Inquisitorial Squad

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.

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.

Powers
Unlike normal Prefects, Squad members could dock House points from fellow Prefects, as Draco Malfoy once did to Prefects 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 didn't like him.

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

Discovery of Dumbledore's Army
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. After Fred and George Weasley left Hogwarts, many members of the Squad were attacked. The twins shoved Graham Montague into the Vanishing Cabinet when he tried to dock points from them. After this, unknown students hexed Pansy Parkinson causing her to sprout antlers and hexed C. Warrington's' skin causing it to look as if it were covered in corn flakes.

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 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. In the meantime, the other D.A. members, outnumbered and wandless, managed to escape using a series of jinxes and hexes against the Inquisitorial Squad. The group of six then traveled 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.

Members

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

Behind the Scenes

 * In the film version of the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the students can sign up for the Inquisitorial Squad for extra credit under Educational Decree Number 98.
 * In the book, the Inquisitorial Squad was formed right after the departure of Albus Dumbledore and discovery of Dumbledore's Army, but in the film version, the Squad was formed after the implementation of Education Decree Number Twenty-three.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince