"What now?" Charity asked.
"Harry, Ronald help me up." The woman barked at the two boys. They both scrambled to the professsors aid, each one lifting the woman to a standing position with a reverence that Charity found a liffle odd when compared to the way the boys bot reacted to helping her medicate the man.
Charity glanced at him as she thought, then did a quick double take. The color was already befinning to seep back into his face. For a split second Charity could have sworn there was a slight downturn to his mouth. The start of a frown, but it was gone now that Charity looked at the man again.
"I think, I still have a l ittle...ah...yes there it is."
Charity turned her attention back to the woman. She stood under her own steam with the aid of a cane Charity had never noticed before. Charity felt a stab of guilt at that. Joe really was out of hand. She hoped the woman wasn't too stiff from her captivity.
The woman pulled a small bag from inside the folds of her robe and opened it.
"Floo powder!" Ron yelled, "Oh, Professor Mcgonacall I could kiss you!"
The professor allowed a prim little smirk to grace her mouth. "My, my Mr. Weasly I daren't say you'll be so inclined when you learn just how much detention the two of you are going to recieve when we get back to Hogwarts."
Charity smiled at the downtrodden looks Ron and Harry's faces took on. They looked absolutely fearful.
"Hogwarts, huh, that's as good a name as any for a theatre school," She thought.
"Now, as to the fire," The professor named Mcgonacall said.
Charity watched her hobble over to the brick fireplace and poke at the rubble with her cane.
"This is going to need a little magic," Mcgonacall said.
Charity furrowed her eyebrows. "Did I just hear her say magic," She thought. "Okay it's time to get these people out of here."
"Hey, I don't think it's the time or place to be rehearsing some play or whatever this is. Joe is still outside and the condition he's in now he could come in here any moment and tie us all back up. You need to leave now!" Charity said, standing as she spoke.
The older woman turned to face Charity. She came forward slowly. Har cane hitting the wood with a reounding thump at each step.
Charity swallowed. She couldn't help but think this woman would be a formidable opponent with only the stern look on her wrinkled features.
"That is exactly what we are trying to do," she said shortly.
"Oh," Charity responded. The wind oozed from her sails and she suddenly felt like a recalcent student that had spoken out of turn.
"If you will please return our wands I will doso as promptly as possible."
"Huh, wands?" Charity frownde for a minute before she remembered the strange sticks in her pocket. Her hand flew there and pulled them out. She looked at them in the dim light, absently caressing the dark one she'd examined earlier. She was certain she felt a slight vibration come from it, almost like a shiver. Charity was surprised to fell herself shiver in return.
"I know this is all very confusing, but I can assure that if you give back our wands. We will leave and never return. Everything will go back to normal. It will be as if we were never here," Mcgonacall said.
Charity tore her gaze from the wands to look at the woman.