Can also be found here, in Minerva Moon's account :
http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=29461
So, here is the first really co-written chapter !… Enjoy !… and please, review, I'm sure you've got loads of very interesting things to say, haven't you ? You wouldn't deprive us of it by not sharing your thoughts ? Would you ?
2. Another year !
I Forward to the Past
Minerva settled
into a ride in the world of imagination. She was going back. Way back. How many
years ago was this ? If her memory served her correctly (which it USUALLY did),
it was about 20 years ago; a score, give or take a few years. She was now in
the era of peace and love; the time of the space race between the Russians and
the Americans; A period where the Beatles dominated the earth. Yes, this was
where she belonged.
The transporting back was a rocky journey . . . how hard it was to recall
thoughts this far in the past! But soon, her path cleared, and a wave of
memories came rushing into the central thinking spot in her brain. Early snow .
. . now Minerva remembered where she had heard it before. Full realization
dawned on her.
Let's not rush through it, she told herself. Start at the beginning, Minerva.
The beginning. Good.
So Minerva, sinking back into the plush ness of her
chair, began to remember.
II A Quick Talk and Readiness
These were the
days that she loved. A sprightly woman at 30, but just as strict. She had a
figure she could boast, and was a favourite among seventh years at Hogwarts.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. How Minerva loved that name. Muggle
born, and often the outcast among her peers, she was ever so glad to learn she
was a witch. At the of 11, Minerva promised herself that she would, one day,
become a professor at Hogwarts. And here she was, at the peak of her teaching
years.
Minerva was, at the beginning of this memory, getting ready for the official
start of the new school year, which was to begin in about one hour, at the
opening feast. Her first Ceremony as Deputy Headmistress, in fact. She was now
applying make-up to her ivory face in the bathroom adjoining her office. Her
shimmering black hair was already up in a bun, which was a style she was trying
out. Her long, velvet robes were a glimmering mix of purple and magenta tones,
which contrasted against her dreary black cloak. Minerva was one want to stand
out in a crowd.
She heard a sharp rapping on the door of her office. She called out, "Come
in!" to the empty room, hoping her voice would carry to the guest. It must
have, because a few moments later a man appeared in her doorway. He seemed to
be blazing with energy, even though he was standing still. His cheery
light-blue eyes seemed to brighten up the entire room; the entire school. His
face was sprouting a beard, which fit his looks well. Minerva's face broke into
a smile.
"Albus !" she exclaimed. "How good it is to see you again."
"Same to you, my dear," Albus replied, his eyes glittering. "And
you look as beautiful as ever. Why bother with these cosmetics?" Minerva
flushed.
"Well, I . . umm . . ." she started hesitatingly.
"No need to explain. I know you're still just a teenager in spirit!"
Minerva grinned. "That's just about it. Oh, I remember when you were still
'Professor Dumbledore', and I was afraid of being sent to your office for
fooling around in divination . . ."
"Yes. But I understood that it wasn't your best subject," Dumbledore
responded. "You were very spunky, even for a Gryffindor. Still, that
doesn't excuse that time you tried to hex Susanna with an itching spell . .
."
"Professor Vinetava was trying to make me see something in that dumb
crystal," she mumbled. "It's impossible! What kind of weirdo can
actually see anything in that ball of haze?"
"Impossible as it may seem . . . Ah, never mind." Albus knew he could
never win against her. "But let's get down to business. Will you be at the
front doors to lead Hagrid and the first years to the Great Hall?"
"Yes."
"And will you--"
"Get the Sorting Hat ready, monitor the kitchens, and give the school a
customary brief inspection?" Minerva said teasingly. "Yes, yes, it's
all covered."
Dumbledore's eyes again twinkled. "It seems as if you have the whole
situation under control. I'll leave you now."
Albus gave a cheery wave and turned on his heel. Minerva sighed. Albus and she
were so close, like brother and sister. She loved him... that way, and no
other. Maybe someday, sometime, a special person would come into her life. But
for the time being, she considered herself single and free.
Anyway, there was work to do, and she'd better get going. Besides, she thought,
that idiotic new poltergeist (Peeves, was it?) might be setting fire to the
kitchens at this very moment.
How the beginning of the year could test the nerves !
III A New
Year, and Smile Secrets
By the time the
kitchen fiasco was straightened out (she had been wrong-Peeves merely glazed
the whole room with ice), it was "show time"! Minerva dashed into the
area leading to the entrance of the Great Hall, skidding and almost slipping on
the white, polished floor.
