First story in a very long time for me. In fact first story since I started my new account!
I'm going to keep this authors note relatively short because I've drunk far too much wine and I'm not 100% sure this story is going to make sense, but here's part 1!
If you do read please let me know what you think, should I continue?
It's T at the moment but may become M if I continue. Is that okay?
Chelsey xoxo
"How on earth did I get here Professor and how do I get back?"
Albus Dumbledore sighed at his young student and then signalled towards the comfy looking sofa in the corner of his office. "Ah Miss McGonagall you might want to sit down for this. I have a feeling you're not going to like my answer."
The seventeen year old witch took a seat and scowled suspiciously at her Headmaster. The last thing she remembered was running out of Hogwarts to go after him. He had been on his way to confront Grindelwald who had just arrived at the Ministry of Magic, and she was almost certain that he wasn't going to survive it. Next thing she was laying on the floor of this office which judging by the fact her whole body was aching, she'd obviously hit it at speed. It had taken less then ten seconds for her to realise that as her head of house appeared to have aged considerably and seemed to have taken over the Headmaster's office, she must be somewhere in the future.
The older wizard sat slowly down next to the young woman that had moments before in her time been his protégé, and moments before in the current time been his retired best friend.
"What I am about to explain to you is complicated and I am not entirely sure of all the facts myself, so I hope I can explain it in a manner that you find satisfactory."
"I hope so too Professor."
Despite himself he couldn't help but smile. As much as he loved his current best friend there were times he missed her seventeen year old self. Seeing her scowl at him again he hurried himself back to the topic in hand.
"Before I start could I just ask you what the last thing you remember is? It will help me to know where to start."
Minerva slowly shut her eyes and tried to recall as much as she possibly could of the events leading her up to… wherever she was now. Opening then for a second she asked "before I do that, would you mind telling me what year I'm in?"
"2009, it's the 30th August 2009."
Her jaw fell a little bit she pulled herself together and shut her eyes. "I had overheard you talking to someone in the staffroom about going after Grindelwald on your own. It was a ridiculous suggestion, he should be taken down by a team of ministry officials not a school teacher. So I went after you to tell you as much. I just remember leaving Hogwarts and apparating to the Ministry of Magic." She paused and tried to remember what happened next. "And that's the last thing I can recall."
Albus Dumbledore nodded. "I suspected as much. I did wonder if you'd have lost the memory of the last couple of hours as the other version of yourself did." He saw her look blankly at him, a rare moment for Minerva McGonagall who usually understood almost everything immediately. "Sorry I'm speaking out of order and confusing matters further. Minerva there was an accident involving some Time Turners. You somehow managed to split yourself into two different periods of time. When you awoke in your time everything continued as normal other than two hours that you are still to recall. But I knew something was wrong. I'd seen the other half of you that had split away head into the future. If I'm honest I am a little relieved to see you here. I feared you would have gone so far into the future that I would no longer be here to explain. I never expected to be lucky enough to have you arrive directly into my office. How convenient" he mused almost cheerfully.
The seventeen year old Minerva stared at him for a moment. "But if all I've done is go forward in time, then surely all I have to do is go back in time. All I need is a Time Turner and I can be on my way. Like you said I continued as normal, so I must manage to find a way back. Shall we go to the ministry now or do we need to book an appointment? I'd rather go sooner than later to be honest with you. Term starts in a couple of days and I'm rather eager to fulfil my position as Head Girl. Although if I'm going back to any point I don't suppose…"
"Minerva please stop talking."
She fell silent and tried not to notice the look of sadness in his face. "Sorry Professor."
"No no please don't apologise. I just don't like leaving a misunderstanding hanging as it is between us at the moment. I did wonder whether when you found your way back into the past you'd rejoin with your other self, although you never recall an incident that would resemble such a thing. But then the incident happened during Harry's 5th year…" he trailed off.
"Who on earth is Harry and what does he have to do with anything?" Minerva said as sharply as her older counterpart would have.
"He… that's a very long story. I'll lend you the book" Albus said sighing again, forgetting how much Minerva would have to relearn. "The important thing for you to know is that every Time Turner has been destroyed and there is yet to be anyone that has managed to recreate one. And I suspect if my assumption is correct, and it usually is, then no one ever will. To be honest if the intelligence of the both of us and Miss Granger hasn't managed to find the solution then…" Realising the look of shock and horror on the young witch's face he stopped. "I'm so sorry Minerva, I truly am. We will of course continue to try and recreate what we lost but in the meantime, 2009 is where you'll have to start again. And as no one else is aware of what happened other than myself, Miss Granger and your other self, you'll need to live under a new identity and will have to return to school and finish your final year in order to graduate. Not to mention the fact you'll have to go back and retake your OWLs."
Minerva wasn't someone to get particularly emotional but she could feel tears prickling in her eyes. "I don't understand. How could this have happened?"
The elderly wizard shook his head. "That I don't have an answer to I'm afraid, although I searched for many years. Never truly forgiving myself for what had happened all those years ago when you put yourself at risk to protect me."
"I… I don't know how… I don't know…" seeing the panic rise up in the young woman next to him, his favourite student and his best friend, guilt once again flooded the Headmaster. But there was nothing he could do in that moment, other than wrap his arms around her and let her weep onto his shoulder as she had done so many times already.
Hope you enjoyed! Like I said please let me know what you think! xoxo
