Disclaimer: I make no claim to the rights of any characters that are owned by J.K. Rowling or Warner Bros., and make no money from this venture. This work is purely for entertainment purposes.
—CHAPTER ELEVEN—
Minerva
The wall of Minerva's office had been repaired rather quickly by Professor Flitwick when she had returned from the funeral. It had not been entirely unexpected, if she was being truthful. Albus had come to her the day of the funeral and told her what Severus had told him. Draco Malfoy was searching for the list of next year's students on You-Know-Who's bidding. Naturally, Albus and Minerva warded the room and the list so that there was no way for Draco to get at it.
But Albus had assured her that the only way to keep Draco safe was to let him at least attempt to find it. Minerva had agreed with that idea and rid the room of anything precious to her before leaving to the funeral. While at the funeral, she got a message in the form of Filius' owl saying that her office wall had been destroyed, so they would have to go back through the Hospital Wing. She did this before going with Albus to meet up with Filius at her office. Once there it was clear that the office had been searched, but the list was still there, untouched. Minerva had let out a breath upon discovering that.
Albus, now seated in his large, ornate chair, sat with his fingers intertwined, resting just in front of his long, silver beard. Minerva was worried about why he had called her to the office as she sat in the chair opposite him. There were very few times that he called upon her, and only her, these days.
"What's wrong, Albus?" Minerva asked kindly and Albus smiled slightly.
"I am concerned about young Draco," Albus replied gravely. In truth, Minerva had been worried about the boy as well. He was only a teenager, after all, and he was apparently being groomed to take his father's place as a Death Eater. Even for the son of a Black and a Malfoy, this was a lot for a teenager to endure.
"We did all we could," Minerva reminded him, and Albus nodded.
"I do very much agree," Albus replied. "However, I see a problem. Even if Voldemort found it in himself to spare Draco and Narcissa any pain for the failed plan, he would still be very angry and Severus would have reported so after the meeting last night. I confess that I am concerned by the lack of anger."
"Is it possible that Severus is not telling the whole truth?" Minerva asked, never having truly gotten past the fact that Severus Snape had once been a Death Eater. She had taught the boy before, and she knew that he wasn't entirely bad, but she could not be entirely forgiving of someone who sided with the Death Eaters.
"I trust Severus completely," Albus replied dismissively. "If Severus does not report anything about Voldemort being upset, that is concerning."
"Is there any way that Draco could have gotten his hands on the list?" Minerva asked. Albus shook his head, looking slightly older than Minerva could ever remember him being.
"I do not believe so," he replied thoughtfully. Minerva was thinking of possibilities, though she could see no way either. That list was one of a kind, and it remained where it was supposed to be. "We can only speculate, though it is entirely possible that Voldemort may not have put much faith in whatever plan he had, so he is not so angry."
"Or perhaps he isn't letting Severus in on everything," Minerva suggested. Albus nodded sagely.
"That thought had crossed my mind as well," the older man replied. "Perhaps Voldemort does not want us to know that he is punishing Draco, so he does not inform Severus for fear of either him slipping up or fear that he is a spy. Which of the two? We cannot know for sure. Severus is an invaluable spy for us, but that does not make him an infallible one."
"What do we do?" Minerva asked, not really seeing any way to help Draco should he need it.
"I'm afraid there is nothing we can do until Severus gets word of what is or is not going on," Albus replied wearily. "Until that time, we must focus on other things."
"Other things?" Minerva asked, slightly confused. Albus smiled and a twinkle reached his eye.
"We need a new Defence teacher," Albus said almost happily. "Dear Dolores no longer wishes to return to the position next year." Minerva snorted.
"I think if she did we wouldn't have any students," she said, her voice icy. "As far as I'm concerned, as long as her replacement is any more competent than her, I will be happy. So, by that logic we seem to require any human being on the planet." Albus laughed before turning serious once again.
"The issue we are facing is that no one else wants to take the job," Albus said. "That was why Cornelius forced Dolores on us in the first place. No other person had applied, except for Severus and I did not feel that I should grant him the job."
