Okay, okay. I know I said I would update within the month. But as you can
see, that didn't happen. But since no one has sent their hit-man to whack
me, I can only assume you're more interested in seeing how this tale plays
out, than seeing me dead. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you (and
I'm sure it won't). So read and enjoy.
Oh, me no own Harry Potter head.
Now read and enjoy.
~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 11 Truths Revealed
It was fairly late when Harry and Mindy returned to Gryffindor tower, but neither was at all surprised to find every Gryffindor still down in the common room. After Neville was found, the Yule Ball was immediately ended. All students were sent directly to their houses in the company of a Professor. Mindy wasn't sure how much they were told, but she knew some very wild stories had to be flying around by now.
"What's going on, Harry?" Dean asked, as Harry and Mindy stepped into the room. "Is it Neville? Is he...er...dead?"
"No." Harry shook his head. "Neville's not dead. He's like...Colin."
Lavender looked up from where she was seated between Parvati and Hermione. Her eyes were red rimmed and cheeks tear stained. Parvati had one arm around her, desperately trying to console her friend. Lavender sniffed loudly and, obviously fighting to control her voice, asked, "Will he be alright?"
Harry shrugged noncommittally and started for the boys' dorms.
"Where're you going?" Seamus asked.
"To bed." He answered, walking away
Hermione left Lavender's side and joined Mindy. The two of them found a quiet corner away from the buzz of conversation that was already beginning again. Mindy sat in a chair beside one of the small game tables. "How's Lavender doing?" She asked, glancing at the girl.
Hermione looked towards the couch where she had left Lavender and Parvati. "She's very upset. I had no idea she cared for Neville so much. I'm starting to think no one did."
"He will be alright." Mindy said confidently.
"It's nice to think that." Hermione said. "But he was the one who was helping Professor Snape develop a cure for the poison. Without Neville, who knows how long it will take Snape to find the cure. He may not come up with something until it's too late."
Mindy shook her head. "They've made something that can keep the boys from getting worse. They were pretty close to a cure." Hermione looked at her oddly and Mindy realized she might have said too much. Neville never talked about what he and Professor Snape did and her only other source of information would be Snape; someone who wouldn't tell a mere student anything. "I mean, I'm sure they had to be." She quickly amended. "They had been working on a cure for so long they had to have been close to something."
Hermione nodded, though Mindy was sure she hadn't swallowed her quick cover up. "What did Harry tell Professor Dumbledore?" She asked.
"Everything." Mindy answered, relieved that Hermione seemed inclined to change the subject.
"And Pansy?" Hermione asked. "What's going to happen to her?"
Mindy shook her head. "For now, nothing. Professor Dumbledore called Pansy to his office, but she of course denied it all. Attempted murder is too serious an accusation to make without concrete proof. Right now, it's just what we overheard someone saying in dark corridor. According to Pansy, it could have been anybody at the end of the hall."
"Could have been anybody?" Hermione exclaimed. "We were in her bag."
"Harry didn't tell Professor Dumbledore we were mice at the time." Mindy said. "I don't think it would have made any difference if he had. Pansy would just claim we were in the wrong bag." Mindy shook her head. "He needs real proof to have Pansy expelled."
Hermione nodded, then said. "Poor, Harry. He's probably blaming himself about what happened to Neville."
Mindy nodded. "I'm afraid he is." She answered. Harry had been silent on the way to Dumbledore's office, but once he started talking it was obvious he thought what happened to Neville to be his fault. He kept saying that if he had spoken up earlier, maybe Neville wouldn't have been hurt. Mindy had tried her best to ease his mind on the way back to the tower, but she was battling off guilt herself. She didn't think Harry was at all at fault. After all, he was an inexperienced kid, doing what he thought was best. She, on the other hand, was not, and yet she said nothing. She should have known better. Even if she couldn't foresee what happened to Neville, keeping Harry safe was her responsibility and telling Professor Dumbledore would have, at least, been doing that. "I wish I could make him feel better." Mindy said, trying to shake off the lingering guilt.
"Ron will talk to him. I don't know if it'll do any good, but he'll what he can." Hermione said.
"Where is Ron?"
"In the room. He didn't feel much like staying down here." Hermione answered. She was quiet for a bit, then asked, "Was he angry? Professor Dumbledore, I mean. Was he angry that Harry kept the knowledge of the Animagus from him."
Mindy was silent for a bit, remembering what Professor Dumbledore's reaction had been. The headmaster had been very quiet all through Harry's story. He had asked a few questions, but other than that had said nothing. Mindy had expected more of a reaction from him, but instead she saw nothing. No, he definitely wasn't angry. Maybe a little... "Disappointed." Mindy said. "Professor Dumbledore rarely gets angry with his students, but I think he was disappointed with me, us."
"Really?" Hermione said quietly. She glanced around the room and the groups of students discussing theories of what was happening at Hogwarts in hushed tones. "Let's go up stairs." She said. "I want to get out of these robes and away from all of this."
Mindy nodded and, standing, she followed Hermione across the still crowded common room. She glanced back at Lavender still fighting back tears on the couch in front of the fireplace. "I'm sorry." She whispered, before following Hermione up to the sixth year girls' dorm.
~*~*~*~*
Mindy skipped breakfast the next morning. She had an appointed with Professor Snape and was feeling to anxious to eat. She waved a good morning to Harry and Ron and stepped through the portrait hole before either could say anything to her. She walked slowly down the empty halls. Supposedly no students were to be in the halls without a Professor, but she didn't want to wait around for Professor Sprout. She certainly didn't want the Professor walking her to Snape's office. She did not care to explain why she was heading that way.
All too soon she found herself standing outside of Professor Snape's office door and wishing she was almost any place else than there. Taking a deep breath, she knocked lightly on the door, half hoping he wasn't there.
"Come in."
Mindy sighed, then opened the door. She stepped slowly into the office and looked around. She had never actually been in Snape's office, but she had always thought it would look the way it did. It was a shadowy room full of shelves lined with glass jars containing floating animal parts, plants, and assorted liquids. She spotted Professor Snape's infamous ingredients cupboard, filled with exotic and strange things. The dark office seemed to suit the Professor that owned it.
Professor Snape looked up from a book he was studying and raised an eyebrow at Mindy. "You're here rather early."
"I wanted to get this meeting over with as soon as I could." Mindy answered. "How much detention am I going to get?"
Professor Snape stared at her silently for a while, then slowly closed his book. "So, things are going well with you and Harry."
Mindy felt herself blushing and looked away. "Did you want to see me just so you could tease me about last night. I'm really not in the mood."
"I'm not teasing, Minerva. I'm trying to decide where your head is. You haven't been yourself lately. You haven't been yourself for a while."
"What are you talking about? Of course I'm myself, besides being sixteen, that is."
"And who is that? The Minerva I knew wouldn't lie to Professor Dumbledore, she wouldn't have been in the garden with Potter."
"I made a some mistakes, I admit that."
"Mistakes Minerva McGonagall wouldn't make. I'm afraid that the potion is having a greater effect on you than I had anticipated. You are behaving more like a child than an adult now and that is worrying me."
Mindy frowned. "No I'm not. I think I'm just as grown as I was last year."
"Of course you do. You're sixteen. What sixteen year old doesn't think he's already grown?"
Mindy started to speak, but closed her mouth and sat down instead. Was Professor Snape right? Was she becoming sixteen? What he said did make a lot of sense. She never would have lied to Professor Dumbledore before, nor would she have helped Harry and the others follow Pansy. She would never have allowed herself to become so close to Harry. "Suppose you're right." She said. "What can I do about this..." She waved a hand in the air looking for the right word. "...This problem. Is there another potion I can take, something that will make me...better."
"I could probably come up with something." Snape answered. "But I haven't the time to work on it. Minerva, I think it would be best if you just stop taking the de-aging potion. "
Mindy blinked. "You're kidding right?"
Professor Snape looked at her seriously. "No. I am not."
"But the Animagus." Mindy stuttered. "Harry needs me now more than ever. If I'm not...if Mindy James is not around to keep him out of trouble, who will?"
"Potter can take care of himself. I told that to Professor Dumbledore when he first came to me with this idea. I believed it then and I still do. The boy has an uncanny ability of escaping death."
"What if he gets himself into a situation he can't get out of? What then?"
"Potter has yet to get himself into something he couldn't wiggle out of again. I'm not worried about him—"..."Well obviously." ..."—I'm worried about you."
Mindy looked at him. "Why?"
"You're loosing yourself, Minerva."
"Don't be daft. I'm sitting right here."
"You know very well what I mean. In the beginning you were so obviously Minerva McGonagall it was a wonder no one else figured it out. But now I can't catch the slightest glimmering of the Professor I knew. All I see is a sixteen year old girl."
Mindy shook her head no. "It's not true. I'm still me."
"Did you behave the way you do now when you were sixteen? Did you cause trouble in class, lie to your headmaster, sneak around the school on secret missions of espionage?"
"Well, no, of course not, but..."
"I think if you had to grow up again, you would be a very different person."
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it? Tell me, if you had to grow up again, choose a new career path, would you even choose to be a professor?"
Mindy opened her mouth to say 'yes', but suddenly realized that would be a lie. Of late teaching just seemed so dull to her. When she and Harry talked about what they planned do after school, she had of course said she wanted to teach. But Harry's talk of becoming an Auror seemed so much more interesting. A lot more interesting than having her nose stuck in a transfiguration book for the rest of her life. She remembered even thinking she wouldn't mind doing that—that she wished she had.
Mindy pressed her lips together and looked down at the floor, refusing to believe Professor Snape's words. "But Harry needs me." She said quietly.
Professor Snape watched her for a moment, then asked. "Do you want to stay sixteen to help Potter, or is it because you want to be with him?"
Mindy looked up, shocked, her face quickly flushing red with anger. "How could you even suggest that?"
Snape's eyes narrowed. "Last night speaks for itself."
Mindy felt herself blushing and quickly looked away. She decided she was done with this conversation and stood. "Your house must be ready for breakfast by now. So if you're not going to give me a detention, I'll just leave."
Professor Snape waved her away, but just before she stepped through the door he said, "Stop taking the potion, before it's too late."
~*~*~*~*
Harry poked dismally at his breakfast. He felt absolutely rotten about Neville. He still couldn't believe how thick he had been. Now that he looked back it was so obvious that the animagus wasn't talking about him at all. If he had any brains he would have seen that. Harry stabbed at his sausage in frustration, skewering it with his fork.
"In case you haven't noticed, Harry, that's already dead." Ron said, eyeing Harry's impaled sausage.
"Oh." Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just, uh, nothing."
Hermione shook her head. "Since you seem inclined to only mutilate your food, why don't we get out of here?"
"And do what?" Harry asked.
"Remember what I started to tell you last night, before Lavender came?" Hermione said. "I think we need to talk about that, but I don't want to do it in here. To many people."
"What about Mindy?" Harry asked. "She's not here."
Hermione was quiet for a moment, then said, "We'll tell her later. Let's go to the library. There shouldn't be to many other people there."
Harry nodded and he and Ron left their breakfasts and followed Hermione out of the Great Hall. They bumped into Professor Flitwick just outside the Great Hall, trying very hard to appear as if he was just heading in. Harry suspected he was place there to catch any students attempting to sneak off on their own. Professor Flitwick offered to walk them to their destination, and knowing they had no other choice, the three agreed.
"Remember to wait for a Professor to come by before going back to your house." Professor Flitwick said as they stopped in front of the library doors.
"We will." Hermione promised. Professor Flitwick waited until they had gone into the library before leaving again.
Hermione chose a table at the back of the empty library, well away from the librarian. "So what is it?" Ron asked, taking a seat next to Harry, across from Hermione.
"I believe I know who the Animagus is." Hermione stated.
Harry nodded. "Who?" He asked, leaning across the table.
"Bellatrix Lestrange." Hermione answered
Harry blinked. He had not expected to hear that name, but now that he had, he found he wasn't in the least surprised. . "Are you sure?" He asked quietly.
