Magic Is Might

It is late in the summer now, and the hideout of Grimmauld Place remains a secret. The enemies still prowl outside wondering who is within. Meanwhile, Harry gets a little bit too comfortable in apparating onto the front steps and almost loses his invisibility cloak.

Inside Grimmauld Place, the entire visage is transformed. It seems that it meant a lot to Kreacher to be given the remains of the fake Horcrux locket; therefore, he has spent his summer cleaning the place from top to bottom. For once, both Kreacher and Grimmauld Place look clean and healthy. He even serves delicious soup to the trio (Hermione, Ron, and Harry). They marvel at the fact that Hermione actually was right about her “Elfish Welfare” idea. All Kreacher needed was a little bit of kindness.

Unfortunately, the news from the outside world isn’t as sunny. The Daily Prophet reports that none other than Severus Snape is now headmaster of Hogwarts. There is further depressing news as well: Snape has hired two Death Eaters to teach two very important classes to Hogwarts students (Defense Against the Dark Arts and Muggle Studies).

It isn’t long before Harry reports his observations from the Ministry of Magic. The three have been trying to figure out how to infiltrate the Ministry to steal the real Horcrux back from Dolores Umbridge. They decide that the next day is the best option to break into the Ministry of Magic at last.

Their discussion is cut short by a sharp burn in Harry’s scar on his forehead. Harry runs to the bathroom to escape the glares of his two friends. In the bathroom, Harry has another vision of Voldemort. In the vision, Voldemort is looking for yet another wandmaker and killing any innocents in the way.

When Ron and Hermione finally find Harry and question him, Hermione lectures Harry yet again about using his skill of Occlumency: it is the only way to close his mind to Voldemort’s evil. Harry rebukes Hermione, telling her that he intends to use these visions to figure out exactly what Voldemort’s plans are. With their discussion at an end, the three begin planning their entrance into the Ministry of Magic.

The next morning holds an interesting display of the friends choosing and then “becoming” three different Ministry of Magic witches and wizards by using Polyjuice Potion. As the three enter the Ministry, they discover that (just like Grimmauld Place), the Ministry of Magic is transformed as well, but not in a pleasant way. The fountain representing harmony between magical folk has been removed and replaced by a repulsive statue showing Wizards as the rulers over all other magical peoples. It bears the saying “Magic is Might.”

The three friends split up either in search of Dolores Umbridge or because of circumstances out of their control. As Harry and Hermione enter an elevator, “a squat, toadlike witch wearing a velvet bow in her short hair and clutching a clipboard to her chest” enters. It is Dolores Umbridge.