"Have you got anyone in mind?" Minerva asked, concerned. The track record with Professors in that class were sketchy at best. "Perhaps someone from the Order?"
"I'm afraid, we can't really spare anyone from the Order, Minerva," Albus replied sadly. "Not at this time. Everyone who might have been able to do the job is already too busy with their own jobs."
"What about Sirius?" Minerva asked suddenly. "Now that the Ministry is no longer calling you a liar, surely they would be more inclined to hear what you have to say about Sirius. And if he gets off, you could give him the job?"
"I have informed Amelia that I will get proof of Peter's survival, and Severus is planning to do that tonight," Albus replied with a twinkle. "If he can do so, Sirius will be free. As for giving him a job … I do not think that is wise. He spent so many years in Azkaban and then even more in hiding. He would not be prepared to teach the class well enough."
"That makes sense," Minerva said, finding herself happy that Albus was working hard on getting Sirius' freedom. She was a little concerned about Severus' involvement, but said nothing. "If not Sirius, then who do you have in mind? We need someone in the position that we can trust, and everyone in the Order is, as you said, too busy to take up the post."
"I had, at one point, thought about asking Amelia Bones, herself" Albus said, thinking. "But it appears that she may have even less time now that Cornelius is likely stepping down. In truth, I can think of no one else that would be competent enough, willing to take the job and trustworthy enough."
"This is exactly what happened last time," Minerva said with a sigh. "So you truly have no plans?"
"Oh, I have a few plans," Albus confessed, his mouth twitching. "But the only one that I feel I have perfected enough to mention is not hiring anyone and letting the Ministry assign another."
"What?" Minerva interjected loudly and quickly. "Albus, that's how we got her!"
"Minerva, calm down," Albus said with a smile and, as always happened, Minerva did become calmer. "That was under Cornelius' leadership. He assigned Dolores to the post. If Amelia becomes Minister after him, as I do believe she will, I am confident that someone more competent will be chosen. Perhaps even Kingsley, in which case he will have to take the job regardless of his Order duties." Minerva thought about the plan for a few moments.
"It is very reliant on Amelia becoming Minister," she said sceptically.
"Indeed," Albus replied slightly solemnly. "It is also the case that we have no idea who Voldemort has in the Ministry. I feel like this should be a last resort."
"I agree," Minerva replied. After a moment of silence, she spoke again. "Albus, are you sure that the Muggle-borns are fine? There is absolutely no way that the Death Eaters could have gotten the list?"
"I do not see one," Albus replied.
"And you are always the first person to say that even you are not infallible," Minerva said pointedly. "Should we put some safety in place for them anyway? As a precaution?"
"There are fifty-two Muggleborn students starting next year," Albus said calmly. "The Order does not have the manpower to put sufficient wards over them, otherwise I would have done it already. You of all people know that student safety is a top priority of mine."
"What about the Ministry?" Minerva asked. Dumbledore shook his head, his beard swaying slightly.
"The Ministry is in chaos right now," Albus replied. "We cannot trust them at the moment. There is no possible way that Draco Malfoy touched or even got near that parchment. You performed the spells yourself. The Muggle-borns are as safe as any Muggles are."
You are not the one who would have to visit the smoking crater where a house once was, Minerva thought to herself bitterly. In truth, however, Miverva knew that Albus was right. There was no way that Draco got the list. It was just an irrational fear.
"Okay, Albus," Minerva said, resigned. "You're right. Was there anything else?" Albus looked as though he was going to say something but changed his mind.
"No, I don't believe so," Albus replied. Minerva nodded.
"Good," she replied. "As it turns out, I have to visit a Muggle-born student about their place her next year."
"Ah, well I shall not hold you back from that," Albus replied, a twinkle in his eyes. "I know that you enjoy that particular job." Minerva smiled.
"I do," she replied. Albus was one of only a few people in the world that Minerva would tell that to. In truth, she loved the idea of being able to change a child's life and tell them of the wonderful powers they didn't even know they possessed. She had done the job for a long time and had only ever disliked five visits, and that was because of the parents involved being completely irrational and unapproachable. Minerva bid Albus goodbye and left the office.
