A Matter of Necessity

Adjusting-Part 2

Thank you once again to all my wonderful reviewers; ImSoMMAD (Love the name by the way), dewines, Saavik Spock and my anonymous reviewer Random reviewer. I have decided to use the name Tanllyd for the Phoenix which will appear in later chapters. I know I have more votes for the name Sirene but I think Tanllyd makes the better name. (After playing with both as possible names.) Now a nice long chapter for you!

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It had been two weeks since the attack of her friends and seeing the shock it had given her and that Minerva McGonagall wasn't going to curse them into oblivion if they hung around near her long enough; the rest of Gryffindor had rallied back around her. She was glad of that but there had been no news of her friends yet. So far as she knew they were still both in a coma, which though they hadn't said it aloud the St. Mungo's staff doubted they'd wake from. However Minerva didn't know that and as far as she was concerned, no news was good news.

Then two days later when she was revising for her next NEWT she got a letter saying:

"Dear Minerva McGonagall,

Andromeda Black has woken. She is requesting your presence." Minerva smiled that was great. But there was more. "I am afraid to state however that your other friend Andrea Blackthorn is in a critical condition, I'm afraid Andromeda Black is as well, and their families have been summoned. I'm afraid they are both on a death watch. I suggest you come to see them as soon as is possible.

Chief-Healer, Helga Dumbledore."

Minerva leapt up. It was the middle of her NEWT'S but she didn't take History of Magic which was today's exam. She had to see the Headmaster. At that moment however he entered the common room. He had also just received a letter; it was almost identical to Minerva's.

"I assume you got the news Miss McGonagall?" He asked. She simply nodded.

"Professor I don't take History of..." She started. He held up his hand.

"I came to send you there. Ask for Helga Dumbledore. She'll take you to them." She nodded and he picked up a fanged frisbee that a first year had immobilised and attempted to hide with a weak disillusionment charm. He tapped it with his wand saying "Portus." He held it out to her she took it gripping hard. "On three. One, two, three..." Minerva felt the familiar jerk behind her navel. There was the sensation of falling through a tumbled mess of colours before, she landed hard on the floor and lost her balance momentarily. She regained it with a sharp twist of her body. One of many traits from her animagus form. She looked around; she was in the reception area of St Mungo's.

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Helga Dumbledore had been waiting for Minerva with her brother Albus who had visiting her and students when the situation turned critical. The young woman had appeared suddenly in a flash of colour and landed hard enough to throw anyone to the floor. Helga had nearly rushed forward to steady her when she staggered but Minerva had twisted her body to regain her balance and stayed upright. Unusual, faster than normal reactions Helga noticed; then again Albus had told her Minerva McGonagall was a cat animagus.

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Minerva looked for someone to ask where Helga was. Then she caught sight of Professor Dumbledore and the witch standing beside him. She had the same auburn hair and eyes and couldn't be anyone other than his sister; she was also wearing black robes with the crossed wands which was the Healer's symbol. She hurried over.

She nodded to Professor Dumbledore and turned to Helga. Her anxiety must have been written on her face because the Healer turned and lead them up to the fourth floor. They entered the newest ward. It had not been named yet. Her friends were the only two people in the ward and had been placed next to each other. Minerva hurried over to sit between them. Andrea was still completely out of things but the magical monitors were beeping and whirring softly.

Annie was awake, though barely so. Professor Dumbledore watched as she moved over to her friends and could see from the way she bit her lip when she saw Andrea's still form that this was costing her. Helga left them there.

"Hey Minnie." Annie said in a voice so quiet she could hardly be heard. Minerva who absolutely hated being called Minnie didn't have the heart to remind her not to call her that. She gave a wry smile as she took her friend's hand. It was icy. She could see that Annie knew the seriousness of her condition. "They say I won't live past nightfall." She said softly. "And I think their right. I feel so weak Min." Minerva instinctively tightened her grip on her friend's hand at these words as if by holding on tight enough she could wrench Andromeda away from the Grim Reaper.

"Annie don't say that. Fight it. You can make it through this and you will. Have the Healers tried everything?" Andromeda nodded. Minerva was not too surprised. The wounds had been severe. "Even the Honatius spell?" Andromeda frowned. "No I've never heard of that." Again she wasn't too surprised. Then Minerva stood up. At the mention of the spell Dumbledore had stiffened. It was the most powerful healing spell there was though extremely dangerous to the caster. It drew its power from the caster's life-force and afflicted some of the injuries of the sufferer onto the caster as well. Even though it was to a lesser extent it was still dangerous.

Then when she stood he caught her green eyes in his gaze for a second and in that split second before she turned away; he knew, she knew how to perform it and was going to use it. Minerva didn't know how it worked however.

He moved to stop her but she was too fast. Laying both her hands on Annie's wounds she spoke the word "Honatius". There was a split second when her eyes shone silver as the bright silver light spread from her hands and sank into the wounds on her friend's chest. Then Minerva screamed in agony, her back arched and she fell away from her friend the last of the silver light dying away. Annie sat bolt up immediately, her wounds healed and her strength restored.

"Idiot girl." She heard Professor Dumbledore say as he picked the now unconscious and bleeding Minerva up and laid her on the bed the other side of Andrea. Helga had heard the scream and come rushing back in from just outside.

"Albus what happened?" She asked looking at the completely healed Andromeda and the unconscious Minerva. The blood was seeping through her robes in the same places as the wounds the other girl had had. It clicked. "Not the Honatius?" He nodded. She noted that he had gone stark white. She squeezed his arm. Then raising their wands together they performed the charm that had tried unsuccessfully on Andrea and Andromeda when they'd been found. Because the wounds had been lessened and the curses were weaker due to the healing charm the wounds sealed.

Albus gave a sigh of relief. "I should have made her stand five feet away." He sighed. His sister smiled knowingly.

"One of your Gryffindors?" She queried. He smiled. "Yes." She grinned back. "Then it's to be expected. I seem to remember a certain older brother of mine doing something incredibly similar to save his twin brother from danger. Only that involved a time-turner and enlisting the help of his slightly younger self." Albus squirmed. He hated it when Helga dragged that up. It could have as she'd so often reminded him gone horribly wrong. But it hadn't and Aberforth and he had avoided the disastrous piece of magic that had nearly killed his twin.

She smiled and patted his arm. Even though she was three years younger than him he sometimes felt he was the younger sibling around her. She was so down to earth. "Don't be too hard on her." She said knowing that Albus would be angry that one of his lions, as she knew he thought of them as had taken such a risk. Then she pointed her wand at Minerva and said. "Re-enervate."

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Whew! That took ages! As always review and tell me what you think!