Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and Neville will play Quidditch for Britain before I try to illegally profit from the intellectual property of JKR and Warner Brothers'.

"We met him in the entrance hall - he already knew - he just said, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?' and hurtled off to the third floor." - Stone

The Garden

Professor McGonagall was trying to argue her point.

"Albus. Please do not reward them. Every obstacle could have killed them".

"I haven't decided that yet, professor. Of course, you are welcome to deduct any points I may give. Furthermore, if you and Severus join forces, I stand no chance."

Not willing to give in, she voiced the thing that had really pushed her to talk to Professor Dumbledore:

"Can you imagine trying to tell Molly that something had happened to her son. Or to tell the Grangers, who have trusted us to take care of their daughter…." she continued.

"I cannot," said Dumbledore sincerely. "It was foolish of me to fly to London".

"I'm not trying to blame you. But we enforce and create rules to protect the students. If we continue to allow the three of them to break rules so casually... Well, it's a slippery slope, Albus".

"I don't like that they were in such danger any more than you do but if I remember correctly just this year you felt it was important to "bend" a rule regarding first years and broomsticks," Albus replied.

"I suppose I have some blame in this as well but we need to stop reinforcing their rule-breaking and I think we can both agree that Potter is less likely to get into trouble with his mind on sports," said Professor McGonagall fiercely.

"And it certainly doesn't hurt Gryffindor's chances at the house cup," added Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "And don't worry, Minerva. Although we cannot - nor would we want to - quell their curiosity or their thirst for adventure, we will do whatever we can to keep them safe".

"But the rules..."

"Look Minerva, I don't know if this series is going to take off so let's just give them a thoroughly happy ending to satisfy the children and their parents".

"I'm so confused" she told him.

But Albus Dumbledore merely chuckled.

AD

The following day, Dumbledore chose answered his correspondences beside Harry's bed. Hermione and Ron were the only people Madam Pomfrey would allow inside and only for twenty minutes at a time. It was highly amusing to watch the young students turn red when he tried to talk to them.

When Albus Dumbledore had finished answering letters, he summoned an issue of Transfiguration Today, when he finished that, he read through a copy of Witch Weekly and by then, he had a new pile of letters to read. Dumbledore would be there when Harry woke up.

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