St. Mungo
Minerva McGonagall had no time to muse about the strange wizard that had ambled into Hogwarts as if doing so was the easiest thing on earth. She did bother about the fact that he had been able to break the wards, but her day was so busy that she just could not do anything about it. Only after curfew, when all the students were off to bed and only those taking their OWLs in Astronomy were still up, doing their best at the exam, did she have time to contemplate the events of the afternoon.
Who was the white-haired wizard?, she wondered, stepping up to her window and staring into the cool night. How come he had appeared so suddenly at Hogwarts? Why didn't she know of him? He was very powerful, at least as powerful as Dumbledore, and yet he was not known in the wizarding community. Where had he come from?
She regretted the fact that she had not had enough time to talk to him and find out more. It was a shame that he had been brought to Azkaban, and that he didn't just escape -he certainly had the powers to enable him to do so- was a puzzle to her. Just then, she noticed a group of six people approaching Hagrid's cabin, and her thoughts were drawn away from Gandalf to the more urgent question of what was going on at Hagrid's cabin.
Something told her that those people were up to no good, but she hesitated to intervene before she knew more. Just then, the door to the hut burst open to a loud BANG and Minerva could hear Hagrid roar with anger, as he brandished his fists at the six people surrounding him and sending stunners at him.
In a flash, Minerva was at her door and through it. She hastened along the corridors of Hogwarts, indignation and outrage coursing through her. How dare they attack Hagrid like that? How dare they creep into Hogwarts like thieves in the dark, to take Hagrid from under her nose? Her anger mounted as she flew threw the hallways and down the stairs of the castle, till she finally reached the Entrance Hall.
A few brisk steps, and she was at the door, a great push, and she had flung open the doors and was hurrying over the grounds towards the fight. Someone of the six attackers had stunned Fang, which must have enraged Hagrid even further. He had already sent one of the attackers sprawling and was taking care of another, when Minerva was finally near enough to shout.
'How DARE you?' She exclaimed, feeling as angry as Hagrid looked. 'On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such- '
Too late did she realise what the four men were up to, too late did she reach for her wand to cast a shielding spell, too late did she try to dodge the four red stunning spells they sent her way. The spells hit her just as she curled her fingers around her wand.
Searing pain shot through her body, the impact of the four bolts making her heart shudder. Her mind had just enough time to register that her skin glowed an eerie red and that she was falling backwards, then all went blank as darkness claimed her.
-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-
She drifted through queer dreams. Once she saw Fawkes, crying. She wondered why, nobody was hurt, were they? Crisp cloth brushed her cheek and firm hands felt for the veins at her wrist, a moment later, they were gone and she drifted in a sea of black. She heard Albus' voice: 'Hogwarts needs you!' Why was she here, then? She struggled to somehow leave, to get away from that place and go back to Hogwarts, but the darkness pressed her downwards, hindering her from moving.
Paralysed as she was, she could not dodge the four red bolts that streaked through the darkness towards her. In the distance, she could hear Hagrid roar angrily, but she herself could not utter a sound. The four bolts hit her like hammers strike an anvil and sent a burning ache through her, but she could not even curl herself up to hug herself in her pain, as the blackness around her bound her immobile.
Then, very far ahead, she saw a pinprick of bright light. The white spot grew, coming nearer and nearer to her, till it enveloped her completely, dazzling her. Gandalf's voice reached her ear. 'The Secret Fire', he said. Already, the light was fading again, and she fell back into the overpowering darkness. She faintly heard someone say, '-wounds are healing, but it'll take awhile for-' then all went blank.
-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-
She awoke to a dull pain in her chest. Breathing was difficult; Bandages wound firmly around her upper body confined her. Again she felt the clean, rough cloth on her cheek, and when she opened her eyes she at once realised where she was. Only St. Mungo had such white walls and clean floors, and only St. Mungo had such white linen for the beds and such blank walls.
Minerva sighed. She was well aware of what had happened. Through her great carelessness, she had let the men who had gone to Hogwarts to get Hagrid stun her with four stunners. She had let her impulsive side get control and had run straight into danger, without bothering for her security. And what had she achieved? She had not helped Hagrid a mite and had gotten herself into St. Mungo.
