A/N: Hello all, how are you? It has come to that time of the year again when life gets busier, and I, stupidly perhaps, decide –somewhat last minute- that I'm going to do NaNoWriMo. Anyone who's interested in writing, and can face a rather long and sometimes gruelling challenge, should definitely join in. 50,000 words in 30 days isn't really all that much. 1700 words a day would put you in good stead for any days you miss.
Anyway. So I'm doing NaNoWriMo, and that means that life is super busy, with work and all as well. So the key is to once again bear with me. The plan is to have Christmas Down Under, and Age of Healing done and dusted by January so that I can turn my attention to the next instalment of Births and Deaths – all while I try and find a publisher for my novel, which *fingers crossed* will be finished using NaNoWriMo to kick my butt into shape.
I don't know why I do this to myself lol
As always, thank yous go to Spin, who was awesome in getting this done, even though her computer was acting up, and she really wanted to play GTAV! :P Love ya!
-0-
"Minerva?"
Minerva sighed for the third time in the last hour as her free afternoon without Álainn, or her detention students, was interrupted again.
"Yes?" she snapped, wishing she could just finish these reports and have some lunch.
"Oh, sorry," Draco said, backing out of the room when he realised that he was interrupting. "I'll send you an owl."
"No, Draco, I apologise. I have a limited amount of free time without Álainn and I was just trying to get these budgets sorted. What can I do for you?"
She watched as he rocked from one foot to another, glancing up at his Godfather's portrait before taking a deep breath.
"I made a mistake with the potion. It will be another week before it is ready again."
Minerva stared at him, wondering whether it was alright to smile in this situation.
"I, I can't say I'm displeased," she said quietly. "I, well it's just that she is beautiful at this age, as I am sure she will be at any age, but I confess to enjoying myself."
She saw Draco look away as she blushed a little at being so candid. She hadn't been lying. She was loving this relationship with the toddler. Everything was so new and exciting for Hermione, even though, technically she'd done all of it before.
"I just wanted to let you know," Draco offered. "And apologise."
"Don't fret lad," Minerva said, patting his shoulder. "I'm sure your Godfather had enough to say about it, without me adding to your worries."
"Hermione needs to get back to herself before the end of the year, Minerva," Albus said sagely from behind her.
"Yes, but there is plenty of time yet," she said, feeling a little tendril of fear run through her as she realised that in fact, there wasn't that much time at all.
"I'll make sure it's ready by next week," Draco said awkwardly.
"Fine," Minerva sighed, accepting it without further question. "Is there anything I can do for you, to help you?"
"Um, no thank you Professor," he said, drawing himself up to his full height and nodding his thanks. "I, I can manage."
"Alright," she said pursing her lips, knowing she had to get these reports done before Álainn came back. "Well, you just let me know if you need anything."
He nodded again and slipped out of the door, leaving Minerva staring at the wall while thoughts of losing Álainn at this age ran through her head.
"Imagine how inquisitive she will be when she is older," Albus suggested. "You can read together again, discuss things; you can teach her about the Wizarding World, and help her to see that she doesn't need to overcompensate for her lineage, as we know she has done since she first started here."
"I, I can't help but feel cheated to have been given this brief glance into her life, but then to have it taken away."
"I understand that Minerva," Albus sighed, "but think of what you are missing out on by keeping her at this age. I have no doubt at all that once this is over, and Hermione is back to normal, you and she will be closer than you ever were before and that it will be a balm to both your hearts."
Minerva hummed in agreement, knowing that by the time Álainn reached Hermione's former age, so many things would have changed.
"I cannot disagree with you Albus, but now I really must finish these accounts before I go and collect Álainn."
"And where do you plan on taking her this afternoon?" Albus asked.
"I thought perhaps to the moorlands surrounding my former home," Minerva muttered. "It will do us both good to get out and play in this stubborn, lingering snow."
