Chapter Nine
January 15th, 1945
The school had adjusted with relative ease to having a ghost teaching their history class, though it was fair to say that little changed in respect to their history professor's style of teaching or subject matter. Once the novelty had worn off, the class was just as boring as ever, if not more so, as the dead are notoriously inattentive to the wishes or needs of the living.
After classes ended for the week, Minerva began making her way through the crowded halls and back to the Tower when she was stopped by Vector who pressed a note into her hand.
"Wants to see you about something ... again, I expect." he shrugged, nodding in the direction of Dumbledore's office. "Will you tell us more about the war on the continent this time too? Trudy and Poppy are eager to hear ..."
"Say it, Daniel." said Minerva, unfolding the note and skimming it. Vector had been right: Dumbledore wanted to see her.
"It is our concern." he sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Very well." she nodded. "Take my books for me?" she asked with a smile.
"Of course." Daniel agreed.
"See you all at dinner then." she said before taking off down the corridor.
Albus was sitting in his chair by the fire when she entered the office. There was no freshly prepared tea this time. He seemed deep in thought as she collapsed easily into the chair reserved for guests, and her especially. He smiled as he looked up and over his spectacles at Minerva.
"Mister Vector is obviously an excellent courier. I imagined it would take him sometime to locate you." said Dumbledore.
"Well, we do share a class schedule, you know." she pointed out.
"Naturally." he nodded thoughtfully. "I wanted you to know that I am leaving for France this evening. I won't be coming back until sometime in mid February unless the situation over there alters greatly or I am needed elsewhere."
Her throat tightened slightly. He would be absent for more than three or four weeks at the very least. That was practically a month! She could not immediately remember the last time she had gone so long without seeing him.
"I see ..." she managed.
"It seems that I owe something of a debt to Professor Krohn as he spoke out on my behalf at the last staff meeting. Or perhaps he considered himself to be repaying one. In either case Dippet was quite prepared to forbid me from going, despite the fact that Binns is still very much on my side, but Krohn managed to persuade him to do otherwise, though I can easily imagine that this extended visit may be my last as Dippet isn't about to truly change his mind unless the Ministry itself does."
Minerva felt slightly numb as she asked him, "What will you be doing over there this time, Albus?"
"More of the same, unfortunately." he replied with a soft sigh. "Philip was killed last Tuesday. They, the French Ministry of Magic, have offered to certify me as an Auror. It is tempting, though I should miss the school very much."
"You would leave?"
"I don't know, Minerva. I'm torn. I want to help them and at the same time I do not wish to abandon my students. It is a difficult thing. Perhaps I want too much."
"But you want the right things."
"Do I now?" he chuckled, looking at her very carefully with his twinkling blue eyes. "Who can say? But I think I will remain here a while longer and help out there when I can. Maybe when they locate his whereabouts ... Maybe then I will accept that commission ... And who knows?" he said mysteriously, shrugging.
"You will be gone for some time."
"Yes."
"I will try to put together a study group or something in your absence. With your permission, of course. So that we won't fall behind."
"Of course, Minerva. That is a wonderful idea. And see that you continue working on your Animagus studies as well. I think you have reached the point where I no longer need to supervise you directly."
"Thank you." she said quietly.
"I could think of no one else that I would trust so fully to take care of my students while I am gone. I trust that with Mister Vector's and Miss Fairchild's assistance Gryffindor house will be in very capable hands as well." he said, naming the Gryffindor prefects, the latter of whom was a fifth year student who had recently taken up with one of the Slytherin Beaters, which in the opinion of some of her house mates was quite shameful and scandalous.
"You want me to look after the house?"
"Yes, Minerva, and you should have been a prefect this year. I will be terribly disappointed if you don't apply next year." Albus told her.
"I don't know about that ..."
"I believe you would be very fair-minded. I am surprised that you haven't applied in previous years."
"My studies ..."
"Indeed." he chuckled. "This discussion can wait until later in the spring. I only want you to be certain that your fellow lions and lionesses don't run amuck without me here ..."
"They would never!"
"I don't think you know some of the younger students as well as you ought." Albus told her.
"I will do as you have asked."
"Excellent." he said, glancing at a clock on the wall. "I must be leaving soon." he said, rising from his seat.
