As long as the students were at Hogwarts, it had been useless to try and tidy up the classrooms, let alone put everything on the teachers' desks neatly in their drawers. The house-elves would regularly look into it anyway, but still there was a lot of all too flammable material that would be exposed to the spell if Minerva didn't make her round to put everything away safely. Once she was done in a classroom, she'd put a heat-repelling spell on all the furniture, and then move on to the next room.

Deciding to deal with the dungeons later, she had started on the ground floor and made her way up from there. Granted, she had also skipped the common rooms and dormitories, but still she was rather pleased with her efficiency when in the afternoon of the second day, she could get started on the seventh floor.

When she finally reached the North Tower, she couldn't help rolling her eyes at the circular trapdoor which led to the Divination classroom. It did of course suit Professor Trelawney's sense of drama that there weren't any proper stairs going there, and Minerva didn't want to think of the clutter she would no doubt find when she climbed the silvery ladder.

When she was almost up, a strange noise sounded. Soon it stopped, but then she heard it again. Frowning, she stepped into the attic-like classroom and looked around. It hadn't sounded like a ghost, but…

In one of the chintz armchairs in front of the fire she could make out a familiar silhouette. Waving her wand to make some light, she stepped closer.

"Didn't the Inner Eye tell you the castle was to be evacuated?" she asked loudly.

Sybill woke with a start and a surprised snort. She blinked in confusion and then fumbled around for her glasses, which had fallen into her lap.

"Mi… Minerva…?" she gasped, putting her glasses on upside down with the result that they immediately slipped off her nose again. "I mean… Headmistress… What… What are you doing up here?"

"The question is: what are you still doing here?" Minerva said, crossing her arms. "Weren't you there when I announced the heating spell? Or did you have another very important meeting with the… spirits?" She pointedly eyed the empty bottle next to Sybill's chair.

Managing to get her glasses on correctly, Sybill got to her feet, swaying a little. "I have been consulting with the…" She hiccupped, "the Fates… About what to do to help all these poor souls… find their way to the… beyond…"

"If the snoring was any indication, I trust you have been most successful," Minerva said.

Sybill sniffed and did not dignify this with an answer.

"No? Shame. Anyway," Minerva continued, "I'm preparing the heating spell. I will have to ask you to leave the tower for a while, for your own safety and that of your possessions." The set of pink teacups caught her eye and she quickly looked away from them.

"There… There is no need…" Sybill said, glancing around the room. "The cold is not a problem up here. I'm… quite comfortable…"

For a moment, Minerva studied her colleague. She was wearing three coats and even more shawls than usual, and still she hadn't broken into a sweat so close to the fire.

"I need to cure the whole castle. The spell is tricky enough without the need to limit it," Minerva said.

"Then tell me what needs to be done. I can protect my own rooms," Sybill sniffed haughtily.

"But you'll have to put away everything. And you'll have to leave your rooms temporarily yourself, so you might as well let me get it over with. In fact, it would be safest if you leave the castle for the rest of the month, like everyone else has done."

"And leave you here, to sniff around?" Sybill snapped. "I think not."

Minerva rolled her eyes. "I have no desire to sniff around here any longer than strictly necessary. I do have better things to do."

"Then go do them and leave me alone," Sybill said, whirling around so quickly that several of her shawls got tangled and she nearly fell over.

"I'd love to, but I still need you out of here," Minerva said, starting to feel a little impatient.

Sybill considered for a very long moment, then sighed. "I will put everything away myself," she said. "You can come back tomorrow and do… whatever you have to do…"

"Fine," Minerva nodded. "I will see you tomorrow."

"After noon," Sybill said, quickly. "I cannot be disturbed in the morning. That is when the veil lifts and I may glance into the most distant of futures…"

"Yes, alright, Sybill, you can sleep in," Minerva said, making her way back to the trapdoor. "Just make sure everything is ready."