AN:All thanks given to Katherine my beta.

I own nothing


By the time she entered Professor McGonagall's office, the smile she had given Gabe was long gone. She needed to tell the Professor something important, but she still wasn't sure how, and the heaviness she had felt since leaving DADA had returned.

The Professor asked Mia what her new badge was about, and she told her Hermione's new plan to rescue house elves. The teacher pursed her lips, but said nothing as she made tea.

"You seem a little more glum than usual Amelia, what is bothering you?" she asked as she handed her a filled tea cup.

"We had Defense Against the Dark Arts today."

"Ah, I see. And what did Professor Moody do that has caused you to look like you just failed my class?"

"He showed us the unforgivable curses."

"He did what?!" McGonagall asked, setting down her tea cup with a clack.

"He had three spiders and performed each curse on one of them. It was horrible. But the last one… It got me thinking. When the dementors attacked last year I saw glimpses, memories of when I was a baby. My aunt used the killing curse to kill my mum, right in front of me. That's why I can see Thestrals." Mia sighed. She was rambling. "Anyways, seeing it performed just kind of brought everything up."

McGonagall sighed. "I wish I had something comforting to offer Amelia. It is a tragedy what happened to your mother, and I'm sorry you had to endure that in class."

"Why is Professor Moody here? He said Professor Dumbledore wants him to prepare us, like something is coming, but if what I've read about him is true, and he's so willing to break the law, performing those curses in front of witnesses, why is he really here?"

"That is a rather complicated answer. It is true he is a little more… reckless than he once was, but he is an old friend of Professor Dumbledore's, and was an instrumental part in taking out The Dark Lord years ago."

"Was he a part of the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Now where did you hear that name?"

"You told me, the summer before first year when you told me about my parents," Mia reminded her.

McGonagall sighed. "So I did. It would be best not to bring that up again. The Order was intended to stay secret."

"So he was a part of it?"

"Yes, he was."

Mia nodded. "And because Dumbledore is worried about that stuff at the end of last term, with the prophecy, and why Harry had to stay with his aunt and uncle, he wanted someone he trusts in the school." She hadn't wanted to think about the prophecy about the dark lord rising, or about Remus and Sirius talking quietly about Harry's scar hurting this summer, and how it was a warning. She wanted her family to stay as it was, to stay safe.

"Now Amelia, really, this isn't something you should concern yourself with, and more so, you should not repeat those thoughts to anyone, do you understand?"

Mia nodded again and took a sip of her tea. "I can keep a secret. Gabe and I both can, and we both want to join the Order if it really does get reformed."

"That isn't really up to me. You are still very young, and your father…"

Mia chuckled. "He would be all for it. Remus on the other hand would not approve. I know we're still young, but we won't be forever. I just wanted to mention it now, so it doesn't come as such a shock later."

"Let us hope it doesn't come to that."

Mia nodded and sipped her tea. There was something else she wanted to talk to the Professor about, but she didn't know how to start.

"Professor, can I ask you a hypothetical question?"

"Of course."

"If I did something, really bad like really, really bad, but wanted to fix it, would you help me, or would you hold me to the consequences of my actions?"

"Both."

"What?"

McGonagall sighed. "What happened?"

"This is just a hypothetical."

"Right, so hypothetically, how bad was the mistake?"

"Like, I could be expelled and go to Azkaban."

"Did you hurt someone?"

"No!"

"Did you put someone in danger?"

"Not intentionally."

"Amelia, tell me what is wrong."

"I can't. It's not about me. I did something, it was stupid, but I did it. But I thought if things went wrong, I would be the only one to suffer, but, someone else decided to do the same thing, and now their future is at risk. If I tell you, and you do your job, follow the rules, then it would be hurting them. I can't do that. I need to find a way to help them, to fix this for them."

She wasn't appealing to the McGonagall who was mercilessly fair and took points from her own house when students deserved it, she was appealing to the McGonagall who saw Harry breaking a rule, flying a broom for the first time without supervision, and instead of expelling him gave him a position as seeker. She was appealing to the McGonagall who offered to adopt her when the school was at risk of closing her second year, and who had made the stone castle feel like a home for the first three years of her schooling.

The Professor gave her a long look as if she was sizing her up. "Amelia, tell me how I can help."

Mia sighed and looked away for a moment. "Can I ask you another hypothetical question?"

McGonagall sighed and nodded and took a sip of tea.

"If I wanted to register to be an animagus, would you help me apply?"

McGonagall closed her eyes. "Merlin's saggy b–" She ran a hand over her face and covered her mouth.

Mia decided her best plan was to say nothing, so she sipped her tea quietly while the teacher sat with her eyes closed and her face hidden. After a few long minutes, she opened her eyes and picked up her tea taking a sip as though nothing had happened. "How long?"

Mia grimaced. "Summer after first year."

