This story is officially too strange to have a rating. If there were
an Unrated option,that's the way I'd go. This chapter contains a brutal fight and three swear words. It's just going to get weirder...

6.

Harry had not stopped thinking about 'The Moon's Carnival.' The
story really had been for him. While enchanted by the beauty of
Charlee Jacob's prose,it was the story that affected him. He
could identify with the main character,a little girl whose
emerging witchly abilities caused her parents to lock her away for her entire life. But she was a witch and they couldn't take that
away from her. It was very uplifting. Plus,he had never ever heard
Professor Dumbledore swear,and when the line of dialogue 'What
self-righteous bullshit!' appeared near the end,he said it with
all the conviction of someone who had seen various prejudices
leveled at the people he loved.
"...Harry?"
"I think he's-" Snape leaned over towards Harry. "Are you with us,
Mr. Potter?"
"Huh? Oh. I must've zoned out."
"You looked deep in thought," Dumbledore said.
"Were you reading another story?"
"In a minute,Harry. Professor Snape had an idea. You were next."
"Is there anything you'd like to say,Mr. Potter?" Snape asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Sincerity is what brings us together tonight. Is there anything you
would like to say? If there is,it must be of the utmost sincerity."
Harry thought for a moment.
"I'd rather do it privately,Professor."
"Why is that,Mr. Potter?"
"They're very personal things...I mean,I wouldn't want to tell anyone
else. Even though everyone around this fire-" don't cry "-is special to me-" keep your voice steady "-and lets me be me,like a member of a family-" no not in front of Dumbledore "-I wish could really-" he stopped talking. "Dammit," he said. "Excuse me." He got up,walked out of the pumpkin patch-hearing exclamations like "Harry!" "come back,Harry!" "Mr. Potter!"-and walked away.
"Go after him,Severus." Professor McGonagall said.
She gave him such a LOOK.
"Me?"
"You know tonight is difficult for him," Dumbledore said. "He didn't
have to say what he said. Now get him back here,Severus. As sincerely as you possibly can."
"I'll be back," Snape said,and left the circle.
"He was utterly sincere," Madame Hooch said.
"Sincerity can be painful," said Dumbledore.
"You know,he thought I hated him," said Professor Sprout.
"Why?" Hagrid asked.
"He blamed himself for...Cedric. One night,he served detention in
Greenhouse One and I asked him to catalogue some seeds. I came back to check on him and found him crying his eyes out. He asked me 'Do you hate me?' and I asked him 'Why would I hate you,dear?' and that
made him cry harder and say 'I wish I'd died instead of Cedric,"
and I just told him what happened to Cedric wasn't his fault and I
could never hate him and held him until he calmed down."
"If there's anyone here who has the right to vent,it's Mr. Potter," Moody said. "I don't want to be around if he ever does let rip."
"I know he doesn't like me much," Colin said,"But-"
"It's your idea of him he doesn't like,Colin," Dennis said.
Everybody stared at Dennis.
"You follow him around like a starstruck puppy. I know you hold him
in awe,but you really should recognize that he just wants to be one of us. He is not his scar. He's famous,but that shouldn't matter,
because he's our friend...bro."
No one spoke for a moment. Colin stared openmouthed at his brother.
"Wow," Moody said.
"Very succinct,Dennis," Dumbledore said.
"Want sincerity?" Madame Hooch asked. "Here's something sincere. I
don't care how famous Harry is. I never have. He's the most polite,the kindest,the most selfless and interesting boy I know. Not
to mention an amazing Quidditch player. You should have seen him earlier tonight. He was probably in silent anguish and he charmed my socks off. He took Minerva and myself out for a moonlight stroll before we found this fire. If he considers me family,I'm honored."
"As am I," Sprout said. "Hagrid?"
"Yeh know I love him," Hagrid said. He nodded at Dumbledore and
McGonagall. "So do the two of yeh,I know it." They smiled at each
other because it was absolutely true.
"What about you,Alastor?"
"I see much of meself in him."
Another moment of silence,broken by Professor McGonagall.
"What about Severus?"
"It took me awhile to trust him," Moody said. "But then,it takes
me awhile to trust everybody."
"He's one of us," Madame Hooch said.
"I feel more secure with him on staff," Sprout said.
"Mmmm." McGonagall said. "I tend to agree. We've had our disagreements,but I've found Severus to be quite competent. He's
been torn apart emotionally,maybe physically,too,and he's not sure how to express his feelings. He does like Hagrid."
Hagrid looked thoughtful. "'Yeh know,he's a complex man,Professor Snape. He's got things built up inside,waitin' to explode."
"Severus is indeed a man of many faces," Dumbledore said. "He can
be rather trying at times,but he has always been a faithful friend and an interesting companion. I gave him the chance,and he accepted."
"The Great Pumpkin's gotta come now," Dennis said.
Everyone laughed.
"Don't stop," Moody said,inbetween laughing. "What about me?"
Madame Hooch opened her mouth,but Harry and Snape were back.
