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Credence’s head jerked up, his eyes flying from his book to the door.
He couldn’t have heard what he just thought he heard, could he?
He waited for a second, book in hand, then he heard it again.
Someone was knocking.
He stood slowly.
Nobody had knocked. Albus didn’t knock, he just let himself in. There wasn’t anyone else. Newt was miles away, working. Who else could it be?
The person knocked again. Louder this time. Firmer.
There was definitely someone there.
He didn’t know what to do.
He shouldn’t open the door. He knew he shouldn’t. He was hiding here, after all. Nobody was meant to know. Nobody did know.
They knocked again. Credence took a hesitant step towards the door.
Someone was out there. Someone who knew he was here. He didn’t know who they were but they knew he was here and Albus would probably disapprove, Newt would probably disapprove but, then, wouldn’t they be just as cross if he said that someone came knocking and he didn’t even bother opening the door? Someone knew about him and he hadn’t done anything about it?
He opened the door.
The girl on the doorstep froze with her hand in their air. She blinked at him.
He blinked at her.
“Oh,” she said, as though she hadn’t expected anyone to open the door.
“Yes?”
“I…hello. I’m Minerva.”
“Hello,” Credence said, shifting from foot to foot.
“Well,” the woman said, straightening her back. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
He wasn’t, but as it turned out he didn’t have a choice. She brushed straight past him into the room. Took a second to stand there and look around. He felt rather judged. The room was, possibly, a little messy. It’d always been small but the stacks of books on the tables and chairs only added to it. All his work spread out over the table.
Minerva snorted then walked into the room and took the only clear chair, forcing Credence to clear one of the other ones so that he could sit down too.
“So,” she said, leaning forward to put her elbows on his papers. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“I think I should be asking you that.”
“Well, no, you see,” she said, smiling. “I’m a student. I’m meant to be here. But you’re not. And you’re not a teacher. So, I ask again, what are you doing here?”
Credence flushed. She was right, of course. She had every right to be here, he was hiding here. She was a student at this school, he was nobody. He didn’t belong here. Didn’t deserve to be here.
He wished, absurdly, that Newt was with him. Newt would talk to her. Make her understand. Make her leave. Make sure she didn’t tell anyone else about him.
But Newt wasn’t here. He was here and he was going to have to deal with it. He’d dealt with worse than this before.
He squared his shoulders and lifted his chin.
“I’m Credence. I’m studying, just not in the same way you are. How did you even know there was someone here?”
“The usual way. I followed Professor Dumbledore. He’s been sneaking about the place lately and I overheard him talking to Professor Pin about advanced transfiguration. Why would he even be doing that?”
“So you followed him?”
“Aye,” she beamed. “And I found you. So, are you doing some kind of advanced transfiguration work?”
“Oh, no,” Credence frowned, looking down at his shoes. “Nothing impressive, I’m sorry.”
“I think I’ll be the judge of that,” Minerva said. “I’ll have you know that when it comes to transfiguration, I’m the smartest witch in my year.”
Credence nodded because he could imagine that. She was certainly a force of personality. She seemed to take that as invitation and picked up his papers, starting to riffle through them. He bit back the urge to reach forward and snatch them from her. That wouldn’t be polite. That would be the kind of thing that ended with him in trouble and he didn’t want that but he wasn’t sure what to do.
He didn’t want her here.
He wanted Newt here. Newt would make her go away.
He didn’t know…
Then she snorted and he froze.
“This is good stuff,” she said. “But you’ve completely misunderstood Mann’s theory as applied to human transfiguration.”
“I have not.”
“Have too,” she said, waving a paper at him. “Come over here and I’ll show you.”
He hesitated a second. He knew he should make her leave but, well, she waved his own paper at him and he wasn’t wrong, damnit. He had understood. Maybe she just didn’t understand.
He scooted his chair over.
“Now, come on,” she said. “Let’s sort this out.”
***
Credence didn’t know how long they sat there before the door opened again. He just knew that when he turned to respond to the noise Albus looked shocked for a second, and then very cross and it was all he could do not to wince back.
“Miss Mcgonagall,” Albus said. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“Helping Credence understand Mann’s theory,” she said without looking up. “You know, Credence, I’m not saying you are but if you are right about this, it could totally revolutionise things like animagus forms.”
“What?”
“People transforming into animals,” Minerva said with a long suffering sigh. “Honestly, Professor, I don’t know what they teach them in the American system, his grasp of some of the basics is terrible but if you’re right…We should try this. Do you want to?”
“No thanks,” Credence said, quickly. About the last thing he wanted was to transform himself.
“Suit yourself,” Minerva said with a shrug.
“And neither will you, Miss Mcgonagall,” Albus said, though he didn’t look as cross now. “Off with you, your head of house will be wondering where you are.”
“Right, Professor,” Minerva said, standing and straightening her robes. “Credence, I’ll try and dig out that book on Speight’s uncertainty principal for you next time.”
“Miss Mcgonagall,” Albus said, reaching out a hand to stop her as she got to the door. “I would hope it goes without saying but Credence’s presence here is a secret we’d like to keep for now.”
“Oh, don’t worry Professor,” she said, grinning back over her shoulder at Credence. “I’d never tell on a friend.”