AN: I swear, there are many more outtakes floating around, I just haven't gotten to proofread yet. This would've gone at the beginning of Chapter 59, but I nixed it in favor of the time jump. It just didn't manage to round out a whole chapter, and I had so many more ideas!

"I don't suppose someone would like to tell me exactly what happened." Minerva laced her fingers together and placed her hands on top of her desk, watching everyone closely. "After all, it's not every day that an escaped mass murderer is brought to the Hospital Wing by two professors and several students."

Charity smiled nervously up at her. "Well, we were just retrieving the students, since it was dark out, and the dementors were approaching."

"You, Remus, and Severus all decided to go together to retrieve some Gryffindors," Minerva stated skeptically.

"Er…yes," Charity confirmed. "Yes, that's correct. We knew they were out there because of the…object Remus and I spoke with you about earlier, and we thought it would be a good idea to check on some of the students after the day's events."

"Hmm." Minerva didn't believe a word of it. "Severus, why were you in Remus' quarters?"

He straightened up, glaring at her. "I was dropping off Lupin's potion, per our…" His lip curled in disgust. "…agreement."

"I see." She really didn't. "Mr. Weasley, Miss Clearwater, as Head students, shouldn't you have been concerned with getting the younger students in before curfew?" She eyed them carefully as Clearwater squirmed and Percy adjusted his glasses.

"Well," Percy drawled slowly. "We had noticed something strange on our way back—because we were doing our duty, and bringing them back—right near the Whomping Willow. And there was a large black dog that, well, it dragged Ron underneath the Willow. Naturally, we sent the younger ones back to the castle before going in to get him."

"Naturally," Minerva murmured, picking up a quill and making a little note on her parchment. "Of course, that doesn't account for Mister Creevey, nor Misses Lovegood, Robbins, Vane, and Weasley. What were you five doing by the lake so late at night?" She turned to the youngest occupants in the room, who stayed silent.

"Yes, Ginny. What were you doing out there?" Percy grumbled, fixing her with a stern look.

Clearwater elbowed him sharply.

"We were just enjoying our last few days at Hogwarts this year," Ginny claimed innocently. "And then we noticed Ron and the dog—Colin has a picture, if you want to see—and we came straight back to the castle to find a teacher." The other children nodded fervently next to her.

Minerva arched an eyebrow. "And upon entering the castle, you came across Professors Burbage, Lupin, and Snape?"

"Actually, it was just Professor Snape." Robbins twirled a lock of hair between her fingers while chewing on her bottom lip.

Minerva sighed. "And where were Professors Burbage and Lupin?" She wasn't sure she really wanted to know.

"We…took a detour. Um, Sev—Snape," She backtracked quickly upon seeing his face, "Professor Snape had to grab something from his office, so Remus and I went on ahead."

"What were you grabbing from your office, Severus?" Minerva quite liked intimidating people sometimes, especially if they were people who didn't get so easily flustered. But frightening Severus was perhaps her new favorite pastime. He was admittedly rather good at hiding his emotions, but there were small tells here and there, notably the way his eyes tightened every time his name was spoken.

"I…needed to check up on a potion I had brewing," He replied shortly.

"Oh, really? So, as you rushed to catch up with Professors Burbage and Lupin, you happened to run into four second years and a first year. Is that right?"

He nodded stiffly.

"Do you children have anything to add?" She reached for her glasses and placed them on the bridge of her nose, peering closely at them. The four Gryffindors shook their heads vehemently, but Lovegood tilted her head to the side and hummed loudly. Minerva waited, but when the girl said nothing, she moved on. "You five may go. It seems your part in this story is over."

The children scrambled up out of their seats, practically fleeing the scene. Creevey slipped his camera on her desk before following, shutting the door quietly behind him. With a wave of her hand, she urged the remaining people into the now vacant chairs.

"Now, let's go over this one more time. Upon entering the Shrieking Shack by way of the passageway underneath the Whomping Willow, Charity and Remus stumbled upon several students, including the Head Boy and Girl, attempting to stop escaped murderer Sirius Black from committing yet another crime. Due to a magical object known as the Marauder's Map, they were able to determine the identity of Ron Weasley's pet rat to be the presumed dead Peter Pettigrew."

Percy wrinkled his nose slightly before taking his Head Boy badge off and shining it with his shirt.

"Immediately afterwards, Black explained the whole situation, including the fact that he was not the Potters' Secret Keeper. Somewhere during this time, Severus arrived at the scene. Pettigrew eventually confessed his guilt, in the presence of six adults—"

"Six?" Clearwater squeaked.

Minerva felt herself smile. "You, Weasley, and Wood are all over the age of seventeen. I believe, in the eyes of the law, that means you are adults."

Clearwater's eyes widened.

"As I was saying, Pettigrew confessed his guilt in the presence of six adults as well as Black. Lupin stayed behind for his transformation, and Snape and Burbage took the students, Pettigrew, and Black back up to the castle. Everything went swimmingly, no one ran into any trouble, and Pettigrew is currently in a holding cell. Is this correct?"

Everyone nodded their assent.

"Alright." Minerva signed her name to the bottom of the parchment with a flourish, before sealing the letter in an envelope with the Hogwarts crest. "Now, since that is the official Hogwarts statement, there will be no changing it. That being said, I'm certain that what is in that envelope is the whole, complete truth. Is that right, Mr. Weasley? Miss Clearwater?"

"Yes," said Percy.

"Umm," said Clearwater.

Minerva pursed her lips.

"I mean, yes," She said hastily.

"Good. Now, I'm sure you'd all like to check up on Mr. Black, but he needs his rest. He'll be just fine in the Hospital Wing, and if he permits, you may visit him tomorrow. If you'll excuse me, I need to speak to Albus. I'm afraid we were meant to be catching up, but your little escapade interrupted." She smiled one last time at them before rising to her feet.

She really needed to ask that infernal man how he managed to keep himself from going insane in this castle for all those years.