I am very very sorry for the late update (so sorry for missing last week's post)! Work has been absolutely mad — I've barely had time to sit and down and have a ten-minute tea break (perhaps a bit of an exaggeration but not massively)! Anyway, here is the chapter - better late than never I suppose. I hope you do enjoy it! Would love to know your thoughts :)

20 September 1997

Finished with her work for the day, Minerva decided to give her classroom a once over before she finally left to go to bed. She wiped the board, tidied her bookshelves, and removed some ink stains from the wood on student desks. She was in the process of collecting stray pieces of papers distracted first years from her last class that day had left behind—sifting through them to see what needed to be kept and what could be thrown away—when she heard some whispering coming from outside her door.

With a frustrated tut, Minerva walked the length of the classroom towards the door.

"Ginny hit me quite hard tonight..."

"It was only a stunner, Seamus—"

"Well, it hurt!"

Minerva opened the door and Seamus Finnigan jumped almost a foot in the air.

"Professor McGonagall!" he cried. He looked desperately at Neville Longbottom who was with him. "We were just—we were just—"

"Going to your dormitories I should hope? It is five minutes until curfew, gentlemen," Minerva said. She narrowed her eyes shrewdly, only now noticing how out of breath and nervous they appeared to be, and asked, "Where have you been?"

"The library," Neville replied automatically. "We—erm—"

"Lost track of the time," Seamus finished. "Neville was helping me with my Herbology essay, right Neville?"

Neville nodded his head vigorously and Minerva pursed her lips; she had a hard time believing this excuse—for good reasons too, given how guilty both boys looked.

"I see," she said instead. "Well—"

"There you are!"

Minerva, Longbottom and Finnigan all turned to see Amycus striding angrily towards them. Minerva had to suppress a sigh.

"Good evening, Amycus," she said. "I see you are looking for Mr Longbottom and Mr Finnigan."

"To right, I am," he said. "These two were spotted running for the fifth floor minutes before curfew—for no apparent reason."

"Perhaps it is because they wished to return to their dormitories before curfew," Minerva said lightly.

"Well, it's past curfew now—or almost."

"Indeed, it is almost past curfew. There are still 3 minutes left," she said. She paused for a moment, glancing at Neville and Longbottom who looked more than a little apologetic. She shook her head, and looked back at Amycus. "But, I am afraid that I must claim full responsibility for their tardiness, Amycus, as I was in rather urgent need to have these papers returned to me this evening. Mr Longbottom and Mr Finnigan were kind enough to fetch them for me."

She waved the scrap papers in her hands.

Amycus narrowed his eyes. "They weren't carrying anything when they were trying to escape getting caught."

"I believe the invention of pockets could explain why neither Mr Longbottom nor Mr Finnigan had anything in their hands, Amycus. They can come in quite useful at times," she added. "Perhaps now that that is all settled, we can allow these two students to return to their dormitory?"

"What papers were they returning to you, McGonagall?"

"Oh, some homework, that is all," she said with an innocent shrug. Then, before Amycus could ask to see the papers in her hand and realise that it was just a bunch of scrap parchment, Minerva clicked her fingers and the parchment vanished. "I shall accompany Mr Longbottom and Mr Finnigan to their dormitory myself if that will ease your mind, Amycus. You may return to your duties and I shall ensure that these boys do not get involved in any misdemeanours."

Amycus grunted and Minerva closed her classroom door with a snap. "Come along now Longbottom and Finnigan," she said, chivying the boys forward. "This is not the right time for dawdling."

They left Amycus standing in the Transfiguration corridor and reached the portrait of the Fat Lady several minutes later. The Fat Lady swung forward without waiting for Minerva to say the password.

"Neville! Seamus! We thought you'd been cau—" Ginny Weasley trailed away when she noticed Minerva enter the Gryffindor Common Room too. "Professor McGonagall! What—"

"I will be the one asking questions this evening, Miss Weasley," Minerva interrupted.

Ginny instantly blushed and though Minerva was aware that she was being harsh, she did not know what else she could say to her students to make them understand the gravity of the situation. She was under no illusion that the group 'Dumbledore's Army' or some such organisation had been formed.

Over the last few weeks, Minerva and several other teachers had constantly been stepping in to take the blame or defend the actions of certain students when caught doing something they really ought not to have done; being out of their dormitories after hours, talking back to Amycus, Alecto or Severus, convincing Peeves to wreak havoc, amongst other things.

Minerva was sure that one day soon Amycus, Alecto or Severus would snap. And though Minerva knew that she and other Hogwarts professors were quite capable witches and wizards, they were still beginning to feel somewhat vulnerable when they constantly took the blame for supposedly 'unexplained' occurrences.

Minerva cleared her throat and looked at Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley and Dean Thomas, the last Gryffindor in the Common Room, who had joined his friends.

"Now, I would like you to be completely honest with me," Minerva began. "What were you doing out of your dormitories at this time of night?"

"Studying."

"Hanging out."

"Reading."

"Playing exploding snap."

Minerva pursed her lips as the four Gryffindors spoke over each other to provide opposing accounts of their movements that evening.

"That's to say, Professor McGonagall," Ginny Weasley began, "We were working together in the library—as a group. Dean and I left first because we were tired. We thought Seamus and Neville would come back shortly afterwards but they took a long time. That's why—erm—that's why we were..."

"Getting worried," Dean finished. "And looked so relieved when Seamus and Neville came through the portrait hole."

The other three nodded their head vigorously when Dean finished. Minerva did not feel that the story adequately answered her question.

"I do not like being taken for a fool," she said seriously. "It would be very easy to verify your story. All that would need doing would be to speak to Madam Pince whom I am sure would have warned you all about the approaching curfew."

"We were sitting in a quiet corner. Madame Pince might not have seen us—"

"I very much doubt that Mr Finnigan. Need I remind you again of our previous discussions last week, and of the severe consequences that will entail if the new school regulations are not respected?"

"No, Professor McGonagall."

"I hope that you are also aware that any—new organisations or groups formed are strictly prohibited under the new school guidelines."

"It's just a study group, Professor McGonagall. Study groups aren't banned."

"I hope that it is only a study group, Mr Longbottom. And that it remains a traditional study group only," she added pointedly.

There was a short silence. Minerva hoped that she had managed to convey what it was that she had been intending to convey.

Weasley caught Minerva's eye. "We promise we won't stay out—erm—studying until after curfew, Professor."

"I should hope not," Minerva replied. "Revision and studying can be done quite properly in the comfort of your own dormitory."

The four students nodded and Minerva pursed her lips.

"Very well," she said quietly. "I shall bid you all goodnight."