Chapter 3: Dealing with Hufflepuff

Susan Bones followed Dumbledore down the hall to the stairs that led to his office. The headmaster noticed a small cat

on the steps but ignored it.

"Canary...Cream," Dumbledore muttered, this clearly being the password to his office.

"ALBUS!" a voice screamed.

Professor McGonagall was now standing where the cat had been.

"Ah! Minerva! I thought you were the stray cat that has been sneaking into my office, and eating all of my Chocolate

Frogs," Dumbledore explained.

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, Albus! Do you think me capable of such a thing?" said

McGonagall shaking so hard that a few Chocolate Frog boxes flew out her robes, and tumbled down the steps.

Dumbledore reached down and picked up one, "Ah, I see, Minerva!"

The Deputy Headmistress stood there speechless.

"Chocolate Frog, Miss Bones?" Dumbledore inquired, turning toward Susan.

"It must been Peeves! I passed him in the hallway and had a bit of trouble with him. He must have slipped them in my

robes!" McGonagall told him, obviously making this up.

"I see..." Dumbledore said unconvinced, "Very well, then. Off we go."

"Albus, I would first...er...first like to take 50 points from Peeves himself!" Minerva screamed.

"Certainly. And as Peeves' house is unknown, it would only be fair to deduct the points from...*Hufflepuff* house,"

Dumbledore replied, giving Susan Bones "The Look."

"Indeed!" McGonagall agreed.

The Headmaster, Susan Bones, and Professor McGonagall now made their way up the stone steps leading to Dumbledore's office.

All three stepped inside, and saw Professor Sprout waiting.

"Ah! Already here, Pomona?!" Dumbledore exclaimed, "Would you all take a seat please?"

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, and McGonagall made three more chairs appear with a wave of her wand.

"I trust you know why you are here...Miss Bones?" Dumbledore asked, as the other three sat.

"Yes, sir," Susan replied in a whisper.

"If my data is correct, you have been attending Gryffindor classes for...five...years...now," Dumbledore stated, with a

small smile.

"FIVE YEARS?!" McGonagall yelled, "Why didn't you do something sooner?"

"I expected for Miss Bones to come to me and confess, but she...*never*...did," Dumbledore explained.

"I'm very sorry, sir," Susan said, timidly.

"Yes! I would imagine so, but you do realize in the last five years you have broken at least 214 school rules?

Thisissuffientenoughevidencetohaveyouexpelled! But since your true professor is Professor Sprout... and since Professor

McGonagall did not notice this after five years...even though she watched you be sorted into *Hufflepuff*..."

Dumbledore issued Minerva "The Look."

"But since they were your professors...they will be the ones to decide your...fate," the Headmaster announced.

"Yes! I should think so, Albus! And since Professor Sprout was hardly around as much as I...sorry, Pomona," McGonagall

quickly apologized, now seeing the look on Sprout's face, "Anyway, since Miss Bones was around me more...I believe

the decision is mine!"

Dumbledore looked at Professor McGonagall and smiled, slightly. The Head of Hufflepuff took the smile badly.

"Do I have *no* say in this?!" Professor Sprout protested, suddenly, "I should at least think that--"

She was swiftly interrupted by the loud shouts of Professor McGonagall. "No, you most certainly do not! Tis *I*

who was deceived! And I believe that *I* am the highest ranking official here, and --"

"Actually...I am!" Dumbledore corrected her, cheerily, "First, we must--"

"She shall be nothing less than expelled!" The Deputy Headmistress screamed over Professor Dumbledore, apparently

having made up her own mind without the others.

"I think not, Minerva!" Professor Sprout yelled, getting up from her chair, "No more than three months

detention. What say you, Albus?!"

He answered, "As I was saying earlier, we must first...calm...down."

"Professor Dumbledore says nothing! Do not try to bring him to your side!"

"I have done nothing of the sort! You have gone mad, Minerva McGonagall!"

Professor McGonagall eyes widened at her comment, and then she shrieked, "Why you ungrateful b--"

"SILENCE!" roared The Headmaster over the screams. Everyone was hushed. Dumbledore gave all three of them "The Look."

"I am sorry," Professor Sprout began, "I lost my temper."

"I should say so!" McGonagall shouted.

"Minerva!" Dumbledore said, now rising out of his seat.

"Sorry, Albus," she apologized.

"Indeed..." Professor Dumbledore whispered, "I think we should...*all*...calm down and reach a decision together."

He gave Minerva "The Look," and she clearly got the message.

