As the sun set behind the magnificent castle of Hogwarts, Hermione was finally starting to relax. The warm glow of twilight seeped into the hospital wing, the silence enveloping her like a comforting cocoon. A soft breeze wafted through the open window, bringing with it the scent of lilac from the blooming flowers near the greenhouses that hadn't been eaten by a more vicious variety of plant. As dusk fell she could see the faint points of light from the dancing fireflies of the Forbidden Forest, and hear the random chatter of her peers as they made their way through the castle. The clean white sheets of her hospital bed were cool against her skin, and her breathing slowed. Her long-lashed eyes began to close, and she began to drift off into dreams of a happier time.

That's when the heavy doors of the hospital wing were suddenly slammed open, as several people burst into the room, jolting Hermione back to reality violently. Wide-eyed and bewildered, she stared as Professor McGonagall was brought in, screaming and wailing, and put into a hospital bed.

"Madame Pomfrey!"a man yelled, and Hermione recognized Dumbledore, looking grave. "Madame Pomfrey, come quickly!"

Hermione spotted Professor Sprout, twisting her hands behind Dumbledore and standing next to Harry, who looked just as bewildered and was accompanied by what appeared to be a drag queen. That's when Crookshanks suddenly came zipping through the door, his ginger bottlebrush tail whipping back and forth fiercely.

"Crookshanks! Where have you been??"Hermione said, trying to get the cat to come to her. However, it strangely trotted over to McGonagall's bedside, staring up at everyone.

"You don't want to know,"Professor Sprout said sadly. Hermione was confused.

Madame Pomfrey came hurrying out of her office, looking startled by the sudden presence of the crowd of people, including the headmaster, that had just brought more chaos into her hospital wing. She then spotted Professor McGongall writhing on the bed, her stomach bulging and moving.

"My heavens,"Madame Pomfrey whispered as she hurried over to McGonagall. "Is this woman pregnant?"

"Yes, Madame Pomfrey. It has come to my attention that Professor McGonagall has allowed herself to be impregnated by a cat,"Dumbledore said quietly. Hermione's jaw dropped.

"How....?"Madame Pomfrey managed, staring down at the atrocity that was Minerva McGonagall.

"According to Professor Sprout, Minerva was engaged in a love affair with Crookshanks while in her tabby cat form,"Dumbledore proclaimed, his brow wrinkled with worry. "I was unaware Minerva was still capable of having children, and I must admit my astonishment at her romantic choices. However, she is in dire need of our help. We do not know what to expect."

Hermione was stunned. She had no idea what to make of any of this. First she finds herself pregnant with Ron's baby, and now her pet cat has impregnated her teacher. It was more than she could deal with. She felt a growing pain in her head.

She was pulled from her swirling thoughts by another gasping wail from Professor McGonagall, and watched as Dumbledore leaned down to examine her.

Throughout the castle, professors and students alike were turning in for the evening, and down in the old torture chamber, Severus Snape hung from his chains limply, losing hope of being discovered any time soon.

Olive sat on the floor of her cage, sadly stroking her husband's arm as he lay slumped and unconscious next to her. She still felt like crying, but all her tears had been spent as she worried over Roger's condition. He was still breathing, but he had not opened his eyes for some time. She felt helpless, stuck in this damn cage with her ailing husband, her one rescuer now chained to the wall, and all because she had made fun of Myrtle's glasses fifty years ago.

"Do you think anyone will find us?"Olive asked sadly, looking over at Snape.

"I imagine everyone has gone to bed for the evening. We may have to wait until tomorrow, when I am noticeably absent from my potions classes,"Snape replied with a sigh of irritation.

"Maybe one of those boys will come back and help us,"Olive said hopefully. Snape frowned.

"What boys?"

"Two young men discovered me down here, but Myrtle..ahem..threatened them and scared them away,"Olive said nervously. Professor Snape made her a bit uncomfortable.

"What were their names?"Snape asked, his irritation growing.

