So three minutes later, two girls stood before the door of the Deputy Headmistress's office. They looked at each other, then the one with long, dark hair nodded and determinedly knocked on the door.
Almost immediately, it opened and the girls strode inside.
"Hello, Auntie." Noctua began matter-of-factly. And as she noticed the other, white-bearded person standing beside her aunt, she added, quite taken aback
"Hello, Unc- Professor Dumbledore…"
Albus nodded with a smile. He and Minerva did not look the least surprised.
Noctua did. She had not foreseen Albus' presence, and she suddenly wasn't sure anymore whether this really was the right time for the talk she wanted to have with her aunt.
Yet Hermione nodded and said in her clear voice
"Hello Professor McGonagall, hello Professor Dumbledore."
And to the question in Noctua's eyes, she wordlessly responded
"It's all right. He knows."
For a moment, Noctua had a feeling of… why was she left out? Everybody appeared to know the "thing" about her parents, yet she, their only daughter, didn't.
But she would find out soon enough now… wouldn't she?
She coughed softly and with clear expectation glanced at the other girl. Hermione understood her and matter-of-factly spoke
"Professor McGonagall, I know about- it."
Yet Minerva did still not show any sign of surprise. She just, curtly, raised her eyebrows and nodded.
"Sit down then, Miss Granger. And you- sit down as well, Noctua."
The girl obeyed, and Minerva continued, crossing her arms.
"Now tell me- how did you find out?"
Noctua nodded. Yes. That she wanted to know as well.
Hermione sighed.
"That is quite a long story. But I guess that that picture over there…" She pointed. "… got me quite on the right track."
Albus, who stood beside Minerva's desk, leant forwards and took the photo. The girl saw him chuckle lightly.
"Especially the words on the back…" Hermione explained.
The Headmaster turned the picture around, then nodded and smiled, as he showed Minerva what Hermione was talking about.
"Ah- yes, I understand. So that was why you wanted to see me so urgently… yes… yes…" Minerva muttered. Then, she looked up at Hermione again.
"And then? What did you do then?"
Hermione smiled.
"Then, since I knew what I was looking for, it was quite easy. The library… "animal and symbol"… Noctua's parents bond in her first name… it all made sense… I have one question, though. Why?"
Minerva sighed and looked into the piercing, brown eyes of her pupil.
"Because," she then simply said. "of Voldemort. Danger. Risks. The life of a child could not be…"
She didn't finish her sentence. Hermione lowered her eyes.
"I see. Yet you now have decided to tell her… haven't you…"
She shook her head.
"Yet, the riddle wasn't easy…"
Minerva nodded and smiled at the girl who was, and had always been, her favorite student.
"I know… but I knew as well that you were the only one who could possibly solve it. And you have."
Hermione nodded.
"Yes. But I have not told Noctua a word of it. I believe that's up to you- and to Professor Dumbledore."
Minerva sighed and closed her eyes for a second, then she looked at her "niece".
"So, Noctua, do you want to know?"
The girl nodded and rolled her eyes.
"Yes, Auntie. Yes, of course. No matter what it is. Truth is more important than my feelings."
Albus Dumbledore chuckled.
"Wise words, my dear. Wise words…"
Minerva smiled as well- yet it was a strange, somewhat sad smile. Melancholic.
Perhaps that was the word.
"Listen, Noctua," she then began, her voice softer than usual.
"Read this."
She handed the old picture to the girl, who's hand shivered. This was the moment of the truth. Now, she'd know.
And then, Noctua found her courage and read the words, so neatly, carefully written in night blue ink.
"From your Transfigurations teacher, Albus Dumbledore.
To-"
What? What? What was this? Was this- but could that be true? Noctua blinked.
"From your Transfigurations teacher, Albus Dumbledore.
To… to Katherine Minerva McGonagall."
The blood rushed to Noctua's cheeks. She vaguely noticed a cool hand on her arms. Hermione's.
She vaguely noticed an explaining voice. Minerva's.
"Yes," the woman almost stammered.
"yes, I was a Katherine as well. I hated the name, though… everybody has always called me Minerva… I had it officially changed when I was eighteen. Yet, the Sorting Hat… The first is the second, Noctua, do you understand it now?"
And the girl did understand… at least, she tried to understand it. As she slowly, slowly looked up, hesitatingly seeking for acknowledgement, she stammered
"Mother… mother?"
Minerva almost invisibly nodded.
"But who is then my father… or…"
Almost immediately, her glare slipped towards Albus Dumbledore.
Who nodded.
"Yes. Your name- it means "night owl". The owl was the symbol of the goddess Minerva. And my Animagus form." the man explained softly. "My daughter."
Noctua stared at her hands.
She was not an orphan. She had a mother and father.
And that mother and father were the two people she loved the most in the world.
"Can you ever forgive us…?" her Auntie- no, her mother- then stammered. She was crying, Noctua noticed, though she stood up and tried to hide it.
Noctua stood up as well. It was as if in a dream- she didn't realize what she was doing, she just had to do this. A strange, almost serene smile stood upon her face as she slowly crossed the room.
