Halloween was drawing near. Hagrid was busy lugging giant pumpkins from his garden into the great hall, where they would be carved for decoration. Hogwarts seemed to be crawling with ghosts these days as Nearly Headless Nick prepared for another death-day party. The leaves were turning from green into a variety of oranges, reds, and golds that fluttered down from the trees, while things were business as usual within the school.

Professor McGonagall was having an difficult time lately, as her kiddens were growing every day. Until recently they had been sleeping in her office while she went about her classes, but they soon became more alert, more curious. There were several occasions now when her class of first years would be startled by a curious kidden, peering out around the corner of the office. Rumors about her were spreading like wildfire around the school, and she was frantic to figure out what to do with them during her classes.

"I tell you, Pomona, I am at my wits end!"Mcgonagall said to Professor Sprout one afternoon as they had tea together in her office. The kiddens watched from their bassinets with interest. "They've been interrupting classes, startling my students, and who knows what everyone's been saying about me around the school? I have to find some way to keep them occupied during the day."

Professor Sprout examined the bassinets, wrinkling her nose.

"They're certainly odd-looking little things, aren't they?"she said, patting one of them on the head.

"Despite what they may look like, they are my children Pomona. Please try to restrain your disgust,"McGonagall said.

"I'm sorry, Minerva. You're right, of course. Maybe you could find a baby-sitter for them or something?"

"I was considering asking Hagrid, but who knows what mischief they'll get up to in his care,"McGonagall said.

"Minerva, you have to do something with them. I think Hagrid's a fine idea. While he may have classes of his own, they're all out doors....."Professor Sprout said. "Have you named them yet?"

"No. I've been trying not to think about it. There's so many things we don't know about them yet, like will they be able to talk? Do they walk upright or on all fours? I still have to talk to Crookshanks, at least, before I even consider what to name them,"Mcgonagall said.

"Oh dear. I'd quite forgotten about him. Have you seen him lately?"

"No, oddly enough. Not since I gave birth. I wonder what he's off doing?"

Roger was quite lost. He scurried through every nook and cranny of the castle he found, but still had no idea where he was. He hadn't been in the castle in fifty years, and with Crookshanks hot on his tail, he feared he may never find his way to Dumbledore's office. As for Snape, no one had missed him yet, since his classes had carried on without him. None of the students cared where he was, and decided not to tell anyone he was missing. If they did, they might find him and bring him back.

Roger was scurrying his way through a wall between corridors somewhere on the fifth floor, hoping he was rid of Crookshanks at last. He wanted very much to turn back into his human form, but thanks to Crookshanks, he'd been forced to wiggle his way through the holes inside the mortar of the walls. He was worried that if he went out into a corridor, Crookshanks would be waiting for him.

Down in the torture chamber, Snape hung from his chains limply. Olive huddled in her cage, worrying over Roger. Snape lifted his head to see Olive and scowl.

"Where is your imbecilic husband? He's been gone for days and no one has found us!"Snape said. His brow furrowed in anger.

"I'm sure Roger's doing the best he can. Weren't your students suppose to notify someone you were missing?"Olive said. Her own mood had grown just as foul as Snape's, and she didn't want to listen to him continue to bark at her about her husband's long absence.

"I'll be sure to instruct them on what to do in the event I ever go missing again. Assuming, of course, that we are ever found and don't end up rotting down here,"Snape said.

"Oh there's a cheery picture, then,"Olive said. "I can already imagine your greasy rotting bones hanging from their chains."

Snape decided it would be wiser to say nothing. Olive was obviously beyond being intimidated by him. There was nothing he could accomplish either way. His life was dependent on either someone getting lost in the dungeons and finding them by accident, or being rescued by an 80-year-old gerbil. Unless....

"You must tell me what Potter and Malfoy were doing down in the dungeons,"Snape said. Olive rolled her eyes in irritation.

"And why must I?"she asked.

"Because there might be a chance they will come back down here,"Snape said. Olive shook her head.

"No, I doubt they'll be back down here. They've been scared off,"Olive said. "So there's your answer."

"Why do you insist on protecting them?"Snape asked.

"Ah! Who says I'm protecting them from something? That would imply they were doing something wrong, now wouldn't it? I haven't said one way or the other, cos it's none of your business, you bloodless corpse!"Olive replied.

