Wow, so many reviews. This is great. And yes, he's going to Finland and Charles Winwood is the 'bad guy'.
petriebird18:
He has to go with the Knight bus, because if he could simply apparate, or go through the fireplace, he would have done that before. Then Minerva could go back to Hogwarts to Christmas by apparating, or the Floo- network. And that's the point, she can't, so they are force to sit home and feel lonely (grins evily) and that will make the end so much fluffier J
Chapter 8: The TraitorAlbus knocked against the door of the office of Filius Flitwick. The small man opened. "Good evening headmaster, what can I do for you?" he asked in his high voice.
"Filius, you are deputy headmaster of Hogwarts, I am going to Finland", Albus announced.
"It's about bloody time!" Filius exclaimed.
Albus stared at him bewildered. "How do you mean?"
The Charms Teacher grinned and answered, "Go to Finland and don't dare to come home without her".
***
Minerva was reading on her bed and glanced occasionally at the mantle clock on her desk. She had watched Charles Winwood closely over the passed two weeks. She'd tried to be as careful as possible, but she got the feeling he began to suspect something. 'If I want to prove that he is the one who is sending the treating letters, I'll have to hurry', she thought.
In the past days she had formed a plan. And tonight, at midnight she planned on carrying out that plan.
Finally the mantle clock called midnight. Minerva rose. She pulled on her robes and her wand. She disillusioned herself and watched as her body became like transparent.
Quietly she opened the door of her room and walked into the corridor. She knew she had to be very careful. Even thought she was invisible now, people could still her. But her animagusform was a cat for a reason and quietly she walked to Shaun's office.
Once her eyes had got used to the darkness she clearly saw shadows moving in his Office. Carefully she opened the door and looked inside. Charles sat kneeled down in front of the fireplace, which burned low. In the fire lay the face of an man she didn't know.
"Did you manage to get rid of this McGonagall person?" the man in the fire asked.
"Not yet", Charles answered. "But it won't be long before Shaun realises that it's her fault the Project is bombarded with threatening letters and sends her away.
"Be quick", the strange man said, "before Albus Dumbledore sticks his long nose in things that aren't his business.
Minerva held her breath. What in Merlin's name was going on here?
At that same moment one of the stuffed bull's heads on the wall started to howl. The face in the fire disappeared and Charles turned around as quick as the lightning. He pointed his wand towards Minerva and said 'Finite Incantantum!"
Minerva felt she was no longer disillusioned. She pulled out her own wand and yelled "Expelliarmus!"
But Charles was a bit quicker then her and she felt her own wand flew from her hand. Charles catched it.
"How did you know I was here?" Minerva asked who had only one thing on her mind now. 'Buy time as much as possible'.
Charles pointed at the stuffed animal heads on the wall. "They've watched you for the past four months and warned me that you where in here".
"Are you the one that has send me all those treating letters?" Minerva asked.
Charles nodded. "Everything was according to plan", he said, his voice full of hate. This whole team was doing the dirty work, while I told everything to my comrades in Russia. Everything was going great, until you came here. Albus Dumbledore's girlfriend. We knew what was going to happen. Within a few months Dumbledore would figure out what was going on here, because you told him everything.
I had to make sure that you would leave as soon as possible. I thought a few of those letters would do the trick, but oh no, not you. You stayed were you where. And in the mean time, you told Dumbledore everything that was going on here…"
"You're wrong", Minerva interrupted, "I haven't spoken to Albus for months".
Charles laughed coldly. "That's what I found out two weeks ago. I must say it surprised me. I expected he cared more for you".
Minerva's eyes filled with tears. 'So did I', she thought sadly.
Charles lifted his wand. "But who knows", he whispered with an almost insane expression in his eyes, "perhaps he shows a bit more feeling when they find you dead tomorrow…"
Minerva stepped back. 'I have to do something', she thought desperately, 'something, anything'. Without looking she grabbed behind her and her fingers closed around an stone vase. With all her might she threw the vase towards Charles' head.
