Inquisitorial Squad

> "*The Inquisitorial Squad, Granger. A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, hand-picked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points... New Head, new times...*"
> ― Explanation of the Inquisitorial Squad[source]
>
>

The **Inquisitorial Squad** was a group of students, hand-picked by Professor and High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge while she was Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1996, who were supportive of the Ministry of Magic.

The group was supposed to ensure order among the student populace, but some of the members took to using their power in petty ways against those they disliked. Members of the Inquisitorial Squad wore a tiny silver "I" on their robes. It was disbanded following Umbridge's suspension from Hogwarts.

## History

### Founding

The Inquisitorial Squad was founded to support Umbridge's tenure over Hogwarts after the departure of Albus Dumbledore from the school. Their job was ostensibly to catch wrongdoers; however, as all of the Squad were Slytherin students, they spent more time abusing their power by taking House points away from Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs.

The Squad was also meant to help repress the rebellious activities of students who disagreed with the Ministry's claim that Lord Voldemort had not returned, and who instead supported Dumbledore and Harry Potter. Thus, their main opponents were members of Dumbledore's Army, whose meeting place they tried to discover.

### Discovery of Dumbledore's Army

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Umbridge used many of the students who would become the Inquisitorial Squad to catch Dumbledore's Army members as they fled the Room of Requirement, with Malfoy catching Harry and receiving fifty house points, and Pansy Parkinson snatching up the list of members. Fred and George Weasley also shoved Graham Montague headfirst into a Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor when he tried to dock points from them. After the twins left Hogwarts on their broomsticks, witnessed by the entire student body, a state of open rebellion was declared against Umbridge. The Inquisitorial Squad were among the very few in the school to side with her, working with her against their fellow students, but this became tantamount to painting targets on their backs. At least two of its members found themselves hexed by unknown students; Pansy Parkinson with one that caused her to sprout antlers and Cassius Warrington, who reported to the hospital wing with a horrible skin complaint that made him look like he was coated in cornflakes.

Later, the Inquisitorial Squad helped Umbridge hold Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood in her office for questioning after they were caught trying to use the Floo Network to contact Sirius Black. When Harry refused to tell Umbridge what he was doing, she first demanded that Professor Snape provide her with Veritaserum, but after he claimed that he had no more, she threatened to use the Cruciatus Curse on Harry.

This prompted Hermione to intervene, coming up with a clever lie that they were trying to contact Dumbledore about a "weapon" they were making for him. With this story, Harry and Hermione lured Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest, where she provoked Centaurs into carrying her off, by isnulting the colony as "half-breeds". In the meantime, the other D.A. members, outnumbered, managed to escape using a series of jinxes and hexes against the Inquisitorial Squad. The group of six then travelled to the Ministry, where the Battle of the Department of Mysteries ensued.

Following this battle, and the exposure of Lord Voldemort's return to the public, Umbridge was removed from Hogwarts and Dumbledore was restored. The Inquisitorial Squad was subsequently disbanded.

## Powers

Unlike normal Prefects, Squad members could dock House points from fellow students, as Draco Malfoy once did to pupil Ron Weasley because his shirt was untucked, Hermione Granger for "being rude" about Umbridge and for being a "Mudblood", and Ernie Macmillan for questioning his authority to dock points from Hermione and Ron. He also took points from Harry because he disliked like him.

Amongst the duties delegated to them by Umbridge was reading over other students' owl post.

## Members

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1. Dolores Umbridge (High Inquisitor)
2. Argus Filch
3. Draco Malfoy (Leader)
4. Pansy Parkinson
5. Millicent Bulstrode
6. Vincent Crabbe
7. Gregory Goyle
8. Graham Montague
9. Cassius Warrington
10. Sixth Year Girl