It was starting to get dark as Bill raised his hand to the knock the door.
He could hear talking and laughter coming from behind the door and thought they sounded friendly. At least he didn't think that bad guys had time to relax and enjoy themselves, unless they were maybe torturing someone …. not a good thought to have when Minerva could be in there.
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he knocked the door, and waited.
He smiled at the young man who answered and said "My name is Bill Weasley and …" he was stopped when the man raised his hand.
"Sorry, but whatever you're selling we either have it or don't want it." The door was closed in his face.
As the door closed he thought he heard a female voice scolding the man for being rude. Sighing and squaring his shoulders he knocked again.
A young woman with red-hair opened the door this time.
"Please …" Bill said, " … I am here about a lost cat."
The woman's eyes narrowed and she looked Bill over from head to toe. "Could you wait here please?" She inquired politely.
Bill knew the coven had brought him to the correct address when he heard her shout "Giles!" as the door was closed again.
A few seconds later the door opened and a young blonde woman appeared. "Could you say something again?"
Bill was confused, but repeated, "I am here about a lost cat."
As the door closed again he heard her say that she didn't think he was Scottish.
The door opened for a fourth time, and an older man, Bill presumed to be Rupert Giles, stood in the doorway. "How may we help you?"
"I'm here about a lost cat."
"Yes, we gathered that," the man replied. "However, what makes you think that we may be able to help you?"
Bill thought back to his carefully rehearsed speeches and wondered which one would be appropriate? Dumbledore had advised him to assess the situation and had authorized him to release limited information to the people holding Minerva. But he couldn't just blurt it all out.
The decision was taken from him when a blur of grey fur streaked out of the house and pounced at him. With quick reflexes he tightened his arms round the bundle and found his face being licked by an excited grey cat that was both purring and meowing at the same time.
Minerva thought she had recognized the voice at the door and had carefully crept round the furniture in the lounge trying not to be seen until she was sure.
Bill! It was Bill! Little Bill Weasley had come to rescue her. Well, she thought, she might not need rescuing but she did need help getting home. She was so excited she ran at him screaming his name over and over again.
It suddenly occurred to Bill that the cat in his arms was his former Transfiguration Professor, and Head of House, and that she was licking his face in a most inappropriate manner. He dropped the cat in horror, his face beetroot, "Professor McGonagall!" he exclaimed.
It appeared that the Professor had the same thought at the same time, and, with as much dignity as she could muster, she wandered back into the house, her head held high and her tail in the air.
She turned to make sure that her new friends had understood that Bill was here to help her and was pleased to see Willow and the others stepping back to allow Bill to enter the house.
"It would seem that our cat knows you…" Willow broke the uncomfortable silence thinking that they couldn't just sit here and stare at each other all night. She revised that thought thinking that they probably could, but Buffy would have to patrol in a couple of hours and there would doubtless be research to do. She wasn't going to give the cat to anyone without proof that she was doing the right thing.
Xander couldn't contain himself any longer "The cat is a professor?" He queried, laughing. "What does it teach? Catching mice? Chasing Birds?" He stopped making any more suggestions when Minerva shot him a withering look.
Bill sighed again. It was going to be a long night.