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Chapter 4
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For the next few weeks, Minerva approached breakfast each morning with trepidation, but they made it into December without any square envelopes appearing among the sausages and eggs.
The afternoon of 10 December found Minerva meeting in her office with her four Heads of Houses to discuss the Ministry's Yuletide Ball, which was to be held in Hogwarts' Great Hall this year. She watched as everyone tucked into the tea and biscuits she'd provided; it was the least she could do after saddling them with another meeting.
Horace was leaning back expansively in his chair at the foot of the table, a cup of honeyed tea in his hand. Pomona and Filius sat across from each other, being scrupulously polite and impersonal, as they had been ever since Lady Wandsdown's letter about them. Wilhelmina, who had only reluctantly agreed to serve as interim Head of Gryffindor, was looking as if she wished she could be outdoors with her magical creatures. She hated administration, despite being good at it.
"I think that covers everything," Minerva said at last, drawing a line through the final item on her agenda.
"Good," said Pomona. She rubbed her temples tiredly. "I understand why Kingsley wants the ball to be in the castle - - a tangible symbol of rebuilding and renewal and all that. But Merlin, it's stress and work we don't need right now."
"Well, at least the Ministry is handling most of the planning and logistics," Horace reminded her.
"Key word there is 'most,'" observed Wilhelmina. "Still plenty for us to do."
"There certainly is," Minerva agreed, "and you know how much I appreciate all the staff pitching in." She took up the to-do lists that her automatic quill had finished copying and handed one to each professor. "I'll consider it a win if we can just get through the whole business without any further nonsense from Lady Wandsdown."
"Almost three weeks now with no sign of her," said Filius. "I'm hopeful that we've heard the last."
The staff all rose and headed for the revolving stone staircase, Horace nicking another few biscuits as he left. Minerva shut the door behind them gratefully and went to her desk.
"Excellent delegating skills, my dear," said Albus's portrait.
She looked at him with no little irony. "Indeed. I learnt from a master. But unlike you in your headmaster's days, I've kept a few tasks for myself."
"Well, you're so good at them," said Albus unrepentantly and then rather hastily changed the subject. "I have to agree with Filius, though - - I truly do believe we are finished with Lady Wandsdown."
No sooner had the words left his painted mouth than a square envelope suddenly appeared on Minerva's desk.
They stared at it.
"You were saying, Albus?" Minerva queried dryly.
"Oh, dear. At any rate, at least this time you don't have to read it in front of the entire staff. That's a plus, surely?"
Minerva pursed her lips and reached for the envelope as gingerly as if it had been a Howler.
"Best get it over with," she said.
LADY WANDSDOWN'S STAFF PAPERS
10 December 1998
Extraordinary Magical People, Extraordinary Magical News
The spirit of Yuletide is abroad, my darling readers - - Lady Wandsdown's favourite time of the year, for she does so love to play Mother Christmas. That's correct, my dears: I come bearing another gift for you, yet another secret to bring into the healthy, shining light of love and fellowship and good cheer with which the Yuletide surrounds us.
This time, it is not unrequited love of which I will speak, but of a full, ripe love that has lasted many years now. Two of Hogwarts' most esteemed professors have found in each other a soul-mate, tried and true.
Ah, you are saying to yourselves, a happy story of consummation at last! Thank you, Lady Wandsdown!
But no. Here is the sorrow of this relationship, mes chers: these two lovers, despite having so long ensnared each other's senses, have to live publicly as though they are nearly strangers. They cannot exhibit their deep love freely and openly. . .for they are two women.
Two women who are very well known to you: our beloved headmistress and
"My god," said Minerva, letting the letter fall from her fingers.
Albus looked at her with concern. "Beldy!" he called. "A brandy for the headmistress, please."
"I'm fine," Minerva said rather irritably, but she took a large swallow of the brandy when it arrived."Listen to this."
She took up the parchment again and read aloud: "They cannot exhibit their deep love freely and openly. . .for they are two women. Two women who are very well known to you: our beloved headmistress and her beloved, the stalwart and sturdy Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank. They seem so confident and in control, our leader and her paramour, yet their brave faces conceal endless heart-break."
She rose and began to pace angrily about the office.
"I'm so sorry, my dear," said Albus. "We shouldn't be surprised, really; I suppose it was only a matter of time until our letter-writer turned her attention to the headmistress's love life."
"And yet it doesn't make sense, Albus!" Minerva stopped in front of his portrait, rapping the offending parchment sharply against his frame. "You're right that we could expect me to be a target sooner or later, but why this particular so-called 'secret'? Most of the staff already know about Willa and me. Oh, I suppose it's vaguely possible that Orrin Podmore hasn't yet heard, but staff gossip being what it is, I've no doubt he's as in-the-know as everyone else by now."