Minerva clambered to her feet as well. Looking at him in the soft light of the office, she tried to memorize every detail of his softly smiling face, just in case something happened to him. She wanted to remember him exactly as he stood there before her. He chuckled quietly at the look in her dark eyes and held out his arms to her.
"Perhaps I would not be overstepping my bounds to hug my best pupil before I leave?" he questioned.
"Of course not." she answered.
His arms were strong and comforting as they encircled her. She allowed herself to melt into them, feeling her heart flutter as she did so. Minerva chuckled quietly as she realized that he smelled a bit like toffee, but then there wasn't a student at the school who was unaware of his love of sweets. She felt his fingertips touch her long black hair as he released her. She managed a smile.
"I will have news for you when I return, Minerva. Take care until then."
"And you should do the same."
"Naturally." he nodded before showing her out.
Somehow she always made it both easier and harder for him to leave.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I'm not entirely pleased with how that turned out.
Serenity Raye: When did Dumbledore start calling Minerva by her first name? Well ... I don't think I answered that. Hmm ... during her extensive Animagus training perhaps? I see her as being his best and brightest pupil. I would bet that many of the other professors have one as well. (Then why aren't they in the books? Because they are mostly Ravenclaws *wink*.) I remember several of my high school teachers having favorites (that would go over to their houses and stuff) who were also their best students (not that anything happened regarding that insofar as I know - there was a marriage, but that was years later ...). Perhaps the other professors look at Minerva and see Dumbledore's protege, the next transfigurations professor. I love being challenged. Thank you very for reviewing!
Sirabella: I'm glad you enjoyed those lines. I have a weird sense of humor (dark absurdist), or so some people say. Thanks for reviewing!
MK: Thank you for the review!
Robin: Chapter length ... I wanted to break them up in a logical way (by day/time/event) and keep them balanced as far as size is concerned. But I do appreciate the suggestion. I can't comment on the confrontation. Some people don't like it when the author gives things away. Thanks for reviewing!
Child-of-the-Dawn: An impossible question. Sorry! But thank you for reviewing!
Michelle: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the review!
January 15th, 1945
The school had adjusted with relative ease to having a ghost teaching their history class, though it was fair to say that little changed in respect to their history professor's style of teaching or subject matter. Once the novelty had worn off, the class was just as boring as ever, if not more so, as the dead are notoriously inattentive to the wishes or needs of the living.
After classes ended for the week, Minerva began making her way through the crowded halls and back to the Tower when she was stopped by Vector who pressed a note into her hand.
"Wants to see you about something ... again, I expect." he shrugged, nodding in the direction of Dumbledore's office. "Will you tell us more about the war on the continent this time too? Trudy and Poppy are eager to hear ..."
"Say it, Daniel." said Minerva, unfolding the note and skimming it. Vector had been right: Dumbledore wanted to see her.
"It is our concern." he sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Very well." she nodded. "Take my books for me?" she asked with a smile.
"Of course." Daniel agreed.
"See you all at dinner then." she said before taking off down the corridor.
Albus was sitting in his chair by the fire when she entered the office. There was no freshly prepared tea this time. He seemed deep in thought as she collapsed easily into the chair reserved for guests, and her especially. He smiled as he looked up and over his spectacles at Minerva.
"Mister Vector is obviously an excellent courier. I imagined it would take him sometime to locate you." said Dumbledore.
"Well, we do share a class schedule, you know." she pointed out.
"Naturally." he nodded thoughtfully. "I wanted you to know that I am leaving for France this evening. I won't be coming back until sometime in mid February unless the situation over there alters greatly or I am needed elsewhere."
Her throat tightened slightly. He would be absent for more than three or four weeks at the very least. That was practically a month! She could not immediately remember the last time she had gone so long without seeing him.
"I see ..." she managed.
"It seems that I owe something of a debt to Professor Krohn as he spoke out on my behalf at the last staff meeting. Or perhaps he considered himself to be repaying one. In either case Dippet was quite prepared to forbid me from going, despite the fact that Binns is still very much on my side, but Krohn managed to persuade him to do otherwise, though I can easily imagine that this extended visit may be my last as Dippet isn't about to truly change his mind unless the Ministry itself does."
