Thank you to my reviewers... TartanLioness, Quill of Minerva, CleverWitch897, Alesia G, SherbetKitty, eternalstupor, Mubaki, seabiscuit0810, saiyanwizardgurl (ch. 1 & 2), Joelpup62, & Leta McGotor.
A/N: I'm glad so many of you liked the song:D I got the idea from CoS, where Peeves sings, "Oh, Potter, you rotter..." in Chapter 11. I had to stop, though, because I wasn't sure how to rhyme "Minnie"!
Anyway, here is the final chapter of "Detention!" I hope you like it!
Professor McGonagall was still scribbling away with her favorite red ink at half-past seven o' clock. She felt very proud of herself as she placed the last of the seventh year Hufflepuff essays on top of a neat stack. She smiled faintly after marking this particular assignment. It was the fifty-eighth one of the hour!
A new record, the professor thought, grinning at her own efficiency. She reached into a tartan tin of cookies on her desk, taking out an extra ginger newt as a treat for herself. After eating the cookie, and still feeling very accomplished, she closed her ink bottle and put away her quill. Soon enough, however, her sense of achievement faded. It was upon the thought of the other thing she managed to do that day - get a detention - that her feeling of pride diminished.
Minerva scowled. Her mood turned to anger when she thought of what Peeves did to her earlier that evening. That pesky poltergeist embarrassed her in front of the entire school! Then she remembered that it was Albus who told Peeves in the first place.
That's the stupidest thing he's ever done, Minerva thought. Why do I love this man again?
She checked the time. The clock on the wall told her that it was quarter to eight. Minerva pocketed her wand, straightened her pointed witch's hat, and exited her office, headed for her detention.
Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk, patiently awaiting the arrival of his Deputy. He observed all of the strange magical instruments in his office, and then he reflected on the events of the afternoon. After giving Professor McGonagall her detention notice, he had encountered Peeves in the corridor.
"Whatcha up to today, Professor Dumbly, sir?" Peeves had asked.
"Oh, just giving Minerva the time of her detention," Dumbledore had replied freely.
"Minerva... McGonagall?" Peeves had questioned.
"Precisely," Albus had said, just as he reached the stone gargoyle in front of his office. Peeves simply snickered and zipped away.
I suppose maybe that was a bit foolish, Dumbledore thought. Minerva was completely humiliated, after all. I suppose she won't be skipping meals anymore, though. And maybe she'll take my advice from now on. Perhaps I can even get her to eat one of my lemon drops! They really are quite delicious.
The Headmaster checked his watch and saw that it was 7:58. He looked at the door expectantly, knowing that Minerva would be there any minute.
Professor McGonagall waited a few more seconds before knocking three times on the door. It opened on its own, and she stepped into the circular office.
"Ahh, Minerva, you're right on time, as usual," Professor Dumbledore said. "Please, take a seat." He motioned toward the armchair in front of his desk. She sat down, frowning at the Headmaster, apparently still upset about what happened earlier. But she had a plan. She would get back at the Headmaster tonight.
"Well, let's get started then, shall we?" Dumbledore suggested, with the familiar twinkle in his eye.
He won't be having so much fun soon enough, Minerva thought. She pointed her wand at Dumbledore's head and turned his long hair and beard the same deep blue as his robes. He looked mildly surprised.
"As much as I like this color, I'd prefer if you'd turn my hair back to its normal color, Minerva," he said, chuckling at her choice of actions.
You won't be laughing for long, Albus, especially since that color is permanent for twenty-four hours, Professor McGonagall thought, unless the original caster restores it to normal. She was quite pleased with her spell choice. Next she transfigured his half-moon spectacles into a mouse, which scurried across the desk.
"It seems my glasses have run away from me," Albus said calmly. "Minerva, could you please catch them for me?" He felt around the desk, searching for his wand. When Dumbledore finally grasped it, Minerva directed her wand at his hand. Expelliarmus! she thought. His wand flew into her hand, and she placed it in her pocket.
"Minerva...?" he murmured, getting to his feet.
"Tarantallegra!" she shouted, causing the Headmaster to start dancing uncontrollably.
"What are you doing, Minerva?" he asked, beginning to lose his calm. The Transfiguration professor conjured a cup of tea and leaned back in the armchair.
