Chapter 6
The morning after the feast, Minerva finishes the day's lesson plans early, and then heads to the Great Hall for breakfast. While breakfast at Hogwarts is typically a come-and-go-as-you-please affair, today Minera plans to spend the whole two-hour period at her spot at the table, keeping a lookout for any issues that may crop up and making herself available to students and faculty alike. Not long after she is seated, the Gryffindor prefects escort the first years into the hall. She does a quick head count to ensure each one of them is accounted for. There is a certain amount of excited squirming and anxious faces amongst the bunch, and a few red-rimmed eyes, but nothing out of the ordinary for new students on their first day. She makes a mental note to check in on them later.
Professor Slughorn comes up to her and starts boasting about some bright wizard or another he met this summer, but McGonagall is hardly listening because just as he reaches the point of his little speech, the fifth-year Gryffindors enter the hall. She sees Mary, Marlene, and Lily take their seats at the table and begin to eat, but no sign of the male half of their year. It seems that the girls notice this too, because they keep looking toward the doors expectantly. Some conversation is exchanged between them, and Lily looks lost in thought for a moment. Then, Mary leans over, whispers something to her friends and the tension is released with laughing and eyerolls. They continue their breakfast as normal.
McGonagall tunes back into whatever Slughorn has been going on about.
“And then I said, my boy! You're going to be a star someday! When you write a book about it, I expect my name to be right there in the dedication, don’t forget who told you to go for it, son! Never forget the people who helped you along the way!”
Minerva is saved from having to pretend she was following this story by Nearly Headless Nick, who floats up to the head table grumbling something about Peeves. Minerva briefly lets herself fantasize about the lengthy summer where no one would bother her all day, then sighs, puts down her breakfast fork, and gives Nick her full attention.
---
McGonagall has just wrapped up her second Transfiguration lesson of the year when an enchanted paper airplane floats onto her desk. She picks it up and carefully unfolds it.
“Minerva, three of your students were absent for their Charms class this morning: James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black. While not surprising from this group, I thought I had better warn you that it seems there are already some hijinks in the works. Never a dull day! --Filius.”
Never a dull day indeed. Given what she saw of the boys last night, Minerva has her doubts that this is simply a matter of rebellious students skipping classes. For once, though, she wishes it were that simple. Minerva quickly tidies her desk for the afternoon lessons, then heads off to the Great Hall for lunch.
“Mr. Longbottom, may I have a word with you?” she asks the seventh-year prefect at the end of lunch. His friends oooh and jostle him about jokingly at the summons. Frank shushes them and turns to Professor McGonagall.
“Sure, Professor, what can I do for you?”
McGonagall leads the prefect from the Great Hall and into a quiet corridor.
“I’d like to ask a favor of you, Mr. Longbottom. It seems that our fifth-year boys have not shown up to either of their classes this morning. Would you be able to check on them for me?”
Frank’s brow creases in consternation. “I can do that. You'd like to know what they're up to, I take it?”
McGonagall shakes her head. “Not quite. I'm more concerned that they have come to neither meal today, and no one has seen them since last night. What they’ve been up to is less of a priority right now.”
Frank looks confused, "If they are just skipping, should I take house points from them? Bring them to your office?"
Again, McGonagall shakes her head. "No need for that. I'll speak with them in the morning."
Frank doesn't look any less confused, but he doesn't ask any further questions. Minerva likes that about him; he's good at knowing when something isn’t his business.
“Right, I’ll go check on them now.” Frank says.
“Before you go, Mr. Longbottom, I need to be quite certain that you lay eyes on all three boys.” McGonagall stresses, “Is that understood? Not just that you hear all three boys, or that you see three bodies lying in their beds. No, I need you to be absolutely, one hundred percent certain that all three boys are safely in that room."
Franks confusion melts into concern. "Yes, of course professor. I'll tell you as soon as I see them.
McGonagall nods in thanks, and Frank hurries off towards Gryffindor tower.