"Waiting for the Sunrise"
Summary: Something's wrong. He can see it in her eyes. A stubborn,
pedantic Scottish woman who hasn't taken so much as a sick day in 30 years
all of a sudden makes two trips to the hospital wing in a single semester.
Albus knows that something is wrong, but what is it and who's behind it?
She's terrified: he can see it when she cringes at his touch. Where did
she get that black eye? Who's pulling the strings on his usually fearless
Deputy Headmistress? It's going to be up to Albus, with the help of his
niece, Danielle Dumbledore, several students and a few other staff members
to find out who's tormenting the transfiguration professor!
Ratings: R for shouting, swearing, violence, instances of abuse and insinuation of intimate circumstances. If you're sensitive to that stuff, beware!
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own any of JKR's lovely characters, but I do so love to play with them from time to time! I *do* however, own Danielle Dumbledore's character and that of Sky.
Author's Note: Sky's and my second adventure together! Thanks for letting me use your penname and persona for the story, hon! ( Harry and his friends are fourth years in this story. For details on Danielle Dumbledore, see my story "One Wish, One Love and the Best Years of our Lives".
Professor Minerva McGonagall hurried down the last length of hallway leading to her living quarters, her hand covering her left eye. Once she had secured the door, she conjured a bag of ice and wrapped it in one of her handkerchiefs before applying it to her face. She was exhausted, but she managed to perform a charm to make the small cut over her eye heal. She collapsed into her bed, more tired than she had been in a long time, and was soon asleep, the bag of ice melting in the basin on her vanity table.
The next day, she splashed the still cool water from her basin onto her face and patted it dry. She didn't feel as rested as she usually did, but dressed anyway and pulled her hair into its customary bun. She taught her classes that day with less than her usual vigor. Transfiguration was usually fascinating to her, but today she couldn't seem to shake her melancholy. At four, when her classes ended, Minerva stacked her things and prepared to return to her room. A hand on her shoulder startled her moments before she turned around.
"Can I carry that for you?" asked a familiar, gentle voice. She turned around, still clutching her pounding heart, and gave the headmaster a look of sheer fury.
"You gave me a start, Albus!" she gasped. Dumbledore simply smiled and took the stack of books from her and tucked them into one arm, offering the other to his Deputy Headmistress. Reluctantly, she took it, a smile curling the edges of her lips.
"Haven't you outgrown this schoolboy need to carry my books for me?" she teased.
"Actually, today, there's more to it than that. I need to ask you, Minerva, what happened to your eye?" he replied.
"What are you talking about?" she replied.
"I happened to be returning to my quarters after my cup of hot chocolate and I noticed you crossing my path with your hand over your eye. I couldn't help but notice that this morning, it was healed. What happened, Minerva?" He asked.
"Well, you see, it was quite silly. I was out walking and tripped over the roots of a tree that I have usually been careful to avoid. The cut was from where I hit my head," Minerva replied.
"I see," Albus said. When they reached McGonagall's room, he carefully set her books and papers down on her desk. When he turned, he watched as Minerva went to her vanity and carefully coaxed a tray curl back into place. He walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders as he spoke, "I wonder, Minerva, if I could interest you in a game of chess tonight after dinner. If you would like to play, please come to my office at seven o'clock." He leaned down to Minerva's ear and whispered, "Wear your hair down, Minerva. It's been years since I've seen you wear it down." Lightly, he kissed her ear and left the room. Minerva had to grab the edge of her vanity chair to keep from fainting. She knew that Albus had always been her closest friend, but could it be that he had feelings for her?
Minerva could hardly sit still through dinner. She and Albus spoke to one another in murmurs and smiled. Minerva returned to her room after supper and carefully let her hair down and restyled it. Gently, she scooped the top half of her hair into a ponytail, leaving the majority to cover her shoulders. She switched her teaching robes for a lighter weight set and tucked her spectacles into her pocket before beginning the journey to Dumbledore's office feeling ten years younger.
When she arrived, Albus opened the door for her and ushered her inside. His sitting room was lit with candles, and music softly played in the background. Minerva smiled radiantly. Albus extended his hand to her and smiled back.
"Minerva, would you honor me with a dance?" he asked. Minerva fought a blush. She allowed him to pull her close and they began to sway to the slow, almost bluesy music.
"It's not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me
Oh no
It's just the nearness of you
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation
Oh no
It's just the nearness of you
When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams came true
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you would only grant me the right
to hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night
The nearness of you"
Minerva's eyes focused on her partner's. She shook her head gently and chuckled at the twinkle that she found there. He was graceful when he danced, a perfect gentleman.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"You were never planning to play chess tonight were you?" she asked. Albus only smiled.
"You let your hair down," he replied.
"You asked me to," she contested.
"I'm glad I did. Minerva, you're so beautiful," Albus said. Minerva could just barely tell that the inches between them were melting. Slowly, carefully, Albus and Minerva's faces came close enough to feel each other's breath on their cheeks. Gingerly brushing her nose with his own, Albus covered Minerva's lips with his own. A shockwave flooded Minerva's body. Sensing her approval, Albus wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, running his right hand through her hair. Heedless that the music had changed, the two stood in the middle of the room, indulging every changing nuance of the kiss they were sharing. It didn't take long for the two to realize that dancing was past help.
"Why don't we try that game of chess?" said Albus. Minerva nodded and held his hand as they walked down into the sitting room. They played quietly for a while, only glancing at one another and smiling most of the time. When Albus' king ventured forth and managed to capture Minerva's queen, the little chess piece walked forward and stopped before the queen but didn't poise himself to destroy her. Instead, he reached for her hand and helped her up, then proceeded to carry her lovingly off the board. Minerva couldn't help laughing.
"You charmed the board!" she laughed. It was like music to Albus' ears.
"Did you like it?" Albus asked, reaching along the side of the board for Minerva's hand. She easily rested her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze. 'Merlin's beard,' Albus thought, 'She's so beautiful.'
"Minerva," Albus asked, "I wonder if I might kiss you again." Minerva's eyes opened wide. Her smile raised her already high cheek bones and pinched creases into the corners of her blue eyes. Both leaned forward and their lips met again. When they sat back, they both spontaneously stood and Albus pulled his love back into his arms and kissed her again, this time with the passion that he had been bottling up for so long. As she eagerly returned his kiss, she rolled her shoulders and let the light outer robe she was wearing drop liquidly to the floor. Albus took the hint and his own outer robe followed. He unbuttoned Minerva's collar and his left hand slipped in around her neck to run through her hair again. Minerva whimpered softly in an effort to marshal the reactions going off like strategically placed blows to her adrenaline gland. Her heart raced as the buttons on Albus' robes presented a road block to what she was after. They still had not broken apart as Albus finished the buttons on her blouse and it followed her outer robe and whispered down to the floor. Albus moaned softly as he planted kisses in the sensitive area between her jaw line and shoulder. Her bare shoulders were warm and Minerva's touch was so inviting. The two reclined slowly to the couch nearby Albus covering her easily.
"I thought you'd never let me get this close to you!" he murmured.
"Never.underestimate.a tabby cat," she replied. Albus smiled and caressed her face with his hand.
"I've loved you since the day I heard your name," he said, the reverence in his eyes as plain as the moon outside the window.
"Albus, stop talking," Minerva said, her breath beginning to quicken, "You're ruining the mood."
"That's my girl," Albus murmured, smoothing his hands over her sides and tracing the lace edging of her camisole.
Minerva slept well that night. She was secure and warm in Albus' arms and his heartbeat was like a lullaby to her ears. The next morning, as the sun spilled over the sitting room, the two awoke, and Minerva decided to use floo powder to return to her own bedroom and dress for the day. As she brushed out her hair and swept it back up into a bun, she noticed that her skin was glowing. She was visibly happier than she had been all week.
"Glad to see you're feeling better, professor!" a dark haired third year student had said in passing. Minerva smiled. Life was on the upswing.
That night, she returned to her room and sat down at her vanity table again, humming softly as she brushed her hair. It shined a bit in the soft light of her room, and made her big blue eyes shiny. She hardly noticed the shadowy figure that had entered silently into the room. A gloved hand rested on her shoulder, causing her to gasp and drop her brush.
"You frightened me!" she cried.
"You didn't do what I told you, Minerva," the man said. Minerva swallowed hard.
"I can't do that and you know it!" she spat back.
"You know what this means to me, Minerva," the voice continued, "You know what I can do if I get angry."
"Are you threatening me?" Minerva hissed, standing and turning to face the intruder. The man raised his hand but Minerva stood until he came across and hit her, sending her sprawling to the floor. A well-placed kick to the stomach followed and he knelt down and to take her face in his hand and forced her to look up at him as she gasped for breath and held her stomach. Her lip was bleeding a little, but he didn't seem to notice. He held a gold object in his hand and showed it to her.
"Take this. There is enough poison in this bauble to do the job. It dissolves in liquid. If I hear that you've told anyone or that you are evading me, I will make sure you regret the day you came here," the man threatened, fastening a gold chain with a small heart shaped locket charm on the end around Minerva's neck. The man backhanded Minerva one more time before disappearing into the night, leaving her sitting on the floor, covering her jaw with one hand and sobbing. For the past two weeks, this menace had been stalking her and trying to force her to comply with an evil plot to kill Albus Dumbledore. If she retaliated or refused, the man beat her, and he kept something she held dear hostage. He had spies everywhere, and nothing she did went without notice. She felt trapped, but she felt lucky that he hadn't brought up the fact that she had spent the night with him and failed to complete her mission.
The next night she tied the pale blue ribbon at the collar of her nightgown and braided her long hair in preparation for bed. It had been a satisfactory day. She had gone to Madam Pomfrey for help with her wounds from the night before, and thought that she had done a good enough job keeping it a secret, but she didn't know that someone had been watching that night. As Minerva snuggled into her bed, fingered the locket around her neck. She simply couldn't do it. She loved Albus! How could she simply poison him and let him die! She rose from her bed again, donned her green tartan bathrobe, and went to the window, throwing it open onto the night. She looked down. It was a long way to the ground and a light night breeze was blowing. She opened the locket and watched as the night wind gusted and blew the foul powder out of the locket. Feeling relieved, Minerva went back to bed. She could rest now, knowing that Albus would be in no danger from the poison.
