For Crownedtiger who should be home soon...dearest this is for you to lighten your mood from the weekend!

Chapter 54: The Lioness Comes Out

It took less than thirty minutes into his first class with Professor Umbridge before Harry had a detention and was being sent to his head of house.

"Come in!" was the crisp reply Harry received when he knocked on his head of house's office door.

He entered and found his grandmother looking over some papers with his mother sitting on the floor by the ornate fireplace playing patty cake with Rhianna.

"Oh Harry…aren't you in defense class right now?" Minerva frowned looking at the boy.

Harry shook his head from watching his mother and baby sister and turned to Minerva.

"Uh…here," he stammered holding out the pink parchment.

Minerva sniffed annoyedly at the fragrance enhanced pink parchment and broke the seal unraveling and reading it.

"You've been given a detention and she request I speak with you on disrespecting your professors and lying," Minerva stated and looked up at the boy that was looking at his shoes, "I was unaware of the fact your mother let you be disrespectful."

"I don't," Margaret stated looking up from Rhianna mid clap.

"She was totally degrading grandpa and insisting Voldemort wasn't back!" Harry snapped.

"Harry hush. Don't yell at her," Margaret said quietly as she stood with Rhianna on her hip.

Harry quieted and looked remorse at his grandmother. "I'm sorry granny," he sighed.

"Harry you will have to do the detention but I don't find what she said completely right so I'll let it slide. But I suggest you watch yourself. We don't need a lot of trouble Harry," Minerva sighed tossing the parchment into the fire.

"Yes ma'am," Harry sighed.

"Come to my rooms after your detention please Harry…even if she keeps you late okay?" Margaret asked putting a hand under his chin and making him look her in the eye.

"Yes ma'am," he smiled sadly.

"Go on back to class. I'll see you after lunch," Margaret smiled kissing his cheek. Harry nodded and hurried out.

"And it starts," Minerva sighed.

"I have to go feed the triplets," Margaret stated.

"Give me that baby," Minerva commanded holding her arms out.

"Mum don't teach her out to grade papers yet. I want to keep her away from essays till she's three," Margaret winked putting the baby in Minerva's lap.

"I'm not promising anything," Minerva smirked as Margaret shut the door behind her.

"Right. Rhianna it's time I teach you the finer points of sweets," Minerva stated taking a box out of her desk drawer. She opened it and the girl oohed at all the candies inside.

"Now the thing to know dear is that lemon drops are not good no matter what grandpa says," Minerva stated with a sly grin as she held up the lemon candy.

"Lemln Drop yucky," Rhianna nodded making a face.

"Very good," Minerva laughed.


Stephanie had just finished her last class of the day and there were still two hours left till supper. She knew her mother would be in her quarters feeding the triplets and she knew her brother and sister were in potions so she would have to worry about Severus being in the rooms.

After dropping her things off in her dorm room Stephanie exited the Tower and once she had gone out of the Pink Lady's line of eyesight she morphed into a pretty white Persian cat and ran off towards the staff's quarters.

Unbeknownst to Stephanie while she was walking around the staff hall Dolores Umbridge was on her way to her rooms from the other end of the hall.

Dolores saw the little kitten and being a cat lover she followed it to see if it in fact belonged to one of the professors…she of course was hoping to sneak into a professor's room.

The woman's wish was granted when she saw the door to one room swing open at the kitten's pawing. Dolores waddled in just after the kitten before the door shut. Inside she found an elegant rich dark room with dozens of pictures of Stephanie, Hermione, and Harry, and four babies all over the place along with hundreds of books.

The kitten scampered behind a cracked door and disappeared. Dolores followed and entered just as the kitten morphed into fourth year Stephanie McGonagall.

"Hey their trips what's going on?" Stephanie asked peering into the three bassinets at the end of the bed.

"What indeed?" Dolores stated coming further into the room.

"P-Professor Umbridge!" Stephanie gasped spinning around.

"Miss McGonagall what exactly are you doing in here when you should be elsewhere? Just because Madam McGonagall is your parent does not mean you can do as you please and enter staff room quarters," Dolores stated.

"I…I…"

"And what have we here? Babies left unattended my, my she does live life freely doesn't she? I must say this just proves how irresponsible it is for anyone to be a single parent," Umbridge clicked her tongue.

She bent over to peer at the babies and all three Snapes began screaming and crying to high heaven.

Before Dolores knew what happened she was slammed into the wall and stuck their unable to move.