"Relaxing and having fun," she told him, taking a sip of tea. "That's what you wanted me to do, right?"
"Yes, but --" Dumbledore began, but then Professor McGonagall gave him Jelly-Legs, which greatly interfered with his dancing. His legs were wobbling so much that he fell on his face. His smile faded as he attempted to crawl across the floor so he could get his wand back. Minerva placed her cup on the desk, conjured a goblet from thin air, and muttered, "Aguamenti!" so that it filled with water. When Albus began inching closer, she splashed it at him, soaking his blue hair.
"This was supposed to be your punishment, Minerva!" he exclaimed, only to get another face full of water.
"Well, I thought the incident in the Great Hall was punishment enough, " Professor McGonagall informed him, watching him struggle to stand up. She then performed a Trip Jinx on him, so he stumbled.
"What is this, your idea of revenge?" Professor Dumbledore asked, his legs still twitching. "You should hurt Peeves, not me!"
"He wouldn't have done anything if you hadn't told him!" Minerva countered, casting the Leg-Locker Curse on him when he tried to get up again. Then she reached across the desk and grabbed a bag of lemon drops. She pulled one out and inspected it closely. Albus put on a smile when he saw this.
"Ah, finally going to try one, Minerva? I promise you, they're very goo--ouch!" Professor McGonagall had pelted the candy at his forehead. "Don't abuse my sweets, Minerva!" He tried to catapult himself at her, but he only managed to land at his Deputy's feet. She proceeded to dump the entire contents of the bag onto Professor Dumbledore's head.
"My lemon drops!" he cried out, as the candies scattered all over the floor. "Now you've gone too far, Minerva."
Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do about it, Albus? Give me another detention?"
"Yes, but that's not all," he said gravely. "I will personally hang up Peeves's banner. I will also ask the Sorting Hat to write Peeves a new song, which he will gladly sing. I think I will even confiscate your favorite red ink."
Minerva looked at him, appalled. "You wouldn't," she gasped.
"Oh, I would," Albus replied seriously.
She stared at him for a moment before shouting, "OBLIVIATE!"
In the seconds that Albus had the dazed look in his eyes, Professor McGonagall ended all spells she had casted on his legs, dried his robes, summoned the mouse and turned it back into his glasses, and magicked the lemon drops back into the bag. Finally, Albus blinked, and Minerva handed him his glasses.
"...Where were we?" he asked, looking puzzled, taking his glasses from Minerva's extended hand.
"You were going to have me write lines," she lied, deciding that punishment was much better than the one Albus mentioned a minute ago.
"Yes... I suppose that's right," Professor Dumbledore said, still looking minorly bewildered. He placed a quill and parchment in front of the Deputy Headmistress. "I would like you to write, 'I will no longer skip meals to do excess work.' Yes... I believe that's what I wanted you to write."
"How many times?" she asked.
Dumbledore thought for a moment. "Hmm... how many assignments did you mark today?"
"204," she answered truthfully.
"204 times, then," he said.
Minerva nodded and started writing her lines immediately. About one and a half hours and four feet of parchment later, she finished the 204th sentence. She put down the quill and said, "I've finished, Albus."
"Wonderful!" Albus replied. "Well, have you learned your lesson, dear?"
"Yes, I believe I have," Minerva said.
"And what have you learned?"
"Not to miss meals to grade essays," she answered, "or else a silly headmaster will give me detention."
Albus chortled. "You are quite right, my dear," he said and looked at the clock. "Oh my, look at the time! It is almost 10:30! Time flies when you're having fun! Don't you agree, Minerva?"
"It sure does," she said, thinking of the hour she spent hexing him.
"Well, you are free to go, Minerva. I'll see you in the morning?"
"Right. Good night, Albus."
"Good night, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said as Professor McGonagall started toward the door.
Once she was down the spiral staircase, Professor McGonagall laughed to herself.
She had neglected to restore Dumbledore's hair to its normal color.
I hoped you enjoyed it! Thank you all for reading, and an extra thanks to all of my reviewers! I'd also like to extend an extra thank you to my two friends, Steph & Trina, who proofread this last chapter for me.
- Erin -