So, with a soft rustle of her robes, Minerva McGonagall left her rooms and resolutely strode towards the office of her husband. Now she was going to speak a few little words with him- and with Harry, for that matter, and then, they soon would realize- she'd make them realize!- that it all was ridiculous. Because it was- it truly was. And it was just what Voldemort wanted. Yes, he did want her, but, as kind of a result thereof, he desperately wanted to kill Harry.
Yet, all efforts were useless without her.
It was not a sudden boost of self-esteem that made Minerva say those words. It was the mere fact- that they were the truth.
Yet, she never spoke those "few little words", because before she could even reach the door, let alone ball her fist and knock on it, it opened and not two, but six, people left the room.
Minerva stood quite dumbfounded. What was supposed to be a private talk between Harry and the Headmaster had apparently been more of a meeting. A meeting of idiotically brave people, she bitterly corrected herself, of people who wanted to give their lives for- as Minerva very well knew- for nothing. Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and his sister Ginny, Hermione Granger and last but not least Neville Longbottom. And between them, smiling almost- sheepishly- stood Albus Dumbledore.
Minerva slowly inhaled, then raised her eyebrows.
"Albus?" she said, but the look in her husband's cerulean eyes had already told her what she needed to know. And it, despite herself, shocked her.
"Minerva." he, her husband, spoke. "Minerva- let me, let us explain."
Minerva, though, did not at all plan to "let him explain". She planned on telling him exactly what she thought. But before she could even open her mouth to object, he' already grabbed her shoulder and dragged her inside his office. She surprised herself and didn't protest. So they went into his office- and for some reason, the students followed.
"¨Please sit down, Minerva." Albus muttered, pulling out a chair for her.
Minerva gratefully accepted, a questioning yet angry look in her fiery, green eyes.
"I would indeed like an explanation, Albus." she then, composedly yet coldly said.
"What on earth are you up to?"
Albus Dumbledore sighed and sat down as well, opposite his wife, who now rested her eyebrows on the desk.
"Minerva, we are going, tomorrow. We will fight Voldemort and attempt to break through the Death Eaters's siege." he then spoke; boldly, simply.
Though Minerva had expected to hear these things- not all jammed into one sentence, though!- her jaw dropped nonetheless.
"We?" she managed to mutter, but her eyes shot fire.
Albus nodded, lowering his eyes, not really knowing where to look. Yet, when he looked up again, a sincere light shone from his clear, blue eyes.
"Yes, Minerva- at least- *we*. You will, of course, take over my duties while I am away. I am sorry, Minerva, but Harry, as you know, wants to go and nor I, Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, Mr. Weasley or Mr. Longbottom want to let him go on his own."
Minerva felt her jaw drop once more as thoughts ran through her brain at an incredibly high speed. He couldn't- he couldn't… Merlin, she'd been married to him for forty damn years, and he had always been slightly an idiot, but never, never… And she, *she*; she, who knew the most of this and she who was the actual aim of this goddamn siege, she would be left, "in safety", behind, while they went to sacrifice their damn lives for something which without her didn't even make sense?
As to express her feelings, Minerva McGonagall raised her arms, balled her fists and let them, with all strength left in her frail body, come down on the desk before her with a bang to be proud of.
She didn't say anything, though. She was speechless.
Or- well, almost. Because when the words came, then came alright.
"Albus- Dumbledore!"
Albus slowly, carefully looked up and read the full impact of what he had said in his wife's eyes.
"Albus Dumbledore, have you ever considered that this kind of a heroic act is totally unnecessary and rash, that you're risking the life of children here, that…"
Only Hermione Granger was daring enough to interrupt her teacher's rant.
"We aren't children anymore, Professor."
Minerva cast a glance that would have easily scared a dragon.
"Shut up, Miss Granger. Albus," she turned to her husband again.
"Have you ever considered that all you try is utterly useless? That you're needlessly risking all we have left on our side- namely yourself?
She panted, as if she'd run a long distance. She felt like it as well. It was true what she'd said and he just *had* to realize that as well. He wasn't stupid, after all. Absolutely not, actually.
Albus was still calm, though, and just folded his hands beneath his chin.