It was around midday, so there seemed to be students everywhere. Most of them avoided Minerva on purpose, which she found endlessly amusing. She couldn't help but think that it was a good thing that they were somewhat afraid of her. While she might see these children as her own in some ways, they should not see her as a maternal figure unless necessary. She is a teacher and a disciplinarian, not a mother.
When Minerva reached her office, she found a girl waiting for her. She was a First Year Gryffindor girl, short for her age and with long black hair. Brianna Tarbeck. Brianna was a Muggle-born girl whose family Minerva had visited in January of the previous year. She recalled that the family were not entirely shocked at the news. Apparently Brianna had been exhibiting more overt signs of being a witch than most children did. Currently the little girl was toying with a lock of her hair and looking at the floor.
Minerva had told the Gryffindor students to come and see her if need be, but she had not truly expected any to do so. Most Gryffindor's were under the impression that "courage" meant ignoring feelings and being strong enough to face it all on their own. Over the years, Minerva had found this to be entirely false, though she could not fault her students as she, herself, had thought so at one time.
Sometimes she felt that the House system created too high expectations for eleven year olds.
"Professor," Brianna said in her shy voice as she saw Minerva approaching, letting the lock of hair fall. She sounded worried.
"Miss Tarbeck," Minerva replied. She tried to keep her voice stern, but not so stern that it would frighten the girl. "Did you wish to speak to me?" The girl looked at her feet. This was one of the moments when Minerva didn't like the students fearing her.
"If you have the time," the girl replied meekly.
"I have some time," Minerva said, more kindly than before. This made the girl look less apprehensive, which was always a good thing. "However, I do need to get do something else, so it can't be too long. I'm sure you understand, as I will be visiting the house of a Muggle-born child." Brianna smiled.
"Oh, yes," she said happily. "I understand."
"Shall we?" Minerva asked, pushing open the door to the repaired office.
When the two entered the room, Minerva motioned for Brianna to sit in the chair opposite her own desk. Minerva soon sat down. She said nothing for some time, believing that it was sometimes best for the student to strike up the conversation first. However, Brianna said nothing.
"What is worrying you?" Minerva asked kindly. The girl almost reached for her hair, but thought better of it, it seemed.
"I'm worried about what will happen when I go home," Brianna replied. Minerva was instantly concerned. She thought of past students who had been abused by their parents who had said the same thing. But she could not remember Brianna's parents seeming as though they would do that to her.
Not wishing to scare the girl, Minerva said simply, "Why is that?"
"Well, You-Know-Who is back," Brianna said in a whisper, as though the mere mention of that non-name could bring him down upon her. Not that Minerva could blame her. "I'm worried that if I tell Mum and Dad, they won't let me come back." Minerva wanted to sigh in relief, but did not want to seem as though she wasn't taking her seriously.
"I see," she replied slowly. "Yes, He Who Must Not Be Named is back, and has been for a year now. But you are safer here than you would be at home, I assure you."
"Well … I know that," Brianna said slowly. "But my parents don't. They will only see him and nothing else. They'll pull me out for sure."
"If that happens, there is nothing that I can do if he chooses to withdraw you, unfortunately," Minerva said, wishing she could say something different, especially after seeing the look on her face. "However, I am planning to write a letter to the parents of all Muggle-born students outlining the aspects of his return, and what it means. You can rest assured that I will be imploring parents to keep their children at Hogwarts. I will ensure that this castle is the safest place possible."
This had been her own plan a year prior. However the Ministry had put an end to it when they found out. At the time, they were fervently denying the re-emergence of He Who Must Not Be Named. Now, they seemed to be on board. In fact, Cornelius Fudge requested it himself. Bizarrely, he had not attempted to take credit for the idea, as Minerva had expected he would do. He actually credited her. It had come as something of a shock.
"But what if they don't care?" Brianna said, her face distraught. Minerva's heart went out to the girl, but knew there was not much that she could do. "What if they pull me out? Or makes me give up magic entirely?" Before she could say anything else, Minerva cut her off.
