An emergency meeting
After 10 minutes, Martin headed back to the common room. He hated this…Dumbledore had been very kind to let him in.
"God, what am I going to do," he muttered. He turned the corner, and walked straight into Snape.
"Oh, it's you," smirked Snape. Martin looked up. He hated Snape…his cold eyes pierced through him. Was it possible…no, he couldn't know?
"Dumbledore wants to see you." Snape said, looking down his hooked nose at the pupil below him. "And I wouldn't expect a kindly welcome boy."
'Oh no' thought Martin. 'What does he want?' Miserably, he said "yes, sir" and walked in the direction of his office. When he got to the gargoyle, he realised he hadn't a clue how to get in. He knocked on the wall behind the statue. Then he tried knocking on the statue. Eventually, McGonnagal came around the corner. "What do you want?" she asked, smiling. (Martin even had an effect on most teachers, but in a different way. He was very bright).
"Professor Dumbledore would like to see me," Martin explained. "But I don't know how to get in…"
"Don't worry," said the professor. "Lizard Lollipop," she said and the gargoyle sprang aside. "Thank you," said Martin as he stepped onto the spiralling staircase.
The stairs seemed to last forever. After what felt like an eternity, he reached the top of the tower and knocked the huge griffin knocker twice.
"Enter," said Dumbledore's mellow voice. "Ah, Martin, I was wondering when you'd appear!"
"You asked to see me sir," he said, looking at his shoes.
"If you won't look at me, I'll have to liven up your view," said Dumbledore, trying to be cheerful. He whispered a few well-chosen words and Martin's shoes turned into live bunny slippers. Martin looked up.
"I wish to talk to you," Dumbledore said, "about the way you behave around the younger students. As you know, you are a prefect. I had hoped that I could give you another chance, and I hoped that you being one would help to…to change you." Dumbledore looked grave. "But another prefect has informed me that you have been, I quote, 'beating up third years.' I do not tolerate this in my school I'm afraid Griggs.
Martin hung his head. "I'm sorry sir," he said.
"Look. I'm afraid you shall have to be punished. You have got a detention. Mr. Potter and Weasley have both managed to land them, so you shall join them at eight o clock in the entrance hall tomorrow night."
"Yes sir," Martin said.
"And I don't suppose I'll be getting an explanation," Dumbledore prodded.
"I dunno sir," Martin mumbled. "It just…happened, sir."
"Don't let it 'happen' again. And Martin?"
"Yes sir?" Martin looked up.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?"
"No, sir." Martin said.
Dumbledore sighed. "You may go then."
***
Harry was annoyed. He had his detention tonight. He had no idea what they were doing, but it was bound to be something bad.
"It's not fair," moaned Ron. "I mean, Malfoy started it."
"Well Snape finished it," said Harry in a high voice, mimicking Aunt Petunia. "He obviously didn't know your incredible fear of spiders was ebbing when he chucked an alive one at you."
Harry actually found the whole situation quite funny.
"It was horrible," shuddered Ron. "All squirmy…I could have killed Malfoy."
"We nearly did," pointed out Harry. "That's why we got a detention."
"'Spose," Ron muttered. "Let's get to Transfiguration before we get another detention."
Transfiguration turned out to be rather boring. In fact, scratch that. Very boring. McGonnagal had them all copying out notes on the principles of transfiguration and similarities of the spells.
"Because, you see," McGonnagal had said, "Corelius Tomos and Coretium Tomalia are similar. The prefixes 'Core' and 'Tom' are Latin. And the two spells both turn one animal into two still objects. Can anyone think of any others?"
Everyone had stared at her blankly, even Hermione, which made a change. Just then, Professor Flitwick had burst in.
"Minerva," he'd squeaked. "Emergency staff meeting. Make your way now."
Everyone stared curiously.
McGonnagal addressed the class. "Gryffindor, compare your homework and make note. Examine your text books to find other similar spells and if I am not back by then, when the bell goes, dismiss yourselves."
And she left the classroom, leaving the pupils in uproar.
"I can't believe it!" Seamus yelled.
"There is a god," added Dean Thomas.
"At least, he certainly answered all my prayers," said Lavender. "That lesson was the pits!"
Hermione was leafing through her textbook. "I can't believe I didn't understand. I wish she hadn't have gone, I really need some help!"
"I understood," Neville said to her. Hermione looked up disbelieving. "Really?" she asked. The whole class looked like they were trying not to laugh.
"Yeah," he said proudly. "All spells come from Latin, like plants and animals. So if there is the same little bit from Latin in one spell as there is in another, then what the spells do
A loud 'oh,' sounded around the classroom. So Neville wasn't as stupid as he seemed! Everyone started writing it down so they wouldn't forget, and then when the well went, Parvati went up to the front and said, in a voice mirroring McGonnagal's, "class dismissed."