"Not funny, Ron!"

Seventeen-year old Hermione Granger made a grab for her History of Magic report, but Ron Weasley held it out of her reach, grinning like mad.

"Isn't this fun?" he crowed, teasing her with the paper.

"Loads," she replied grumpily as she made another desperate grab for it.

"Thanks," Harry said as he came up behind Ron and grabbed the piece of parchment out of Ron's hands. Handing it to Hermione, who smiled gratefully at him, he took a seat across the library table from his two bickering friends. For as long as he could remember, these two had been fighting. Harry was convinced that they should be a couple, but they disagreed, and it had been apparent from seven years of fighting that remaining just friends might have been a good idea. Harry was afraid that if they pursued a relationship with each other, one of them would wind up dead.

"You two should really get studying," Hermione said, going back to work on her report. "Exams are coming up soon."

"Soon?" exclaimed Ron, his eyes widening. "Yeah, right, Hermione, get a calendar! Exams are still three months away! It's only the beginning of April!"

"Yeah, but this is our final year," Hermione answered, not looking up from her report. "You could seriously screw up your grades this year, Ron."

Ron looked to Harry for help, but Harry just nodded. "She's right, you know."

"When isn't she right?" Ron grumbled, sliding down in his seat. He continued to mumble for the next half an hour while Harry and Hermione worked on some homework. Packing up for supper, they left the library together, Ron still sulking at being scolded by Hermione, yet again.

The Great Hall was packed as always, but there was an unusual lull in the normal activities. Hermione noticed it the second she entered the room and she shared glances with her friends before they took their seats at the Gryffindor table. Looking around, Hermione tried to spot the reason for the silence and it was then that she noticed Professor McGonagall missing from the Head Table. McGonagall had been in class earlier that morning, but she had announced that all her afternoon classes were to be cancelled, due to a trip she had to take.

"I won't be more than a few hours," she told her class as they concentrated on their work. "I should be back by suppertime this evening." But as Hermione looked up at the table, McGonagall's seat was empty.

"Where's Professor McGonagall?" Ron asked, leaning over the table to whisper to Hermione. She looked at him in annoyance.

"Don't you remember her telling us she had to take a trip in class this morning?" she hissed. "She probably just hasn't gotten back yet." But even as she spoke, she could detect a definite note of despair in her voice. Something wasn't right.

Moments later, Professor Dumbledore stood up at the Head Table and raised his hands for silence, which wasn't overly necessary considering no one was talking in the first place.

"As you may have noticed," he began, "Professor McGonagall's seat is empty tonight." He looked over his glasses directly at the Gryffindor table. "I'm sure many of you heard that she had to take a trip this afternoon. And I'll bet you're wondering why she's not back."

"Well, duh," said Harry quietly and Ron laughed. Hermione shushed them both and turned her attention back to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore's face began to twist as he spoke the next words. "It is my regret to inform you that Professor McGonagall was attacked during her trip today." He paused for the students to gasp in shock. When they had calmed down again, Dumbledore began answering the questions on every student's mind. "She is fine," he assured them, "just fine. She is a little disoriented at what happened, but has been taken to St. Mungo's and will be properly treated there."

"What happened?" called someone from the Ravenclaw table and Dumbledore nodded his head in that direction.

"We are unsure exactly of what has happened to her," he said carefully, "but the Ministry is suspecting the attack came at the hands of Lord Voldemort."

As usual, the loud gasps filled the Hall and Hermione caught Harry rolling his eyes at the reaction. Voldemort had been back for almost two years now; as far as Harry was concerned, the matter of his name was getting ridiculous.

"I don't want anyone to worry," Dumbledore continued, "and we will carry on our daily lives as they pass. Professor McGonagall will be returned to the castle tomorrow morning and her classes will commence the following Monday. You may begin." Dumbledore sat down and a stunned Great Hall full of students began to eat slowly.

"Classes will commence Monday?" Ron looked utterly perplexed. "Does that mean they're cancelled until then?"

"I guess so," Harry said, digging into the food on the table before him. "Sad thing, about McGonagall, isn't it?" He paused and looked at Hermione.

"Yeah. I wonder what happened." Hermione's own vague response was sparked by Harry's lack of sensitivity. She had found that ever since that fateful fifth year, Harry had changed. His life had changed drastically and ever since then, he hadn't been the same. His emotional tolerance wavered at times, ranging from powerful tears to silent treatments. She was worried, but he had survived so far.

They continued their dinner, not feeling very hungry and returned to the common room soon after where they found Professor Binns waiting. Professor Binns was the only ghost teacher and the professor of History of Magic. He looked up slowly from the book that he was reading, acknowledging their entrance.

"Are you our Head of House until Professor McGonagall gets back?" Ron blurted out and Harry shoved him. "What?"

Professor Binns nodded slowly. "Until Monday," he said, turning back to his book.

Hermione knew very well that they couldn't talk about what was happening in here with Professor Binns sitting just a few feet away. It was on the tip of her tongue to propose going outside to chat, but she mentally denied the idea, choosing to go upstairs to bed.

"But it's not even eight!" Ron cried, watching her departing back.

"I'm tired," she replied, climbing the stairs. "Goodnight."