"Good point." Albus frowned. "Minerva, are we certain that the Hogwarts staff are the only people on Lady Wandsdown's mailing list?"
As if on cue, the fireplace flared green and an official-sounding voice said, "The Minister of Magic requests a meeting with the Head of Hogwarts. If the present time is not convenient, an appointment can be sched - - "
"Send the minister through," Minerva broke in, giving Albus a resigned glance.
Seconds later, Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped out of the fireplace, brushing bits of ash off his blue-and-silver robes and shaking his handsome dark head. "One of these days I'll update that ridiculous bureaucratic announcement," he said, laughing. "Minerva, how are you?"
She was in no mood for pleasantries. "Just fine, Minister," she said shortly, motioning him to a seat. "What can I do for you?"
"Well. . ." The look of wary indecision on his face was unusual for Kingsley, and Minerva wasn't surprised to see him remove Lady Wandsdown's recent letter from his pocket.
"Good god, Kingsley," she groaned. "Please don't tell me that the entire Wizengamot has received one."
"No," he replied. "As far as I know, besides me, only two others did: Griselda Marchbanks - you know she's taken Dumbledore's old position as Chief Warlock. . .well, Chief Witch now, and Arthur Weasley as the new head of the Hogwarts Board of Governors."
"All three of them solidly in your corner, Minerva," called Albus cheerfully.
"Oh, definitely," said Kingsley. "And we're all three also solidly confused. Who on earth is Lady Wandsdown?"
Minerva briefly explained the story, ending with, "The letter you received is the fourth one. And we're still no closer to identifying the writer."
"I see," Kingsley frowned. He held up the parchment. "So. I have to ask. Is this Lady Whoever. . .correct?"
"About my relationship with Wilhelmina Grubby-Plank? Yes. The rest of it is all rot."
"Not all rot, surely," said Kingsley. He searched for a passage and read aloud, "'I tell this sad yet lovely tale of the headmistress's love, not to embarrass her, but to free her - - and to free the wizarding world at large. We have been backward long enough; it is high time that we embrace and celebrate our many sexual differences instead of hiding them."' I wouldn't call that 'rot,' would you?"
Minerva barely refrained from rolling her eyes. "It sounds fine in theory, but that's not the world we live in, as Lady Wandsdown probably well knows. I'm certain her true goal is to discredit me, and she may well succeed."
"I don't think she will," said Kingsley.
"Come now, Minister. Are you seriously suggesting that Voldemort's defeat has changed things so much that you'll hear no objections to a lesbian headmistress of Hogwarts?"
"Oh, there will be some outcry, no doubt," Kingsley agreed. "But attitudes are changing, and as Albus says, the senior ministry officials are all your strong supporters. Your job will not be in jeopardy."
"You say so now, but what happens when parents start to remove their children and half the Board of Governors agrees with them?"
"We'll deal with it. There may be a bit of a battle, it's true, but - - " and he flashed her his warm smile - - "we've faced worse. I seem to remember duelling side-by-side with you against a certain dark lord. Anyway, it's about time our world moved into the modern age, and who better to model . . .what is the term? Oh, yes . . . 'alternative sexualities' for young people than the head of Hogwarts? Someone in a position of power and respectability. Think of the role model you'll be."
"Oh, do be serious."
"I am being serious," he said. "You could do a lot of good along those lines, Minerva. It's worth thinking over."
He smiled again and got to his feet. "But for now, we'll just wait and see what happens, if anything. We may hear nothing further. I know Griselda and Arthur and I won't say a word if you don't want us to. Who else knows?"
"The Hogwarts staff. But we all use a privacy charm; Filius devised it. People can share gossip freely with other staffers - - and trust me, they do. But not with outsiders."
"Excellent." Kingsley took a handful of floo powder from the jar on the mantel. "Well, we're probably safe. Even if word gets out, I don't think you'll face as much opposition as you fear."
"Perhaps," said Minerva.
He turned to face her, his eyes earnest. "But if we do, remember, the Ministry stands with you. You and I are fighters, Minerva. If there's a fight to be had, we'll fight."
With one more smile, he tossed his floo powder and was gone, sparing Minerva the need to reply.
Which was good, because she didn't think he'd have liked her response. She might have explained that fighting Voldemort had been different - - he'd been a general existential menace, a danger to everyone equally. Defeating him had been a duty they'd all shared.
But this new threat was individual, personal in a targeted and intimate way that the "dark lord" had not been. Now, her only duty was to herself and Willa.
And this fight might not be one she'd care to subject them to.