The portraits fell silent as she continued with her work. It was her least favourite part of the job, but she had been doing it for so long, it came almost automatically for her now. Albus had been terrible with numbers, so much so that the first time he had tried to do the budgets, there had been an investigation into just why Hogwarts needed so much salamander blood. It had turned out that Albus had simply written down the wrong figures, and Minerva had laughed herself silly when he explained that numbers were something he had never been good at.
She was just signing off a few requisition orders when she heard the gargoyle staircase start up and smiled as the door opened, admitting Pomona Sprout and Álainn.
"Mama!" she squealed, dropping from Pomona's arms and racing over to Minerva's chair.
"Hello my darling!" Minerva chuckled as Álainn clambered up onto her knee, almost knocking over the inkpot while wrapping her arms and legs around Minerva's body.
"I think she missed you," Pomona said with a chuckle.
"I think I missed her too," Minerva admitted softly, kissing the ringlet covered head. "Was she alright?"
"Oh yes, sharp as a pin this one," she chuckled, pulling on a ringlet and making Álainn giggle into Minerva's neck. "She helped me plant the umbrella flower seedlings," Pomona said happily. "I've been trying to find time to do that for weeks."
"And did she have fun?" Minerva asked.
"Did she ever!" Pomona laughed. "I've never seen so much dirt everywhere except in the plant pots. But I made sure to clean her up. She should be spotless."
"I clean," Álainn said, holding out her hands.
"You are indeed," Minerva said, kissing those tiny palms. "Alright, say thank you to Aunt Pomona for looking after you."
"Fanks Anti Mona," she said, waving as Pomona left the Headmistress's suite.
"Now, have you had lunch or are you still hungry?"
"I's hungry," Álainn said cheekily. "Can we has bizkits?"
"I would say that's a fabulous idea, however, I have yet to eat, so you can help me with my sandwiches and then we'll have some Ginger Newts."
"Yey!" Álainn squealed, shimmering down Minerva's legs and running into the lounge. "Winky?"
"Little Miss be calling Winky?" the elf answered as she popped into the room.
"Can Mama please have some sad-itches?"
Winky's ears twitched as she glanced at Minerva, and the Headmistress couldn't help but laugh.
"A plate of sandwiches please Winky, and a glass of milk for our precocious little girl."
"Of course Mistress," Winky bowed, disappearing with a sparkle of amusement in her eye.
-0-
Lunch passed before Minerva knew it, and before long she was dressing Álainn for an afternoon in the Highlands.
"Where we go?" Álainn asked, as Minerva plaited her hair.
"I thought we might take a little trip up to my old house."
"We see's it?" Álainn gasped, turning around before Minerva had managed to complete her hair.
"We can, but there is not much left," Minerva explained, gently turning her around and sitting her back down. "My house was destroyed a few years ago. Nobody lives there."
"Can't you fix it?" Álainn asked, kicking her feet against the bed.
"No sweetheart, and I'm not sure I want to. That was my family home and I have no family left to live in it."
"I's your family?" Álainn asked, suddenly looking very sad as she glanced back at Minerva as she tied a pretty red ribbon to the bottom of the plait.
"You are, my darling," Minerva gushed, picking Álainn up and holding her tightly. "But you are staying here with me for the time being, and soon you'll be, well, soon you won't need me anymore and then I'll be back to how I was."
"I always need you Mama," Álainn said in a tone that made it abundantly clear to Minerva that Álainn thought she was being stupid.
"Alright precious," Minerva chuckled. "Let's go then."
Minerva decided to apparate to her home, rather than Floo to the nearest venue. The walk from her rooms to the gate was filled with Álainn's chattering about her morning, and questions about how snow was formed, and what trees were made of, and whether baby dragons liked snow.
Minerva chuckled at some of them, wondering where on earth Álainn got all her questions from, but she answered them as truthfully as she could, sometimes deferring to further study if she truly had no idea.