When the sun warmed Minerva's eyes, she rolled over and something soft and fragrant met her senses. She awoke to find that her whole room had been scattered with spring roses. Beside her, sitting on the bed, was Albus, quietly watching her sleep and smiling softly when she looked over at him.
"You did this?" she whispered in delight. Albus leaned over and caressed her face with the blossom in his hand. She indulged the touch and sat up, letting Albus kiss her. It was going to be a wonderful Friday.
"In class today, we will be turning magpies into hand mirrors," said Minerva to her third year class. Most of the students sat up straighter and There were some bright ones in this bunch. No Hermione Grangers, of course, she was a successful fourth year now. Minerva was nonetheless proud of this group. There was one student in the bunch, Sky, who seemed to show great potential in transfiguration, an unusual characteristic for a Slytherin. Minerva caught herself stereotyping and pushed this out of her mind. She would have been proud of Sky no matter what house she was from. She smiled as the cawing magpie before Sky and her partner was silenced as it became a shiny mirror. Sky was an excellent candidate for her special Animagi lessons, and if she wasn't mistaken, she already had her animal picked out: a gray wolf. Particularly handy in cooler climates and mountainous areas.
That evening, clear, cool weather prompted Minerva to go for a sunset walk over the grounds. She rarely went for these walks alone, but today she needed to clear her head and that was best accomplished alone. As she strolled along, the wind began to pick up and a storm peeked over the horizon. The sun seemed to descend faster, seemed to sense the foreboding storm. It became dark faster than Minerva anticipated and she picked up the pace as she hurried back toward the castle. As she passed a large oak tree, a pair of hands reached out and pulled her back. She cried out in surprise as she was slammed up against the trunk of the tree. Her attacker had from the previous night had returned. He ripped the locket from her neck and opened it. She cried out as it dug into her neck and then snapped. The man opened the locket and peered inside. He looked back at Minerva with a look of purest rage.
"The poison is gone, yet Dumbledore lives," he growled, "You know what I said. You know what the consequences of failure are!" A stranger watched from the shadows, trying as hard as his rheumatism would allow to squeeze himself into a nook on the side of the castle, away from the wind. He watched as the hooded man threw McGonagall to the ground and beat her mercilessly. She screamed out for help, but he couldn't bring himself to go to her aid. What could he do? When the hooded man had gone, Minerva pulled herself up off the ground, using the tree for support and began to hobble back to the castle, the sole witness to her attack had fled into the night.
When Minerva reached the hospital wing, she could hardly take another step. Madam Pomfrey had been preparing to blow out the lamps for the night when Minerva leaned into the doorway for support.
"Poppy?" Minerva called, "Poppy, are you still awake?"
"Minerva!" she cried, rushing to her friend. Minutes later, Madam Pomfrey had her friend tucked into a bed and her bruises and cuts on the way to recovery. Gently, Pomfrey sat on the edge of Minerva's bed and gingerly applied a cold cloth to the bruises on Minerva's face.
"Minerva, what happened?" the nurse whispered.
"It's the strangest thing, really," she explained through a swollen lip, "I was taking my evening walk and I came too close to the whomping willow. Strange, I've never in all my years here have I gotten too close to that tree." Somehow, Pomfrey didn't believe her. Those bruises were a little too precise for her to have simply come to close to the willow. From the door, a mangy orange cat with lamp-like eyes watched and then bounded back to her master. Argus Filch sighed with relief when the cat returned, a happy twitch in her tail.
"Thank you, my sweet," he murmured, scratching Mrs. Norris behind her ears when she jumped into his arms. He disappeared down into the shadows again not entirely sure he had done everything he could for the Deputy Headmistress.
By the next morning, Minerva was feeling better, and had left the hospital wing in time for her first class. No one but Madam Pomfrey and, unbeknownst to her, Mr. Filch, knew that anything had ever happened. That afternoon, Albus invited her for a picnic lunch.
"I couldn't help but notice that you have been a bit distracted lately, Minerva. Is everything all right?" Albus asked. Minerva nodded, the gentle breeze rippling the brim of her hat.
"I told you, I got too close to the willow last night," Minerva said, taking another bite of her lunch.
"Are you sure that there's nothing else you want to tell me?" Albus asked, a little more serious. Minerva made eye contact before answering, "No, nothing."
A pleasant Saturday afternoon passed for Minerva like a dream. She spent nearly the whole day with Albus, talking, walking, and once in a while stealing a kiss. He caught her by surprise at one point, producing a handful of wildflowers and wrapping his arm around her. She had cringed when he touched her, something that she had never done before. Albus suspected that there was more to what was going on than his Deputy was letting on. In truth, Minerva feared what might be coming that night, but she returned to her bedroom anyway and for the first time all week, slept through the night.
Monday night came around and this time, Minerva saw the black hooded shadow as it forced its way into her room. She had just emerged from her bathroom, her long hair wound up and held in a clip and her tartan robe wrapped around her. She tried to stay out of the line of sight of the window, but it was too late, he had a hold of her and threw her backwards onto the bed, hitting her as she went down.
"All weekend!" he roared, "You had all weekend and plenty of opportunities to finish him!"
"I'm sorry! I just can't do it!" she shouted.
"You're in love with him, aren't you?" the intruder sneered. Minerva cringed as he raised his hand to her again. From outside the room, one could hear the sound made by a fist making contact with human flesh and Minerva screaming for help. This time, Argus could not keep quiet. He charged into the room and lunged at the attacker. The man was tall, but Argus still couldn't tell who he was attacking.
"I won't let you hurt her again!" Filch screamed as he came down on the man. Fearing discovery of his identity, the man fled, leaving Filch to ascertain how badly Minerva was hurt.
"Stay away! I can't do what you ask!" she shouted. Filch tried to calm her, but it did no good. She didn't recognize him. He tried to get closer to her, his arthritic hands outstretched to her. She continued to cry and back away, falling off the other side of the bed and landing with a thud on the floor before backing haphazardly into a corner and curling up in terror as she continued to scream, "Please, don't hurt me anymore! Leave me alone!" she was crying so hard that she coughed in between phrases, and her face was red. The clip that was holding her hair had snapped long ago and her hair was a mess of tangles down her back.
"What's going on in here!" shouted a voice. Filch turned around to face the angry eyes of Severus Snape. Terrified, he bolted from the room, leaving a stunned Professor Snape to try and piece together what had just happened. He spotted Minerva in the corner of the room, still cowering and sobbing and he hurried over to her. When she screamed for him to leave her alone, he took hold of her face as gently as he could and forced her to look at him.
"Minerva, it's me! Look at me, Minerva!" he cried. It only took her seconds to realize that it was a friend, even though her head was spinning and every major muscle group in her body ached. Snape sat down hard on the floor, the shoulders of the Deputy Headmistress in his large hands and his look softened. Minerva crumpled into a ball, sobbing harder than he had ever heard her cry. Carefully, he gathered her into his arms and rocked her a while, whispering and holding her close.
"Shhh. It's over now, Minerva. It's over.I'm here.shhhh. You're safe now," Snape said, smoothing her hair with one hand and the other securely wrapped around her shoulders. Softly, he kissed her head and leaned his cheek against it, trying in earnest to calm her. A full fifteen minutes passed before he dared to try to stand and lift her into his arms. Once he had her comfortably in his arms, he rushed to the hospital wing. He leaned his back against the double doors and pushed into the infirmary.
"Madam Pomfrey!" he shouted, "Poppy! Wake up!" A lamp flickered to life in Pomfrey's room and she quickly emerged, her pink robe tied around her waist and her hair tied back in a loose ponytail.
"What's happened?" he gasped as Snape laid Minerva down on the nearest bed.
"I heard shouting as I was patrolling the halls and found her curled up in the corner of her room. She's been beaten, Poppy," Snape recalled.
"By whom?" Pomfrey demanded.
"I'm not sure. I saw someone running from the room when I got there, but they're gone," Snape explained.
"I'll have to wake the headmaster," Poppy said.
"I'll do it," Snape said, disappearing out of the hospital wing. Minutes later, Dumbledore was at Minerva's bedside, holding her hand as she tossed and turned in fitful sleep. As all this was happening, Professor Snape was walking furiously down one corridor and then another. There was a very specific person he was looking for. He hit the third floor corridor and saw who he was after: Argus Filch. Filch froze when he saw Snape coming, his black robes billowing out behind him. Snape got a hold on Filch's coat and lifted him off the ground, adrenaline and anger making him stronger than he would otherwise be. He slammed Filch against the wall, disregarding the hideous crack that issued when the man's head hit the cold stone wall.
"Argus!" Snape growled through gritted teeth, "What an unpleasant surprise. Just what did you think you were doing in McGonagall's room tonight?"
"It wasn't me! I swear it wasn't me! I was trying to defend Minerva!" Filch gasped.
"Bullshit!" Snape shouted, "You're the one beating her, you filthy, slimy old squib!"
"I tell you there was another person! There's another man! He's the one that beat her before!" Filch cried.
"What do you mean, before?" cried Snape. No one knew about the night by the tree.
"I saw her out for a walk the night of that storm. A man in a black cloak accosted Minerva and beat her!" Filch shouted, "Put me down!" Snape only slammed him against the wall again.
"Tell me who it was then, Argus!" shouted Snape. It was more of a dare than a demand. Aside from being Quidditch cup rivals, Snape and McGonagall were actually good friends. They shared a mutual respect and admiration that many of the staff members either didn't know about, or mistaken for secret romance. Snape couldn't see himself as anything other than McGonagall's friend, and he didn't take kindly to any man who saw fit to beat a woman. Especially when that woman was a friend of his.
"I couldn't see! He wore a hood!" Filch shouted, knowing that although it was the truth, that it wouldn't pacify Severus Snape's curiosity. He was in deep trouble. Snape dragged the groundskeeper along the ground with him and threw him roughly into the smallest dungeon cell he had. Feeling much better, Snape returned to the hospital wing to see if Minerva was improving. Around the corner as Snape walked by was Minerva's favorite third year student, Sky. She had noticed the bruises that her teacher had been trying to hide and she was fuming with the thought that someone, whether it was Filch or not, was beating her favorite teacher. She meandered back to the Slytherin common room, determined to get to the bottom of what was happening.
