Authors Note: If you are imaging the Movie Characters as I was, then please imagine Richard Harris as Dumbledore. He was the one and only Dumbledore.
REFLECTIONS
Minerva McGonagall was walking briskly down the deserted corridor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was quite late and she decided it was time for bed. Her thoughts began wavering towards Harry Potter and his friends. She had known for sometime that Albus had been giving the boy private lessons, but she was still upset that he felt he shouldn't share them with her. It also made her feel the slight bit jealous that her dearest and closet friend would tell things of immense importance to a sixteen year old and not her. Her pace quickened. She wished to get to bed and sleep, hoping to be rid of such thoughts and pointless emotions.
"Minerva?"
Minerva swerved violently and almost knocked over poor Professor Flitwick.
"Oh my! Sorry Filius!" Minerva exclaimed, rushing to help the little wizard up.
"It is quite alright!" squeaked Flitwick. "I thought it was you, I was wondering if you knew where the Headmaster was?"
"No, I do not, what made you think I did?" Minerva answered sternly. Flitwick smirked and fiddled with his beard, at hope to conceal it.
"Oh, it's just, you always know where he is!" he yelped. "He tells you everything!"
"Hmmp. Well, I'll have you know that the Headmaster does not," she put a great deal of emphasis of the word. "Share everything with me. Why is it you need him?"
"Oh, I wanted to ask him if it would be necessary to begin fourth year Charms with the third years, they are progressing ever so fast!"
"I'm sure if we look, we shall find him!" Minerva stated. The two Professors walked down the hall and looked in all the rooms in which to find the Headmaster, but no success.
"Ah! Filius!" Horace Slughorn bellowed up from behind them. "I was hoping to run into you! Yes, you see, some students have placed a charm in my office! It's raining frogs and I was hoping you could help me?"
"Frogs?" Minerva and Filius exclaimed at once.
"Oh dear, I better see to that!" Flitwick smiled and bid farewell to Minerva. "Please tell the Headmaster to contact me if you find him!"
"Of course!" Minerva replied. She watched the little man bustle off. Stiffening slightly, Minerva continued walking towards her room.
Honestly! If Filius was suggesting what she thought he was, he was a very dead man. I mean, where were her comrades getting the idea that Albus and she, were, involved? She shuddered. Albus was her greatest friend, nothing more. Suddenly, Minerva stopped and glanced at the floor again. There was a light coming from under the door. Minerva knew that beyond this door was The Mirror of Erised. Who would be looking at that mirror this late? Minerva prepared herself for a student, and had already thought of a rather nice punishment.
"Excuse me, but what is a stu-" Minerva held her tongue at once. The proud, and regale figure of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore stood before her. "Albus?"
Albus turned slowly and nodded at Minerva. "Ah, Minerva, what brings you out so late?" Even in the dark, his eyes seemed to gleam.
"I was, walking towards my office and, I thought a student," Minerva attempted to explain. Albus held up his hand and she silenced herself.
"No, my dear Minerva, it was merely an old man reminiscing his mistakes," Albus said sadly. Minerva was puzzled. To her, Albus never made mistakes. She walked up next to him and stared into the mirror. "Minerva, if you don't mind my intrusion, what do you see when you look into the Mirror?"
Minerva was a bit shocked. It did seem like a personal question, but, Albus never seemed to care much for her personal boundaries. She looked into the mirror, and the reflection of herself and Albus remained unchanged. Minerva caught her breath slightly.
"Is what you see troubling?" Albus queried his friend. Minerva redeemed herself quickly.
"Not at all, I see," she paused. "I see Harry Potter with his family."
Albus raised his eyebrows slightly. "That is what you see?"
"Yes," Minerva answered a little too briskly. "I care for that boy almost as much as you! What do you see Albus?"
"I see, myself and a pair of thick woolly socks," Albus mused. He chuckled slightly.
"Now Albus give yourself some credit," Minerva replied, a little softer than her last remark. "And you know better than to lie to me!"
"Alas, I was thinking you knew better than to lie to me," Dumbledore replied sadly and looked into Minerva's eyes. Minerva knew all to well that look, but she wasn't going to tell him what she saw, how would they ever remain in each others company again.
"Albus, I know you have your secrets, but this is minor," Minerva said, thinking aloud. "Could you not spare me some credit? I am not Rolanda! It will remain a secret!"
Albus chuckled at the reference to the Quidditch Referee. "If you must Minerva, I see a young woman I knew some time ago named Ariana."
Minerva's face fell. Her stomach tied into knots. Why was this bothering her so much? "And who, may I ask, was Arianna?"
"Ariana Dumbledore was very talented witch," Albus answered, his voice becoming quite low and hoarse. "But, she was murdered."
Minerva gasped. Was Arianna Dumbledore's old partner by ay chance? And what a horrific thing to happen to them! Murder!
"Oh, do you miss her?" Minerva choked, trying to keep her voice straight.
"If I did not would she be before me in this mirror?" Albus pointed out. Minerva cringed. "I do miss her, but I think Aberforth misses her more than anyone else!"
