1 October 1997
Minerva surveyed her class wearily. Breakfast had only just finished, and now the seventh years were meant to be gathered in the Transfiguration classroom, ready for their first lesson of the afternoon. But a student was missing. Minerva could not see Seamus Finnigan amongst the bobbing heads of 17 and 18-year-olds entering her classroom.
Ordinarily, she would not have been worried seeing as Finnigan had a tendency for being late. Yet, Minerva had not seen the boy at lunch, and his previous lesson had been Defence Against the Dark Arts. Something told her that all was not well.
The students sat down and got their books out. Zacharias Smith, the last one to enter the room, closed the door behind him and still, Finnigan had not shown his face.
Minerva did not wave her wand so that instructions for non-verbal spells appeared on the blackboard. Instead, she lowered her wand and waited for her students to settle down.
"Where is Mr Finnigan?" she asked, directing her question mostly towards Hannah Abbott, Zacharias Smith and Neville Longbottom who typically spent the most time with Finnigan. Neville Longbottom looked down at his hands on his desk.
"He's—probably on his way," Neville said quietly. His words were greeted by a small confused frown from Abbott - Minerva shared the sentiment. However, before she had time to enquire more, Smith cut in.
"He was asked to stay back after Defence Against the Dark Arts," he burst out. Neville glared at Smith but the latter was not deterred from saying more. "Because he defended himself in class."
"Against whom?" Minerva asked immediately. She knew the answer before Smith said anything.
"Professor Carrow."
There was a short silence. Hannah Abbott looked appalled, Longbottom looked tired with Smith, and Smith ignored Longbottom and instead locked eyes with Minerva. The rest of the class waited expectantly, with growing apprehension, for Minerva to speak.
"Why did Mr Finnigan need to defend himself against Professor Carrow?" she said.
The classroom was so quiet they could have heard a pin drop. Eventually, Hannah Abbott cleared her throat. All eyes turned to her.
"We were practising non-verbal spells this morning, Professor McGonagall," she began to explain. "Professor Carrow partnered with Seamus and—and Seamus used quite a forceful—erm—verbal hex when deflecting one of Professor Carrow's silent spells."
"Seamus was told he can't leave until he's mastered non-verbal spells, Professor," Longbottom added. His eyes dropped to his watch strapped around his wrist. Minerva did the same and looked to the back of the classroom where she kept an hourglass; it had been at least 15 minutes since her Transfiguration lesson had started. Seamus had not been seen since the end of Defence Against the Dark Arts - meaning he had been absent for over an hour now.
Minerva felt an increasingly familiar growing sense of fear settle in the pit of her stomach. "I see," she said. She paused for a moment, then cleared her throat. "I would like you to open your books to Chapter 6 and read until Chapter 7. Miss Abbott, I will leave you in charge until I return from speaking with Professor Carrow."
The girl nodded and Minerva waved her wand so that a blue shimmering light flew from the tip of her wand and solidified to form the shape of a tabby cat. It jumped lithely to Minerva's desk and sat there - its tail swishing rhythmically from side to side.
"You are not expected to use your wands for this exercise and, as such, it will be unnecessary for you to cast any enchantments," Minerva continued. She gestured at the small blue cat on her desk. "I shall know if you do."
The class nodded uneasily and Minerva walked the length of the classroom. She debated whether or not to keep the door open but finally decided against it, thinking Alecto might deem it worthwhile to pay the seventh year an unexpected visit while they were unsupervised. Instead, she left the door only slightly ajar. Before she left, she heard mutters of disapproval from her students.
"Great job, Smith! McGonagall's going to have a go at Carrow now."
"Maybe she should—"
"Yeah, and what do you think will happen then? Umbridge was kind compared to this lot."
Minerva did not linger by the door to hear anymore. She walked hurriedly to the Defence Against the Dark Arts corridor, feeling more and more anxious the closer her feet brought her to Amycus' classroom. An hour and a half Seamus Finnigan had been trapped in Amycus' classroom, she thought. What damage could he have possibly inflicted on the boy in all this time?
By the time Minerva reached Amycus' classroom her anxiety and worry had turned into anger towards Snape, the Carrows and their new ways of supposedly running a school.
Draco Malfoy was standing guard outside the classroom door. His eyes widened when he saw her.
"Professor Carrow says—"
"Out of my way, Mr Malfoy!" Minerva snapped. She shooed him away, but even then the boy had not needed much more encouragement. He hurriedly moved aside and Minerva opened the door with a little more force than usually required.
She was instantly greeted by the sight of a white spell hurtling towards the hunched over and barely standing figure of a student whom Minerva identified as Seamus. With speed that surprised even herself, Minerva made a sweeping motion with her left hand and deflected the spell with ease. It hit the castle wall instead and left a black soot mark on the stone
"Since when has attacking students been deemed acceptable?" Minerva furiously demanded a slightly surprised Amycus.
He very quickly rearranged his features. "This isn't your business, McGonagall," he said. "The Headmaster—"
Minerva clucked her tongue. "Unless I misread the new school regulations, Amycus, the Headmaster has never condoned corporal punishment," she interrupted him. "And I have not, and do not, either."
Amycus puffed out his chest. "I think you'll find that I am correction office here, McGonagall."
"Yes. Regrettably, so you are," Minerva said. "If you wish the change the regulations then speak to Severus. By all means, don't let me stop you. But as of now, it is absolutely forbidden to harm any one of our students. I will be removing Mr Finnigan from your classroom with immediate effect."
Shooting a disdainful glance in Amycus' direction, Minerva then turned away and walked to Seamus Finnigan to help him straighten up. He winced but did not protest.
"Sorry, Professor," he mumbled. He was leaning very heavily against her, Minerva noticed.
"Madam Pomfrey can—"
Minerva stopped when she felt a strong and firm hand land on her shoulder and jerk her backwards. She stumbled slightly.
"I didn't dismiss you."
Minerva pursed her lips and turned to face Amycus again. She could feel her fingers itching to grab her wand. Instead, she merely shook Amycus' hand free from her shoulder.
"I am afraid I have a class to teach, Professor Carrow," she said. "And I have a student that I must accompany to the Hospital Wing. If you take any offence with these actions then I shall ask that you report my behaviour to the Headmaster."
For a moment Minerva thought Amycus was going to argue more. His hand was on his wand, and Minerva was sure that it would not take much for him to shoot a spell at both her and Mr Finnigan. Or perhaps only her, she thought.
Surprisingly, Amycus took a step backwards. He was still wanded and he looked angry enough to hex her on the spot. But he did not.
"Lucky the Headmaster wants no professor harmed," he said, sheathing his wand. "Although I expect he will change his mind when he hears of what you have done."
"I feel suitably afraid," Minerva said with such contempt that Amycus narrowed his eyes at her. She pulled her eyes away from him and turned to face Finnigan.
The boy had a black eye and, Minerva suspected, many other injuries to his chest and knees given the way that he was holding himself.
"Come along now, Mr Finnigan," she said gently. "Madam Pomfrey can take a look at you at the Hospital Wing."
He nodded silently, looking both tired and grateful.