Author's Notes:
Thanks to all of you who has reviewed this story. We hope the the first two
chapters are better 'readable' this time.
Chapter 5: A Change of Plans
Minerva's fingers began to tremble. 'Whats this about?' she thought. Noticing her pale face Sheila asked, "Whats the matter, Minerva? Are you feeling okay? Did you receive bad news or anything?"
"I'll tell you later", Minerva whispered back. She didn't want the whole team to know. First she would talk about this with Sheila.
After breakfast was over, they went to Sheila's Office and Minerva showed her the letter. "We have to tell Shaun", Sheila said eventually, "This is odd".
"Let s wait for a while", Minerva replied, "maybe it just a joke or a one- time thing."
Sheila thought of Shaun and how dedicated he was to the Project. She knew he cared for this research very much and events like this could ruin all his work. After a moment she nodded. "All right, we will wait a week, but not a day longer. If there comes another letter, we ll tell him immediately. This is about your safety as well".
Next morning, during breakfast, Minerva couldn't eat to save her life. Full of anticipation she awaited the post. Finally the owls flew in. One of them dropped an envelope on her lap. This one to was addressed with an unfamiliar handwriting. Minerva caught Sheila's and nodded.
*** "You should have told me this yesterday", Shaun said while looking gravely at the two letters. "This is serious. I need to take safety precessions."
Minerva nodded, "I was afraid so. I'm glad you take this serious'
*** At the first day of December Minerva walked on the corridor when she heard someone call her name. It was Shaun.
"I need to talk to you", he said looking gravely. Minerva followed him to his Office. On his desk she saw a whole pile of letters. In the past two weeks she had received over twenty threatening letters.
"Listen", Shaun began, "I know you are planning on returning to Hogwarts for the holidays in a fortnight, but I don't think that's wise, considering the circumstances".
Minerva looked at him in horror. How could he do this to her? Going home at Christmas was the only thing that had kept her going over the past months.
"You can t be serious", she said in a trembling voice.
Shaun shook his head. "I m sorry Minerva, but I'm very concerned about these letters. They've become more and more threatening You can't go to England all by yourself. It's too dangerous. I won't allow it. I'm sorry".
Minerva nodded defeated. She felt more devastated then ever. Once inside her own room she collapsed in her chair. 'Jane, I need to talk to Jane', she thought and walked to the fireplace. Luckily, Jane was in her Office.
"Hey", she said surprised when she saw Minerva's head appear in the fire. She pulled her chair to the fire and sat down. "You look tired", she said worried.
Minerva drew a deep breath. "I have bad news. I can't come back with Christmas..."
After Minerva had disappeared , Jane rose and headed for Albus' Office. She felt the anger rise inside her. 'Why did they have to have her?' she thought angrily and a bit unreasonably. 'She's receiving threatening notes for Merlin's sake!. What in the world is Albus going to say?'
"Hello Albus", she greeted him when she entered his Office, trying to smile.
"What's the matter?" Albus asked.
"Well..." Jane stammered, "She... I mean Minerva, she's... notcominghomeforChristmas".
"What?" Albus asked again. "Could you say that again and understandable this time?"
"Minerva is not coming home for Christmas", Jane said timidly.
Albus jumped up. "She WHAT?" he roared. "What do you mean she's not coming home for Christmas? She promised to come! She HAS to come!"
"Don't you think I know that", Jane answered back, her own voice rising slightly. "But she received threatening letters for the past two weeks and now she isn't allowed to leave Finland for her own safety".
Albus snapped completely. "How do you mean threatening letters? Why didn't she tell me about that? She's in great danger!"
He sat down behind his desk again and tried to control himself. He looked forwards so much to seeing her again, and now, two weeks before she was supposed to come home she couldn't make it. He felt sick with worry.
"She was so upset", Jane said softly. "She just told me. Oh Albus, you should have seen her. She was crying. I don't think she has had one decent night of sleep since this whole thing started".
'You're not really helping here, Jane', Albus thought, his worry increasing.
"I will talk to Shaun Fitzgerald", he said eventually, "I'll get her home for Christmas, even if it's the last thing I do".
After Jane had left he took a photo frame from one of the bookshelves. The picture in it was taken a few years ago and all the teachers where in it. Poppy and Jane stood next to each other, while Snape looked surly into the camera. He stood in the middle, his arm wrapped around Minerva. He looked at the picture for a long time, realising once again how much he missed her.