Back in the hospital wing, Snape returned and joined Pomfrey and Dumbledore at McGonagall's bedside. It was plain that poor Poppy had been crying for her friend, and Albus still clung to Minerva's hand, occasionally kissing it and then her head.
"I was unable to find any clues, headmaster," Snape lied. He wanted to deal with Filch himself. He had a very small sneaking suspicion that Filch was innocent, but he didn't want to take the chance tonight.
"We will need a substitute teacher for Minerva for a few days. Possibly a week," said Dumbledore. Snape nodded.
"Would you like me to contact one, Albus?" he asked gently. Dumbledore shook his head.
"Thank you, Severus, but I know just the person for the job. I have a niece in London who's a talented healer and who just happens to love transfiguration," Dumbledore said.
"I'll stay with her if would like to go and call her, headmaster," said Snape. Dumbledore reluctantly rose from his chair. Snape placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, Albus, she's safe now." Dumbledore nodded, and went over to Minerva's side one more time. She awakened as he stroked her cheek and looked at him.
"I love you, Minerva," he whispered, softly kissing her lips. Neither Snape nor Pomfrey said a word as Dumbledore left the room and Snape took his place in the chair beside the bed.
Back in his office, which seemed cold and gray without the light of the lamps, Albus managed to locate his floo powder and threw some into the fire, "Danielle Dumbledore!" he said plainly. When Albus' face appeared in her fireplace, the young woman on the other end of the connection gasped in surprise.
"Uncle Albus!" she cried, "I was going to send you an owl in the morning! I finally managed to transfigure my Swedish Horn Snout into one of those muggle Volkswagens and back again! I was so proud!" she cried.
"I'm afraid the reason I call upon you tonight is not very pleasant, Danielle," said Albus. Suddenly, the aging wizard had his niece's complete and undivided attention. He told her about Minerva, and about the attacks and the events of that night. He explained that he would need a substitute teacher, and Danielle readily agreed.
"I'll come tonight, Uncle Albus. Professor McGonagall is my mentor. If I ever get my hands on the rotten, miserable, no-good."
"Danielle!"
"Sorry, Uncle Albus," she apologized shyly, "I'm on my way." When the fire went out, Danielle threw her black and green cloak about her shoulders and scooped her large black cat into her arms.
"Come on, Smokey, we've got a job to do," Danielle said, backing him into his carrier and strapping it into the harness on her broom before kicking off from the ground and pointing her broom toward Hogwart's.
By the next morning, Danielle was ready to take McGonagall's place. Her students filled the familiar classroom and settled into their places, quieting themselves as they noticed a new teacher at the front of the room.
"Good morning, class. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there has been an unfortunate turn of events, and Professor McGonagall will not be teaching for about a week. While she is recovering, I will be her substitute. Ma'am will do in a pinch, but I prefer." she flicked her wand toward the board and a piece of chalk glided into the air and wrote the words, Professor Dumbledore on the board.
"What are you playing at!" cried a student near the front, "There's only one Professor Dumbledore here!"
"I am the headmaster's niece. I assure you that I am quite capable of performing the necessary lessons for the good professor in her absence. Now, as I understand it, you are still working on changing tropical fish into floating candles. You have all the materials you need. Begin!" Danielle replied. The students left quietly at the end of the period, several glancing back to look at her, and one even waved. Sky wandered up to Danielle's desk and timidly spoke up.
"Do you remember me? I was.." Sky didn't even finish, because young Professor Dumbledore was already standing and coming around the desk to hug her.
"Of course I do! We met at a Quidditch workshop two years ago!" Danielle cried. She and Sky talked all the way down to the Great Hall for lunch.
Later that day, after classes were finished, Danielle wandered down to the hospital wing to see her favorite teacher.
"Professor McGonagall?" Danielle called timidly. She found Minerva sitting up in bed and playing Professor Dumbledore in a game of chess. When Albus looked up, he shepherded his niece over and re-introduced teacher and student.
"It's so good of you to come on such short notice, Danielle," said Minerva.
"It feels good to be back at Hogwart's, professor. I just came to let you know how well lessons went today and to plan with you what should be done for tomorrow if you're feeling up to it," Danielle said. Albus rose from his chair and kissed his niece's head and then Minerva's.
"I'll leave you two to finish your lesson plans. Send word when you're finished, Minerva. This game isn't over," Albus said, winking at her. She smiled back and patted his hand. Danielle sat down on the edge of the bed and the two spent the rest of the afternoon planning and choosing lessons for the week. Danielle could feel that there was something about the whole incident that she wasn't saying, but she knew she had to find out.
That night, Minerva was awakened by a hand over her mouth. He was back.
"I see your precious friends have come to your rescue again, but tell me, Minerva, who will come to your sister's aid? Or your brother's?" the voice growled. Minerva's eyes turned fearful. Her younger sister and brother were her only family. When all this had started, he had threatened to kill them both if Minerva failed.
"No!" Minerva whispered, "Oh, please no! You stay away from them!"
"Or you'll what?" he said, tightening his grip on Minerva's arm. She winced but didn't cry out, "Perhaps I need to give you a little example of what I can do," said the man, disappearing as quickly as he had come.
"No!" Minerva cried, sitting up, "No! Oh please, no!" but there was nothing she could do. Her tormenter was gone.
The next morning, Danielle opened her copy of the Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper, to a startling headline:
HOGWART'S PROFESSOR BEATEN; PERPETRATOR STILL AT LARGE
"Oh my!" Danielle gasped as she sank into her seat at the table. Albus came into the Great Hall soon after and gently kissed his niece on the head.
"Anything exciting, my dear?" he asked whimsically. Then he looked over her shoulder to see the headline. There was a picture in the article of Professor McGonagall from the school archives tucked into the article, and buried in the middle of the article was Minerva's deepest fear, ".Ministry officials confirmed just this morning that Professor McGonagall's only brother, Faunus McGonagall, was found brutally murdered in his home last night. The Ministry speculates that the attacks on Minerva McGonagall could be connected." Danielle swiftly lost her appetite. She rose from her place and made for the hospital wing, her Uncle Albus on her heels.
They could hear her wailing for floors above and below the hospital wing. She had already read the article, and by the time Albus and Danielle reached her, her head was in her hands, and her shoulders were shaking so hard that it made it hard for her to breathe.
"My brother! Oh, God, my brother!" she sobbed, "My baby brother.is dead! Oh Albus! Albus, what am I going to do? Faunus.my brother!" she couldn't seem to complete a coherent sentence. She willingly buried her face in Albus' shoulder and continued to sob, Albus beginning to cry himself. He held Minerva close and tried to comfort her, but it did no good.
"I've.I've never felt so awful in my life!" she sobbed. This was all her fault. If she had completed the mission and murdered the only man she ever loved, her brother would still be alive. She could have found love again, but her brother was irreplaceable. This was a pain worse than death. "Why didn't they kill me? What did Faunus ever do to anyone? He was such a dear, simple man! Oh God, Albus!" she wailed. Danielle, through her own tears, made a suggestion.
"Uncle Albus, could we bring her sister here, to Hogwart's? She would be safe here," Danielle said, "I'll go and bring her myself!" Albus nodded and Danielle raced down the hall to make the arrangements. By sunset, Ceres, the last of the three McGonagall siblings, was safe at Hogwart's.
After transfiguration that day, Sky came running to Danielle's desk.
"Did you read this crap!?" she yelled.
"Yes, Sky, I did. And it just doesn't make sense to me," Danielle replied, "Who would be doing this and why? Why use Professor McGonagall? Wait.they're not really after her at all!" said Danielle.
"What do you mean?" asked a new voice. Harry Potter and his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were walking in the door.
"We heard about what happened to Professor McGonagall and what happened to her brother," said Ron.
"We want to know what you know," said Hermione.
"And what we can do to help," said an angry Harry, slamming a copy of the Daily Prophet onto the desk.
"Do you have any clues? You already know as much as I do," Danielle replied.
"We know that Filch has been walking wide circles around Professor Snape," said Hermione.
"But we also know that Snape was the one that found Professor McGonagall on Monday night," said Danielle.
"This calls for some undercover work. Let me see what else I can dig up before you go gung-ho, kids," Danielle said. All present company agreed, and the students left for lunch, none of them really hungry, but anxious to get to the bottom of the mystery.
The next morning, Danielle sent Harry, Ron and Hermione to the library to look through the past issues of the Prophet for clues. Minerva had insisted that she was well enough to teach again, and her students were overjoyed to have her back. Danielle had asked to stay on at Hogwart's until the mystery was solved and Dumbledore had agreed.
Sky was listening in a little more closely to conversations in the common room, and Severus was still keeping a close eye on Filch. All things considered, Minerva couldn't have been more safe. Right?
With Ceres there, Minerva seemed to flourish. She adored having her sister there, and as the days went on, things started to get better. She still had nightmares of what it would have been like to be there when her brother was killed, and as a result, she got less sleep for a while.
Nearly a week had passed before Danielle and the kids got together again. Beneath the shade of a tall oak tree, they shared what they had found.
"Nothing in the common rooms. Professor Snape is being tight lipped about the whole thing," said Sky.
"All we can find in the paper is vague references to an unnamed death eater who may be planning to off Dumbledore," said Hermione.
"The Gryffindors are quiet about it too. They're worried about McGonagall," said Harry.
"Well, if Filch is telling the truth and he really was protecting McGonagall, then it must be this unknown death eater," said Ron.
"It's almost too touchy to talk to McGonagall about myself. I don't want to pry, and she seems to scared to tell anyone, even Uncle Albus," said Danielle, "Come on, there's going to be a storm here soon." She shooed the kids inside and returned to her room to shut the windows. It was going to be a long night. As the thunderheads crackled and boomed in the distance, Danielle wondered idly if the Quidditch game scheduled for the next day, a Saturday, would be canceled because of the wet conditions. The rain began to come down, and unless the lightning flashed just right, a man dressed in black was dragging a woman in wizard's robes across the lawn. She was fighting him terribly, but he held her fast, a rope was bound tightly around her wrists, and he pulled her along roughly. She fought not to trip and fall on the slippery grass in her bare feet, and her captor was showing little mercy.