Hermione nodded. "Very sure, actually. I wasn't surprised not to find an owl Animagus registered, but I was surprised to find so little information on Trixe-Bella Greats."
"The new ministry worker?" Ron asked. "What does that have to do with Lestrange?"
"Everything." Hermione answered. "When I was looking through the ministry documents, there was nothing in them about Greats. No family history or past jobs or even what wizarding school she came from. It was as if she didn't exist before going to work for the Ministry. And then there was something about Greats name that just didn't sit right with me. And last night, it just clicked. That's when I realized that Trixe- Bella Greats really didn't exist."
"Huh?" Ron asked.
"There is no Greats." Hermione repeated. "If you rearrange the letters of her name, they spell..."
"Bellatrix Lestrange." Harry finished.
Hermione nodded. "Exactly. Didn't Voldermort—"
"Hermione." Ron hissed. "Don't."
Hermione rolled her eyes and continued. "Didn't he do the same thing with his name."
Harry nodded. "How could we not have seen this before?"
"What's important is that we know it now." Hermione said. "And we know she is here...somewhere."
"Maybe, maybe not." Harry said. "In owl form she can come and go pretty easily. Hundreds of owls fly in out of Hogwarts daily."
"It won't be so easy for her to do that now since Professor Dumbledore knows about her." Ron said. "I'll bet you anything he'll be keeping a very close watch on the owls that fly into Hogwarts."
"So if she's left." Harry said thoughtfully, "She most likely won't be able to get back in."
"I doubt she's gone." Hermione said. "Whatever it is she is trying to do here, she hasn't done it yet. Or haven't finish doing it. Why else would she work so hard to keep her presence a secret?"
"But what is she doing here?" Ron asked. "Besides poisoning people at random, that is."
"There was nothing random about what happened to Neville." Hermione frowned. "She'd been planning to poison get him for at least a month."
"And from what she said about Colin, I don't think he was randomly poisoned either." Harry said.
"She called him a nosey little brat." Ron said, frowning. "You think Colin suspected something."
Hermione shook her head. "Not likely. I think perhaps, on his way back to the Great Hall, Colin saw something or heard a noise and, considering his desire to be a reporter, decided to investigate. He must have run across Bellatrix then and she decided to kill him."
"But why poison him?" Ron asked. "Wouldn't it be a lot easier just to use 'Avada Kedavra'?"
"No, that wouldn't work." Hermione answered. "That's black magic in the worst way. Every alarm in the school would go off and all of them pointing directly at her. She probably thought Colin would be long dead before anyone found him." Hermione looked up at Ron. "You really did save him, you know."
"Maybe." Ron said. "But now that Neville's, you know, he may not live anyway."
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Mindy thinks Professor Snape will come up with a cure before long."
"I hope so." Harry said.
"But what do we do about Lestrange?" Ron asked. "We have to tell someone right?"
"No." Harry answered.
The other two looked at him. "What?" Hermione said. "Of course we do, Harry. This is important. Professor Dumbledore should know."
Harry shook his head. Bellatrix had taken his godfather's life and now she was back, hurting his friends. It was her who was making his life miserable this year. She was back, causing him pain all over again. "I want to find her." Harry said. "And I want to take care of her myself."
"Harry, I don't think..." Hermione started.
"Professor Dumbledore probably won't be able to do anything about it anyway." He said. "He couldn't do any thing about Pansy."
"This is different." Hermione argued. "He should know."
Harry shook his head. "This is something I have to do, and Professor Dumbledore probably won't let me."
Ron stared at Harry, watching him for a while. After a bit he said. "You'll let us help, at least."
Harry nodded. "I doubt I could stop you." He said with a half smile. "But first, we have to find her." He looked at Hermione. "Any idea's of where she might be hiding?"
Hermione shook her head. "Not in the Owlery, I'm sure, but she could be almost anywhere else. Hogwarts is a big and easy to get lost in."
"Then we'll just have to find a way to locate her." Harry said. "And I think I know where we should start."
"Slytherin." Ron said with certainty.
Harry nodded. "I need to talk to Pansy and the only way that's going to happen is if she thinks talking to a friend. And for that we need a polyjuice potion."
"We can't do that Harry." Hermione said. "It takes a month to brew and where are we going to get the ingredients?"
"We have no choice but to wait the month and we'll just have to figure out a way to get into Snape's ingredients cupboard. Maybe Mindy can. She spends enough time in detention with Snape, that she can get to his ingredients fairly easily."
"Will you tell Mindy what you're planning, then?" Hermione asked.
"Yes." Harry answered. "Why wouldn't I?"
Hermione shrugged, but said nothing.
"You really think this will work?" Ron asked.
"It will." Harry answered. "It has to."
"Well," Hermione said with resignation. "If we're going to do this, I suggest we get started on it right away. I'll find the instructions for the polyjuice potion. There's a book in here somewhere." She pushed away from the table and left the boys.
Ron looked at Harry. "I don't think Hermione is very happy about this."
Harry nodded agreement.
"You think we ought to listen to her?" Ron asked. "She does have an annoying habit of always being right."
Harry shrugged. Maybe Hermione was right; maybe he should tell Professor Dumbledore. But he had promised himself if he ever got the chance to take on Bellatrix, he would. He had never hated anyone the way he hated her. And he wanted to be the one who took her out.
Deciding he didn't want to talk about Bellatrix Letrange and polyjuice potions anymore he stood. "Let's find a professor and go back to the Tower." Harry said to Ron.
Ron nodded. "I'll go find Hermione and tell her we're ready to leave." He stood and wandered off in search of their other friend.
Harry left the table and headed back towards the entrance of the library to wait for Ron and Hermione. He was passing through a row of bookshelves when he heard a quiet sob. Harry stopped and looked around, quickly spotting Lavender. She was curled up in a small arm chair in a dark corner, sniffing back tears. Harry started to back away, thinking Lavender would probably want to be alone, and bumped into one of the shelves, causing several books to fall to the floor with a thump.
Lavender looked up, blinking back tears. "Who's there?" She called.
"Just me." Harry answered, quickly replacing the books and stepping around the shelves to face Lavender.
"Oh." Lavender said.
Harry stood awkwardly for a bit trying to think of something to say. "Er, how are you?" He said finally, feeling as if he'd asked the world's dumbest question.
"Okay." Lavender sniffed.
"Okay." Harry said, starting to walk away.
"I just feel so bad for Neville, you know." Lavender went on.
Harry stopped and nodded. "You really liked him, huh?" Lavender smiled weakly. Harry looked around, trying to decide if it was better to walk away, or ask what he had been wondering about for some time now. Curiosity won out over sympathy and he asked, "When did... you two...get so close?"
Lavender looked up, then said, "Promise you won't laugh."
Harry smiled reassuringly, sitting down in the second chair. "I won't laugh." He said, though he couldn't think of any thing she could possibly say that would make him laugh.
Lavender took deep breath. "I'm in advanced Herbology." She said cautiously.
Harry looked at her, slightly surprised. Lavender didn't seem the type to take advanced Herbology, but then he was in advanced Potions. "Alright." He said.
Lavender smiled, obviously relieved Harry didn't think it was utterly ridiculous she was in the class. "When I told Parvati I was going to be in Herbology again, she must have laughed for days." Lavender said. "She didn't believe I really like the subject. And I thought if my best friend couldn't believe I was in the class, then what would everybody else say. I suppose people think I'm, I don't know, stupid, I guess."
"That's not true." Harry said. "I don't think you're stupid." Which was true, though he had never thought of her as particularly bright, either. His impression of her stemmed from the way she and Parvati behaved. The way they would sit in the corner and giggle at every little thing. The way they took Divination so seriously and everything else so lightly. The two of them seemed the epitome of the ditsy teenage girl.
"Well, I'm no Hermione." Lavender frowned. "If it was her taking the class, no one think twice about. But since it's me..."
"Truthfully, I am a little surprise you're in the class." Harry said. "But I guess don't really know you that well."
Lavender sighed. "No one does. Not my parents. Not Parvati. Everybody just assumes stuff about me. But Neville was different. He actually took the time to find out what I was like, instead of just making presumptions." She looked up at Harry and said in explanation, "We were partnered up to research a plant. Well, actually, Neville chose me as his partner. He's the smartest kid in the class. Everybody wanted to partner with him, because he was guaranteed to make a high mark. I never thought he'd want to work with me. Nobody else did. He even listened to my suggestion of plant."
"Unicorn trees." Harry said.
Lavender nodded. "Everybody else thought it was a stupid plant to pick. It's fairly well known unicorn trees aren't good for anything but healing minor headaches and severe acne. But Neville didn't laugh. He said it was a brilliant idea." Lavender stopped, shaking her head. "Brilliant idea. No one has ever said that to me before."
"So that's why the two of you were together all the time." Harry said. "In the mornings and in the library."
Lavender nodded. "I made Neville promise not tell anyone about me being in Herbology. I was afraid people would laugh, like Parvati." She sighed, closing her eyes. "I guess Neville was my first real friend. He took the time to get to know me, really know me. I didn't know how much I appreciated that until he was...he was hurt." She opened her eyes, looking up and Harry could see tears brimming up again. "I just wish he'd wake up, Harry, so I can tell how much I...I love him."
"He'll be alright, Lavender." Harry said. "He worked so hard with Professor Snape, they must have been near a cure. Don't worry, he'll be saved."
Lavender smiled, brushing away tears. "Thanks, Harry, for listening. I knew you would understand."
Harry returned the smile, standing. "I'm sorry." He said. "That I didn't really know you before now."
Lavender laughed un-expectantly, then in one swift motion she stood, stepped up to Harry and, just as un-expectantly, threw her arms around his neck. Harry returned the hug awkwardly, then gently pushed Lavender back. She looked up at him with eyes bright from tears and Harry asked, "Are you ready to go back to Gryffindor Tower."
Lavender nodded, and the two of them made their way back to the front of the library.
~*~*~*~*
Mindy spent the remainder of the Holiday break doing everything in her power to avoid Harry. She needed to evaluate her feelings for him, and she couldn't do that when she was with him. It wasn't long before she realized that Professor Snape was right about the potion. It really had somehow turned her sixteen. She was finding it very difficult to think like an adult. She couldn't make herself see Harry or Hermione or Ron as a student and herself as a professor looking out for them, anymore. She couldn't help thinking of herself as Mindy James, another student at Hogwarts. And being aware of the potion's effect only made it worst. By the end of the break, Mindy had come to a decision. She would have to stop taking the potion.
"Mindy."
Mindy looked around and smiled as Hermione stopped in front of her, holding two bottles of Butterbeer. Mindy was seated at one of the gaming tables in Gryffindor's common room; staring blankly at the book Hermione had given her for Christmas. "Hi, Hermione." She said.
"You haven't been around much." Hermione said, sitting down and sliding one of the bottles of Butterbeer across to Mindy. "Harry's been wondering about you."
"Oh, I've had a lot on my mind." Mindy answered. "What's this?" She asked, picking up the bottle.
"I stopped by the kitchen on the way back up. The professors aren't as strict about where we wander off to as they were right after Christmas." Hermione answered, opening her bottle and taking a long drink.
Mindy decided to follow her example, and drank a bit of the Butterbeer. "I haven't missed anything important, have I?" She asked, putting the bottle back down.
Hermione shook her head. "No, just, we've finally found out Neville and Lavender's relationship."
"Oh?"
"They were Herbology partners."
"Lavender was taking advanced Herbology?" Mindy asked surprised.
Hermione nodded. "She never told anyone because she thought people might think it was ridiculous. She and Neville became pretty close, and after a while Lavender really started to fall for him."
"Wow," was all Mindy could think to say.
Hermione was silent for a bit, then said, "I've got to ask you something. Something that's going to sound a little, er, strange." She stopped, and, taking a deep breath, asked. "Are you Professor McGonagall?"