Chapter 5: A Change of Plans
Minerva's fingers began to tremble. 'Whats this about?' she thought. Noticing her pale face Sheila asked, "Whats the matter, Minerva? Are you feeling okay? Did you receive bad news or anything?"
"I'll tell you later", Minerva whispered back. She didn't want the whole team to know. First she would talk about this with Sheila.
After breakfast was over, they went to Sheila's Office and Minerva showed her the letter. "We have to tell Shaun", Sheila said eventually, "This is odd".
"Let s wait for a while", Minerva replied, "maybe it just a joke or a one- time thing."
Sheila thought of Shaun and how dedicated he was to the Project. She knew he cared for this research very much and events like this could ruin all his work. After a moment she nodded. "All right, we will wait a week, but not a day longer. If there comes another letter, we ll tell him immediately. This is about your safety as well".
Next morning, during breakfast, Minerva couldn't eat to save her life. Full of anticipation she awaited the post. Finally the owls flew in. One of them dropped an envelope on her lap. This one to was addressed with an unfamiliar handwriting. Minerva caught Sheila's and nodded.
*** "You should have told me this yesterday", Shaun said while looking gravely at the two letters. "This is serious. I need to take safety precessions."
Minerva nodded, "I was afraid so. I'm glad you take this serious'
*** At the first day of December Minerva walked on the corridor when she heard someone call her name. It was Shaun.
"I need to talk to you", he said looking gravely. Minerva followed him to his Office. On his desk she saw a whole pile of letters. In the past two weeks she had received over twenty threatening letters.
"Listen", Shaun began, "I know you are planning on returning to Hogwarts for the holidays in a fortnight, but I don't think that's wise, considering the circumstances".
Minerva looked at him in horror. How could he do this to her? Going home at Christmas was the only thing that had kept her going over the past months.
"You can t be serious", she said in a trembling voice.
Shaun shook his head. "I m sorry Minerva, but I'm very concerned about these letters. They've become more and more threatening You can't go to England all by yourself. It's too dangerous. I won't allow it. I'm sorry".
Minerva nodded defeated. She felt more devastated then ever. Once inside her own room she collapsed in her chair. 'Jane, I need to talk to Jane', she thought and walked to the fireplace. Luckily, Jane was in her Office.
"Hey", she said surprised when she saw Minerva's head appear in the fire. She pulled her chair to the fire and sat down. "You look tired", she said worried.
Minerva drew a deep breath. "I have bad news. I can't come back with Christmas..."
After Minerva had disappeared , Jane rose and headed for Albus' Office. She felt the anger rise inside her. 'Why did they have to have her?' she thought angrily and a bit unreasonably. 'She's receiving threatening notes for Merlin's sake!. What in the world is Albus going to say?'
"Hello Albus", she greeted him when she entered his Office, trying to smile.
"What's the matter?" Albus asked.
"Well..." Jane stammered, "She... I mean Minerva, she's... notcominghomeforChristmas".
"What?" Albus asked again. "Could you say that again and understandable this time?"
"Minerva is not coming home for Christmas", Jane said timidly.
Albus jumped up. "She WHAT?" he roared. "What do you mean she's not coming home for Christmas? She promised to come! She HAS to come!"
"Don't you think I know that", Jane answered back, her own voice rising slightly. "But she received threatening letters for the past two weeks and now she isn't allowed to leave Finland for her own safety".
Albus snapped completely. "How do you mean threatening letters? Why didn't she tell me about that? She's in great danger!"
He sat down behind his desk again and tried to control himself. He looked forwards so much to seeing her again, and now, two weeks before she was supposed to come home she couldn't make it. He felt sick with worry.
"She was so upset", Jane said softly. "She just told me. Oh Albus, you should have seen her. She was crying. I don't think she has had one decent night of sleep since this whole thing started".
'You're not really helping here, Jane', Albus thought, his worry increasing.
"I will talk to Shaun Fitzgerald", he said eventually, "I'll get her home for Christmas, even if it's the last thing I do".
After Jane had left he took a photo frame from one of the bookshelves. The picture in it was taken a few years ago and all the teachers where in it. Poppy and Jane stood next to each other, while Snape looked surly into the camera. He stood in the middle, his arm wrapped around Minerva. He looked at the picture for a long time, realising once again how much he missed her.