Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but I've made it extra long as an apology. As ever, reviews are welcome!

Alecto Carrow's lip curled.

"Why would I wanna go fetch the little brats?" she sneered. "Jus' because that fat oaf who brings 'em across the lake can't 'erd 'em up 'imself!"

McGonagall clenched her fist at the casual racism that the Death Eaters directed towards Hagrid.

"You are Deputy Headmistress, Carrow," she explained wearily. "It's part of your job."

"Go do it y'self, y' old bitch," she spat on the ground at Minerva's feet.

Sniffing in distaste, McGonagall stalked off in what she hoped looked like cold fury.

In reality, she had been praying that the woman would react that way; if she was dealing with the first years, there was no way Snape could blame her for what Peeves had planned.

When she had asked the poltergeist to cause chaos as the students arrived at the school, Peeves had simply cackled enigmatically before zooming off through the blackboard. As before, she hoped that meant he had something big up his sleeve.

The castle seemed to be waking up almost, after a long sleep. House elves, who throughout the school year only operated over night, now scuttled up and down the staircases, lighting torches and sweeping away a summer's worth of accumulated dust. Even more activity could be heard under the floor of the Entrance Hall, in the kitchens; shouts and simmers and a barely audible tap-tap-tap of a knife against the chopping boards. The house elves made Minerva sad - the amount of times Hermione Granger had petitioned her for the release of them from what she considered enslavement, she had lost count of. Minerva hoped somewhere out there, Hermione was safe. The girl was a more than able witch, and she would likely be with Harry. They would be alright, she was sure.

But now she couldn't afford to waste any more time fretting; through the Front Doors, McGonagall heard Hagrid in the distance: "C'mon firs' years! Row!"

They would be here soon, and she needed to be downstairs to greet them. Hoping whatever Peeves had planned was good enough, Minerva crossed the Entrance Hall and started to climb down the stairs to the underground cave where the boats would soon be docking, bringing the latest first years to Hogwarts. She felt sorry for them; they would never know the warmth and feeling of home that she and countless others before and after her had felt for Hogwarts. For them, it would just be a place of pain and torture - but she would do all she could to protect them.

Downstairs, it was pitch black darkness apart from little pinpricks of light that seemed to be coming closer with each passing second; the students were nearly here. Minerva flicked out her wand and conjured some warm yellow flames to make a glowing pathway along the lake. It wasn't something she usually did, but the grounds were enough to freeze you to the bone tonight and she didn't want all of the first years being in the hospital wing with pneumonia till November.

Hagrid nodded at her respectfully as he let the first years disembark from their boats on the shore. The giant, she noticed, made no move to leave his.

"Are you not coming to the feast, Rubeus?" McGonagall asked as the first years gathered around her, pale and shivering.

"Not this year, Professor," Hagrid replied glumly. "I'm jus' gonna go back to my hut an' 'ave some tea wi' Fang."

"Have a good evening, Rubeus," She could understand why he wasn't coming, so she simply inclined her head.

"Thanks, Professor," Hagrid rowed off, the now empty boats following his like sheep to a shepherd.

Minerva turned to face the first years.

"Follow me, we're going up to the castle to get warm," she tried to make her voice kind. "You will then be Sorted into your Houses."

As the gaggle of tiny students climbed behind her, she explained each house at Hogwarts and the way the school was run. They soaked everything in in a nervous silence.

At the top of the stairs, she lead them into the side room off the Great Hall and told them to wait. "I will be back shortly to escort you into the Hall."

Minerva left them chatting quietly and walked briskly back into the Entrance Hall and was about to enter the Great Hall when someone touched her shoulder.

"Remember, Minerva," Snape whispered icily. "You will do as I have told you, or you and your students will be punished."

