Gryffindor Common Room

[Professor McGonagall]

Minerva took the badge without any trouble though she wished she didn't have to. She tucked it into her robes ad looked to Ron again, "I'll have you know your honesty isn't lost on me. It is because of your honesty that you are only losing your badge for the night and not being suspended for the week." Minerva wouldn't want Ronald to feel everything he did was completely wrong for she was glad he could tell her the truth, "And yes, Mr. Weasley, you may ask me a question if I may ask one of you."

[Ron Weasley]

"Thank you,Professor." Ron said and thanked her. "It's about your essay. About something I can't seem to understand quite a bit. Hermione's busy with her other stuffs,so I thought I ask you." He explained. "What your identifying mark would be and how you reasoned this as opposed to another trait?" He asked Professor McGonagall. "Can you define that for me more?"

[Professor McGonagall]

"Ah, yes, I read your letter and was going to respond to it tomorrow morning but as I am here, I do not see why I cannot address your problem." Minerva's rigid posture was ever present as she spoke, her weathered face stiff and stern, "An identifying mark, Mr. Weasley, is caused by something on the body and it may be physical or acquired; the trait will usually reflect something about that person as an animagus is a reflection of ourselves in an animal form. Are you with me so far Mr. Weasley?"

[Ron Weasley]

Ron tried to absorb all that Professor McGonagall had said. "Yes,Professor,I understand." He said and making a mental note to keep track and remember. Or if not,he would have to ask Hermione and get reprimanded by her. He sat upright on the couch and while looking at Professor McGonagall,he nodded.

[Professor McGonagall]

Minerva nodded and continued, "Very well. Now a physical trait you have now, such as your ginger hair, could translate into your animal and that could be your identifying mark because it reflects a part of you. For some it is their dental structure, for others, a certain scar or deformity of the flesh, and so on. However, an acquired trait is something that you have, like the name says, acquired. It could be a pair of glasses, a necklace, an earring, and it all can translate into your animagus differently as a marking of the fur or scales or feathers even. So you reason your identifying mark as opposed to any other possible ones on a basis of value, traits of the physical genre, or on a basis of how well that represents you and the kind of person you are may it be studious or brave, traits within. Is it clearer for you now Mr. Weasley?"

[Ron Weasley]

"Yes,yes,it's clearer now Professor McGonagall." Ron said and nodded. "Thank you,for explaining this to me in the wee hours of the morning,Professor." He told her. "And I apologize again for my behaviour,Professor. As a Prefect,I should set a good example for the students but I did otherwise." He explained.

[Professor McGonagall]

Minerva looked at Ron thoughtfully and reached into her robes to pull out the badge. She made a move to hand it to the red haired and obviously remorseful boy but stopped halfway in her actions, "I want to make this clear. I am returning it to you so you sleep well instead of fitfully tonight, and, because I feel you understand why I took it away in the first place. Make no mistake Mr. Weasley- if I find you breaking your oath as a Prefect once more I will suspend you for a week or more." She placed the badge back into his young hands and shut his fingers around it, patting his shut fist with her softly wrinkled hands a few times.

[Ron Weasley]

"Th-Thank you,Professor McGonagall!" Ron exclaimed in delight. "I promise,I won't let you down." He said as Professor McGonagall patted his fist. "I think it's time I go to bed,Professor. I need to be bright and early for your class in the morning." He said with a small smile.

[Professor McGonagall]

Minerva nodded approvingly while she stood and adjusted her tartan nightdress accordingly, "I have high hopes you will not disappoint me again Mr. Weasley. Goodnight." She walked past Ron and paused to put her hand on his shoulder as she remembered what she had wanted to ask in return, "I do however have one question. What was the name and year of your young Slytherin friend?"

[Ron Weasley]

"Goodnight,Professor." Ron called back to her. "She's Amber Smith,Professor. She's a sixth year." He answered her and tried to shift himself on the couch and maintained eye contact with her.

[Professor McGonagall]

Minerva nodded and yet shook her head mentally, expecting better from a sixth year Slytherin. "Thank you and have a pleasant slumber Mr. Weasley." She left the common room quietly and apologized to the Fat Lady for disturbing her at such odd hours in the morning, to which the Fat Lady sniffed and snapped back something about needing her beauty sleep.

[Ron Weasley]

"You too,Professor McGonagall." Ron said and watched her leave and heard the Fat Lady grumbled and mostly,nagging about disturbing her at an ungodly hour. Ron sighed and open the clutches of his fist to see his prefect badge. He smiled and sighed in relief that it was not taken away from him forever. He lay down on the couch and clutching his prefect badge tight in his fist and onto his chest. He summoned a blanket and a few pillows and then comfortably placed himself in a more snug position and soon found himself drifted into slumber.

[Ron Weasley]

Ron was rudely awake by something. He was startled and summoned his cloak and school robes as he got dressed at the hidden corner of the other room and then,scurrying himself to the great hall for breakfast.

[Jake Crawley]

Jake came back to the common room to throw his books in and head back out with a note he had just received in his hands.

[Hermione Granger]

Hermione came into the common room and placed her things down onto the table in front of the couch. She sat and stared at the fire.