Educational Decrees

• 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

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.

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.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.

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.

• 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)