Mindy looked up, completely caught off guard. She had always known it was just a matter of time before some one figured her out. But she thought she was doing a good job of hiding who she really was, especially of late since she was becoming more student and less professor. She wasn't surprised that it was Hermione who discovered the truth, but she certainly wasn't going to yes. "Yes." Mindy answered, then quickly covered her mouth, eyes widening at what had just popped out of her.
Hermione closed her eyes and sat back shaking her head. "I knew it. I didn't want to believe it, but..." She glanced up, and seeing the shock still plastered across Mindy's face said, "Veritaserum. I've had my suspicions for a while."
"For at least a month." Mindy said quietly, removing her hand from her mouth and slouching down in her seat. "How did...how did you know?"
"Well, first of all Professor McGonagall left and you suddenly appeared. At the beginning of the year, Ron was constantly saying that there was something off about you. You didn't act like a student, not really. Secondly, you were too concern with the way Professor Lupin taught his class, and you were too good at transfigurations. I've never seen you practicing, but you were able to turn yourself, without any trouble on the first try. Not to mention Professor McGonagall's Animagus form is a cat. Plus, when Hagrid had us catching tree nymphs, you knew a stunning spell no student could have possibly learned, no matter what school you came from. And then you were always getting into trouble, which would have led me to believe you really were just student, but for the fact you only got into trouble with Professor Snape. I'm guessing you brewed a potion or something during your detention times; something that would keep you sixteen."
Mindy nodded, knowing she could do nothing but tell the truth now. "Was I so obvious then?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, you weren't, really. I only picked up the hints because I was looking for them. Ron kept saying there was something wrong about you, and after I found out he was a diviner, I decided to take his insight seriously. By mid October I had noticed enough little nuisances to make me wonder. I started the veritaserum potion then. But after you and Harry became a couple, I thought I wouldn't need it. Professor McGonagall would never date a student, or so I thought."
"Then what made you decide to pull out the potion, after all?" Mindy asked.
"It was something you said Christmas night, after you got back from Professor Dumbledore's office." Hermione answered.
"About Neville and the potion?" Mindy asked.
Hermione shook her head no. "I asked you if Professor Dumbledore was angry with Harry. You said Professor Dumbledore rarely becomes angry with his students, only disappointed. That's a statement only someone who has known the Headmaster for years could make. Not even Harry knows him well enough to say that."
Mindy shook her head. "I hadn't even realized I'd said that."
"Why?" Hermione asked. "Why would do this, Professor?"
"Please don't call me that, Hermione." Mindy said. She looked at the other girl for a moment, then said. "Professor Dumbledore was worried about Harry. He tends to get himself into trouble, even here surrounded by professors. Dumbledore thought the best way to keep him out of trouble was if a professor could be with him all the time. And so Snape developed the de-aging potion, Dumbledore asked me if I'd look after Harry, and," she shrugged, "here I am."
"That's not what I wanted to know." Hermione said. "That much I figured out, though I don't understand how a de-aging potion is keeping you...young."
"It's Professor Snape's special concoction." Mindy answered. "It's been modified to keep me sixteen for up to three months. Though Snape has me taking it every month and a half to two months."
Hemione nodded. "But what I really want to know is why got involved with Harry."
Mindy looked away. "I didn't mean for that to happen." She said quietly. "He just...He came on to me first."
"And you didn't turn him away?"
"I wanted to." Mindy said, defensively. "But I was afraid he might be hurt and not want to be friends with me."
"You really think Harry is that shallow." Hermione frowned. "He really cares about you, you know. A lot."
"I know." Mindy mumbled.
"He's going to be hurt." Hermione said. "A lot."
Mindy nodded. "I know."
"Do you even care?" Hermione asked, scowling darkly.
Mindy decided the best way to answer that question was to keep her mouth shut. Her time away from Harry had given her a chance to figure out just how much really cared for the boy. She knew that Snape was right about another thing. She did want to stay sixteen to be with Harry. She didn't know how Hermione would take that information. She wasn't sure how she was taking it. That was the main reason she had decided to stop taking the potion, after all.
Hermione took Mindy's silence as a bad sign, and pushed away from the table angrily. "I don't think I have anything else to say." She said, starting to walk away.
"Hermione." Mindy called.
Hermione looked back.
"Don't tell Harry."
"Don't you think he should know?"
Mindy didn't answer that question either afraid she might say yes.
"He'll find out eventually." Hermione said, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't like hiding this from him."
"Please." Mindy pleaded. "Don't."
Hermione frowned, but nodded reluctantly and walked away.
Mindy sank back in the chair, rubbing her temples. She suddenly had a headache. She closed her eyes, giving up any pretence of reading. "I can't believe this happening." She said to herself. "What am I going to do now?" Mindy didn't know how long she sat lost in thought, but when she looked up again, the common room was empty. It seemed a lot later than she thought it was, and, looking at the clock, she was surprised to see it was almost eight o'clock.
She stood up and stretched, surprised that she had zoned out for so long. Yawning slightly, she started for the girls' dorms, but stopped, looking around as the portrait door swung open. She felt her heart skip a beat as Harry stepped through the hole, followed by Ron.
Ron looked at her and smiled. "Hi."
Mindy glanced at him, her eyes quickly returning to Harry. "Hi." She said.
Ron's gaze flicked between the two. "Er, I'll just head up now." He said, moving past Harry and heading up to the boys' dormitory.
Harry grinned at Mindy, but the smile on his face quickly faded when he saw that Mindy wasn't returning it. "Is something wrong?" He asked, walking over to her.
Mindy blinked, then sitting on the sofa said, "I think we need to talk."
Harry frowned, sitting down next to Mindy. "What is it?"
Mindy looked at him, but then quickly looked away. "I...I think..." She stopped, rubbing her temples. She knew what she had to do. She just didn't know it would be so hard. "I think we shouldn't...do this anymore."
"Do what?" Harry asked.
"Be...together." Mindy answered. She glanced at Harry and saw incomprehension in his green eyes. "I don't think we should be...a couple."
"What?" Harry asked.
"Harry." Mindy said, looking away again. "You know what I mean."
"Why?"
"It just," Mindy stopped, trying hard to find the right words. It had been hours since she had taken the veritaserum, but she could still feel the effects of the potion, not that she wanted to lie to Harry. He deserved better than that. "It just isn't right." She said finally. It was a sorry answer, but at least it was partially true.
"What are you talking about, Mindy?" Harry asked. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her so that she was forced to look at him. "What is it really, Mindy. If I did something, I'm sorry. Just tell me what it is and we'll work it out."
"Harry, it isn't anything you've done." Mindy said, slipping out of his grip and standing up. "I told you. It just isn't right. We aren't right."
"You're not making any sense." Harry yelled. "We were fine yesterday."
"Were we?" Mindy asked. "We didn't say one word to each other yesterday, or the day before that, or the day before that. We haven't held a conversation in over a week, Harry."
Harry was quiet for a while as it dawned on him that Mindy was right. They hadn't spent any time together since Christmas night. Harry bowed his head. "I'm sorry, if I've been distant, lately. I've had a lot to think about. But I don't think we should break up because I haven't been around like I should've. I'll do better, I promise."
"Harry, you haven't been distant." Mindy said. "I have. I didn't want to be around you."
Harry looked up at her. "What?" He asked, quietly.
"I've been avoiding you, Harry." Mindy said. "I didn't want to talk to you."
Harry's green eyes clouded over with hurt, and he looked away. "You hate me then?"
"No, no. I don't hate you." Mindy said as reassuringly as she could. "I just can't think when I'm around you, and right now...I just need to be able to think." Harry didn't look at her and Mindy had the feeling he didn't believe her. Mindy bit her bottom lip, feeling it start to tremble. "I'm sorry." She said, backing away from him. "I just...I have to go." She turned around and headed quickly for the girls' dorms.
She knew she was doing the right thing. If she didn't break up with him now, it would just be later. After all, she would be Professor McGonagall again in a few weeks and all of her teenage feelings for Harry would fade away like an extremely weird adolescent dream. No matter how she would feel later though, at the moment Mindy felt absolutely rotten. She didn't know if she had really saved Harry any pain, but she knew she had hurt him now—badly. And she hated herself for it.
~*~*~*~*
"She did what?" Ron asked.
Harry stared at his eggs. "Dumped me." Harry mumbled.
Ron looked across his plate at Harry. "That doesn't make any sense. Did she say why?"
Harry shrugged, but said nothing.
Ron looked over at Hermione. "Does this make any sense to you, Hermione?"
"It's probably for the best." Hermione said.
"What? Have you lost your mind?" Ron looked at Harry. "She's crazy about you Harry. I mean, really crazy about you."
"Not anymore, apparently." He said, frowning. This was not how he had expected his break to end. He didn't even see it coming. He thought he and Mindy was doing okay. He knew sometimes she became angry with him, but what girl didn't get upset with her boyfriend every now and then. He never thought she would leave him. "Listen, I don't want to talk about this anymore." He said.
"But, Harry, I'm serious. She really likes you. At least she did last time I looked at her, which was last night."
"And she broke up with me no more than five seconds later." Harry frowned.
"Maybe you're wrong about her, Ron." Hermione said. "There's no way she could have been...Well, you can't be right about everything."
"I know I'm right about this." Ron said, seriously. "I read Cho right, and Lavender about Neville..."
"You knew Lavender liked Neville." Hermione said. "And you never told us?"
Ron shrugged. "It wasn't for me to tell. Besides, Lavender was still unsure about her own feelings. That's besides the point anyway. The point is, I know I'm reading Mindy correctly." He looked back at Harry. "Maybe you should try talking to her."
Harry shook his head. "It's over for us." He said. "And I don't want to talk about it anymore."
"But, Harry..." Ron started.
"Just leave it, Ron." Hermione frowned. "Mindy probably isn't right for him."
"That's what she said." Harry mumbled.
"Well that's just stupid." Ron frowned.
"Oh, Ron."
"No, seriously, Hermione. That's the stupidest thing I'v ever heard." Hermione rolled her eyes and Ron asked. "How would you feel if I just ditched you for no good reason?"
"Who says we're together?" Hermione said, coldly. Ron sat back in his chair, looking extremely hurt. Hermione caught the look in his eyes and quickly tried to make an apology. "Ron I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
"S'okay." Ron said. "Come on. First day of class. We don't want to be late." He threw down his fork and pushed away from his breakfast, walking swiftly for the door.
"Ron wait." Hermione called, hurrying after him.
Harry didn't move. He didn't feel like eating, or going to class, or listening to Ron and Hermione argue, then make up. He didn't feel like doing anything. He glanced up and saw Mindy walk into the Great Hall. She looked at him, then quickly looked away, hurrying to the opposite end of the table. Harry sighed, and, standing, left the Great Hall.
Harry spent the next few weeks avoiding any contact with Mindy. He tried not to look at her, hear her speaking, or even think about her. He tried to plan for meeting with Pansy, but he found it hard to concentrate, not that he knew how he would be able to complete the polyjuice potion without Mindy's help. He certainly couldn't concentrate in class, and found himself slipping behind in all subjects, especially potions.
Harry glanced across the dungeon at Mindy, and quickly looked away. She was talking with Malfoy again. He shoved down a pang of jealousy and stared at his potion, though he wasn't really seeing it. Mindy could talk to Malfoy if she wanted; they weren't together anymore. A thought struck him and he looked back up at Mindy and Malfoy. They're heads were close together as Malfoy pointed out something about the potion they were brewing. 'No way she left me for him.' Harry thought, shaking his head.
"Mr. Potter."
Harry looked around and focused on Professor Snape, walking towards his cauldron. "Sir?" He said, irritated.
"It appears your potion is burning." Professor Snape said, pulling out his wand.
Harry looked down at his potion for the first time in about twenty minutes, surprised to see that the liquid had solidified into a black jelled puddle and was starting to belch up a thick black smoke. "Oh. Sorry." He mumbled.
Professor Snape waved his wand, and the black mess vanished. "You don't have time to start the potion over. You'll take a failing grade for the day." Snape put his wand away and walked back to his desk, before Harry could think to protest.
