Argh - had a bit of a hectic day and I almost forgot to post. I will also say it now that I might not be able to post next week, as I have a very busy week next week (and I will be going on annual leave too).
Also, will add a little note to say thank you to everyone who has left comments, they are so very appreciated :)
1 May 1998
"Concentrate, Miss Jones," Minerva said, watching Lucienne Jones's furrowed brow as she considered her toad, and privately hoped that the girl would manage the spell. "You know the incantation."
The second year took a deep breath and was about the cast the spell when she was interrupted by someone knocking on Minerva's classroom door. Twelve heads turned to the door.
Minerva indicated for Lucienne to wait. She cleared her throat. "Enter."
To Minerva's relief, it was Pomona who poked her head around the door. Her relief was short-lived however when she noticed the urgency in Pomona's eyes.
"Professor McGonagall, might I have a word?" Pomona widened her eyes and raised her eyebrows pointedly. "Please?"
Minerva frowned slightly but she nodded. "I will be just a moment," she told her class. "No one attempt to cast the spell until I return, is that understood?"
"Yes, Professor McGonagall," chorused the Slytherins and Ravenclaws.
Minerva swept out of her classroom and brought the door, not closing it entirely but leaving such a small gap that it did not risk her class overhearing her conversation with Pomona.
"What has happened?" she said, quickly. "Who is hurt?"
"No one," Pomona reassured her. "At least no one here. I've—I've had word from Aberforth on Miss Granger's..." she lowered her voice and cast her eyes nervously up and down the corridor before proceeding, "coin. There's been a break-in at Gringotts. It seems there is reason to believe that Potter, Weasley and Granger stole something from Bellatrix Lestrange's vault and then stole a dragon—"
"I beg your pardon?" Minerva interrupted. "They stole a dragon?"
Pomona let out a nervous giggle. She nodded. "To escape. You could not make this up, Minerva. Aberforth assured me that it was the truth. They're heading here."
"But—they can't! They will be caught—the protections surrounding Hogsmeade—"
"Aberforth has said that he will intercept them and hide them if need be," Pomona cut in. "But I'm telling you because I overheard a conversation between Severus and another one of those Death Eaters positioned in Hogsmeade say that they believe Potter will be coming here."
"That does not make any sense, Pomona. He will undoubtedly be caught," Minerva said. She frowned again. "Did you hear anything else? Why do they believe Potter is coming here?"
"I don't know," Pomona said, her eyebrows knitting together into a puzzled frown. "Severus said that the Dark Lord has reasons to believe that Potter will be coming to Hogwarts. Amycus asked for Severus to elaborate but Severus snapped at him. I didn't hear anything else apart from—"
There was a loud bang and then several shrieks of laughter from Minerva's classroom. Minerva clucked her tongue. "For goodness sake," she muttered, making a move to enter her classroom again. "I must—"
"—find out whatever it is that is going on in there," Pomona agreed. "We can speak later - I doubt the boy is going to show up on our doorstep at this very minute."
She waved and then hurried away. Minerva returned her attention to her class.
"I believe I gave clear instructions for no spells to be cast while I was away," Minerva barked, suddenly entering her classroom. She surveyed her students. "Is anyone hurt?"
"No, Professor," came the automatic reply.
"Very well, Miss Jones, let us resume."
Lucienne Jones looked unenthusiastically at her toad.
Minerva had not managed to get a spare moment to speak with Pomona since that very morning in class. She had had several classes in a row, no time for lunch because she had had to reassure several upset students instead, and then now she was at the Hospital Wing - en route to wake Poppy at an ungodly hour.
The door to Poppy's office swung open before Minerva had even the chance to knock.
She looked tired, Minerva noticed. Poppy's greying hair was tucked neatly behind her ears and she was wearing an apron, as though she had been expecting something to happen. However, from the weary look in her eyes, and the way that her spectacles still hung loosely on the chain around her neck, Minerva was aware that she had just woken the matron.
"What has happened now?" she said. "How can I help?"
"I have had a report of someone feeling unwell in the Gryffindor Common Room. It sounds to me like someone has caught whatever it was that was making its way around the castle last week. I thought it would be best if you accompanied me."
Poppy nodded and rubbed her eyes before placing her spectacles on the bridge of her nose. "Lead the way," she said wearily.
