The Beginning of it all
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, unfortunately!!!
A/n: This is a prequel to my other ongoing story called 'It Feels Like A Dream' which I hope to have completed by next week. It isn't necessary to read that, because this is the prequel to it.
Albus Dumbledore was seated at the desk in his office. Twirling his peacock feather quill in his hands, he was debating on how to start a letter. The letter was intended for an old pupil of his who had only left that July. He was hoping that with her talents and skills, she might be just the right person to carry out the dangerous task of spying on known and suspected followers. After speaking to Alastor Moody, a 25-year-old auror who had been one of the order's first members he had been reassured that the fiery Scottish girl, no woman he mentally corrected himself would indeed be the perfect candidate for the assignment. Setting his quill to parchment he began his letter.
Dear Miss McGonagall,
I hope this letter finds you well, and that you are continuing to look after yourself in such a big city as London. I know you haven't heard from me since your departure from school, and it is with a deep regret that my first letter to you, must be one, which contains the request that you could fulfil a favour for me.
As I'm sure you've heard from Alastor Moody, I have set up an organization, working away from the Ministry in the effort to fight against the Dark Lord Grindelwald. However due to lack of co-operation from the Ministry we have found our sources of information quite limited, and it is here that I propose to you a task.
The Order are in need of a witch with your magical abilities and animagus form, and so I'd like you to take into consideration my request that you join, and in joining you undertake the task of gathering information for us. I shall go into no further detail in this letter, instead I'll give you time to think over my offer.
I await your reply presently,
Yours Albus.
Rolling up the parchment he slipped it into the talons of a waiting barn owl, and gave his instructions, watching it fly silently across the sky on its way to London. Returning to his desk he rustled a brown paper bag removing his last sherbet lemon, popping it into his mouth he allowed his thoughts to drift to his ex-pupil.
An 18-year-old Minerva McGonagall was sitting on the window seat in her small London flat. Looking out onto the streets below she could see a mass of coloured umbrellas as people ran about the streets under waterproof protection, hailing taxis to run from the heavy downpour of rain. Returning to the book that lay against her legs, she became entranced by the words of an animagus essay recently printed in the Transfiguration Times. A short sharp tap on the window caused the witch to jump slightly. Upon noticing the bedraggled owl, she quickly opened the window to allow the creature entrance. The owl flew over to the chair situated close to the fire, and waited patiently for her attention. Detaching the rolled up scroll from his talons, she slowly began to read. Her eyes became larger and larger, and wider and wider as they moved down the page, slowly sitting down on the squashy sofa she re-read the letter to make sure she hadn't been mistaken.
Professor Dumbledore, the man that'd she had a slight crush on for a while thought that she was the ideal witch for such an important job. Although no one was inside the flat with her, she felt a blush rise up her cheeks at the thought that she had stuck out in his mind. She had made an impression that was still present with him; he hadn't forgotten her like she thought he would have. The soft hooting of the drying owl drew her attention away. It tapped its beak onto the parchment.
"A reply? Now?" A soft Scottish lilt was present in the woman's accent, and her question was met by a hoot. Swiftly standing up, she swept over to the dinning room table that was scattered with quills and parchment, and wrote a quick response.
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
It is nice to have heard from you in such a short time, I am well, as I hope you are. About your proposition, I'd be greatly honoured to join the Order and accept the task, but I do not understand as to how exactly I'm to gather information.
Yours Minerva
Rolling the small note up she grabbed a handful of cornflakes from the kitchen counter, and tied the note to the owl's leg, while he ate out of her outstretched palm. Taking off from his perch on the top of a wooden dining room chair, the owl headed towards the window that still remained open. Following the owl's path Minerva slowly closed the window watching the fast falling rain pellets hit the owl's feathers in the distance, gradually slowing his speed down. She resumed her place on the window seat, and picked up the article she had previously been reading, her eyes however did not move along the lines, they remained transfixed on the same word, her mind reeling with the thoughts of her old professor. She was to join his order, and work for him. She would no longer need the excuses she had long been planning; she could remain in contact with him for a specific useful reason, rather than the pathetic and meaningless ones she had thought of. Becoming a spy for him, she knew it was a dangerous task to undertake, and now, thinking about it, she should have maybe taken a little longer over her decision. She wanted to do this though, she'd been waiting for this moment, this opportunity since she had been 15 years of age and had first heard of the name Grindelwald and the horrifying atrocities he was carrying out. Placing the article aside, along with her previous musings, Minerva started towards the dining room table, picking up a quill to continue her own report on the side affects of the animagi transformation.
