A/N: Hello! I hope everyone is doing well despite the madness that is 2020. This took longer than expected, but I have an update for you! Once again this chapter ended up long, so I'm splitting it. When I finish the last half of Chapter 17 I'll give that to you too.

Until then, enjoy!

Silvanus Kettleburn strode through the hallways of the castle quickly. Every now and then he'd look to make sure no one was around just in case someone might guess what his destination was. Although, he doubted very seriously anyone but the Deputy Headmaster or a certain Transfiguration Professor would even think twice about it.

Silvanus knew he was severely pushing his luck; McGonagall had magically thrown him across the hallway without batting an eye the last time she caught him in her private rooms, and he'd be lying if he said it didn't make him even more wary of the woman. In truth, he hadn't exactly meant to trespass in her rooms like that, but as soon as he saw she wasn't there, he took the opportunity to search her things.

In retrospect, not the best idea.

Silvanus would be the first one to admit that he didn't think it through at all, though never to anyone but himself. Still, despite all these things, it didn't deter Silvanus from his mission to get back into McGonagall's rooms now. He needed to get the strange book he'd found there. Silvanus found out the hard way that it's impossible to figure out what it is or the nature of the magic it possesses without having the physical book.

Silvanus knew she probably moved it after he found it so easily, but he wasn't too worried. McGonagall was currently walking around the lake with Dumbledore, and he'd heard them at breakfast talking about a chess game in his rooms afterward, which would give him plenty of time to do what needed to be done.

With one more glance down both ends of the hallway, he stepped up to McGonagall's portrait.

"Nessarose."

Silvanus waited, but nothing happened.

What the hell? "Nessarose," He tried again, louder this time.

Still, the portrait did not respond. The portrait opened immediately last time he spoke the password, why wasn't it working now?

Looking closer, Silvanus finally noticed that the portrait was different from the last one.

Did she have it changed after the last time I got in?

He knew that had to have been the case. In fact, he would bet that it was probably the first thing she did after throwing him out. She probably made sure it was a portrait that wouldn't open to anyone that McGonagall didn't allow access to, regardless of having the password.

And I'm sure she got Dumbledore's help with it, of course. Silvanus thought bitterly.

The man huffed in annoyance. Obviously, he wouldn't be able to do what he'd come for, so there was no point in standing there and waiting for someone to see him outside of McGonagall's rooms.

Silvanus would just have to come up with another plan. Despite what everyone else thought about the witch, he knew she was hiding something, and every day only amplified that feeling. He wasn't sure what her secret was, and perhaps it could be something harmless, but something in Silvanus severely doubted that possibility. Minerva McGonagall was powerful, but she didn't seem like the type to use it for anything good, and that's precisely what made Silvanus try so hard to expose her for what she really was.

Albus and I walk through the hallways toward his rooms in a comfortable silence. He suggested a walk around the lake and a chess game during breakfast this morning, and I was only too happy to agree to it. Everything's been so tense in the castle lately because of these mysterious attacks, and everyone is taking every opportunity they can to ease some stress.

Albus opens the door to his rooms and gestures for me to go in first, so I immediately move to set up the chessboard like always. I take my usual seat at the board just in time to see Albus step back into the room with two cups of tea. I smile at him as I reach out to take my cup, but the fireplace interrupts me before I can say anything to him.

Albus and I both turn toward it to find Headmaster Dippet's face in the flames. If I didn't know any better, I would say the man looks more than a little annoyed.

"Albus."

I see Albus's brows knit together in concern, "Yes, Headmaster?"

"Can you come through for a moment? Hello, Professor McGonagall. I'm sorry for interrupting."

I wave him off with a small smile, "It's quite alright, Sir." I tell him just before Albus steps up to the fireplace and disappears through the floo network.

I sip my tea, for a moment unsure what I should do since I don't know exactly how long Albus will be, but I don't have to wait long. It only takes a few minutes for Albus to reappear in the room.