She turned her head and froze. Snape's eyes momentarily entranced her - cold and black they were, yet they reminded her of another pair that she had seen in her life, red, slitted ones, that screamed rage. Only once in both wars had Minerva McGonagall ever come face to face with Lord Voldemort, but that time she would remember until she died. It was a few weeks before James' and Lily's deaths, and intelligence had reached the Order that Voldemort was planning an attack on Azkaban. The news reached Minerva first, so she sent the owl onto Dumbledore who was at the Ministry and immediately Apparated to the wizard prison, taking just Pomona, Aberforth Dumbledore, Filius and Horace with her. They found the place already under attack. Bellatrix Lestrange, the Malfoys, Barty Crouch Junior - all of Voldemort's inner circle were there, working spells on the thick stone walls which, thankfully, stayed strong. The Order members immediately engaged in duels; each of them had to take on two or three Death Eaters each, so it was incredibly close. But in the end, Minerva managed to tie up both Crouch and Lucius Malfoy, whilst Pomona and Horace knocked out Bellatrix. Even Aberforth managed to stun Yaxley. They were just about to finish off the battle, when the wind, raging just a second ago, died and the sun seemed to set, despite it being just past midday.

Voldemort had arrived.

He swooped down on them, making immediately for Minerva - she was the most accomplished duellist in the war present, so he obviously wanted to kill her first. But that was his biggest mistake that day. When he sent curse after curse hurtling at her, she was knocked of balance, yes, but she could deflect them to some extent. Her colleagues began to attack him from each side as they fought ferociously, but this only served to enrage him. With a shriek of rage, he knocked Filius, Pomona, Horace and Slughorn down and advanced towards her. His eyes seemed to be staring into her, transfixing her, like he could know everything about her if he wanted.

And then with a hundred small pops, Dumbledore and what seemed half of the Auror Office arrived on the scene, surrounding Voldemort. In a vivid flash of red light, at least fifty Stunners were sent at the Dark Lord… but not one ever touched him. When their eyes had recovered from the burst of light, there was no one there. He had Disapparated.

Snape's eyes had just done the same to her, it was like they were stripping away all the layers and looking into her innermost self.

Severus smirked.

"Remember that I control every aspect of your little life, Minerva," he said, voice low and threatening. "You continue to live because our Minister has decided to give you mercy. We know of your closeness to Mr Potter and other Undesirables. You are on our register of untrustworthy witches and are under surveillance. Do not push your luck further."

One day, Minerva thought to herself. One day I'm going to duel this man, and kill him if I can.

But when she opened her mouth, all she said was, "Yes, Severus."

Turning on her heel, McGonagall pushed the heavy doors open and paced down the centre of the house tables. Everyone stopped and stared at her, making it clearly obvious they were confused about what was going on. When she walked past Neville and Ginny, she smiled and patted them on the shoulder.

"What's going on, Professor?" Neville murmured.

"You'll see," she replied, carrying on towards the High Table.

Standing at the front, Minerva stared out at the sea of faces before her. So many were missing…

"Good evening," she projected her voice, and it echoed off the cold stone walls. There was no life here anymore. "Many of you are wondering, I imagine, why I have not brought the first years in to be Sorted. They are waiting outside, have no fear; Professor Snape merely asked for me to make some announcements before he entered."

At the word Snape it was like someone had lifted a Silencing Charm on the students. The three tables of red, yellow and blue all muttered darkly, but unfeigned glee and malice glittered in the eyes of the Slytherin students. Not one of their number was missing this year.

"Quiet!" McGonagall barked. "Now, there are, as I'm sure you know, several changes being made to Hogwarts this year. First, the Ministry has decided that Muggle-borns are no longer permitted to attend the school."

Again, muttering erupted. On the far right of the hall, Slytherins were high-fiving each other triumphantly, but the three tables on the right were outraged.

"It's disgusting!" One Ravenclaw sixth year called.

"Bigot!" A Hufflepuff third year spat.

"It's unfair!" A little Gryffindor second year squeaked.

"It's You Know Who!" Neville stood up and roared it. "He's taken over, can't you all see? Snape being allowed back, Harry on the run… Are you all stu-"

Severus burst into the hall then, and silenced the shouting with a bang.

"Longbottom," he snarled.

And then several things happened at once.