"What!? What happened babies!?" Margaret exclaimed running in from another room. She was in a red cotton bath robe and steam was coming out around her. Her black hair was wet.

Hearing their mother the babies quieted to sniffles and Stephanie ran to her mother burying her head in the woman's stomach.

"Stephanie!? What…Professor Umbridge!" Margaret blinked looking up at the woman on the wall.

"This is unacceptable Ms. McGonagall put me down!" Dolores shrieked.

Dolores was set down with a wave of Margaret's wand.

"I'm sorry Professor but I don't allow anyone to touch the babies without their father's permission. I suggest you take it up with Professor Snape," Margaret stated petting Stephanie's hair.

"And what do you have to say about Miss McGonagall coming in as a cat. And illegal animagus," Dolores replied.

"She's not illegal. As an anamorphous you only have to register two of your forms with the Ministry. She did it last year," Margaret stated lifting the teen up onto her hip, "Professor what are you doing in my quarters anyway?"

"She said just because you were my mum I wasn't allowed in here and she said you were a bad mum because you left the babies alone," Stephanie stated.

"I was in the shower and as you saw I could clearly hear them should they need me. As for Stephanie…you'll find the headmaster allows my children to come to me when ever they need as they have very serious emotional issues and need to speak with me at times. Now could you please leave my rooms," Margaret snapped.

Dolores gaped but left.

"The audacity," Margaret huffed walking over to the triplets and staring down at them.

"Mummy can I help you feed the babies?" Stephanie asked.

"Sure baby. And…don't listen to that toad…you and the others come anytime day or night. You're my children and you come before any rules and job," Margaret stated.

"Yes mummy," Stephanie nodded as an elf appeared with three bottles and Margaret put her daughter down. Stephanie gently took one of the babies and a bottle sitting in a chair and feeding her little sister proudly. Margaret took her son and fed him.


"You can leave now Mr. McGonagall," Dolores sneered looking at his hand.

Harry nodded biting his lip not to say anything and left the office. Heading to the staff rooms he cradled his hand and was very nervous. He didn't want to go to Margaret's rooms but he knew she'd know something was wrong if he didn't.

As he approached her rooms he pulled his sleeves down to cover his hand and knocked on the door.

"Just a second!" a voice shouted.

A minute later Margaret opened it and Harry saw his sisters with her. Stephanie's hair was in two braids and Hermione was seated on the floor in front of a chair with one side of hers braided.

"I thought it might be nice if we had a night together," Margaret stated. "I had the elves bring you some pajamas you can go change and come back out here."

"O-okay," Harry nodded heading into the room.

"Right so where were we?" Margaret asked returning to her seat behind Hermione and brushing the wet hair before beginning the second French braid.

"Why I told Viktor I just didn't want to see him anymore," Hermione side picking at a stuffed bear's eye.

"Oh yes…how did he take the floo call?" Margaret asked.

"Hard…but to be honest I just can't see myself with anyone right now. I just want to focus on my classes," Hermione stated.

"It's your choice of course darling," Margaret stated.

"You didn't seem like Bulgarian type anyway," Stephanie stated from her seat in the opposite chair.

"Thanks," Hermione laughed.

Harry came back out of the room and sat on the couch trying to make sure his sleeve covered his hand.

"So what did you do in detention?" Stephanie asked turning to her brother.

"Just some lines. No big deal," Harry shrugged.

"Lines… that seems rather tame," Margaret frowned tying off the braid and tapping Hermione's head to let her know she was done. Hermione stood and went over to sit by Harry.

"What's wrong with your hand?" Hermione frowned getting a glimpse of something.

"Nothing," Harry stated showing her his left hand.

"No the other one," Hermione snapped pulling the sleeve up on his right hand. She gasped and it had both Stephanie and Margaret hurry over.

"Harry!" Margaret exclaimed looking at the marks on Harry's hand.

"Harry you should have told me straight away. This is illegal!" Margaret exclaimed looking at Harry's hand.

"Yeah but…it didn't seem like a big deal," Harry said quietly.

"Harry this is a very big deal…let me wrap it up tonight and tomorrow we'll go straight to Minerva and Albus. This is torture and it's illegal around here. Blood quills haven't been allowed for punishments since 1947," Margaret stated.

"Okay," Harry sighed.

"Come on kids bedtime," Margaret stated.

They nodded and as they went to bed with their mother that night they all swore she had growled slightly when she'd seen the words: I will not tell lies. On Harry's hand.