Scene Three: The Ministry of Magic
=========================================
And Apparated again in front of the Ministry of Magic. He balled his fist and heatedly banged on the door, until it magically opened and a monotone voice spoke, seemingly out of nowhere
"Good morning, Sir. Can I help you?"
Marcus snorted and, fumingly twisting his moustache, barked
"I want to see Dippet. Immediately."
"Alright, Sir. Please attach the badge to your robes."
A yellowish badge with the words "Marcus McGonagall, Visitor" written on it, magically appeared.
"Then follow the arrows."
Marcus irately shook his head and impatiently strode forward. Arrows! As if he needed arrows to get to Armando Dippet!
Finally, as he stood before the large, ebony door that indicated the Minister of Magic's office, he agitatedly knocked.
"Come in." a calm, somewhat hoarse voice spoke, and Marcus obeyed.
Two Hours Earlier…
"Armando, old friend!" Albus Dumbledore smiled as the door opened
"Albus," the other, way older man exclaimed and beckoned with a smile
"Come in, my friend. And have a seat."
Albus gratefully obeyed, and when he'd accepted a glass of whisky from his friend, the two men opposite each other and smiled.
"It's been quite a while, hasn't it, Albus? How are things at Hogwarts going?"
Albus smiled as he slowly sipped from his glass.
"Very well, actually. Of course, it's quite a change since you are no longer there, but…"
Armando Dippet grinned and raised his wrinkled hand.
"Albus, no need to be over-polite now. You are a much better Headmaster than I've ever been, I have no doubt. And after all, it's been four years now, you must be getting quite comfortable in your new position."
Albus chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, I have to admit, I am very happy with my job. Hogwarts has always been my life, Armando, as you very well know."
The other man nodded with a smile.
"That indeed I do know. But, Albus, now have you already solved the problem of…"
"As a matter of fact, I have!" Albus cheerfully interrupted his friend. "And she is simply amazing."
"She?" A questioning look leapt into the Minister's eyes.
"A woman, Albus?"
Dumbledore nodded and shrugged his shoulders.
"Yes. Why not?
Armando smiled and sighed.
"Yes. In fact, yes, why not? It is just- it must be centuries ago since Hogwarts had a female Transfigurations teacher. It has always been considered a more… masculine branch of magic. Yet, why not? Who is she, by the way."
Albus Dumbledore smiled broadly- a very happy smile indeed, and then muttered
"Minerva McGonagall."
"Minerva McGonagall?"
Armando almost jumped up from his chair.
"Minerva McGonagall? Albus, that's just wonderful, probably the most talented student Hogwarts has ever brought forth since you yourself graduated! But, Albus, she is so young! Twenty-one, I think, and…"
"Twenty." Albus softly interrupted. "Her birthday is December 28th."
Armando Dippet raised his left hand in a soothing gesture.
"Alright, alright, twenty. But that is not my point, Albus. The point is that Minerva McGonagall is and will be a wonderful teacher, that I know for sure, but she's very young and what about Marcus…"
Albus rolled his eyes.
"Armando, you know as well as I do that Marcus has been no less than over-protective about Minerva since Mira passed away. It's quite ridiculous, and-"
"Albus, Mira was everything to Marcus." Armando softly interrupted the Headmaster.
"You know how much Marcus loved his Mirabelle, as well as you know how much Minerva resembles her mother. You know how much Marcus blamed himself for leaving his wife alone that night, when Grindelwald attacked. Albus, he couldn't help it- he was called away by a forged message. When he returned, Mira was dead. Killed by Avada Kedavra… Marcus was so very frightened he had lost his daughter as well, and he was so relieved when he found her, fast asleep in her bed. Yes, he has been over-protective ever since, but you have to try to understand it."
Albus reluctantly shook his head.
"Yes, Armando, I do understand it. It was a tragedy, of course, but Minerva is not Mirabelle. She deserves a life of her own. For heaven's sake, Marcus would never accept her marrying, it doesn't even matter whom her husband would be!"
The Minister shook his head and in surprise raised his eyebrows.
"Albus, no-one speaks about her marrying here. It's just about her job at Hogwarts. It will be hard enough for Marcus to accept that. No, when she marries, then, I fear…"
He shivered, yet then he smiled.
"But, my friend, as you said, we will see. Let us now once more stray off to more cheerful subjects and play a little game of chess."
And as he quickly conjured the chess board and the pieced, Albus smiled.
"Very well, my friend."
But there was worry in his smile/
Two Hours Later…
Marcus McGonagall entered the room, now fuming even more.
"Armando, Armando, I have a serious…" he began, as he walked towards the Minister.
But as he saw Armando's chess opponent, he froze
"Dumbledore!"
