A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you like the rest of the story. Now to address specific questions: 1. Grindelwald will get his due from Albus, this is like…a…pit stop….on the road to bye bye mean wizard. 2. Why can't they apparate into Germany? For a couple of reasons. First, I think Grindelwald has wards set up (if Hogwarts can do it, why can't he?) and second (and mainly) for the same reason they won't be using their wands, which is explained in this chapter
Feedback is like chocolate….I need it!!
Chapter 3
Minerva felt someone shaking her and she opened her eyes, glaring up at the offender. Who naturally, was Helena. "You told us morning, sleepy-head, don't you think you should have been awake too?"
Minerva brushed her friend aside as she stalked to her wash room. At the door she whipped around and cowed them all with a glare. "I was in the middle of a very important conversation with Professor Dumbledore, and you interrupted it!" Then she slammed the door shut, with her on one side, and her friends on the other.
"She's awful testy about being interrupted, considering that she isn't in love with him." Helena humphed.
"Lena, hush." Poppy scolded. "Eat something." She handed the bag of pastries to the other girl and turned to stare worriedly at the door.
Minerva didn't reappear for another hour, but when she came out, there was a smile on her face and a determined twinkle in her eyes. "He's in Germany. Grindelwald has him." Then she turned to Poppy and her smile fell. "He's hurt. Badly bruised. Weak. He has cuts all over his body, and heaven knows what internal injuries." Poppy nodded and began to whisper a list to herself. "Right. Eat quickly." Minerva commanded the other three girls. "We'll apparate to France and sleep now, we'll sneak out tonight."
They had nearly finished breakfast when Hooch noticed that all her Gryffindor friend had on her plate was a croissant, and it was completely untouched. "Min, you need to eat."
"I'm planning." She responded distractedly.
"Which would have been a great answer, had I asked what you were doing." She scolded sharply.
Minerva turned to face Helena, confusion and shock on her face. "Eat Minerva Anne."
With a sigh she turned her head to her plate and stared at the uneaten pastry. "I'm not hungry."
"Okay." Helena relented. She shrugged and turned her attention to the biscuit and sausage on her own plate. "You don't eat. Get malnutrition and we'll stay home."
Minerva turned a black glare into the hard gold eyes of her friend. "Fine. I'll eat." She took a ripped a bite out of the croissant and chewed ferociously, her eyes never leaving Helena's. She choked it down and continued to eat, not tasting the food and never breaking her stare.
They apparated to Lyon, each with a small bag. Minerva was carrying clothes, Helena food, and Serena's sack had both the very necessary toiletries (toilet paper, soap, and shampoo) along with blankets. Poppy packed her medical supplies in another. These they threw into four suitcases packed with other clothes. The suitcases would travel with them to Berne only to be left at the hotel in Switzerland as they crossed into the Black forest.
Their wands had been buried at the bottom of the clothes sack, because any use of magic on the journey could attract the unwanted attention of Grindelwald's followers, long before they could afford to be spotted.
Seconds after the reappeared in Poppy's apartment, Minerva shooed them off to bed, reminding them that they really did need to sleep. Finally left alone, Minerva double checked their bags and laid down herself. She closed her eyes and within moments she was back in Germany.
There was sun streaming through the window bars this time, and the light and shadow emphasized the lines that were quickly appearing on her mentor's face. He was asleep and she was loathe to wake him, but if they were going to find out where in Germany he was, she was going to have to.
Before she could, however, movement in the hallway caught her eye and woke Dumbledore up. Minerva slipped as far into the shadows as she could, grateful that instead of wearing her white night shift again she had on a black silk nightgown under the matching black robe. She drew the robe tighter around her as the cruel looking goblin slunk in. His long fingers reached out to Dumbledore. "Up." The goblin commanded.
Albus struggled to his feet. The goblin smiled. It was not a pretty sight. "Good." Shackles were placed on Albus's wrists and the goblin grabbed a long chain that was attached to them and threw it up over the rafters in the ceiling. He pulled the chain lifting Dumbledore off the floor his arms over his head, stretching him. Minerva felt the pain he was masking in her arms and had to bite her lip to keep from crying out from her hiding spot.
The Goblin latched the chain to a hook in the floor, then left. Albus hung there for a few moments, before his captor came in. Minerva tried to sink further into the wall. The pain got worse and she bit her lip harder.
"You're a foolish man, Albus Dumbledore. You're going to die in here, and then after I mail you dead body to Ms. McGonagall, she will die here as well; when she comes to avenge you."
Albus wrenched forward and tore his shoulder; Minerva forced down a cry. "Stay away from Minerva!"
Grindelwald gave his captive a look of exaggerated sympathy. "I'm sorry. I can't. You see, you two are connected, and I'm afraid, as long as she remains alive, you have a vessel through which you can defeat me."
Clearly Dumbledore was as surprised by this news as she had been by the idea that they were soul mates. Grindelwald patted Dumbledore's cheek, and smiled conspiratorially. "It doesn't take a telepath to know how you feel about the young woman, but it does take one to know just how connected you to are." Then he stepped back and pulled out a wand. "CRUCIO!" This time Albus cried out and Minerva screamed with him as she flew awake.