Later that day as the class was filing out after the Transfiguration lesson, McGonnagal noticed that Ron was taking a long time to pack up his things. She waited until the class were completely out of the door before saying anything.

"Ron? Is something the matter? You look as if you wanted to get something of your chest. I am ready to listen, and no not just because I want the gossip on your life. You look sincerely troubled and I want to help. What is it?"

"How could you tell there's something wrong?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you are taking an age to get out of my classroom. You are usually the first one out of the door and now you are dallying."

"You're right, there is something wrong, and I can't tell any of my friends because they wouldn't understand. I think you would." He sat on one of the desks and she sat on a chair nearby.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"It's this plan the gang has about Hermione. I don't think it's right to lead her on like this. If anyone deserves to know the truth it's her. Fun though it may be to confuse the brightest witch I have ever met, she is still my friend and I can't do that to her."

"Why does Harry not want her knowing? Why doesn't he just tell her?"

"I guess he doesn't want a scene. You know what Hermione's like. If this gets out she would hit the roof. She's had a crush on him for years and she is very edgy at the moment. She knows that something's up but not what it is."

"That can't be the only reason Harry has for not telling her."

"It's the only one he's given me. If he has another one he's not telling."

"Try and get to the bottom of that if you can."

"By the way, I wanted to ask you how you knew about it. I told Ginny about it and Harry broke my nose because of it."

"Oh, so that's why he hit you. Well like you he comes to me when he needs advice and doesn't like to ask his friends. He came to see me about this shortly after it all started and I gave him my advice and he took it. I know I might seem unapproachable but he doesn't think so, and I'm really not unapproachable. There is very little that goes on here that I don't know about."

Ron looked at her in amazement. The very idea that so many students should tell Minerva McGonnagal their secrets was unthinkable.

"I didn't realise so many people talked to you about stuff."

"I have been keeping secrets for almost thirty years. I started with James Potter's generation."

"What did they have to tell you?"

"I know for a fact that the Marauders were not who Sirius and Remus have led you to believe they were. What they have told you was that they were the Fred and George of their day, which is broadly true. They did play pranks on people and could be very mean to their victims. You know of course that Lily Evans, Harry's mother, was at school with them and although she was cold and incredibly aloof towards him she did in fact like him, all the girls did."

"Like father, like son, then?"

"Exactly. Mind you if Remus hadn't been going out with Sirius then he would have been going out with James."

Ron fell off the desk at this.

"What!"

"Big shock isn't it? Even Peter Pettigrew was a poof. He was turned by the attentions of Sirius' younger brother Regulus, who became a Death Eater before he left school. Voldy liked to get his henchmen young, you see, that's why Draco was accepted even though he never received the mark. Pettigrew went over to the dark side a couple of years after that."

"So you're telling me that even Harry's dad was gay? How come he married Lily then?"

"He was bisexual. Sirius and James had a thing for many years. Then Remus matured a bit and Sirius left James for Remus. Remus was in love with all of his friends, and Lily. His love for her went far deeper than he ever admitted to James. Oh yes, James knew he had a crush on her, but what he did not know was that Lily preferred Remus sometimes, especially after she found out about his moonlit wanderings. She was so kind and understanding that she accepted his problem and helped him to feel better about himself without judging him. What a pity it was that she died. Harry could have learnt so much from her. I see that he is very similar to both his parents, but had Lily lived he might have been able to tell Hermione as soon as he was sure of his relationship with Draco."

"Pity indeed. He wouldn't have hit me then."

"Probably not."

A bell went.

"I have a class to teach. Wait, shouldn't you be in a lesson?"

"Yes! Charms! Bugger it!"

He thanked her quickly and fell over on his way out of the classroom. McGonnagal laughed as he scrambled out of sight.