As Minerva sat down on her usual chair in the Common Room, she felt slightly weird. She felt as if something very important had just changed- as if she had changed. Yet, as far as she knew, she still was the same Minerva McGonagall- the same beautiful, pale face, the same flowing dark hairs, held back in their usual braid, the same spectacled eyes, the usual long, dark green robes. Yet, something really had changed, she realized, and it wasn't about her outside. It was something totally different- something deep, very deep inside her. There was a certainty… her usual stubbornness, but something more. The little talk she'd had with her teacher had changed everything, she realized, and it had changed her as well. She could… As Minerva had sunk back into thoughts, she didn't notice it when a thin girl fell down in the chair next to hers.

"Minerva?"

Minerva startled and looked op, finding herself staring in the rather unique, yellowy eyes of her best friend.

"Rolanda," she then muttered, accusingly. "you startled the hell out of me!"

The other girl grinned, but clearly had to oppress a yawn.

"Oh, did I?"

She yawned again.

"Maybe, I did, but you…" It was now her turn to give the other girl a rather accusing glare.

"You missed Quidditch training, young lady! You'd better have an acceptable excuse, missy!"

Rolanda, who was the Captain of the Gryffindor team, grinned again, but Minerva didn't answer her smile.

"Actually," she then said, in a more soft voice than her usual. "I have one."

She stared at her entwined hands, not knowing whether to explain it or not.

Rolanda looked awkwardly at her strange-behaving friend. Minerva was dead serious, she realized that, but she absolutely hadn't got a clue. Especially not when she read a bit of… nervousness in her friend's eyes. But Minerva- nervous? Minerva McGonagall, the well-known Ice Queen, who always stayed dead calm, even with the most terrible kinds of exams coming up? Well…except when her fiery, Scottish temper attacked again… then… But this wasn't one of the usual fits of anger. Rolanda knew them only too well, and this wasn't one. Min wasn't angry. She was… was she frightened? But a frightened Minerva was almost as unreal as a nervous Minerva.

Suddenly, in an impulsive gesture, Rolanda laid a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"What," she then asked seriously. "is the bloody matter, Minerva?"

Minerva looked into her friend's eyes and then stared back at her hands again.

"Nothing." she then lied. She wasn't good at lying. Never had been as well.

Rolanda chuckled softly.

"Minerva, you are a terribly bad liar and you know it. What is wrong?"

As Minerva sighed deeply and looked into her friend eyes again, she nodded and finally took a decision.

"Okay. I'll tell you, Ro. In fact, I'm going to need your help. Your experience with breaking the school rules will come in… quite handy."

Rolanda laughed, somewhat relieved.

"Oh?" she grinned. "Is it that? Does our beloved Head Girl wants to go out of line a bit? Min, you…"

Minerva blushed and raised her hand. The stern expression in her eyes made her friend shut up immediately. Minerva really had some sort of authority.

"No, Ro," she muttered. "no Ro, this isn't as simple as just that. It is not just plain mischief I am up to. In fact, it's way more serious. I'll have to break dozens of rules and will probably be in *very* serious trouble when the teachers find out."

With this, she shut up and started staring at her own hands again.

Rolanda rolled her eyes, but she sounded serious as she said

"Min, just tell me. I promise that I will let you use all the mischievous experience I possess. But listen… if the risk is really that big…are you sure it is worth taking? I mean…" she added, as Miinerva's eyes glinted dangerously. "you are Head Girl and… Well, you know."

"Rolanda Hooch!" Minerva burst out. "Are you, the Queen of Mischief, really telling me…"

She shook her head.

"I don't believe you!"

"Well…"

But Minerva interrupted her friend again.

"And yes, the risk is worth taking. It really is. In fact, I have no choice. It is more of a duty I have to fulfill. I once have sworn an oath."

Rolanda frowned.

"An oath? When?"

Minerva sighed.

"Above the dead body of my father."

She swallowed softly.

"I have sworn an oath, Ro, and I don't care anymore about my Head Girl duties or anything else. Even if they punish me- I only have one duty left, Rolanda and I'll fulfill it."

Her friend nodded thoughtfully.

"Yes. Good. Okay. Alright. But Minerva!"

She almost yelled the last word.

"Are you now finally going to tell me what this about?"

Minerva smiled sadly, and then finally began.

"Well…"