This takes place in OOTP right after Dumbledore leaves Hogwarts. It is a
conversation between McGonagall and Umbridge that night concerning
Dumbledore. Then it turns to what happens after. AD/MM
"Minerva, how... pleasant... to see you here," the overly-sweet, little-girlish voice said. Professor Minerva McGonagall looked up from the essays she was grading. Professor Dolores Umbridge stood in the doorway to the staff room. Minerva narrowed her eyes.
"Hello, Dolores," she said stiffly.
"I am so sorry about tonight's events. It was a dreadful thing to witness," Umbridge began in what appeared to be an attempt at sympathy.
"Drop the act, Dolores," Minerva snapped. "This is what you and Fudge have wanted since the end of last year when young Harry Potter and Albus first announced first announced that You-Know-Who was back."
"Well, if you want to be that way, yes. The Minister" (Umbridge stressed the word "minister" in response to Minerva's careless "Fudge") "has already informed me that I am the new Head of Hogwarts. The house-elves should be putting up the notices as we speak."
"Bitch. Hogwarts is doomed."
"Do you really want to take that tone with me, Minerva?" Umbridge said, going back to her false-sweet voice. "After all, I am the head now. I am sure you never took that tone without Albus."
"Of course not. Unlike you, Albus was a competent teacher and Headmaster," Minerva shot back. Professor Umbridge shot a look of pure loathing at her.
"Albus was going senile! He was listening to a delusional and highly disturbed boy, and taking his word as truth!"
"Harry Potter is neither delusional nor disturbed... at least not disturbed in the manner that you speak of. Not only Albus listens to him!"
"Albus had his little gang of students, his 'army,' true. But what can a bunch of brats do?"
"They can do quite a lot."
"Oh wait, I am forgetting someone- you." There was dead silence in the staff room.
"I believe Albus Dumbledore," Minerva said, her voice cold as ice on Mars.
"I would be willing to bet that you were one of the top people in 'Dumbledore's Army,'" Umbridge said. "It is common knowledge that you are Albus' best friend. Perhaps even... more than friend?" Minerva leapt to her feet, third-year essays forgotten.
"What, precisely, are you insinuating?" she demanded.
"That no one is surprised that you are not only Transfiguration professor and Head of Gryffindor, but also Deputy Headmistress."
"One could always ask you how you go to not only be Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, but also Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, High Inquisitor, and Headmistress at Hogwarts." Professor Umbridge's face darkened.
"Oh?" she said coldly.
"Yes," Minerva said, simply raising an eyebrow.
"I could have you arrested right now, Minerva," Umbridge said.
"Whatever for?" Minerva said disdainfully.
"Just a few simple words: he will not be single-handed." Once again, all was silent.
"I will defend what I think is right. There was nothing more," Minerva said, though inside, she was shaking.
"I think not," Umbridge said, watching her closely.
"Well then, Dolores, I am sorry you are wrong," Minerva said haughtily. "If you will excuse me, I need to finish these essays... in peace!" She gathered the stack of papers into her arms and strode out of the staff room, not looking at Professor Umbridge.
Minerva stormed through the corridors, in one of her get-out-of-my-way-or-I- will-trample-you moods. She gave a house-elf with a few notices a grand telling-off for not getting out of the way in time. Cheating was one of the things that most angered Minerva, be in class, or on the Quidditch pitch, or in games, or in jobs.
Once back to her quarters though, she dropped the stack of parchments on her desk and leaned against the cool stone wall, dropping her in-control face. She felt hot tears come to her eyes and forced them back.
"I will not cry," she whispered to herself. It was always times like this when she would come to Albus' quarters for a cup of hot chocolate or a game of chess, or just to talk. They really were best friends, and, though she would never tell Umbridge, she did love him. He did not know it though. It was not like she could ever tall him anyways, if only because of what people would think.
"Influential people have no time for close relationships," she reminded herself. "If they were already married, fine. But if it was like her and Albus, people would accuse them of unfair play, like Dolores.
She allowed herself to go to her window and stare out across the grounds. There was the lake. Even as a student, she had loved taking brisk walks around it to clear her head. She had not had time for that in a long time.
Beyond that was the Forbidden Forest. That too had been the source of many... adventures... as a student. It was helpful though, as she now knew many of its paths and could probably make her way through it without too much difficulty. She and Albus had sometimes had picnics at its edge... no. She would not think about that anymore. He would be back. He had to be.
Until he came, she would keep Dolores from completely leveling the school. She would save Hogwarts for him. That was her duty now and she could not, would not, fail. She smiled as she thought of that day.
Minerva took a new candle out of her closet. It was covered in decorative vines and leaves, and had always been much too gaudy for her. However, it was large and would burn for a long time. Minerva lit it and put it in the window. She knew that this was un-necessary and illogical, but something compelled her to do it.
"Good night, Albus," she whispered, staring at the sky with eyes full of unshed tears. The light of the candle made her face glow with an un-Earthly light. "I love you."
In a small, out-of-the-way place far from Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore suddenly sat up from the letter he was writing. He went outside and stared at the sky.
