Poppy Pomfrey glided into the staff room with a look of disbelief on her face. The sound of the door shutting with an audible bang grabbed the attention of the other staff, who in turn glanced in the matron's direction. There was an awkward silence for some time. Some of the older members of staff noted she hadn't looked this way in over 10 years, when Hagrid had managed to burn the entire left side of his body. Incidentally that led to copious amounts of burn cream, pain relief potion and an extremely hysterical nurse. Younger members of staff who had not been at the school long enough to experience the occasional slight disaster, had no idea what her shocked and alarmed expression meant but decided to keep quite.
'What is it Poppy?' Minerva asked her, stepping forward timidly, frightened she might explode.
'The marauders, they, they did what she said!'
'Did what who said?' asked Dumbledore kindly.
'James and Sirius made a mess in the hospital wing and Miss Phoenix told them to tidy up, apologise to me, and offer to replace any spoiled potions. And they did it!' Nothing but shocked silence greeted this.
'Unbelievable' Minerva breathed. There was some murmured assent.
'It would appear that my granddaughter is having a positive influence on our dear trouble makers.' Dumbledore mused.
'Albus she has done the impossible!' Minerva shrieked, looking at him as if he had suddenly grown two extra heads. Professor Tyler, the defence against the dark arts teacher, was apparently in agreement.
'She is the only one I know of who can escape telling them off without being pranked. And to have them actually listen to her and do as she says is amazing. I know I haven't been here long but already the marauders have been extremely bothersome to me.'
Talk about Lena Phoenix's unfathomable ability to control the uncontrollable lasted for the better part of an hour. By which time all the teachers present noticed they had completely foregone breakfast and were late for first period! Minerva was in hysterics.
'Never in my time here…well it's just…what will they think…unheard of, absolutely unheard of!' Dumbledore chuckled as he watched his deputy race out the door muttering to her self. He turned to the rest of the staff who were decidedly calmer about having a shorter lesson (thankful? Perhaps)
'I think it would be prudent to keep our eyes open for the marauders. They should be planning another prank soon. If that is all, I suggest we all get back to our schedules.' The remaining staff slowly filtered out, heading in the directions of their classrooms or offices. Albus Dumbledore remained, thinking to himself. I would imagine this is going to be an… interesting year.
1997
'YOU DID WHAT?' Minerva McGonagall shrieked upon hearing the news that her star pupil had for all intense purposes, vanished. Madam Pomfrey at the other end of the hospital wing, who had been holding a glass vial full of dreamless sleep, jumped about a foot in the air and sent the vial crashing to the floor. Remus Lupin who had been standing right next to the woman, almost toppled over as her shouts blasted his over sensitive ears.
'I said I sent her away to complete a task' he replied cautiously. Minerva was about to let all hell break loose when Harry and Ron torpedoed into the infirmary. The look of abject horror and impatience at the interruption, and indeed the entire situation all together was not lost on the two teenagers, who immediately stopped and turned to Lupin instead.
'What do you mean Hermione's gone? Where is she?' Minerva drew in a long audible breath through her nose before answering in a would-be-calm voice.
'We don't know'
'What do you mean you don't know! Where's my friend?' Harry all but screamed.
'What he said!' Remus looked uncomfortable to say the least.
'Um. I may, happen to possibly have an idea where she may be…' All eyes swivelled towards the weary man.
'Go on' Minerva said in a menacing voice.
'Well, not so much where as…when. She hasn't actually technically left the castle.' Comprehension dawned on Minerva's face as if a hippo had landed on her. The experience was uncomfortable, 'heavy' as in DIRE, and Merlin did it STINK! Harry and Ron just looked confused.
'FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN AND HIS PURPLE SOCKS! REMUS, TELL ME YOU DIDN'T! TELL ME THIS IS A JOKE AND SHE IS NOT WHEN I THINK SHE IS!' The blush that was evident on the werewolf's face indicated otherwise. Harry tried to get a word in edgeways.
'What's hap-'
'OH FOR ALL THE THINGS, ANYTIME SHE COULD, NO! AS IF THINGS WEREN'T COMPLICATED ENOUGH!' By now, the extremely irate headmistress was poking Lupin in the chest as she rattled of obscenities the other 4 occupants of the hospital wing never knew she had it in her. Ron and Harry continued to stare, while Remus merely sighed and resigned himself to a long night and a painful headache, along with plenty of long-winded explanations.
