Ginny's Story

Chapter 27 The Teachers

Chapter 27 The Teachers
The bell rang through the air, and the Slytherin students hurriedly packed away their Transfiguration books and rushed out while the rest of us packed away slowly. Transfiguration was now a great escape from life at Hogwarts.
“Come on,” Neville said heavily. “We better go before the Carrows think we’ve disappeared somewhere.”
The Carrows had begun checking everyone off at breaks to make sure none of us were rebelling. There was no more going off to the library or common rooms to work on homework or just chat with friends, but instead we all had to be stuck in the Great Hall until the net class was just about to begin. It really was quite frustrating at times.
“I just have to talk to McGonagall for a second,” I replied, looking over my shoulder where McGonagall was sitting patiently at her desk, already realising I was wanting to talk to her. “You go, I’ll catch up.”
Neville smiled and grabbed his books, heading out the door.
“Professor,” I began, dumping my books on the nearest table. McGonagall’s head suddenly snapped to the door and she moved towards me, faster than I could have thought she would be able to. she opened a cupboard and pushed me in gently, shutting the door behind her. I scurried down on my hands and knees to peek out of the keyhole, scowling when I saw who was in the room.
Snape stood in the doorway, his eyes squinting and dangerous. If looks could kill, I was sure McGonagall would be very dead. However, I was quite proud to see that she stood her ground, hands on her hips and a glare to match Snape’s. Neither of them were backing down.
“You have to do something about your students,” Snape said finally, his tone icy.
“My students? I assume you’re talking about the Gryffindor students?” McGonagall said airily.
“Precisely. They have gotten way out of hand with being rebellious against the school policies. It has-”
“Are you serious?” McGonagall interrupted incredulously. “Sorry Severus, but you should know as well as anyone that students, even though they are underaged as such, have a mind of their own. If I remember correctly, you were quite rebellious in your teenage years.”
“That is- that is completely beside the point,” Snape said sounding flustered.
“No, I think that is exactly what you were saying,” McGonagall said, her voice as icy as he was at the start of their conversation.
Snape’s eyes narrowed and he spun around in a flurry of black robes, slamming the door behind him.
I sighed in relief and cracked the door open a tad before the door swung open once again. This time, Flitwick, Slughorn, and Sprout, walked in. I hurriedly shut the door again, cringing when it made a loud thump.
“Minerva, I think there’s something in your cupboard,” Flitwick squeaked.
McGonagall waved her hand absently. “Just a boggart, nothing to worry about. I’ll send it away later.” I smiled at McGonagall’s excuse, not just because it was so believable, but at the other teachers’ responses. All of them looked uneasy about the thought of a boggart, obviously not agreeing that it was something to not to worry about.
“Minerva,” began Slughorn, wheezing from the walk to her room. “We-” he gestured to himself and the other teachers, “have all been a bit... uneasy so to say about the current situation.”
“And what situation might that be?” McGonagall asked delicately.u
“Why, the situation with You-Know-Who and Harry Potter, of course!” Sprout put in.
“What is to be uneasy about?” McGonagall inquired. “We agreed at the start of the year we would do and how we have to keep all the innocent students’ hopes up. For all of our sakes.”
“Yes, we know what we agreed to do,” Slughorn started impatiently. “But things have changed since the start of the year. You-Know-Who has gotten stronger, he has followers not only in the school, but controlling it! Don’t you think us supporting Potter is giving the students the wrong idea? It’s putting them all in grave danger, Minerva! And anyway, who’s to say Harry Potter is still alive?” I felt a pang in my heart. No matter how many times I thought that might have been the case, it still hurt beyond belief.
McGonagall didn’t say anything for a moment and I could tell she was drawing in all her power. It made the other teachers seem like meek schoolchildren about to get in trouble by a teacher.
“Harry Potter is alive,” she said finally, her voice quiet, but seeming to fill up every corner of the room. “We have to believe that for sanity’s sake. And we have to support him with all our being or we will never get out of this mess we’re currently stuck in. Horace, you say the students are in danger by supporting Potter? I disagree; they will be in much more danger is You-Know-Who gets more support than Potter. Now, if you are still willing to support the good cause, tell me, but if you’re not don’t talk to me.”
Silence followed her speech. The teachers were pondering what she had said, and I could see in their eyes a stronger will than before. I knew then they would stop at nothing to help Harry.
“I think you know what we have decided on,” Sprout smiled. She patted McGonagall’s shoulder and left the room, followed by Slughorn and Flitwick, all smiling a little brighter and standing a little taller.
McGonagall looked over her shoulder at me and smiled and nodded, leaving me in the room.
I shut my eyes and felt a lot stronger, knowing we had the full support of those teachers. I just wished Harry could know how much people were anticipating what he would do and how much faith they put in him. But I knew if he did know that, it would terrify him out of his wits.