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And Apparated again in front of the Ministry of Magic. He balled his fist and heatedly banged on the door, until it magically opened and a monotone voice spoke, seemingly out of nowhere
"Good morning, Sir. Can I help you?"
Marcus snorted and, fumingly twisting his moustache, barked
"I want to see Dippet. Immediately."
"Alright, Sir. Please attach the badge to your robes."
A yellowish badge with the words "Marcus McGonagall, Visitor" written on it, magically appeared.
"Then follow the arrows."
Marcus irately shook his head and impatiently strode forward. Arrows! As if he needed arrows to get to Armando Dippet!
Finally, as he stood before the large, ebony door that indicated the Minister of Magic's office, he agitatedly knocked.
"Come in." a calm, somewhat hoarse voice spoke, and Marcus obeyed.
Two Hours Earlier…
"Armando, old friend!" Albus Dumbledore smiled as the door opened
"Albus," the other, way older man exclaimed and beckoned with a smile
"Come in, my friend. And have a seat."
Albus gratefully obeyed, and when he'd accepted a glass of whisky from his friend, the two men opposite each other and smiled.
"It's been quite a while, hasn't it, Albus? How are things at Hogwarts going?"
Albus smiled as he slowly sipped from his glass.
"Very well, actually. Of course, it's quite a change since you are no longer there, but…"
Armando Dippet grinned and raised his wrinkled hand.
"Albus, no need to be over-polite now. You are a much better Headmaster than I've ever been, I have no doubt. And after all, it's been four years now, you must be getting quite comfortable in your new position."
Albus chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, I have to admit, I am very happy with my job. Hogwarts has always been my life, Armando, as you very well know."
The other man nodded with a smile.
"That indeed I do know. But, Albus, now have you already solved the problem of…"
"As a matter of fact, I have!" Albus cheerfully interrupted his friend. "And she is simply amazing."
"She?" A questioning look leapt into the Minister's eyes.
"A woman, Albus?"
Dumbledore nodded and shrugged his shoulders.
"Yes. Why not?
Armando smiled and sighed.
"Yes. In fact, yes, why not? It is just- it must be centuries ago since Hogwarts had a female Transfigurations teacher. It has always been considered a more… masculine branch of magic. Yet, why not? Who is she, by the way."
Albus Dumbledore smiled broadly- a very happy smile indeed, and then muttered
"Minerva McGonagall."
"Minerva McGonagall?"
Armando almost jumped up from his chair.
"Minerva McGonagall? Albus, that's just wonderful, probably the most talented student Hogwarts has ever brought forth since you yourself graduated! But, Albus, she is so young! Twenty-one, I think, and…"
"Twenty." Albus softly interrupted. "Her birthday is December 28th."
Armando Dippet raised his left hand in a soothing gesture.
"Alright, alright, twenty. But that is not my point, Albus. The point is that Minerva McGonagall is and will be a wonderful teacher, that I know for sure, but she's very young and what about Marcus…"
Albus rolled his eyes.
"Armando, you know as well as I do that Marcus has been no less than over-protective about Minerva since Mira passed away. It's quite ridiculous, and-"
"Albus, Mira was everything to Marcus." Armando softly interrupted the Headmaster.
"You know how much Marcus loved his Mirabelle, as well as you know how much Minerva resembles her mother. You know how much Marcus blamed himself for leaving his wife alone that night, when Grindelwald attacked. Albus, he couldn't help it- he was called away by a forged message. When he returned, Mira was dead. Killed by Avada Kedavra… Marcus was so very frightened he had lost his daughter as well, and he was so relieved when he found her, fast asleep in her bed. Yes, he has been over-protective ever since, but you have to try to understand it."
Albus reluctantly shook his head.
"Yes, Armando, I do understand it. It was a tragedy, of course, but Minerva is not Mirabelle. She deserves a life of her own. For heaven's sake, Marcus would never accept her marrying, it doesn't even matter whom her husband would be!"
The Minister shook his head and in surprise raised his eyebrows.
"Albus, no-one speaks about her marrying here. It's just about her job at Hogwarts. It will be hard enough for Marcus to accept that. No, when she marries, then, I fear…"
He shivered, yet then he smiled.
"But, my friend, as you said, we will see. Let us now once more stray off to more cheerful subjects and play a little game of chess."
And as he quickly conjured the chess board and the pieced, Albus smiled.
"Very well, my friend."
But there was worry in his smile/
Two Hours Later…
Marcus McGonagall entered the room, now fuming even more.
"Armando, Armando, I have a serious…" he began, as he walked towards the Minister.
But as he saw Armando's chess opponent, he froze
"Dumbledore!"