Harry was smiling. Professor Snape was,too,surprisingly. At least
his own variation on a smile.
"All right,Harry?" Hagrid asked.
"Yeah," Harry said. "I meant what I said."
Hagrid smiled. The fire reflected the black depths of his eyes.
"I'm glad the two of you are back," Dumbledore said. "I think I'll
read another story. This one's by Thomas Ligotti."
"I've read him," Alastor said. "He wrote a very short story called
'New Faces In The City,' didn't he,Albus?"
"He certainly did."
"'One must speak of the impostor city,'" intoned Professor Moody.
"Well,this is also a Ligotti tale. It's a Halloween story called 'Conversations In A Dead Language.' He opened the book-the spine
read NOCTUARY-and found the page. He took a breath,and then-
"Ah. The fire. I knew I saw fire,"
Ten heads turned.
Sibyl Trelawney stood in the fire-glow. They couldn't see her eyes
through the glasses she wore.
"Why,hello,Sibyl." Dumbledore said.
"Don't encourage her,Albus." McGonagall muttered.
"Fire bloomed in my Inner Eye," she said. You could get pneumonia
just listening to her speak. "I wandered the halls for hours and then I knew it burned out here. I count ten around this fire. One more
makes eleven-a number that brings luck to all."
"You mean I might not die tonight,Professor?" Harry asked
Professor McGonagall covered her mouth,trying to hide her laughter.
"I'm afraid you're already doomed,Mr. Potter. She put a hand to her
forehead. "Doomed,doomed,doomed..."
"Well,there goes the Great Pumpkin," Colin said.
"What did you say,Mr. Creevey?"
"You should know," Minerva said. "You should have known he would say
it before he did,isn't that right,Sibyl?"
"Now,Minerva-"
"Sibyl,do shut up," Minerva said.
Trelawney's mouth fell open.
"There's a standard of sincerity we're maintaining quite well."
"You're calling me insincere? Well,I never. I knew your petty jealousy would upset me."
She turned to leave.
"Well. As long as we're ALL being COMPLETELY sincere,Sibyl..."
Sibyl stopped in her tracks.
Professor McGonagall sat right where she was,in Dumbledore's warm
aura. "If you wanted to join us,you would have to keep your Inner Eye shut." Then she added "Not to mention your mouth."
"Let me apologize in advance,especially to all the men here," Trelawney said."My inner eye reveals a catfight starting in the
very near future."
"Just my kind of fight," Professor McGonagall said.
Then she curled her lips and growled at Professor Trelawney.
"My inner eye says-"
"Your inner browneye,you fraud. You should be working for one of
those Muggle telephone services pretending to tell fortunes."
Professor Trelawney darkened. "You know what your problem is,Minerva? Your problem is that you're too uptight. You desperately need to get rogered, but who would want you? Men aren't after the type of pussy you're still able to offer-"
Professor McGonagall took a step towards Professor Trelawney. Then,
lightning-quick,she became a cat and sprang at the other woman's face. Trelawney tried to get ahold of her,but those of you reading this who own cats know how hard it is to hold a cat who doesn't want to be held. It's nearly impossible when they're angry. She managed
for a moment,but the cat struck her across the face with a front paw.
Trelawney took her hands away,allowing the cat to sink its teeth deep
into Trelawney's shoulder. Sibyl Trelawney danced this way and that,
shrieking incoherent nonsense,and then there was a knife in her hand.
Dumbledore sprang to his feet. "No,Sibyl-"
Professor Trelawney poked the cat's paw with the knife; it was
all she could do. The cat yowled,spurting blood, and fell at Trelawney's feet,and all at once it shifted back into Minerva McGonagall. Not all of her had transfigured,however; she looked up at Trelawney with a distinctly feline hiss. She pounced,taking Sibyl's legs out from under her. Trelawney landed hard on her tailbone,and dropped the knife. Minerva kicked it away from her,and then hauled Sibyl to her feet. Trelawney spat in her face. "Bitch."
Minerva hauled her fist back and brought it into Trelawney's
face. Something cracked under her fingers,and Trelawney crashed
to the ground again. She crawled a few feet,and then ran back
towards the castle.
Professor McGonagall cradled her hand. "She stabbed me," she said in
wonderment.
She looked from her hand to the group. "I-"
Albus was by her side before she could blink. She rested her head
on his shoulder as he escorted her towards Hagrid's hut. "Hagrid,
now's the perfect time to test your and Sprout's experiment."
"Right,sir." He stood up and helped Professor Sprout to her feet.
They disappered into the hut.
"Everyone stay calm. Harry,your help would be most appreciated."
Harry sprang to his feet and ran into Hagrid's.
"Experiment?" What experiment?" McGonagall asked.
"You'll see." Dumbledore escorted her into the hut.
This left the Creeveys,Madame Hooch,and Professor Moody.
"I hope you learned something from that,boys." Madame Hooch said.
"Don't mess with Professor McGonagall?" Colin offered.
"Nothin' I didn't already know," said Moody.
"Close enough," Madame Hooch said.