Tenth series of notes: Jul 92 - Dec 92
July 5th, 1992
Dear Minerva,
I expected you to return tonight, but Severus tells me that you have made up your mind to stay away for another two weeks. I think that is an excellent idea, as I think you could use a bit of time away from school. Please give my love to my dear cousin while you are there. Is her tartan obsession still as bad as it used to be?
Incidentally, I have some good news for you as well. (I told Severus already, but he might not have been in contact with you, now that I am making him do some "work" for me on the Spanish south coast. You know how he never takes any holidays on his own accord.) You might be delighted to hear that our spies have informed us that there have not been any sighting since Voldemort disappeared in the Hogwarts vaults at the end of last term. There is a chance that he has not survived his latest defeat and never returns. We are checking on that, of course, but if this turns out to be true, we will finally be able to take away the immense security precautions we have been forced to keep up for eleven strenuous years now. Students will be able to use the Forbidden Forest again (partly at least), Sixth formers can visit Hogsmeade again at any time, and we will be able to lift the restriction on relationships among the staff. Hope you know what that means for you and Severus.
Enjoy the rest of your holidays.
Albus.
July 31st, 1992
Dear Severus,
Sighting near Sevenoaks, East Sussex. Albus gives word that security precautions are to be taken up again.
Love, Minerva.
**
August 3rd, 1992
Dear Minerva,
Understood. Will refrain from marriage proposal just for the moment.
Severus.
**
August 5th, 1992
That was tasteless. If you intend to propose to me, do it properly and without sarcasm.
Minerva.
PS: And don't you dare do it via owl.
**
August 7th, 1992
Dear Minerva,
Understood. Will refrain from proposal until coast is clear, sarcasm has come into fashion and you are joining us at Hogwarts again.
Love you, Severus.
**
August 10th, 1992
Dear Severus,
I canot think of anything witty to reply. I am laughing too hard. Will be back soon. Have finished all the first-years' letters within a couple of days. Feel extremely relaxed. Am very much looking forward to seeing you again.
Love, Minerva.
August 30th, 1992
Dear Severus,
Staff meeting at nine in The Three Broomsticks. Bring Quidditch timetable.
Minerva.
September 1st, 1992
Dear Minerva,
Sorry for being so grumpy. I had a rather stressful day and now Potter on top of it. I still do not see why I should care whether he lives or dies, but fact remains that he is not making much of an effort. Come to think of it, that is probably the reason why the Headmaster thinks it wise to have him watched.
Severus.
**
September 2nd, 1992
Dear Severus,
No offence taken. Potter's and Weasley's act was unforgivably stupid. I shall have to make their detention as unbearable as possible, make no mistake. Hope you have a good start of the year.
Minerva.
**
September 2nd, 1992
Minerva, correct me if I am wrong, but is that Lockhart fellow anything like you imagined him? He seems nothing but a fool who cannot possibly have accomplished any of the things he claims to have done.
Severus.
**
September 2nd, 1992
Agreed. But I am willing to give him a chance. He might still be a good teacher.
**
September 2nd, 1992
Let's make that a bet. Three Galleons on whether he can fight a simple Cornish pixie. Or teach, for that matter.
Severus.
**
September 2nd, 1992
Done. I shall obtain the pixies, you talk him into doing them in class. Knowing you, that should not be too much of a problem.
Minerva.
**
September 3rd, 1992
You owe me three Galleons.
Severus.
**
September 3rd, 1992
I heard. Cannot believe it. He gave me an excellent idea what kind of detention Potter might like, though. Will pay you tonight.
Minerva.
**
September 4th, 1992
How much do I have to pay YOU until you go and talk to the Headmaster about firing that git and giving the Defence job into competent hands?
Severus.
**
September 4th, 1992
I have been nagging him all summer, Severus. It is no use. He seems to have made up his mind.
Minerva.
**
September 5th, 1992
I should kill him. That would make you Headmistress and solve all my problems at once.
Severus.
**
September 6th, 1992
Don't be ridiculous, Severus. One does not joke about such things. And incidentally, what makes you so sure I would let you teach Defence?
Minerva.
**
September 6th, 1992
You are not with me in this?
**
September 6th, 1992
Let's just say I see the reason why Albus would want to keep you away from the Dark Arts. I am sorry, Severus, but it is like having an alcoholic work in a pub. I trust your strength, of course, but you must admit that you have always been fascinated by dark magic and curses of all sorts.
Minerva.
**
September 6th, 1992
Oh, those flattering schoolboy images one never gets rid of. You should know me, Minerva. You should know my true reasons for changing sides in the first place. I never used a curse when I could help it. Not even back in my days as a student. I was DEFENDING myself in ninety-nine percent of the cases, remember?