Harry glanced at his clean cauldron, then looked across the room to see Mindy returning his gaze. She watched Harry closely, and Harry wondered what she was thinking. Malfoy laid a hand on her arm and Mindy looked over at him. Malfoy whispered something in Mindy's ear. She smiled weakly and turned her attentions back to her potion. Malfoy smiled icily at Harry, and he returned the glare, then went to tidying up the area around his cauldron, wishing fervently that the class would end.
After what seemed like ages, Snape called for the students to bottle their potions. Harry stuffed his potions book into his bag and left the room, glancing back only once to see Malfoy picking up Mindy's bag. 'Well, if she'd rather have him over me, then she probably deserves him.' Harry thought miserably, as he made his way away from damp dungeons.
Harry spent the rest of the day in a bit of an unhappy daze. He hadn't paid any attention in his other classes, and had managed only weak nods whenever someone asked him anything. He walked to the Great Hall for dinner with Ron and Hermione, only half listening to Ron's chatter.
"So we've decided to let Hannah Storm play in Ginny's spot. That is if we'll still have the Quidditch match. Things have been a little, er, strained, lately." Ron looked at Harry. "What do you think of Hannah playing?"
"Yeah." Harry nodded, not really hearing the question or the statement that had come before.
Ron frowned as he pushed the Great Hall doors open. "That wasn't exactly the answer I was expecting. Are you even listening?"
Harry blinked then looked at Ron. "Sorry. I was just..."
"Thinking about Mindy." Hermione finished.
Harry shook his head no, then sighed and nodded yes. "I'm trying to forget her, but..." He shrugged. "It's hard."
Hermione frowned but said nothing.
"Have you tried talking to her, yet?" Ron asked choosing a spot at the Gryffindor table.
Harry shook his head no. "I've done everything I could not to talk to her." He answered sitting next to Ron.
"That's probably best." Hermione said. "Who knows how long she'll be here anyway?"
Harry looked at Hermione curiously and asked, "Do you know something I don't?"
"Oh. No, of course not. What would I know?" Hemione said a little too quickly.
"I think you should talk to her." Ron said. "At least get the real reason she broke up with you out of her."
"Maybe you're right." Harry said, though he couldn't imagine facing Mindy again.
"'Course I'm right." Ron said, taking a slice of roast beef and ladling mash potatoes onto his plate. "Want some?" He asked, offering Harry the bowl of potatoes.
Harry shook his head no. He wasn't feeling very hungry. He hadn't felt hungry in a while.
"You should eat something, Harry." Hermione said.
"I will." Harry answered, reaching for the bowl that contained the soup of the night. It was pea soup. He hated pea soup, but he spooned a little onto his plate anyway.
"And don't listen to a thing Ron says." Hermione went on. "It's probably best if you just stayed away from Mindy."
"Why?" Ron asked. "What could she possibly say to him that's worst than what she already has?"
Hermione pressed her lips together, then said so quietly they almost didn't hear her, "I could think of a few things."
Harry started to ask Hermione what she meant by that, when someone stopped behind him. He looked back to see Lavender standing over him. She smiled weakly and asked, "Harry, can I talk to you?"
"Sure." Harry answered, and, standing, followed Lavender out of the Great Hall.
"It's about Neville and the antidote he was working on." Lavender said, once the huge doors were firmly shut behind her.
"What about it?"
"I was Neville's partner in Herbology. So I've researched unicorn trees a lot too. Neville was the one who thought it could help Colin, but we both worked on finding out if he was right—before we went to Hermione. We didn't want to waste her time if we were wrong."
"So you know just as much about unicorn trees as Neville?" Harry asked.
"I wouldn't say just as much. Neville has such a head for plant facts." Lavender smiled, remembering her friend. Then she shook herself back to reality and said, "But I probably know more than Professor Snape. Neville would tell me what progress he and Snape would make for the day, so I know where he stopped off." Lavender was quiet for a moment then, looking at Harry, asked, "Do you think I could help? I'm just so tired of sitting around and hoping that Snape finds an antidote soon. If I can help, I want to."
"Of course I think you can help." Harry said. "I don't know why somebody hadn't thought of it before. When are you going to talk to Snape?"
"I'd like to go now."
Harry frowned. "But it's dinner. Wouldn't he be eating?"
Lavender shook her head. "He isn't in there. So he must be in his lab, working on some potion or other." She looked at Harry with pleading eyes and asked, "Will you come with me? Please. I don't want to go down there by myself."
Harry wasn't to eager to see Professor Snape again, himself, particularly after this morning. But he didn't want to go back into the Great Hall and continue his conversation with Ron and Hermione. And he certainly wouldn't be sorry to miss dinner. He looked at Lavender and said, "Sure. Let's go."
Lavender grinned and, turning around, led the way past the Great Hall. She hurried back towards the interior of the school and the dungeons below. They walked down the damp hall to Snape's class and as they neared they saw that a light was on inside.
"I knew he would still be down here." Lavender said quietly, though she didn't sound especially thrilled.
Harry nodded and reached to open the door when he heard voices floating from behind it.
"Once you're back to normal, you'll forget all of this." Snape was saying to someone.
"Well, I'm absolutely miserable now." 'Mindy?' Harry thought surprised. That was her. He'd know her voice anywhere.
"You're sixteen. Of course you're miserable. At that age everything seems worse than it is."
"You're not being very understanding." Mindy huffed. "What kind of parental figure are you?"
"Not yours." Snape answered. "Now get out of here. I have a potion to work on and can't concentrate with you and your moodiness. You may return when you're, at the very least, fifty."
"Oh, fine. I see enough of this moldy old room during the daytime anyhow."
Harry heard footsteps heading towards the door. His first thought was to hide behind something, but the hall was completely bare. He looked back the way he had come, and thought about making a mad dash for the stairs leading out of the dungeons. But even as the thought crossed his mind, the class door was yanked open.
Mindy stopped dead and stared at Harry in wide-eyed surprise. Her eyes were red rimmed, as if she'd been crying, and her cheeks were flushed red with anger. Now the color began to drain from them as she whispered, "Harry?"
Professor Snape, who had been bent over a cauldron looked up. He frowned at the two new students standing his door way. "Mr. Potter, Ms. Brown. What are you doing here?"
"I came to talk to you about something, Sir." Lavender answered. She looked at Mindy, who immediately shook herself and pushed past Harry.
Harry watched Mindy hurrying away and wonder if he should follow. He looked back at Lavender who smiled understandingly. "Thanks for walking with me, Harry. I can take it from here."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
Lavender nodded then stepped into the class, shutting the door behind her.
Harry looked in the direction that Mindy had disappeared, then decided to go after her. He ran back towards the stairs and hurried up them. "Mindy wait." He called, catching a glimpse of her at the top. She looked back at him, but didn't stop. Harry followed her through the school, down the corridors, past the Great Hall, and finally to the entrance of the school.
Mindy pushed the door open and stepped outside. Harry followed behind her, immediately wishing he had his cloak. It was already dark and the cold night air bit through his school robes as if they weren't there. He forgot about his cloak completely though, when he saw Mindy trudging down to the lake. Harry hurried after, his breath fogging white as he pushed through the thick snow.
"Mindy, wait please." He called as he hurried after her.
Mindy stopped walking and turned to look out at the frozen lake. "I'm not going anywhere." She said quietly.
Harry stopped beside her, catching his breath. "Can we talk?" He asked after a bit.
Mindy shrugged. "What's there to say?"
"Plenty." Harry answered. "First I'd like to know why you left me. Why you really left me."
"I really do like the snow." Mindy said, ignoring Harry completely. "It's even prettier in moon light, don't you think?"
"Mindy, please." Harry said. "Just tell me okay. Is it me? Or would you rather be with Malfoy?"
Mindy looked at Harry surprised. "Draco? No. of course not." She answered. "And it's not you."
"Then what is it?" Harry asked. "And pleased don't say 'it's not you. It's me'."
Mindy looked away from Harry, then back at the icy water. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"You did." Harry said.
Mindy nodded. "It hurts me too; being away from you."
"You miss me?" Harry asked.
Mindy shivered and pulled her robes tightly about herself. "Terribly."
Harry stepped up next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Why don't we forget all of this?" Harry suggested. "And just be together again."
Mindy slipped out of Harry's embrace and stepped away from him. "We shouldn't." She said. "We can't."
"Why not?" Harry asked, becoming frustrated. "Why can't we be together? Weren't we happy with each other?"
Mindy looked at him. Shaking her head she said, "It isn't right."
"That's what you said last time and it still doesn't make any sense. What's wrong?"
Mindy didn't say anything for a while, then taking a deep breath she said, "I've been lying to you."
Harry frowned. "What?"
"I'm not who think I am. I'm not Mindy James."
Harry shook his head, not sure he understood what he was hearing. "If you're not Mindy James," He said, "Who are you?"
Mindy looked at Harry for a long moment. Regret shown in her serious gray eyes. She pressed her lips together, and with great reluctance, but deep resolve said, "Minerva McGonagall."
~*~*~*~*~*
I've finished the chapter. Yay. And with my first true cliffhanger ending. I hope you guys liked this one; I worked really hard on it. So I better get some good reviews. Or just review. Please. I so love reviews. They're yummy with chocolate. Any who, I owe you some review comments.
On-A-Rainy-Day: Yeah, you were right about Mindy not telling Harry who she really was for a while. I actually didn't plan for it to happen in this chapter. In fact I planned to wait a few more chapters for that. But stories have a way of taking on a life of their own, and the chapter just wanted go this way. And you're right about Draco. He is acting oddly. Is it love, or is it something else? Hhmmm?
Nimbus 1944: Yeah, thought about the gentle let without disclosure. Thought this way would be a lot more interesting. What can I say. I like conflict.
supernova8610: ::shocked expression::I could never kill Neville.
Olivia Wood: Well, everything happens to Harry, so why shouldn't he assume Bellatrix was talking about him. I'm glad you don't find Harry/Mindy to disturbing (though Mindy is a lot less Minerva now and a lot more Mindy), but they're broken up now so it doesn't matter anymore, right? Thanks for the complement on Mindy/Minerva. It's stinking hard to write a grown-up with a teenage brain. I'm glad you like Snape, too. It is surprisingly fun to write him.
Crookykanks: Snape walking in on Harry and Mindy was super fun. And I must be doing something right if you can sometimes forget Mindy is a teacher. She forgets all the time, and hopefully this chapter explains why. Thanks for the review.
RosePetal77: Thanks for thinking so much of my story that you would go through the trouble of sending me an email. BIG THANKIES for put me on your favorites list. I love it when people do that. It makes me feel super proud. It's okay that you can't review normally. Believe me I understand when computers go on the fritz. Mine does constantly.
UniMyth: You're review made me laugh, and yes it is Bella. Bad, bad Bella.
Superhpfreak: Howdy. Did you know you were the last to get your review in this time. I thought might update before you reviewed (I was planning on updating days ago, but the chapter didn't finish itself on schedule. Bad chapter!). No I don't mind the corrections, they are extraordinarily helpful. I plan to put this story on fiction alley when its done, and they don't smile kindly on spelling mistakes. And I had no idea Animagi was the plural of Animagus. But I guess it makes sense, sort of like radius and radii (woo, I remembered math words).
Harry suffered from some deep denial for a while, so he thought by ignoring the odd going-ons, he somehow would make them go away. Which of course did not happen. I have to warn you, for a while it's going to look like Mindy and Malfoy are going to start dating, but you'll just have to trust me that nothing will come of it. I swear. And poor Neville, indeed. Lavender realizes she like, likes him, but only after he's half dead. But it could be worse. He could be all dead. Any way, thanks for the note about the drop down menu. I didn't know that was still screwed up. I fix.
No more comments for today. I won't promise to update within the month again. I'll just be setting myself up for disappointment. And everybody else, as well. So I will leave you with a promise to update—eventually. Bye for now. Oh. Before I forget, can you guys do me a favor and review, please. Review or I'll send my hit-man to whack you all (insert evil laughter here). Until next time, Au Revior.