"Alright sweetheart, up you come," Minerva said, lifting her into her arms and holding her tight. "Hang on."
She felt, with some relish, two little fists grabbing the shoulders of her cloak as she spun on the spot, disappearing from Hogwarts and reappearing outside her family manor in the next second.
"Okay, there are some rules," Minerva said, trying to keep Álainn's attention on her, rather than the shell of a manor house behind her. "Álainn, you don't have to hold my hand while we are here, but you do have to stay with me at all times, alright? No running off, and absolutely no going near the house, it isn't safe."
"Yes Mama," Álainn smiled as Minerva let her stand.
"Good girl, now, let's go and play."
-0-
Their trip turned out to be more fun than Minerva could remember having for a long while. Álainn squealed in delight as Minerva conjured up 'snow rabbits' and other fantastical beasts out of the snow to chase the little girl around. At one point Minerva found herself laughing so freely that it startled her. She had not laughed like that for a very long time.
"Mama look, I can do's it too!" Álainn called, drawing Minerva from her thoughts.
Her eyes widened as she saw just what Álainn was doing.
There, right next to the little tot, was an exact snow-replica of that rather ugly half-kneazle Hermione had adopted in her third year.
"Oh my word!" MInerva said, pressing a hand to her chest.
Hermione was not just the smartest witch of her age; Minerva was seeing more and more that Hermione could very well be the most powerful witch of the last three centuries.
"Darling that is wonderful," Minerva said gently, moving very slowly to Álainn's side. "Could I pet him?"
"Um," Álainn looked unsure. "He doesn't like strangers, but I guess you're Mama, so tha's okay."
Minerva reached out her hand and touched the giant cat-like apparition, marvelling at the power she felt running through her body.
"Álainn, this is wonderful, but I think it's time to let him go now," Minerva said gently, smiling as the little girl looked horrified.
"But Mama, he's coming home wiv us! He's mine."
"Oh darling," Minerva sighed, Transfiguring a blanket and sitting next to Álainn so she could speak to her at her own level. "Do you know who this is darling?" Minerva asked, patting her knee for Álainn to join her.
"Uhuh," Álainn muttered quietly.
"I know that Hermione loved Crookshanks very much, but he," she wondered how to phrase it, "he reached the end of his life, and went away for a long sleep."
"I don't want him to go," Álainn moaned, big fat tears rolling down her cheeks.
The force of the emotion made Minerva sure that Hermione had never mourned her dear cat, and Álainn was now facing that battle for her.
"I know baby," MInerva whispered, wiping away a few tears, "but everything has an end. Death is a part of life, the next big adventure so Albus used to say."
"You sad?" Álainn said, hiccuping a little as she looked up.
"I am, I am always sad when you are sad," Minerva confessed.
"H'ione didn't know that," Álainn admitted, playing with the tassels on Minerva's scarf. "Mama loves H'ione."
"So much sweetheart," MInerva smiled, wondering whether this was Álainn or Hermione she was talking to, or whether it even mattered anymore.
"H'ione loves Mama too," Álainn said, lunging forward and cuddling her tightly.
"I'm glad," Minerva whispered, her hand holding the back of Alainn's head. "Will you please let Crookshanks go now?" Minerva asked, brushing a stubborn lock of hair back over the little girl's ear. "I don't want you to become ill from expending all this magic."
"Okay," Álainn huffed, turning in Minerva's arms and reaching out a hand to pet the Crookshanks look-a-like. "Bye Crooks," she whimpered, as the cat once again became a pile of snow.
"Mama!"
Minerva's heart broke at the little mournful wail and she rocked Álainn back and forth while she cried. She'd said goodbye to so many people and familiars in her lifetime, that her heart knew exactly how Álainn's was feeling and that nothing anyone said would make her feel better.
"Come along sweetheart, let's get you back to the castle and we'll have dinner in the Great Hall."
"I sits wiv Ginny?" Álainn asked quietly.
"Of course baby, whatever you want."
