A/N: Yep, another update already.  Nobody wanted to party with me *laughs*, so I wrote another chapter just hours after posting 12 and 13.  Go me.  ^_^

~~ Chapter Fourteen: A Secret No More ~~

            As students and staff gathered in the Great Hall for dinner the next day, Hermione Granger's eyes scanned the Gryffindor table for Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, or Oliver Wood.  She spotted Oliver at almost the same time he spotted her, and he waved her over.  The handsome seventh-year smiled warmly at her as she sat down next to him.  "Hi," he said.  "How was your day?"

            "Pretty normal," she said, smiling back at him.  "Yours?"

            "Interesting," he replied.  "Penelope accidentally turned Percy into a Bludger in Transfiguration today, and Professor McGonagall had to change him back.  We've been calling him Bludger-Boy ever since, and Fred and George try to hit him every time they see him."

            Hermione laughed.  "Poor Percy!  How did he get turned into a Bludger?"

            Oliver shrugged.  "I don't know, but it was funny.  Even McGonagall was smiling."

            "Really?" said Hermione.  "I would think something like that would make her mad."

            "Oh, that's nothing.  She said that when Professor Lupin was a student, he once turned James Potter into a quail, and they couldn't change him back for days."

            The two Gryffindors laughed, and Oliver spoke again.  "Anyway, I don't think anything could have dampened McGonagall's mood today.  I've never seen her so happy."

            "I noticed that, too," Hermione said.  "We only got half the normal amount of homework today.  I wonder what's going on?"

            "It's anyone's guess," Oliver said with a shake of his head.

            "Hi, you two," said Harry Potter, sitting down across from them.  "Hey, Hermione, did Oliver tell you what happened in the seventh-year Transfiguration class?"

            Hermione grinned.  "Yes.  Where's Percy?"

            "Hiding from Fred and George, I think," Harry replied, and he laughed.  "They're calling him 'Bludger-Boy' and wacking him on the head."

            "Oh, it's the head now, is it?" Oliver asked.  "Earlier it was just the back."  He glanced around the room.  "Where's Ron?"

            "There he is," said Hermione, pointing to the entrance to the Great Hall.  "And is that… Malfoy?"

            Indeed it was.  Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy entered the large room together and appeared to be deep in discussion.  On top of that, there was no indication of hostility – it was just a typical casual conversation.  After a moment, the boys went to their separate tables, and waved to each other as they did so.  Ron spotted his friends and sat down next to Harry.  He soon noticed that the other three were staring at him, and when he did, blurted out, "What?"

            "You were talking to Draco," Harry observed.

            "Yes, I was," Ron confirmed.  "Is that a crime?"

            "I always thought it was, in your family anyway," Hermione said.  "Why the sudden change of heart?"

            "We were just trying to come up with reasons why McGonagall's acting so weird," Ron said, "and frankly, we're scared.  She's scary enough when she's normal, but when she's happy…"  His eyes grew wide as a new thought entered his head.  "You don't think Dumbledore used a love potion on her, do you?"

            "Not so loud!" Harry said.  "This is still a big secret, remember?  And I don't think there were any love potions involved.  Besides, they're not allowed at Hogwarts."

            "Neither is reading books in the Restricted section, but we do that, anyway," Ron said.  Then he covered his mouth as he realized that probably wasn't the best thing to say.

            Oliver arched an eyebrow.  "You never cease to amaze me, Weasley."

            "You're so unromantic, Ron," Hermione commented.  "I think Dumbledore and McGonagall make a lovely couple."

            "Then you can put on the invisibility cloak and follow them around," Ron replied.

            Harry smiled.  "Sorry, Ron, she's right.  You're just unromantic."

            Suddenly, Percy Weasley sat down next to Harry and attempted to hide behind him.  "Hide me," he said.

            "Why?" Harry asked.

            Hermione looked up, and saw Fred and George Weasley enter the Great Hall.  "That's why," she concluded.

            Percy nodded and covered his eyes.

            "Where are you, Bludger-Boy?" called Fred.

            "Yoo hoo!" said George.  "Perfect Percy!  Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

            Oliver laughed.  "Getting picked on by your little brothers, Percy?"

            Percy glared at Oliver.  "Shut up, Wood."

            Percy was saved from being pummeled by Fred and George by the distinct ring of Minerva McGonagall tapping on her glass to get everyone's attention.  The Great Hall fell silent, and Albus Dumbledore rose to his feet.  "We have several announcements," he said.  "First of all, I would like to welcome back Draco Malfoy and Professor Terringer, who were released from the hospital wing yesterday and this morning, respectively, after suffering severe injuries that nearly cost them their lives."

            A round of applause went through the Great Hall.  When it died down, Dumbledore continued.  "Second, the Musical Enchantment study group will be meeting after dinner tonight.  Thirdly, as you all probably know by now, the Minister of Magic was killed three days ago.  Tomorrow I will be traveling to London to help the Ministry sort out this mess and aid in the appointment of a new Minister.  I shouldn't be gone more than a few days.  During my absence, Professor McGonagall will act as head.  Fourth, we have reason to believe a very dangerous creature, possibly a werewolf, is lurking around the edges of the Dark Forest.  No student is to leave the castle for any reason unless escorted by a faculty member."

            The students looked at each other, and a murmur ran through their numbers.  They quickly quieted down, though, and let Dumbledore finish.  "Finally, it is my honor to announce to you all…"  He gave his hand to Professor McGonagall, and she rose and stood beside him.  "… that Professor McGonagall and I are to be married."

