Sitting in her office, Minerva felt restless. No, she'd been feeling
restless all day. She wondered if she was nervous about her students doing
well on their O.W.L and N.E.W.T exams or if it was the absence of Albus
from the school. It might have been both by the fact that she'd been
finding excuse after excuse to pass in front of the Headmaster's office,
she could safely say that the students exams weren't what was bothering
her. However empty the Headmaster's office may have been, she found it
strangely comforting to pass by the stone gargoyle or venture inside on the
pretense of tidying the room. She'd even taken to eating a Lemon Drop or
two, despite the fact that she really didn't care for them. While Poppy and
the other staff regarded this with understanding Dolores Umbridge seemed to
regard her with suspicious scrutiny.
It was strange, really, that Minerva should feel the way she did. After all it wasn't the first time that Albus had to leave or be removed from the school, however unwillingly. Why, just three years ago he'd had to leave because the school governors had their knickers in a twist about four students who'd ended up petrified, when they should have seen that having Albus leave was practically inviting chaos. Moreover, she felt the same now. Just thinking about Cornelius Fudge and the fact that he'd been quite happy and prepared to send Albus to Azkaban, why the whole thing sickened her. She couldn't decide who she loathed more, Cornelius or Dolores. Somehow she felt she didn't need to decide, quite simply they were two sides of the same coin.
With those thoughts swirling around her, Minerva felt she'd not get any work done. Deciding against doing anymore work tonight, she decided to wander the halls again. Maybe she'd even stop by the hospital wing for a chat with Poppy. The second option sounded nice, so Minerva made her way down the corridor while doing her best to resist the impulse to visit the Headmaster's office. Pausing in the doorway, she watched Poppy administering a healing balm on the hand of a second year Hufflepuff. "That'll do to be getting on with. Now off with you." Poppy said as the young girl bounded away, her hand back to normal.
"I take it this one had Herbology sometime today. Worked with undiluted bubotuber pus if I am not mistaken." Minerva remarked casually, stepping up beside the now vacant bed. "Quite right. Poor thing didn't realize there was a tear in her gloves." Poppy sighed, straightening her apron. "So how are you feeling today, Minerva? I heard Dolores has been ferreting around after you. What's she after you about?" asked Poppy, as Minerva followed her to her office. "She seems to think I know where Albus is, which I of course don't. She's also upset that I keep interfering with her plots on Hagrid and Sibyll. It's not enough that Sybil is not longer a professor here, it seems Dolores has high hopes of driving her away." Minerva catalogued, sighing heavily as she did so.
Poppy smiled gently, reaching for the pitcher of pumpkin juice on her desk. She poured two goblets for Minerva and herself. "You're not the only one she's upset with. She was just itching to give me a tongue lashing for taking Sibyll a cup of tea. Dolores believes that Sibyll deserves no such treatment. Something I definitely remembered when she came in here yesterday with her hands swelling up. Seems someone anonymously sent her some post covered in undiluted bubotuber pus. I deliberately gave her the wrong balm. Came in a while later with her hands even worse. I apologized for my mistake and gave her very small amounts of the correct balm. It took a little bit for the swelling and boils to come down. I think she got my message." Poppy said with a wink. Minerva couldn't help but laugh. "Really, Poppy. That was wicked of you. I only wish I had thought of it first." She smirked.
Minerva spent a little while more talking with Poppy, finishing her third goblet full of pumpkin juice. "Well, I do think I had better go. I want to make my rounds before I turn in for the evening." She declared, setting down her goblet. "Before you go, I've got a little something for you." Poppy smiled and handed her a Lemon Drop. Minerva looked down at the candy in the palm of her hand, and then looked up at her friend. She didn't say anything for a moment. Instead she hugged Poppy soundly. They didn't say anything, but their smiles said everything.
Leaving the room, Minerva decided she would go down and take a quick walk about the grounds before she turned in for the evening. Fresh air would do her good, and at least she can sniffle and shed a tear without being discovered and have to answer awkward questions. Besides, she wanted to sneak a peek at her fifth years on their Astronomy exam, their last O.W.L for the day. She had high hopes for them and felt confident they'd do well after she'd seen her students hard at work in the library, especially Neville Longbottom, who'd actually been doing a bit better in his classes. Smiling, Minerva made her way down the stairs.
She had just passed the empty Great Hall when a bang and several accompanied shouts from somewhere on the grounds reached Minerva's ears. Stopping dead, she had a dread feeling. Somehow she couldn't help feeling that this had Dolores Umbridge written all over it. Without a moments hesitation she pulled out her wand and dashed out the doors only to be aghast with shock at the scene before her. She could see six figures, on of whom she knew to be Dolores, bathed in the light from Hagrid's cabin attempting to hex and stun him. Enraged, Minerva raced down the lawn faster than she'd ever run. "How dare you!" She shrieked, raising her wand higher to train it on Dolores. "How dare you!"
