======The 1997-1998 Hogwarts School Year======
=====Overview=====
The 1997-1998 school year at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] was a period of darkness and oppression, marking the height of [[Lord Voldemort]]'s power during the [[Second Wizarding War]]. With the [[Ministry of Magic]] under his control, [[Hogwarts]] was transformed from a place of learning into a stronghold for pure-blood ideology, run by [[Death Eater|Death Eaters]] and overseen by [[Severus Snape]] as Headmaster. The year was characterized by a brutal curriculum, the persecution of students, and a courageous student-led resistance, culminating in the climactic [[Battle of Hogwarts]] which ended the war.
=====The New Regime at Hogwarts=====
Following the fall of the [[Ministry of Magic]] in August 1997, [[Lord Voldemort]] installed a new administration at [[Hogwarts]] to indoctrinate the next generation of witches and wizards.
  * **Leadership:** [[Severus Snape]] was appointed Headmaster, a move that shocked the wizarding world but placed him in a critical position to secretly protect students on [[Albus Dumbledore]]'s orders. He was supported by two [[Death Eater]] siblings, [[Alecto Carrow]] and [[Amycus Carrow]], who served as his deputies.
  * **Curriculum Changes:** The curriculum was drastically altered to reflect [[Voldemort]]'s ideology.
    * **[[Dark Arts]]:** [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] was renamed simply "//Dark Arts//," and it became a required subject taught by [[Amycus Carrow]]. Instead of learning to defend against dark magic, students were taught its principles and forced to practice curses, such as the [[Cruciatus Curse]], on fellow students who were assigned detention.
    * **[[Muggle Studies]]:** This also became a compulsory subject, taught by [[Alecto Carrow]]. The course was transformed into pure-blood propaganda, teaching that [[Muggle|Muggles]] were subhuman and deserving of subjugation.
  * **Student Attendance:** Attendance at [[Hogwarts]] became mandatory for all pure-blood and half-blood students. However, [[Muggle-born]] witches and wizards were barred from attending, declared to have "stolen" their magic, and were actively hunted by the [[Muggle-Born Registration Commission]].
=====Student Life and Resistance=====
The atmosphere at [[Hogwarts]] was one of fear, suspicion, and cruelty. The Carrows were known for their sadistic punishments and unpredictable tempers. In response to this tyranny, a resistance movement formed within the student body.
  * **Revival of [[Dumbledore's Army]]:** With [[Harry Potter]], [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Hermione Granger]] absent from school, [[Dumbledore's Army]] (D.A.) was secretly revived under the leadership of [[Neville Longbottom]], [[Ginny Weasley]], and [[Luna Lovegood]].
  * **Acts of Defiance:** The D.A. engaged in various acts of rebellion, such as writing "//Dumbledore's Army, still recruiting//" on the castle walls and attempting to free fellow students from punishment. Their primary goal was to disrupt the Carrows' regime and offer hope to the oppressed student body.
  * **The [[Room of Requirement]]:** As the resistance grew and the Carrows' punishments intensified, the [[Room of Requirement]] became the D.A.'s headquarters and a sanctuary for students in hiding. The room provided them with food, hammocks for sleeping, and a connection to the [[Hog's Head Inn]] in [[Hogsmeade]], which allowed members to come and go in secret.
  * **Punishments:** The Carrows inflicted severe punishments on defiant students. [[Neville Longbottom]] was a frequent target, bearing many cuts and bruises from their cruelty. [[Michael Corner]] was tortured for freeing a first-year boy who the Carrows had chained up as punishment.
=====Key Events of the Year=====
While [[Harry Potter]] was hunting for [[Horcrux|Horcruxes]], several crucial events unfolded at the school.
  * **Autumn 1997:** [[Neville Longbottom]], [[Ginny Weasley]], and [[Luna Lovegood]] attempted to steal the [[Sword of Godric Gryffindor]] from the Headmaster's office. They were caught, but [[Severus Snape]] gave them a lenient punishment of detention with [[Rubeus Hagrid]] in the [[Forbidden Forest]]. This was done to keep them safe and to allow Snape to pass the real sword to Harry later.
  * **Christmas 1997:** [[Luna Lovegood]] was captured by [[Death Eater|Death Eaters]] on the [[Hogwarts Express]] during the Christmas holidays to be used as leverage against her father, [[Xenophilius Lovegood]].
  * **Easter 1998:** After [[Death Eater|Death Eaters]] targeted his grandmother, [[Augusta Longbottom]], [[Neville Longbottom]] went into permanent hiding within the [[Room of Requirement]], becoming the full-time leader of the student sanctuary.
  * **2 May 1998:** [[Harry Potter]], [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Hermione Granger]] returned to [[Hogwarts]] via the secret passage from the [[Hog's Head Inn]]. Their arrival signaled the start of the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], as Neville summoned the D.A. and members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]] to fight against [[Lord Voldemort]] and his army.
=====Outcome and Aftermath=====
The school year abruptly ended with the [[Battle of Hogwarts]]. The battle resulted in the death of [[Lord Voldemort]] and the end of the [[Second Wizarding War]]. [[Hogwarts]] itself suffered extensive damage, but the forces of good were victorious. The tyrannical regime of Snape and the Carrows was dismantled, and [[Minerva McGonagall]] took over as Headmistress. The year stands as the darkest in [[Hogwarts]]'s history but also as a testament to the bravery and resilience of its students.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation, //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2//, the oppressive nature of the school year is visually depicted with students marching in formation through the courtyard under Snape's watch. This is a cinematic addition not described in the novel (film).
  * A scene where Neville confronts Snape in the [[Great Hall]] in front of the entire student body was created for the film to dramatically set the stage for Harry's arrival (film).
  * The book reveals the details of the school year primarily through the narration of [[Neville Longbottom]] when he reunites with the trio in the [[Room of Requirement]], as well as through the memories of [[Severus Snape]] viewed in the [[Pensieve]].