Minerva entered the Great Hall, which was equipped with five long tables.
The four tables of the houses Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were occupied by the students, most of whom talked about the nice weather, their plans for the weekend, Quidditch and the upcoming Halloween party and a few about homework and exams.
Another table stood on a pedestal. Here sat the teachers, who could always keep an eye on their protégés.
As soon as she had reached the table, she asked for rest at the teacher's table. She explained her headmaster's plan to her colleagues and asked Flitwick to take charge of her house.
The teachers had noticed the three free chairs. It was not surprising that Severus Snape's chair remained free on some Saturdays. After all, everyone knew about his work as a spy for the Order. She was surprised, however, that Dumbledore also stayed away from breakfast and had his instructions given by his overtired looking deputy.
"Everything is fine. I didn't sleep much tonight. We have a full moon again and I can't sleep a wink. Albus is well. I saw him briefly this morning. He asked me to give you the introductions, because he was called by the minister for an urgent conversation and he did not know when he would come back."
"What about Severus? He is missing too," asked Professor Flitwick, the little teacher of magic. "Is he on his way for the Order again?"
"No, not today. I think he slept a bit longer and then had breakfast in his rooms, or he will. I don't know."
Minerva was glad that none of the teachers mastered Legilimency. She didn't manage today to concentrate on closing her mind and directing her thoughts, which were always about Severus, to something else.
She forced herself to drink a cup of coffee and eat a roll. If she had immediately gone back to the dungeon, her colleagues would have become suspicious and would have asked her embarrassing questions. It was already difficult enough to think up the stories.
Her gaze glided over the heads of the students and got stuck at the Gryffindor table. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley had put their heads together and spoke quietly as their glances wandered to Severus and Albus empty places.
When they noticed that they were being watched by their home teacher, they turned their heads away from the teacher's table, interrupted their conversation, and devoted themselves to their breakfast as they pondered their own thoughts.
Minerva looked at the clock and found that she had already spent half an hour in the Great Hall. Dumbledore was certainly waiting for her return.
She walked through the hall, which was slowly emptying. The house teachers had told their students that all students should be in their respective common rooms in half an hour.
Minerva looked around before continuing her way up the stairs to the dungeons. If anyone saw her now, the lies she had told her colleagues were in vain and the injuries to Severus no longer a secret.
After a few minutes, seemingly endless to her, she had reached the private rooms of the potions teacher and quietly knocked on the door before entering.