            With those words, the entire school was struck speechless.  Harry was the first one to break the silence by starting to clap.  Hermione began clapping, too, and Oliver and Ron weren't far behind.  Over at the Slytherin table, Draco was applauding as well.  Within seconds, the entire school was cheering, and their ovation was so deafening that threatened to make the roof crumble.  Dumbledore and McGonagall hugged each other, and the cheers grew even louder.  Then, one of the teachers stood – Severus Snape.  Alina Terringer was the next faculty member to stand.  The rest of Hogwarts followed Snape's example as well, and the lovebirds were given a standing ovation.

            Oliver and Hermione looked at each other, and impulsively, they hugged.  They didn't even realize what they were doing until Ron started to chuckle.  The two of them blushed and quickly put some distance between themselves.  Ron had something else to chuckle about, though, when Penelope Clearwater threw her arms around Percy and kissed him.  Percy didn't seem to mind.  Apparently, he had forgiven her for turning him into a Bludger.

            "Come on, Ron," Harry said, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder.  "Share the love."

            Suddenly, Ron remembered something.  "Hey, Harry, you remember how when we made that bet, I specifically said secretly in love?  Now that they've gone public, couldn't the bet be declared null and void?"

            Harry laughed.  "Sorry, Ron, I'm still going to make you become friends with Draco."

            Albus Dumbledore was escorting Minerva McGonagall to her office after dinner when he spotted Lucius Malfoy walking toward them.  "Mr. Malfoy!" he called, and Lucius stopped walking.  "May I have a minute of your time?"

            "Of course," Lucius replied in a voice that was neither welcoming nor unkind.  "Congratulations, by the way."  That comment had a noticeably friendlier tone.  "I wish you both well."

            The couple smiled, and Minerva spoke for both of them.  "Thank you."

            "Did you need me for something?" Lucius asked.

            "Only some information," Dumbledore said, remembering why he stopped Malfoy in the first place.  "If you don't want to discuss it, I understand, and I won't make you."  He paused, and Lucius nodded in acknowledgement.  Dumbledore continued.  "When you returned to Malfoy Manor and found everyone dead, you said all the bodies had a distinct pattern of four parallel slash marks.  Can you describe these marks in detail?"

            Lucius closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke.  "The four parallel slash marks… yes, there were four.  They were very deep.  A few of the smaller house-elves were sliced completely in half."

            "How far apart were the marks?" Dumbledore asked.

            Lucius paused to think before answering.  "Two inches.  I'm sure of it."

            Dumbledore nodded.  "Thank you.  Thank you very much."

            Lucius bade them farewell and continued on his way.  As soon as he was out of earshot, Minerva looked her fiancé in the eyes.  "Albus," she said, "there has to be a connection.  There just has to be!"

            "If there is," he replied, "I'll find out."

            "Be careful."

            He smiled and kissed her.  "I will."

            "I'm so glad you could come on such short notice, Professor Dumbledore," Eko Chang said when Albus Dumbledore walked into the Ministry of Magic's main administration building early the next afternoon.  "People are questioning the Ministry's ability to function under these circumstances.  Hopefully your presence will calm things down."

            "Thank you, my friend," Dumbledore replied.  "I will do my best to aid in the attempt to restore order."

            A former Ravenclaw, Eko Chang was an outgoing, determined man in his mid-forties.  He had the dark, almond-shaped eyes distinct to his Asian heritage, and the beginnings of grey in his hair around his ears was the only thing that betrayed his age.  He was a widower; his wife, Saki, had been a great beauty, and their daughter Cho resembled her mother perfectly.  Saki's death six years earlier had been hard on the family, but both Eko and Cho were strong and found it in them to move on.  Chang was a key figure within the Ministry's administrative staff, and it made sense for him to act as interim Minister and possibly take on the position himself.

            "Is everything all right at Hogwarts?" Chang asked as the two of them walked toward the Minister's office.

            Dumbledore nodded.  "Yes.  Professor McGonagall has taken over in my absence."

            "Ah, yes, Minerva McGonagall," Chang said with a nod.  "You two recently became engaged, did you not?"

            "Oh, so you already found out?"

            "Yes.  I received an owl from Cho this morning."

            Dumbledore didn't know why he forgot that his daughter was a student at Hogwarts.  "Well, that makes sense.  Thank you."

            The two then went into a discussion about affairs of state, and Fudge's name was brought up.  "That reminds me," Dumbledore said when the late Minister was mentioned, "was a cause of death ever determined?"

            "Mauling," Chang answered.

            "Yes, but by what?"

            Chang shook his head.  "I don't know."

            "Did you see the body?"

            "I did," Chang confirmed with a nod.  "It was so ripped up that I almost didn't know it was him.  Everyone thinks it's a werewolf that did it.  I'm no expert, but to me, the marks looked too big to be a werewolf."

            A knot of dread rose in Dumbledore's stomach.  "Describe the marks to me."

            "Upon close examination, I noticed a distinct pattern.  The pattern is four parallel slash marks, very deep, and about two inches apart."

A/N: Some of you are probably wondering why big, macho, seventh-year Oliver Wood is hanging out with our third-year motley crew.  He's doing this because he and Harry are Quidditch buddies, he and Draco are music buddies, he and Ron are just buddies, and he does have sort of a crush on Hermione.  ^_^  But anyway…  Well, Dumbledore and McGonagall have gone public with their romance and the strange-creature mystery is one step closer to being solved.  *points to readers*  Have YOU figured out what it is yet?

In other news, I've noticed that Lucius Malfoy has all but been bumped back to minor-character status… that is bad, especially considering this story is supposed to be mostly about him…  Bear with me, though… I'm getting there, I promise!