Harry entered the hospital wing, spotted Hermione and moved over to her bedside. Her head was now encased in what looked like a thick layer of hardened cement.

"Hermione! What did Madame Pomfrey do to you?"Harry asked.

"After the commotion with Professor McGonagall and the resulting bulges, Madame Pomfrey decided that this was the safest thing to do,"Hermione said, her voice echoing from inside her cement helmet.

"How can you breath in that?"Harry asked.

"There's some sort of magic spell that makes me able to still breathe, though I guess there's no way to make me able to see anything,"Hermione said. "I'm ok, though. How are things with you?"

"I haven't really wanted to tell you what's been up with me, considering everything you're going through...."

"Oh, Harry, I just saw one of my teachers give birth to several half-cat, half-human creatures in the bed next to me and survived, I'm sure I can handle whatever you have to throw at me,"Hermione said. "Why don't you start with telling me who that drag queen was that was with you?"

"Hmm. Well, that was Professor Persephone. He's now teaching the new health class, and revealed to me that he's Sirius in disguise,"Harry said. He couldn't tell Hermione's reaction, considering he was staring at a big round ball of cement.

"Harry, Sirius is dead,"Hermione said.

"No, it's him! I saw him without his make-up on! He said he was here to warn me about something!"Harry said.

"But Harry, we saw him die...."

"No we didn't! We saw him fall through a curtain!"

"Harry, you can't know for sure that it's really Sirius. And I think it's rather odd that he's posing as a female teacher and giving himself a phony name borrowed from the Greek queen of the underworld,"Hermione said. "I'd be careful if I were you. I think you should tell Dumbledore. What did 'Sirius' say he wanted to warn you about?"

"He didn't get a chance to, but...."

"But what?

"I think it has to do with me and Malfoy,"Harry said.

"What do you mean, Harry?"

"Well, Draco and I are kind of...interested in each other...."

"What? You hate each other! What are you talking about?"

"It's kind of a long story...."

In transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall was just finishing up another lesson.

"Homework tonight!"Mcgonagall announced, "I want you to practice the proper method of transfiguring a desk into tortoise...."Mcgonagall trailed off. The kiddens were unusually quiet. She moved over to her office, while her class watched with interest.

The kiddens were gone. Every one of them. Every bassinet was empty. She searched the office, but they were nowhere to be found. She came back out into the classroom.

She scanned the classroom, bent down to look under desks. There were a few giggles from her students.

"Oh my heavens....."

Roger was getting tired of running from Crookshanks. Up ahead, he saw light from another hole going out into the castle somewhere. Deciding to risk it, he darted out through the hole, transfiguring back into a human at the same time.

He was in a bathroom. He breathed a sigh of relief. At last he was human again and could finally go find help.

"Where do you think you're going?"a voice said out of nowhere. Roger turned, and saw Moaning Myrtle floating up above her toilet.

"I'm going for help! And you're not going to stop me! Especially since we all remember that no one can apparate inside the castle and no one's here to stop me!"Roger said.

"Oh yeah....."

Before Moaning Myrtle realized what was happening, Roger bolted out the door of the bathroom and dashed down the hall. As he hurried around a corner he almost ran into a herd of students running away from something and screaming hysterically.

"Hold on here, what's going on?"Roger yelled, but nobody heard him in their panic. He looked up and saw several small furry things running down the hallway after them. "What the blazes are those??"

Back up in the hospital wing, Harry was revealing to Hermione he and Draco's love for one another.

"Harry, that sounds rather odd to me as well. Why would Draco suddenly be in love with you, after he's hated you all this time?"Hermione asked.

"Well, I imagine his anger was rooted in his confusion over his feelings for me..."Harry said.

"It's even more suspicious that 'Sirius' was telling you to be careful,"Hermione said. "Although, if 'Sirius' isn't who he said he was, maybe he's leading you the wrong way....I don't know, Harry, it seems like everyone lately has lost their mind, me included."

"As long as you don't lose your head,"Harry said.

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, going over some of his correspondence and enjoying a mug of hot cocoa when his door suddenly burst open, and Roger stumbled in.

"You must come quickly!"Roger said.