On the exact same moment Charles screamed "Oxygortactum!" A flash of red light shoot from his wand and hit Minerva full in her stomach. She doubled up and felt as if all the air had been knocked from her body.
The vase hit Charles head and he screamed in pain.
Minerva felt to her knees, her arms wrapped around her waist. Desperately she tried to breath in some air, but it felt like her lungs had stopped working. The room started to spin in front of her. Through the haze she saw Charles walking towards her. Blood was streaming from a wound on his forehead, but he looked determined and pointed his wand towards her.
Then everything around her went black.
***
'I will never, ever travel with the Knight Bus again, Albus swore angrily. It was half past midnight and he had just arrived half an hour later then planned at the manor. 'Unbelievable, a Snogger in the Knight Bus', he continued to mutter. Snoggers were big birds, with enormous, fluffy feathers. They adored cuddling, and hugging, but could become rather… rough.
The Snogger in the Knight Bus has gone positively wild when he saw all those people and had began to hug everyone with great enthusiasm. Within seconds everyone had panicked. A few wizards had tried to stun the bird, but it had no effect whatsoever. Apart from the fact that the Snogger had started to moult. In the end the creature had delayed him for half an hour.
Well, anyway, he was here now. And in a few minutes he would see Minerva again. Although, it was past midnight, she was probably already asleep. Albus quickly removed some feathers from his beard and rang the doorbell.
Sheila opened the door. "Professor Dumbledore, how nice to see you", she greeted him warmly.
"I'm glad to be here", he answered, 'and please, call me Albus", he added.
"I shall asked the house- elf to fetch Minerva", Sheila told him and disappeared.
A few minutes later she returned. "Minerva will be here in a second". Albus was just being introduced to Shaun when the house- elf walked up to them cautiously.
"Where's Professor McGonagall, Trimble?" Sheila asked.
Trimble's enormous ears started to tremble. "Professor McGonagall is not at her room… Her… her… bed is empty", the poor elf stammered.
Albus felt as if someone had punched him. Shaun and Sheila had gone very pale too.
Albus thought quickly. "Where's your office?" he asked Shaun.
"Second floor, left corridor, third door", Shaun replied immediately. Without saying anything further, Albus pulled his wand from his pocket and stormed upstairs. He threw the door open and overlooked the scene in one second.
Minerva was on her knees near the wall, gasping for breath. A man with a blood covered face was walking towards her, his wand pointed at her.
Albus jumped in front of her and yelled: Expelliarmus.
Charles who didn't expect this, staggered backwards while his wand flew from his hand.
Albus catched the wand, while pointing his own wand at Charles. 'Stumpfey!" he said clearly and Charles felt to the floor, unconscious.
Shaun and Sheila, who had come right after him, tied him and Shaun levitated him downstairs.
Albus turned around and knelt down besides Minerva. She was as pale as a sheet and breathed in short, difficult gaps. He took her in his arms. "Minerva, are you all right?" he asked worried.
She looked at him through misty eyes. "Albus?" Se whispered disbelievingly.
"Sh, it's all right sweetheart, I'm here", he answered gently. Carefully he lifted her. "You need to get to the hospital wing as soon as possible". Minerva nodded and muttered something he couldn't make out. Her eyes felt close and she drifted of to sleep, her head resting against his shoulder.
Albus carried her to the hospital wing and laid her down on one of the beds. A healer examined her, while he watched closely.
"It's not that bad", the witch said eventually. "That spell hit her pretty hard, but she's a tough one. She'll get trough it". Se whispered a few spells and Albus saw she was breathing more easily now.
"Let her sleep", the witch suggested, "that will cure here like nothing else will".
Albus nodded. "But I will stay with her", he said in a tone of voice that didn't allow any arguments.
"As you wish", the witch replied. When she had left, Albus drew a chair out of the air and sat down next to her. He grasped her hand and caressed her hair. "Sweet dreams", he said softly, "I'll stay with you. I won't leave you again".