Disclaimer: J.R. Rowling!
Author's note: Please, please review, I love reviews and tell me what you think! Be honest, please! Thank you!
Hundreds of students filled the great hall, as every year, when a new school year started. Harry, Hermione and Ron greeted their friends warmly and took their places at the Gryffindor table. "Hey, where's Dumbledore?" Ron was the first one to notice the empty seat at the teacher's table. "No idea." Harry answered, his stomach making strange noises because of his hunger. "but I sure hope he won't be too late, I am starving. Professor McGonagall and the first year students should arrive soon."
Indeed the big doors to the hall opened and revealed a stern looking Professor McGonagall who was leading a long line of nervous looking first year students. Instead of beginning the sorting ceremony, McGonagall stopped dead in her tracks, when she saw that Dumbledore's seat was empty. She glanced at the other teachers, who simply shrugged.
The doors to the hall opened once more, but it wasn't Dumbledore who stepped through them, it was Cornelius Fudge, the minister of magic. Harry and his two best friends instantly noticed the serious look on his face, as did McGonagall. She went up to the teacher's table and took her seat, leaving the first year's standing lost in the middle of the hall.
Cornelius Fudge stood in front of the hall now, no sound could be heard, everyone was anxious to know what had happened. Finally Fudge began to speak: "I regret to inform you all, that Albus Dumbledore is no longer with us." The hall kept quiet, everyone being to shocked to say a word. Harry, not wanting to hear, what Fudge had said, glanced at Minerva McGonagall. The professor's eyes where wide with shock as she got up from her chair: "What are you trying to tell us?" Of course she knew, but she wanted to hear the words, she needed to hear the words.
Fudge looked uncomfortably down at his feed: "Albus Dumbledore died this morning. It was a peaceful death, he died while being asleep." Still no sound could be heard, not until a young girl from the Ravenclaw table started to sob. It was like someone had given them all the permission to cry. Suddenly everyone had tears in their eyes or at least was comforting friends. Harry was sixteen years old and by no means embarrassed to cry, Dumbledore had been like a father to him, had always cared for him and listened to his worries. What would Hogwarts do without him?
Through the whole time Minerva stood motionless in front of Cornelius Fudge. He didn't look into her eyes, which were filled with tears. When she felt them spilling, she stormed out of the hall. No student should see her tears, no teacher should see her tears, no one should see her tears. She ran outside, stopping for a moment and then changing her form into the one of cat. On silent paws she fled into the night, away from Hogwarts, away from her pain, even though she knew this would change nothing. Albus was gone and there was no way she was able to change this…
***
When she returned three hours later she felt guilty. She had let her students down when they had needed her most. She had run away like a child not wanting to face her problems and her sorrow, but she was back now, determined to be there for her students now, determined to keep up Albus' work. The corridors were empty. The students had been sent to their common rooms, the teachers were dealing with the news their own way. Minerva strode through Hogwart's halls. No sound could be heard…… no sound….no sound! Minerva began to walk faster and finally she was almost running. Why hadn't she noticed it before? "Gigglegirl" A small smile hurried over her face, Albus had always thought of the most silly passwords. She stormed into his office and her view fell on Fawkes. The phoenix looked at her with big, sad eyes, but he didn't make a sound. Nothing! Minerva felt a smile spread over her face. A Phoenix sang a mourning song should his owner die, for one whole week. She had read about it, the phoenix' song was incredibly loud and sad. Everyone who had known the phoenix' owner should know about his death, but Fawkes didn't sing, he was silent. Minerva sat down in Dumbledore's old seat. She thought about the circumstances of Dumbledore's death. The more she thought about it the more strange it got. She had only called him yesterday and he had by no means seemed ill or exhausted, no, he had seemed full of ideas and hadn't he said something about a big change? Yes, he wanted to tell her today, something about a big secret that would change everything. And why wasn't she informed first? She was the deputy headmistress, someone would have told her about Dumbledore's death long before the sorting ceremony. If Dumbledore had felt his death coming close he would have informed her to prepare her, she had been his closest friend after all. And what did Fudge do in Hogwarts? What had really happened to Albus? Questions over questions. Minerva closed her eyes, she had to sort her thoughts and most importantly she had to find out whom she could trust…
Author's note: Please, please review, I love reviews and tell me what you think! Be honest, please! Thank you!
