1Bright Side

Disclaimers: Not mine.

Pairing: AD/MM

A/N: I have edited everything, to hopefully clear up several inconsistencies. Please tell me if you notice anything!

Chapter 1

Her favorite class was transfiguration, because she liked the idea of changing things. Some things deemed 'fixable' were indeed not once one entered the doors of a transfiguration classroom. A teacup could become a mouse, or vice versa. Minerva liked change, though most couldn't see that in her. She was seen as the most studious, quiet person in her year. She didn't mind - less idiocy to deal with, except for when she was doing her job as Head Girl. In those instances, the idiocy ran rampant. However, in her free time she did get quite lonely…

But she wasn't lonely in transfiguration class. She could transfigure something into an animal, and talk to it. Granted, it got some strange looks sometimes, but she didn't care. The rest of her class could hardly transfigure a match to a needle (well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration), so she was allowed to be a little crazy. Lunacy and brilliance came together. Albus Dumbledore taught her that.

Another reason transfiguration was her favorite class. Albus Dumbledore was perhaps the most intelligent, insightful professor she had ever known. She loved having his class. And now began her seventh year. Only the best transfiguration students had made it this far - she didn't have to wait for the rest of the class to catch up anymore. So much more could be done this year.

All these thoughts ran through her head as she sat in her seat at the front of the class, her black hair pulled back into a ponytail so as to stay out of her way. She was early - no one else had made it to class yet. Then again, she was quite sure no one liked the class as much as she did. It was her reason for being at Hogwarts, her subject of choice.

In the distance she heard a bell toll. "Where is everyone?" she thought to herself. She irritably tapped her wand on her desk, a nervous habit. "Did he get a new classroom?"

"No he did not, Miss McGonagall," said Professor Dumbledore, walking into the room. His thick, auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and his beard had grown several inches from last year. "But he did only have one student of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw who decided to pursue transfiguration after last year, and he'll let you hazard a guess to which student that might be."

"Your legillimency is a bit frightening, sir," said Minerva, "Or do I just think too loud?"

"Your thoughts are on the very surface of your mind, I must admit," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "But yes, the students who'd planned to take this N.E.W.T. last year have decided that the class is too difficult. Except for you, of course."

"I could never drop this class," she said honestly. "You're my favorite teacher," she said quickly, then blushed. Emotion. How she could never overcome it. "Do you have any Slytherins or Hufflepuffs continuing the class, sir? I could take the class with them, if it'd be more convenient." Please say no¸ she thought loudly. You know they'll hold me back.

"Yes," he replied. "None with your natural ability, I must admit. I did not want you to take classes with them for that reason. They would just hold you back." Whether he had looked into her mind or not, Minerva did not think it polite to ask again.

"Thank you, sir." Minerva smiled.

"I must say before we begin, I fully expect you to receive an Outstanding on this test," he said seriously. "I feel before the end of this year you may even surpass my skills which, pardon my lack of modesty, is saying something."

"I will, sir," she said, a little more confident. "I won't let you down."