"...supplemental background checks will be conducted on all education industry-related personnel."

"Given the importance of magical schools, the starting point for this supplemental background check will be calculated from the time of graduation from Hogwarts."

"Under the guidance of this educational decree, relevant personnel in educational settings, including but not limited to Hogwarts professors, castle caretakers, groundskeepers, and honorary lecturers, should actively seek guidance from the Ministry of Magic's Senior Inquisitor and other relevant departments, and cooperate with corresponding reviews—any behavior that intentionally obstructs, resists, or conceals will be considered a failure to pass the background check, resulting in indefinite suspension pending further action."

"To ensure the normal operation of educational work, if the headmaster is unable to provide a candidate for a certain teaching position, the Ministry of Magic will appoint a candidate in their place."

"The Senior Inquisitor will publish the results of the investigation publicly in the school and designated newspapers the day after the investigation concludes."

"The above regulations comply with Educational Decree Number Twenty-five."

Hermione finished reading and turned to look at Aileen, looking somewhat worried.

"Background checks for all faculty and staff? Indefinite suspension if you don't pass the review?!"

Hermione's breathing became a little rapid, her eyes shining brightly, "Doesn't that mean she can have all the Hogwarts professors suspended overnight if she wants to? How could Professor Dumbledore allow the Ministry to interfere in such an outrageous manner?!"

"Well, strictly speaking, even in extreme cases, it couldn't be everyone..."

Aileen said, glancing at Luna and Hannah, who were walking down the stairs holding "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight."

The Grammar class for another second-year class had just ended, and they had obviously also seen the large notice posted at the entrance of the Great Hall.

"There's no way to replace the teachers for Grammar and History of Magic—unless the Ministry of Magic can bring in a few ghosts to compete for the job. Of course, I guess Umbridge's target is clearly not those two subjects. But who her specific target is will be known by the end of today. After all, after the announcement comes out, that Senior Inquisitor lady will definitely take the initiative to attack one or two subjects..."

"So..."

While most people were still discussing the announcement, Hermione followed Aileen into the Great Hall, asking in a low voice.

"Is this also part of your plan? But I still don't understand, how can this get us out of handing in that paper on werewolves next week?"

Aileen shrugged.

"Yes and no. Umbridge will definitely get extra authorization, which is the result of provoking her before. But the purpose of doing this is more to hand her a sharp double-edged sword. People always have the illusion that everyone is the same as them. In Umbridge's eyes, the Hogwarts faculty and staff team must have a lot of dirt. The headmaster and I trust every professor in the school implicitly, except for Ministry of Magic officials, of course..."

"What are you talking about? What double-edged sword, dirt?" Just then, Hannah came over, "Did I hear no paper?"

"Who taught your Defense Against the Dark Arts class this week?" Aileen asked Hannah.

"Professor Lupin—"

Hannah said excitedly. Now, the Defense Against the Dark Arts class for the lower grades is like a lottery.

Since Umbridge also has to take care of the Senior Inquisitor work, she and Professor Lupin occasionally adjust the class schedule according to the situation. For the Hogwarts little wizards, being able to draw Professor Lupin's Defense Against the Dark Arts class every week is undoubtedly something to be very happy about.

"Oh, then it's nothing. If it's Professor Umbridge's class, you don't have to hand in your homework next week."

"—Oh."

Hannah felt the balloon of happiness in her heart burst.

"Uh, but you can think of some good things, such as Umbridge reviewing your teacher next class."

Aileen comforted with a smile, "You have Potions class next, right? If Professor Snape's background check fails, either Professor Snape will be temporarily suspended and go on vacation, or Umbridge will be secretly poisoned. Miracles and hope still exist, don't they?"

However, Hannah was obviously not so lucky to encounter Umbridge in Potions class.

When Aileen and Hermione walked into the Transfiguration classroom, they immediately noticed the strange atmosphere in the air.

Dolores Umbridge, holding a clipboard, was sitting in the corner at the back of the classroom—obviously, after the Ministry of Magic issued the latest Educational Decree Number Twenty-five, she chose to first take Hogwarts' Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, as the first to set an example.

"This is interesting," they sat down in the first row of the classroom, Aileen said softly, "Umbridge might be making a big mistake."

Professor McGonagall strode into the classroom.

Judging from her expression, she didn't seem to notice an uninvited guest in the Transfiguration classroom at all.

"Alright, let's get ready to start the class now."

As the class bell rang, Professor McGonagall spoke, and the classroom immediately quieted down.

"Miss Kaslana, please come and help pass out the homework—Miss Granger, we are learning animate transfiguration today, please take this box of mice and distribute them to the students, one per group—you too—observe and correct each other's casting—"

"Ahem, ahem." Professor Umbridge coughed, which was her favorite way to announce her presence.

Professor McGonagall pretended not to hear and continued to talk about the precautions for the upcoming transformation.