The next day, Minerva awoke to a small snowy owl perched on top of her pillow, nibbling lightly on her earlobe. Finally noticing the parchment attached to its leg she gathered the energy to uncurl herself from her comfortable curled up sleeping position. Slowly stretching herself out with amazing grace and felinity she lazily untied the thin piece of rope that kept the letter attached to the owl's talon, and rolled up.
Dear Miss McGonagall,
I was so pleased to read of your acceptance; unfortunately I will be unable to meet with you to explain what your assignment precisely entails. I will however be sending over another member of the order this morning at 9am, and later this morning, the exact time I can not pinpoint, another member will arrive to initiate you into the order, and explain to you the finer workings of my organisation. I once again must apologise to you Minerva for my incapability to meet with you, I am hopeful another opportunity to do so will arise soon.
Yours Albus
Glancing towards the bedside clock she read the time of 8:55, leaping out of bed she hurriedly grappled around her wardrobe in an attempt to find a suitable robe for her meeting. Rapidly changing and roughly drawing her hair up into a chaotic bun, she rushed into the living room at the sound of someone entering the flat via the floo network.
The sight that greeted her was of a young woman of around 5ft 4in, her dirty blonde hair was hurriedly scraped back into a ponytail, and she was occupied in brushing the dark soot off of her white trainee healer uniform. The girl in question could have been no older than Minerva, and when she lifted her head her face and brown eyes were rather familiar.
"Hello, you must be Minerva McGonagall, my name is Poppy Pomfrey, I'm here on orders from Professor Dumbledore."
"H…Hello. I'm sorry but you look so familiar, have you just finished Hogwarts?"
"Yes I was in the same year as you, Ravenclaw." Minerva nodded her head in reply as she remembered the slightly shy Ravenclaw prefect who always took the seat opposite her's during their regular prefect meetings.
"Would you like a drink Miss Pomfrey?"
"Yes please, tea, no milk, two sugars, and please I insist you call me Poppy. May I call you Minerva?" Minerva nodded her head as she set about making two cups of tea, the muggle way. Poppy meanwhile was making herself comfortable on the sofa, smoothing the remaining bits of soot off her uniform, returning it to its pristine condition once again. Once certain that all traces of black had been brushed away, she turned her head towards the small kitchen area, studying Minerva and her deft movements for a few seconds before broaching the subject of her visit.
"Professor Dumbledore said you are to become a spy for the order?" Minerva nodded her head as she brought over the two cups of tea, placing them on the corresponding tartan coasters arranged on the coffee table.
"Yes, he thought my animagi abilities would come in useful for the job."
"Animagus? You became one of those during our school years didn't you? One of the youngest in a long long time."
"Yes that's right, Professor Dumbledore taught me himself during our 6th year, a tabby cat, that's me." Poppy gave her a small smile at this and both took sips from their cups simultaneously.
"Well, onto the matter at hand. Professor Dumbledore wants; well actually he needs you to gather as much information as possible on these known followers of Grindelwald. With the unfortunate break from the Ministry, our regular source of information on these people has been to say the least swiftly cut off. The next is to gain information on a suspected list of followers. We need accurate accounts of each persons movements, where they're going, who they're meeting, anything that can connect them to Grindelwald known followers or something that could lead us to a whole knew list of suspects." Minerva dipped her head in understanding as the weight of her task dawned on her. Scanning the two lists of followers, the names of fellow school students leapt out at her, most belonged in Slytherin, but she could see the odd name from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and to her surprise even Gryffindor.
"How am I to find these people and begin my task?"
"Ah now that I nearly forgot, but can most certainly answer." Pulling a sealed envelope out of her pocket she handed it over to Minerva. "This contains all the information you'll need on that subject, it contains all our known information, including photos of each subject their connections to Grindelwald and any places they have been regularly seen. Professor Dumbledore requires daily reports, and I'll be here every evening after my training to collect and deliver them." Once again Minerva could only nod her head, she was beginning to feel a bit stupid, but her mind was working overtime in an attempt to take in all the new information that she couldn't find any suitable word to say. Draining the last of her cup, Poppy stood from her seat and made her way towards the fireplace.
