The Year 1995: The Second War Begins

The year 1995 marks a pivotal turning point in the wizarding world, characterized by the Ministry of Magic's steadfast denial of Lord Voldemort's return and its subsequent interference at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This period saw the insidious rise of Dolores Umbridge, the secret formation of Dumbledore's Army in defiance of the Ministry, and the re-establishment of the Order of the Phoenix. The year was defined by political maneuvering, covert resistance, and the growing tension of the impending Second Wizarding War, culminating in Harry Potter's troubling visions and his forced Occlumency lessons with Severus Snape.

Summer (July - August)

• Harry Potter endures a period of isolation and frustration at Number Four, Privet Drive, with minimal news from the wizarding world.
• On August 2, Dementors attack Harry and his cousin, Dudley Dursley, in an underpass in Little Whinging. Harry repels them using the Patronus Charm.
• Harry receives a letter informing him of his expulsion from Hogwarts for using underage magic, which is quickly amended to a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic.
• Harry is rescued from the Dursleys' by the Advance Guard of the Order of the Phoenix, including Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, and Remus Lupin.
• He is taken to the headquarters of the Order at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, the ancestral home of the Black family, where he reunites with Sirius Black, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
• On August 12, Harry attends his disciplinary hearing before the full Wizengamot. With testimony from Albus Dumbledore and Arabella Figg, he is cleared of all charges.
• Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are appointed Gryffindor Prefects.

Autumn (September - November)

• On September 1, students travel to Hogwarts aboard the Hogwarts Express. Harry meets Luna Lovegood for the first time.
• During the Sorting Ceremony, the Sorting Hat's song includes a rare warning about the need for school unity in the face of external threats.
• Dolores Umbridge, a senior Ministry official, is appointed as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, a position forced upon Hogwarts by the Ministry of Magic.
• Professor Umbridge's classes immediately prove to be purely theoretical, using the textbook Defensive Magical Theory and forbidding the use of practical magic.
• Umbridge is appointed Hogwarts High Inquisitor via Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three, giving her extraordinary power to inspect and dismiss teachers.
• In response to the lack of practical defensive training, Hermione proposes that Harry teach a secret defence group. An initial meeting is held at the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade, where two dozen students sign up.
• The group, which names itself Dumbledore's Army (D.A.), begins meeting in the Room of Requirement.
• After the first Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Quidditch match, Umbridge gives Harry, Fred Weasley, and George Weasley lifetime bans from the sport.
• Rubeus Hagrid returns to Hogwarts after a secret mission to negotiate with the giants on behalf of Dumbledore.

Winter (December)

• Dumbledore's Army continues its secret meetings, with Harry teaching members spells such as Expelliarmus, Stupefy, and the Patronus Charm.
• Shortly before Christmas, Harry has a vivid vision from the perspective of Nagini, Lord Voldemort's snake, showing the creature viciously attacking Arthur Weasley in the Department of Mysteries.
• Harry alerts Dumbledore, who confirms the attack is real and arranges for Mr. Weasley's rescue. Arthur is taken to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
• Harry, fearing he is being possessed by Voldemort, isolates himself. However, he, the Weasleys, and members of the Order spend Christmas together at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.
• Dumbledore arranges for Harry to take Occlumency lessons with Severus Snape to learn how to close his mind to Voldemort's influence and visions. The lessons begin at the end of the month and are immediately fraught with animosity.

• Ministry Propaganda and Denial: Led by Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, the Ministry of Magic orchestrates a widespread smear campaign against Harry and Dumbledore. The Daily Prophet consistently portrays Harry as disturbed and Dumbledore as senile to discredit their claims of Voldemort's return.
• Umbridge's Takeover of Hogwarts: Through a series of Educational Decrees, Dolores Umbridge systematically strips power from Dumbledore and imposes strict, Ministry-approved control over Hogwarts. Her roles as Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor and later Hogwarts High Inquisitor are used to suppress dissent and monitor students and staff.
• The Second Order of the Phoenix: The re-formed Order of the Phoenix operates in secret, working to counter Voldemort's plans. Their activities in 1995 include recruiting members, guarding the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries, and protecting Harry.
• Dumbledore's Army (D.A.): Founded out of necessity, the D.A. becomes a student-led resistance movement. Under Harry's tutelage, members learn practical defensive magic that Umbridge forbids, preparing them for the real dangers of the resurfacing Death Eaters and the coming war.
• Harry's Mental Connection to Voldemort: The mental link between Harry and Lord Voldemort strengthens significantly this year, shifting from a scar-paining warning to vivid, shared visions. This connection becomes a central plot point, prompting the difficult and ultimately unsuccessful Occlumency lessons.