For the Prompt of the Day Challenge - Golden Snitch (prompt: badger)
21st July 1969
"Happy Birthday!" said Minerva, closing the door of the greenhouse behind her and walking up to Pomona who was busy chopping some venomous tentacula leaves.
Pomona dropped the shears she was using and spun around, her face pale in the sunlight glasshouse, "Goodness, Minerva don't creep up on me like that!" she said, hand on her chest.
"Sorry," apologised Minerva, scooping up the dropped gardening scissors from the floor with one hand and handing them back to Pomona, "I didn't mean to frighten you," she said.
"It's fine," shrugged Pomona, setting down the shears on the counter the venomous tentacula was on and taking a seat, "I wasn't expecting to see you today."
"Albus wrote to me a few days ago asking if I could go and give someone their Hogwarts letter. I need to go tomorrow so I came back early," answered Minerva, "And I didn't want to miss your birthday again," she added, smiling warmly, "Happy birthday, Pomona!" she repeated, extracting a package from behind her back and offering it to Pomona.
"Oh Minerva you didn't have to," admonished Pomona however, she was smiling widely and took the package anyway.
"Of course I did. I missed your birthday last year and the year before whereas you have never missed any of my birthdays, even when you finished school you still sent me birthday cards," stressed Minerva, pulling out another stool and sitting on it, "Besides, I saw this in Caithness and thought you would like it," admitted Minerva, pointing at the package which was now on Pomona's lap.
"Ooh, I'm excited now," chuckled Pomona, starting to unwrap the package, which contained two small presents, "Oh!" Pomona burst out laughing and held up the small cookery book Minerva had given her, "Minerva McGonagall, are you saying that my cooking is bad?" she asked, pretending to sound offended.
"Pomona, I'm sorry but we both know that your cooking is awful," replied Minerva, clearly remembering the blue soup (which was not meant to be blue) her friend had made for them a few weeks ago, "Although, the fruit punch you make is very good," admitted Minerva, chuckling.
"That soup may have been blue but it tasted far better than the previous one I made," stated Pomona, trying to keep a straight face but failing, "Thank you for the book though. Richard will thank you, I'm sure – he's had to live with my dreadful cooking for fifteen years, I am surprised he still lets me cook at all."
"It is my mother's favourite cook book, so I hope you will like it too," explained Minerva.
"I like anything which means I won't serve blue soup to my husband and friend anymore," answered Pomona, turning around just in time to move the venomous tentaculas away from Minerva and herself as the leaves were trying to slowly creep over their shoulders.
"You were right though, it was not too bad, to be honest. Although I am not too sure how you managed to make it blue…" Minerva broke off and stared into space for a while, as though she was trying to figure out how an onion soup could have become blue.
"I can't tell you either," admitted the Herbology professor, "Oh and look, oh how sweet," beamed Pomona, extracting new cutting tools, new earmuffs and gloves with a small badger drawing on each one of them, "Thank you, Minerva," said Pomona sincerely, leaning forward and giving her friend a quick hug.
Minerva smiled and helped Pomona, move the venomous tentacula away from them again and move the presents onto the table where they were less likely to be ripped to pieces by a plant.
"Can you stay for longer or do you need to leave soon?" asked Pomona, frowning and sitting back down on her stool.
"I need to meet Albus at two o'clock so I have three hours until I have to go," answered Minerva.
"Great!" exclaimed Pomona happily, "You can help me with the puff pods if you want?"
"I'd love to but I am dreadful with plants, like my mother. I have never managed to keep a plant alive for more than a week," Minerva confessed, "I don't want to kill any of your plants because you have worked so hard to keep them in good condition for the new students next year."
"You did well in your Herbology O.W.L though?" asked Pomona, frowning whilst putting on her new yellow gardening gloves with a Hufflepuff badger on the back of it.
"I did well in the written exam but not so well in the practical," answered Minerva.
"Hm. Well, that's all right, you can pass me my tools instead."
