Educational Decree Number Twenty-Seven

"Any student found in possession of the magazine The Quibbler will be expelled."

- The Decree

The Educational Decree Number Twenty-Seven was the third Educational Decree created by Dolores Umbridge in her capacity of Hogwarts High Inquisitor. This Decree made the possession of the magazine The Quibbler an expulsion offence.

Background
On February 14 1996, during one of the usual Hogsmeade weekend trips, Harry Potter gave an interview to Rita Skeeter concerning the night Lord Voldemort returned. This interview was published on the March edition of The Quibbler. On March 23, during breakfast, Harry received a free copy of The Quibbler from the owl post from Xenophilius Lovegood, the editor, along with some mail from the magazine's readers, deeming him either a hero or mentally incapacitated. Umbridge, upon knowing of the interview confiscated Harry's copy of the magazine and by midmorning had already passed the Educational Decree Number Twenty-Seven.

Creation
The Educational Decree Number Twenty-Seven was passed by Dolores Umbridge by midmorning of March 23 1996 to prevent the students from reading the interview about Voldemort's return. Umbridge managed to pass the Decree merely hours after knowing of said interview.

Reaction
Given the interview "spread lies" about the return of Voldemort, Umbridge posted the Decree all over the school's halls and classrooms, instead of the usual proclamation on the common rooms' announcement boards. Curiosity arose on the students after reading the prohibitions and, in a small ammount of time, all the school seemed to have read the interview. Umbridge patrolled the school checking the students' bags in search for copies of the magazine but was unsuccessful as copys were jixed to appear ordinary textbooks or white pieces of parchment. The teachers, forbidden of talking about it under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-Six, managed to reward Harry for his courage by offering large ammounts of points for doing simple tasks, giving him boxes of Squeaking Sugar Mice and predicting his eventual rise to the post of Minister for Magic. Upon reading the magazine and the recent contradictions of the Daily Prophet some students, like Seamus Finnigan started to believe Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore.

Abolishment
The decree was abolished after Dolores Umbridge's suspension from her post of High Inquisitor and Albus Dumbledore return to his post of Headmaster following the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, in the summer of 1996.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)