"If they do, I will personally pay them a visit," she said quickly. This had not been a part of the original idea, but Pomona Sprout had suggested it earlier in the day. In retrospect, Minerva was not surprised. The majority of Muggle-borns seemed to be sorted into Hufflepuff upon arrival at Hogwarts, so Pomona had a very good reason to want them to remain at the school. "I will try to convince them to allow you to continue to attend. If, after that, they are still intent on pulling you out, there is nothing I can do." Brianna sniffed.
"I guess that's okay," she said with a smile. "I hope they listen. I'm sure the others will be happy about this as well."
"Others?" Minerva asked, perplexed.
"I was chosen to come to you by some of the First Year Muggle-borns," she replied. "All of the Gryffindors and some Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws we know. We were all worried. So are some of the older kids, but they don't want to bring it to you." Minerva was taken aback, not because Muggle-born students were concerned about their future at Hogwarts, but that they had all seemingly banded together.
Towards the end of the last war, the Muggle-born attendance had dramatically decreased to the point that there were more not attending Hogwarts than were actually attending. Although, if truth be told, the general attendance had fallen dramatically since the rise of He Who Must Not Be Named, but the Muggle-borns were hit the most. After the war, the Ministry extended an offer to the Muggle-borns who had pulled out of Hogwarts to continue study, either at Hogwarts itself or at the Ministry. Most had taken up the offer, which Minerva had been very pleased about.
Perhaps it was just the thought that only one Muggle-born student, a little First Year girl, felt brave enough to ask her questions about it, but she was growing more and more concerned about how they were all dealing with both the recent events and how their parents would react when they got back to their homes. She resolved to make an announcement at the next meal she attended so as to try and alleviate some of the stress and fears of the students.
"Ah," she said after a few moments. "Well, it was good of you to do this for your friends. But tell them all the next time you see them that they can feel free to come to me with issues as important as these. Muggle-born students are of the highest priority here at Hogwarts."
"I will, Professor," Brianna said, with a large, bright smile. "Thank you so much."
"It was no problem," Minerva replied with a small smile of her own. She gave out smiles so rarely that it might encourage the girl more. She was pleased to have made the girl a little happier. She only hoped that, through the retelling, her words could help some of the others. She had no doubt that word would spread quickly. That was the way of Hogwarts, for better or for worse.
When Brianna left her office, Minerva placed a locking spell on the door and turned to where she kept the list of students to be attending the school the following year. While it was warded against entry, she and Albus could both access it. When she had hold of it, she put it on her desk and it flattened itself. That was one of the more useful charms on the parchment.
The names of all two hundred and fifty-three students were there in alphabetical order. Next to their names were their date of birth and address. Minerva had been noticing for the last few years that the numbers were steadily increasing. Because the amount of children with magical abilities born during the war were low, there were smaller student numbers between the late 1970's and 1991. Because of this, there was a much larger than usual percentage of Muggle-born students following the War. Since the War was over, magical people started having children again, and the population of Hogwarts rose accordingly.
However, the Muggle-born population had been rising as well, which had perplexed Minerva greatly. Albus had many theories about why this was happening. His best guess was that the number of Muggle-born children might be somehow related to the overall population count of the Wizarding populous in the area He had noted that in smaller Wizarding populations, such as in Nigeria, there were also fewer Muggle-born children. He did not have proof to back it up, however, and decided not to pursue the thoughts further when the population evened out again.
The list itself was also charmed so as to make the ink flash if one of the Muggleborn children, marked with a star, turn eleven on the day. There was only one name, date of birth and address flashing on this day.
Mark Evans – D.O.B.: 24/06/1985 – Address: 29 Marsh Street, Little Whinging, Surrey, England. *
Minerva usually only glanced at the names before it was necessary for her to know where to find them, so she had not seen that there was another child in Little Whinging with magical powers. She assumed that they must live outside of the wards on Number 4, Privet Drive otherwise Albus would have known there was another child there.
Minerva wrote down the address and the name on a piece of parchment and slipped it in her pocket before leaving her office to go to the gates of Hogwarts.