"Well, one was Harry Potter. I'd know that name anywhere. The other boy Myrtle called 'Draco,'"Olive replied.

"Potter! I should have guessed he was involved with this somehow. Are you sure the other boy was called Draco?"

"Oh yes, I remembered thinking what an odd name that was,"Olive said.

"What did he look like?"Snape demanded.

"He was a pale, pointy-faced boy with very blonde hair,"Olive said, not enjoying Snape's questioning much.

"And what did Myrtle threaten them with? What was going on?"Snape insisted, growing angrier with every minute.

"Oh, er, I'm sure I don't know,"Olive said nervously, looking more and more uncomfortable.

"You're lying. Tell me what happened!"Snape growled, frightening poor Olive even more. Snape studied her startled face, looking for clues into the situation. She was obviously lying, and was definitely quite uncomfortable with the conversation. Why would she lie?

"Really, Mr. Snape, I don't want to talk about that nonsense any more! I'm sorry I brought it up at all!"Olive said hysterically, her voice getting high and screechy. Snape lost his composure.

"Tell me this instant, you insufferable old woman!"he shouted, pulling against his chains. Frightened, Olive shoved herself against the bars of her cage, pulling Roger closer as if to shield herself from Snape's verbal assault. "You have no right to keep information regarding the students of this school from one of it's professors! Answer me now, you horrible crone!"

"Go to the devil, you nasty, spiteful man!"Olive suddenly shrieked, pointing a gnarled finger at Snape. "How dare you try to intimidate an old woman locked in a cage with her dying husband? What kind of a monster are you?"

"I'll be your worst nightmare unless you tell me what I want to know!"bellowed Snape, his face contorted in rage. Olive hugged Roger tighter and turned her head towards the dark stone wall.

In the hospital wing, the situation had grown more desperate. Professor Persephone and Professor Sprout knelt by Professor McGonagall's bed, clutching her hands as she wailed and cried. Crookshanks the cat yowled almost as loudly as Mcgonagall, pacing the floor and clawing at the bed sheets.

"Somebody remove that cat from this hospital wing at once,"Madame Pomfrey hissed as she tried to hold McGonagall's legs apart. Harry grabbed the bundle of agitated fur and carried him out into the hallway, where he dropped him unceremoniously on the stone floor and hurried to close himself back in the hospital wing.

Harry then went over to Hermione's bed, where Hermione had begun to cry. She didn't know what else to do. She was so overwhelmed all she could was cry. Harry put his arm around her as he sat next to her on the bed.

"I can see something,"Madame Pomfrey said, staring down between McGonagall's legs. Dumbledore came over and looked over Madame Pomfrey's shoulder.

"Something is coming,"Dumbledore said. "You may need to assist it."

As Madame Pomfrey reached under McGonagall's skirts, Hermione gave a moan. Harry turned to her and saw two more bulges were pushing out her head. Hermione's eyes were clamped shut in pain.

"Er, Madame Pomfrey?"Harry said nervously.

"Not now, boy, can't you see I'm busy?"Madame Pomfrey snapped, concentrating on the strange birth about to take place.

"My head is bulging!"Hermione suddenly shouted. Madame Pomfrey shot up and looked over at Hermione. Two large bulges were pushing out from the side of Hermione's head.

"Oh my heavens!"Madame Pomfrey shrieked, hurrying over to Hermione. "Lay down at once! Harry, you'll need to push the bed into my office while I find another relaxation potion for her!" Madame Pomfrey hurried over to her cupboards, searching among the bottles, as McGonagall gave another piercing scream. Dumbledore hurried to the foot of the bed, kneeling down and taking Madame Pomfrey's position.

"Push, Minerva, push with everything you've got,"Dumbledore said calmly. Madame Pomfrey managed to find the bottle she was looking for and hurried it in to Hermione, whom Harry had managed to get into the office.

"Here, drink this,"Madame Pomfrey said, pushing the bottle into Hermione's hands after she had closed them in the silence of the office. Hermione began to drink the potion, her eyes still shut in agony, while her fingernails began to cut into Harry's arm.