"I warned you that you would pay if you didn't fulfill your mission!" the man shouted, his hood plastered like an executioner's hood. He dragged her to a tree and threw her down on the ground. So this was how it was to end.
"No!" Minerva cried, shivering with cold and gasping for breath, "Please, no! Don't do this, please!"
"Silence!" the man bellowed, "I should have just done in the old man myself!"
"I would have stopped you!" Minerva screamed daringly, "I won't let you hurt him!"
High up in the castle, Danielle could hear faint shouting. She wasn't sure where it was from, but she knew she needed to go and find out what it was. She tied her cloak securely around her shoulders and pulled up the hood. She tucked her wand into her pocket and ran for the Slytherins' dungeon common room.
Minerva's captor threw one end of the rope up and over a high tree branch and pulled, jerking Minerva into the air, not far off the ground, but far enough so that she couldn't touch the ground. In one swift movement, he ripped the back of Minerva's nightgown, laying her back open to the elements. Minerva screamed her fear to the heedless night, sure that help was nowhere to be found and would never come.
Danielle tiptoed to the Slytherin girls dormitory and woke Sky.
"What's going on?" she whispered.
"Get dressed, quick! Bring your wand and come with me!" Danielle hissed back, returning to the common room to wait.
"What's happening?" Sky asked again.
"Shh! Just come. I think Professor McGonagall's in trouble!" Danielle said. The girls dashed down the corridors and bounded out into the open ended courtyard that lead to the forest. The storm hit them with its full fury. They had a hard time keeping their eyes open against the wind and rain, but when the lightning flashed, they could see the man, and could see helpless Professor McGonagall hanging by her hands from the tree. Sky screamed and Danielle wrapped her cloak around her young friend in an effort to stifle the sound. When the man in the distance didn't react, they tiptoed along the edge of the castle, slowly getting closer to the scene. They were squinting to see their next step away from the castle when they heard the hiss and crack of a whip. Sky had to physically restrain Danielle, who wanted more than anything to tie this man to a tree herself and beat every bruise, every cut, and every heart-wrenching sob of her poor teacher into his arrogant body. Danielle's hood flew back and the rain drenched her hair, but she took hold of Sky's cloak and pulled her along, charging toward the scene.
Suddenly, there was a rumble of footsteps. Danielle and Sky stopped in their tracks and this time, both nearly screamed as Minerva took one lashing after the other and when the lightning flashed, a very big, very angry Hagrid stepped from the forest. Minerva screamed after each lash, afraid that if she stopped, she may not make another sound for the rest of her life.
"Come on! Hurry!" Danielle screamed, once again pulling Sky along. They watched as Hagrid took hold of the whip as the man wound up and pulled on it. The man flew backwards into Hagrid's arms.
"I-WON'-LET-YOU-HURT-HER-EVER-AGAIN!" Hagrid roared, picking the man up and looking him in the face.
"Hagrid wait!" A voice bellowed from the castle doors. Dumbledore and Snape were running across the rain-soaked yard toward the fray, but Hagrid wasn't listening. The man's hood flew back when Hagrid hoisted him into the air and when the lightning flashed again, Sky recognized who she was seeing.
"It's Lucius Malfoy! He was the death eater that the Ministry's been looking for!" Sky shouted. As Danielle ran, she lost her grip on Sky's cloak. She kept running, determined to get to Professor McGonagall, but nearly tripped and fell when she heard a growl and then a determined howl. From behind her bounded a sleek, silver-gray wolf. The long claws of the animal dug into the ground and provided traction, and Danielle recognized the creature's eyes in the subsequent flash of light. It was Sky! She had succeeded in becoming her Animagus creature! Barking and growling, Sky lunged at Lucius, tugging on his cloak. When that didn't work, and Hagrid slammed his victim up against the tree, Sky backed away, still barking and snarling. Minerva had stopped moving, and by the time Danielle, Albus and Severus arrived at the scene, Hagrid had already hit Malfoy once, and was winding up to hit him again. The thunder was deafening, and between the claps and booms of the thunder, the crackle of the lightning, the howling wind and pounding rain, they could hear Hagrid roaring his anger into the man before him.
"HOW-DARE-YOU!!" Hagrid screamed, "HOW DARE YOU HIT A LADY! HOW DARE YOU HURT OUR PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL! So 'elp me God you better 'ope I don' catch ya on these grounds again!" Danielle ran toward her uncle and ran smack into an invisible barrier. She picked herself up off the ground to find Harry, Ron and Hermione pulling off the invisibility cloak that Harry's father had left him.
"Are you all right?!" Harry cried, helping her up.
"I'm fine! But Professor McGonagall needs our help! Quick! I need to borrow your cloak!" Danielle shouted above the driving rain. Harry surrendered it as he and his friends pulled the hoods of their school cloaks over their heads and ran after her.
Danielle reached the tree, its trunk shaking from the beating that Malfoy was taking, and gasped in shock as a large gray streak bounded up beside her.
"We have to get her down from there!" Danielle shouted. There was a low branch on the other side of the tree, and Sky easily jumped up and began to jump from branch to branch until she reached the one that the rope was tied to. Danielle cautiously sneaked over and stood beside Minerva, holding her so that Sky could cut through the rope. Severus caught on and, camouflaged by the night, he joined her there. Minerva was unconscious, and when Sky chewed through the rope, Minerva fell limply into Snape's arms. Danielle helped him wrap his cloak around her, and Severus turned and ran with her back to the castle.
"Great going, Sky!" Danielle shouted, "Come down!" It didn't look too high from where Sky was standing, and the adrenaline rush she was feeling made her certain that she could do anything. She turned the other way and watched as Hagrid shook Malfoy and slammed him against the trunk of the tree again. Sky lost her footing on the slippery bark of the tree and fell, coming down just as Hagrid's hand was coming across to hit his enemy. Sky flew to one side and hit the ground. Danielle screeched when she saw Sky hit the ground hard. She fought to get back up but found that her left front leg was burning with pain. She whimpered and howled in confusion, her animal instincts clamoring with her human mind for control.
"Uncle Albus!" Danielle screamed, running to him, "You take one, I'll take the other!" Wizard and witch both pointed their wands and shouted, "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!!" and both Hagrid and Lucius Malfoy crashed to the ground, frozen in mid-swing. Danielle rushed over and lifted the injured wolf into her arms. Danielle was not only an amazing transfiguration witch, she was also a well-trained game keeper and dragon trainer. She took Sky and hurried back to the castle. Harry, Ron and Hermione were still watching the scene, none wanting to leave just in case. The kids ventured forward and helped Albus lift the pair into the air and guide them back to the castle.
"Locomotor Hagrid!" Dumbledore cried as the giant game keeper floated gracefully into the air. By the time Dumbledore reached the hospital wing, Hagrid and Sky were recovering from their injuries, but he didn't see Danielle, Severus or, more importantly, Minerva.
"Uncle Albus!" Danielle cried, walking briskly into the hospital wing, "Uncle Albus, come with me!" She was carrying Fawkes on her arm, and she tugged his sleeve with the other. He followed her to the other side of the castle, where lamp light shown from beneath Minerva's bedroom door. They proceeded softly inside and shut the door. Professor Snape's cloak was on the floor, drenched from the rain, and he had tucked Minerva under the covers of her bed. She was laying on her side, and Severus had gently coaxed her awake. She was in a mind numbing amount of pain, and Severus fought not to grit his teeth as he observed the bleeding marks on her back. When he saw that Danielle and Albus had arrived, he swiftly left to deal with Lucius Malfoy. He knew of a wall in the third floor corridor that had this wretched, miserable low-life's name on it. He knew that Hagrid had already pounded his own anger into the man, but that was going to be nothing compared to what Severus had in store for him.
Danielle and Albus worked quickly to bring Fawkes to Minerva so that his tears could heal her wounds. Gently, Danielle helped to remove Minerva's wet clothes and Albus supervised the Phoenix's work to be certain that he didn't accidentally scratch her with his sharp talons or beak. They made progress and an hour later, they had Minerva's long hair brushed out and braided, and they added another blanket to the bed to keep her extra toasty warm. Albus pulled the covers up over her and kissed her before climbing up and sitting beside her on the bed. Danielle folded Minerva's tartan robe, now dry, and quietly left them alone. As she walked through the breezeway to Dumbledore's office with Fawkes on her arm, she stopped to feel the cool breeze blowing on her face. When she opened her eyes, she saw the most breathtaking sunrise she had ever seen.
"It's all over, Fawkes," Danielle sighed, stroking the phoenix's fire colored feathers, "It's finally over."
The thud of footsteps invaded her thoughts. She looked over and Sky came running up, her arm good as new.
"How's McGonagall?" she asked, stopping to catch her breath.
"She's going to be okay," Danielle said, a tear slipping down her cheek.
"Harry, Ron and Hermione said that the Ministry officials are on their way to come and arrest Lucius Malfoy. Draco is beyond ballistic, but Professor Snape threatened expulsion if he tried anything stupid," said Sky. Danielle nodded, wrapping her free arm around her friend.
"What a beautiful sunrise.we don't see many like that around here anymore," said Sky.
"Yeah, maybe that's our problem. We spend too much time waiting for the sunrise. We have to make our own sunrise," Danielle said as Harry, Hermione and Ron arrived and stood with them.
Back in Gryffindor Tower, Albus, unable to sleep, sat awake and watched the sun stretching and lifting from its hiding place. He looked down at Minerva, finally, truly safe, and continued to gently stroke her hair as she slept.
"I love you so much, Minerva," Albus said in a whisper so soft it was barely audible, "I don't know what I would have done if you had died." He noticed that Minerva's pretty face wore a fragile, calm smile as she slept. He had a feeling that she had heard him, and it warmed his heart.
Sleepily, Minerva blinked her eyes open and reached her hand out from beneath the covers. Albus immediately took it, and kissed it.
"Am I dreaming? Have I died and gone to some elaborate heaven?" Minerva murmured. Albus' eyes welled once again with tears and he shook his head.
