"How long have you worked at Hogwarts?"

"39 years this December."

Okay, so this segment is from OOTP, when Umbridge finishes McGonagall's inspection and asks her how long she has taught at Hogwarts, and the trio linger behind to listen.

After McGonagall passed them, the trio began to walk down the hall.

"Guys, I think McGonagall just smiled at me." Harry said as they all watched the figure of their Transfiguration professor disappear.

"Impossible." Said Ron "McGonagall never smiles."

"She never smiles in from of you because you never do as she asks and goof off in class." Hermione informed him. Ron scowled at her.

"Oh, shut up. Did you here that class though, wow, did she intimidate Umbridge or what?"

"It was amazing." Harry agreed. "And working here 39 years. Wow. She doesn't look it. That is such a long time, its mind-boggling."

"Yeah." Ron said. "Who could stand 39 years here? Not me. But your right Harry, she looks a lot younger then to be working here for 39 years. Oh, and why was she hired in December? Aren't teachers normally hired in September, or in the summer before school starts. Weird." Their was a moment of silence, then Ron spoke again. "What Hermione?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, but I see the look of knowledge on your face. What do you know about our conversation topic that we do not, and would you like to share it with us?" he asked in mock seriousness.

"Oh, and does is come form Hogwarts, A History?" Harry put in.

"Oh, shut up the both of you. I was just remembering something I learned in looking up McGonagall in the Animagus directory. It gives a small bio of the person registered at the time of registration."

"And?" the boys questioned in unison.

"It was unusual, because she was registered on her birthday, the day she turned 17, and came of age, which you have to be to be an Animagus. It's in December."

"Does that have anything to do with our conversation?" Ron asked.

"Yes, actually it does. But I should make you look up the bio yourself if you're so interested." Hermione said smartly. The boys tried to get her to tell, but for the sake of frustrating them, she did not.

By dinnertime though, she was ready to spill.

"Alright, if you will stop bothering me I will tell you what it said, and why McGonagall was hired in December." She said, exasperated by their badgering.

"Yes?" they said eagerly. "And this better be worth a whole day of contemplating." Ron added,

"McGonagall was both registered as an Animagus and hired to work at Hogwarts on her 17th birthday, which is in December, 39 years ago. She never completed her 7th year of schooling, because she had finished all course requirements the previous year. She is the only person that has ever been hired to teach at Hogwarts on their 17th birthday. Professor McGonagall is acknowledged to be one of the most brilliant witches of all time." Hermione paused, and waited for this to take affect.

"Oh." Harry said. "That is interesting. I never knew she was so smart."

"Not worth a whole day's badgering though." Ron stated. Hermione frowned and glared at him.

"Maybe half a day," Harry said quickly, trying to make the "McGonagall look" that Hermione had so aptly mastered go away.

"But not a whole day." Ron said again. Hermione sighed, packed her bag, and left the table. "Where are you going?" Ron asked.

"To go study."

"Why?" he whined. "You study too much."

"No, Ron, I do not. And if I study hard, maybe Hogwarts will hire me on my 17th birthday and I will teach you for your seventh year. How would you like that?"

"You'd be perfect for it!" he yelled as she walked away. "You've already got the McGonagall glare down!"

"Yeah, just don't take too many house points from Gryffindor!" Harry added, grinning. Hermione sighed, but smiled as she left the room.

And McGonagall too, who, after her many years of having an Animagus form, had adapted the hearing of a cat, heard the banter of the children, and for the second time that day, blessed them with a smile.