1995-1996 School Year

The 1995-1996 school year was Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The school experienced many changes during this time, mainly due to the interference of the Ministry of Magic and the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, Dolores Umbridge. This article lists the general events which had been witnessed by the majority of the students and teachers. It leaves out those events which were only known to Harry Potter and the people close to him.

## Events

### Quidditch

The 1995-1996 Quidditch season at Hogwarts was eventful. Team members and results were as follows:

#### Gryffindor Quidditch Team

During the 1995-1996 school year, Angelina Johnson was Captain of the Gryffindor team. Due to Oliver Wood graduating since they last played in the 1993-1994 School Year, selecting a new team player to fill his position as Keeper involved a tough tryout, with Ronald Weasley ultimately chosen as Oliver's replacement.

##### Original Team

* Angelina Johnson: Captain and Chaser
* Katie Bell: Chaser
* Felicity Black: Chaser
* Ronald Weasley: Keeper
* Harry Potter: Seeker
* Fred Weasley: Beater
* George Weasley: Beater

##### Substitute Team

Shortly after one of Gryffindor's first Quidditch matches, Draco Malfoy insulted and provoked Fred, George, Ron and Harry. All except Ron promptly attacked him, had their brooms confiscated, and were banned from Quidditch for life by Professor Umbridge (although these bans were lifted after she was removed from Hogwarts). Their replacements were as follows:

* Ginny Weasley: Seeker
* Andrew Kirke: Beater
* Jack Sloper: Beater

#### Ravenclaw Quidditch Team

The Ravenclaw team members were as follows:

* Roger Davies: Captain and Chaser
* Bradley: Chaser
* Chambers: Chaser
* Grant Page: Keeper
* Cho Chang: Seeker
* Duncan Inglebee: Beater
* Jason Samuels: Beater

#### Slytherin Quidditch Team

The Slytherin team members were as follows:

* Graham Montague: Captain and Chaser
* Adrian Pucey: Chaser
* Cassius Warrington: Chaser
* Miles Bletchley: Keeper
* Draco Malfoy: Seeker
* Vincent Crabbe: Beater
* Gregory Goyle: Beater

#### Hufflepuff Quidditch Team

The Hufflepuff team members were as follows:

* Zacharias Smith: Captain and Chaser
* Cadwallader: Chaser
* Tamsin Applebee: Chaser
* Herbert Fleet: Keeper
* Summerby: Seeker
* Maxine O'Flaherty: Beater
* Anthony Rickett: Beater

#### Standings and Quidditch Cup Results

* Slytherin lost to Gryffindor
* Hufflepuff defeated Gryffindor 240-230
* Slytherin lost to Hufflepuff (narrowly)
* Gryffindor defeated Ravenclaw
* Outcomes of Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw & Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff are not mentioned in canon. However, due to Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup despite Hufflepuff having two wins, it is very probably that Ravenclaw defeated Hufflepuff. The Gryffindor team won the Quidditch Cup despite missing their original Beaters and Seeker.

### Dumbledore's Army

In 1995, Harry, Ron, Flick and Hermione formed a secret "club" entitled Dumbledore's Army. Its purpose was to prepare students adequately for the outside world and to give them some practice of their spells for their O.W.L.s - something its members agreed the now Ministry-controlled Hogwarts was not doing and deliberately so. After successfully holding regular meetings between 5 October, 1995 and 20 April, 1996, the Army was forced to split up after Cho Chang's friend Marietta Edgecombe gave their location away to the Inquisitorial Squad.

### Weasley Family Crisis

Shortly before the Christmas holidays, it became common knowledge amongst the Gryffindors (as well as around the school) that the Weasley Family and Harry had to leave early due to some sort of family crisis, although the exact details of this crisis are known by fewer. Students soon realised that the Weasleys returned once classes resumed for the new term.

### Professor Umbridge's Influence

As of Dolores Umbridge's appointment to the school, Hogwarts underwent many changes. With the Ministry of Magic on her side, Umbridge had a lot of power and was highly influential at the school. Albus Dumbledore, despite being headmaster, was powerless to prevent or reverse these changes, and his position as headmaster became largely titular as Umbridge, with the Ministry's backing, effectively took over the day-to-day running of the school.

### Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor

As Headmaster Albus Dumbledore could not find a suitable Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, one was appointed by the Ministry of Magic. This person was Dolores Umbridge, the Senior Under-Secretary to the Minister for Magic (who was Cornelius Fudge at the time).

#### Theorised Classes

**Hermione**: "*There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells.*"
**Umbridge**: "*Using defensive spells? Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?*"
— Hermione Granger and Dolores Umbridge, their first D.A.D.A lesson

Professor Umbridge believed in solely theoretical approach to Defence Against the Dark Arts, which was also the Ministry's view at the time. She claimed that there never would be a situation where students would need to defend themselves from the Dark Arts and denied the return of Lord Voldemort. Her teaching method was also impractical because the O.W.L.s that students were studying for had a practical section in the Defence Against the Dark Arts exam.

#### Punishment

The following is a list of crimes and their "unusual" punishment, as handed out by Professor Umbridge.

* Yelling in class - Harry Potter and Lee Jordan were punished by having to write with a special quill which used the blood on the back of their hands as ink.
* Attacking others - George Weasley, Fred Weasley and Harry Potter were banned from Quidditch for life and had their brooms confiscated when they attacked Draco Malfoy after a match. Their bans were lifted right after Umbridge was removed from Hogwarts.

Umbridge was later given supreme authority over all punishments. She used this authority to give Harry and the Weasley twins the aforementioned Quidditch ban, and later to revoke Harry's Hogsmeade visitation privilege.

### Position as High Inquisitor

*Main article: Hogwarts High Inquisitor*

"*She's been an immediate success, totally revolutionising the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the-ground feedback about what's really happening at Hogwarts... it is this last function that the Ministry has now formalised with the passing of Educational Decree Twenty-Three, which creates the new position of 'Hogwarts High Inquisitor.'*"
— Percy Weasley in the Daily Prophet

After working at Hogwarts for a short while and having a discussion with the Minister, Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three was passed, and Umbridge's power increased as she was appointed the first ever "Hogwarts High Inquisitor". She used this position to evaluate and harass the teachers at Hogwarts. When Harry formed a group to teach practical Defence Against the Dark Arts, Umbridge abolished all student groups of three or more members, meaning students weren't allowed to be seen together in a group larger than three people, or they'd be suspected of rule breaking. This also included Quidditch.

When Harry gave an interview about Lord Voldemort to *The Quibbler*, Umbridge then banned possession of the magazine. Umbridge also went on to make ludicrous restrictions such as boys and girls not being allowed to stand within a certain limit of one another.

These actions were sanctioned by the Ministry of Magic in the form of Educational Decrees, but students merely found ways to circumvent them. With her new power, she dismissed Sybill Trelawney as Professor of Divination; however, when she attempted to send Trelawney away from the school, she was unable to because Albus Dumbledore still had the power to keep Trelawney on school grounds and chose to do so.

Umbridge was horrified when Dumbledore replaced Trelawney with a centaur named Firenze, and considered him, a mixture of human and horse, a "filthy half-breed." Her strong opinion of centaurs would later get her into trouble.

#### Teachers Tested

All teachers were "tested" by Professor Umbridge during her time as Hogwarts High Inquisitor. She asked them questions concerning their time teaching at Hogwarts and also to see if they were "competent" at their job. She enjoyed putting teachers on the spot; however, some, such as Professor McGonagall, did the same to her in return. She was very prejudiced against some, particularly half-breeds, and judged them before even questioning them.

#### Dismissals

The following teachers were fired by Dolores Umbridge:

* Sybill Trelawney
* Albus Dumbledore (although he was officially dismissed by Cornelius Fudge, on Dolores Umbridge's recommendation).
* Rubeus Hagrid

### More Educational Decrees

*Main article: Educational Decree*

Thanks to Dolores Umbridge, at least seven Educational Decrees were completed. However, in the film, many more are passed. These banned things such as physical contact and student organisations.

### The Inquisitorial Squad

The Hogwarts High Inquisitor created an Inquisitorial Squad which students were eligible to join. Upon becoming a member of the squad, students were able to gain extra credit and award and deduct house points from any other student, including prefects (from whom other prefects cannot).

### House Cup

It is unknown who won the House Cup during the 1995-1996 school year.