"No, my love. You are very much alive, and I thank my God every minute for it," he said, cupping her face in one hand and kissing her.
Not far away, the sun's reflection reaches the lake and makes it sparkle as birds awaken and take to the skies. The nocturnal creatures of the night slink away back to their dens, and the warmth of day brings life to the grounds surrounding the castle. A new day is here.
Ratings: R for shouting, swearing, violence, instances of abuse and insinuation of intimate circumstances. If you're sensitive to that stuff, beware!
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own any of JKR's lovely characters, but I do so love to play with them from time to time! I *do* however, own Danielle Dumbledore's character and that of Sky.
Author's Note: Sky's and my second adventure together! Thanks for letting me use your penname and persona for the story, hon! ( Harry and his friends are fourth years in this story. For details on Danielle Dumbledore, see my story "One Wish, One Love and the Best Years of our Lives".
Professor Minerva McGonagall hurried down the last length of hallway leading to her living quarters, her hand covering her left eye. Once she had secured the door, she conjured a bag of ice and wrapped it in one of her handkerchiefs before applying it to her face. She was exhausted, but she managed to perform a charm to make the small cut over her eye heal. She collapsed into her bed, more tired than she had been in a long time, and was soon asleep, the bag of ice melting in the basin on her vanity table.
The next day, she splashed the still cool water from her basin onto her face and patted it dry. She didn't feel as rested as she usually did, but dressed anyway and pulled her hair into its customary bun. She taught her classes that day with less than her usual vigor. Transfiguration was usually fascinating to her, but today she couldn't seem to shake her melancholy. At four, when her classes ended, Minerva stacked her things and prepared to return to her room. A hand on her shoulder startled her moments before she turned around.
"Can I carry that for you?" asked a familiar, gentle voice. She turned around, still clutching her pounding heart, and gave the headmaster a look of sheer fury.
"You gave me a start, Albus!" she gasped. Dumbledore simply smiled and took the stack of books from her and tucked them into one arm, offering the other to his Deputy Headmistress. Reluctantly, she took it, a smile curling the edges of her lips.
"Haven't you outgrown this schoolboy need to carry my books for me?" she teased.
"Actually, today, there's more to it than that. I need to ask you, Minerva, what happened to your eye?" he replied.
"What are you talking about?" she replied.
"I happened to be returning to my quarters after my cup of hot chocolate and I noticed you crossing my path with your hand over your eye. I couldn't help but notice that this morning, it was healed. What happened, Minerva?" He asked.
"Well, you see, it was quite silly. I was out walking and tripped over the roots of a tree that I have usually been careful to avoid. The cut was from where I hit my head," Minerva replied.
"I see," Albus said. When they reached McGonagall's room, he carefully set her books and papers down on her desk. When he turned, he watched as Minerva went to her vanity and carefully coaxed a tray curl back into place. He walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders as he spoke, "I wonder, Minerva, if I could interest you in a game of chess tonight after dinner. If you would like to play, please come to my office at seven o'clock." He leaned down to Minerva's ear and whispered, "Wear your hair down, Minerva. It's been years since I've seen you wear it down." Lightly, he kissed her ear and left the room. Minerva had to grab the edge of her vanity chair to keep from fainting. She knew that Albus had always been her closest friend, but could it be that he had feelings for her?
Minerva could hardly sit still through dinner. She and Albus spoke to one another in murmurs and smiled. Minerva returned to her room after supper and carefully let her hair down and restyled it. Gently, she scooped the top half of her hair into a ponytail, leaving the majority to cover her shoulders. She switched her teaching robes for a lighter weight set and tucked her spectacles into her pocket before beginning the journey to Dumbledore's office feeling ten years younger.
When she arrived, Albus opened the door for her and ushered her inside. His sitting room was lit with candles, and music softly played in the background. Minerva smiled radiantly. Albus extended his hand to her and smiled back.
"Minerva, would you honor me with a dance?" he asked. Minerva fought a blush. She allowed him to pull her close and they began to sway to the slow, almost bluesy music.
"It's not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me
Oh no
It's just the nearness of you
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation
Oh no
It's just the nearness of you
When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams came true
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you would only grant me the right
to hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night
The nearness of you"
Minerva's eyes focused on her partner's. She shook her head gently and chuckled at the twinkle that she found there. He was graceful when he danced, a perfect gentleman.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"You were never planning to play chess tonight were you?" she asked. Albus only smiled.
"You let your hair down," he replied.
"You asked me to," she contested.
"I'm glad I did. Minerva, you're so beautiful," Albus said. Minerva could just barely tell that the inches between them were melting. Slowly, carefully, Albus and Minerva's faces came close enough to feel each other's breath on their cheeks. Gingerly brushing her nose with his own, Albus covered Minerva's lips with his own. A shockwave flooded Minerva's body. Sensing her approval, Albus wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, running his right hand through her hair. Heedless that the music had changed, the two stood in the middle of the room, indulging every changing nuance of the kiss they were sharing. It didn't take long for the two to realize that dancing was past help.
"Why don't we try that game of chess?" said Albus. Minerva nodded and held his hand as they walked down into the sitting room. They played quietly for a while, only glancing at one another and smiling most of the time. When Albus' king ventured forth and managed to capture Minerva's queen, the little chess piece walked forward and stopped before the queen but didn't poise himself to destroy her. Instead, he reached for her hand and helped her up, then proceeded to carry her lovingly off the board. Minerva couldn't help laughing.
"You charmed the board!" she laughed. It was like music to Albus' ears.
"Did you like it?" Albus asked, reaching along the side of the board for Minerva's hand. She easily rested her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze. 'Merlin's beard,' Albus thought, 'She's so beautiful.'
"Minerva," Albus asked, "I wonder if I might kiss you again." Minerva's eyes opened wide. Her smile raised her already high cheek bones and pinched creases into the corners of her blue eyes. Both leaned forward and their lips met again. When they sat back, they both spontaneously stood and Albus pulled his love back into his arms and kissed her again, this time with the passion that he had been bottling up for so long. As she eagerly returned his kiss, she rolled her shoulders and let the light outer robe she was wearing drop liquidly to the floor. Albus took the hint and his own outer robe followed. He unbuttoned Minerva's collar and his left hand slipped in around her neck to run through her hair again. Minerva whimpered softly in an effort to marshal the reactions going off like strategically placed blows to her adrenaline gland. Her heart raced as the buttons on Albus' robes presented a road block to what she was after. They still had not broken apart as Albus finished the buttons on her blouse and it followed her outer robe and whispered down to the floor. Albus moaned softly as he planted kisses in the sensitive area between her jaw line and shoulder. Her bare shoulders were warm and Minerva's touch was so inviting. The two reclined slowly to the couch nearby Albus covering her easily.
"I thought you'd never let me get this close to you!" he murmured.
"Never.underestimate.a tabby cat," she replied. Albus smiled and caressed her face with his hand.
"I've loved you since the day I heard your name," he said, the reverence in his eyes as plain as the moon outside the window.
"Albus, stop talking," Minerva said, her breath beginning to quicken, "You're ruining the mood."
"That's my girl," Albus murmured, smoothing his hands over her sides and tracing the lace edging of her camisole.
Minerva slept well that night. She was secure and warm in Albus' arms and his heartbeat was like a lullaby to her ears. The next morning, as the sun spilled over the sitting room, the two awoke, and Minerva decided to use floo powder to return to her own bedroom and dress for the day. As she brushed out her hair and swept it back up into a bun, she noticed that her skin was glowing. She was visibly happier than she had been all week.
"Glad to see you're feeling better, professor!" a dark haired third year student had said in passing. Minerva smiled. Life was on the upswing.
That night, she returned to her room and sat down at her vanity table again, humming softly as she brushed her hair. It shined a bit in the soft light of her room, and made her big blue eyes shiny. She hardly noticed the shadowy figure that had entered silently into the room. A gloved hand rested on her shoulder, causing her to gasp and drop her brush.
"You frightened me!" she cried.
"You didn't do what I told you, Minerva," the man said. Minerva swallowed hard.
"I can't do that and you know it!" she spat back.
"You know what this means to me, Minerva," the voice continued, "You know what I can do if I get angry."
"Are you threatening me?" Minerva hissed, standing and turning to face the intruder. The man raised his hand but Minerva stood until he came across and hit her, sending her sprawling to the floor. A well-placed kick to the stomach followed and he knelt down and to take her face in his hand and forced her to look up at him as she gasped for breath and held her stomach. Her lip was bleeding a little, but he didn't seem to notice. He held a gold object in his hand and showed it to her.
"Take this. There is enough poison in this bauble to do the job. It dissolves in liquid. If I hear that you've told anyone or that you are evading me, I will make sure you regret the day you came here," the man threatened, fastening a gold chain with a small heart shaped locket charm on the end around Minerva's neck. The man backhanded Minerva one more time before disappearing into the night, leaving her sitting on the floor, covering her jaw with one hand and sobbing. For the past two weeks, this menace had been stalking her and trying to force her to comply with an evil plot to kill Albus Dumbledore. If she retaliated or refused, the man beat her, and he kept something she held dear hostage. He had spies everywhere, and nothing she did went without notice. She felt trapped, but she felt lucky that he hadn't brought up the fact that she had spent the night with him and failed to complete her mission.
The next night she tied the pale blue ribbon at the collar of her nightgown and braided her long hair in preparation for bed. It had been a satisfactory day. She had gone to Madam Pomfrey for help with her wounds from the night before, and thought that she had done a good enough job keeping it a secret, but she didn't know that someone had been watching that night. As Minerva snuggled into her bed, fingered the locket around her neck. She simply couldn't do it. She loved Albus! How could she simply poison him and let him die! She rose from her bed again, donned her green tartan bathrobe, and went to the window, throwing it open onto the night. She looked down. It was a long way to the ground and a light night breeze was blowing. She opened the locket and watched as the night wind gusted and blew the foul powder out of the locket. Feeling relieved, Minerva went back to bed. She could rest now, knowing that Albus would be in no danger from the poison.
When the sun warmed Minerva's eyes, she rolled over and something soft and fragrant met her senses. She awoke to find that her whole room had been scattered with spring roses. Beside her, sitting on the bed, was Albus, quietly watching her sleep and smiling softly when she looked over at him.