Minerva glanced at Dumbledore. He was staring at his reflection; tears seeming to form in his eyes. Minerva was confused though. Wasn't Aberforth Albus' brother?
"Ariana was killed when myself, Aberforth and Grindlewald got into a three way duel," Albus explained sadly. "She was abused by Muggles as a child and refused to use her magic again, unfortunately, she was a very powerful and talented witch and it affected her mind quite badly."
Minerva gave a little gasp, but Albus continued.
"She would have outbursts of magic when she got too emotional," he said, looking down. "One of these outbursts caused the death of my mother. Myself and Aberforth cared for her, but my brother did better than I. When we had that duel, Arianna came outside, curious to what was going on. With curses flying everywhere, it is very hard to say which one of ours killed her, but my deepest fear is finding it was me."
Minerva moved closer to Albus and patted his arm.
"No, nothing does affect you quite like losing a sister…"
Minerva looked up quickly. She was upset, and relieved at the same time. So Arianna was Albus' sister. That cleared things up. Albus looked down at her and smiled, his familiar twinkle returning to his eye.
"I think, we had better get off to bed," Albus said, linking his arm in Minerva's and guiding her back to her office.
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The next morning, Minerva tightened her bun behind her head. She stood up and straightened her velvet green robes and put her glasses in her robe pocket. She took one more glance in the mirror and headed out into the corridor.
Students were bustling up down the corridor, most of them heading towards the Great Hall like herself for breakfast. She was walking down the hallway eyeing a group of Slytherins as she passed them, when she ran into the Headmaster.
"Oh, I'm sorry Albus, I seem to be running into you a lot," the Professor said.
"It is no problem," Albus said smiling. "I do quite enjoy your company. Would care to walk with me to the Great Hall?"
"Of course," Minerva answered, reaching her hand out and linking it in the old wizards. Many of the first year students threw them passing glances before walking on, obviously not used to the fact that Albus and Minerva walked to the Great Hall together for almost all occasions.
"Are they married?" She heard one say as she passed them. Cringing slightly, and praying that Albus hadn't heard, she pressed on.
The Great Hall was full of bustle and noise and it didn't falter at the entrance of the Headmaster. A few students glanced, but then returned to their friends and food. Joining the rest of the staff at the staff table, Albus pulled out Minerva's seat before sitting upon his own, thrown-like one. Minerva avoided looking at her peers; she couldn't stand their accusatory grins.
"I bet you're going to miss him," Snape sneered in her ear, his black eyes shining with a horrible gloating feel.
"I beg your pardon!" Minerva snapped. "But what do you mean by that?"
"I mean, Dumbledore's a very old man, it won't be long before…"
"Honestly Snape! If it wasn't for Albus I wouldn't be speaking to you after what you did to Lily!"
Snape retreated at once, his face had a look of hurt and hatred on it, but Minerva didn't care. She would not speak of Albus' death. It wouldn't come for a long time, she was sure of it. But, she looked at his blackened hand and felt herself feeling agitated. Dumbledore was a very old man now, actually, he was somewhere in his one-hundred and fifties. Maybe… NO! Minerva shook herself out of her dread. Albus was going to live for a good while longer. Besides, he wouldn't just, leave her.
After breakfast, Albus got up and said goodbye to his fellow staff members before walking down towards the Gryffindor table. He tapped on the shoulder of a second year and handed them a small letter and whispered something in his ear. The student nodded and Albus smiled before continuing down the hall. Minerva watched him leave and the glanced at his seat. She noticed that he had left his cloak draped across his chair. Taking it in her arms, she got up and headed out of the hall herself after the Headmaster.
She walked the route to Dumbledore's, a path she knew off by heart. Heart, being the key-word. She caught a brief scent of Dumbledore's cloak, it smelled of lemons. Minerva sighed. Albus did have that strange obsession with sherbet lemons. Smiling to herself, she addressed the gargoyle with the password, (Humbugs), and walked up the spiral staircase to Dumbledore's office. She was just about to knock, when she heard talking coming from inside.
"Dear me Fawkes, I fear I may be getting younger than older!" she heard Albus tease. "Why, last night, I met Minerva at the Mirror and I told her what I saw."
Minerva pressed closer. She was usually not one to eavesdrop, but, this was an exception.
"And, before we left, my reflection changed!"
Fawkes gave a soft cry. "It changed into none other than Minerva herself!"
Professor McGonagall gave a small squeak. There was another small cry from the phoenix and soon the door opened before her.
"Ah Minerva! I was just thinking of you!" Albus smiled, which, Minerva returned.
"I just came to return you cloak! Which you keep forgetting!" Minerva scolded, but Albus couldn't help but chuckle.
"What makes you so sure I forget it?" he said, his blue eyes twinkling.
Obviously, I'm not J.K Rowling. If I was, Remus and Tonks would still be- WAIT! Some of you probably haven't read the 7th book, so I'll just twiddle my thumbs! Tum te tum te tum!