Dolores and the other five stopped their attacks on Hagrid, turning to face the angry witch racing towards them. "Leave him alone! Alone, I say!" Minerva roared, her blood boiling. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such-" her sentence fell short as Dolores's henchmen sent no less than four stunning spells at her. The four spells hit her straight on and it was the strangest feeling to Minerva. Her whole body and being seemed to freeze, aglow in brilliant red light. She was lifted off her feet for moment or two before she was thrown backward, landing hard on her back, where darkness enveloped her.
It was strange, really, that Minerva should feel the way she did. After all it wasn't the first time that Albus had to leave or be removed from the school, however unwillingly. Why, just three years ago he'd had to leave because the school governors had their knickers in a twist about four students who'd ended up petrified, when they should have seen that having Albus leave was practically inviting chaos. Moreover, she felt the same now. Just thinking about Cornelius Fudge and the fact that he'd been quite happy and prepared to send Albus to Azkaban, why the whole thing sickened her. She couldn't decide who she loathed more, Cornelius or Dolores. Somehow she felt she didn't need to decide, quite simply they were two sides of the same coin.
With those thoughts swirling around her, Minerva felt she'd not get any work done. Deciding against doing anymore work tonight, she decided to wander the halls again. Maybe she'd even stop by the hospital wing for a chat with Poppy. The second option sounded nice, so Minerva made her way down the corridor while doing her best to resist the impulse to visit the Headmaster's office. Pausing in the doorway, she watched Poppy administering a healing balm on the hand of a second year Hufflepuff. "That'll do to be getting on with. Now off with you." Poppy said as the young girl bounded away, her hand back to normal.
"I take it this one had Herbology sometime today. Worked with undiluted bubotuber pus if I am not mistaken." Minerva remarked casually, stepping up beside the now vacant bed. "Quite right. Poor thing didn't realize there was a tear in her gloves." Poppy sighed, straightening her apron. "So how are you feeling today, Minerva? I heard Dolores has been ferreting around after you. What's she after you about?" asked Poppy, as Minerva followed her to her office. "She seems to think I know where Albus is, which I of course don't. She's also upset that I keep interfering with her plots on Hagrid and Sibyll. It's not enough that Sybil is not longer a professor here, it seems Dolores has high hopes of driving her away." Minerva catalogued, sighing heavily as she did so.
Poppy smiled gently, reaching for the pitcher of pumpkin juice on her desk. She poured two goblets for Minerva and herself. "You're not the only one she's upset with. She was just itching to give me a tongue lashing for taking Sibyll a cup of tea. Dolores believes that Sibyll deserves no such treatment. Something I definitely remembered when she came in here yesterday with her hands swelling up. Seems someone anonymously sent her some post covered in undiluted bubotuber pus. I deliberately gave her the wrong balm. Came in a while later with her hands even worse. I apologized for my mistake and gave her very small amounts of the correct balm. It took a little bit for the swelling and boils to come down. I think she got my message." Poppy said with a wink. Minerva couldn't help but laugh. "Really, Poppy. That was wicked of you. I only wish I had thought of it first." She smirked.
Minerva spent a little while more talking with Poppy, finishing her third goblet full of pumpkin juice. "Well, I do think I had better go. I want to make my rounds before I turn in for the evening." She declared, setting down her goblet. "Before you go, I've got a little something for you." Poppy smiled and handed her a Lemon Drop. Minerva looked down at the candy in the palm of her hand, and then looked up at her friend. She didn't say anything for a moment. Instead she hugged Poppy soundly. They didn't say anything, but their smiles said everything.
Leaving the room, Minerva decided she would go down and take a quick walk about the grounds before she turned in for the evening. Fresh air would do her good, and at least she can sniffle and shed a tear without being discovered and have to answer awkward questions. Besides, she wanted to sneak a peek at her fifth years on their Astronomy exam, their last O.W.L for the day. She had high hopes for them and felt confident they'd do well after she'd seen her students hard at work in the library, especially Neville Longbottom, who'd actually been doing a bit better in his classes. Smiling, Minerva made her way down the stairs.
She had just passed the empty Great Hall when a bang and several accompanied shouts from somewhere on the grounds reached Minerva's ears. Stopping dead, she had a dread feeling. Somehow she couldn't help feeling that this had Dolores Umbridge written all over it. Without a moments hesitation she pulled out her wand and dashed out the doors only to be aghast with shock at the scene before her. She could see six figures, on of whom she knew to be Dolores, bathed in the light from Hagrid's cabin attempting to hex and stun him. Enraged, Minerva raced down the lawn faster than she'd ever run. "How dare you!" She shrieked, raising her wand higher to train it on Dolores. "How dare you!"
Dolores and the other five stopped their attacks on Hagrid, turning to face the angry witch racing towards them. "Leave him alone! Alone, I say!" Minerva roared, her blood boiling. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such-" her sentence fell short as Dolores's henchmen sent no less than four stunning spells at her. The four spells hit her straight on and it was the strangest feeling to Minerva. Her whole body and being seemed to freeze, aglow in brilliant red light. She was lifted off her feet for moment or two before she was thrown backward, landing hard on her back, where darkness enveloped her.