"You did this?" she whispered in delight. Albus leaned over and caressed her face with the blossom in his hand. She indulged the touch and sat up, letting Albus kiss her. It was going to be a wonderful Friday.
"In class today, we will be turning magpies into hand mirrors," said Minerva to her third year class. Most of the students sat up straighter and There were some bright ones in this bunch. No Hermione Grangers, of course, she was a successful fourth year now. Minerva was nonetheless proud of this group. There was one student in the bunch, Sky, who seemed to show great potential in transfiguration, an unusual characteristic for a Slytherin. Minerva caught herself stereotyping and pushed this out of her mind. She would have been proud of Sky no matter what house she was from. She smiled as the cawing magpie before Sky and her partner was silenced as it became a shiny mirror. Sky was an excellent candidate for her special Animagi lessons, and if she wasn't mistaken, she already had her animal picked out: a gray wolf. Particularly handy in cooler climates and mountainous areas.
That evening, clear, cool weather prompted Minerva to go for a sunset walk over the grounds. She rarely went for these walks alone, but today she needed to clear her head and that was best accomplished alone. As she strolled along, the wind began to pick up and a storm peeked over the horizon. The sun seemed to descend faster, seemed to sense the foreboding storm. It became dark faster than Minerva anticipated and she picked up the pace as she hurried back toward the castle. As she passed a large oak tree, a pair of hands reached out and pulled her back. She cried out in surprise as she was slammed up against the trunk of the tree. Her attacker had from the previous night had returned. He ripped the locket from her neck and opened it. She cried out as it dug into her neck and then snapped. The man opened the locket and peered inside. He looked back at Minerva with a look of purest rage.
"The poison is gone, yet Dumbledore lives," he growled, "You know what I said. You know what the consequences of failure are!" A stranger watched from the shadows, trying as hard as his rheumatism would allow to squeeze himself into a nook on the side of the castle, away from the wind. He watched as the hooded man threw McGonagall to the ground and beat her mercilessly. She screamed out for help, but he couldn't bring himself to go to her aid. What could he do? When the hooded man had gone, Minerva pulled herself up off the ground, using the tree for support and began to hobble back to the castle, the sole witness to her attack had fled into the night.
When Minerva reached the hospital wing, she could hardly take another step. Madam Pomfrey had been preparing to blow out the lamps for the night when Minerva leaned into the doorway for support.
"Poppy?" Minerva called, "Poppy, are you still awake?"
"Minerva!" she cried, rushing to her friend. Minutes later, Madam Pomfrey had her friend tucked into a bed and her bruises and cuts on the way to recovery. Gently, Pomfrey sat on the edge of Minerva's bed and gingerly applied a cold cloth to the bruises on Minerva's face.
"Minerva, what happened?" the nurse whispered.
"It's the strangest thing, really," she explained through a swollen lip, "I was taking my evening walk and I came too close to the whomping willow. Strange, I've never in all my years here have I gotten too close to that tree." Somehow, Pomfrey didn't believe her. Those bruises were a little too precise for her to have simply come to close to the willow. From the door, a mangy orange cat with lamp-like eyes watched and then bounded back to her master. Argus Filch sighed with relief when the cat returned, a happy twitch in her tail.
"Thank you, my sweet," he murmured, scratching Mrs. Norris behind her ears when she jumped into his arms. He disappeared down into the shadows again not entirely sure he had done everything he could for the Deputy Headmistress.
By the next morning, Minerva was feeling better, and had left the hospital wing in time for her first class. No one but Madam Pomfrey and, unbeknownst to her, Mr. Filch, knew that anything had ever happened. That afternoon, Albus invited her for a picnic lunch.
"I couldn't help but notice that you have been a bit distracted lately, Minerva. Is everything all right?" Albus asked. Minerva nodded, the gentle breeze rippling the brim of her hat.
"I told you, I got too close to the willow last night," Minerva said, taking another bite of her lunch.
"Are you sure that there's nothing else you want to tell me?" Albus asked, a little more serious. Minerva made eye contact before answering, "No, nothing."
A pleasant Saturday afternoon passed for Minerva like a dream. She spent nearly the whole day with Albus, talking, walking, and once in a while stealing a kiss. He caught her by surprise at one point, producing a handful of wildflowers and wrapping his arm around her. She had cringed when he touched her, something that she had never done before. Albus suspected that there was more to what was going on than his Deputy was letting on. In truth, Minerva feared what might be coming that night, but she returned to her bedroom anyway and for the first time all week, slept through the night.
Monday night came around and this time, Minerva saw the black hooded shadow as it forced its way into her room. She had just emerged from her bathroom, her long hair wound up and held in a clip and her tartan robe wrapped around her. She tried to stay out of the line of sight of the window, but it was too late, he had a hold of her and threw her backwards onto the bed, hitting her as she went down.
"All weekend!" he roared, "You had all weekend and plenty of opportunities to finish him!"
"I'm sorry! I just can't do it!" she shouted.
"You're in love with him, aren't you?" the intruder sneered. Minerva cringed as he raised his hand to her again. From outside the room, one could hear the sound made by a fist making contact with human flesh and Minerva screaming for help. This time, Argus could not keep quiet. He charged into the room and lunged at the attacker. The man was tall, but Argus still couldn't tell who he was attacking.
"I won't let you hurt her again!" Filch screamed as he came down on the man. Fearing discovery of his identity, the man fled, leaving Filch to ascertain how badly Minerva was hurt.
"Stay away! I can't do what you ask!" she shouted. Filch tried to calm her, but it did no good. She didn't recognize him. He tried to get closer to her, his arthritic hands outstretched to her. She continued to cry and back away, falling off the other side of the bed and landing with a thud on the floor before backing haphazardly into a corner and curling up in terror as she continued to scream, "Please, don't hurt me anymore! Leave me alone!" she was crying so hard that she coughed in between phrases, and her face was red. The clip that was holding her hair had snapped long ago and her hair was a mess of tangles down her back.
"What's going on in here!" shouted a voice. Filch turned around to face the angry eyes of Severus Snape. Terrified, he bolted from the room, leaving a stunned Professor Snape to try and piece together what had just happened. He spotted Minerva in the corner of the room, still cowering and sobbing and he hurried over to her. When she screamed for him to leave her alone, he took hold of her face as gently as he could and forced her to look at him.
"Minerva, it's me! Look at me, Minerva!" he cried. It only took her seconds to realize that it was a friend, even though her head was spinning and every major muscle group in her body ached. Snape sat down hard on the floor, the shoulders of the Deputy Headmistress in his large hands and his look softened. Minerva crumpled into a ball, sobbing harder than he had ever heard her cry. Carefully, he gathered her into his arms and rocked her a while, whispering and holding her close.
"Shhh. It's over now, Minerva. It's over.I'm here.shhhh. You're safe now," Snape said, smoothing her hair with one hand and the other securely wrapped around her shoulders. Softly, he kissed her head and leaned his cheek against it, trying in earnest to calm her. A full fifteen minutes passed before he dared to try to stand and lift her into his arms. Once he had her comfortably in his arms, he rushed to the hospital wing. He leaned his back against the double doors and pushed into the infirmary.
"Madam Pomfrey!" he shouted, "Poppy! Wake up!" A lamp flickered to life in Pomfrey's room and she quickly emerged, her pink robe tied around her waist and her hair tied back in a loose ponytail.
"What's happened?" he gasped as Snape laid Minerva down on the nearest bed.
"I heard shouting as I was patrolling the halls and found her curled up in the corner of her room. She's been beaten, Poppy," Snape recalled.
"By whom?" Pomfrey demanded.
"I'm not sure. I saw someone running from the room when I got there, but they're gone," Snape explained.
"I'll have to wake the headmaster," Poppy said.
"I'll do it," Snape said, disappearing out of the hospital wing. Minutes later, Dumbledore was at Minerva's bedside, holding her hand as she tossed and turned in fitful sleep. As all this was happening, Professor Snape was walking furiously down one corridor and then another. There was a very specific person he was looking for. He hit the third floor corridor and saw who he was after: Argus Filch. Filch froze when he saw Snape coming, his black robes billowing out behind him. Snape got a hold on Filch's coat and lifted him off the ground, adrenaline and anger making him stronger than he would otherwise be. He slammed Filch against the wall, disregarding the hideous crack that issued when the man's head hit the cold stone wall.
"Argus!" Snape growled through gritted teeth, "What an unpleasant surprise. Just what did you think you were doing in McGonagall's room tonight?"
"It wasn't me! I swear it wasn't me! I was trying to defend Minerva!" Filch gasped.
"Bullshit!" Snape shouted, "You're the one beating her, you filthy, slimy old squib!"
"I tell you there was another person! There's another man! He's the one that beat her before!" Filch cried.
"What do you mean, before?" cried Snape. No one knew about the night by the tree.
"I saw her out for a walk the night of that storm. A man in a black cloak accosted Minerva and beat her!" Filch shouted, "Put me down!" Snape only slammed him against the wall again.
"Tell me who it was then, Argus!" shouted Snape. It was more of a dare than a demand. Aside from being Quidditch cup rivals, Snape and McGonagall were actually good friends. They shared a mutual respect and admiration that many of the staff members either didn't know about, or mistaken for secret romance. Snape couldn't see himself as anything other than McGonagall's friend, and he didn't take kindly to any man who saw fit to beat a woman. Especially when that woman was a friend of his.
"I couldn't see! He wore a hood!" Filch shouted, knowing that although it was the truth, that it wouldn't pacify Severus Snape's curiosity. He was in deep trouble. Snape dragged the groundskeeper along the ground with him and threw him roughly into the smallest dungeon cell he had. Feeling much better, Snape returned to the hospital wing to see if Minerva was improving. Around the corner as Snape walked by was Minerva's favorite third year student, Sky. She had noticed the bruises that her teacher had been trying to hide and she was fuming with the thought that someone, whether it was Filch or not, was beating her favorite teacher. She meandered back to the Slytherin common room, determined to get to the bottom of what was happening.
Back in the hospital wing, Snape returned and joined Pomfrey and Dumbledore at McGonagall's bedside. It was plain that poor Poppy had been crying for her friend, and Albus still clung to Minerva's hand, occasionally kissing it and then her head.