Hundreds of students filled the great hall, as every year, when a new school year started. Harry, Hermione and Ron greeted their friends warmly and took their places at the Gryffindor table. "Hey, where's Dumbledore?" Ron was the first one to notice the empty seat at the teacher's table. "No idea." Harry answered, his stomach making strange noises because of his hunger. "but I sure hope he won't be too late, I am starving. Professor McGonagall and the first year students should arrive soon."
Indeed the big doors to the hall opened and revealed a stern looking Professor McGonagall who was leading a long line of nervous looking first year students. Instead of beginning the sorting ceremony, McGonagall stopped dead in her tracks, when she saw that Dumbledore's seat was empty. She glanced at the other teachers, who simply shrugged.
The doors to the hall opened once more, but it wasn't Dumbledore who stepped through them, it was Cornelius Fudge, the minister of magic. Harry and his two best friends instantly noticed the serious look on his face, as did McGonagall. She went up to the teacher's table and took her seat, leaving the first year's standing lost in the middle of the hall.
Cornelius Fudge stood in front of the hall now, no sound could be heard, everyone was anxious to know what had happened. Finally Fudge began to speak: "I regret to inform you all, that Albus Dumbledore is no longer with us." The hall kept quiet, everyone being to shocked to say a word. Harry, not wanting to hear, what Fudge had said, glanced at Minerva McGonagall. The professor's eyes where wide with shock as she got up from her chair: "What are you trying to tell us?" Of course she knew, but she wanted to hear the words, she needed to hear the words.
Fudge looked uncomfortably down at his feed: "Albus Dumbledore died this morning. It was a peaceful death, he died while being asleep." Still no sound could be heard, not until a young girl from the Ravenclaw table started to sob. It was like someone had given them all the permission to cry. Suddenly everyone had tears in their eyes or at least was comforting friends. Harry was sixteen years old and by no means embarrassed to cry, Dumbledore had been like a father to him, had always cared for him and listened to his worries. What would Hogwarts do without him?
Through the whole time Minerva stood motionless in front of Cornelius Fudge. He didn't look into her eyes, which were filled with tears. When she felt them spilling, she stormed out of the hall. No student should see her tears, no teacher should see her tears, no one should see her tears. She ran outside, stopping for a moment and then changing her form into the one of cat. On silent paws she fled into the night, away from Hogwarts, away from her pain, even though she knew this would change nothing. Albus was gone and there was no way she was able to change this…
***
When she returned three hours later she felt guilty. She had let her students down when they had needed her most. She had run away like a child not wanting to face her problems and her sorrow, but she was back now, determined to be there for her students now, determined to keep up Albus' work. The corridors were empty. The students had been sent to their common rooms, the teachers were dealing with the news their own way. Minerva strode through Hogwart's halls. No sound could be heard…… no sound….no sound! Minerva began to walk faster and finally she was almost running. Why hadn't she noticed it before? "Gigglegirl" A small smile hurried over her face, Albus had always thought of the most silly passwords. She stormed into his office and her view fell on Fawkes. The phoenix looked at her with big, sad eyes, but he didn't make a sound. Nothing! Minerva felt a smile spread over her face. A Phoenix sang a mourning song should his owner die, for one whole week. She had read about it, the phoenix' song was incredibly loud and sad. Everyone who had known the phoenix' owner should know about his death, but Fawkes didn't sing, he was silent. Minerva sat down in Dumbledore's old seat. She thought about the circumstances of Dumbledore's death. The more she thought about it the more strange it got. She had only called him yesterday and he had by no means seemed ill or exhausted, no, he had seemed full of ideas and hadn't he said something about a big change? Yes, he wanted to tell her today, something about a big secret that would change everything. And why wasn't she informed first? She was the deputy headmistress, someone would have told her about Dumbledore's death long before the sorting ceremony. If Dumbledore had felt his death coming close he would have informed her to prepare her, she had been his closest friend after all. And what did Fudge do in Hogwarts? What had really happened to Albus? Questions over questions. Minerva closed her eyes, she had to sort her thoughts and most importantly she had to find out whom she could trust…