-0-
Minerva poured her second cup of tea watching the Gryffindor table from her position at the head of the Hall. Álainn had taken a small nap when they returned to the castle, but Minerva could see her tiring, despite her dogged attempt to remain awake so she could have fun with all the other children.
Álainn had taken to Ginny as Hermione had, and Minerva was glad of it. She would need her friends more than ever when she returned to herself, especially once she heard the news about Ronald. She ground her teeth at the thought and knew that when the true Hermione had come back to them, Minerva would be sitting her down and having a good long chat about self-worth and that Ronald was not worth the mud she wiped off her shoes.
A squeal disturbed Minerva's musings and she looked up, her hand already at her wand to defend her baby. It was a false alarm, apparently Álainn was simply happy to see Draco, who had walked past their table on the way out of the Hall. It seemed as though Álainn was insisting he had to come over and sit with them. Minerva could practically feel the uncomfortable tension rolling off Draco, but Lavender Brown once again surprised her, getting up from her seat next to Álainn's highchair, to let him sit by her. Minerva made a mental note to have another chat with the young woman about what she planned on doing after school. She had quite a few contacts within the Auror division of the Ministry and she knew Lavender would be a solid addition to the WSAR.
She sat back in her chair, sipping her tea, content to watch over her former lions as they interacted with her child.
Her child.
It was a strange feeling still, after all these weeks that Álainn had become hers. She looked like Hermione, talked like Hermione, still had some of the same mannerisms - like the little lip chewing she did when she was frustrated, or the quick temper when she was tired. But this child was not Hermione, it was Álainn, and that made all the difference to Minerva's psyche. Inside her head, she knew categorically that Álainn was Hermione, but Álainn was hers, and hers alone. There were no parents hiding in the wings for Álainn, like there were for Hermione. She could be all hers with next to no residual guilt about taking her away from her parents.
She wasn't oblivious though. She had corresponded with St. Mungo's about Hermione's parents, and felt nothing but despair when the Head of the Spell Damage ward answered her letters and revealed the likelihood of Hermione's parents getting their memory back was nonexistent, and that they were doing their best simply to allow them to remain as Wendell and Monica Wilkins. Hermione would be heart broken, but Minerva was going to have to make a decision on her behalf. The last thing she wanted was little Álainn stuck in St Mungo's while they concocted Merlin only knew what to get her back to her normal age. No, Álainn would stay with her, come hell or high water, and Minerva would have to advise the head healer to do what he thought was best.
She was not looking forward to having that conversation with normalised Hermione.
She saw Álainn rubbing her ear again, a sure sign that she was tired but stubbornly refusing to go to sleep and decided that she could have fun with the kids again tomorrow. She bid her colleagues goodnight, reminding them of their hall duties, and went over to her Gryffindors.
"Good evening all," she greeted, smiling as they all clamoured to say hello. "I hope you have all enjoyed your evening, however, I must get this one to bed, and I know for a fact that the majority of you all have homework." She paused as they groaned, goodnaturedly at least. "I know, it's awful, but Álainn my love, say goodnight."
"I don't wanna go to bed Mama," Álainn said, looking as sweet as she could even though her eyelids were drooping. "I wanna -" She yawned so widely that she dropped back in her chair.
"Yes, I know darling, but you are exhausted. You can sit with Ginny and the others tomorrow."
"Actually it's Quidditch tomorrow Professor," Ginny said sadly. "Um, maybe you could come and watch?"
Minerva looked at the smiling faces staring up at her, including Draco's rather more stoic face and sighed. Álainn, she was sure, was also in on the conspiracy as she turned up her beautiful brown eyes as well and Minerva huffed in defeat.
"Alright, alright," Minerva said, throwing her arms in the air. "I will come and watch the games tomorrow evening, and we shall do our best to stay until the end of the senior match."
"Thanks Professor!" Ginny grinned as she helped the Headmistress lift Álainn from her seat.