Oh, me no own Harry Potter head.
Now read and enjoy.
~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 11 Truths Revealed
It was fairly late when Harry and Mindy returned to Gryffindor tower, but neither was at all surprised to find every Gryffindor still down in the common room. After Neville was found, the Yule Ball was immediately ended. All students were sent directly to their houses in the company of a Professor. Mindy wasn't sure how much they were told, but she knew some very wild stories had to be flying around by now.
"What's going on, Harry?" Dean asked, as Harry and Mindy stepped into the room. "Is it Neville? Is he...er...dead?"
"No." Harry shook his head. "Neville's not dead. He's like...Colin."
Lavender looked up from where she was seated between Parvati and Hermione. Her eyes were red rimmed and cheeks tear stained. Parvati had one arm around her, desperately trying to console her friend. Lavender sniffed loudly and, obviously fighting to control her voice, asked, "Will he be alright?"
Harry shrugged noncommittally and started for the boys' dorms.
"Where're you going?" Seamus asked.
"To bed." He answered, walking away
Hermione left Lavender's side and joined Mindy. The two of them found a quiet corner away from the buzz of conversation that was already beginning again. Mindy sat in a chair beside one of the small game tables. "How's Lavender doing?" She asked, glancing at the girl.
Hermione looked towards the couch where she had left Lavender and Parvati. "She's very upset. I had no idea she cared for Neville so much. I'm starting to think no one did."
"He will be alright." Mindy said confidently.
"It's nice to think that." Hermione said. "But he was the one who was helping Professor Snape develop a cure for the poison. Without Neville, who knows how long it will take Snape to find the cure. He may not come up with something until it's too late."
Mindy shook her head. "They've made something that can keep the boys from getting worse. They were pretty close to a cure." Hermione looked at her oddly and Mindy realized she might have said too much. Neville never talked about what he and Professor Snape did and her only other source of information would be Snape; someone who wouldn't tell a mere student anything. "I mean, I'm sure they had to be." She quickly amended. "They had been working on a cure for so long they had to have been close to something."
Hermione nodded, though Mindy was sure she hadn't swallowed her quick cover up. "What did Harry tell Professor Dumbledore?" She asked.
"Everything." Mindy answered, relieved that Hermione seemed inclined to change the subject.
"And Pansy?" Hermione asked. "What's going to happen to her?"
Mindy shook her head. "For now, nothing. Professor Dumbledore called Pansy to his office, but she of course denied it all. Attempted murder is too serious an accusation to make without concrete proof. Right now, it's just what we overheard someone saying in dark corridor. According to Pansy, it could have been anybody at the end of the hall."
"Could have been anybody?" Hermione exclaimed. "We were in her bag."
"Harry didn't tell Professor Dumbledore we were mice at the time." Mindy said. "I don't think it would have made any difference if he had. Pansy would just claim we were in the wrong bag." Mindy shook her head. "He needs real proof to have Pansy expelled."
Hermione nodded, then said. "Poor, Harry. He's probably blaming himself about what happened to Neville."
Mindy nodded. "I'm afraid he is." She answered. Harry had been silent on the way to Dumbledore's office, but once he started talking it was obvious he thought what happened to Neville to be his fault. He kept saying that if he had spoken up earlier, maybe Neville wouldn't have been hurt. Mindy had tried her best to ease his mind on the way back to the tower, but she was battling off guilt herself. She didn't think Harry was at all at fault. After all, he was an inexperienced kid, doing what he thought was best. She, on the other hand, was not, and yet she said nothing. She should have known better. Even if she couldn't foresee what happened to Neville, keeping Harry safe was her responsibility and telling Professor Dumbledore would have, at least, been doing that. "I wish I could make him feel better." Mindy said, trying to shake off the lingering guilt.
"Ron will talk to him. I don't know if it'll do any good, but he'll what he can." Hermione said.
"Where is Ron?"
"In the room. He didn't feel much like staying down here." Hermione answered. She was quiet for a bit, then asked, "Was he angry? Professor Dumbledore, I mean. Was he angry that Harry kept the knowledge of the Animagus from him."
Mindy was silent for a bit, remembering what Professor Dumbledore's reaction had been. The headmaster had been very quiet all through Harry's story. He had asked a few questions, but other than that had said nothing. Mindy had expected more of a reaction from him, but instead she saw nothing. No, he definitely wasn't angry. Maybe a little... "Disappointed." Mindy said. "Professor Dumbledore rarely gets angry with his students, but I think he was disappointed with me, us."
"Really?" Hermione said quietly. She glanced around the room and the groups of students discussing theories of what was happening at Hogwarts in hushed tones. "Let's go up stairs." She said. "I want to get out of these robes and away from all of this."
Mindy nodded and, standing, she followed Hermione across the still crowded common room. She glanced back at Lavender still fighting back tears on the couch in front of the fireplace. "I'm sorry." She whispered, before following Hermione up to the sixth year girls' dorm.
~*~*~*~*
Mindy skipped breakfast the next morning. She had an appointed with Professor Snape and was feeling to anxious to eat. She waved a good morning to Harry and Ron and stepped through the portrait hole before either could say anything to her. She walked slowly down the empty halls. Supposedly no students were to be in the halls without a Professor, but she didn't want to wait around for Professor Sprout. She certainly didn't want the Professor walking her to Snape's office. She did not care to explain why she was heading that way.
All too soon she found herself standing outside of Professor Snape's office door and wishing she was almost any place else than there. Taking a deep breath, she knocked lightly on the door, half hoping he wasn't there.
"Come in."
Mindy sighed, then opened the door. She stepped slowly into the office and looked around. She had never actually been in Snape's office, but she had always thought it would look the way it did. It was a shadowy room full of shelves lined with glass jars containing floating animal parts, plants, and assorted liquids. She spotted Professor Snape's infamous ingredients cupboard, filled with exotic and strange things. The dark office seemed to suit the Professor that owned it.
Professor Snape looked up from a book he was studying and raised an eyebrow at Mindy. "You're here rather early."
"I wanted to get this meeting over with as soon as I could." Mindy answered. "How much detention am I going to get?"
Professor Snape stared at her silently for a while, then slowly closed his book. "So, things are going well with you and Harry."
Mindy felt herself blushing and looked away. "Did you want to see me just so you could tease me about last night. I'm really not in the mood."
"I'm not teasing, Minerva. I'm trying to decide where your head is. You haven't been yourself lately. You haven't been yourself for a while."
"What are you talking about? Of course I'm myself, besides being sixteen, that is."
"And who is that? The Minerva I knew wouldn't lie to Professor Dumbledore, she wouldn't have been in the garden with Potter."
"I made a some mistakes, I admit that."
"Mistakes Minerva McGonagall wouldn't make. I'm afraid that the potion is having a greater effect on you than I had anticipated. You are behaving more like a child than an adult now and that is worrying me."
Mindy frowned. "No I'm not. I think I'm just as grown as I was last year."
"Of course you do. You're sixteen. What sixteen year old doesn't think he's already grown?"
Mindy started to speak, but closed her mouth and sat down instead. Was Professor Snape right? Was she becoming sixteen? What he said did make a lot of sense. She never would have lied to Professor Dumbledore before, nor would she have helped Harry and the others follow Pansy. She would never have allowed herself to become so close to Harry. "Suppose you're right." She said. "What can I do about this..." She waved a hand in the air looking for the right word. "...This problem. Is there another potion I can take, something that will make me...better."
"I could probably come up with something." Snape answered. "But I haven't the time to work on it. Minerva, I think it would be best if you just stop taking the de-aging potion. "
Mindy blinked. "You're kidding right?"
Professor Snape looked at her seriously. "No. I am not."
"But the Animagus." Mindy stuttered. "Harry needs me now more than ever. If I'm not...if Mindy James is not around to keep him out of trouble, who will?"
"Potter can take care of himself. I told that to Professor Dumbledore when he first came to me with this idea. I believed it then and I still do. The boy has an uncanny ability of escaping death."
"What if he gets himself into a situation he can't get out of? What then?"
"Potter has yet to get himself into something he couldn't wiggle out of again. I'm not worried about him—"..."Well obviously." ..."—I'm worried about you."
Mindy looked at him. "Why?"
"You're loosing yourself, Minerva."
"Don't be daft. I'm sitting right here."
"You know very well what I mean. In the beginning you were so obviously Minerva McGonagall it was a wonder no one else figured it out. But now I can't catch the slightest glimmering of the Professor I knew. All I see is a sixteen year old girl."
Mindy shook her head no. "It's not true. I'm still me."
"Did you behave the way you do now when you were sixteen? Did you cause trouble in class, lie to your headmaster, sneak around the school on secret missions of espionage?"
"Well, no, of course not, but..."
"I think if you had to grow up again, you would be a very different person."
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it? Tell me, if you had to grow up again, choose a new career path, would you even choose to be a professor?"
Mindy opened her mouth to say 'yes', but suddenly realized that would be a lie. Of late teaching just seemed so dull to her. When she and Harry talked about what they planned do after school, she had of course said she wanted to teach. But Harry's talk of becoming an Auror seemed so much more interesting. A lot more interesting than having her nose stuck in a transfiguration book for the rest of her life. She remembered even thinking she wouldn't mind doing that—that she wished she had.
Mindy pressed her lips together and looked down at the floor, refusing to believe Professor Snape's words. "But Harry needs me." She said quietly.
Professor Snape watched her for a moment, then asked. "Do you want to stay sixteen to help Potter, or is it because you want to be with him?"
Mindy looked up, shocked, her face quickly flushing red with anger. "How could you even suggest that?"
Snape's eyes narrowed. "Last night speaks for itself."
Mindy felt herself blushing and quickly looked away. She decided she was done with this conversation and stood. "Your house must be ready for breakfast by now. So if you're not going to give me a detention, I'll just leave."
Professor Snape waved her away, but just before she stepped through the door he said, "Stop taking the potion, before it's too late."
~*~*~*~*
Harry poked dismally at his breakfast. He felt absolutely rotten about Neville. He still couldn't believe how thick he had been. Now that he looked back it was so obvious that the animagus wasn't talking about him at all. If he had any brains he would have seen that. Harry stabbed at his sausage in frustration, skewering it with his fork.
"In case you haven't noticed, Harry, that's already dead." Ron said, eyeing Harry's impaled sausage.
"Oh." Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just, uh, nothing."
Hermione shook her head. "Since you seem inclined to only mutilate your food, why don't we get out of here?"
"And do what?" Harry asked.
"Remember what I started to tell you last night, before Lavender came?" Hermione said. "I think we need to talk about that, but I don't want to do it in here. To many people."
"What about Mindy?" Harry asked. "She's not here."
Hermione was quiet for a moment, then said, "We'll tell her later. Let's go to the library. There shouldn't be to many other people there."
Harry nodded and he and Ron left their breakfasts and followed Hermione out of the Great Hall. They bumped into Professor Flitwick just outside the Great Hall, trying very hard to appear as if he was just heading in. Harry suspected he was place there to catch any students attempting to sneak off on their own. Professor Flitwick offered to walk them to their destination, and knowing they had no other choice, the three agreed.
"Remember to wait for a Professor to come by before going back to your house." Professor Flitwick said as they stopped in front of the library doors.
"We will." Hermione promised. Professor Flitwick waited until they had gone into the library before leaving again.
Hermione chose a table at the back of the empty library, well away from the librarian. "So what is it?" Ron asked, taking a seat next to Harry, across from Hermione.
"I believe I know who the Animagus is." Hermione stated.
Harry nodded. "Who?" He asked, leaning across the table.
"Bellatrix Lestrange." Hermione answered
Harry blinked. He had not expected to hear that name, but now that he had, he found he wasn't in the least surprised. . "Are you sure?" He asked quietly.
Hermione nodded. "Very sure, actually. I wasn't surprised not to find an owl Animagus registered, but I was surprised to find so little information on Trixe-Bella Greats."
