En Ami
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"You should expect the unexpected," Minerva said in a nonchalant tone as she looked down at the unconscious form of her former headmaster.
The first cognizant thought he made as he slowly crept out of the darkness, which were the unconscious, was that he was lying on something soft and silky. The second cognizant action he took after fluttering his eyes open to the world again, was to gag as he felt waves of nausea travel sickenly up his throat. He did not puke out his guts though and quickly forgot his nausea as piercing pain overwhelmed him, the epicentre being the left side of his head.
"Wakey, wakey, professor," a cold voice said in a sing-song voice devoid of any cheeriness that usually follows the said syllables. Albus heaved a sigh; he had hoped he would wake up and find it had all been a horrible dream. All his hopes were squashed as he looked up at the dark-haired witch, who sat next to him on the satin-covered bed. He wondered why he felt so lousy, that kick to the head was certainly doing a number on his senses. He tried to lift an arm, but found he could not. Invisible thick air held him down, oppressive though not painfully. In his mind he saluted Minerva on her skills and wit; she had indirectly outdone half of the ministerial Aurors, who had duelled against Albus for practise and lost. This however was not practise, it was not fun or even to pass away time. It was reality, and brutal.
"Now I have your attention, dear professor," she leaned forwards, her eyes sparkling for the first time that night with something other than coldness, "I want you to listen closely for I am about to give away some interesting information." She made sure she had his whole attention; their gazes' were locked in a silent battle, Minerva glaring, Albus serenely observing and analysing. Albus watched as she leaned even closer to him, her eyes glittering with implicit delight.
"I will tell you a secret despite the fact I promised I would never talk about it to anyone," she leaned down to his ear and whispered conspiratorially the vibration of her voice buzzing in his ear, "Even though my Liege promised to carefully peel the skin off me with his own nails should I ever disclose this secret." She paused dramatically, but did not remove her mouth from his ear. He could feel her breath tingling his skin and briefly shuddered.
"Though you have peaked my curiosity, I would hate to be the reason you are skinned alive, Minerva," he managed to smile despite the severity of the case as he watched her retreat from him, her face a turmoil of emotions. His ear though felt rather cold all of a sudden.
"It would seem you are not taking me seriously, professor," her face turned once again into a mask of composure, her poise rank and stiff. Her green eyes had lost all previously glitter and was now turning a dangerously dark. Albus wondered if she would kill him then, in cold blood, smearing the covers with his death. He wondered and found the answer in her dark eyes. She would, if she deemed it necessary. Later on, he would realize there were other aspects to his contemplation. Later on, he came to the conclusion that she would likewise murder him if she found it worthy amusement.
"I am sorry. I am very aware of the seriousness of our predicament. Unfortunately, I have an obscure knack for witty comments at the wrong time, sorry dear," he said in a gentle tone, the note grave and sombre. It had the effect he had hoped for, as he watched Minerva relax somewhat, her shoulders and rank spine sacking as the tension drew out of her.
"I know. You are an insufferable old man," she breathed heavily. She drank of the air, as drinking a goblet of courage and she continued in a strange monotone voice, "The secret is of the magical kind. This brand of magic would perhaps even be granted a Merlin of first class, presented in the right light. Even the Unforgivables are considered a highly talentedbranch of magic that requires a lot of skill and ability to perform. Imagine how clever you would have to be to invent them. Stop shaking your head, professor, you know I am right. Despite the danger and menace that comes with these spells, they are still considered brilliant and the greatest achievement in this century. My Liege knew the Ministry was after him, and he knew you would eventually ditch both Hogwarts and any ministerial employees and come after him yourself. My Liege also knew how futile such a meeting would be, since you truly direct advanced branches of magic, which could fry him in a second. Not only do you possess these talents, My Liege knew you would do anything in your power to stop him, so naturally a plan was set in motion. This is where I come into the picture."
She stopped talking, licking her lips, eyes distant and blank. He watched her, how she tightened her hand into fists, sitting in a sailor position mere inches away from him. He could feel his neck smarting. It was a strain to lift his head, and yet he wanted to look at her while she talked. He wanted to be able to grasp her emotions and analyse his situation. He wanted to be able to view this situation he was in, or else it might go wrong. He wanted to know why this young woman had become a member of the insane crowd Grindelwald indulged in. What had happened?
"Are you familiar with the Fidelius Charm, professor?"
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