It was a hot, peaceful late August day at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Really one of those days when you have a feeling nothing will ever change. When you have a feeling nothing will ever happen.
Something did happen on that day, though.
In the teacher's lounge sat four people- teachers, obviously. Augustus Kettleburn, Serena Sinistra and Rolanda Hooch sat- lay- hung in various couches, but the fourth person- Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, sat neatly, back straightened, at a small, walnut table in the corner of the room. She was staring frowningly at a small, full-scribbled piece of parchment.
"Really, Sera." she then, after a close study of the thing, commented, half-turning around on her chair to look her Astronomy colleague straight in the eye.
"Your handwriting is truly terribly, Sera- not to mention this- did you call it a schedule?"
Serena grinned and shrugged her shoulders non-interestedly, focusing on the playing cards in her hand.
"Yes, I do, Minerva. Guess that is the reason why you practically dragged it out of my hands… Have you any fours?" she then, suddenly, turned to Rolanda Hooch.
"Go fish!" the other woman answered, as Minerva raised her eyebrows.
"Yes, it is, Sera. And I'll tell you one thing- I am going to rework this- thing- until it at least looks like a proper lesson preparation!"
"Great!" was Serena's dry comment, and she rolled her eyes- but careful to not have Minerva noticing it.
"And don't roll your eyes at me."
The bloody woman had eyes in the back of her head, or what?
But, Serena had to admit with a smile- that was after all the one thing she certainly had learnt after almost twenty years of friendship with Minerva McGonagall.
The bloody woman did have eyes in the back of her head.
Rolanda Hooch grinned at the very recognizable quarrel between her two friends and opened her mouth to say something when…
When she door went open with quite a bang, and a red-cheeked and quite excited-looking Poppy Pomfrey entered. Halfway the room, she stopped and stared round triumphantly.
"Ladies and gentlemen- well, gentleman, actually, you can never guess what I have just seen!"
Her victorious smile only met the dumbfounded one's of the other teachers, but Minerva, eyes concentrating on the parchment again, non-interestedly muttered
"Yes, Poppy, what's on?"
"It's about our headmaster!" the Mediwitch exclaimed, and Rolanda Hooch started clapping her hands.
"Tell!"
"Yes, Poppy…" Minerva said, still not looking terribly interested.
"Tell us what's going on, and Rolanda, please stop it. This is like trying to read hieroglyphs!"
Rolanda ignored her, though, and Poppy, slowly, enjoying every moment, began
"Our Headmaster, Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore… was in Hogsmeade buying a…"
Here, she paused, and…
"A WHAT!" three voices yelled in unison. Even Minerva slightly looked up now, holding a hal-empty ink bottle in her left hand.
"He was buying a ring! An engagement ring! Our Headmaster is in love!!!"
Minerva felt drops of ink on her face as the bottle hit the floor hard and broke. She didn't care, though. She didn't even notice it, in fact.
"What?"
Poppy nodded and grinned.
"Yes, I saw him but I don't think he saw me- it was a real engagement ring in a purple box and he had words carved into it… probably the lucky lady's name, and…"
But she was interrupted by a loud sigh, and as the three remaining people in the room woke up from the confusion, surprise and excitement, there was one thing their eyes automatically registered. Minerva McGonagall had stood up, looked uncharacteristically flustered and stuttered
"I- I have to go…. Classes to prepare…"
A loud bang proved to the very surprised teachers that they were not dreaming.
Minerva McGonagall had run away.
Something did happen on that day, though.
In the teacher's lounge sat four people- teachers, obviously. Augustus Kettleburn, Serena Sinistra and Rolanda Hooch sat- lay- hung in various couches, but the fourth person- Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, sat neatly, back straightened, at a small, walnut table in the corner of the room. She was staring frowningly at a small, full-scribbled piece of parchment.
"Really, Sera." she then, after a close study of the thing, commented, half-turning around on her chair to look her Astronomy colleague straight in the eye.
"Your handwriting is truly terribly, Sera- not to mention this- did you call it a schedule?"
Serena grinned and shrugged her shoulders non-interestedly, focusing on the playing cards in her hand.
"Yes, I do, Minerva. Guess that is the reason why you practically dragged it out of my hands… Have you any fours?" she then, suddenly, turned to Rolanda Hooch.
"Go fish!" the other woman answered, as Minerva raised her eyebrows.
"Yes, it is, Sera. And I'll tell you one thing- I am going to rework this- thing- until it at least looks like a proper lesson preparation!"
"Great!" was Serena's dry comment, and she rolled her eyes- but careful to not have Minerva noticing it.
"And don't roll your eyes at me."
The bloody woman had eyes in the back of her head, or what?
But, Serena had to admit with a smile- that was after all the one thing she certainly had learnt after almost twenty years of friendship with Minerva McGonagall.
The bloody woman did have eyes in the back of her head.
Rolanda Hooch grinned at the very recognizable quarrel between her two friends and opened her mouth to say something when…
When she door went open with quite a bang, and a red-cheeked and quite excited-looking Poppy Pomfrey entered. Halfway the room, she stopped and stared round triumphantly.
"Ladies and gentlemen- well, gentleman, actually, you can never guess what I have just seen!"
Her victorious smile only met the dumbfounded one's of the other teachers, but Minerva, eyes concentrating on the parchment again, non-interestedly muttered
"Yes, Poppy, what's on?"
"It's about our headmaster!" the Mediwitch exclaimed, and Rolanda Hooch started clapping her hands.
"Tell!"
"Yes, Poppy…" Minerva said, still not looking terribly interested.
"Tell us what's going on, and Rolanda, please stop it. This is like trying to read hieroglyphs!"
Rolanda ignored her, though, and Poppy, slowly, enjoying every moment, began
"Our Headmaster, Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore… was in Hogsmeade buying a…"
Here, she paused, and…
"A WHAT!" three voices yelled in unison. Even Minerva slightly looked up now, holding a hal-empty ink bottle in her left hand.
"He was buying a ring! An engagement ring! Our Headmaster is in love!!!"
Minerva felt drops of ink on her face as the bottle hit the floor hard and broke. She didn't care, though. She didn't even notice it, in fact.
"What?"
Poppy nodded and grinned.
"Yes, I saw him but I don't think he saw me- it was a real engagement ring in a purple box and he had words carved into it… probably the lucky lady's name, and…"
But she was interrupted by a loud sigh, and as the three remaining people in the room woke up from the confusion, surprise and excitement, there was one thing their eyes automatically registered. Minerva McGonagall had stood up, looked uncharacteristically flustered and stuttered
"I- I have to go…. Classes to prepare…"
A loud bang proved to the very surprised teachers that they were not dreaming.
Minerva McGonagall had run away.