"The new ministry worker?" Ron asked. "What does that have to do with Lestrange?"
"Everything." Hermione answered. "When I was looking through the ministry documents, there was nothing in them about Greats. No family history or past jobs or even what wizarding school she came from. It was as if she didn't exist before going to work for the Ministry. And then there was something about Greats name that just didn't sit right with me. And last night, it just clicked. That's when I realized that Trixe- Bella Greats really didn't exist."
"Huh?" Ron asked.
"There is no Greats." Hermione repeated. "If you rearrange the letters of her name, they spell..."
"Bellatrix Lestrange." Harry finished.
Hermione nodded. "Exactly. Didn't Voldermort—"
"Hermione." Ron hissed. "Don't."
Hermione rolled her eyes and continued. "Didn't he do the same thing with his name."
Harry nodded. "How could we not have seen this before?"
"What's important is that we know it now." Hermione said. "And we know she is here...somewhere."
"Maybe, maybe not." Harry said. "In owl form she can come and go pretty easily. Hundreds of owls fly in out of Hogwarts daily."
"It won't be so easy for her to do that now since Professor Dumbledore knows about her." Ron said. "I'll bet you anything he'll be keeping a very close watch on the owls that fly into Hogwarts."
"So if she's left." Harry said thoughtfully, "She most likely won't be able to get back in."
"I doubt she's gone." Hermione said. "Whatever it is she is trying to do here, she hasn't done it yet. Or haven't finish doing it. Why else would she work so hard to keep her presence a secret?"
"But what is she doing here?" Ron asked. "Besides poisoning people at random, that is."
"There was nothing random about what happened to Neville." Hermione frowned. "She'd been planning to poison get him for at least a month."
"And from what she said about Colin, I don't think he was randomly poisoned either." Harry said.
"She called him a nosey little brat." Ron said, frowning. "You think Colin suspected something."
Hermione shook her head. "Not likely. I think perhaps, on his way back to the Great Hall, Colin saw something or heard a noise and, considering his desire to be a reporter, decided to investigate. He must have run across Bellatrix then and she decided to kill him."
"But why poison him?" Ron asked. "Wouldn't it be a lot easier just to use 'Avada Kedavra'?"
"No, that wouldn't work." Hermione answered. "That's black magic in the worst way. Every alarm in the school would go off and all of them pointing directly at her. She probably thought Colin would be long dead before anyone found him." Hermione looked up at Ron. "You really did save him, you know."
"Maybe." Ron said. "But now that Neville's, you know, he may not live anyway."
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Mindy thinks Professor Snape will come up with a cure before long."
"I hope so." Harry said.
"But what do we do about Lestrange?" Ron asked. "We have to tell someone right?"
"No." Harry answered.
The other two looked at him. "What?" Hermione said. "Of course we do, Harry. This is important. Professor Dumbledore should know."
Harry shook his head. Bellatrix had taken his godfather's life and now she was back, hurting his friends. It was her who was making his life miserable this year. She was back, causing him pain all over again. "I want to find her." Harry said. "And I want to take care of her myself."
"Harry, I don't think..." Hermione started.
"Professor Dumbledore probably won't be able to do anything about it anyway." He said. "He couldn't do any thing about Pansy."
"This is different." Hermione argued. "He should know."
Harry shook his head. "This is something I have to do, and Professor Dumbledore probably won't let me."
Ron stared at Harry, watching him for a while. After a bit he said. "You'll let us help, at least."
Harry nodded. "I doubt I could stop you." He said with a half smile. "But first, we have to find her." He looked at Hermione. "Any idea's of where she might be hiding?"
Hermione shook her head. "Not in the Owlery, I'm sure, but she could be almost anywhere else. Hogwarts is a big and easy to get lost in."
"Then we'll just have to find a way to locate her." Harry said. "And I think I know where we should start."
"Slytherin." Ron said with certainty.
Harry nodded. "I need to talk to Pansy and the only way that's going to happen is if she thinks talking to a friend. And for that we need a polyjuice potion."
"We can't do that Harry." Hermione said. "It takes a month to brew and where are we going to get the ingredients?"
"We have no choice but to wait the month and we'll just have to figure out a way to get into Snape's ingredients cupboard. Maybe Mindy can. She spends enough time in detention with Snape, that she can get to his ingredients fairly easily."
"Will you tell Mindy what you're planning, then?" Hermione asked.
"Yes." Harry answered. "Why wouldn't I?"
Hermione shrugged, but said nothing.
"You really think this will work?" Ron asked.
"It will." Harry answered. "It has to."
"Well," Hermione said with resignation. "If we're going to do this, I suggest we get started on it right away. I'll find the instructions for the polyjuice potion. There's a book in here somewhere." She pushed away from the table and left the boys.
Ron looked at Harry. "I don't think Hermione is very happy about this."
Harry nodded agreement.
"You think we ought to listen to her?" Ron asked. "She does have an annoying habit of always being right."
Harry shrugged. Maybe Hermione was right; maybe he should tell Professor Dumbledore. But he had promised himself if he ever got the chance to take on Bellatrix, he would. He had never hated anyone the way he hated her. And he wanted to be the one who took her out.
Deciding he didn't want to talk about Bellatrix Letrange and polyjuice potions anymore he stood. "Let's find a professor and go back to the Tower." Harry said to Ron.
Ron nodded. "I'll go find Hermione and tell her we're ready to leave." He stood and wandered off in search of their other friend.
Harry left the table and headed back towards the entrance of the library to wait for Ron and Hermione. He was passing through a row of bookshelves when he heard a quiet sob. Harry stopped and looked around, quickly spotting Lavender. She was curled up in a small arm chair in a dark corner, sniffing back tears. Harry started to back away, thinking Lavender would probably want to be alone, and bumped into one of the shelves, causing several books to fall to the floor with a thump.
Lavender looked up, blinking back tears. "Who's there?" She called.
"Just me." Harry answered, quickly replacing the books and stepping around the shelves to face Lavender.
"Oh." Lavender said.
Harry stood awkwardly for a bit trying to think of something to say. "Er, how are you?" He said finally, feeling as if he'd asked the world's dumbest question.
"Okay." Lavender sniffed.
"Okay." Harry said, starting to walk away.
"I just feel so bad for Neville, you know." Lavender went on.
Harry stopped and nodded. "You really liked him, huh?" Lavender smiled weakly. Harry looked around, trying to decide if it was better to walk away, or ask what he had been wondering about for some time now. Curiosity won out over sympathy and he asked, "When did... you two...get so close?"
Lavender looked up, then said, "Promise you won't laugh."
Harry smiled reassuringly, sitting down in the second chair. "I won't laugh." He said, though he couldn't think of any thing she could possibly say that would make him laugh.
Lavender took deep breath. "I'm in advanced Herbology." She said cautiously.
Harry looked at her, slightly surprised. Lavender didn't seem the type to take advanced Herbology, but then he was in advanced Potions. "Alright." He said.
Lavender smiled, obviously relieved Harry didn't think it was utterly ridiculous she was in the class. "When I told Parvati I was going to be in Herbology again, she must have laughed for days." Lavender said. "She didn't believe I really like the subject. And I thought if my best friend couldn't believe I was in the class, then what would everybody else say. I suppose people think I'm, I don't know, stupid, I guess."
"That's not true." Harry said. "I don't think you're stupid." Which was true, though he had never thought of her as particularly bright, either. His impression of her stemmed from the way she and Parvati behaved. The way they would sit in the corner and giggle at every little thing. The way they took Divination so seriously and everything else so lightly. The two of them seemed the epitome of the ditsy teenage girl.
"Well, I'm no Hermione." Lavender frowned. "If it was her taking the class, no one think twice about. But since it's me..."
"Truthfully, I am a little surprise you're in the class." Harry said. "But I guess don't really know you that well."
Lavender sighed. "No one does. Not my parents. Not Parvati. Everybody just assumes stuff about me. But Neville was different. He actually took the time to find out what I was like, instead of just making presumptions." She looked up at Harry and said in explanation, "We were partnered up to research a plant. Well, actually, Neville chose me as his partner. He's the smartest kid in the class. Everybody wanted to partner with him, because he was guaranteed to make a high mark. I never thought he'd want to work with me. Nobody else did. He even listened to my suggestion of plant."
"Unicorn trees." Harry said.
Lavender nodded. "Everybody else thought it was a stupid plant to pick. It's fairly well known unicorn trees aren't good for anything but healing minor headaches and severe acne. But Neville didn't laugh. He said it was a brilliant idea." Lavender stopped, shaking her head. "Brilliant idea. No one has ever said that to me before."
"So that's why the two of you were together all the time." Harry said. "In the mornings and in the library."
Lavender nodded. "I made Neville promise not tell anyone about me being in Herbology. I was afraid people would laugh, like Parvati." She sighed, closing her eyes. "I guess Neville was my first real friend. He took the time to get to know me, really know me. I didn't know how much I appreciated that until he was...he was hurt." She opened her eyes, looking up and Harry could see tears brimming up again. "I just wish he'd wake up, Harry, so I can tell how much I...I love him."
"He'll be alright, Lavender." Harry said. "He worked so hard with Professor Snape, they must have been near a cure. Don't worry, he'll be saved."
Lavender smiled, brushing away tears. "Thanks, Harry, for listening. I knew you would understand."
Harry returned the smile, standing. "I'm sorry." He said. "That I didn't really know you before now."
Lavender laughed un-expectantly, then in one swift motion she stood, stepped up to Harry and, just as un-expectantly, threw her arms around his neck. Harry returned the hug awkwardly, then gently pushed Lavender back. She looked up at him with eyes bright from tears and Harry asked, "Are you ready to go back to Gryffindor Tower."
Lavender nodded, and the two of them made their way back to the front of the library.
~*~*~*~*
Mindy spent the remainder of the Holiday break doing everything in her power to avoid Harry. She needed to evaluate her feelings for him, and she couldn't do that when she was with him. It wasn't long before she realized that Professor Snape was right about the potion. It really had somehow turned her sixteen. She was finding it very difficult to think like an adult. She couldn't make herself see Harry or Hermione or Ron as a student and herself as a professor looking out for them, anymore. She couldn't help thinking of herself as Mindy James, another student at Hogwarts. And being aware of the potion's effect only made it worst. By the end of the break, Mindy had come to a decision. She would have to stop taking the potion.
"Mindy."
Mindy looked around and smiled as Hermione stopped in front of her, holding two bottles of Butterbeer. Mindy was seated at one of the gaming tables in Gryffindor's common room; staring blankly at the book Hermione had given her for Christmas. "Hi, Hermione." She said.
"You haven't been around much." Hermione said, sitting down and sliding one of the bottles of Butterbeer across to Mindy. "Harry's been wondering about you."
"Oh, I've had a lot on my mind." Mindy answered. "What's this?" She asked, picking up the bottle.
"I stopped by the kitchen on the way back up. The professors aren't as strict about where we wander off to as they were right after Christmas." Hermione answered, opening her bottle and taking a long drink.
Mindy decided to follow her example, and drank a bit of the Butterbeer. "I haven't missed anything important, have I?" She asked, putting the bottle back down.
Hermione shook her head. "No, just, we've finally found out Neville and Lavender's relationship."
"Oh?"
"They were Herbology partners."
"Lavender was taking advanced Herbology?" Mindy asked surprised.
Hermione nodded. "She never told anyone because she thought people might think it was ridiculous. She and Neville became pretty close, and after a while Lavender really started to fall for him."
"Wow," was all Mindy could think to say.
Hermione was silent for a bit, then said, "I've got to ask you something. Something that's going to sound a little, er, strange." She stopped, and, taking a deep breath, asked. "Are you Professor McGonagall?"
Mindy looked up, completely caught off guard. She had always known it was just a matter of time before some one figured her out. But she thought she was doing a good job of hiding who she really was, especially of late since she was becoming more student and less professor. She wasn't surprised that it was Hermione who discovered the truth, but she certainly wasn't going to yes. "Yes." Mindy answered, then quickly covered her mouth, eyes widening at what had just popped out of her.
