least to achieve a sacking before long； and the only question was whether it would be Professor Trelawney or Hagrid who went first。
Every single Divination and Care of Magical Creatures lesson was now conducted in the presence of Umbridge and her clipboard。 She lurked by the fire in the heavily perfumed tower room； interrupting Professor Trelawney's increasingly hysterical talks with difficult questions about ornithomancy and heptomology； insisting that she predicted students' answers before they gave them and demanding that she demonstrate her skill at the crystal ball； the tea leaves and the rune stones in turn。 Harry thought Professor Trelawney might soon crack under the strain。 Several times he passed her in the corridors … in itself a very unusual occurrence as she generally remained in her tower room … muttering wildly to herself； wringing her hands and shooting terrified glances over her shoulder； and all the while giving off a powerful smell of cooking sherry。 If he had not been so worried about Hagrid； he would have felt sorry for her … but if one of them was to be ousted from their job； there could be only one choice for Harry as to who should remain。
Unfortunately； Harry could not see that Hagrid was putting up a better show than Trelawney。 Though he seemed to be following Hermione's advice and had shown them nothing more frightening than a Crup … a creature indistinguishable from a Jack Russell terrier except for its forked tail … since before Christmas； he too seemed to have lost his nerve。 He was oddly distracted and jumpy during lessons； losing the thread of what he was saying to the class； answering questions wrongly； and all the time glancing anxiously at Umbridge。 He was also more distant with Harry； Ron and Hermione than he had ever been before； and had expressly forbidden them to visit him after dark。
'If she catches yeh； i