229 Chapter 229
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After spending some time in the Gryffindor common room chatting and playing games with the twins and Hermione the bell signaling lunch time rang, and we then headed to the Great Hall.
On the way to the Great Hall Hermione parted from us saying she was going to look for Harry, and then the twins and I continued on our way, talking about Hogsmeade, with them talking about the shops and sights there.
"And then there's the best seat in Hogsmead," Fred said, waving his hands dramatically.
"The place where all the fun people go" George continued.
"Where those who seek happiness and fun can be free"
"A place where everyone's inner pranksters show themselves"
"And this place is..."
""The Zonko's Joke Shop!!"" the twins said in sync, their eyes sparkling happily.
"Well, I guess I'd be right in saying that this is probably your favorite place in Hogsmeade, right?" I said with an amused smile.
"What makes you think that?" Fred asked with a playful smile.
"I don't know, call it the sixth sense," I replied, and Fred snorted at this.
Joking and talking we continued our walk towards the Great Hall, but when we arrived in front of the Entrance Hall I felt a familiar magic nearby.
"Err, you can go to the Great Hall without me, I have something to do first," I said, looking down the corridor, seeing that Professor McGonagall was talking to a couple of first-year girls.
"Okay" Fred said, following my gaze and realizing that I probably had something important to talk about with Professor McGonagall.
I then broke away from them and started towards Professor McGonagall, seeing that her conversation with the two first years was over.
"Professor McGonagall" I called out, and she turned to me, and noticing that I was the one who called her a small, barely perceptible smile appeared on her face.
"Hi Ethan" Professor McGonagall said, but she saw my serious gaze and her relaxed posture changed to a tense one, "Did something happen?" she asked.
"It's not that something has happened, but that it's happening" I said, "And let's say that something involves one of your lions and one of the Hogwarts professors"
Listening to me Professor McGonagall's expression changed again, and she looked at me a little surprised not expecting the issue at hand to involve a student of hers and a teacher.
But showing incredible self-control – ironically – her serious gaze returned in full force, and I could tell by her expression that she had an idea about what I wanted to talk to her about.
"Let's talk in my office," she said and immediately turned around and started walking, and she didn't have to say anything to me for me to realize that I should follow her.
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-Professor McGonagall's Office-
"Sit down" Professor McGonagall said to me after sitting down, pointing to the seat in front of her.
As soon as I sat down, Professor McGonagall started the conversation.
"So tell me Ethan, what's going on?" she asked, clasping her hands in front of her face and looking at me seriously, "And what is this problem involving one of my Gryffindors and a professor you were talking about?"
"Professor, let's not pretend you don't know which teacher I'm talking about," I said, and I could see Professor McGonagall's shoulders tense.
"So I was right... it's about Professor Snape," she said with a weary sigh, and I felt bad for her.
"Yes" I said also sighing, "And the Gryffindor I was talking about is Neville"
As soon as I said Neville's name, Professor McGonagall frowned, before sighing more heavily, looking down at her desk.
She then lifted her head and looked into my eyes.
"Tell me everything" she sort of demanded, and so I did.
I talked about how Professor Snape had been mocking, teasing, and mistreating Neville since the beginning of this school year, and that he had been doing it since our first year, but this year it got worse.
I talked about Neville's Boggart in our first DADA class, and that after that Professor Snape decided to start making Neville's life hell, tormenting him in and out of the Potions classroom.
When I finished talking about what was going on, Professor McGonagall leaned her forehead in her hands, looking down as she processed what I had just said to her.
I could feel the disappointment, sadness, exhaustion, and anger coming from her, and I didn't like feeling those emotions coming from her at all.
I had always considered Professor McGonagall a strong and serious woman, and that nothing could shake her, but now I only saw a tired woman with many responsibilities on her back.
'Now it's official, I'm going to make Professor Snape's life hell. I've never had a problem with him, but I'm also not going to accept him acting like a big kid while tormenting my friends and causing so much trouble for Professor Minnie' I thought narrowing my eyes.
And as I thought of ways to torment Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall reflected on recent discoveries.
'I've been so busy with my Deputy Headmistress duties that I ignored my duties as Gryffindor's Head of House' she thought, reflecting on everything she's done since the beginning of this school year, realizing that she's been too busy with Sirius' escape and the Dementors to pay any attention to her students.
'I was supposed to be there to help my lions, but it seems I made the same mistake again ignoring my children' The image of Harry on a bed in the hospital wing in his first year flashed through Professor McGonagall's mind.