Hermione closed her eyes and sat back shaking her head. "I knew it. I didn't want to believe it, but..." She glanced up, and seeing the shock still plastered across Mindy's face said, "Veritaserum. I've had my suspicions for a while."
"For at least a month." Mindy said quietly, removing her hand from her mouth and slouching down in her seat. "How did...how did you know?"
"Well, first of all Professor McGonagall left and you suddenly appeared. At the beginning of the year, Ron was constantly saying that there was something off about you. You didn't act like a student, not really. Secondly, you were too concern with the way Professor Lupin taught his class, and you were too good at transfigurations. I've never seen you practicing, but you were able to turn yourself, without any trouble on the first try. Not to mention Professor McGonagall's Animagus form is a cat. Plus, when Hagrid had us catching tree nymphs, you knew a stunning spell no student could have possibly learned, no matter what school you came from. And then you were always getting into trouble, which would have led me to believe you really were just student, but for the fact you only got into trouble with Professor Snape. I'm guessing you brewed a potion or something during your detention times; something that would keep you sixteen."
Mindy nodded, knowing she could do nothing but tell the truth now. "Was I so obvious then?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, you weren't, really. I only picked up the hints because I was looking for them. Ron kept saying there was something wrong about you, and after I found out he was a diviner, I decided to take his insight seriously. By mid October I had noticed enough little nuisances to make me wonder. I started the veritaserum potion then. But after you and Harry became a couple, I thought I wouldn't need it. Professor McGonagall would never date a student, or so I thought."
"Then what made you decide to pull out the potion, after all?" Mindy asked.
"It was something you said Christmas night, after you got back from Professor Dumbledore's office." Hermione answered.
"About Neville and the potion?" Mindy asked.
Hermione shook her head no. "I asked you if Professor Dumbledore was angry with Harry. You said Professor Dumbledore rarely becomes angry with his students, only disappointed. That's a statement only someone who has known the Headmaster for years could make. Not even Harry knows him well enough to say that."
Mindy shook her head. "I hadn't even realized I'd said that."
"Why?" Hermione asked. "Why would do this, Professor?"
"Please don't call me that, Hermione." Mindy said. She looked at the other girl for a moment, then said. "Professor Dumbledore was worried about Harry. He tends to get himself into trouble, even here surrounded by professors. Dumbledore thought the best way to keep him out of trouble was if a professor could be with him all the time. And so Snape developed the de-aging potion, Dumbledore asked me if I'd look after Harry, and," she shrugged, "here I am."
"That's not what I wanted to know." Hermione said. "That much I figured out, though I don't understand how a de-aging potion is keeping you...young."
"It's Professor Snape's special concoction." Mindy answered. "It's been modified to keep me sixteen for up to three months. Though Snape has me taking it every month and a half to two months."
Hemione nodded. "But what I really want to know is why got involved with Harry."
Mindy looked away. "I didn't mean for that to happen." She said quietly. "He just...He came on to me first."
"And you didn't turn him away?"
"I wanted to." Mindy said, defensively. "But I was afraid he might be hurt and not want to be friends with me."
"You really think Harry is that shallow." Hermione frowned. "He really cares about you, you know. A lot."
"I know." Mindy mumbled.
"He's going to be hurt." Hermione said. "A lot."
Mindy nodded. "I know."
"Do you even care?" Hermione asked, scowling darkly.
Mindy decided the best way to answer that question was to keep her mouth shut. Her time away from Harry had given her a chance to figure out just how much really cared for the boy. She knew that Snape was right about another thing. She did want to stay sixteen to be with Harry. She didn't know how Hermione would take that information. She wasn't sure how she was taking it. That was the main reason she had decided to stop taking the potion, after all.
Hermione took Mindy's silence as a bad sign, and pushed away from the table angrily. "I don't think I have anything else to say." She said, starting to walk away.
"Hermione." Mindy called.
Hermione looked back.
"Don't tell Harry."
"Don't you think he should know?"
Mindy didn't answer that question either afraid she might say yes.
"He'll find out eventually." Hermione said, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't like hiding this from him."
"Please." Mindy pleaded. "Don't."
Hermione frowned, but nodded reluctantly and walked away.
Mindy sank back in the chair, rubbing her temples. She suddenly had a headache. She closed her eyes, giving up any pretence of reading. "I can't believe this happening." She said to herself. "What am I going to do now?" Mindy didn't know how long she sat lost in thought, but when she looked up again, the common room was empty. It seemed a lot later than she thought it was, and, looking at the clock, she was surprised to see it was almost eight o'clock.
She stood up and stretched, surprised that she had zoned out for so long. Yawning slightly, she started for the girls' dorms, but stopped, looking around as the portrait door swung open. She felt her heart skip a beat as Harry stepped through the hole, followed by Ron.
Ron looked at her and smiled. "Hi."
Mindy glanced at him, her eyes quickly returning to Harry. "Hi." She said.
Ron's gaze flicked between the two. "Er, I'll just head up now." He said, moving past Harry and heading up to the boys' dormitory.
Harry grinned at Mindy, but the smile on his face quickly faded when he saw that Mindy wasn't returning it. "Is something wrong?" He asked, walking over to her.
Mindy blinked, then sitting on the sofa said, "I think we need to talk."
Harry frowned, sitting down next to Mindy. "What is it?"
Mindy looked at him, but then quickly looked away. "I...I think..." She stopped, rubbing her temples. She knew what she had to do. She just didn't know it would be so hard. "I think we shouldn't...do this anymore."
"Do what?" Harry asked.
"Be...together." Mindy answered. She glanced at Harry and saw incomprehension in his green eyes. "I don't think we should be...a couple."
"What?" Harry asked.
"Harry." Mindy said, looking away again. "You know what I mean."
"Why?"
"It just," Mindy stopped, trying hard to find the right words. It had been hours since she had taken the veritaserum, but she could still feel the effects of the potion, not that she wanted to lie to Harry. He deserved better than that. "It just isn't right." She said finally. It was a sorry answer, but at least it was partially true.
"What are you talking about, Mindy?" Harry asked. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her so that she was forced to look at him. "What is it really, Mindy. If I did something, I'm sorry. Just tell me what it is and we'll work it out."
"Harry, it isn't anything you've done." Mindy said, slipping out of his grip and standing up. "I told you. It just isn't right. We aren't right."
"You're not making any sense." Harry yelled. "We were fine yesterday."
"Were we?" Mindy asked. "We didn't say one word to each other yesterday, or the day before that, or the day before that. We haven't held a conversation in over a week, Harry."
Harry was quiet for a while as it dawned on him that Mindy was right. They hadn't spent any time together since Christmas night. Harry bowed his head. "I'm sorry, if I've been distant, lately. I've had a lot to think about. But I don't think we should break up because I haven't been around like I should've. I'll do better, I promise."
"Harry, you haven't been distant." Mindy said. "I have. I didn't want to be around you."
Harry looked up at her. "What?" He asked, quietly.
"I've been avoiding you, Harry." Mindy said. "I didn't want to talk to you."
Harry's green eyes clouded over with hurt, and he looked away. "You hate me then?"
"No, no. I don't hate you." Mindy said as reassuringly as she could. "I just can't think when I'm around you, and right now...I just need to be able to think." Harry didn't look at her and Mindy had the feeling he didn't believe her. Mindy bit her bottom lip, feeling it start to tremble. "I'm sorry." She said, backing away from him. "I just...I have to go." She turned around and headed quickly for the girls' dorms.
She knew she was doing the right thing. If she didn't break up with him now, it would just be later. After all, she would be Professor McGonagall again in a few weeks and all of her teenage feelings for Harry would fade away like an extremely weird adolescent dream. No matter how she would feel later though, at the moment Mindy felt absolutely rotten. She didn't know if she had really saved Harry any pain, but she knew she had hurt him now—badly. And she hated herself for it.
~*~*~*~*
"She did what?" Ron asked.
Harry stared at his eggs. "Dumped me." Harry mumbled.
Ron looked across his plate at Harry. "That doesn't make any sense. Did she say why?"
Harry shrugged, but said nothing.
Ron looked over at Hermione. "Does this make any sense to you, Hermione?"
"It's probably for the best." Hermione said.
"What? Have you lost your mind?" Ron looked at Harry. "She's crazy about you Harry. I mean, really crazy about you."
"Not anymore, apparently." He said, frowning. This was not how he had expected his break to end. He didn't even see it coming. He thought he and Mindy was doing okay. He knew sometimes she became angry with him, but what girl didn't get upset with her boyfriend every now and then. He never thought she would leave him. "Listen, I don't want to talk about this anymore." He said.
"But, Harry, I'm serious. She really likes you. At least she did last time I looked at her, which was last night."
"And she broke up with me no more than five seconds later." Harry frowned.
"Maybe you're wrong about her, Ron." Hermione said. "There's no way she could have been...Well, you can't be right about everything."
"I know I'm right about this." Ron said, seriously. "I read Cho right, and Lavender about Neville..."
"You knew Lavender liked Neville." Hermione said. "And you never told us?"
Ron shrugged. "It wasn't for me to tell. Besides, Lavender was still unsure about her own feelings. That's besides the point anyway. The point is, I know I'm reading Mindy correctly." He looked back at Harry. "Maybe you should try talking to her."
Harry shook his head. "It's over for us." He said. "And I don't want to talk about it anymore."
"But, Harry..." Ron started.
"Just leave it, Ron." Hermione frowned. "Mindy probably isn't right for him."
"That's what she said." Harry mumbled.
"Well that's just stupid." Ron frowned.
"Oh, Ron."
"No, seriously, Hermione. That's the stupidest thing I'v ever heard." Hermione rolled her eyes and Ron asked. "How would you feel if I just ditched you for no good reason?"
"Who says we're together?" Hermione said, coldly. Ron sat back in his chair, looking extremely hurt. Hermione caught the look in his eyes and quickly tried to make an apology. "Ron I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
"S'okay." Ron said. "Come on. First day of class. We don't want to be late." He threw down his fork and pushed away from his breakfast, walking swiftly for the door.
"Ron wait." Hermione called, hurrying after him.
Harry didn't move. He didn't feel like eating, or going to class, or listening to Ron and Hermione argue, then make up. He didn't feel like doing anything. He glanced up and saw Mindy walk into the Great Hall. She looked at him, then quickly looked away, hurrying to the opposite end of the table. Harry sighed, and, standing, left the Great Hall.
Harry spent the next few weeks avoiding any contact with Mindy. He tried not to look at her, hear her speaking, or even think about her. He tried to plan for meeting with Pansy, but he found it hard to concentrate, not that he knew how he would be able to complete the polyjuice potion without Mindy's help. He certainly couldn't concentrate in class, and found himself slipping behind in all subjects, especially potions.
Harry glanced across the dungeon at Mindy, and quickly looked away. She was talking with Malfoy again. He shoved down a pang of jealousy and stared at his potion, though he wasn't really seeing it. Mindy could talk to Malfoy if she wanted; they weren't together anymore. A thought struck him and he looked back up at Mindy and Malfoy. They're heads were close together as Malfoy pointed out something about the potion they were brewing. 'No way she left me for him.' Harry thought, shaking his head.
"Mr. Potter."
Harry looked around and focused on Professor Snape, walking towards his cauldron. "Sir?" He said, irritated.
"It appears your potion is burning." Professor Snape said, pulling out his wand.
Harry looked down at his potion for the first time in about twenty minutes, surprised to see that the liquid had solidified into a black jelled puddle and was starting to belch up a thick black smoke. "Oh. Sorry." He mumbled.
Professor Snape waved his wand, and the black mess vanished. "You don't have time to start the potion over. You'll take a failing grade for the day." Snape put his wand away and walked back to his desk, before Harry could think to protest.