"I was unable to find any clues, headmaster," Snape lied. He wanted to deal with Filch himself. He had a very small sneaking suspicion that Filch was innocent, but he didn't want to take the chance tonight.
"We will need a substitute teacher for Minerva for a few days. Possibly a week," said Dumbledore. Snape nodded.
"Would you like me to contact one, Albus?" he asked gently. Dumbledore shook his head.
"Thank you, Severus, but I know just the person for the job. I have a niece in London who's a talented healer and who just happens to love transfiguration," Dumbledore said.
"I'll stay with her if would like to go and call her, headmaster," said Snape. Dumbledore reluctantly rose from his chair. Snape placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, Albus, she's safe now." Dumbledore nodded, and went over to Minerva's side one more time. She awakened as he stroked her cheek and looked at him.
"I love you, Minerva," he whispered, softly kissing her lips. Neither Snape nor Pomfrey said a word as Dumbledore left the room and Snape took his place in the chair beside the bed.
Back in his office, which seemed cold and gray without the light of the lamps, Albus managed to locate his floo powder and threw some into the fire, "Danielle Dumbledore!" he said plainly. When Albus' face appeared in her fireplace, the young woman on the other end of the connection gasped in surprise.
"Uncle Albus!" she cried, "I was going to send you an owl in the morning! I finally managed to transfigure my Swedish Horn Snout into one of those muggle Volkswagens and back again! I was so proud!" she cried.
"I'm afraid the reason I call upon you tonight is not very pleasant, Danielle," said Albus. Suddenly, the aging wizard had his niece's complete and undivided attention. He told her about Minerva, and about the attacks and the events of that night. He explained that he would need a substitute teacher, and Danielle readily agreed.
"I'll come tonight, Uncle Albus. Professor McGonagall is my mentor. If I ever get my hands on the rotten, miserable, no-good."
"Danielle!"
"Sorry, Uncle Albus," she apologized shyly, "I'm on my way." When the fire went out, Danielle threw her black and green cloak about her shoulders and scooped her large black cat into her arms.
"Come on, Smokey, we've got a job to do," Danielle said, backing him into his carrier and strapping it into the harness on her broom before kicking off from the ground and pointing her broom toward Hogwart's.
By the next morning, Danielle was ready to take McGonagall's place. Her students filled the familiar classroom and settled into their places, quieting themselves as they noticed a new teacher at the front of the room.
"Good morning, class. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there has been an unfortunate turn of events, and Professor McGonagall will not be teaching for about a week. While she is recovering, I will be her substitute. Ma'am will do in a pinch, but I prefer." she flicked her wand toward the board and a piece of chalk glided into the air and wrote the words, Professor Dumbledore on the board.
"What are you playing at!" cried a student near the front, "There's only one Professor Dumbledore here!"
"I am the headmaster's niece. I assure you that I am quite capable of performing the necessary lessons for the good professor in her absence. Now, as I understand it, you are still working on changing tropical fish into floating candles. You have all the materials you need. Begin!" Danielle replied. The students left quietly at the end of the period, several glancing back to look at her, and one even waved. Sky wandered up to Danielle's desk and timidly spoke up.
"Do you remember me? I was.." Sky didn't even finish, because young Professor Dumbledore was already standing and coming around the desk to hug her.
"Of course I do! We met at a Quidditch workshop two years ago!" Danielle cried. She and Sky talked all the way down to the Great Hall for lunch.
Later that day, after classes were finished, Danielle wandered down to the hospital wing to see her favorite teacher.
"Professor McGonagall?" Danielle called timidly. She found Minerva sitting up in bed and playing Professor Dumbledore in a game of chess. When Albus looked up, he shepherded his niece over and re-introduced teacher and student.
"It's so good of you to come on such short notice, Danielle," said Minerva.
"It feels good to be back at Hogwart's, professor. I just came to let you know how well lessons went today and to plan with you what should be done for tomorrow if you're feeling up to it," Danielle said. Albus rose from his chair and kissed his niece's head and then Minerva's.
"I'll leave you two to finish your lesson plans. Send word when you're finished, Minerva. This game isn't over," Albus said, winking at her. She smiled back and patted his hand. Danielle sat down on the edge of the bed and the two spent the rest of the afternoon planning and choosing lessons for the week. Danielle could feel that there was something about the whole incident that she wasn't saying, but she knew she had to find out.
That night, Minerva was awakened by a hand over her mouth. He was back.
"I see your precious friends have come to your rescue again, but tell me, Minerva, who will come to your sister's aid? Or your brother's?" the voice growled. Minerva's eyes turned fearful. Her younger sister and brother were her only family. When all this had started, he had threatened to kill them both if Minerva failed.
"No!" Minerva whispered, "Oh, please no! You stay away from them!"
"Or you'll what?" he said, tightening his grip on Minerva's arm. She winced but didn't cry out, "Perhaps I need to give you a little example of what I can do," said the man, disappearing as quickly as he had come.
"No!" Minerva cried, sitting up, "No! Oh please, no!" but there was nothing she could do. Her tormenter was gone.
The next morning, Danielle opened her copy of the Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper, to a startling headline:
HOGWART'S PROFESSOR BEATEN; PERPETRATOR STILL AT LARGE
"Oh my!" Danielle gasped as she sank into her seat at the table. Albus came into the Great Hall soon after and gently kissed his niece on the head.
"Anything exciting, my dear?" he asked whimsically. Then he looked over her shoulder to see the headline. There was a picture in the article of Professor McGonagall from the school archives tucked into the article, and buried in the middle of the article was Minerva's deepest fear, ".Ministry officials confirmed just this morning that Professor McGonagall's only brother, Faunus McGonagall, was found brutally murdered in his home last night. The Ministry speculates that the attacks on Minerva McGonagall could be connected." Danielle swiftly lost her appetite. She rose from her place and made for the hospital wing, her Uncle Albus on her heels.
They could hear her wailing for floors above and below the hospital wing. She had already read the article, and by the time Albus and Danielle reached her, her head was in her hands, and her shoulders were shaking so hard that it made it hard for her to breathe.
"My brother! Oh, God, my brother!" she sobbed, "My baby brother.is dead! Oh Albus! Albus, what am I going to do? Faunus.my brother!" she couldn't seem to complete a coherent sentence. She willingly buried her face in Albus' shoulder and continued to sob, Albus beginning to cry himself. He held Minerva close and tried to comfort her, but it did no good.
"I've.I've never felt so awful in my life!" she sobbed. This was all her fault. If she had completed the mission and murdered the only man she ever loved, her brother would still be alive. She could have found love again, but her brother was irreplaceable. This was a pain worse than death. "Why didn't they kill me? What did Faunus ever do to anyone? He was such a dear, simple man! Oh God, Albus!" she wailed. Danielle, through her own tears, made a suggestion.
"Uncle Albus, could we bring her sister here, to Hogwart's? She would be safe here," Danielle said, "I'll go and bring her myself!" Albus nodded and Danielle raced down the hall to make the arrangements. By sunset, Ceres, the last of the three McGonagall siblings, was safe at Hogwart's.
After transfiguration that day, Sky came running to Danielle's desk.
"Did you read this crap!?" she yelled.
"Yes, Sky, I did. And it just doesn't make sense to me," Danielle replied, "Who would be doing this and why? Why use Professor McGonagall? Wait.they're not really after her at all!" said Danielle.
"What do you mean?" asked a new voice. Harry Potter and his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were walking in the door.
"We heard about what happened to Professor McGonagall and what happened to her brother," said Ron.
"We want to know what you know," said Hermione.
"And what we can do to help," said an angry Harry, slamming a copy of the Daily Prophet onto the desk.
"Do you have any clues? You already know as much as I do," Danielle replied.
"We know that Filch has been walking wide circles around Professor Snape," said Hermione.
"But we also know that Snape was the one that found Professor McGonagall on Monday night," said Danielle.
"This calls for some undercover work. Let me see what else I can dig up before you go gung-ho, kids," Danielle said. All present company agreed, and the students left for lunch, none of them really hungry, but anxious to get to the bottom of the mystery.
The next morning, Danielle sent Harry, Ron and Hermione to the library to look through the past issues of the Prophet for clues. Minerva had insisted that she was well enough to teach again, and her students were overjoyed to have her back. Danielle had asked to stay on at Hogwart's until the mystery was solved and Dumbledore had agreed.
Sky was listening in a little more closely to conversations in the common room, and Severus was still keeping a close eye on Filch. All things considered, Minerva couldn't have been more safe. Right?
With Ceres there, Minerva seemed to flourish. She adored having her sister there, and as the days went on, things started to get better. She still had nightmares of what it would have been like to be there when her brother was killed, and as a result, she got less sleep for a while.
Nearly a week had passed before Danielle and the kids got together again. Beneath the shade of a tall oak tree, they shared what they had found.
"Nothing in the common rooms. Professor Snape is being tight lipped about the whole thing," said Sky.
"All we can find in the paper is vague references to an unnamed death eater who may be planning to off Dumbledore," said Hermione.
"The Gryffindors are quiet about it too. They're worried about McGonagall," said Harry.
"Well, if Filch is telling the truth and he really was protecting McGonagall, then it must be this unknown death eater," said Ron.
"It's almost too touchy to talk to McGonagall about myself. I don't want to pry, and she seems to scared to tell anyone, even Uncle Albus," said Danielle, "Come on, there's going to be a storm here soon." She shooed the kids inside and returned to her room to shut the windows. It was going to be a long night. As the thunderheads crackled and boomed in the distance, Danielle wondered idly if the Quidditch game scheduled for the next day, a Saturday, would be canceled because of the wet conditions. The rain began to come down, and unless the lightning flashed just right, a man dressed in black was dragging a woman in wizard's robes across the lawn. She was fighting him terribly, but he held her fast, a rope was bound tightly around her wrists, and he pulled her along roughly. She fought not to trip and fall on the slippery grass in her bare feet, and her captor was showing little mercy.
"I warned you that you would pay if you didn't fulfill your mission!" the man shouted, his hood plastered like an executioner's hood. He dragged her to a tree and threw her down on the ground. So this was how it was to end.