I smile at him, until I notice that now Albus's expression matches the annoyance we saw on Armando's face.

"Albus? What's wrong?"

"I apologize, Minerva. I'm afraid our chess game is going to have to wait."

Despite my initial disappointment, of course I understand. Albus is the Deputy Headmaster, after all.

"Of course, Albus. I'll leave you to do what you need." I stand from my seat, but Albus steps closer to me, stopping me from moving any closer to the door.

"No, that's not what I mean," He says. "I'll need your help, too."

"My help? Whatever for?" Albus has never asked me for help before.

Albus sighs. "It seems Kettleburn has lost control of his creatures. There's now a number of them roaming the castle and grounds."

My eyes widen. "What?!"

"Yes," Albus nods. "Armando is calling all the staff; we'll need everyone to help search and get them all back where they belong. We need to meet the Headmaster and everyone else by the main doors."

I nod immediately, letting Albus lead the way out of the room.

It takes no time at all for the other professors to make their way to the meeting point. Armando wastes virtually no time telling the group the news about Silvanus's creatures. Silvanus looks down sheepishly throughout the entire explanation, obviously embarrassed. I notice almost instantly the irritation in Armando's face and in his voice as he speaks to us, and it makes me wonder just how many times this has happened in the past.

"I urge you all to use extreme caution. Many of these creatures are dangerous. Please do not allow yourself to be caught unawares. I must also warn you…"

He throws yet another irritated glance Kettleburn's way, "Among the creatures currently missing is a Chimera. I know I don't need to tell any of you how dangerous they are."

I stare at the Headmaster, forcing my mouth not to drop open in shock, because surely, he must be kidding. I read about Chimeras back in Oz, but those were just myths and legends. Nothing I ever read even remotely suggested they were real. I glance around the hall, but no one seems particularly surprised by the news, although they do look wary. Perhaps they do exist here after all? Besides, there are also werewolves here, and we never had those in Oz either.

"I have also enlisted the house-elves to keep their eyes out. If they find anything, they've been instructed to inform a professor immediately."

Somewhat unexpectedly, the Headmaster's eyes find me in the crowd.

"Professor McGonagall, you and Madame Hooch are easily the best on brooms. Can you assist her in looking for any missing creatures from the skies?"

"Of course," I agree immediately. I find Rolanda's eyes several feet away and nod to her.

Rolanda and I waste no time getting our brooms and taking to the skies. I think we're both aware of the possible severity of the situation. I don't know all the beasts Kettleburn has access to but allowing them to have free reign of the grounds for too long certainly can't be a good thing. Luckily, all the students have been confined to their dormitories until this is handled, so that's immensely helpful.

We've been searching the grounds for over an hour now, and I'm happy that at least everything we've found has been fairly harmless and easy to capture. I should've known it wouldn't be this easy, though.

By now I've lost count of how many times Rolanda and I have circled this campus, and eventually she starts looking rather bored. We're nearing the Astronomy Tower when I start to suggest that we check in with the Headmaster, but before the words can form movement to my right catches my eye and I turn toward the tower.

I freeze; my blood turns to ice as I stare at the scene in front of me. Silvanus is standing at the top of the Astronomy Tower by the railing, face to face with an obviously irate Chimera. I can hardly believe what I'm seeing. I've only seen drawings of these creatures in books, but there was no mistaking this.

"Um, Ro, I think I found the Chimera." My voice comes out shakier than I intended.

"What—bloody hell!" I can see Rolanda look at me in confusion before she turns her broom and attention to what I'm looking at, and the question no longer needs to be asked.

I watch Rolanda's face go pale. "Shit,"

We watch in tense silence for a moment, as Silvanus's every attempt to calm the creature only seems to agitate it further. I feel my anxiety spike when it starts stalking him, and I know I can't just sit here anymore.

"I need to go help him."

Rolanda instantly whips her head around to stare at me incredulously, "Min, I know you're a formidable witch, but that's a Chimera, for Merlin's sake!"