Outside the office, Dumbledore continued to encourage McGonagall.

"You're doing well, Minerva, just keep pushing,"Dumbledore said as the first something managed to free itself from between McGonagall's legs. Dumbledore looked down at the mewling creature in his hands. It was covered in black fur, but was vaguely human also, and very small. He could see another one was emerging quickly, but he wasn't quite sure what to do with the one he currently held.

"Professor Sprout, I need you over here,"Dumbledore said sternly. He handed the creature to Professor Sprout. "Wash it in the basin and wrap it in a blanket." Dumbledore pulled out his wand and conjured several bassinets in a row on the next bed. "Then place it in a bassinet and be ready for the next one."

Professor Sprout did as she was told, though she was frightened of the creature she held in her arms. She washed it in the basin, rinsing off the thick fur, as the creature stared up at her with strangely human eyes and mewled softly. It had more of a human body than a cat's, except for the fur and the pointed ears. She pulled it from the basin, wrapped in a blanket, and set it into the first bassinet just as Dumbledore was ready to hand her the next one.

In the small cage hanging from the stone roof of the torture chamber, Roger suddenly awoke.

"Sorry dear, but you know how grumpy I get when I don't get my nap,"Roger said wearily, looking around at the various assortment of instruments just outside their cage.

"Roger! You're alive!"Olive said happily, hugging her husband tightly.

"Well of course I am,"Roger said, still half-asleep. "What're we doing about this cage?"

"I don't know! Everyone in the castle is probably asleep, and all that horrible man over there's been doing is yelling at me like a monster!"Olive cried. Snape ignored them both.

"Well then, dear, I think it's time I told you a secret I've been keeping for some time,"Roger said. Olive looked up at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about, dear? Are you having one of your episodes?"

"No, no. Its just that I need to tell you I'm an animagus,"Roger revealed. Olive was stunned.

"Since when?"she demanded.

"Oh, for about five years now. I registered with the Ministry of Magic and everything. I thought it would be a clever way to sneak out to the pub every now and then,"Roger admitted. Olive was livid.

"You crazy old man! How dare you keep something like that from me! And just to go drinking! You know you have health problems!"Olive shrieked.

"Oh, would you just shut up!"Snape bellowed. "He's telling you he can find us help, you stupid old woman!"

"Not really how I would have put it, but yes, that is the point I was getting at,"Roger said, a bit startled by Snape's sudden outburst. Olive looked a bit chastened.

"Go on, then. Get us out of here,"she said quietly. And with that, Roger transformed before their eyes into a small brown gerbil. He jumped out of the cage and onto the floor of the chamber.

"You need to follow this corridor to the stairs up to the entrance hall and from there you'll be able to go up to Dumbledore's office. He'll still be awake, at least,"Snape said to the gerbil, annoyed at the silly transformation that had just occurred and the fact he was giving directions to a gerbil. He told Roger how to get up to the office and the password to make the statue move (chocolate frog). Then the little gerbil scurried out of the chamber and into the dark corridor.

Minerva McGonagall had fainted from her exertion, and slept deeply on her hospital bed. She had given birth to a total of five creatures, also all sleeping in their bassinets. There was one black one, one gray striped, two ginger, and a black one with white feet and a white spot on it's nose.

Hermione was also asleep, her head encased in pillows, and no more bulges had arisen. Dumbledore had sent Harry and Professor Persephone off to bed, and he now stood over the bassinets with Professor Sprout.

"What do you think, professor?'Professor Sprout said quietly.

"I think I'd like Minerva to name one after me,"Dumbledore said with a smile as he led Professor Sprout towards the door. "I just don't envy her when they wake up wanting to nurse."

Down on the second floor corridor, Crookshanks was stalking around, agitated and angry. As he hurried down the hall, he spotted something small and furry scurrying up a staircase. Crookshanks ducked low to the ground and raced after his new plaything...