"Bye Álainn."
"Bye," she said, rather forlornly as she leant tiredly against Minerva's shoulder.
"See ya."
"Bye."
"G'night."
Minerva relished the weight of Álainn in her arms as she walked slowly through the quieting castle. Most students were either still in the Hall, nibbling on their desserts, or up in their common rooms studying. The new Quidditch timetable was working out perfectly, running lessons an hour longer each day of a Quidditch week to enable classes to finish earlier on the day of the match. It hadn't been easy on the students at first, or the Professors, but everyone had learned to cope with the new rhythm and were well adjusted.
"Headmistress?"
Minerva turned to find herself staring at one of the first year Hufflepuffs hiding behind the corner, tears running down his cheeks.
"Yes Mr Dreyfuss?" she said, rocking Álainn while she stood.
"I, I just, never mind."
Minerva watched as the young man turned away, and she grabbed his shoulder before he could get too far.
"Follow me Dominic," she said quietly.
Minerva led him to her rooms, marvelling at how easy it suddenly was to be caring, and involved in her students lives. She wondered how much of that was due to the world, for now, being free of monsters, and how much was to do with the little one now snoring softly in her arms.
"Come along," she said, nodding him forward and following behind him up the gargoyle's stairs. "Sit down, make yourself comfortable and I'll be out when I've put her down," Minerva instructed, leaving him in her rooms while she put Álainn to bed.
A little while later she rejoined him, after merely Transfiguring Alainn's clothes to something a little softer, rather than changing her properly knowing she'd be awake again in a few hours for her cuddle and comfort bottle.
"Now, Mr Dreyfuss, what seems to be the problem?"
"I," he looked around the room, another set of tears stubbornly running down his face. "I don't want to get in trouble."
"Dominic, I need you to be honest with me," she said gently, but sternly. "Is someone doing something they shouldn't be?"
"I, if I tell you, will you tell them I told you?"
"I will protect you as much as possible from anything that could cause you harm," Minerva assured him, wondering what on earth the other Hufflepuffs were doing.
"I, there are some of the Third Years, and they, they sneak out at night and practice duelling," he whispered. "I don't sleep much," he shrugged, "and I caught them, but they told me that if I didn't tell they wouldn't make me into a target to practice on."
Minerva sighed, sitting back on her highback chair and rubbing her forehead. She glanced up at Albus and Severus, who were looking interested but offered no advice, before looking back at the young man before her.
"Have they hurt you at all Dominic?"
"No," he sniffed, "but you're so nice, and so is Professor Sprout and I don't like lying. I never liked lying to people."
"An honorable quality," Minerva said genuinely.
"Hufflepuffs are supposed to be loyal, and here I am telling!" He suddenly went very pale. "I'm going to be in so much trouble."
"Calm down lad," she said, patting his arm. "Nobody is going to get into trouble. Do you know when they practice?"
"Tonight," he said. "They always practice the night before Quidditch, because they know that nearly everyone is doing their last minute homework, and the teachers are usually helping with it."
"And where do they practice?"
"In the third floor corridor," he muttered. "They found a gap in the barriers."
Minerva's eyebrows rose to her hairline. She and the other professors had put those wards up themselves after the battle of Hogwarts, and she had no idea how there could be a gap in them.
"I, well, thank you for telling me Mr Dreyfuss," she said, returning to her more professional tone now that she knew he wasn't being bullied. "You showed great courage in telling me that."
"I remember another young man doing the same thing when he was in his first year here," Albus said cheerfully, causing Dominic to gulp a little. "Neville Longbottom spoke up against his friends and house-mates to prevent them from losing any more points from their house. You have shown just as much courage young man, and you should be proud of yourself."
"Wow, thank you," Dominic whispered, smiling slightly as Minerva ushered him from the room.
"You may go back to your dormitory Mr Dreyfuss, and I will deal with your housemates without the use of your name," she assured him. "Off you go and do your homework so that you are able to watch the Quidditch tomorrow."