She still remembered the warnings from the boy and his friends talking about someone trying to steal the philosopher's stone, and how she simply ignored them, resulting in them going to protect the stone themselves.
And now she realized that she was making the same mistake with Neville, a boy so shy and friendly, who had already suffered so much in his life and who didn't need someone to add to that suffering even more, especially not a teacher.
'Now you've crossed the line Severus' Professor McGonagall thought, controlling the anger that began to rise in her chest.
Looking at Professor McGonagall I saw her shoulders straighten, and she straightened her posture, and then her serious, strong gaze returned, and I smiled slightly at that.
'Yes... Professor Snape is fucked' I thought, realizing that the Gryffindor lioness mom had been awakened.
"Thanks for telling me about it Ethan" she said, "I always knew that Professor Snape was biased and that he wasn't very friendly with the students at the other houses, but I didn't know the situation was that bad."
"Sorry for saying that teacher, but it's hard to believe this when basically everyone at school knows that Professor Snape is an idiot" I said, and before Professor McGonagall could scold me for my language I continued, "He acts like a grow up child grumpy, with an ego and a vindictive personality, mocking everyone, and to me he's far from a good teacher. In fact, he shouldn't even be around other kids if he's going to continue to act like that."
After listening to me Professor McGonagall looked at me with a look of shock.
"I... I didn't know you had bad feelings towards Professor Snape, Ethan" she said, "He never spoke ill of you and in all our meetings you never said anything about him... Where did all this animosity?" she asked me confused.
"I don't have a problem with Professor Snape, but it's hard not to feel some bad feelings towards him when he continues to act like an asshole." I shrugged.
"Language" Professor McGonagall said unconsciously.
"English" I said, also unconsciously, "And I know Professor Snape is a great potioner and an amazing wizard, but his actions this year have changed my perception of what I think of him."
"That's sad," Professor McGonagall said, looking at me with a frown, "Sigh, but I can understand why you think that way about him. I wouldn't like, but I understand."
"Well, I don't know if that makes you feel any better, but I don't think this situation between Professor Snape and Neville is all Professor Snape's fault," I said, and this caught Professor McGonagall's attention, "I think Professor Lupin is just as guilty as Professor Snape"
"What do you mean?" Professor McGonagall asked me confused.
"I don't want to excuse Professor Snape's actions, but I would also be very annoyed if someone made me wear embarrassing and shameful clothes in front of several of my students, even if it wasn't really me, but a kind of copy" I shrugged, "And I don't think it was Neville's fault. After everything he's been through the last two years he deserved a chance to get revenge on Professor Snape, even if only indirectly."
"And so it's Professor Lupin's fault?" Professor McGonagall asked me, beginning to understand the situation.
"Well... He was the one who came up with the idea for Neville to turn Boggart Snape's clothes into those hideous, shameful robes," I said, and Professor McGonagall's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, so it was his idea," she said.
'Apparently Remus hasn't matured as much as I thought' she thought a little disappointed, 'Even after all these years and without the other three he still makes his 'pranks' with Severus'
"Sigh... So I guess I'll have to talk to another adult who apparently hasn't matured yet and is still acting like a child" Professor McGonagall said with a faint tired smile at me, and I smiled wryly at her.
"If you need help to 'educate' these 'adults,' you can always call me," I said, and then a mischievous smile began to creep across my face, "Now that Lockhart is gone, I don't have any other professors to be the subject of my experimental pranks."
"Very bold of you to say that in my presence," Professor McGonagall said dryly, and I just looked at her innocently, causing her to huff.
"I didn't hear you denying my proposal," I said, and Professor McGonagall just got up from her seat.
"I think we've talked long enough. Let's go to the Great Hall, we don't want to miss lunch, right?" she said, putting her hand on my shoulder and leading me out of her office.
"Then I'll take that as you accepting" I said smiling.
"Hmm, I think I'll have some pasta and pea sauce today," she said, completely ignoring me.
'I think I corrupted Professor McGonagall' I thought amusedly.
End.
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(End AN: The last AN had a bit of a sad tone, so I'm sorry about that.
But now changing the subject, and to try to cheer you up, I have a few questions.
If you could reincarnate into your favorite fictional world with a power, what world would it be? And what power would you choose and why?
I don't know what world to choose since I like so many stories with amazing worlds, and because of that it's hard to think of a power that would help me in this world.)
