This was such a hard chapter to write. I am not lying when I say (write) that I toiled away at my desk for ages trying to get words out. So anyway, I know it's not my best. Please forgive me! I hope you kind of enjoy it, at least a little bit, despite the abrupt ending as well (I didn't want to copy too much dialogue/description from JK).
29 May 1993
Minerva put her hand on her forehead as soon as the rest of the staff had left the teachers lounge. The day had been going so well up until this point. The mandrakes were ready, the petrified students were going to be revived, and the school year was almost over. But now a student was missing, lost perhaps, while Minerva had been put in charge to keep the students safe.
The thought caused her to close her eyes briefly and she rested her hand on the table to support herself. She could not remember feeling as horrified or guilty as much as she did now at this very moment. It was consuming and all she could think about was Ginny Weasley alone somewhere and possibly...
"Enough," Minerva told herself, straightening and putting an end to her thoughts. A panicking mind was no use to anybody; much less Ginny Weasley. And no matter how much she worried and fretted, this would do nothing to change the situation apart from waste time. And time was of the essence.
Pulling herself together Minerva began to make a plan of things that needed to happen almost instantly. What she needed to do was speak to Poppy, send an urgent message to the ministry, contact Arthur and Molly Weasley, and go to Myrtle's bathroom. The image of the snake on the sink tap surfaced in Minerva's mind but she pushed it aside. She would think about that problem when the time came. For now, she needed to focus.
Taking one last deep breath Minerva brushed her pocket to check for the small bulge of her wand, then strode briskly out of the staffroom for the Hospital Wing. As she moved she waved her wand twice so that three blue cats erupted from the tip. She nodded to them, wordlessly conveying in her mind exactly what she wanted them to do. Instantly they bowed their heads before streaking down the corridor; one going to the Ministry and the others to Filius and Severus while Minerva herself approached the Hospital Wing doors.
"Poppy," Minerva said, entering the Hospital Wing, "Please tell me that we are almost ready?"
The matron looked over the large box of phials she had stacked in her arms. "Pomona is just finishing, Minerva," she said, putting the box down on a bedside cabinet, "but it might take another half hour. The mandrakes are ready but the potion still needs to be brewed and it can take a while. Is it true that a student..."
"It is," Minerva said, a little hoarsely.
Poppy covered her mouth with a shaky hand. "Minerva—"
"I know," Minerva said quickly, she didn't want to talk about it as she still had many things to do. "Poppy, I need you to seal the door to the Hospital Wing," she instructed. "Only students and staff allowed through."
Poppy nodded.
"Alert me immediately if there is something wrong," she added.
"What will you do?"
Minerva felt her stomach twist painfully. "I need to contact Mr and Mrs Weasley," she said, holding Poppy's gaze for a second before moving to the door. "Let me know when the potion is ready."
"Of course," Poppy said, picking up the box again and retrieving her wand in the other.
As Minerva left the Hospital Wing and the large oak doors clicked shut, a bright blue light circled their edges. Minerva was not sure if it would be enough to stop anything from getting through but, she thought, it was better than nothing.
It took her another few minutes to reach Myrtle's bathroom. In that time she had sent a Patronus to the Ministry to alert Arthur Weasley about the situation, and another one to the Burrow. The thought of Molly and Arthur receiving those messages made Minerva's stomach twist painfully in knots again so that she felt slightly out of breath. Yet despite this, she did not slow her rapid march.
Minerva pushed open the door and was greeted by the sight of Severus and Filius peering at the sinks. They looked up when she walked in.
"We have tried everything, Minerva," said Filius. "Some force is preventing us from making even one dent."
"We cannot break underneath the tiles either," Severus said, answering Minerva's question before she had even asked it. "The whole Chamber seems to be protected."
Minerva looked back at the snake, sitting motionless and grey on the tap, almost mocking. She bit her bottom lip gently as she quickly went through various spells and means one could get through a magically sealed door until finally, it hit her. Minerva had to resist the urge to press her hand to her forehead.
"What is it?" said Severus, who had been watching her carefully.
"A password," she said — it seemed so obvious to her now. "We need a password, one only the heir of Slytherin would know. We need—we need someone who speaks Parseltongue!"
Filius frowned at her. "Parseltongue?" he repeated.
Severus beside him, however, widened his eyes slightly. He looked at Minerva who was already nodding. "Potter..."
"If he opens the Chamber we can go down," she finished, already making a move to leave. "I must get him—"
"You won't find him," said a voice from above them.
Minerva froze, her hand lingering on the doorknob, and looked up to find Moaning Myrtle floating unconcernedly above them.
"Who?"
"Potter," Myrtle replied. "He's gone."
Minerva's stomach dropped. "Excuse me?"
"Harry went down the pipes half an hour ago. With that redhead boy Weasley and another teacher."
"A teacher?" Minerva repeated hoarsely, thinking back to what had happened last year with Quirrell. "Which teacher, Myrtle?"
