A/N: So, I MEANT to write some actual potions lessons going on, but then Minerva took over and was like yo how WOULD the students going home for Halloween work? So I basically spent a chapter figuring that out.

Also, yes the Rosier mentioned is Felix from Hogwarts Mystery - I've never played that game, and I don't know anything about the characters, I just honestly googled list of students in the 1982 school year, and he showed up, and as I'd been HOPING for a death eater kid, it worked out. So for anyone who DOES play that game, just consider him an OC borrowing a canon name cause I'm not gonna research a mobile game character's personality for a guilty pleasure fanfic lol.

Turns out Bill Weasley's a first year too, according to the list. So maybe I'll get to play with him a bit. I was originally gonna set some things up then timeskip a bit, but who knows? Certainly not me! This fic is basically slice of life healing from war and trauma fic. So I can do whatever I want and I WILL!

Expect Ms Knightly to make a return as well, she's an OC but I am terribly fond of her. She's not in this chapter tho.

Anyway, I'm not sure how well I've got Minerva's character down. She's one of those people who just really don't get POVs in fanfic much and so I don't have a lot to base my interpretation of her off of, but I figured the staples of no-nonsense and cares about her students (even after they leave the school) is good enough?

Also those meme text posts of her being a little shit and turning into a cat and pushing stuff off tables is something I really enjoy so I dunno aaaaaa-

Anyway, I know it's been ages but hopefully this chapter's still up to par! I re-read the others before I started it, but slice of life is seriously not a genre I've ever written before, so I guess it feels really disjointed to me since it's all about all these different characters and how they live and grow post-war so the POVs and the plot are all over the place depending on who's talking...

I'm thinking a Sirius chapter next, and then some potions lessons after that! I may re-order this fic if I decide to write the very FIRST lesson, or maybe I'll just write A lesson... we'll see!

This chapter takes place on a Saturday - that's fairly clear in context, but figured I'd specify!

Anyway, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!

The paperwork is never-ending, and Minerva has half a mind to just turn into a cat and see how long it takes anyone to notice.

Letting students go home for All Hallows' Eve is quite a bit more work than expected - with the holiday falling on Sunday, it's easy enough to get the train to run on Saturday to drop anyone who wants to go off at the platform, but it's getting them back to school that she's struggling with.

The Hogwarts Express takes nearly an entire day to travel from the London station up to Hogsmead, but if they let the students skip class on Monday they'll have to make all sorts of changes to the schedule and even send a formal writ to the ministry to let them know the holiday's being extended and Minerva knows they're swamped, so that could well cause problems of its own - while a student skipping one day of lessons isn't much of a big deal in the grand scheme of things, the school not teaching for a full day is , and the Board of Education and even perhaps the Board of Governors would certainly have fits with it-

But they can hardly open up a floo to the school, nevermind purchase all the floo powder they'd need to transport so many students - the ministry may have de-classified it as a restricted substance with the end of the war, but it's still terribly expensive and Hogwarts has already lost so much funding from the potions they've been providing all through the war, and the ingredients they purchased to make them.

They can't rely on the parents to apparate the children either, not all the way to Hogsmead . Most wizards can make that sort of distance, but most isn't all and she hardly wants Hogwarts to be stuck dealing with discrimination accusations - nevermind all the foreign or homeschooled parents who may have never been to Hogsmead in the first place-

Well.

It's certainly a mess is what it is.

Ritual magic was declared illegal without extensive licensing by the ICW back in the wake of Grindelwald's war, so getting a permit for linked circles is probably asking a bit too much-

The answer comes to her in a flash.

Vanishing cabinets she scribbles - with how heavily they were used during the war to escape the Death Eater raids, most people are familiar with them. And the few that aren't can be easily introduced to how they work. Hogwarts has a set linked with St. Mungos, for those potions too volatile to carry through the floo but it's hardly needed now and the new Potions professor has already stated he doesn't want it in his office any longer…

She'd have to request a small guard of aurors to make sure no one attempts to slip through in disguise, but it should be a fairly simple way to get all the students back in time for class Monday morning-

Dumbledore will have to approve of course, though with how long they've been worrying over the solution to this Minerva doesn't think he'll hesitate much.