Severus.
**
September 7th, 1992
You keep saying so, yes...
**
September 7th, 1992
Do you still doubt me?
**
September 7th, 1992
Let's just say I know that your perspective is slightly... prejudiced. And you hold grudges longer than any person I have ever met.
Minerva.
**September 8th, 1992
Transcript of the year's second staff-
I shall kill you before the staff meeting is over, Minerva McGonagall.
I strongly advise you to refrain from it. Mind your blood pressure. Why, though?
So you doubt me, do you? You still believe them. You are probably still convinced that it was me who blew up your desk during our first week at school, just because we had not covered that spell yet. You believe everything they have been feeding you for years without questioning it even now one is dead and the other as good as. Did you actually believe that I knew more curses than anyone else when I entered Hogwarts? And here is me thinking you were on my side.
I am!
You are not, if you fail to realize who used to be the victim. Can you not see that Potter and Black were in league against me from the beginning?
They were constantly at each other's throats! James hated Sirius almost as much as you hated each other. How could they have been in league against you? You will have to admit that this sounds just slightly far-fetched. You still claim that it was not you who liquidized Sirius's hand?
Yes.
So he did it himself, did he?
Yes.
I find that unbelievable.
See? You are still refusing to see the blatant truth. Just because you have taken a liking to pompous Potter and blasted Black. You do know what Black was imprisoned for, do you not? Now put two and two together. Who has been right about them all along?
I am not discussing this.
I should have known. It is not in the nature of a Gryffindor to admit mistakes of such grave nature, I take it.
Severus Snape, watch your mouth!
Stop treating me like a student!
Well, you are not acting very grown-up at the moment.
Do you deny that Black betrayed our side? Do you deny that I was right in doubting his motives? Are you still saying it was MY fault to follow Lupin into the Shrieking Shack?
Well... partly, yes.
Black tried to murder me!
You fail, as usual, to realize that there are always to sides in a fight, Severus. I do not deny that what Potter and Black did in your sixth years was stupid and dangerous, but the decision to enter the tunnel without knowing what would await you at the end, well aware that it could not have been any of your business, was your very own.
...
October 31st, 1992
You really think it could not possibly have been a student, Severus?
Minerva.
**
October 31st, 1992
Dear Minerva,
I am not saying none of them could have done it, but I doubt any of mine would have the guts to do such a thing. And they are the main suspects here. Potter and his friends just happened to be there, I am sure of it. They don't know anything - except for the thing Potter is hiding from us, of course.
Severus.
**
November 1st, 1992
Dear Severus,
Excuse my curiosity, but how can you be so sure he is hiding something?
Minerva.
**
November 1st, 1992
You really need an answer to that?
**
November 1st, 1992
I am not sure if I understand you correctly. You think he is not telling us something? But what? And do you have any evidence? Have you SEEN what he is hiding?
Minerva.
**
November 1st, 1992
Of course not. The boy is a bloody natural Occlumens. Did you not know? Why do you think the Headmaster declared him "innocent until proven guilty"? He could not see anything either.
Severus.
**
November 1st, 1992
I had no idea. Just as I
keep saying - no one ever tells me anything.
Just because I did not bother learning
Legilimency does not mean I am not interested
in what is happening around me.
You know, I think it could actually be helpful
if the boy is able to close his mind from
external penetration. You remember Albus
mentioning his link with You-Know-Who?
Minerva.
**
November 1st, 1992
Dear Minerva,
Do not be too happy about that. Natural
Occlumenses close their mind unintentionally
and only when they feel the need of hiding
something. It is much harder teaching them
to do it properly than teaching anyone else
to do it at all.
Should there ever be any trouble concerning
Potter's connection with the Dark Lord, I
will be the last to volunteer for the
teaching job, you can be sure of that.
Severus.
**
November 1st, 1992
Dear Severus,
If my infallible knowledge of human nature is not taking me on a ride here, you would not volunteer for teaching a Potter if your life depended on it, one way or the other.
Minerva.
**
November 1st, 1992
Dear Minerva,
My compliments to your excellent ability of judgement. Has Filch been to see you, by the way? He was going to get rid of the writing, but seemed to have severe difficulties with it.
Severus.
**
November 1st, 1992
Dear Severus,
No, I have not seen him. Perhaps he found a solution. I shall check on that later. Wanted to tell you how glad I am that we are on writing terms again, by the way. Have you stopped sulking about your past?
Minerva.
**
November 1st, 1992
I never sulk.
