"No way does she not already know about the article." She pauses as she thinks about the other half of the question, 'must tell authority figures relevant things' warring with 'authority is scary and should only be necessary when Something Bad occurs.' She decides that something bad has already occurred, authority is relevant, and goes with, "And might as well, she'll want to talk about the article anyway I bet."

"I'll go up to her after we're done eating I guess..."

"Want company? Protection? Something like that?"

Headmistress McGonagall is waiting for her at the entrance of the hall as they exit. "A minute of your time please, Miss Swan?"

"It wasn't her fault! He lied to her about being a reporter!" Alli says immediately, defensive.

"Putting aside the question of blame, I believe a conversation is in order regardless," McGonagall tells her dryly.

"He did lie, though," says Miranda. "All I did was give him directions to Potions - he said he was here to visit his niece, we said we don't know her."

"The school has been receiving no small number of inquiries about your adventures," McGonagall tells her. "Do you have a plan, for your Easter holiday? You may be swamped, if you do not. I believe you are something of a curiosity, at the moment."

"Visiting my dad anyway. I think he'd be harder to find?"

"Possibly," McGonagall allows. "But do consider- at least one managed to get to you at Hogwarts itself, when we were prepared, before you were quite this much a celebrity."

"Wait, your dad?" Jenny blurts out.

"I have a dad, I just don't live with him most of the time and he didn't come to Australia," says Miranda. "At Hogwarts everyone knew where I was. Nobody knows where my dad is, do they, Professor?"

"Perhaps not. It remains to be seen. Ideally, you are correct, of course. Do you require assistance in arriving there?" McGonagall asks. "I confess, I know little about Muggle transportation."

"Muggleborn," Emma corrects automatically. Then, to Miranda, "Is that... why you haven't mentioned him? Did you think we'd care...?"

"I didn't think you'd care after the first while, but I didn't know if you'd gossip," says Miranda. "And I don't want everyone to know. But yes, my dad's a Muggle - not like you, Jenny, you're a Muggleborn, like my mum, which I do tell everyone because it'd be much more inconvenient not to mention and because I don't want anyone to think I would mind it in somebody else and it's complicated and - anyway. He's easy not to mention, I don't see him nearly so often and he's quiet anyway. He's going to pick me up at King's Cross in a car, is the plan, but if necessary Mum can get me and she can Side-Along me to his house."

"I expect you will have some trouble on the platform," McGonagall warns. "If your mother can take you in a rather less traceable fashion, it will be less of a concern for everyone."

"Hah, who would I even tell?" Alli snorts. "I only hang out with you lot. No gossip. Promise."

Jenny-

-and Emma nod in agreement.

"It can be a secret if you want," Karen agrees.

"Not exactly a secret. I haven't been saying he's dead or an untraceable foreign wizard, I just haven't been bringing him up, yeah? Anyway, I'll owl Mum and Dad both and tell them Mum should fetch me."

"He's a po- he's like a Muggle Auror," says Miranda. "I don't know if it would help if he threatened to arrest wix reporters..."