Chpt 1
Albus Dumbledore waited impatiently in Minerva McGonagall's office. She was due to return from her first class of the day any minute now; he needed to talk to her. Dumbledore was sitting in a chair next to McGonagall's desk and he was clutching in his hand a piece of parchment folded in thirds.
The headmaster put his elbows on his knees and was starting to unfold the yellowed bit of parchment when Professor McGonagall walked in. She looked startled to see the Dumbledore there, but regained her composure and took a seat behind her desk.
Dumbledore finished unfolding the paper and slid it across the desk towards her, saying, "Professor Flatwap contacted me today, Minerva."
"Er... Professor Flatwap?" she said, taking the letter. "The headmaster of Andromeia ? Oh, what's the old git done now?"
Dumbledore studied his palms and didn't answer.
Professor McGonagall took the paper and silently read it. Her face turned pale and she looked at Dumbledore anxiously. "Great Wizards," she whispered. "She's-- she's alive? But--but, they can't know for sure that you-know-who is after her, can they?"
"I still have my spies, Minerva. He is indeed trying to find her again."
"What can we do, though, is the question. Does the little girl even know who she is, Albus?"
Dumbledore looked at McGonagall. "No, she does not know. The girl is an orphan, and it was pure luck that a wizard found her and sent her to school." He sighed, and leaned back in his chair. "And yes, there is something we can do, Minerva."
She stared at him anxiously, waiting for an explanation.
"That girl--Jaclyn Marinson--must be brought to Hogwarts. It will be the only safe place for her."
Professor McGonagall's eyes widened behind her square glasses. "Will we tell her the truth? If she doesn't know already...?"
"No. No one must know about this. If Lord Voldemort has truly set out to recapture her, it is best if as few people know her true identity as possible."
McGonagall flinched at the name, but said, "Albus, somebody is bound to notice. Especially Potter! You can't just bring her straight to Hogwarts and place in the same year as her--"
"It's the only way!" Dumbledore said firmly. "I will arrange for Jaclyn to be expelled from Andromeia. We'll except her here. She'll be safer here, and there is nothing else we can do. As for Mr. Potter, if he finds out on his own--which he very well might--you may explain to both him and the girl, but only then, and only to them. So far, Minerva, we are the only two people that are aware that she is even alive, because I've been tracking her for so long. Harry doesn't know anything about her, and no doubt Black and Lupin think she's dead. Jaclyn will be transferred to Hogwarts, Minerva."
Professor McGonagall sighed. She put her face in her hands for a moment then took them down and looked up at the clock above her door. "I have to get to my class! Oh, I'm late!" She leaped up, then paused and looked curiously down at Dumbledore. "When will Miss Marinson get here?"
"Thursday."
"Thursday! That's--that's two days off!"
"Yes."
Professor McGonagall stared at him for a moment, speechless.
Dumbledore calmly examined the lake, glistening outside of the window.
Finally, she threw her arms out and let them slap against her hips, looking at the headmaster exasperatingly. "Fine. Two days off," she said.
The Head of Gryffindor then stalked out of the room, muttering.
(end of Chpt 1)