And fell into her mother's arms.
Almost immediately, it opened and the girls strode inside.
"Hello, Auntie." Noctua began matter-of-factly. And as she noticed the other, white-bearded person standing beside her aunt, she added, quite taken aback
"Hello, Unc- Professor Dumbledore…"
Albus nodded with a smile. He and Minerva did not look the least surprised.
Noctua did. She had not foreseen Albus' presence, and she suddenly wasn't sure anymore whether this really was the right time for the talk she wanted to have with her aunt.
Yet Hermione nodded and said in her clear voice
"Hello Professor McGonagall, hello Professor Dumbledore."
And to the question in Noctua's eyes, she wordlessly responded
"It's all right. He knows."
For a moment, Noctua had a feeling of… why was she left out? Everybody appeared to know the "thing" about her parents, yet she, their only daughter, didn't.
But she would find out soon enough now… wouldn't she?
She coughed softly and with clear expectation glanced at the other girl. Hermione understood her and matter-of-factly spoke
"Professor McGonagall, I know about- it."
Yet Minerva did still not show any sign of surprise. She just, curtly, raised her eyebrows and nodded.
"Sit down then, Miss Granger. And you- sit down as well, Noctua."
The girl obeyed, and Minerva continued, crossing her arms.
"Now tell me- how did you find out?"
Noctua nodded. Yes. That she wanted to know as well.
Hermione sighed.
"That is quite a long story. But I guess that that picture over there…" She pointed. "… got me quite on the right track."
Albus, who stood beside Minerva's desk, leant forwards and took the photo. The girl saw him chuckle lightly.
"Especially the words on the back…" Hermione explained.
The Headmaster turned the picture around, then nodded and smiled, as he showed Minerva what Hermione was talking about.
"Ah- yes, I understand. So that was why you wanted to see me so urgently… yes… yes…" Minerva muttered. Then, she looked up at Hermione again.
"And then? What did you do then?"
Hermione smiled.
"Then, since I knew what I was looking for, it was quite easy. The library… "animal and symbol"… Noctua's parents bond in her first name… it all made sense… I have one question, though. Why?"
Minerva sighed and looked into the piercing, brown eyes of her pupil.
"Because," she then simply said. "of Voldemort. Danger. Risks. The life of a child could not be…"
She didn't finish her sentence. Hermione lowered her eyes.
"I see. Yet you now have decided to tell her… haven't you…"
She shook her head.
"Yet, the riddle wasn't easy…"
Minerva nodded and smiled at the girl who was, and had always been, her favorite student.
"I know… but I knew as well that you were the only one who could possibly solve it. And you have."
Hermione nodded.
"Yes. But I have not told Noctua a word of it. I believe that's up to you- and to Professor Dumbledore."
Minerva sighed and closed her eyes for a second, then she looked at her "niece".
"So, Noctua, do you want to know?"
The girl nodded and rolled her eyes.
"Yes, Auntie. Yes, of course. No matter what it is. Truth is more important than my feelings."
Albus Dumbledore chuckled.
"Wise words, my dear. Wise words…"
Minerva smiled as well- yet it was a strange, somewhat sad smile. Melancholic.
Perhaps that was the word.
"Listen, Noctua," she then began, her voice softer than usual.
"Read this."
She handed the old picture to the girl, who's hand shivered. This was the moment of the truth. Now, she'd know.
And then, Noctua found her courage and read the words, so neatly, carefully written in night blue ink.
"From your Transfigurations teacher, Albus Dumbledore.
To-"
What? What? What was this? Was this- but could that be true? Noctua blinked.
"From your Transfigurations teacher, Albus Dumbledore.
To… to Katherine Minerva McGonagall."
The blood rushed to Noctua's cheeks. She vaguely noticed a cool hand on her arms. Hermione's.
She vaguely noticed an explaining voice. Minerva's.
"Yes," the woman almost stammered.
"yes, I was a Katherine as well. I hated the name, though… everybody has always called me Minerva… I had it officially changed when I was eighteen. Yet, the Sorting Hat… The first is the second, Noctua, do you understand it now?"
And the girl did understand… at least, she tried to understand it. As she slowly, slowly looked up, hesitatingly seeking for acknowledgement, she stammered
"Mother… mother?"
Minerva almost invisibly nodded.
"But who is then my father… or…"
Almost immediately, her glare slipped towards Albus Dumbledore.
Who nodded.
"Yes. Your name- it means "night owl". The owl was the symbol of the goddess Minerva. And my Animagus form." the man explained softly. "My daughter."
Noctua stared at her hands.
She was not an orphan. She had a mother and father.
And that mother and father were the two people she loved the most in the world.
"Can you ever forgive us…?" her Auntie- no, her mother- then stammered. She was crying, Noctua noticed, though she stood up and tried to hide it.
Noctua stood up as well. It was as if in a dream- she didn't realize what she was doing, she just had to do this. A strange, almost serene smile stood upon her face as she slowly crossed the room.
And fell into her mother's arms.
