A New Headmaster
She was numb, unable to feel any longer. She had loved too much, too hard, for too long and now there was nothing left. Everything and everyone she had ever loved was now gone. Some she had lost slowly, others had vanished in a heartbeat. But either way they had gone, leaving her alone to cope, to clean up the mess and to continue on like nothing had changed.
Minerva McGonagall leant back in the armchair in her sitting room and stared blankly into the fire in the grate. So much had happened in such a short space of time. Not ten minutes ago she had been sitting in the headmaster's office. It still felt like his office, even though she had assumed the role of Headmistress, it would have always felt like Albus' office. But it belonged to neither of them now. Sitting in his office, in his chair was the man that murdered him. Tears tumbled down her cheeks at the thought. Severus Snape had simply walked into the office, in the wake of Lord Voldermort himself. No, she would not glorify him in that way. He was Tom Riddle. Underneath it all he was still Tom. They had decided that with the ministry fallen it would be best if Severus were headmaster and the Carrows' taught muggle studies and 'dark arts'. No longer defence, she noted a sickening feeling in her stomach. She had agreed. The only way her cubs would be safe would be if she remained. She would not leave her Gryffindors and any of the other students for that matter, with death eaters in the castle. Had it not been for the students she would have been out of the castle without a backwards glance, straight to the headquarters of the order of the phoenix, or Molly Weasley's kitchen as they were one in the same of late. Even if only one student returned on September the first, she would not leave her post. She would not leave them in the death eaters' hands, Slytherin or otherwise.
Minerva had taught both Amycus and Alecto Carrow and duelled with both of them during the first war. None of the students, including the Slytherins, were safe while either of them were in the castle. She recalled a night during their seventh year, she had caught them behind a tapestry, a petrified Hufflepuff first year pinned to the wall. She had insufficient proof, but she would have bet her life they had used the Cruciatus curse on the defenceless child. When she had discovered they had both become death eaters, she was unsurprised. She never liked to make such negative assumptions about any of her students, but these two had been particularly nasty. And now they were teaching her students. Her head fell into her hands and the tears streamed down her cheeks. For so long she had held herself together, she had kept her emotions at bay and remained resolutely in control. But this was too much. The pain and the emptiness at losing her husband was still to raw and worst of all she was unable to grieve. No one could know of their relationship, even now. As Mrs Dumbledore she would always be a target to Tom, with or without the man himself. As Minerva McGonagall she was in enough danger, many of the residents of Azkaban owed the cells to her evidence or duelling skills, but as the wife of the man who had put most of the rest in there she may as well walk up to Tom alone and unarmed.
There were times in recent years when she had seriously questioned the Ministry of Magic, but the school had been at least slightly safer with the ministry standing. At this precise moment, she would have taken Delores Umbridge back onto the staff, perhaps not happily, but that situation had been at least preferable to the one she was in now. Delores had caused damage to the students, but this year she couldn't guarantee one of the Carrows' wouldn't kill any of them, and not even accidentally. She shuddered at the thought and began to sob harder. If Albus were here things would be very different. If Albus were here the students would be safe, she thought to herself. What infuriated her most was that she was unable to feel angry with him for leaving, she loved him too much.
A gentle hand on her shoulder startled her from her thoughts. A pair of watery blue eyes met hers. The visitor offered her a weak smile, before pulling her distraught friend into her arms.
'Oh Minerva.' Poppy Pomfrey muttered into her friend's hair. She wrapped her arms closer around Minerva and rubbed her back gently. Slowly Minerva's sobs subsided and her breathing levelled out a little.
'What are we supposed to do?' she murmured into Poppy's shoulder.
'I don't know Min' she answered honestly. Minerva lifted her head, her face was red and still covered in damp tears, her eyes were bloodshot. She sat back against the chair and gazed back to the fire.
'We've got to keep them safe. No matter what he throws at us, we can't let them hurt the students.' Her voice trembled as more tears threatened to fall, but determination stood strongly across her features.
'Agreed.' Poppy nodded. 'We need a plan.'
'Firstly we need to tighten a few of the wards, house common rooms, our offices and quarters and the hospital wing need to be safe.' Minerva took a deep breath. 'If we can't keep the rest of the school safe, we at least need to do the best we can with the few places we can control.' Minerva fell into organising mode, her auror head on and a battle plan forming. Poppy simply nodded, she trusted her friend and would do whatever she asked.
'Contraband staff meeting tonight?' Poppy asked. 'You, me, Pomona, Rolanda, Filius and Aurora?' Minerva nodded, feeling a spark of herself returning.
'I'll speak to Hagrid separately; we don't want to arouse their suspicions.' Minerva continued. 'We'll have to see about Argus. I'm not sure which side he'll fall yet, he's no death eater, but his ideas regarding punishing the students fall closer to theirs than mine.' Poppy smiled. 'What about Horace?'
'Undecided, shall we see what the others think?' Poppy answered.
'It might be best; the Slytherins will still need some protection. Being in Slytherin house doesn't automatically make you a death eater that's for certain. I don't know who is taking on the head of house for Slytherin yet, I hope he lets Horace keep it, but I just don't know.'
'I think we're in for an eventful year.' Poppy sighed.
'Let's just hope His downfall is in there somewhere.'
Later that evening, after dinner, Minerva McGonagall, Poppy Pomfrey, Pomona Sprout, Filius Flitwick, Aurora Sinistra, Rolanda Hooch and Horace Slughorn sat in Minerva's small living room pulling together an action plan.
'So, heads of house if we all secure our common rooms, quarters and offices to notify us of who enters, especially where our headmaster and deputies are concerned.' Minerva confirmed, to the nods of the other staff.
'I think it would be best to increase my stocks, Pomona, Horace, are you happy to help me brew a few more batches of healing potions and anything else that might be of use?' Poppy asked.
'Certainly.' Horace responded.
'As always, Poppy.' Pomona added smiling at her friend.
'Are the students going to be safe, Minerva?' Filius Flitwick asked concern clearly evident in his voice.
'Honestly Filius, I don't think so. There are three death eaters on staff, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named can walk through the gates anytime he likes.' Minerva stood and began to pace the room, steadily – a particular trait reminiscent of their late headmaster. Poppy and Pomona exchanged their favourite, 'how did anyone not notice her and Albus' look.
'We have to do everything we can to make sure the students are safe.' Minerva continued. 'We don't yet know how many we are going to get back, but whoever walks through those doors needs us. No death eater is going to hurt a Hogwarts student while I'm here!'
'Here, here!' Horace called over his second glass of fire whisky.
'Well said Minerva.' Aurora agreed. 'Is this going to be enough?' Minerva sighed.
'Probably not, Aurora, but we've got to give it everything we've got. Most likely targets are unfortunately my cubs and any of the members of Dumbledore's Army.'
'We can do this, Minerva.' Filius reassured her. She nodded, passing a bottle of Firewhisky out to the group.
'Dumbledore's Army!' Shouted Rolanda Hooch, raising her glass in the air.
'Dumbledore's Army!' The rest cried, nodding in reassurance to each other. Tears filled Minerva's eyes and Poppy slipped her arm around her friends' waist and pulled her into a hug.