A/N: Yadda Yadda Yadda.. You know the drill I don't own Harry Potter, I don't own M*A*S*H either. Just using them for a bit of pleasure :-)
Chapter 5: Minerva on the Warpath
Minerva McGonagall was red faced with fury after watching the boys' memories in her Pensieve. 'That man has gone too far!' she thought angrily. 'He told me that he took the points because the boys had sabotaged Mr. Malfoy's potion and never even mentioned the detentions! I don't care how much Albus says he trusts Snape, that man is a menace and doesn't belong in a school teaching children!' She remembered that Snape was currently teaching a class of third years, Gryffindors and Slytherins to be precise. She scooped the memories out of her Pensieve with her wand and placed them in an unbreakable vial. She tucked the vial in her robes as she stormed out of her office, heading for the dungeons. She drew her wand as she approached the Potions classroom. The door slammed open with a flick of her wand and she strode in just in time to see one of his Slytherins levitating something over one of the Weasley twins' cauldron while Snape sat at his desk watching. She swiftly summoned the object and had Snape bound and silenced before he could open his mouth.
"A weeks detention and one hundred points from Slytherin, Mr. Montague, for attempting to sabotage another students work! Now, the rest of you are dismissed. Mr. Montague and Professor Snape will be accompanying me to see the Headmaster." She looked at the instructions Snape had written on the board to see what potion he had them working on and asked George what step he was on, who promptly answered her. "Twenty points to Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley for such a prompt answer." She looked at the object in her hand and immediately realized what effect it would have had on the potion at that point in the brewing process. She spotted Montague attempting to slip out of the classroom and promptly petrified him as well. The remainder of the class hustled to clean up as McGonagall levitated Snape and Montague out of the classroom.
When she arrived at the stone gargoyle, she gave the password and carelessly levitated the two Slytherins up the spiral staircase, though Snape received the worst treatment, knocking his head against the walls several times. Without bothering to knock she strode into Dumbledore's office and unceremoniously dropped Snape and Montague on the floor.
"What is the meaning of this, Minerva?" asked Dumbledore.
"Bring out your Pensieve, Albus. I have a few things I want to show you," she snarled.
Dumbledore frowned but said nothing as he stood to retrieve his Pensieve. He set the stone basin on his desk as Minerva withdrew the vial containing the three Gryffindors' memories. She uncorked the vial and poured the silvery strands into the Pensieve before placing the tip of her wand to her temple and withdrawing her memory of what she had seen when she entered the Potions classroom. She glared at Snape before turning to Dumbledore.
"The first three memories are of Professor Snape's first year Potions class from this morning, and mine is the reason Mr. Montague is here as well," said McGonagall tartly.
"Minerva, I trust Sever…"
"This has nothing to do with whether you trust him or not. This has to do with his deplorable conduct as a teacher. Watch the memories Dumbledore!" ordered McGonagall, prodding the swirling memories with her wand and tapping several runes on the rim, causing the memories to appear as a three dimensional image over the Pensieve. She glared at Dumbledore as the three identical memories from the three Gryffindor boys played out, occasionally tapping a few runes to 'fast-forward' through irrelevant or redundant portions of the memories. Dumbledore watched the memories with seeming disinterest, nearly causing McGonagall to hex him. Fortunately the memories of the first years' class finished before she lost her temper as he did seem to pay closer attention to her memory.
"I fail to see the point in showing me these memories, Minerva. You should have let Severus handle disciplining Mr. Montague. And what precisely do those other three identical memories have to do with you petrifying them?" asked Dumbledore after the memories finished playing.
"Apparently you are not as brilliant as you claim, if you can turn a blind eye on his obvious bias against Gryffindors in general and Mr. Potter in particular. He sat and watched Mr. Montague attempt to sabotage a Gryffindor's potion in a potentially fatal fashion!" she shrieked.
Snape apparently had had enough and managed to break McGonagall's petrification of him enough to speak. "It was just a prank and you are not a potions master, Minerva," he drawled sarcastically. "And Potter is just like his father, arrogant, self-absorbed…"
"You are proving my point Severus! You clearly are unable to put aside your animosity for a man who has been dead for nearly ten years and behave in a professional manner. I have also listened to ten years of complaints about your bias towards your own house. Had it been a Gryffindor you would have levied at least the same punishment if not screaming for their expulsion. Tell me Albus, what effect would this," Minerva slapped the piece of boomslang skin she had summoned from Montague on Dumbledore's desk, "have on the potion that class was brewing?"
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "I believe the punishment you have already given Mr. Montague is sufficient. I trust that Mr. Filch will be acceptable to oversee his detention?"
McGonagall nodded and released Montague before shooing him out the door. She turned around and glared at Snape before releasing him as well.
"Headmaster, you assured me that I would be allowed to deal with discipline in my classes without interference," snarled Snape. "Potter disrespected a teacher, in addition to casting spells in class!"
"Then how do you justify your punishment of Mr. Thomas?" asked McGonaagall.
Snape sneered at her before replying. "He has obviously been taken in by the brat's so-called fame."
"Enough! Mr. Thomas' punishment is revoked but Mr. Potter's shall stand and I will oversee his detention myself instead of Severus," said Dumbledore. "Eight o'clock tonight."
McGonagall studied both the Headmaster and Snape's faces for a moment before nodding sharply to Dumbledore, glaring at Snape and cast a meaningful glance at Fawkes, Phoenix of Hogwarts. Most people thought that Fawkes was Dumbledore's familiar, but being the Head of Gryffindor House as well as Deputy Headmistress, Minerva knew better. For Fawkes was originally companion to Lord Godric Gryffindor, one of the four Founders of Hogwarts, and had bonded himself to Hogwarts and hence to any worthy heir of Lord Gryffindor. Fawkes winked at Minerva before looking sadly at the politically and magically powerful yet woefully unworthy Headmaster and self-proclaimed Leader of the Light. Minerva breathed a mental sigh of relief, knowing that Fawkes would restrain the Headmaster if he started getting too far out of line. She turned and left the office, casting a quick Tempus charm as she hurried down the spiral staircase. Dinner was just starting, so she headed for the Great Hall to look for Harry and Dean. She saw the two boys sitting with Mr. Finnegan and calmly approached her students.
"Mr. Thomas, Mr. Potter, I have good news and I have bad news regarding your potions class this morning. Mr. Thomas, the points that were taken have been returned and you will not have to serve the detention. Unfortunately Mr. Potter, the Headmaster upheld your punishment, though he will oversee your detention at eight o'clock tonight. There is a phoenix in the Headmaster's office. If you feel threatened by the Headmaster at any time during your detention, look to Fawkes and he will protect you."
"Thanks for the warning Professor," said Harry. "I was wondering when he'd make some sort of excuse to get me alone with him. Might I see you in your office after my detention, Professor?" he asked.
"You anticipate me Mr. Potter. I would like to see you and your friends after your detention," said McGonagall, subtly glancing at Dean and Seamus before heading to her seat at the Head Table.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait, had a case of Holiday Writer's Block. I know I said I would have the boys' visit to Hagrid, but I had several people inquire about McGonagall's reaction and this chapter started off quick but then the Holidays hit and I blocked. The end of the chapter isn't as smooth as I'd like but I didn't want to make you wait any longer. Visit to Hagrid will be next chapter.