That must have left Umbridge in even more control than before. Minerva grimly wished that Peeves had created havoc for all he was worth. She could not help but get angry just thinking of Dolores Umbridge, with her pink bows, fake curls, bulging eyes and phoney smile, and ground her teeth. As she thought of Umbridge, she inevitably remembered the last time she had had to deal with the flabby woman before being stunned.
They had all gone to the cave harbour to face the wizard who had managed to break through the wards of Hogwarts without even the semblance of having problems. The wizard who had been cloaked in a robe so white it dazzled the eyes and with blue eyes that held more wisdom and power than even those of Albus Dumbledore. They had twinkled in amusement, now and then, as he had watched them deal with him. Minerva was quite sure that he had realised at once that Umbridge was not accepted as the headmistress and also that she was not really up to the job.
He had called Minerva the 'Lady of the Castle'. She smiled inwardly at the memory. How Dolores Umbridge had huffed and puffed! She had been so indignant that the stranger had actually picked Minerva and not herself. It was a pity that Minerva had not made a picture of Umbridge's face. It would have been a source of great enjoyment in the staff room later on.
The door to her room opened and a nurse in white robes entered. It was very clean and spotless, yet it seemed to Minerva it did not match the whiteness Gandalf's robe had had. The round face beneath the white nurse's cap beamed.
'So you have finally come to, Professor McGonagall! My name is Anne, by the way. I can tell you, you had us worried for a while, with all your tossing and turning and high temperature. It is a relief to see you are no longer unconscious. How are you feeling at the moment?'
'I'm fine.' Minerva croaked, her parched mouth and dried out throat making it impossible to speak smoothly.
The nurse filled a glass of water and handed it to her in no time, saying: 'you must be terribly thirsty, Professor, and hungry, too. Shall I get you something to eat?'
'That would be splendid.' Minerva replied, feeling much better already and growing very aware of how empty her stomach felt. 'I could do with something solid.'
Anna's face broke into another broad smile. 'Wonderful! I'll get you a meal at once, I'll be back in a moment.'
With that, she left the room with a lively step, leaving Minerva to lie back for a while and recover from the conversation that had been surprisingly exhausting. She had not lain there longer than five minutes, when Anna was back already, complete with a tray crammed with good food and it was not long before Minerva tucked in contentedly, making up for the many meals she'd missed after her accident.
Minerva McGonagall had no time to muse about the strange wizard that had ambled into Hogwarts as if doing so was the easiest thing on earth. She did bother about the fact that he had been able to break the wards, but her day was so busy that she just could not do anything about it. Only after curfew, when all the students were off to bed and only those taking their OWLs in Astronomy were still up, doing their best at the exam, did she have time to contemplate the events of the afternoon.
Who was the white-haired wizard?, she wondered, stepping up to her window and staring into the cool night. How come he had appeared so suddenly at Hogwarts? Why didn't she know of him? He was very powerful, at least as powerful as Dumbledore, and yet he was not known in the wizarding community. Where had he come from?
She regretted the fact that she had not had enough time to talk to him and find out more. It was a shame that he had been brought to Azkaban, and that he didn't just escape -he certainly had the powers to enable him to do so- was a puzzle to her. Just then, she noticed a group of six people approaching Hagrid's cabin, and her thoughts were drawn away from Gandalf to the more urgent question of what was going on at Hagrid's cabin.
Something told her that those people were up to no good, but she hesitated to intervene before she knew more. Just then, the door to the hut burst open to a loud BANG and Minerva could hear Hagrid roar with anger, as he brandished his fists at the six people surrounding him and sending stunners at him.
In a flash, Minerva was at her door and through it. She hastened along the corridors of Hogwarts, indignation and outrage coursing through her. How dare they attack Hagrid like that? How dare they creep into Hogwarts like thieves in the dark, to take Hagrid from under her nose? Her anger mounted as she flew threw the hallways and down the stairs of the castle, till she finally reached the Entrance Hall.
A few brisk steps, and she was at the door, a great push, and she had flung open the doors and was hurrying over the grounds towards the fight. Someone of the six attackers had stunned Fang, which must have enraged Hagrid even further. He had already sent one of the attackers sprawling and was taking care of another, when Minerva was finally near enough to shout.
'How DARE you?' She exclaimed, feeling as angry as Hagrid looked. 'On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such- '
Too late did she realise what the four men were up to, too late did she reach for her wand to cast a shielding spell, too late did she try to dodge the four red stunning spells they sent her way. The spells hit her just as she curled her fingers around her wand.
