Professor Gretchen: DADA

1: Moving in with McGonagall

*Thump* Minerva McGonagall looked up from the book she was reading.

*Thump.* Setting the book down on the armrest, she stood up.

*ThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThump!* By the time McGonagall had walked across the room and flung open the door Gretchen was on the last step of the staircase that led to teacher's private quarters.

McGonnagal looked at her, flabbergasted.

"Hullo Professor." she smiled wickedly. "Fancy seeing you here."

McGonagall's jaw flapped open and shut until she gained her composure. "What are you doing here, Gretchen?"

There was one last thump as Gretchen's trunk hit the marble floor. McGonagall's eye twitched a bit.

"Why, don't you know professor?" Gretchen jumped on her trunk and started to roll down the hallway, like she was riding a shopping cart. "I work here now."

McGonnagall feinted.

"Madame Pomfrey!" Gretchen shouted as she rode her trunk around the corner, "You always have had impeccable timing, did you know that?"

********

"Gretchen, I was really hoping that I wouldn't see you so soon. Its only been," Dumbledore glanced at the clock, "Twenty Minutes?" He shook his head. "That must be a record, even for you."

McGonagall glared at him from the corner of the room while Gretchen beamed.

"It isn't actually. First day, third year."

Both McGonagall and Dumbledore groaned. They had tried their best to forget that day.

Gretchen stood up and struck a dramatic pose. "It was a chilly September day, and the wind was blowing the autumn leaves through the open windows of the train. And who would suspect, that among the leaves would be-"

"Gretchen! We are not here to remember your..." McGonagall looked at Dumbledore. "..fourth? was it the fourth largest?" Dumbledore thought for a second and nodded. She looked back at Gretchen. "We are not here to remember your fourth largest prank! We are here to discuss your living arrangements." She shot a pointed look at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore sighed and told Gretchen to leave. She skipped out of the room.

"Now, Minerva, I want you to try an understand-"

"I will not have that, that immature child living with me! After all she did to us when she went to school here-"

"Listen to me, we don't have anywhere else suitable for her to stay and-"

"Especially since the summer before her seventh year, oh I can't tell you how much-"

"Minerva McGonagall!" Dumbledore finally snapped. She stared at him, awestruck. She rarely saw him angry. He spoke again, quietly. "You have to understand that Gretchen was just released. I don't want her on her own so soon. Shes only teaching here because she has experience. She was one of the ministry's finest aurors Minerva. But losing Andrew shook her up." he took a breath to steady himself and went on. "They wont let her have her job back until they know she's fine. This will help her. That's why I'm placing her with you. She needs care." He looked sadly at her above  his glasses. "Will you help her?"

"Fine." She sniffed. "I will let her stay with me." She was almost at the door when she turned around and glared sternly at him. "But don't think it's permanent!"

As she opened the door Gretchen fell face first onto the floor. She picked herself back up and grinned at the headmaster.

"Your door is really thick, did you know that Dumbledore? Like, I could barely hear you yelling at each other!" She started to examine the wood. "How did you get your door to do that? You know, muffle sounds? Its not even that big!"