I know she has a point; none of us know how to restrain a Chimera except for perhaps Albus, the Headmaster and apparently Kettleburn on a good day. Still, I really don't like the way that creature is looking at him, and even Kettleburn himself looks terrified.

Without warning, the creature takes a leap toward him, claws extended and obviously threatening.

I suck in a breath at the same time I hear Rolanda's breath catch.

Everything seems to slow down in that moment, but the Chimera never touches Kettleburn; in fact, what happens is personally just as terrifying.

Understandably, Kettleburn violently leaps back in a seemingly futile attempt to avoid the attack, but in the process, he grossly miscalculated the distance between his position and the edge of the tower. I realize quite suddenly that it's too much, too fast, and my God why didn't we realize how close he was to the edge?!

But I don't have the time to notice how my stomach has twisted itself into knots because Kettleburn is flailing, realizing his mistake too late as he frantically tries to correct it, but I know gravity will inevitably win the struggle and I can only imagine the look of pure terror on the man's face.

Several things happen very quickly.

My heart is hammering in my chest and before I can attempt to pull my thoughts together, my broom races forward at breakneck speed even before I see him fall completely over the railing of the tower.

"Minerva!"

I barely hear Rolanda's shriek over the pounding in my ears, and I don't have time to register the complete panic in her voice because there's no time. The fall must be over one hundred feet, but I know it will only last a few seconds at the most.

My broom goes into a nosedive almost of its own accord as I frantically try to catch up to the man plummeting toward the ground. The only thing I seem to hear over the pounding in my ears is the sound of Kettleburn's screams.

Even with the adrenaline coursing through my system I'm acutely aware that the ground is coming up far too quickly, and if I don't do this right now there will not be a second chance.

I lean over slightly on my broom toward his flailing figure to close the remaining distance between us. I don't have time to work out the mechanics of how this will work before I extend my arm out to grab him.

I manage to get a fist full of his robes, but the added weight pulls us both down and for one terrifying moment threatens to wrench me completely off my broom.

I can't stop the scream that escapes me at the sudden lurch and the pain that shoots up my arm, but I force myself to ignore it and hold the back of his robes in a vice grip despite the agony currently radiating up my arm.

Somewhere in my brain I realize that this must all have been in the span of maybe a few seconds, but sweet Merlin it feels like hours. I feel both of us falling toward the ground now; Silvanus has never stopped screaming and struggling after being caught and the momentum he built up is taking us both down, but I can't muster the strength to make the broom stay up. All I can do is watch through my pain-induced haze as the ground gets closer and hope to God that somehow, we'll live through it.

I hear someone screaming something, and at first, I think it may be Albus, but it could also be Kettleburn for all I know right now.

Quite suddenly it seems like we slow in our inevitable descent just enough not to severely injure us, but the impact with the ground still knocks the breath from my lungs and I can't move for several moments.

"Minerva!"

"Oh my God!"

I hear both Albus and Rolanda close by, but I still can't make myself move just yet. I focus the little energy I have into trying to force myself to start breathing again, but I feel slight panic when it doesn't immediately work.

I hear footsteps rapidly approaching and it occurs to me that the longer I remain unmoving the more concerned they've become, so I manage to roll over slightly just as they reach me.

Albus instantly kneels beside me, and the look on his face looks so bloody terrified it shocks me even through my haze.

"Albus?" It takes effort, but I manage to croak out his name.

"Dear God, Minerva I think you just took ten years off all of our lives! What were you thinking?"

I know his fear is causing him to have this reaction, because there's no way he could have expected me to just watch someone plummet a hundred feet to their death. Normally I would have been annoyed, but instead suddenly all I want to do is laugh.

"Headmaster, I came as quickly as I could. What's this emergency you asked me to come—sweet Merlin, Minerva!"

I hear Poppy's voice and then faster than I think is possible her face comes into my line of vision.

"What the hell happened?!"