"Thank you Headmistress," he gushed, running off back to his common room.
Minerva stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched him go, wondering how she was going to surprise these wandering Third Years.
"Minerva?"
She turned to see Filius and smiled as he joined her. "Pondering the universe?" he asked.
"Something like that," she said, asking him to join her in her rooms with a wave of her hand.
"Thank you."
She summoned a bottle of whiskey and poured them both a measure, before sitting back in her chair.
"You are mulling something over," he stated, rather than asked. They had been friends for almost as long as Albus and she had, and he knew her sometimes mercurial moods rather well.
"I happen to know that a group of Third Years have managed to find, break," she corrected, "a hole in our wards across the third floor corridor and are using the space for duelling practice."
He put down his drink and leaned forward.
"I'm sorry Minerva, what did you say?" She hummed, letting him know she was not joking, and watched as he dropped back on the sofa. "Well, that is not what I was expecting you to say."
"The problem is, I don't blame them," she said quietly. "Had a few more of them been trained in the art of duelling, then maybe we would have lost fewer in the battle."
"That is not your fault Minerva," Severus immediately called from his portrait. "They snuck back after being told to leave, despite them knowing nothing about war, or duelling or advanced spell casting."
"Yes, because they wanted to defend their school, and their teachers and their friends," Minerva said. "And I don't blame them. How many of us fudged our age to go to war with Grindelwald? Severus, I know you are too young to answer, but I can tell you that the majority of my classmates all insisted we were eighteen and enlisted in the Muggle defence force, allowing us to immediately transfer to the Ministry divisions without question."
"Yes, but you are not currently in a war," Albus said gently. "While I do not discount the idea of our students wishing to know how to defend themselves, I, like Minerva and I discussed back when Harry started his own little defence club, believe that the trouble comes from having some students knowing advanced magic, and others not. With this you always run the risk of it being used against other students."
"As I know, only too well," Severus muttered sourly.
"So the question is do we stop them, or do we leave them to it?" Filius ventured, finishing his whiskey.
"Hmm." Minerva refilled her glass and sighed.
"Mama?" came a little whisper from behind her chair.
"Hello darling," she said quietly, placing her glass on the table and allowing Álainn into her arms and sitting back again. "Winky, can we please have Álainn's bottle and could you get her pyjamas as well."
"Of course Mistress," Winky said, snapping her fingers and immediately changing Álainn into her real pyjamas and producing a bottle that hovered before Minerva until she grabbed it.
"Thank you Winky," Minerva said as Wi
nky disappeared.
"Mama," Álainn yawned, reaching out and grabbing Minerva's hands, pulling the bottle to her mouth.
Minerva knew very well that Álainn could hold her own bottle, but since she had all but moved on from the 'tangling her hands in Mama's hair' stage, the little thing had decided that she loved Minerva feeding her with one hand while wrapping the other hand around her tiny body and placing her hand on her tummy, where Álainn would play with her fingers. Minerva didn't mind a bit. She sat back, pondering their problem and smiled as Álainn suckled contentedly, twisting Minerva's clan ring around her finger.
"She has grown, even since you administered the potion," Filius commented quietly. "I remember that stage, even after all this time," he chuckled. "Oliver decided that he would not go to sleep until he had said goodnight to all of Mona's plants." He shook his head. "It was a nightmare."
Minerva chuckled and watched Álainn's eyes droop close.
"And there she goes," Minerva whispered, pulling the bottle from the now slack lips and rearranging her hands so she could carry her to bed. "If you will excuse me for a moment, then I think we should pay a visit to the third floor corridor. I have an idea."
Álainn jumped awake as Minerva was about to put her down, so Minerva spent an extra few moments rocking her and singing softly until she was once again asleep. She marvelled at how beautiful Hermione was as a child and kissed her rosy cheeks softly.
