Inquisitorial Squad Badge [Harry Potter Lexicon]

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======Inquisitorial Squad Badge======
=====Object Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Magical Device]], Badge of Office
  * **Owners:** Members of the [[Inquisitorial Squad]], including [[Draco Malfoy]], [[Vincent Crabbe]], [[Gregory Goyle]], [[Pansy Parkinson]], [[Millicent Bulstrode]], and [[Warrington (Slytherin Quidditch Chaser)|Warrington]].
  * **Maker:** Created under the authority of [[Dolores Umbridge]] during her tenure as [[Hogwarts]] High Inquisitor.
=====Description and Appearance=====
The Inquisitorial Squad Badge is described as a small, silver pin. It features a large, ornate letter 'I', which stands for 'Inquisitorial'. The badge was designed to be worn on the front of a student's [[Hogwarts Robes|school robes]] to visibly signify their membership and authority.
When [[Harry Potter]] first saw the badge on [[Draco Malfoy]]'s chest, he noted it was "something silver" that "was glinting" and identified it as "a small, ornate letter ‘I’ on a silver pin" (//Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//).
=====Magical Properties and Usage=====
While the badge itself may not possess complex enchantments, its primary function was to serve as a symbol of authority bestowed by [[Hogwarts]] High Inquisitor [[Dolores Umbridge]]. Its key properties included:
  * **Conferral of Authority:** Wearing the badge granted a student powers that superseded those of [[Prefect]]s. Members of the [[Inquisitorial Squad]] were empowered to enforce [[Educational Decree]]s and punish other students.
  * **Deducting House Points:** The most significant power associated with the badge was the ability to deduct [[House Points]] from any student, including [[Prefect]]s. [[Draco Malfoy]] notably used this power to take points from [[Gryffindor]] and [[Hufflepuff]] with impunity. This was a privilege previously restricted to [[Prefect]]s, [[Head Boy|Heads of School]], and [[Hogwarts Staff|professors]], making its delegation to the Squad a major disruption of the school's established order.
=====History=====
The Inquisitorial Squad Badge was introduced during the 1995-1996 [[Hogwarts School Year|school year]], a period marked by the [[Ministry of Magic]]'s increasing interference at [[Hogwarts]]. [[Dolores Umbridge]], in her role as High Inquisitor, established the [[Inquisitorial Squad]] to serve as her loyal enforcers and spies within the student body.
[[Umbridge]] handpicked students for the Squad, primarily from [[Slytherin]] house, who were either children of influential [[Ministry of Magic]] officials or who showed a willingness to support her regime. Notable members like [[Draco Malfoy]] eagerly accepted the position and the badge, using the newfound power to bully and intimidate their peers, especially members of [[Dumbledore's Army]].
The authority granted by the badges became void following [[Dolores Umbridge]]'s removal from [[Hogwarts]] at the end of the school year, after she was carried off into the [[Forbidden Forest]] by a herd of [[Centaur]]s. The [[Inquisitorial Squad]] was disbanded, and the badges lost all meaning and authority.
=====Role in the Story=====
In //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, the Inquisitorial Squad Badge serves as a potent symbol of tyranny and the corruption of power. It represents the oppressive atmosphere [[Dolores Umbridge]] imposed upon [[Hogwarts]], rewarding sycophancy and cruelty while punishing dissent.
The badge is a constant visual reminder to [[Harry Potter]] and his friends of their loss of freedom within the school. It empowers their antagonists, like [[Draco Malfoy]], giving them an official license to harass and persecute members of [[Dumbledore's Army]]. The climax of the Squad's power comes when they, led by [[Malfoy]], successfully capture members of the [[Dumbledore's Army|D.A.]] in the [[Room of Requirement]], an event made possible by the authority their badges represented.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, the Inquisitorial Squad Badges are visually depicted as silver pins with the letter 'I', consistent with their description in the novel. The design in the film is slightly more elaborate, featuring the 'I' within a small crest-like shape. (film)