"Ouch! Careful!"
"Sorry! I can't see you under that thing!"
"That's kind of the point."
"You lot are pathetic. Did you know that?"
"Oh, yeah? See if you can find Harry underneath his Invisibility Cloak!"
"Sure! He's right here!"
"Ow! Did you have to smack me in the back of the head, Seamus?"
"Hey, I had to prove a point, mate."
"Will you three keep quiet?" Hermione hissed as they crept along the corridor leading to the Headmaster's Tower.
It was past eleven o'clock at night and they were near Snape's office. Neville and Seamus had agreed to follow Harry, Ron and Hermione on their mission of stealth and, after a slightly heated argument with her boyfriend, Ginny had also accompanied them. Harry was hidden underneath his Invisibility Cloak since he was they Death Eaters' main target.
"So what are we looking for, exactly?" Neville asked softly.
"Ron, Hermione and I will worry about that. You, Ginny and Seamus focus on keeping an eye on our surroundings," Harry replied in a whisper.
"Harry, shh!" Hermione said. "You're supposed to be invisible."
"Are these things supposed to help you beat You-Know-Who?" Seamus pressed on.
"Yes," Harry said, ignoring Hermione.
"Look!" Ginny exclaimed, pointing.
They followed her gaze and stopped in their tracks. Someone was in the office: the gargoyle had been raised and the spiral staircase was now accessible to anyone. They stood uncertainly a few feet away, all wondering the same thing.
"What now?" Ron said, voicing everyone's thoughts.
"Let's keep going. We've made it this far," Neville said firmly.
Harry was alarmed at the preposition.
"No. You guys go back and I'll go. I have the Invisibility Cloak," he said.
"Uh, no. It's all of us or nothing," Ginny replied severely.
"C'mon, mate. You can't do this alone," Seamus said reasonably.
The Chosen One groaned exasperatedly. How did he manage to get some stubborn friends?
"I can't convince you otherwise?" Harry asked, almost pleadingly.
They vigorously shook their heads.
"Fine," Harry said stubbornly. "Let's go."
His friends smiled at each other triumphantly as they cautiously approached the office. Harry climbed up the stairs first, looking over his shoulder constantly to make sure that everyone was still there. When they arrived at the door, which was closed, the Chosen One turned to his friends.
"Ready?" he whispered.
They nodded, taking their wands out. Wand at the ready, Harry slowly opened the door.
Professor McGonagall sat slumped in the headmaster's chair, her mind whirling as Dumbledore eyed her carefully from his portrait as he finally finished telling everything she needed to know. Snape was innocent and on their side? Dumbledore's death was planned between Snape and Dumbledore himself? Dumbledore would have died anyway thanks to the curse that had blackened his hand? Voldemort had split his soul into seven pieces and one of those pieces was inside Potter? Potter had to die in order for Voldemort to die? It was all just too much.
But at least she had finally received answers to the questions she had been asking herself for a long time. She just had not been prepared to take on the impact on those answers.
"Albus," Professor McGonagall said slowly, "how can all this be true?"
"It just is, Minerva," Dumbledore replied evenly. "I know it's a lot to take in."
"That's an understatement," Professor McGonagall retorted.
Dumbledore opened his mouth to answer when they heard the door hinges creak, signaling that someone was coming in. Professor McGonagall jumped to her feet and pointed her wand at the intruders, expecting them to be the Carrows.
Her mouth fell open at the sight of Longbottom, Finnigan, Granger and Mr and Miss Weasley, and their shocked expressions mirrored hers perfectly. Professor McGonagall cautiously approached them, her wand still raised.
"Tell me who you are and something about yourselves that only I as your head of house would know," she ordered. "Let me begin: I am Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, head of Gryffindor house, Order of the Phoenix member."
Longbottom took a step forward and Professor McGonagall watched him expectantly.
"My name is Neville Longbottom and you, Professor McGonagall, have once advised me to pursue Charms rather than Transfiguration in my N.E.W.T. levels," he said diplomatically.
"Okay, Longbottom. You passed your test," Professor McGonagall said clinically. "Stand behind me if you please."
Longbottom complied. Professor McGongall turned back to the other students.
"Next," she said.
Finnigan stepped forward.
"Seamus Finnigan at your service, professor!" he said. "You once told me that you were impressed with my knowledge in pyrotechnics."
"Very well, Finnigan. You may stand with Longbottom over there. Next!"
"I am Ginevra 'Ginny' Weasley, and you once secretly told me that you approved of me dating Harry Potter."
Mr Weasley snickered and his sister stomped on his foot as Granger glared at him. Professor McGonagall fought down a small smile.
"Go stand with Mr Longbottom and Mr Finnigan, Miss Weasley. Next!"
Mr Weasley, who was massaging his foot, gingerly put it down before limping forward.
"I am Ronald Weasley and you were the one who got Madam Hooch to secretly give me extra training as a Keeper for Quidditch."
"Go stand with you sister, Mr Weasley. And, finally –?"
"I am Hermione Granger and you, Professor McGonagall, had arranged for me to receive a Time-Turner in order to attend several classes at once during my third year."
Professor McGonagall released a breath she did not know she had been holding. She motioned Granger to join them and the girl happily did so.
"I guess that's all of you," Professor McGonagall said, giving them a rare smile.
"Not quite."
The Transfiguration professor froze. That voice! No, it couldn't be! Could it?
Professor McGonagall whirled around on time to see Harry Potter slip out from underneath the Invisibility Cloak his father had used time and time again to cause mischief.
I highly doubt McGonagall was expecting to see Harry. I wonder how she'll react to Snape the next time she sees him? Stay tune to find out!