No one gets the chance to try to answer her question because suddenly out of the corner of my eye I see Kettleburn scrambling to his feet; he obviously recovered much quicker from our fall.

Even from my prone position on the ground, I can see the residual panic still in his eyes. Everything out of his mouth is jumbled and for a moment I wonder if it's because of the last of the adrenaline going through my system or if he's actually just not making any sense.

My question is answered only a moment later when Silvanus freezes and falls back to the ground, unmoving.

"He's still panicking. For good reason, but right now Minerva obviously takes precedence. He's not injured." Poppy's tone leaves no room for argument, and I can't help but feel relieved I wasn't imagining it.

She leans down on my other side as her attention shifts to me, "Minerva, what hurts? Are you having trouble breathing?" She asks, no doubt noticing the way I'm still trying to fight for normal airflow.

I nod as someone pushes me into a sitting position.

"Okay, just relax. Go slowly; focus only on breathing in and out… That's it, keep going."

Her eyes never leave mine as she watches me follow her instructions, but she takes the opportunity to address the group.

"Someone tell me what the hell happened out here!"

If I were in my right mind I would be laughing and teasing Poppy about her unusual language choice.

"We're not entirely sure." I hear the Headmaster speak for the first time, and even his voice sounds shaken to me. "We only came out when—"

"S... Silvanus was almost attacked by the Chimera on the tower. He...He fell over the edge and… and M-Minerva caught him before he could hit the ground."

Rolanda is the one to answer the question, but her voice is so subdued it makes my head instantly snap in her direction. She's looking directly at me, but her eyes look very far away, and I could swear the woman is trembling.

"What?!" Poppy's eyes widen and she snaps her head in Rolanda's direction.

"Are you insane?!" She snaps back to me the very next moment so fast I swear she'll give herself whiplash if she keeps it up.

"I didn't have a choice, Poppy." I tell her quietly. "He would've died."

Her expression softens at that. "Oh Minerva…"

Poppy sighs, shaking her head and looking up at Albus beside her. "Albus, can you help her up? We need to take her to the infirmary."

Albus nods, and he moves to grab my arms to help me stand. The moment he puts even the slightest pressure on my right arm to pull me up, searing pain shoots back through my body. I cry out as I collapse back on the ground, suddenly unable to breathe again.

"Minerva?!"

"My… My arm…" I manage to gasp out after a moment. I realize through the haze that this must have been the arm I caught Kettleburn with.

"Sweet Merlin, I was afraid of this. Breathe; just breathe Minerva. We'll get this sorted out."

I shake my head, "It's okay, I'm okay." My voice is weak, but I say it almost automatically without even realizing it.

I manage to get up on my knees and Albus is careful to avoid my injured arm as he helps me to my feet.

Albus looks at me incredulously and opens his mouth, no doubt to reprimand me for trying to make light of my injury, but Poppy beats him to it.

"Minerva McGonagall, I know you're a fiercely independent woman and you hate having to admit you need help, but for the love of God you just snatched a grown man out of thin air and fell thirty feet! The fact that you're not more severely injured than this is astounding. So please, stop fighting me for once and just let us help you!"

I stare at her, suddenly unable to utter a word in response. The adrenaline has completely worn off at this point; making me more aware of how much pain I'm in now. Breathing is easier, but it still sounds ragged to my ears. I can't help but dwell on her words. She's right, of course she is. But could I really have fallen that far?

I look back up toward the tower, thinking about the damage a fall that high at our speed should have done. I vaguely remember feeling like something was slowing us down, but…

"Minerva? Poppy, is she alright?"

I can hear Albus's voice and the fear I heard in it just a few moments ago hasn't gone away in the slightest. I want to look at him and help reassure him that I'm fine, but I can't force my mouth open to do it.

Sweet Oz, what did I just do?

A/N: Thank you for reading! Minerva really loves to get herself into fun situations, doesn't she? I hope to see you all again very soon!

Please review!

Until next time...

~Neve