A/N: Okay, I tried to fix as many of the grammatical errors as I could find...thanks to everyone for helping me out through the reviews :) And kuyaga, you're probably right again...I fixed it. Thanks for letting me know. Last of all, (I know, the thanks are getting tiring, but only one more) thank you to everyone for reviewing, it means a lot to me. This chapter was hard to write because I had absolutely no idea what to write for it, and it's kind of obvious through the poor quality of it. The next one is better (or at least I think it is), I promise.

With each passing turn of the wheel to Hogwarts, Ginny's heart sunk. She knew it was a big deal that the Hogwarts students not reflect poorly on the school, and that McGonagall would not be happy with them once she had them in her office.

Much too quickly, it seemed, did they arrive back at the school. The moment they climbed out of their carriages, McGonagall stepped up to them and ushered them into a tight group. She then proceeded to lead them back to the castle and into her office.

Once they were inside, they all sat down on the hard-backed chairs that lined the wall opposite of her desk. Each sat nervously in their seats, not sure what to expect from the strict deputy headmistress.

McGonagall shut the door, then began pacing back and forth in front of them. "You," she said, stopping in front of Remus. Ginny noted that although she still acted very much like the present-day McGonagall she knew, this McGonagall was noticeably younger - the lines on her forehead and around her pursed lips were much fainter, the tight bun her hair was pulled into was (could it be possible?) not so very tight, and her eyes were more lively. However, at the moment, they were dark with anger as she glared down at Remus.

"You," she repeated. "Explain to me what happened."

Lowering his eyes, Remus began to relay the earlier events in a barely-audible voice. When he finished, he ventured a look up at the deputy headmistress. By then, she had moved on to Lily.

"Miss Evans. You are the level-headed one here. Why did you not stop them?"

"I tried, ma'am..." Lily began to say.

"Obviously not enough," McGonagall answered in a hard voice. "And you three," she said as she walked to the end of the line and stood in front of Ginny, Hermione, and Draco with her arms crossed. "Professor Dumbledore has informed me that you are exchange students from Scotland?"

"We are," answered Hermione for them.

"Allow me to let you know that this behaviour is NOT acceptable at our school."

"We understand," replied all three students simultaneously.

"Have I made myself clear?"

"With all due respect, professor, crystal clear," said Ginny.

Without another word, McGonagall moved to the front of the room and stood behind her desk, surveying the silent students.

"None of you are to EVER do something like this, do you understand me?" she said at last.

"Yes, ma'am," chorused the 7 students.

"I will be deducting 100 points for each of you from Gryffindor."

Ginny's throat tightened at these words. They had lost 700 points for Gryffindor...that meant their house had dropped to a point where there was nearly no chance of them regaining their lead for the houes cup. There was no doubt that this sudden turn of events would not be received kindly.

"Now return to your common room," said McGonagall as she sat down and began scribbling furiously on a large piece of parchment.

With bowed heads, they trailed after one another out of her office. James, who was the last one out, shut the door behind him and leaned against it with a sigh.

"I can't believe that just happened."

"Me neither," said Sirius as he flopped down heavily on a stone bench outside the office.

"Likewise," added Remus. Him and Sirius seemed to have forgotten the fight they had just engaged in only an hour ago, and had apparently come to a silent agreenment that they would forgive each other and focus in on the main problem - the fact that every student in their house was going to loathe them until the end of the year and perhaps even longer.

"This is just wonderful," Ginny said, her tone thick with sarcasm.

"Marvelous."

"Totally brilliant."

"Pure splendipity."

"Sirius...is splendipity even a word?"

"I don't know, Lily, and right now I must say that I really don't give a damn either."

"Oh...right, sorry about that."

Silence crept in amongst the seven students as they all stared at the ground, the fight earlier complete erased from their minds. Each was just as afraid as the next of leaving the empty corridor and facing the rest of the school - by now, the other students would have seen the crystals in the hourglass which held the points fall, and figured out what happened.

"I'm going to bed," grumbled Draco broodingly after a few minutes. "Anyone feel like joining me?"

"I'll come too, I s'pose," said Remus. James and Sirius also agreed to go with Draco, and soon it was decided that the girls and boys would head to their dormitaries in seperate groups.

"Bye Draco," said Lily as he hugged her tightly.

"Good night," he replied with something of a crooked smile at her.

The other couples also exchanged their good-byes; to no one's surprise, however, Hermione, Sirius, and Remus remained firmly in their places, avoiding each others' eyes.

With a few last "Good luck"s to each other, the group split ways and began the long walk back to their common room.