Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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CHAPTER 22

(Summer 1996)

Albus Dumbledore sighed, steeled himself, then knocked on the door to Minerva McGonagall's room in St. Mungo's Hospital.

"Albus!" Daniel—disguised by Polyjuice potion to look like Minerva's father, Robert McGonagall—smiled and drew him into the room.

"You know, darling," Minerva's mother, Isobel, whispered to her from where she was seated at her bedside, "I'm starting to get used to your father with a cheerful disposition and a ready smile. I'm afraid it's going to be rather strange to go back to the very serious and stern-faced version of your father that I'm actually married to."

"Ha—oh!" Minerva clutched at her chest. "Don't make me laugh, mother!"

"Isobel," Dumbledore bowed over her hand. "Lovely to see you again."

"And you." Isobel replied with a smile and a slight blush at his gallantry.

"Minerva, my dear," Dumbledore took her hand and kissed it.

"Don't 'my dear' me, Albus Dumbledore!" Minerva hissed. "What were you thinking enabling Daniel to come here?!"

"Now, wait, Emmie." Daniel stepped over to the other side of the bed and taking her hand. "You know I insisted on coming. It was the right thing to do, for both of us. We both needed for me to be here. At your side. Where I belong."

He kissed her forehead, and she acquiesced with a sigh.

Dumbledore smiled his thanks at Daniel then turned to Minerva.

"How is your recovery progressing?"

"As well as can be expected," she grumbled, "Though I wish we could speed things up. You know how I feel about hospitals, Albus."

"Indeed, I do, my dear." He smiled, but Minerva noticed that the smile didn't reach his eyes, and the ever-present twinkle was gone.

"Albus…" she said, suddenly suspicious. "What has happened? Has that terrible woman sacked someone else? Set out another ridiculously tyrannical decree?"

"No, my dear," Albus assured her while conjuring a comfortable chintz armchair beside her bed. "In fact, Dolores Umbridge has been spending some well-deserved time in the Forbidden Forest."

"I beg your pardon?" The idea was so bizarre that Minerva couldn't be sure she'd heard him correctly. "In the forest?"

"Yes," the twinkle momentarily returned to Dumbledore's eyes. "With the centaurs."

Minerva's jaw dropped. "Albus, what are you saying? The woman is utterly and completely prejudiced. Why would she—"

"I'm told," Dumbledore continued with amusement, "That she was quite swept off her feet!"

"Obviously, I'm missing some key details." Minerva mused. Then another thought occurred to her.

"Albus, you shouldn't be sneaking in here! What if someone sees you and alerts the ministry?"

"Not to worry!" he assured her. "I've been cleared of all charges and reinstated as Headmaster."

"What? How?" she was confused, she didn't feel well, and her patience was very low.

"Albus, kindly tell me what has been going on before I decide to crawl out of this bed and go searching for answers myself!" she insisted.

Daniel placed a large, calming hand on her shoulder, and she slowly steadied her painful breathing.

"Minerva, I will do my best to inform you about what has happened in the past several hours," Dumbledore reached for her hand again. "But you must, in turn, do your best to remain calm and not to overexcite yourself. We don't want any set-backs to your recovery. I want my Deputy and Transfiguration Mistress back at Hogwarts, and I'm sure your family wants you back at home."

Minerva was filled with a sense of foreboding.

"Agreed." Her voice trembled. "But first, Albus, just tell me. Is Harry alright? Are the students alright?"

"They are…" Dumbledore hesitated. "…physically sound, for the most part. No irreparable damage done."

He sighed. "Emotionally, however…they'll need some time to heal—especially Harry."

He looked down at her hand resting in his, remembering Harry's anger and grief and the destruction of his office. He felt keenly the responsibility for his mistakes.

Minerva saw a tear slide slowly down his cheek and disappear into his beard.

"Albus," she whispered. "Please, tell me!"

He let out a shaky sigh and finally let his eyes meet hers.

"Sirius Black is dead."

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AN: Sorry if there are errors. My two youngest kids are literally hanging on me while I'm trying to proofread and post this. *sigh*

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