"Okay. Do you need anything?" asked Minerva, raising her eyebrows up at Pomona.
"Shears, please," said Pomona, one hand outstretched and the other gripping the venomous tentacula stalks tightly together.
"Come in," called Albus from inside his office.
Minerva opened the door and walked through, "Hello, Albus, you asked to see me."
"Ah, yes," answered Albus, moving aside the paper he had been writing on and placing it on a large pile of parchment, "Take a seat, Minerva."
Minerva frowned but took a seat anyway. Dumbledore looked tired, strained even. His skin looked a little grey and there were bags under his eyes, which seemed a little duller compared to their usual dazzling blue.
"We have a new student coming to Hogwarts this year and as Deputy Headmistress I need to discuss a few things with you first," started Dumbledore, his expression grave.
"Is there anything wrong?" she asked, thinking of what possibly could be so important with a student that Albus had to call her in during the holidays looking so grave and serious.
"The student will still be able to come to Hogwarts, however, we need to make a few changes," answered Dumbledore vaguely.
Minerva frowned, confused, "What changes and who is the student?"
"The student is Lyall Lupin's son," stated Dumbledore, " Remus Lupin is a werewolf -"
Minerva put a hand to her mouth. "The one Fenrir Greyback…"
"Yes," said Dumbledore, however, before Minerva could say anything else he said, "However, although he is a werewolf he is also a wizard and therefore has the right to come to Hogwarts," continued Albus calmly.
"Of course he does, Albus but what are we going to do when he transforms?" asked Minerva, trying to think of ways of allowing the boy to transform without endangering the lives of other students.
"We need to find a place he can go to every full moon however, he must not be able to escape," answered Dumbledore, his eyes drifting and Minerva was sure that he too was trying to think of a place as well.
For a while they sat in silence, each of them thinking hard about an area or a room.
"The Forbidden Forest?" suggested Minerva, however, she instantly didn't like the idea. Remus was only a first year, he would still be a small wolf and not a fully developed one meaning he would be vulnerable in the forest with all of the other beasts in there.
"We still have many students who go to the Forbidden Forest during the evenings. We do not want one of them to cross Remus by mistake," replied Dumbledore firmly.
Minerva sighed and they fell back into a silence, however, not as long as the last one.
"The Shrieking Shack!" exclaimed Minerva suddenly. Dumbledore didn't answer but merely looked at her, eyebrow arched. Minerva continued, "Nobody goes in there because the roof could cave in at any moment and nobody has ever tried to fix it and it is away enough from the school and from Hogsmeade!"
Dumbledore, nodded slowly, "Hm…" he said then, "Hm…" again.
"He would be able to escape though, and the entrance to the Shrieking Shack is far away from the school. How would we get him there on time?"
"We will create another passage to the Shrieking Shack and we will close off the other one. We will have to be able to seal and unseal the second passage but we will think about that later…"
Minerva nodded, "I could ask Filius and Pomona this afternoon?"
Dumbledore shook his head, "No, no I think we should discuss this during the staff meeting on Friday. Then we can discuss this with everybody at the same time."
Minerva nodded again, "Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?"
"Yes." Minerva frowned. "Did you ever hear of the Death Eaters during your time at the Ministry?" asked Dumbledore, looking intensely into his deputy's eyes.
Minerva thought for a moment or two before shaking her head, "No. Only the Knights of Walpurgis."
"Hm," Dumbledore nodded slowly then, shaking his head he stood up abruptly, "I am going to leave for a few hours but I will be back for dinner. We will discuss more of Remus Lupin's situation on Friday but until then, good day my dear, I'll see you at dinner."
Minerva's frowned deepened, confused at Dumbledore's abrupt manner, "All right. See you at dinner then Albus," she said, frowning before making her way out of his office feeling considerably more confused and concerned than she had been when she had first entered.
Okay, I forgot to update my story last week (sorry about that), I was a bit stuck on ideas. I have been stressing so much because I get my GCSE results tomorrow, wish me luck. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I have another one ready for next week. Have a great day! :)