Searing pain shot through her body, the impact of the four bolts making her heart shudder. Her mind had just enough time to register that her skin glowed an eerie red and that she was falling backwards, then all went blank as darkness claimed her.
-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-
She drifted through queer dreams. Once she saw Fawkes, crying. She wondered why, nobody was hurt, were they? Crisp cloth brushed her cheek and firm hands felt for the veins at her wrist, a moment later, they were gone and she drifted in a sea of black. She heard Albus' voice: 'Hogwarts needs you!' Why was she here, then? She struggled to somehow leave, to get away from that place and go back to Hogwarts, but the darkness pressed her downwards, hindering her from moving.
Paralysed as she was, she could not dodge the four red bolts that streaked through the darkness towards her. In the distance, she could hear Hagrid roar angrily, but she herself could not utter a sound. The four bolts hit her like hammers strike an anvil and sent a burning ache through her, but she could not even curl herself up to hug herself in her pain, as the blackness around her bound her immobile.
Then, very far ahead, she saw a pinprick of bright light. The white spot grew, coming nearer and nearer to her, till it enveloped her completely, dazzling her. Gandalf's voice reached her ear. 'The Secret Fire', he said. Already, the light was fading again, and she fell back into the overpowering darkness. She faintly heard someone say, '-wounds are healing, but it'll take awhile for-' then all went blank.
-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-
She awoke to a dull pain in her chest. Breathing was difficult; Bandages wound firmly around her upper body confined her. Again she felt the clean, rough cloth on her cheek, and when she opened her eyes she at once realised where she was. Only St. Mungo had such white walls and clean floors, and only St. Mungo had such white linen for the beds and such blank walls.
Minerva sighed. She was well aware of what had happened. Through her great carelessness, she had let the men who had gone to Hogwarts to get Hagrid stun her with four stunners. She had let her impulsive side get control and had run straight into danger, without bothering for her security. And what had she achieved? She had not helped Hagrid a mite and had gotten herself into St. Mungo.
That must have left Umbridge in even more control than before. Minerva grimly wished that Peeves had created havoc for all he was worth. She could not help but get angry just thinking of Dolores Umbridge, with her pink bows, fake curls, bulging eyes and phoney smile, and ground her teeth. As she thought of Umbridge, she inevitably remembered the last time she had had to deal with the flabby woman before being stunned.
They had all gone to the cave harbour to face the wizard who had managed to break through the wards of Hogwarts without even the semblance of having problems. The wizard who had been cloaked in a robe so white it dazzled the eyes and with blue eyes that held more wisdom and power than even those of Albus Dumbledore. They had twinkled in amusement, now and then, as he had watched them deal with him. Minerva was quite sure that he had realised at once that Umbridge was not accepted as the headmistress and also that she was not really up to the job.
He had called Minerva the 'Lady of the Castle'. She smiled inwardly at the memory. How Dolores Umbridge had huffed and puffed! She had been so indignant that the stranger had actually picked Minerva and not herself. It was a pity that Minerva had not made a picture of Umbridge's face. It would have been a source of great enjoyment in the staff room later on.
The door to her room opened and a nurse in white robes entered. It was very clean and spotless, yet it seemed to Minerva it did not match the whiteness Gandalf's robe had had. The round face beneath the white nurse's cap beamed.
'So you have finally come to, Professor McGonagall! My name is Anne, by the way. I can tell you, you had us worried for a while, with all your tossing and turning and high temperature. It is a relief to see you are no longer unconscious. How are you feeling at the moment?'
'I'm fine.' Minerva croaked, her parched mouth and dried out throat making it impossible to speak smoothly.
The nurse filled a glass of water and handed it to her in no time, saying: 'you must be terribly thirsty, Professor, and hungry, too. Shall I get you something to eat?'
'That would be splendid.' Minerva replied, feeling much better already and growing very aware of how empty her stomach felt. 'I could do with something solid.'
Anna's face broke into another broad smile. 'Wonderful! I'll get you a meal at once, I'll be back in a moment.'
With that, she left the room with a lively step, leaving Minerva to lie back for a while and recover from the conversation that had been surprisingly exhausting. She had not lain there longer than five minutes, when Anna was back already, complete with a tray crammed with good food and it was not long before Minerva tucked in contentedly, making up for the many meals she'd missed after her accident.