"No!" Minerva cried, shivering with cold and gasping for breath, "Please, no! Don't do this, please!"
"Silence!" the man bellowed, "I should have just done in the old man myself!"
"I would have stopped you!" Minerva screamed daringly, "I won't let you hurt him!"
High up in the castle, Danielle could hear faint shouting. She wasn't sure where it was from, but she knew she needed to go and find out what it was. She tied her cloak securely around her shoulders and pulled up the hood. She tucked her wand into her pocket and ran for the Slytherins' dungeon common room.
Minerva's captor threw one end of the rope up and over a high tree branch and pulled, jerking Minerva into the air, not far off the ground, but far enough so that she couldn't touch the ground. In one swift movement, he ripped the back of Minerva's nightgown, laying her back open to the elements. Minerva screamed her fear to the heedless night, sure that help was nowhere to be found and would never come.
Danielle tiptoed to the Slytherin girls dormitory and woke Sky.
"What's going on?" she whispered.
"Get dressed, quick! Bring your wand and come with me!" Danielle hissed back, returning to the common room to wait.
"What's happening?" Sky asked again.
"Shh! Just come. I think Professor McGonagall's in trouble!" Danielle said. The girls dashed down the corridors and bounded out into the open ended courtyard that lead to the forest. The storm hit them with its full fury. They had a hard time keeping their eyes open against the wind and rain, but when the lightning flashed, they could see the man, and could see helpless Professor McGonagall hanging by her hands from the tree. Sky screamed and Danielle wrapped her cloak around her young friend in an effort to stifle the sound. When the man in the distance didn't react, they tiptoed along the edge of the castle, slowly getting closer to the scene. They were squinting to see their next step away from the castle when they heard the hiss and crack of a whip. Sky had to physically restrain Danielle, who wanted more than anything to tie this man to a tree herself and beat every bruise, every cut, and every heart-wrenching sob of her poor teacher into his arrogant body. Danielle's hood flew back and the rain drenched her hair, but she took hold of Sky's cloak and pulled her along, charging toward the scene.
Suddenly, there was a rumble of footsteps. Danielle and Sky stopped in their tracks and this time, both nearly screamed as Minerva took one lashing after the other and when the lightning flashed, a very big, very angry Hagrid stepped from the forest. Minerva screamed after each lash, afraid that if she stopped, she may not make another sound for the rest of her life.
"Come on! Hurry!" Danielle screamed, once again pulling Sky along. They watched as Hagrid took hold of the whip as the man wound up and pulled on it. The man flew backwards into Hagrid's arms.
"I-WON'-LET-YOU-HURT-HER-EVER-AGAIN!" Hagrid roared, picking the man up and looking him in the face.
"Hagrid wait!" A voice bellowed from the castle doors. Dumbledore and Snape were running across the rain-soaked yard toward the fray, but Hagrid wasn't listening. The man's hood flew back when Hagrid hoisted him into the air and when the lightning flashed again, Sky recognized who she was seeing.
"It's Lucius Malfoy! He was the death eater that the Ministry's been looking for!" Sky shouted. As Danielle ran, she lost her grip on Sky's cloak. She kept running, determined to get to Professor McGonagall, but nearly tripped and fell when she heard a growl and then a determined howl. From behind her bounded a sleek, silver-gray wolf. The long claws of the animal dug into the ground and provided traction, and Danielle recognized the creature's eyes in the subsequent flash of light. It was Sky! She had succeeded in becoming her Animagus creature! Barking and growling, Sky lunged at Lucius, tugging on his cloak. When that didn't work, and Hagrid slammed his victim up against the tree, Sky backed away, still barking and snarling. Minerva had stopped moving, and by the time Danielle, Albus and Severus arrived at the scene, Hagrid had already hit Malfoy once, and was winding up to hit him again. The thunder was deafening, and between the claps and booms of the thunder, the crackle of the lightning, the howling wind and pounding rain, they could hear Hagrid roaring his anger into the man before him.
"HOW-DARE-YOU!!" Hagrid screamed, "HOW DARE YOU HIT A LADY! HOW DARE YOU HURT OUR PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL! So 'elp me God you better 'ope I don' catch ya on these grounds again!" Danielle ran toward her uncle and ran smack into an invisible barrier. She picked herself up off the ground to find Harry, Ron and Hermione pulling off the invisibility cloak that Harry's father had left him.
"Are you all right?!" Harry cried, helping her up.
"I'm fine! But Professor McGonagall needs our help! Quick! I need to borrow your cloak!" Danielle shouted above the driving rain. Harry surrendered it as he and his friends pulled the hoods of their school cloaks over their heads and ran after her.
Danielle reached the tree, its trunk shaking from the beating that Malfoy was taking, and gasped in shock as a large gray streak bounded up beside her.
"We have to get her down from there!" Danielle shouted. There was a low branch on the other side of the tree, and Sky easily jumped up and began to jump from branch to branch until she reached the one that the rope was tied to. Danielle cautiously sneaked over and stood beside Minerva, holding her so that Sky could cut through the rope. Severus caught on and, camouflaged by the night, he joined her there. Minerva was unconscious, and when Sky chewed through the rope, Minerva fell limply into Snape's arms. Danielle helped him wrap his cloak around her, and Severus turned and ran with her back to the castle.
"Great going, Sky!" Danielle shouted, "Come down!" It didn't look too high from where Sky was standing, and the adrenaline rush she was feeling made her certain that she could do anything. She turned the other way and watched as Hagrid shook Malfoy and slammed him against the trunk of the tree again. Sky lost her footing on the slippery bark of the tree and fell, coming down just as Hagrid's hand was coming across to hit his enemy. Sky flew to one side and hit the ground. Danielle screeched when she saw Sky hit the ground hard. She fought to get back up but found that her left front leg was burning with pain. She whimpered and howled in confusion, her animal instincts clamoring with her human mind for control.
"Uncle Albus!" Danielle screamed, running to him, "You take one, I'll take the other!" Wizard and witch both pointed their wands and shouted, "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!!" and both Hagrid and Lucius Malfoy crashed to the ground, frozen in mid-swing. Danielle rushed over and lifted the injured wolf into her arms. Danielle was not only an amazing transfiguration witch, she was also a well-trained game keeper and dragon trainer. She took Sky and hurried back to the castle. Harry, Ron and Hermione were still watching the scene, none wanting to leave just in case. The kids ventured forward and helped Albus lift the pair into the air and guide them back to the castle.
"Locomotor Hagrid!" Dumbledore cried as the giant game keeper floated gracefully into the air. By the time Dumbledore reached the hospital wing, Hagrid and Sky were recovering from their injuries, but he didn't see Danielle, Severus or, more importantly, Minerva.
"Uncle Albus!" Danielle cried, walking briskly into the hospital wing, "Uncle Albus, come with me!" She was carrying Fawkes on her arm, and she tugged his sleeve with the other. He followed her to the other side of the castle, where lamp light shown from beneath Minerva's bedroom door. They proceeded softly inside and shut the door. Professor Snape's cloak was on the floor, drenched from the rain, and he had tucked Minerva under the covers of her bed. She was laying on her side, and Severus had gently coaxed her awake. She was in a mind numbing amount of pain, and Severus fought not to grit his teeth as he observed the bleeding marks on her back. When he saw that Danielle and Albus had arrived, he swiftly left to deal with Lucius Malfoy. He knew of a wall in the third floor corridor that had this wretched, miserable low-life's name on it. He knew that Hagrid had already pounded his own anger into the man, but that was going to be nothing compared to what Severus had in store for him.
Danielle and Albus worked quickly to bring Fawkes to Minerva so that his tears could heal her wounds. Gently, Danielle helped to remove Minerva's wet clothes and Albus supervised the Phoenix's work to be certain that he didn't accidentally scratch her with his sharp talons or beak. They made progress and an hour later, they had Minerva's long hair brushed out and braided, and they added another blanket to the bed to keep her extra toasty warm. Albus pulled the covers up over her and kissed her before climbing up and sitting beside her on the bed. Danielle folded Minerva's tartan robe, now dry, and quietly left them alone. As she walked through the breezeway to Dumbledore's office with Fawkes on her arm, she stopped to feel the cool breeze blowing on her face. When she opened her eyes, she saw the most breathtaking sunrise she had ever seen.
"It's all over, Fawkes," Danielle sighed, stroking the phoenix's fire colored feathers, "It's finally over."
The thud of footsteps invaded her thoughts. She looked over and Sky came running up, her arm good as new.
"How's McGonagall?" she asked, stopping to catch her breath.
"She's going to be okay," Danielle said, a tear slipping down her cheek.
"Harry, Ron and Hermione said that the Ministry officials are on their way to come and arrest Lucius Malfoy. Draco is beyond ballistic, but Professor Snape threatened expulsion if he tried anything stupid," said Sky. Danielle nodded, wrapping her free arm around her friend.
"What a beautiful sunrise.we don't see many like that around here anymore," said Sky.
"Yeah, maybe that's our problem. We spend too much time waiting for the sunrise. We have to make our own sunrise," Danielle said as Harry, Hermione and Ron arrived and stood with them.
Back in Gryffindor Tower, Albus, unable to sleep, sat awake and watched the sun stretching and lifting from its hiding place. He looked down at Minerva, finally, truly safe, and continued to gently stroke her hair as she slept.
"I love you so much, Minerva," Albus said in a whisper so soft it was barely audible, "I don't know what I would have done if you had died." He noticed that Minerva's pretty face wore a fragile, calm smile as she slept. He had a feeling that she had heard him, and it warmed his heart.
Sleepily, Minerva blinked her eyes open and reached her hand out from beneath the covers. Albus immediately took it, and kissed it.
"Am I dreaming? Have I died and gone to some elaborate heaven?" Minerva murmured. Albus' eyes welled once again with tears and he shook his head.
"No, my love. You are very much alive, and I thank my God every minute for it," he said, cupping her face in one hand and kissing her.
Not far away, the sun's reflection reaches the lake and makes it sparkle as birds awaken and take to the skies. The nocturnal creatures of the night slink away back to their dens, and the warmth of day brings life to the grounds surrounding the castle. A new day is here.