The Marriage Decree

Chapter 99: Minerva, This Is A Surprise!

On Wednesday night, once back at the castle, Minerva sent all the student to their common rooms, after informing them of a debriefing during their first lesson the next morning. The students were still exhilarated from that afternoon's events, which was only increased by the promise of missing their first lesson, and they began to pile out of the transfiguration classroom, chatting loudly.

"Students," Minerva raises her voice just slightly and the fifty-three students all stop, turning to face their headmistress. "Quietly." She informs them.

One student in the middle of the group raises his hand to ask a question, and Minerva nods at him.

"We didn't even get dessert," He states, which caused a hyperactive eruption of laughter from the rest of the students.

Minerva shakes her head and motions for them to leave. Their voices can still be heard down the corridors until the four houses split off to their respective common rooms up or down the moving staircases.

As soon as the students were out of earshot, Minerva turned to look at each member of staff individually, pausing just a little longer on Draco and Hermione, the obvious culprits of the protest that afternoon.

"I will be having a meeting with each of you over the next two days to discuss the events of this afternoon. For now, you are all dismissed." She informs them.

The staff quickly left the transfiguration room, that they had herded the student into once they'd flooed back from the Ministry, more scared of their headmistress then the students seemed to be.

Draco had quickly led Hermione out of the school to disapparate from the gates leading to Hogsmeade. As soon as they arrived at the estate, Hermione had spent a few minutes leaning against the wall, trying not to throw up. It had concerned Draco enough to disapparate her straight to St. Mungo's where an emergency healer told them everything was fine with her and the baby, but she should avoid disapparation until her next appointment with her registered healer and bring it up with them. They had then flooed home and hadn't disapparated since.

At quarter-past five, on Friday afternoon, as soon as Hermione had dismissed her afterschool NEWT class, of those students who needed a little more support in transfiguration, she and Draco, who had been sat at her desk reading a book whilst she taught, collected their bags from her classroom store cupboard and excitedly hurried to the Grand Doors of Hogwarts. However, their hopes of escaping without alerting Minerva was squandered when they opened the door to find their headmistress stood waiting for them.

"Minerva, this is a surprise." Hermione tried to smile innocently.

"It shouldn't be, I told you on Wednesday night I would find you both for a discussion before the weekend." She gestured them to walk down the steps, onto the grounds.

"Ah, yes, I remember now." Draco tries to play it off as forgetfulness.

Minerva doesn't even acknowledge his comment with a glance, never mind a retort.

"How have the students been behaving these past two days since the dinner?" She asks as they stroll down the path leading to the gate to Hogsmeade.

Hermione knows the headmistress is already aware of the misbehaviour of not just the sixth- and seventh-year students, but also the younger years too. It's hard to ignore, but she answers anyway.

"They still seem to be excited by the events that took place on Wednesday afternoon. I'm sure that after the long weekend, they will be calm by Tuesday morning." She says.

"I'm sure you are aware that they were up until nearly four o'clock in the morning with most of the younger years, retelling the events. All the students are waiting for the weekend edition of the Daily Prophet to see pictures." She explains. "I don't know why or how Kingsley managed to hold them off until then." She adds.