"Whatever is the matter, sir?"Dumbledore asked.

"My wife and your potions master are chained up in the dungeons, and there are furry little creatures running around your school!"Roger said.

"Furry little creatures, eh? Do they look like a cross between cats and humans?"

"Yes! And they're frightening the students terribly!"

"Ah yes, that would be Professor McGonagall's unruly children,"Dumbledore said.

"And my wife and that horrible man are down in the dungeons.....!"

"Alright. I'll wait until a more appropriate time to ask what's going on, and join you on a trip down to the dungeons,"Dumbledore said, and he followed Roger out of the office.

In the hospital wing, Harry had left some time ago, and Madame Pomfrey decided she'd go out and check on her patient. She stepped out of her office and discovered all the beds were empty.

"Miss Granger? Miss Granger, where are you? Come out this instant!"Madame Pomfrey called, but she knew the hospital wing was empty, and somewhere Hermione was wandering around with a head covered in cement.

Hagrid dragged another giant pumpkin into the entrance hall when he saw several students running down the marble staircase. Some hurried into the Great Hall, while others flew out the front doors, zooming past Hagrid as if their robes were on fire.

"What's goin' on?"he bellowed out at a group of students, but they ignored him as two rambunctious kiddens bounded down the marble staircase, mewling loudly and darting after fleeing students. Bewildered, Hagrid set his pumpkin aside to investigate what kind of interesting creature was running around the castle now.

"Hagrid! Just the man I wanted to see,"Dumbledore said as he appeared at the top of the stairs with Roger. "I do need to talk to you quite urgently."

"What's goin' on, Professor Dumbledore, sir?"Hagrid said.

"Professor McGonagall's children are running amok in the castle, if you would be so kind as to gather them up, I'm sure both she and I would be most grateful,"Dumbledore said as he moved down the stairs towards Hagrid.

"Alright, I'll do my best. Where are you off to,then?"

"More troubles down in the dungeons, I'm afraid, Hagrid,"Dumbledore said. "If you'll excuse us...." And with that, Dumbledore followed Roger into the dungeons. The two kiddens Hagrid had seen earlier had since disappeared, and Hagrid was unsure of where to begin. He also wondered how many of the little creatures there were. Oh well, he'd have to ask Dumbledore next time he saw him.

Hagrid soon saw a ginger-colored kidden chasing Neville Longbottom back up towards the first floor, and he moved into action.

Harry was heading back up to the dormitory. He had wanted to talk to Sirius again, but now he wasn't so sure, and he was tired. It had been a long day. He had seen one of the kiddens clawing its way up a suit of armor trying to catch Peeves the poltergeist as Peeves hovered above it yelling, "Here kitty! Nice little nasty kitty!!" on his way from the hospital wing and decided this was on ordeal he didn't want to be involved with.

He hadn't seen Ron all day either, but he figured he'd bump into him in the common room. Draco tried to get his attention earlier at dinner, but Harry had ignored him. He had too many things to sort out in his head. All he felt like doing was falling down into his bed and sleeping for a month.

Just as he was heading up towards the common room, he heard someone calling his name behind him. It was Madame Pomfrey.

"Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter, wait a moment!"she called after him. Harry could only imagine what she wanted. Probably she wanted to yell at him for upsetting Hermione again.

"Yes, Madame Pomfrey?"Harry asked, stopping on the stairs and turning to face her.

"Have you seen Ms. Granger?"

"Yes, just a little while ago, when I visited her in the hospital wing,"Harry said, a little confused.

"Yes I know, but have you seen her since? She's not in her bed...she's missing!"

"Missing? How can she be missing with her head encased in cement?"Harry asked, bewildered.

"That's exactly what I thought! She can't see where she's going! She couldn't be too far away, but she's nowhere to be found, and Minerva's little creatures are rampaging around the school like dervishes, and who knows what happened to Dumbledore!"Madame Pomfrey was starting to get a little overwhelmed.

"Relax, Madame Pomfrey, it will be alright. I'll go see if I can find Hermione, and try to round up some of the kiddens while I'm at it, ok?"Harry said.

And with that, they parted ways, moving off in different directions searching for whoever they could find. Harry had somehow knew that a quiet evening in bed was not in his future.