A Promise of Silence
The vow was not an Unbreakable; it was if he already knew she would disobey. Nevertheless, the promise she had made, telling him she would not intervene bound her. She was to protect the students, he said, for Voldemort's forces attacking this night was imminent. She patrolled the halls at an anxious gait, and wandered outside to the grounds. Looking up, she could see evidence of the truth of Albus's worry; the Death Eaters were nearing as the night grew to the darkest she had ever seen…
But they were prepared. They had every resource available to them and Hogwarts was ready for any sort of attack they would harbor so senselessly, so cruelly. Hogwarts would retaliate and come out on top as it always did when forces of darkness appeared… But looking at the sky above once more stopped her dead. Clearly, she could see a broom and silver hair flapping behind the figure mounted astride it. At once, she realized it was Albus, but the promise held her at bay; she would not intervene.
He soared in the direction of the astronomy tower and she watched with almost a sickening feeling of dread; it was imperative she reached him, but she could hear distant yells and screams that were not of her students joking around; they were real, terrifying screams she never wanted to hear. The battle suddenly erupted in the silent courtyard and she sprang into action.
Death Eater against the Order, student against betrayer, they all fought for their school, their purpose, and their lives. Minerva McGonagall didn't allow herself to fall this time, but as she followed one of the more promiscuous supporters of Lord Voldemort, she sensed there was more to him than met the eye.
His breath was heavy and putrid as he came close to her, their wands locked almost in swordplay as he breathed to her his news. "This is the night where the wolf falls prey to the raven."
"What are you talking about?" She snarled, pushing herself forward to no avail.
The Death Eater grinned evilly at her from beneath his hood; his teeth were rotting. "This is the night where the wolf falls prey to the raven under the Dark Lord's command," he repeated. "The Dark Lord knows of your toil… He always knows…"
Minerva had her hackles raised; how dare he suggest-! "How dare you! Voldemort knows nothing about me!"
He smiled at her again and breathed his last to her before he fled into the all-consuming darkness. "He will fall and you- you will never see him again!"
As he fled, she shot more spells at him, but they had wandered far, far from the courtyard and were near the Forbidden Forest. She surveyed her surroundings as if she had been asleep this whole time, pursuing a foe while sleepwalking until she discovered why the bastard had led her here; she had a perfect view of the astronomy tower.
Suddenly, everything made sense. One of his many forms was a white wolf; a beautiful white wolf. She watched in horror as she heard the two blasted words spoken even from this distance and watched a figure fall; a figure with hair as white as snow…
She allowed herself a controlled scream before she rushed forwards even as the spell pushed her gently back, intending to catch him before he hit the ground, but there was nothing she could do. She screamed again at the injustice, how she couldn't just rush at him until suddenly, she realized she could once more. Her eyes were streaming with anger as she reached his final resting place, but he was already upon the ground. No one was around, and almost disgusted with herself, she laid herself on top of him and wept. She stroked his hair, reset his broken spectacles, and kissed both his cheeks and lips before walking away, a stranger to what they had lost once more. Mentally, she prepared herself for the shock she would have to feign, the reaction she would have to act, but the lingering promise she had made to him stuck in her brain: do not intervene. Promise me, Minerva, that you will not intervene.
"I won't intervene, Albus," she had said with almost a confused air, "I won't intervene."
She played her part well that final night, apart from the final moment with him, private between the both of them. She wept when they told her; she pictured him laying there, sleeping beneath the stars with no breath to fill his lungs ever again. She handled the rest of her duties with a mechanical air, and suddenly, she was alone again, but not in his rooms; in front of a beautiful, white marbled coffin.
It had seemed as though her mind had fallen into a slumber to protect herself and she must have conducted at least three days in this manner to retain her dignity in front of her children. But now, now she was alone; it was dark and she idly wondered how much time she had wasted, standing before him once more. It was apparent his funeral had been today; white roses still lingered to either side of the marbled sepulcher, one of the breeds for the fallen in the Order. The sun had gone down hours ago, and a distant wolf howled at the full moon.
Still, her fingers fell into the engraved words as soft fog rolled around her in this eternal night. She traced his name, kissed his coffin where she figured his head would be, and left without another word because after all, she had promised she wouldn't intervene.
A/N: Just a sad little one-shot that I thought I'd post... *shrugs* Please review?