Minerva felt slightly numb as she asked him, "What will you be doing over there this time, Albus?"
"More of the same, unfortunately." he replied with a soft sigh. "Philip was killed last Tuesday. They, the French Ministry of Magic, have offered to certify me as an Auror. It is tempting, though I should miss the school very much."
"You would leave?"
"I don't know, Minerva. I'm torn. I want to help them and at the same time I do not wish to abandon my students. It is a difficult thing. Perhaps I want too much."
"But you want the right things."
"Do I now?" he chuckled, looking at her very carefully with his twinkling blue eyes. "Who can say? But I think I will remain here a while longer and help out there when I can. Maybe when they locate his whereabouts ... Maybe then I will accept that commission ... And who knows?" he said mysteriously, shrugging.
"You will be gone for some time."
"Yes."
"I will try to put together a study group or something in your absence. With your permission, of course. So that we won't fall behind."
"Of course, Minerva. That is a wonderful idea. And see that you continue working on your Animagus studies as well. I think you have reached the point where I no longer need to supervise you directly."
"Thank you." she said quietly.
"I could think of no one else that I would trust so fully to take care of my students while I am gone. I trust that with Mister Vector's and Miss Fairchild's assistance Gryffindor house will be in very capable hands as well." he said, naming the Gryffindor prefects, the latter of whom was a fifth year student who had recently taken up with one of the Slytherin Beaters, which in the opinion of some of her house mates was quite shameful and scandalous.
"You want me to look after the house?"
"Yes, Minerva, and you should have been a prefect this year. I will be terribly disappointed if you don't apply next year." Albus told her.
"I don't know about that ..."
"I believe you would be very fair-minded. I am surprised that you haven't applied in previous years."
"My studies ..."
"Indeed." he chuckled. "This discussion can wait until later in the spring. I only want you to be certain that your fellow lions and lionesses don't run amuck without me here ..."
"They would never!"
"I don't think you know some of the younger students as well as you ought." Albus told her.
"I will do as you have asked."
"Excellent." he said, glancing at a clock on the wall. "I must be leaving soon." he said, rising from his seat.
Minerva clambered to her feet as well. Looking at him in the soft light of the office, she tried to memorize every detail of his softly smiling face, just in case something happened to him. She wanted to remember him exactly as he stood there before her. He chuckled quietly at the look in her dark eyes and held out his arms to her.
"Perhaps I would not be overstepping my bounds to hug my best pupil before I leave?" he questioned.
"Of course not." she answered.
His arms were strong and comforting as they encircled her. She allowed herself to melt into them, feeling her heart flutter as she did so. Minerva chuckled quietly as she realized that he smelled a bit like toffee, but then there wasn't a student at the school who was unaware of his love of sweets. She felt his fingertips touch her long black hair as he released her. She managed a smile.
"I will have news for you when I return, Minerva. Take care until then."
"And you should do the same."
"Naturally." he nodded before showing her out.
Somehow she always made it both easier and harder for him to leave.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I'm not entirely pleased with how that turned out.
Serenity Raye: When did Dumbledore start calling Minerva by her first name? Well ... I don't think I answered that. Hmm ... during her extensive Animagus training perhaps? I see her as being his best and brightest pupil. I would bet that many of the other professors have one as well. (Then why aren't they in the books? Because they are mostly Ravenclaws *wink*.) I remember several of my high school teachers having favorites (that would go over to their houses and stuff) who were also their best students (not that anything happened regarding that insofar as I know - there was a marriage, but that was years later ...). Perhaps the other professors look at Minerva and see Dumbledore's protege, the next transfigurations professor. I love being challenged. Thank you very for reviewing!
Sirabella: I'm glad you enjoyed those lines. I have a weird sense of humor (dark absurdist), or so some people say. Thanks for reviewing!
MK: Thank you for the review!
Robin: Chapter length ... I wanted to break them up in a logical way (by day/time/event) and keep them balanced as far as size is concerned. But I do appreciate the suggestion. I can't comment on the confrontation. Some people don't like it when the author gives things away. Thanks for reviewing!
Child-of-the-Dawn: An impossible question. Sorry! But thank you for reviewing!
Michelle: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the review!