From outside in the Entrance Hall, a gleeful laughing could be heard, the golden plates were suddenly full of food and a house elf appeared with a crack not two feet from Minerva.

"You murdered Professor Dumbledore and you made Harry Potter run!" the elf cried, it's voice high and pitchy. "You shall not harm Neville Longbottom too!"

The elf clicked his fingers and Snape suddenly flew backwards into the wall, like he had been punched by a gigantic fist.

Peeves hurtled in then, a maniacal grin pulling at his lips. He picked up a bowl of trifle and threw it at the Slytherin table.

"FOOD FIGHT!" he cackled.

To use a Muggle expression, all hell broke loose. Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Slytherins and Ravenclaws alike picked up the food in front of them and began to lob it at each other. Mashed potatoes, slices of pie, carrots, jugs of gravy, even the odd mint humbug - the air was suddenly full of food and laughter.

Whilst all this went on, the house elf, who had perhaps puzzled Minerva most, Disapparated back to wherever he had come from.

Minerva and the staff at the table behind her made some half hearted attempts to stop the chaos, but in truth they revelled in it. Professor Flitwick even threw a sneaky Yorkshire pudding at the Slytherins as the Carrows hurried to help Snape get back up.

But of course, it eventually had to stop.

Severus stood up, and whipped his wand out with such an expression of unutterable rage upon his face that Minerva made a non-verbal shield around the students.

"STOP THIS MADNESS!" the Headmaster roared, firing stunning spells in random directions. McGonagall flinched as several Hufflepuff girls collapsed - her shield obviously wasn't strong enough to protect them all. "I-I-GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!"

As if suddenly snapping out of a dream, realising what happened to the girls could happen to them, students exchanged terrified glances and scurried out of the doors, causing a major blockage in their hurry to get away from Snape who was still firing stunners at random people; they were usually blocked though.

"A YEAR'S DETENTION, LONGBOTTOM!" Snape roared over the stamping of feet.

"But, Headmaster," Minerva said, fingering her wand in her pocket. The temptation to curse him was nearly overwhelming. "What of the first years? They must be Sorted."

Shaking with fury, Snape spat at her, "It will wait for tomorrow!"

McGonagall nodded curtly.

"I will arrange for them to sleep in here," she said. "Teachers, go to your Houses if you wish. Filius, Renervate all the students who have been stunned. Amycus, Alecto, clear up the food if you please."

Leaving the brother and sister making rude gestures at her back, Minerva began to pick her way through the food.

"Can't y' see?" she heard Alecto whisper intently to Snape. "It's 'er! She put the stupid pol'ergeist up to it!"

"Minerva McGonagall is not stupid enough to rebel against us," Severus snapped.

"Don' be an idiot, Snape," Amycus growled. "It's obvious she's done somefin'! Y' gotta punish 'er… don' wan' the Dark Lord 'earing you've bin defending the Order of the Phoenix now, do we?"

Sensing danger, she began to walk briskly towards the double doors.

"The Order of the Phoenix is no more," Snape snarled. "Now you will be silent, or the Dark Lord will know the reason that you disobeyed me when you have been commanded to follow me."

Relieved that she hadn't been "punished", Minerva quickly fetched the first years, who now looked positively petrified.

"There's been an incident with the Welcome Feast," she explained, gesturing for them to follow her back into the Great Hall. "It was nothing too major, of course, but your Sorting Ceremony will take place tomorrow night instead."

Thankfully, the Carrows had made a swift job of cleaning the Hall - Snape and his cronies had already left - and Flitwick was supporting a dazed Ravenclaw boy with blood pouring down his forehead.

"Oh dear, dear," the little man squeaked. "Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey."

"You will sleep in here tonight," McGonagall flicked her wand and the tables flew back to the walls and sleeping bags popped into existence on the floor. She waved it again and ten trays with steaming mugs of hot chocolate and sandwiches were hovering before the crowd of first years. "This will refill itself until you are full. Don't stay awake past ten or Mr Filch will have you in detention. Good night."

And with that, she left the first years to their hot drinks and dreams. It had been a long day, and Minerva could hear her bed calling.