**
November 1st, 1992
No, you merely take extraordinarily long periods of thinking.
**
November 1st, 1992
Very funny. If you must know - I do not consider sulking a very worthwhile activity. Especially not in your case.
Severus.
**
November 1st, 1992
Because you know it is not worth the effort? Since I will not crack down and apologize as people usually do when you are angry with them?
**
November 1st, 1992
Pretty much.
**
November 1st, 1992
That is just as well, because there is no reason for me to apologize.
**
November 1st, 1992
I know.
November 2nd, 1992
Dear Severus,
The bloody message causes great difficulties. Could we not just put some Vanishing Draught onto the walls?
Minerva.
**
November 2nd, 1992
I'd like to see you try that. Ever seen a corridor collapse? Incidentally, did you just swear in written form?
**
November 2nd, 1992
I was merely commenting on the form of the message. It IS written in blood, is it not? Stop being sarcastic and provide a bit of help for a change. What do you suggest?
Minerva.
**
November 2nd, 1992
Will come down for lunch in a minute and have a look. Have you finished teaching?
**
November 2nd, 1992
No. Third years at half past four and sixth- years in the evening. Tuesday is my busy day. How about you? A little pre-match celebration in The Three Broomsticks tonight?
Minerva.
**
November 2nd, 1992
Excellent idea. Had completely forgotten about the Quidditch match on Saturday. See you in a bit.
Severus.
November 7th, 1992
Morning. Will you come and watch us flattening you today?
Minerva.
**
November 7th, 1992
What is the point in making that blasted owl wake me up at seven in the morning when the game is not until eleven o'clock? Witch. Now I am awake. Shall we have some breakfast in the Great Hall?
Severus.
**
November 7th, 1992
I will come down in a couple of minutes. Just quick-drying my hair and getting dressed myself. Wait for me at the breakfast table.
Minerva.
**
November 8th, 1992
Dear Severus,
You owe me a bottle of Sherry. Cannot believe you still refuse to see that with Potter in our team we cannot possibly lose. Oh, and incidentally, what did you think of Gilderoy's little mishap today? Worthy of an experienced traveller and warrior against the world's dark forces?
Minerva.
**
November 8th, 1992
Why do you think I insisted on the Sherry?
I do not have enough Galleons left to
gamble. I shall mix the Sherry by myself,
make no mistake. Cannot affort to buy any
at the moment.
You are talking about the de-boning, I
take it? We should throw that man out of
the castle if the Headmaster does not fire
him anyway.
See you tonight. Or - probably not. I am
patrolling the North tower at the moment.
Have the slight suspicion that Dumbledore
wants to keep me out of this. Ridiculous,
but I shall obey his wishes, of course.
Severus.
November 9th, 1992
Bought a talisman yet?
**
November 9th, 1992
Severus, your sarcasm is completely out of place in this situation. Our students are being attacked. Stop playing stupid! I need your supposrt. Otherwise I... I do not think I will stand through this.
Minerva.
**
November 9th, 1992
What would you be worried about? This "monster", or whatever it is, seems to be highly selective about its victims. No pureblood has been attacked yet.
Severus.
**
November 11th, 1992
Dear Minerva,
I am sorry. My remark was inapt and tasteless.
Severus.
**
November 11th, 1992
And moreover, it was extremely dangerous. You DO know they are saying this is Salazar Slytherin's monster, do you not?
Minerva.
**
November 11th, 1992
Yes, I do. What is your point?
**
November 11th, 1992
Well, some of us do bear the unfortunate duty of being Head of Slytherin these days. People are taking you for a dark wiyard already. Do you have to keep pretending all this does not have any effect on you whatsoever?
Minerva.
**
November 11th, 1992
My job requires this sort of reputation, as you should very well know. And apart from that - I AM a dark wizard.
Severus.
**
November 11th, 1992
Yes, I see a serious Black in you.
**
November 11th, 1992
Now, THAT was tasteless.
**
November 11th, 1992
I am sorry.
December 3rd, 1992
Staff meeting at seven. Headmaster's office.
Minerva.
December 23rd, 1992
Severus, did YOU choose that new password for the Slytherin commonroom? This is not witty, laddie. I find it disgusting.
Minerva.
**
December 23rd, 1992
I did indeed. As usual. Do not know what you are talking about. One has to maintain a wee bit of humour in times like this.
Severus.
**
December 23rd, 1992
Since even the passwords to the commons have an educational effect on the students, I would like you to avoid jokes of this kind. ESPECIALLY in times like this.
Minerva.
**
December 23rd, 1992
Understood. Will refrain from humour in future.
Severus.