The face in the fire had red hair, freckles, and looked genuinely worried. Five weeks since anyone had heard anything from a person, even knowing that they were talking about uncle Angus here, seemed a lot to Minerva. Molly, too, seemed to think the situation was serious this time. Her face was pale and she was shaking, or, at least, the part that was visible to the Deputy Headmistress through the blazing magical fire. The younger witch's left eye was twitching nervously every now and then, or perhaps she was trying not to show just how much the news of Angus's disappearance somewhere near the west coast without him leaving a message (or at least one of his usual "hints") had upset her.
Minerva sighed and sat down, biting her lip, desperately trying to remember whether her uncle had given any clue on his current state of mind in recent weeks. She remembered her mother mentioning that he had wanted to move to Skye, but there was no evidence other than her mother's word, and, quite frankly, Minerva was not too sure of her family's reliability these days. The pureblood dispute had divided the McGillivrays like no other disagreement. Even the war in the early forties had not been able to drive a wedge between the closer members of the family, Minerva remembered. Especially not between her good-natured father Hamish and his brother Angus.
Minerva remembered Hamish's tales on how much, at that time, his father had fought to arrange good, respectable pureblood marriages for his sons, and how much Angus had fought to achieve the opposite, to put it in his words. But Minerva knew, just as much as Hamish did, that Angus had never wanted to disturb the family peace. Not then, when he had refused to marry Gaia Macaulay, who was known as Gaia Black and mother of at least - Minerva pondered for a second - three Hogwarts students these days, and not now, when he was disappearing the very moment his second marriage was about to take place.
Personally, Minerva felt that it was ridiculous to assume that uncle Angus would ever agree to marry anyone but the girl he had so tragically lost in 1944. He was too much of an idealistic person for that. And too stubborn, she added inwardly, after a moment of consideration, turning back to Molly, who still looked as if she had just received knowledge of Angus's death instead of his disappearance.
Minerva sighed once more and took a biscuit from a jar on her desk.
'Dinnae worry, Molly,' she said in her most reassuring voice. 'Angus has disappeared before. He certainly just went off tae Skye tae avoid having tae marry that Podmore girl. Splendid idea, if ye ask me. This bond is just another one of his mother's ridiculous ideas. She'll get over it within weeks, believe me.'
'But you are going to look for him?' asked Molly's face, sounding very desperate.
Minerva scratched her black-haired head and finally shook it. 'Ah ought tae, really,' she admitted, 'but ah cannae leave Hogwarts just like that, ye ken. Let's...' she thought for a while, then sighed again. 'Let's wait another couple of days...'
'We have been waiting for over a month,' said Molly unhappily. 'This isn't normal, as much as I can see that it is just like Angus to disappear without telling anyone. Please, Minerva. You have got to look for him. No one else is willing to do it.'
Minerva suppressed a couple of Gaelic swearwords and nodded. Eventually.
'Well, ah suppose ah cid leave Hogwarts till tomorrow afternoon. Albus will understand, without doubt.'
Molly nodded and a faint smile appeared on her face.
'You are the only one who cares for him these days,' she said with a startling seriousness in her voice and, against her will, these words struck Minerva where it hurt.
'That isnae true,' she snapped. 'Father cares fer him. He is just a little aferd of showin' it!'
Molly did not reply, but her eyes plainly betrayed her thoughts.
'He is,' insisted Minerva, well aware that she was being as stubborn as her complicated uncle. 'They're brothers. They're of the same blood.'
'So are Vesta and Gaia,' replied Molly, turning her head for a second before she looked into the fire again. 'But I'm afraid I'll have to trust you to deal with the matter. Sorry, love, but Bill needs feeding. Talk to you later.'
And her head disappeared from the office's fireplace. Minerva stared after her for quite a while, finally putting two fingers to her temple, starting to rub them.
'Who d'they think ah am?' she thought, realizing that she was close to tears - for the third time this week. 'How come everyone always expects me tae fix everything fer them?'
Slowly, with little energy and even less concentration, she took a handful of floo powder and lit a very small magic fire in the middle of her palm. This was her way of using the powder. Much more comfortable than sticking your head into a fireplace, and much more convenient if you wanted to get hold of a fidgety person like the headmaster and not spend endless hours in his office till he decided it might be nice to return for a little while.