"Indeed, Albus!" she said, stood out of her chair, and turned toward Susan, "Report to your dormitory, immediately!

And I do mean your actual one, Miss Bones..."

Susan looked at Professor McGonagall, and then Minerva smiled, evilly.

"...The one that takes the rest. Uh!" she slyly added. She had obviously meant Hufflepuff.

"The rest...THE REST?!" Susan heard Professor Sprout begin, and then she turned to see several jets of red and green

light flying through the air inside Dumbledore's office.

***

"That cow! How dare she attack me! But I showed her! I showed her, indeed!" McGonagall screamed, continuing her ranting.

"Errrrr...Professor McGonagall. What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, softly.

"What are *YOU* talking about, Miss Granger?! 20 points will be taken for nosing around in *my* business!"

McGonagall had been making comments throughout the entire class period, and the students didn't have the slightest

clue what she was going on about.

"Class, I have an announcement to make," she said smiling, widely.

All eyes went to Professor McGonagall.

"Your own Professor Sprout attacked me only a few hours ago, but I got the better of her! I'm afraid I *severely* beat her

in our little...wand battle," McGonagall sneered, smiling at her own comment, "She is...er...sadly...in the hospital

wing at the moment."

The whole class had not said a word. They were in complete shock.

"Yes, that's right," she continued, now seeing the look upon their faces, "I put that conniving bitch in her place,

and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Hermione had almost fainted when Professor McGonagall swore.

"Honestly, Professor--" a voice started.

It was Susan Bones...yet again in a *Gryffindor* class. She soon knew what a mistake she had made for saying that out loud.

"SILENCE!" McGonagall shrieked, "I do not need--"

Professor McGonagall stopped. Her eyes widened. She realized that Susan Bones was in the wrong class after recently

getting into a significant amount of trouble, being sent to Dumbledore's office, and causing McGonagall to kick

Professor Sprout's ass.

"YOU!!!" McGonagall yelled, pointing. Her voice had suddenly deepened.

The room went dark. Swirling clouds appeared outside, and a bright bolt of lighting flashed by the window.

The students had never seen Professor McGonagall like this before. It was utterly and completely terrifying. Some screamed.

Others hid under their desks, and a few ran out of the classroom. Neville Longbottom even wet his pants.

Susan finally extracted a few words from her dry throat. "But Professor...I can explain...I..."

"PETRIFICUS TOTALIS!" McGonagall screamed, dragging Susan by the hair to Dumbledore's office.

Her voice thundered across the room. It was a defining roar. All went silent after she exited. It remained dark, and

the storms outside continued to brew.

The class sat in silence for ten minutes until Professor Flitwick strolled into the room.

"Ah," he said," She left quite a mess, didn't she?" Flitwick pointed to the clouds outside. "Not a problem. Evane--"

He was stopped by a bolt of lighting that smashed through the window and struck his wand.

"Ah. She must have put an anti-charm hex on it," Flitwick explained, trying to smile. He was completely fried. Both he

and his clothing were pitch black and smoking from the blast.

"Are you...alright, professor?" Hermione asked, quietly.

He responded in a voice that was much hazier than his normal squeaky voice, "Oh, yes...fine," he coughed, smoke coming

out of his mouth. "Don't worry about me, dear. If I were you, I'd worry about the witch."

The class looked on, listening.

"Did you see her?!" Flitwick exclaimed, regaining his squeakiness. "She looked absolutely horrendous! She stomped into

my class dragging who appeared to be the Hufflepuff, Ms. Bones, by the hair! Then she screamed in an alarmingly deep voice

ordering me to come and watch all of you!"

It was so dark in the classroom that one could barely see the extremely small professor.

"I obviously didn't hesitate," he continued, still crispy. "So I ran here as fast as possible. I didn't want to incur

the wrath of Dark McGonagall!"

"Speaking ill of a fellow professor, are we?" someone said from the darkness.

The students looked towards the voice, and a shadow wafted into the light.

"Honestly, Filius. I would expect more from a Ravenclaw," Professor Snape said icily.

"Severus, I was..." Professor Flitwick began.

"Letting the students out ten minutes late?" Snape queried, then looked at the class, "Well, what are you waiting

for? Get to class, you idiots!" Snape ordered.

The students quickly shuffled out of the room.

"We shall see what the headmaster has to say about this," Snape said evilly, raising his eyebrow towards the Charms

Master.

In the hallway the kids were able to speak finally.

"At least we're going to a normal class next," Hermione said.

Ron looked at his schedule, "Yes! Quidditch is next!" he exclaimed.