They reached the Gryffindor Common Room in a matter of minutes, and Minerva noted with slight surprise that they had not crossed anyone on the way. Indeed, she knew that Severus had asked both Amycus and Alecto to patrol the corridors this evening, and given that it had barely passed 11 pm she was surprised that she had not spotted the two siblings yet.
"Good evening, Professor McGonagall."
Minerva looked to the portrait, "Yes, good evening," she said, rather distractedly. "Erm—sherbert lemons."
Poppy raised her eyebrows and glanced at Minerva, but apart from that she did not say a word. She followed Minerva into the Common Room and almost at once they were greeted by a harried student.
"Georgina really doesn't look well, Madam Pomfrey. We've sat her down by the fireplace but she's awfully pale. I mean she really isn't looking too good at all—"
"Thank you, Miss Renforth," Poppy said, already walking quickly to the hunched figure on the sofa in front of the fireplace. She crouched down and began to speak softly to the second year, who appeared to be crying a little, then looked up and caught Minerva's eye.
Minerva nodded slightly. "Miss Renforth, I think it best you go back to your dormitory and get some rest for the night," she said. "Thank you for alerting Madame Pomfrey and me about your classmate."
Claire Renforth looked a little put-out but noticing that Minerva would not take no for an answer, she grudgingly heeded Minerva's suggestion and went upstairs - dragging her feet slightly, though Minerva chose not to comment.
"Feel better soon Georgina," she called, and then Claire was upstairs and back inside her dormitory. All that could be heard was Poppy's soothing voice as she tried to ascertain why Georgina Pemberton was feeling so ill.
"I have a bit of a headache and I think—I think I'm going to be sick."
With surprising speed, Poppy waved her wand so that a ceramic bowl materialised out of thin air. She moved it swiftly underneath the chin of Georgina Permeton just as she was spectacularly sick.
"It's all right, dear," Poppy said soothingly, rubbing the girl's back as she was sick in the bowl again. "I think perhaps it best if you stay in the Hospital Wing—"
Poppy was interrupted by the door to one of the dormitories bursting open and a boy clad in dazzling red pyjamas running across the landing between the girl and boy's dormitories.
"Apparently the Carrows are about to break down the door to the Ravenclaw Common Room! Harry P—"
"Hush, Rupert!" interrupted Pemberton. Her hands were still clutching the ceramic bowl Poppy had produced, her knuckles white against its sides as though she expected someone to rip it out of her hands again. Yet, clearly, she felt well enough to speak loud enough for her classmate to hear her.
Rupert's head appeared over the bannisters. He did not seem to understand for a moment, then his eyes landed on Poppy and then Minerva. He turned pink, and Minerva could tell that he was about to come up with an excuse so she decided to speak over him - to save them both time.
"What were you about to say?" she said sharply.
"N—nothing, Professor McGonagall," stammered the boy, and his eyes widened in horror as Minerva beckoned him to come downstairs.
"You had best share with me right now whatever it is that you have heard, Ackhurst," Minerva said severely.
"It's nothing, Professor—"
"Miss Pemberton, sit back down," Poppy interrupted, ushering the girl to sit down on the sofa again. "Tell us what you have heard Mr Ackhurst."
"I—I—" the boy stammered, looking nervously between Georgina, Poppy and then Minerva again. He removed a small golden coin from his pocket. "Lionel Morrie has a coin like this in the Ravenclaw Common Room - we use them to communicate."
Georgina Pemberton tutted loudly, making her displeasure with Rubert for having divulged their secrets quite clear.
"Carry on, Mr Ackhurst," Minerva insisted.
"Well, apparently the Carrows are trying to get into their dormitory. Harry has been sighted in Hogsmeade and they think he's come here—to Hogwarts."
"Why would he be in the Ravenclaw Common Room?" Poppy said. She looked at Minerva, who was similarly confused.
"Lionel said he thinks they're going to blow up the door," Ackhurst added.
Minerva did not need to hear any more. "Stay here with Madame Pomfrey," she instructed, catching Poppy's eye. Poppy nodded, confirming that she would keep an eye on the Gryffindors.
"If you need any—support, Minerva..." Poppy began. "Shall I—"
"I will keep you updated," Minerva replied, and she quickly swept out of the Gryffindor Common Room and briskly strode to the Ravenclaw Common Room.
It seemed ridiculous that Potter should be in the castle, and in the Ravenclaw Common Room of all places. What worried her most was the fact that Amycus and Alecto were threatening to dangerously break down a door to a dormitory where dozens of students were sleeping.