Chapter 3

Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were taking a rare walk outside, enjoying the mild weather. "Isn't it lovely Minerva, seeing the children enjoying themselves on such a lovely afternoon?" he smiled warmly as he looked up at some first year students who were practicing flying on their school issued booms.

Professor McGonagall nodded curtly as an errant student nearly clipped her right arm. "Yes Albus, just lovely" she said, obviously not amused. "How about we go the other way? This doesn't seem to be the safest route"

"Oh Minerva, you had to learn once, remember?" he said fondly, ignoring her obvious displeasure. He looked at her and waited for her to catch up with him. "I say, how about we cut the walk short and enter the castle through the greenhouse entrance?" he said, knowing she would welcome the suggestion.

"I should say so! Albus, you sometimes come up with the most outrageous ideas...like walking amongst first time fliers," She said with obvious relief in her voice. "But this one is probably the best of all your days. Come on, let's go." She hurried to catch up to him. Together, they walked up the grassy knoll that was in front of the greenhouse back entrance.

"I must get Filch to make a nice cobblestone pathway appear here...it would add to the aesthetics of the premises. Wouldn't you agree, Minerva?" he asked her as he opened the door with a wave of his hand and ushered her in.

"Yes, Albus, that's a charming idea" she said as she entered the green house. They walked through the glass enclosed structure, admiring the plants along the way and staying clear of the snapping pods of the overgrown Venus Fly Traps. "Shh...listen Albus, do you hear something?" she asked him as she stopped walking and cocked her ear to the direction of the sound.

"Aside from the snapping of these plants? No, I do not. Alas, the hearing isn't what it used to be," he answered wistfully and continued to walk through the tropically heated building. When Dumbledore reached a rose bush without any blooms, he bent over to smell them. "Ah, so delicately scented...Professor Sprout will surely win the 'School Blooms' contest once the blooms are out," he said to himself. Looking up, he noticed Professor McGonagall wasn't where he had left her. "Minerva? Where did you go?"

He looked around and finally spotted her green pointed hat, near the five foot tall sunflowers that stood perfectly erect like valiant soldiers. "Ah, there you are!" Meandering his way to her again, the old man made an extra effort to stay clear of the snapping pods of the overgrown Venus Fly Traps. When he met up with the elderly lady he saw that she wasn't alone. Sitting on the ground before her were five students; two boys and three girls.

The ringleader was undoubtedly the gangly blonde boy with the pale pointed face, Draco Malfoy. Draco was known as the school bully, and a spoiled one at that. His father, Lucius Malfoy, an active Death Eater with a considerable fortune, helped his son secure a position on the Slytherin Quidditch team by purchasing new top-of-the-line brooms for the entire team. On top of that, Draco's family owl would deliver candies and pastries to him every day without fail. "Mister Malfoy if you wouldn't mind explaining why the five of you are here, unsupervised, after hours?" Minerva asked, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot habitually as she surveyed the situation. In front of the students were holes in the earth and little piles of dirt all around them. A feisty authoritive female voice came from behind a table and started to come closer.

"Okay Mister Crabbe we are almost there, just a little further." Draco looked up to Professor's Dumbledore and McGonagall and smirked smugly and sat back on his hands as he watched as a rather squat and portly lady rounded the corner.

"That's it Vincent, you're almost done. Good job as well...Hello Minerva, Albus...whoa Vincent!" she exclaimed as the brutish boy without a neck bumped in to her with the boxes he was carrying.

"Put them down gently, GENTLY, those bulbs are very picky and don't like being disheveled" Professor Sprout watched as the Slytherin did as he was told before finally turning to the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress. "What brings you in here on this lovely day?" she asked as she wiped her brow with her arm. The Headmaster chuckled and the Deputy Headmistress unfolded her arms and straightened her robes to hide the fact that she had made an incorrect assumption about the Slytherin group on the floor.

"Albus and I took a short cut from outside." She replied rather distractedly. "I see your Mandrakes are growing rather nicely..." she added, changing the subject. The Headmaster agreed and added a comment on the roses that he passed by earlier, after a few more pleasantries were exchanged, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall left Professor Sprout and Draco's group and headed for the exit.

Along the way, Professor Dumbledore couldn't resist reminding the Deputy Headmistress of her rush to judge, "You know Minerva; just because Severus has something against your house members does not mean you should join him by attacking his...and see, his aren't really as bad as they seem. Perhaps some of yours may also be a little more mischievous than you may want to admit. Isn't that right?" He questioned in a grandfatherly way, a tender smile crossing his lips.

"Stop it Albus, Let's get out of here... I have some work to do" she said rather humbly. The old man smiled, his light blue eyes sparkled behind his half-moon glasses and he put his hand on her back and walked with her out of the greenhouse into the castle corridor that led to the Grand Hall.