Aileen also tacitly quickly finished handing out the homework, not giving Umbridge any chance to look around and question.

The Senior Inquisitor seemed to want to chat with Lavender, but Aileen's homework "accidentally" hit Lavender's mouse. Amidst the squeaking of the mouse and Lavender's screams, Neville frantically helped catch the mouse together, directly dissuading Umbridge's actions.

"Alright, students, please listen carefully—Neville, you don't need to grab that mouse so hard, they have all taken potions, they won't run around or bite you—we have learned simple transformations for snails and pebbles before, now we are going to start increasing the difficulty, and transform vertebrates such as mice. Today, our course objective is—"

"Ahem, ahem." Umbridge's cough was noticeably louder.

"What's wrong with you?"

In Aileen's expectant gaze, Professor McGonagall turned around and said.

The elderly cat-woman's eyebrows were furrowed together, seemingly forming a long, intimidating line.

"If you have a sore throat, I suggest you go to Madam Pomfrey to get some medicine to treat it. If the school infirmary can't cure your bronchial problems, then there's St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries—Hogwarts never encourages attending classes while sick, as it can easily infect students."

Unlike the restraint during the first confrontation in the original story, in this world line disrupted by Aileen, McGonagall had long disliked Umbridge.

Decades ago, when she was still a Hogwarts teaching assistant, she witnessed Aurors breaking into the school, rudely putting handcuffs on Professor Dumbledore in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and prohibiting Professor Dumbledore from continuing to be the teacher of this class.

And decades later, the Ministry of Magic actually went even further and tried to directly rush into the school and secretly arrest a formal professor.

More importantly, with the announcement posted at noon today, the reason why Umbridge appeared here was self-evident.

The senior official from the Ministry of Magic was obviously planning to use her as the first object of background checks—which, in Minerva McGonagall's view, was undoubtedly a blatant insult. The deliberate provocation and targeting in it could be seen by anyone who wasn't blind.

Since McGonagall spent a long time with Aileen in private, she had also honed her sarcastic abilities.

Perhaps she still couldn't match that little witch's ability to irritate people, but if it was used to deal with a certain Senior Inquisitor, it was more than enough.

It's just that Umbridge obviously didn't have the corresponding psychological preparation.

"Um, um... ahem, I—"

She looked as if she had been slapped hard, making a vague gurgling sound in her throat.

Umbridge's chest heaved violently for a few seconds, and she forced herself to hold back her anger, trying to put on a smiling face and continue speaking.

"Oh, Professor McGonagall, I just wanted to know if you received my note, which notified you of the arrangements for checking your class, as well as the date and time for inquiries regarding your personal background check before you came to teach at Hogwarts—"

"I obviously received it, otherwise I would have asked you what you were doing running into my classroom."

Professor McGonagall interrupted Umbridge unceremoniously and said coldly.

"As for what you said about the background check, I should have given you a very clear reply—you can ask questions in between breaks, as long as you don't disturb my class or lesson preparation. You need to know that if it wasn't for responding to the Ministry of Magic's call to assist you in completing the review and save each other's time, I would have originally planned to ask you to provide a logical review plan first."

"To be honest, the requirements you put forward are too general, and it might take me several years to repeat them one by one."

In the joyous and excited gazes of many students, Professor McGonagall had obviously won this confrontation.

The smile on Umbridge's face couldn't hold back, and her complexion quickly turned gloomy.

She didn't speak, vigorously straightened the parchment on the clipboard, and scribbled angrily.

Professor McGonagall looked indifferent, turned her gaze back to the whole class, and continued the lecture.

"I was just saying: Trans-species animate transfiguration. As the animals used as casting targets become more and more complex, the difficulty of your overall consideration of casting and magical skills will also increase proportionally. Pebbles are ordinary inanimate mixtures, while snails are invertebrates, and mice are obviously much more difficult than them. I hope that when you cast spells, you still follow the 'McGonagall Transformation Three-Step Rule' and don't skip steps at will—"

"I think what Professor McGonagall just said sounds a bit like you..."

Hermione lowered her voice and raised her eyebrows at Aileen with a playful smile.

"No wonder you said that Professor McGonagall was starting to become unserious when you came back that day, so that's the reason?"

She finally knew why Aileen looked like she was facing a formidable enemy every time she went to Professor McGonagall for tutoring some time ago.

Only magic can defeat magic, and the Head of Gryffindor had obviously learned some special skills, so much so that Aileen would occasionally suffer.

She was still a student after all, and when some elderly cat-women put down their airs to fight back, Aileen would still suffer a bit.

However, if sacrificing a little of her own happiness could allow Professor McGonagall to directly shut down the toad, Aileen was more willing to see the previous fearless sacrifice as a different kind of investment—what's more, besides Umbridge, Dumbledore would also deal with McGonagall.

She still remembered the grudge that the spicy old radish had calculated against her and forged her signature!

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Yay!