"Good night, Minerva," he whispered. "I love you."
"Minerva, how... pleasant... to see you here," the overly-sweet, little-girlish voice said. Professor Minerva McGonagall looked up from the essays she was grading. Professor Dolores Umbridge stood in the doorway to the staff room. Minerva narrowed her eyes.
"Hello, Dolores," she said stiffly.
"I am so sorry about tonight's events. It was a dreadful thing to witness," Umbridge began in what appeared to be an attempt at sympathy.
"Drop the act, Dolores," Minerva snapped. "This is what you and Fudge have wanted since the end of last year when young Harry Potter and Albus first announced first announced that You-Know-Who was back."
"Well, if you want to be that way, yes. The Minister" (Umbridge stressed the word "minister" in response to Minerva's careless "Fudge") "has already informed me that I am the new Head of Hogwarts. The house-elves should be putting up the notices as we speak."
"Bitch. Hogwarts is doomed."
"Do you really want to take that tone with me, Minerva?" Umbridge said, going back to her false-sweet voice. "After all, I am the head now. I am sure you never took that tone without Albus."
"Of course not. Unlike you, Albus was a competent teacher and Headmaster," Minerva shot back. Professor Umbridge shot a look of pure loathing at her.
"Albus was going senile! He was listening to a delusional and highly disturbed boy, and taking his word as truth!"
"Harry Potter is neither delusional nor disturbed... at least not disturbed in the manner that you speak of. Not only Albus listens to him!"
"Albus had his little gang of students, his 'army,' true. But what can a bunch of brats do?"
"They can do quite a lot."
"Oh wait, I am forgetting someone- you." There was dead silence in the staff room.
"I believe Albus Dumbledore," Minerva said, her voice cold as ice on Mars.
"I would be willing to bet that you were one of the top people in 'Dumbledore's Army,'" Umbridge said. "It is common knowledge that you are Albus' best friend. Perhaps even... more than friend?" Minerva leapt to her feet, third-year essays forgotten.
"What, precisely, are you insinuating?" she demanded.
"That no one is surprised that you are not only Transfiguration professor and Head of Gryffindor, but also Deputy Headmistress."
"One could always ask you how you go to not only be Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, but also Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, High Inquisitor, and Headmistress at Hogwarts." Professor Umbridge's face darkened.
"Oh?" she said coldly.
"Yes," Minerva said, simply raising an eyebrow.
"I could have you arrested right now, Minerva," Umbridge said.
"Whatever for?" Minerva said disdainfully.
"Just a few simple words: he will not be single-handed." Once again, all was silent.
"I will defend what I think is right. There was nothing more," Minerva said, though inside, she was shaking.
"I think not," Umbridge said, watching her closely.
"Well then, Dolores, I am sorry you are wrong," Minerva said haughtily. "If you will excuse me, I need to finish these essays... in peace!" She gathered the stack of papers into her arms and strode out of the staff room, not looking at Professor Umbridge.
Minerva stormed through the corridors, in one of her get-out-of-my-way-or-I- will-trample-you moods. She gave a house-elf with a few notices a grand telling-off for not getting out of the way in time. Cheating was one of the things that most angered Minerva, be in class, or on the Quidditch pitch, or in games, or in jobs.
Once back to her quarters though, she dropped the stack of parchments on her desk and leaned against the cool stone wall, dropping her in-control face. She felt hot tears come to her eyes and forced them back.
"I will not cry," she whispered to herself. It was always times like this when she would come to Albus' quarters for a cup of hot chocolate or a game of chess, or just to talk. They really were best friends, and, though she would never tell Umbridge, she did love him. He did not know it though. It was not like she could ever tall him anyways, if only because of what people would think.
"Influential people have no time for close relationships," she reminded herself. "If they were already married, fine. But if it was like her and Albus, people would accuse them of unfair play, like Dolores.
She allowed herself to go to her window and stare out across the grounds. There was the lake. Even as a student, she had loved taking brisk walks around it to clear her head. She had not had time for that in a long time.
Beyond that was the Forbidden Forest. That too had been the source of many... adventures... as a student. It was helpful though, as she now knew many of its paths and could probably make her way through it without too much difficulty. She and Albus had sometimes had picnics at its edge... no. She would not think about that anymore. He would be back. He had to be.
Until he came, she would keep Dolores from completely leveling the school. She would save Hogwarts for him. That was her duty now and she could not, would not, fail. She smiled as she thought of that day.
Minerva took a new candle out of her closet. It was covered in decorative vines and leaves, and had always been much too gaudy for her. However, it was large and would burn for a long time. Minerva lit it and put it in the window. She knew that this was un-necessary and illogical, but something compelled her to do it.
"Good night, Albus," she whispered, staring at the sky with eyes full of unshed tears. The light of the candle made her face glow with an un-Earthly light. "I love you."
In a small, out-of-the-way place far from Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore suddenly sat up from the letter he was writing. He went outside and stared at the sky.
"Good night, Minerva," he whispered. "I love you."