"I love you," she whispered.
"Winky? I am sorry to disturb your evening, but I have a matter of great urgency to attend to, would you be so kind as to watch Álainn until I return?"
"Mistress doesn't have to ask," Winky replied, conjuring a chair and settling next to the crib.
"Thank you so much," Minerva said, straightening her robes in the mirror before rejoining Filius. "Shall we?"
As they walked with purpose, she explained her plan, highlighting the issues she thought may need refining, and asking for ideas as well as they strode forward.
"A capital idea Minerva," Filius said as they came to the warded area. "Now, let's get to work."
Minerva and Filius, movements matched, proceeded to study the structure of the wards. Minerva gasped as she saw the sizable hole.
"Well I never!" Filius exclaimed as he too saw it. "We clearly didn't do as good a job as we thought Minerva," he frowned.
"We were exhausted," she said lamely, feeling extremely irritated with herself. "But you are right. That is our mistake."
"Shall we?" he asked, cancelling the wards with a flick of his wrist.
"Indeed we shall."
There was a reason the third floor corridor had been sealed off until further notice. It had been extensively damaged when the trolls joined the battle. They had flung boulders and rubble from the castle far and wide; the majority of it damaging the west corridor of the third floor. That was where they walked now, picking their way carefully, and marvelling that none of the students had injured themselves wandering through corridors that were this badly damaged.
They heard them before they saw them. She had to admit the set-up was rather ingenious and both Minerva and Filius stood watching them fight for a moment before they stepped in.
"They're rather good. I think your idea has merit," he said, nodding as one student did some particularly fancy footwork to avoid a spell.
"Indeed," she concurred. "However, I believe that beam is moments away from collapsing on top of them," she said, watching as the students continued without realising the danger they were in.
"Now is the time to put an end to this evening," she said, stepping forward and sending a spell up at the beam to stabilise it for a moment. "May I have your attention!"
All movement stopped.
Minerva schooled her features and tried not to laugh at the surprised faces before her. A few of them looked rather like fish, with their mouths open and their colour draining, and a few looked like they were prepared to fight for what they thought was right.
"Everyone out please," she said tersely, pointing the way with her free hand as she continued to hold the spell above them.
The ten or so students did as they were told, and all filed out silently. Filius was waiting for them at the entrance to the corridor.
"Single file, no talking; you will follow me to the Charms classroom where we will wait, in silence, for the Headmistress."
Minerva watched them go from the corner of her eye, but turned her attention back to the beam. There was no way she could fix it with simple spells, and she didn't really have the building know-how to know which bits to pin and which bits to simply mend and leave. She glanced around her and discovered a few benches that the children had been using, so, with huge effort, she held the spell and Transfigured the benches into struts to support the beam until they could get a building crew in to fix it in the morning. She was sweating profusely and could see her arms shaking as she carefully manoeuvred them into position, jamming them in rather forcefully with a little burst of power.
"Merlin!" she huffed, leaning back against the wall once she was sure it wasn't going to fall and kill her.
She mopped her brow and left the corridor, making sure to ward it completely this time, checking it afterwards for any weaknesses.
She took the walk back slowly, allowing herself to recuperate before she had to deal with those waiting students. Filius was perfectly capable of disciplining them, but she needed to impress upon them just how close to death they nearly came.
She stood outside the classroom, taking a few deep breaths. She imagined how it would have been if Álainn had been endangered by their actions and immediately felt her rage cut through the tiredness. It was a little unfair perhaps to use such a scenario, but their lives were worth just as much as Álainn's.
"Which one of you is responsible for perhaps the most stupid thing anyone has ever done in these halls?" she snapped, trying to channel Severus as she swept into the room.
Nobody spoke.
"I will have an answer before you all go to bed and if we have to sit in here until daybreak then we will."
Again, silence.
She frowned.
"Do any of you understand how dangerous it was to be doing that?" she asked, trying a different tact.