"It was good to see you again Minerva, I hope that we can become good friends, I must be getting back to St Mungos I have some more training to continue on with. I'll see you Monday for your first report." Stepping into the fireplace she called out 'St Mungos' as she began to spin surrounded by the green flames she heard Minerva's distant voice,
"I'll see you Monday then."
Staring at the thick envelope in her hands she moved back to the dining room table where she arranged her parchment and quills in to tidy piles leaving enough space to spread out and organize the contents of the envelope. Making separate piles she placed the name of the person, they're photo and all known information that had been gathered. Some of the suspects were of her age, just out of school and already part of the fight. A short sharp knock at the door brought her out of her revere and back to the reality at hand. Quickly gathering the information together she slipped the thick pile into the cutlery drawer as she passed it on her way to the door. Lifting the cover over the peephole she took a quick glance at her visitor. The brown hair and beady blue eyes staring back at her were highly familiar, and she couldn't prevent the gasp that left her mouth. Slowly opening the door her eyes wide and mouth slightly hung open, she whispered his name.
"Alastor Moody?" He nodded his head in response and gave her a slight smirk.
"Minerva McGonagall, long time, no see." With her first guess affirmed Minerva repeated his name this time more strongly and pronounced.
"Alastor!" he was greeted with her arms thrown around his neck, and quickly responded wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing her tightly. Breaking away from the hug Minerva still couldn't grasp who was standing on her doorstep. "I'm so sorry Alastor come in come in, I wasn't expecting to see you, what brings you here?"
"I'm afraid its not a personal call Min, I'm here for Professor Dumbledore." Realisation hit Minerva and her eyes widened once again. "Can I sit down then?"
"What? Oh yes I'm so sorry; I'm still slightly getting over the shock of seeing you. You haven't changed much still look like the 17 year old I remember saying goodbye to before he left for his last year at Hogwarts."
"Wish I could say the same about you Min, you however only slightly resemble the little 10 year old I recollect. God you've grown so much, I've heard all about you of course, youngest animagus, prefect, head girl, always were the little over-achiever weren't you." His teasing gained him a playful slap on the back of the head as she made her way towards the kitchen.
"Tea Alastor?"
"Tea? Haven't got anything stronger have you Min? I've had a busy day." Minerva pulled out a bottle of firewhiskey from the back of a cupboard in reply. "Good lass!" Taking the glass of whiskey from her Alastor downed it in one; Minerva's shocked expression caused a gruff laugh to escape his mouth.
"So you're the one Professor Dumbledore sent to inform me of the order?"
"Quick one aren't you Min," he playfully teased. "Yeah I've been with the order from the beginning, since I was 22, just out of auror training, Professor Dumbledore recruited me personally. Now I assume you've been informed on what precisely your duty entails, and who your correspondence will be." Minerva nodded her head,
"Yes I had a visit from Poppy Pomfrey."
"Poppy?" Alastor asked his eyes glazed over slightly, before a muffled laugh interrupted his thoughts.
"Shut up Min! Well you'll have a good friend there, now the order…" Alastor proceeded to tell Minerva the exact aim of the order's work and how her assignment was vital in helping him and his fellow order/aurors in catching Grindelwald's followers in the act. Giving Minerva a list of signals and emergency contacts he reluctantly removed himself from his seat and headed towards the door. Turning to face he, he gave her a quick tight hug before whispering in her ear.
"Promise me Min, you'll be careful. Your father would skin me alive if you got hurt and found out I knew you were doing this. Promise me one thing don't do anything stupid or rash. I know you're not exactly he type of person who thinks before they act. I'll be seeing you soon I hope." Giving her another hug, which she returned he turned his back closing the door behind him.
"Goodbye Alastor." she whispered to the closed door.
A/n: I hope you liked the first chapter; I've only got the basic thing plotted in my head so bare with me. I'm on my summer holidays at the minute, and at this moment I'm not going very far as I've had key-hole surgery on my knee, so I'm hoping to be able to spend quite a bit of time writing the next chapter and finishing 'Like a Dream' in between visiting Universities and work experience. Hopefully this will pick up more of a plot in the next chapter, and I'd be chuffed if you could all take the time to review by clicking that pretty blue button on the bottom left hand corner. No flames please, cause I'll just use them to keep my feet nice and toasty warm.