Prefects' Bathroom

Prefect's Bathroom

Chapter 2

Dean had run straight to Professor McGonagall's office from the prefect's bathroom. When he stopped outside the door, he sat on the plinth at the foot of a large griffin statue. What was he going to say to get the two girls in trouble?

"Professor, I followed Hermione and Ginny from the tower to the prefect's bathroom because I knew they were going to be in there a while, shagging, and I think it will be very late when they are done."

Somehow he thought it would be a bad idea to say that to the head of Gryffindor house and the Assistant Headmistress of Hogwarts.

He sat there for almost half an hour trying to come up with a good excuse when he heard over his shoulder.

"Unless you have become magically glued to that statue, you better have a good reason for being there, Thomas. You only have ten minutes to get back to Gryffindor Tower, move along then."

Dean had been in a sort of thoughtful revelry when Professor McGonagall's voice shattered it. He stood up so fast that he cracked his head on the elbow of the griffin.

"Professor," he sputtered, rubbing the bump on his head. Professor McGonagall looked very stern. "Professor, I... that is I'm, uhh..."

"Spit it out, Thomas, I haven't got all night."

"I'm worried about Hermione, Professor." He spat out. What had he said? What was he going to say now?

"Has she been swallowed by that patch of floor you were staring at?" McGonagall barked, clearly unimpressed with his cover up story.

"No, Professor, she, well, she went to the prefect's bathroom a long time ago, and she hasn't come back. I was worried, so I went to look for her, but I don't know the password, so I thought I would come here and let you know that she is out of bed, and might be hurt... or something."

There was an awkward pause; Dean shuffled his feet, aware that his comments had not quite been convincing.

"Well, now I've told you, so I'll just be off, back to bed then?" He took a tentative step forward, but was stopped by a gruff voice.

"Well, if you are so worried, then you can wait inside my office while I go and collect Mrs. Granger. I'll bring her back here, and you will know that she is all right."

Dean gulped, but he had no choice but to do as she said. "Yes, Professor. Uh, thank you, Professor."

When Professor McGonagall reached the prefect's bathroom it was quite clear what was happening inside. The mermaid from the portrait had swum from her picture to a painting of an elegant seascape next to the door. She was sunning herself on a rock, quite obviously in a foul mood, and McGonagall could hear the reason why.

A moment later the noises from inside stopped, so she simply waited for Hermione to emerge. She was only slightly surprised when she saw that is was Ginny Weasley who emerged, hair dripping from the bathroom with the equally sodden Hermione. After a moment she beckoned them to follow her.

It was a widely held misconception that the professors at Hogwarts were ignorant to the romantic and mischievous goings on of the students. Though the event of boyfriend and girlfriend dating and breaking up did not constitute a crisis for teachers, it was somewhat amusing to watch the children act as though they have been mortally scarred by a relationship they will have forgotten by graduation day. After thirty-nine years teaching, Minerva McGonagall found the goings on similar to what American muggle women call soap operas. She had once visited a friend in Salem, Massachusetts who had been taken ill, and was sent to a muggle hospital. She had been there for a week when Minerva had arrived, and she had already become addicted to the daytime dramas.

"Where is your dignity, Sarah? Muggle entertainment!" She had whispered with a scoff.

A few hours later she was shushing her friend so that she would not miss the last words of a dying man to his wife whom he had just found out was his long lost sister.

"Professor, I can explain..." Hermione began, desperately.

"Silence, Ms. Granger. I expect more respect from a pair of Gryffindor prefects."

Ginny suddenly realized they were not headed for McGonagall's office. They were headed to the portrait of the Fat Lady! Were the being expelled? Was she taking them to pack their trunks so that they could catch the Knight Bus tonight? Her parents had been so proud to hear that she had been made a prefect. They had been so happy to hear that she and Hermione had fallen in love. What would they say when the she turned up on their doorstep in the middle of the night with her trunk and a wand snapped in half?

Hermione's hand had painfully grabbed her own. Hermione had noticed their path as well.

"Professor..." Ginny said, but the Fat Lady cut her comments short.

"What a pleasure to see you, Professor McGonagall, why I have not seen you in a very long time! How are you? Oh, I see you caught a pair of Gryffindors out of bed. And a pair of prefects to boot!"

"That will do, thank you," McGonagall said sharply to the Fat Lady, who puffed herself up indignantly. "I am escorting them back to the tower so that they are not caught and punished by Mr. Filch. They were only a few minutes late getting back to bed, and they had my permission to be out."

Ginny's mouth hit the floor; Hermione blinked in disbelief. McGonagall had surely heard through the door, and surely there must be some punishment involved in doing, well, what they were doing.

"Professor?" Ginny squeaked in surprise and alarm.

Professor McGonagall was smiling. She was actually smiling at the pair of them.

"I was sent to the prefect's bathroom under false pretenses, and I believe I know why. I am not ignorant to your relationship, Ms. Weasley. Nor am I ignorant to the fact that there are some students and yes, even some professors in this school who are not as open minded as me."

"McGonagall, open minded?" thought Ginny.

The professor continued, "You have chosen a path... no, let me rephrase that. Life has set you on a path that is not an easy one to tread Ms. Granger and Ms. Weasley. You will face a great many walls in your attempts at something as simple as happiness. Many cruel hearted people will find excuses to hurt you and punish you. I find that we are in a time in wizarding history where happiness is hard to find and even more difficult to maintain. Far be it for me to find reasons to punish you too, and so count myself among the heartless and cruel of this world. I can offer you only three pieces of advice."

"Be very careful who you allow into your confidence about your feelings. Dark times lie ahead of us, and there are people who will be searching for a way to punish any witches and wizards who fight against the Death Eaters. Be careful not to put yourselves in harm's way. Secondly, I happen to know that you are well aware of a room in this castle that is far more private than the prefect's bathroom, and still perfectly accessible to both of you. Perhaps you might think of using that room in the future. On a similar note, your consideration for your classmates is commendable. Now, if you will both go to bed, there is someone in my office that I must go attend to."

With that Professor McGonagall turned with a swish of her green tartan dressing robe and retreated down the hall.

"Professor!" said Hermione boldly to the green tartan back.

McGonagall stopped and turned around. "Yes, Ms. Granger?"

"You only gave us two piece of advice; didn't you say you had three for us?"

Ginny gaped, open mouthed at her girlfriend. They were so close to being in serious trouble, and she couldn't just slink away.

"Right you are," McGonagall replied with a smile. "I distinctly remember Professor Flitwick mentioning that you received top marks on Silencing Charms. I believe that Ms. Weasley is studying them now and doing quite as well as you did. Perhaps in the future the two of you would consider using one?"

With a wink and a smile, McGonagall whipped around the corner.