"We made sure to have potions on hand, Professor," one of them squeaked, before they were silenced with glares from a few of their housemates.
"I don't doubt you were well prepared for any spell damage, but how many of you know how to stop a collapsing corridor? How many of you know how to Transfigure the rocks and mortar into snowflakes, or butterflies to soften the blow of a thousand bricks falling on top of you? How many of you know what happens when you send a stunner too close to someone's heart? How many of you know how to restart someone's heart?"
Minerva felt Filius touch her hand and she ground to a halt, clenching her teeth. She'd gotten carried away and now she needed to get back to the topic.
"I understand what you were doing," she said finally, after calming down. "I really do, but you absolutely cannot be doing it without supervision, let alone in a corridor that your professors have clearly decided is too dangerous for you." She was met with total silence, and that wasn't going to wash. "Do you understand?"
They answered in the affirmative quite quickly as she glared daggers at them.
"Know that I will be sending a letters home to all of your parents about your blatant disregard for your lives, and your flagrant trespassing in corridors which you can clearly see are warded against entry."
One of them opened his mouth as if to argue the point.
"One word out of you Mr Carp and you will join me for detention for two full weeks instead of the three days I plan on giving your peers."
His mouth snapped shut again.
"Now, as I have said, you will all be serving detention with me, in the former Arithmancy classroom next door to my office. You will be joined by another two students serving out their own week's detention and if any one of you are late, you will all find yourselves returning for an extra day. None of you will be watching the Quidditch tomorrow."
They erupted into a chorus of protests.
"Absolutely not!" she shouted over them. "Surely you don't think you can do what you did and simply serve out your detention and before attending your extracurricular activities?" She didn't wait for an answer. "You will stay in detention with me until you are released, and then you will go to your dorms. If I find you in any classroom or corridor in which you are not meant to be, then there will be hell to pay, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Professor," they answered sullenly.
"Right. Thank you. Now before you all go, I'd like to present you with an idea. The group of you, after your detention is finished, will work with Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick in organising a duelling club for Third, Fourth and Sixth year students." She waited for them to catch up. "And you will be in charge of that task until further notice. That means obtaining a list of interested students and organising a place to practice safely under your Professor's supervision."
They were truly gobsmacked, and Minerva found she enjoyed the visual. Smiling a little, she leant against the desk and sighed.
"I was young once you know," she said with a wink. "Now, all of you off to bed. I will be checking with Professor Sprout in half an hour, when she will do a bed check of Hufflepuff dormitories and I expect you all to be sound asleep, ready for your exhilarating detention tomorrow."
They filed out slowly, waiting until the last one was through the door before running off in the direction of the common room.
"Well, I think you did that marvellously Minerva," Fillius chuckled.
"I admit to enjoying it a small amount," she said conspiratorially. "But now, I think it is time for bed. My Gryffindors will be so displeased with me. I promised to try and watch the Quidditch tomorrow with Álainn, but now I shall have to supervise them."
"Pomona isn't watching, she can stay with them while you go to the Quidditch. It will be good for you to catch a game."
"If she's sure," Minerva nodded happily. "I'd like that."
"Good. Goodnight Minerva," he said, bowing his head a little and moving off in the direction of his quarters, where he would no doubt convey the message to Pomona when he saw her.
"Night, Filius," she called, turning in the direction of her own rooms, completely worn out from performing such a great deal of magic.
She trudged up the stairs to her room, feeling every step as she simply walked to her bed and lay down. Her eyelids fluttered open as Winky appeared by her head, magically tucking her in with Álainn by her side.
"Winky figures if little Miss is already with you, she won't wake you later," the elf whispered as a glass of water appeared on the bedside table.
"You are an amazing elf Winky," Minerva muttered, pulling Álainn in close and breathing her scent. "Goodnight."
Winky's ears twitched as she smiled in the best way an elf could before she popped away, leaving Minerva and Álainn snoring softly together.