Title: Minerva's Unexpected Quest
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To Beth5572: Thanks for your review.
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To notwritten: Thanks for your review.
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Chapter 21: Silent Christmas
Things in the Slytherin Common Room weren't the same with Alice in the hospital wing. Minerva really wasn't into the Christmas mood without her friend and even Kero-chan couldn't cheer her up.
"She'll be back soon," Kero-chan said, trying to cheer her up.
"I know but it isn't the same without her," Minerva said.
Minerva visited Alice several times a week and when Christmas came around Minerva went and delivered Alice's presents. Minerva, herself, had gotten a sweater and table from her grandparents, a book about Clow Reed and some items that would work even at Hogwarts from her father, and a box of candy from her Godmother. Now she could make her lunch without having to eat the horrible English food.
"Soon we'll be eating rice balls and stuffed squid," Minerva told Kero-chan.
"Oh yeah," Kero-chan said, sounding delighted and so was Minerva.
That night Minerva went down for the Christmas Feast. True to what Alice said the Headmistress was there and she smiled at Minerva as she sat down. The turkey was good and so was everything else but she jumped with one of the other students that was staying.
"It's just a cracker," she said. "Gods, sometimes you act like a Mudblood."
"Shut it," Minerva snapped.
After that all Minerva wanted to do was leave and never see that girl again. Finishing her dessert she got up and headed back to the Slytherin Common Room. As she walked she thought about what that girl had said. How dare she use the M word around her? Everyone knew that Minerva hated that word and so they didn't mention it. Suddenly her thoughts were cut off by the presence of a Hermione Card.
"Oh great, I don't have Kero-chan with me," Minerva moaned.
She knew that she had to get him but first Minerva wanted to see which card it was and so she followed her senses.
Her senses led her to the hospital wing where everything was silent. Alice was sound asleep and Minerva crept past her and looked around. She found a painting that was giving off strange sensation and Minerva saw the face of a woman in the frame.
"What in the world are you?" Minerva whispered.
The image didn't move and so Minerva knew that it didn't belong there.
"Minerva, there you-."
Minerva didn't hear the rest of her sentence because the woman moved her hand and a sudden silence came over everything. Soon both Minerva and Alice were outside the hospital wing.
"What in the world happened there?" Minerva asked.
"I don't know," Alice answered. "And I want to go back to bed."
"Stay here and I'll see if I can figure this out," Minerva told her and then went back in.
Minerva crept slowly and when she was just about to reach the painting she hit something and the image once again sent her outside the hospital wing, next to Alice.
"How did you get back here?" Alice asked.
"I don't know but it looks like it like silence," Minerva told her. "Let me go back inside and I'll figure out how to capture it without making any noise."
She walked back inside and made sure that she didn't knock anything over. At once she noticed a window that allowed people to see inside the wing. The window was right in-front of the picture. She crept back to Alice and closed the door.
"There's a window in-front of the painting," Minerva told her. "I'll use the Shadow Card to create a shadow of myself and then capture it."
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Alice said.
Minerva took her key out and said, "By the Key of the Sun and Of the Moon, Ancient Forces burning bright, bring forth the staff and shine your light. Release!" The key changed into the long staff and Minerva locked into place when she touched it.
"Shadow Card," Minerva called out, bringing the Shadow Card out. "Use my shadow to overcome Silent. Shadow Card, release and dispel."
She brought the staff up and the Shadow Card glowed and then came out. Minerva saw her shadow rising and she knew it was time.
"I command you to return to your power confinement…CLOW CARD."
Minerva watched as the shape of a card appeared and Shadow was sucked inside. It floated through the window and she caught it.
"Thank the Gods that's over," Alice said.
"Me too," Minerva said. "Now it's time for bed."
"Thanks," Alice said and Minerva led her back to her bed.
Only after Alice was in bed did she read what card it was.
"The Silent Card, no wonder it hated noise," she said and then signed her name.
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A/N: Another card captured. Next up: Dreams