Harry glanced at his clean cauldron, then looked across the room to see Mindy returning his gaze. She watched Harry closely, and Harry wondered what she was thinking. Malfoy laid a hand on her arm and Mindy looked over at him. Malfoy whispered something in Mindy's ear. She smiled weakly and turned her attentions back to her potion. Malfoy smiled icily at Harry, and he returned the glare, then went to tidying up the area around his cauldron, wishing fervently that the class would end.
After what seemed like ages, Snape called for the students to bottle their potions. Harry stuffed his potions book into his bag and left the room, glancing back only once to see Malfoy picking up Mindy's bag. 'Well, if she'd rather have him over me, then she probably deserves him.' Harry thought miserably, as he made his way away from damp dungeons.
Harry spent the rest of the day in a bit of an unhappy daze. He hadn't paid any attention in his other classes, and had managed only weak nods whenever someone asked him anything. He walked to the Great Hall for dinner with Ron and Hermione, only half listening to Ron's chatter.
"So we've decided to let Hannah Storm play in Ginny's spot. That is if we'll still have the Quidditch match. Things have been a little, er, strained, lately." Ron looked at Harry. "What do you think of Hannah playing?"
"Yeah." Harry nodded, not really hearing the question or the statement that had come before.
Ron frowned as he pushed the Great Hall doors open. "That wasn't exactly the answer I was expecting. Are you even listening?"
Harry blinked then looked at Ron. "Sorry. I was just..."
"Thinking about Mindy." Hermione finished.
Harry shook his head no, then sighed and nodded yes. "I'm trying to forget her, but..." He shrugged. "It's hard."
Hermione frowned but said nothing.
"Have you tried talking to her, yet?" Ron asked choosing a spot at the Gryffindor table.
Harry shook his head no. "I've done everything I could not to talk to her." He answered sitting next to Ron.
"That's probably best." Hermione said. "Who knows how long she'll be here anyway?"
Harry looked at Hermione curiously and asked, "Do you know something I don't?"
"Oh. No, of course not. What would I know?" Hemione said a little too quickly.
"I think you should talk to her." Ron said. "At least get the real reason she broke up with you out of her."
"Maybe you're right." Harry said, though he couldn't imagine facing Mindy again.
"'Course I'm right." Ron said, taking a slice of roast beef and ladling mash potatoes onto his plate. "Want some?" He asked, offering Harry the bowl of potatoes.
Harry shook his head no. He wasn't feeling very hungry. He hadn't felt hungry in a while.
"You should eat something, Harry." Hermione said.
"I will." Harry answered, reaching for the bowl that contained the soup of the night. It was pea soup. He hated pea soup, but he spooned a little onto his plate anyway.
"And don't listen to a thing Ron says." Hermione went on. "It's probably best if you just stayed away from Mindy."
"Why?" Ron asked. "What could she possibly say to him that's worst than what she already has?"
Hermione pressed her lips together, then said so quietly they almost didn't hear her, "I could think of a few things."
Harry started to ask Hermione what she meant by that, when someone stopped behind him. He looked back to see Lavender standing over him. She smiled weakly and asked, "Harry, can I talk to you?"
"Sure." Harry answered, and, standing, followed Lavender out of the Great Hall.
"It's about Neville and the antidote he was working on." Lavender said, once the huge doors were firmly shut behind her.
"What about it?"
"I was Neville's partner in Herbology. So I've researched unicorn trees a lot too. Neville was the one who thought it could help Colin, but we both worked on finding out if he was right—before we went to Hermione. We didn't want to waste her time if we were wrong."
"So you know just as much about unicorn trees as Neville?" Harry asked.
"I wouldn't say just as much. Neville has such a head for plant facts." Lavender smiled, remembering her friend. Then she shook herself back to reality and said, "But I probably know more than Professor Snape. Neville would tell me what progress he and Snape would make for the day, so I know where he stopped off." Lavender was quiet for a moment then, looking at Harry, asked, "Do you think I could help? I'm just so tired of sitting around and hoping that Snape finds an antidote soon. If I can help, I want to."
"Of course I think you can help." Harry said. "I don't know why somebody hadn't thought of it before. When are you going to talk to Snape?"
"I'd like to go now."
Harry frowned. "But it's dinner. Wouldn't he be eating?"
Lavender shook her head. "He isn't in there. So he must be in his lab, working on some potion or other." She looked at Harry with pleading eyes and asked, "Will you come with me? Please. I don't want to go down there by myself."
Harry wasn't to eager to see Professor Snape again, himself, particularly after this morning. But he didn't want to go back into the Great Hall and continue his conversation with Ron and Hermione. And he certainly wouldn't be sorry to miss dinner. He looked at Lavender and said, "Sure. Let's go."
Lavender grinned and, turning around, led the way past the Great Hall. She hurried back towards the interior of the school and the dungeons below. They walked down the damp hall to Snape's class and as they neared they saw that a light was on inside.
"I knew he would still be down here." Lavender said quietly, though she didn't sound especially thrilled.
Harry nodded and reached to open the door when he heard voices floating from behind it.
"Once you're back to normal, you'll forget all of this." Snape was saying to someone.
"Well, I'm absolutely miserable now." 'Mindy?' Harry thought surprised. That was her. He'd know her voice anywhere.
"You're sixteen. Of course you're miserable. At that age everything seems worse than it is."
"You're not being very understanding." Mindy huffed. "What kind of parental figure are you?"
"Not yours." Snape answered. "Now get out of here. I have a potion to work on and can't concentrate with you and your moodiness. You may return when you're, at the very least, fifty."
"Oh, fine. I see enough of this moldy old room during the daytime anyhow."
Harry heard footsteps heading towards the door. His first thought was to hide behind something, but the hall was completely bare. He looked back the way he had come, and thought about making a mad dash for the stairs leading out of the dungeons. But even as the thought crossed his mind, the class door was yanked open.
Mindy stopped dead and stared at Harry in wide-eyed surprise. Her eyes were red rimmed, as if she'd been crying, and her cheeks were flushed red with anger. Now the color began to drain from them as she whispered, "Harry?"
Professor Snape, who had been bent over a cauldron looked up. He frowned at the two new students standing his door way. "Mr. Potter, Ms. Brown. What are you doing here?"
"I came to talk to you about something, Sir." Lavender answered. She looked at Mindy, who immediately shook herself and pushed past Harry.
Harry watched Mindy hurrying away and wonder if he should follow. He looked back at Lavender who smiled understandingly. "Thanks for walking with me, Harry. I can take it from here."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
Lavender nodded then stepped into the class, shutting the door behind her.
Harry looked in the direction that Mindy had disappeared, then decided to go after her. He ran back towards the stairs and hurried up them. "Mindy wait." He called, catching a glimpse of her at the top. She looked back at him, but didn't stop. Harry followed her through the school, down the corridors, past the Great Hall, and finally to the entrance of the school.
Mindy pushed the door open and stepped outside. Harry followed behind her, immediately wishing he had his cloak. It was already dark and the cold night air bit through his school robes as if they weren't there. He forgot about his cloak completely though, when he saw Mindy trudging down to the lake. Harry hurried after, his breath fogging white as he pushed through the thick snow.
"Mindy, wait please." He called as he hurried after her.
Mindy stopped walking and turned to look out at the frozen lake. "I'm not going anywhere." She said quietly.
Harry stopped beside her, catching his breath. "Can we talk?" He asked after a bit.
Mindy shrugged. "What's there to say?"
"Plenty." Harry answered. "First I'd like to know why you left me. Why you really left me."
"I really do like the snow." Mindy said, ignoring Harry completely. "It's even prettier in moon light, don't you think?"
"Mindy, please." Harry said. "Just tell me okay. Is it me? Or would you rather be with Malfoy?"
Mindy looked at Harry surprised. "Draco? No. of course not." She answered. "And it's not you."
"Then what is it?" Harry asked. "And pleased don't say 'it's not you. It's me'."
Mindy looked away from Harry, then back at the icy water. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"You did." Harry said.
Mindy nodded. "It hurts me too; being away from you."
"You miss me?" Harry asked.
Mindy shivered and pulled her robes tightly about herself. "Terribly."
Harry stepped up next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Why don't we forget all of this?" Harry suggested. "And just be together again."
Mindy slipped out of Harry's embrace and stepped away from him. "We shouldn't." She said. "We can't."
"Why not?" Harry asked, becoming frustrated. "Why can't we be together? Weren't we happy with each other?"
Mindy looked at him. Shaking her head she said, "It isn't right."
"That's what you said last time and it still doesn't make any sense. What's wrong?"
Mindy didn't say anything for a while, then taking a deep breath she said, "I've been lying to you."
Harry frowned. "What?"
"I'm not who think I am. I'm not Mindy James."
Harry shook his head, not sure he understood what he was hearing. "If you're not Mindy James," He said, "Who are you?"
Mindy looked at Harry for a long moment. Regret shown in her serious gray eyes. She pressed her lips together, and with great reluctance, but deep resolve said, "Minerva McGonagall."
~*~*~*~*~*
I've finished the chapter. Yay. And with my first true cliffhanger ending. I hope you guys liked this one; I worked really hard on it. So I better get some good reviews. Or just review. Please. I so love reviews. They're yummy with chocolate. Any who, I owe you some review comments.
On-A-Rainy-Day: Yeah, you were right about Mindy not telling Harry who she really was for a while. I actually didn't plan for it to happen in this chapter. In fact I planned to wait a few more chapters for that. But stories have a way of taking on a life of their own, and the chapter just wanted go this way. And you're right about Draco. He is acting oddly. Is it love, or is it something else? Hhmmm?
Nimbus 1944: Yeah, thought about the gentle let without disclosure. Thought this way would be a lot more interesting. What can I say. I like conflict.
supernova8610: ::shocked expression::I could never kill Neville.
Olivia Wood: Well, everything happens to Harry, so why shouldn't he assume Bellatrix was talking about him. I'm glad you don't find Harry/Mindy to disturbing (though Mindy is a lot less Minerva now and a lot more Mindy), but they're broken up now so it doesn't matter anymore, right? Thanks for the complement on Mindy/Minerva. It's stinking hard to write a grown-up with a teenage brain. I'm glad you like Snape, too. It is surprisingly fun to write him.
Crookykanks: Snape walking in on Harry and Mindy was super fun. And I must be doing something right if you can sometimes forget Mindy is a teacher. She forgets all the time, and hopefully this chapter explains why. Thanks for the review.
RosePetal77: Thanks for thinking so much of my story that you would go through the trouble of sending me an email. BIG THANKIES for put me on your favorites list. I love it when people do that. It makes me feel super proud. It's okay that you can't review normally. Believe me I understand when computers go on the fritz. Mine does constantly.
UniMyth: You're review made me laugh, and yes it is Bella. Bad, bad Bella.
Superhpfreak: Howdy. Did you know you were the last to get your review in this time. I thought might update before you reviewed (I was planning on updating days ago, but the chapter didn't finish itself on schedule. Bad chapter!). No I don't mind the corrections, they are extraordinarily helpful. I plan to put this story on fiction alley when its done, and they don't smile kindly on spelling mistakes. And I had no idea Animagi was the plural of Animagus. But I guess it makes sense, sort of like radius and radii (woo, I remembered math words).
Harry suffered from some deep denial for a while, so he thought by ignoring the odd going-ons, he somehow would make them go away. Which of course did not happen. I have to warn you, for a while it's going to look like Mindy and Malfoy are going to start dating, but you'll just have to trust me that nothing will come of it. I swear. And poor Neville, indeed. Lavender realizes she like, likes him, but only after he's half dead. But it could be worse. He could be all dead. Any way, thanks for the note about the drop down menu. I didn't know that was still screwed up. I fix.
No more comments for today. I won't promise to update within the month again. I'll just be setting myself up for disappointment. And everybody else, as well. So I will leave you with a promise to update—eventually. Bye for now. Oh. Before I forget, can you guys do me a favor and review, please. Review or I'll send my hit-man to whack you all (insert evil laughter here). Until next time, Au Revior.