"Darned high-heels," she muttered to herself. "Whoever invented
these must have been a muggle !" Frazzled, it was the best insult she
could think of. Of course, her whole family were also Muggles, and she knew
that inside, she had nothing against them.
Noises were coming from the dining area. The second years and above must have
arrived. She only hoped that the house-elves who made the food were able to
thaw everything out all right. Otherwise, the whole school would be served
chunks of ice, and goodness knows what a disaster that would be. Minerva shook
her head. Why oh why did Albus ever agree to house a Poltergeist?
She then heard the rumbling knocks on the entrance-a towering wooden door.
Forgetting her trouble, she began in its direction. After clicking her way over
to it, Minerva grasped the heavy stone handle and pulled. She had quite
incredible strength for a woman of her build, and was able to grind the weighty
door along the hard stone floor fairly easily.
Outside, a gigantic man, dressed in a thick coat and wool pants, stood in front
of a group of about 35 terrified looking students.
"Why, hullo, Profess'r McGonagall. How'r you this even'n?" the man
commented kindly.
"Quite well, thank you," Minerva replied, involuntarily adjusting her
glasses nervously. "Please lead the first years this way, Rubeus" She
waved her hand in what seemed like a graceful manner, towards the side entrance
to the Great Hall.
Rubeus Hagrid nodded to her, then started tromping off in the direction she had
motioned to, the first years stepping along timidly behind him. A few cast
frightened looks in Minerva's direction. She nodded her head to them and
flashed a rare smile.
Smiles are only to be used scantly, she reminded herself. They are
unprofessional. A quick one, maybe, to comfort or compliment. I wouldn't get
any respect if I were always grinning at everyone... though that does seem to
work extraordinarily well with Albus !
Minerva proceeded into the Great Hall only after she had seen the last student
in. Then, she elegantly entered through the teachers' door and headed towards
her seat at the long table. Albus, as if on cue, grinned at her when he saw her
coming. Minerva groaned to herself, but did not show any outward change in
mood. Nothing could destroy her posture.
When she reached her seat next to Albus, he courteously pulled it away from the
table, still smiling at her. She knew it was all a kind of inside joke, a joke
at the formality she seemed to want to project. She gazed at him with the kind
of smile only the talented can make-using only her eyes. Albus's light blue
gems twinkled back at her, with palpable warmth.
Minerva took her seat, gazing at him in admiration. How could he do that ? He
was smiling like a mellow, softened grandfather, and still looked so
impressive...
Minerva shook her slightly to rattle herself back to
the feast, but stopped abruptly when she remembered her hair and what a bit of
wiggling could do to a style like that. "All right, breathe," she
intoned softly. It was her first year as Deputy Headmistress, and she had to
show that she could handle it. "The first years, now. Sorting, remember,
Minerva?" She then quickly glanced to the side to see if anyone had
noticed her slight unease, and sure enough, Albus was gazing at her with an
amused expression. Before he could tease, and Minerva was sure it would be something
along the lines of her seeing a muggle psychiatrist, she cleared her throat and
began the sorting ceremony.
IV Routine Scrutiny . . .
and Observation of the Unexpected.
After the ceremony was over and the excited students had settled down a
little, Minerva started to survey her fellow teachers. She glanced down the
long row of professors; first one way, then the other, as she was seated
roughly in the middle. There were a lot of new arrivals that year.
To her left, starting at the end, was the young Gamekeeper, Hagrid, who had
followed her to the teacher's table. Then she saw Professor Chimera Sprout, who
was to teach Herbology. Professor Sprout was her age ; they had gone to
Hogwarts together, and were very good friends since then, although they hadn't
been in the same house. Next came Professor Theodore Binns. He was a small,
very old man who seemed to do nothing more than sleep. Minerva stifled a giggle
as she saw that he was snoring right at the table, and Chimera was delicately
decorating his head with an assortment of small flowers and table rolls. After
placing the last bun on his head, she quickly glanced around and noticed
Minerva looking over at her. She winked, and Minerva had to cover her mouth
with her hand and turn away, so she wouldn't burst laughing.