Well. That's one thing done then.

One out of thousands, it feels like. But it's an accomplishment, and Minerva will take what she can get.

She turns back to the parchment, writing out some thoughts for how to move the Vanishing cabinet and how they might defend it, when a knock sounds at the door.

"Come in," she offers half-mindedly, and finishes writing out her sentence.

"Ah, Professor, it seems like we're missing some of the student records, I was hoping you had copies?"

Regulus Black stands near the door of her office, clearly unwilling to approach the desk, and she sighs.

Dumbledore trusts them, and it's not quite that Minerva thinks he's wrong to. She taught both of them as children and sometimes it's still so hard to see them as adults - most of He Who Must Not Be Named's Inner Circle were from her own age group growing up, or a generation younger, still before she started teaching.

The youngest, though.

She shakes her head. "Of course - what are you missing?" she asks, already crossing the room to the students' files.

"As you know, Severus was instated as the new Head of Slytherin House, but we seem to be missing some familial and emergency contact records, and Rosier's been having night terrors."

The Death Eater's son, Minerva thinks, her hands slowing as she pages through the files.

"Considering the… state, of his family, I don't think he has any." she offers after a minute. "Why do you need them?"

Black sighs. "We already requested Dumbledore let us move him to a single's room, but it was rejected - we need a guardian's approval to put silencing wards on his curtains or offer him Dreamless Sleep. He uses a silencing charm, but it fails more nights than it doesn't and he's too young to teach how to create the ward himself. His dorm mates are complaining about it, but there's nothing we can do without Dumbledore's or a guardian's permission, and I'm worried they may start- well. You know."

Minerva would like to pretend she didn't, but, well. Rosier's a Death Eater's son, and what Slytherins weren't from those same circles are likely to be very unforgiving of the fact.

She turns to face Regulus. "We really don't have any contact information for him - his father's been confirmed guilty, even if he hasn't been captured yet, and his older brother's dead, as I'm sure you heard. But thank you for bringing this to my attention - I have a meeting with Dumbledore later this evening, I'll make certain to bring this up with him and we will hopefully have a solution for you before lights out."

Some tenseness unwinds from Regulus' shoulders. "Thank you Professor. There are a couple other Slytherins missing information like this as well, though there's no urgent need for them - is it likely to be a similar situation?"

"Send me a list of their names, and I'll double-check and get back with you- but while you're here, Professor Black, I do believe I've found a use for that Vanishing cabinet Professor Snape was complaining about - if you had some time to discuss it with me? I know he just wanted it moved, but I'm not sure if that's because he isn't using it any longer or if he doesn't want it in his office."

"Of course - I was only on my way to meet Severus for grading papers, but I can stand to be a few minutes later. What were your plans for it?"

Minerva sits at her desk and Regulus follows, pulling out the chair in front of it.

It takes more than just a few minutes as they get into discussing the particulars of Vanishing cabinets and how long it would take and the estimations of how many students will have to use it in a row, but Regulus has a good head for logistics - there are many things she'd like to ask, many more she'd like to say, and all of them will have to wait for another time.

"Perhaps you and Professor Snape would like to come by for tea tomorrow? I feel I've been quite remiss in making certain you were both settled in your new roles, and if there are any other concerns you have we can discuss them then." She offers as Regulus finally begs off to grade papers. He hesitates at the doorway.

"I'll forward your invitation," he offers at last. "Good evening, Professor."

"Of course - I'll let you know the Headmaster's decision later tonight."

He steps out with a quiet thanks, leaving Minerva alone in her office once more.

She's got quite a bit to think about, and there's still a few things she needs to get in order before she speaks to Albus, but Minvera doesn't think she regrets the time.

Dumbledore trusts these two new professors of theirs, and it's about time Minerva trusts him and gives them the welcome she should have offered months ago.

Now then, where did that draft of the Hallowe'en sign up sheet go…?