Myrtle rolled her eyes and picked at her nails. "I don't know," she said grumpily. "It's not my job to notice these things. But it was someone with lilac robes." She shrugged disinterestedly. "He seemed a bit scared."
"It must have been Gilderoy," murmured Filius.
Myrtle took no notice. "They said it was a basilisk - the monster that killed me. They thought they would be able to defeat themselves. Two second years!" she laughed. "Finally, it looks like I will be able to share my toilet with someone else," she added, sighing happily before floating away.
"Minerva-" Filius began, reaching out to Minerva whose face had paled considerably after hearing Myrtle's news.
"Filius I want you to check all of the common rooms," Minerva interrupted, shaking his hand off her arm. "I want one professor outside of them at all times, no one is to leave."
Filius nodded and quickly hurried out of the bathroom.
"What shall we do?" asked Severus quietly.
Minerva shook her head mutely as she thought. Three students were underneath the school with a massive snake and an incompetent teacher. And there was no way of getting to them.
Before she had time to say anything, however, they were interrupted by Pomona.
"Minerva-"
"Is the potion ready?" Minerva said quickly.
"No—"
"Then, what is it?" Minerva snapped, finding it harder and harder to keep a hand on her temper.
Pomona did not seem vexed by her friend's tone, however. "I've—I've just bumped into Dumbledore! I don't know any more than that," Pomona continued quickly. "He just told me to get you, Minerva. He's waiting for you in your office."
Minerva pushed open the door to her own office and found Albus pacing on the other side. He stopped when he noticed her come in, and immediately Minerva went to give him a hug.
"How are you here?" she asked him as he hugged her back. "The ministry—"
"—Will be handled in due course," he cut in calmly. "Have you sent word to Molly and Arthur?"
"They should be here any minute now," Minerva replied. "Albus, we tried getting through but Potter and Weasley-they've gone down into the Chamber with Gilderoy."
"They will be back."
Minerva blinked. "What? When—when will they be back? Albus, how do you know?"
Dumbledore's calm expression did not waver. "Fawkes has gone."
Minerva looked at him incredulously, speechless. Then, she took a step back from him and shook her head. "Three of our students are missing and you are talking to me about Fawkes?" she said, struggling to maintain calmness in her voice. "This cannot be happening."
"Minerva—"
"I am about to speak to Molly and Arthur Weasley to tell them that two of their children are lost!" Minerva interrupted him. "Albus, what has Fawkes got to do with anything that is happening right now?"
Albus opened his mouth to speak but suddenly there was a knock on the door and Filch appeared.
"Professor McGonagall, the Weasleys are he—"
He never finished what he was going to say as Molly pushed past him to enter the room. Her face was tear-stained and she had a crumpled handkerchief tightly clutched in her trembling hand.
Minerva walked forward and Molly's eyes bore straight into hers.
"Have you—she—she hasn't been found, has she?" she said, answering her own question. Molly put a hand to her mouth as a moan escaped her lips. Then, suddenly she swayed alarmingly and Minerva's arms went out quickly to catch her staggering figure.
"The writing on the wall..."
Minerva continued to rub Molly's shaking back, but glanced up at Arthur Weasley who had just spoken. He was standing a few inches away from the doorway - now empty after Argus had quickly vacated the area when he realised there was no reason for him to be there.
"It was about Ginny," Arthur continued, looking at Minerva. "Why her? She's—she never—why?"
"We—we don't know," Minerva said, her eyes resting briefly on Albus, who was now looking at the door as though expecting something to come in, before going back to Arthur. "I am so sorry."
Arthur, who appeared to have barely heard her, moved a shaky hand to rest on the arm of a chair and slowly he lowered himself into it. Minerva, meanwhile, walked Molly slowly to a chair by the desk and sat her down there.
For a few seconds, all that could be heard were Molly's muffled sobs. Minerva glanced at Albus again, however she received no help from him. His eyes were still transfixed on the door, but his expression was slowly clearing. Minerva did not have to wonder for long why Albus suddenly appeared so calm. No sooner had she picked up on the strange change in her friend's demeanour, she also became aware of the sound of hurrying footsteps in the distance.
Molly's grip on Minerva's robes loosened slightly as she looked up. Arthur frowned and Minerva tilted her head towards the closed office door. The sound of footsteps got louder and louder. It was now accompanied by some muffled talking along with the low hum of something singing and then...
The door burst open and the sight that greeted the four adults in the room would have made anyone go weak in the knees. Arthur's eyes seemed to pop out of his head, Molly let go of Minerva completely, while Minerva herself had to press a hand on her desk to keep her balance. Only Albus seemed to be quite untroubled by the three students in the doorway, Fawkes, and a Professor whose favourite robes had most certainly seen better days.
Molly Weasley's shriek was what punctuated the stunned silence.
"Ginny!"