Sitting next to the dreaming Binns was Madam Poppy Pomfrey. She was the
school's nurse, and a few years older than Minerva. Poppy was now deep in
conversation with Astra Sinistra, of Astronomy. Astra was new to the staff, and
was wringing her hands nervously as Poppy gave her tips and words of
encouragement. Beside Astra was Pr Gregory Kettleburn, of Care of Magical
creatures, still bearing burns from his holiday in East Europe, where he had
studied Dragons. His face was laced with the thin lines of
scars, giving him a rugged look. Not a very talkative one, but got along well with Rubeus.
Seated between Kettleburn and Minerva, looking interestedly at the enchanted
ceiling of the Great Hall, was Sarunia Tiraki, professor of Ancient Runes.
Sarunia was Japanese and had started teaching at Hogwarts two years earlier.
Her face held the delicate and lovely features customary to Asians, and she was
known for her sense of humour.
Minerva leaned over the table to see past Dumbledore, on her right. Next to the
headmaster sat a man she hadn't seen before, probably the new Defence against
the Dark Arts professor, she supposed. He seemed all right, she thought, as he
scanned the Students tables. Next to him sat Kathryn Calliope, for Flying
lessons and Quidditch, seemingly deeply interested in her empty plate, if you
didn't count the quick glances she often threw at her new Dark Arts colleague.
Indeed he was worth a second glance. What was his name, anyway ?
Further on, next to Kathryn, were Professors Trelawney and Vector, of
Divination and Arithmancy. They both had arrived the previous year, and were at
the moment deeply involved in a conversation from which Minerva didn't want to
know anything, really. Riana Vector was all right most of the time, but Minerva
had no patience for Sibyll Trelawney (The airhead!), nor Divination.
Professor Whatever-his-name-was had suddenly stopped observing the students,
and as he lowered his head, a lock of brown hair came in his eye, and he put it
back at its place, behind his ear. Strong and willing eyes, he had.
Minerva found, surprised, that she was a little
reluctant to continue her observations. She willed herself to, pulling her gaze
away from the unknown Professor.
At Pr Vector's right was the Muggle Studies Teacher, Aminata N'Kiobe, a black
woman with funny little braids all over her head, laughing at new little
Professor Filius Flitwick's joke. And, at the end of the table, staring at them
moodily, was the potion teacher, whose character didn't seem to have improved
since he had been moved into the dungeons. Obviously the proximity with the
Slytherins, in this part of the castle, was particularly irritating him, year
after year... Though Minerva couldn't quite blame him for that !
Albus began chatting with the new Defence Teacher... and Minerva
inadvertently found herself leaning in their direction. Not quite
eavesdropping, no… she wouldn't, but… ehem… just, for once… Peter ! She had heard it, his name
was Peter. Her eyes glinted in triumph.
"Anything just happened Minerva ?"... That was Albus. How could he
have seen that little expression in her face when he was already speaking with
someone ? Now she felt stupid. She would have to learn to not
wear her emotions on her sleeve, even when she thought no one was watching.
"Err... Nothing..." Then she realized how her thoughts had constantly
led her back to that Peter for the previous 2 minutes, and so had her stares...
Goodness, she was ridiculous, no doubt about it... "Nothing, actually,
Albus." How stupid she could be, really, daydreaming about a colleague's
eyes ! This was not how a Deputy Headmistress should act. . . Still, his eyes were undoubtedly
compelling, something between blue and green...
"Do we know each other ?" asked Peter, looking interestedly at her.
"You wouldn't have forgotten her if you did" Albus answered with a bad if at all
dissimulated grin.
Minerva realized with shock and terror that Albus had clearly noticed and
understood her expression, and apparently decided to annoy her. And he was
successful! She had to be as red as Pr Sarunia's robe by now. That new teacher
was going to think she was an immature little girl.
She tried to speak as if there was nothing going on : "Minerva
McGonagall", transfiguration Professor."
"Pleasure, Minerva. Peter Sapphire, Defence Against the Dark Art teacher. Why
haven't I seen you in the Staff room today ? I'd have noticed you if you were
there."
"Deputy Headmistress job all day", she explained.
"Oh, so you are Deputy Headmistress…" Peter offered.
"Good deduction, Professor" she said, using an almost
patronizing tone, but she was smiling.
Then she exchanged a meaningful look with Albus, who was leaning
backwards slightly so the two professors could speak, then asked for silence hitting her glass
with her spoon, and Albus proclaimed the beginning of the Feast.
***