"Your first year?!" McGonagall almost yelled but stopped herself. She sighed and set down her tea. "And shall I guess who's name I will be putting on the second set of paperwork?"

"They don't know I told you."

"Bring Gabriel to my office tomorrow night. I will have the paperwork ready. You will both also need to get parental permission but we can talk about the particulars tomorrow."

Mia winced. McGonagall wasn't stupid, of course she would guess it was Gabe. "Thank you, Professor."

"Don't thank me. I'm quite angry. Do you know how dangerous this was?"

Mia nodded. "It was easy for me, maybe because I inherited the gift or something, but Gabe had a lot harder time. I didn't really see how dangerous it was until he came to me and told me what he had done. But now it's over and done with, and I just want to make sure his future as an Auror isn't ruined."

McGonagall sighed. "If I help with this, I need you to make me a promise. You need to tell me about any project you attempt to start from here on out. Do we have a deal?"

"Every project?" Fred and George would never go for that. Mia wouldn't be able to help with future pranks.

"Oh, I don't want to hear about the nonsense I will have to put a stop to. It would have been a shame if we had never had the Lockhart rainbow show." McGonagall and Mia chuckled for a few moments at the memory. But then she grew serious again. "But I want you to tell me about the projects that could be dangerous or could affect people other than yourself. You know what I mean, and I expect you not to break my trust in the matter."

Mia sighed. "Ok, I promise. But that means there's something else I need to tell you about."

Professor McGonagall looked on with concern, then surprised as Mia told her about her secret potions project. She told her it wasn't yet successful, and that at this rate it may never be successful, but it was only right to tell the professor now.

"That is a serious undertaking to be sure." The professor looked thoughtful for a moment. "I won't put a stop to your efforts, but I will put one constraint. Before you attempt to brew the potion again, I insist you have Professor Snape read over your plans."

"But professor, he hates me!"

"Now that isn't entirely true. No, no, listen. He isn't a fan of your father, or how things ended last year, but for Professor Snape... He would never turn down a chance at a discovery like you are proposing." Mia was doubtful. "Show him your plan and if he gives you a response you believe is unfair, we will talk about it. Deal?"

Mia nodded. "I don't even know how long it will take before I have another workable plan with everything else having failed so far, but I will take it to him before I brew again, if I'm still a student by then."

McGonagall smiled. "I have full faith in you, child."

Gabe wasn't in the library when Mia was done with tea. It was getting close to curfew, so she returned to her room and curled up on her bed with her message book.

Do you trust me?

She wrote the question, then got ready for bed as she waited for Gabe's reply. When it came Mia read it and laughed.

Is there another Society you want me to join? The answer is yes, but only as long as they have cool buttons with ridiculous slogans.

She wrote back; Ok maybe, but that's not what this is about. This is something important, that you may or may not hate me for.

Gabe's reply took only a moment. I trust you Mia. I'd trust you with my life. I don't think there's anything you could ever do to get me to hate you.

Mia smiled and hoped it was true.

Ok then, here it goes… McGonagall is going to help us register as Animagi.

YOU TOLD HER?! MIA! WE COULD BE ARRESTED!

Mia started writing lower on the page before he finished until his panicked scribbles came to a stop.

Gabe calm down, here me out. We could be arrested as long as we are unregistered. If McGonagall helps us register legally, there won't be any more risk. Gabe, what Tonks said about your chances as an Auror was true. I don't want to put your future at risk, and this is the only way to fix it. Being registered in your fourth year as an Animagi will only help your application. Who wouldn't want an Auror who could turn to a wolf and chase down a death eater?

The page stayed blank for a moment, and Mia started to worry.

Gabe?

He took a few more minutes to start writing again.

McGonagall really isn't mad at us?

Haha, no she's mad. She made me promise to tell her all of my future plans from now on, but she's going to help us. She may lecture us a little, but she will help.

Gabe hesitated again before he continued.

Ok, your right. This is the best plan. I'm sorry I freaked.

The next evening McGonagall did lecture them, but she also helped them. She had Gabe write a letter to his parents explaining everything they had done, and that, with their permission, McGonagall was helping them register with the ministry. They filled out the applications, and McGonagall said she would hold them until Gabe's parents had approved. Mia didn't need to ask Sirius, as he already knew what she was.

Gabe's dad wrote a return letter the next week. He explained he was writing because Gabe's mum was too angry, and it was all she could do to not send a howler and out Gabe to the entire school.

His parents were very angry and told him they would have words when he came home for the Christmas break.

McGonagall also assigned them both very long essays they were to complete about the risks and dangers of the animagus process due by the end of the month. It was a lighter punishment than Mia expected.


AN: WHAT? YA characters actually telling adults things and being honest with parents? Whats up with that?

Working on my edits for my novel from my editor right now. So much fun having a professional point out my flaws haha. But really, having someone make the final calls on commas and capitalization is so wonderful. So close to finally publishing this thing!