Educational Decrees

• Type: Magical Legal Document, Decree
• Issuer: Dolores Umbridge as Hogwarts High Inquisitor on behalf of the Ministry of Magic
• Maker: Ministry of Magic

Educational Decrees were official regulations imposed upon Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the 1995-1996 school year. They appeared as framed proclamations on the stone wall opposite the Great Hall. Each time a new decree was issued by Dolores Umbridge, it would magically affix itself to the wall, joining the others in a growing collection. The proclamations were printed in neat, black lettering on parchment and were all signed by Dolores Umbridge. They bore the official seal of the Ministry of Magic. The frames were plain and dark, and the decrees were magically enchanted to be irremovable by conventional or magical means available to students or staff. Argus Filch was once seen attempting to pry one off the wall with a screwdriver, but he was unsuccessful, merely scratching the frame.

The primary function of the Educational Decrees was to serve as a legal and magical tool for the Ministry of Magic to exert control over Hogwarts.

• Magical Manifestation: The decrees appeared on the wall automatically and magically the moment they were enacted by Umbridge.
• Indestructibility: They were protected by powerful enchantments that prevented them from being removed, defaced, or destroyed by unauthorized individuals.
• Legal Authority: As official Ministry legislation, the decrees superseded the authority of the Headmaster and other staff, granting Umbridge immense power over school rules, curriculum, punishments, and staff appointments.
• Psychological Tool: The ever-growing wall of rules served as a constant and oppressive visual reminder of the Ministry's tightening grip on the school, intended to demoralize students and staff who opposed them.

The Educational Decrees were implemented by Dolores Umbridge following her appointment as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and later as the Hogwarts High Inquisitor. They were a key part of Cornelius Fudge's campaign to suppress information about Lord Voldemort's return and to undermine Albus Dumbledore's influence. At least twenty-eight numbered decrees were issued, along with several unnumbered ones. The known decrees are as follows:

1. Educational Decree Number Twenty-two: Stated that in the event of the Headmaster being unable to appoint a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry of Magic should select an appropriate person. This decree allowed for the initial placement of Dolores Umbridge at Hogwarts.
2. Educational Decree Number Twenty-three: Created the position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor to oversee the standards of education at the school, granting this individual the power to inspect and dismiss teachers. This decree gave Umbridge authority over her fellow professors, leading to her dismissal of Sybill Trelawney and attempt to remove Rubeus Hagrid.
3. Educational Decree Number Twenty-four: Disbanded all student organizations, societies, teams, groups, and clubs. Any group wishing to reform required permission from the High Inquisitor. This was a direct attempt to prevent students from organizing against Umbridge, and it directly prompted the secret formation of Dumbledore's Army.
4. Educational Decree Number Twenty-five: Granted the High Inquisitor supreme authority over all student punishments. This stripped other teachers, prefects, and the Head Boy and Girl of their ability to assign detentions.
5. Educational Decree Number Twenty-six: Forbade teachers from giving students any information that was not strictly related to their teaching subject. This was aimed at preventing any discussion of Lord Voldemort or other matters the Ministry wished to suppress.
6. Educational Decree Number Twenty-seven: Made possession of the magazine Quibbler, The a cause for expulsion, following its publication of Harry Potter's interview about the return of Lord Voldemort.
7. Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight: Removed Albus Dumbledore as Headmaster and appointed Dolores Umbridge as Headmistress of Hogwarts.
8. Other Decrees: Other, unnumbered decrees were passed as needed, such as one banning all products from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes on school grounds and another making the setting off of a Dungbomb an expellable offense.

The decrees were presumably nullified following Umbridge's removal from Hogwarts and Dumbledore's reinstatement at the end of the school year.

The Educational Decrees are a central plot device in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They represent the oppressive and bureaucratic takeover of Hogwarts by a paranoid Ministry of Magic. Each new decree serves to escalate the conflict between Umbridge's regime and the rebellious students led by Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. The decrees are the direct catalyst for the formation of Dumbledore's Army, a pivotal group that teaches students practical defensive magic. The rebellion against the decrees, culminating in the spectacular departure of Fred Weasley and George Weasley, marks a major turning point, demonstrating that Umbridge's power, though absolute on paper, could not crush the spirit of the students.

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the decrees are shown being physically hung on the wall by Argus Filch with a hammer and nails, rather than appearing magically. The collection of dark-framed decrees covering the wall becomes a powerful visual symbol of Umbridge's tyrannical control over the school. (film)