'Albus,' she mumbled. 'Ah need a word.'
Instantly, the face of a bearded man appeared on the surface of her hand. Smaller than usual, and a bit blurred, but cheerful nevertheless, and very clearly winking at her.
'Minerva. What can I do for you?'
'Ma family,' Minerva replied, trying not to sound touched. 'Angus is gone. Has bin, fer the last couple of weeks. Molly's getting worried. Even his mother's bin asking about him, and that's saying something. Nae that she's worried, mind ye... just angry. As usual. Ah... ah have tae find him, Albus. Ah'm the only one who still cares about him.'
The headmaster gave her his usual unfathomable look and nodded after a while. 'That isn't quite correct,' he said smilingly, 'but I understand you'll want to go and look for him. It is not a problem, Minerva. I am sure the staff will understand.'
Minerva frowned at the face in her hand, trying to make out whether there was more behind his words than the obvious. Albus smiled at her and winked again.
'Ah'll be gone till tomorrow afternoon,' she said quietly after a while. 'If that isnae inconvenient.'
'Not at all,' replied the headmaster as cheerful as ever. 'I'll ask Doris to do your Transfiguration lessons.'
'If possible,' Minerva said quickly, 'Ah'd rather have the lessons cancelled. The bai- students cid use some time tae revise their notes. And Doris... well... ye ken what ah think of her teaching methods.'
Albus took his time, then nodded again. 'Of course,' he said. 'As you wish.'
'Thank ye,' said Minerva weakly. 'Ah'll head off immediately.'
And she intended to.
When she had emptied her hand into the fireplace, carefully extinguishing the fire (she always took great care of that since her last encounter with an Ashwinder) taken out her broom, and opened the window, however, there was a knock on her door and, after a moment of hesitation, she decided to wait and see who it was.
'Aye?'
It was Mandy Sprout who entered, being her usual, cheery self, seating herself on the chair in front of Minerva's desk before the latter had even opened her mouth.
'I thought you might like some company,' she said, grinning broadly. 'You bored?'
'Ah wis just about tae leave,' said Minerva matter-of-factly. 'But ye've got news. One disnae have tae be a Legilimens tae spot that. So ah'll have ye spill them out before ah leave.'
Mandy's expression changed into mock puzzlement. 'News? Me? Don't be ridiculous. What news could I bring that the Deputy Headmistress hasn't long been informed of? No, I was merely thinking we might visit The Three Broomsticks tonight, for a glass of butterbeer or two. Interested?'
Minerva sighed. 'Ah'd love tae,' she said pensively. 'But ma family demands some attention. Ah dinnae think ah'll be back before tomorrow afternoon, ah'm afraid.'
'Your uncle again?' said Mandy quietly.
Minerva nodded.
'You've had a lot of trouble with your family lately, haven't you?' asked Mandy in the same voice, leaning back in her chair and giving Minerva a scrutinizing, almost calculating look.
Minerva nodded again, in want of anything useful to say. 'But it's always bin that,' she replied. 'Ye ken ma mother. And her bloodline obsession. Ye ken father. And... ye ken uncle Angus.'
'Yes,' said Mandy simply. 'I know them. And to be honest, I have never understood how a man like your father could have wanted to marry your mother. But it was an arranged marriage, wasn't it? Like all the pureblood ones?'
'Nay,' said Minerva, feeling a scent of her good mood return. 'She'd bin arranged tae marry Angus, if ye must ken. Originally.'
Mandy gave her a perplexed look. 'Angus and Vesta? Please tell me you are trying to have me on.'
Minerva shook her head and set up an earnest expression. 'See why Hamish had tae step in? It wis charity more than anything.'
Mandy gave a short laugh. Minerva grinned and mounted her broom.
'Ah heiv tae find hem,' she muttered, more to herself than anyone. 'See ye later, Mandy. And dinnae expect me back before tomorrow,.'
Mandy nodded. 'Don't let matters get you down. I talk to you when you're back?'
Minerva nodded and let the broom hover a few inches before ducking her head and zooming through the open window into the prickling evening air surrounding the castle.
Minutes later she had rounded the castle and was heading towards the west coast at top speed.