======Educational Decrees======
=====Object Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Ministry of Magic]] Legislation
  * **Owners:** The [[Ministry of Magic]] (as the issuing authority)
  * **Maker:** Drafted by Senior Undersecretary [[Dolores Umbridge]]; authorised by Minister for Magic [[Cornelius Fudge]]
=====Description and Appearance=====
The Educational Decrees were official pieces of legislation that appeared physically as notices printed on parchment. Each new decree was presented within a stout black frame and magically mounted on notice boards throughout [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]. They were prominently displayed in locations such as the [[Gryffindor]] common room notice board and a large, dedicated notice board near the [[Great Hall]] that eventually became covered with them.
=====Magical Properties and Usage=====
While the parchments themselves were not inherently magical beyond their means of posting, their function was to legally enforce the will of the [[Ministry of Magic]] within [[Hogwarts]]. Enacted during the 1995-1996 school year, the decrees were a tool used by Minister [[Fudge]] and Senior Undersecretary [[Umbridge]] to systematically undermine the authority of Headmaster [[Albus Dumbledore]], suppress any mention of [[Lord Voldemort]]'s return, and seize control of the school's curriculum and student life.
The decrees granted [[Dolores Umbridge]] escalating levels of power, first as a professor, then as the [[Hogwarts High Inquisitor]], and ultimately as Headmistress. They served to create a restrictive and oppressive atmosphere within the school, forbidding unsanctioned student groups, censoring information, and giving [[Umbridge]] absolute power over punishments.
=====History=====
The Educational Decrees were introduced in the autumn of 1995 following the [[Ministry of Magic]]'s refusal to accept the return of [[Lord Voldemort]]. Fearing that [[Albus Dumbledore]] was using [[Hogwarts]] to train an army to overthrow him, [[Cornelius Fudge]] empowered [[Dolores Umbridge]] to draft legislation that would bring the school under direct Ministry control. The decrees were passed one by one throughout the school year, each one a reaction to events at [[Hogwarts]] and a further tightening of the Ministry's grip.
The known Educational Decrees are as follows:
  - **Educational Decree Number Twenty-Two:** Stipulated that in the event of the Headmaster being unable to appoint a new teacher, the [[Ministry of Magic]] had the right to select an appropriate candidate. This was used to install [[Dolores Umbridge]] as the [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] professor.
  - **Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three:** Created the post of [[Hogwarts High Inquisitor]], granting this individual the power to inspect, place on probation, and dismiss any teacher. [[Umbridge]] was appointed to this position.
  - **Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four:** Disbanded all student organisations, societies, teams, and clubs. Any group wishing to reform required express permission from the High Inquisitor. This decree was a direct response to the formation of what would become [[Dumbledore's Army]].
  - **Educational Decree Number Twenty-Five:** Granted the High Inquisitor supreme authority over all student punishments at [[Hogwarts]], overriding the authority of other staff members and Heads of House.
  - **Educational Decree Number Twenty-Six:** Forbade teachers from discussing any information with students that was not strictly related to their subject. This was aimed at preventing staff from corroborating [[Harry Potter]]'s story about [[Voldemort]]'s return.
  - **Educational Decree Number Twenty-Seven:** Banned the student-run magazine //[[The Quibbler]]// from [[Hogwarts]] grounds after it published [[Harry Potter]]'s interview about the night [[Voldemort]] returned.
  - **Educational Decree Number Twenty-Eight:** Declared [[Dolores Umbridge]] the new Headmistress of [[Hogwarts]] following [[Albus Dumbledore]]'s departure from the school to avoid arrest.
Following the Battle of the [[Department of Mysteries]] and the public confirmation of [[Voldemort]]'s return, [[Cornelius Fudge]] was forced to resign as Minister for Magic. [[Albus Dumbledore]] was reinstated as Headmaster, and all of [[Umbridge]]'s Educational Decrees were repealed.
=====Role in the Story=====
In //[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]//, the Educational Decrees are a central plot device that represents the institutional decay and paranoia of the [[Ministry of Magic]]. They are the primary mechanism by which the book's antagonist at [[Hogwarts]], [[Dolores Umbridge]], gains and wields her power. The escalating tyranny of the decrees serves as the direct catalyst for [[Harry Potter]], [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Hermione Granger]] to form [[Dumbledore's Army]], a secret defence group that becomes a focal point of student resistance and practical magical education in the face of Ministry propaganda.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation of //[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]//, the decrees are shown being magically hammered onto a large wall near the [[Great Hall]]. As more are added, the wall becomes a chaotic collage of framed rules, visually representing [[Umbridge]]'s oppressive control. (film)
  * The film also features additional decrees not explicitly numbered in the book, such as one mandating that "Proper dress and decorum is to be maintained at all times." (film)