"I am aware of all these things, Minerva. But you have to admit that only Harry can fight Voldemort. You cannot ignore that fact."
"Have you told him…" Minerva whispered, trying to get her temper under control but failing horribly. If Albus had told Harry the true reason why Voldemort so desperately wanted to kill him… The two reasons, actually- the reason was a twofold one, one part ancient and one part more recent. A strange coincidence, actually- she'd never really thought of that.
But Albus slowly shook his head.
"I haven't. But you know it and you know what I say is true. And neither you nor I can hold his friends from following him. They are of age, Minerva. And I am sorry you cannot accompany them, Minerva, but Hogwarts needs a leader and that leader are you."
His soft, soothing voice sounded so logical, so sincere, that Minerva was out of objections. But that didn't mean she agreed. She knew he was wrong. She knew it.
So she proudly stood up, straightened her back, looked him straight into the eye and hissed
"Go then, Albus. Go then. Go to hell."
With this, she slammed the door shut, ran towards her room and locked it with a quick spell.
There, Professor Minerva McGonagall fell down on her bed and cried.
Yet, all efforts were useless without her.
It was not a sudden boost of self-esteem that made Minerva say those words. It was the mere fact- that they were the truth.
Yet, she never spoke those "few little words", because before she could even reach the door, let alone ball her fist and knock on it, it opened and not two, but six, people left the room.
Minerva stood quite dumbfounded. What was supposed to be a private talk between Harry and the Headmaster had apparently been more of a meeting. A meeting of idiotically brave people, she bitterly corrected herself, of people who wanted to give their lives for- as Minerva very well knew- for nothing. Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and his sister Ginny, Hermione Granger and last but not least Neville Longbottom. And between them, smiling almost- sheepishly- stood Albus Dumbledore.
Minerva slowly inhaled, then raised her eyebrows.
"Albus?" she said, but the look in her husband's cerulean eyes had already told her what she needed to know. And it, despite herself, shocked her.
"Minerva." he, her husband, spoke. "Minerva- let me, let us explain."
Minerva, though, did not at all plan to "let him explain". She planned on telling him exactly what she thought. But before she could even open her mouth to object, he' already grabbed her shoulder and dragged her inside his office. She surprised herself and didn't protest. So they went into his office- and for some reason, the students followed.
"¨Please sit down, Minerva." Albus muttered, pulling out a chair for her.
Minerva gratefully accepted, a questioning yet angry look in her fiery, green eyes.
"I would indeed like an explanation, Albus." she then, composedly yet coldly said.
"What on earth are you up to?"
Albus Dumbledore sighed and sat down as well, opposite his wife, who now rested her eyebrows on the desk.
"Minerva, we are going, tomorrow. We will fight Voldemort and attempt to break through the Death Eaters's siege." he then spoke; boldly, simply.
Though Minerva had expected to hear these things- not all jammed into one sentence, though!- her jaw dropped nonetheless.
"We?" she managed to mutter, but her eyes shot fire.
Albus nodded, lowering his eyes, not really knowing where to look. Yet, when he looked up again, a sincere light shone from his clear, blue eyes.
"Yes, Minerva- at least- *we*. You will, of course, take over my duties while I am away. I am sorry, Minerva, but Harry, as you know, wants to go and nor I, Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, Mr. Weasley or Mr. Longbottom want to let him go on his own."
Minerva felt her jaw drop once more as thoughts ran through her brain at an incredibly high speed. He couldn't- he couldn't… Merlin, she'd been married to him for forty damn years, and he had always been slightly an idiot, but never, never… And she, *she*; she, who knew the most of this and she who was the actual aim of this goddamn siege, she would be left, "in safety", behind, while they went to sacrifice their damn lives for something which without her didn't even make sense?
As to express her feelings, Minerva McGonagall raised her arms, balled her fists and let them, with all strength left in her frail body, come down on the desk before her with a bang to be proud of.
She didn't say anything, though. She was speechless.
Or- well, almost. Because when the words came, then came alright.
"Albus- Dumbledore!"
Albus slowly, carefully looked up and read the full impact of what he had said in his wife's eyes.
"Albus Dumbledore, have you ever considered that this kind of a heroic act is totally unnecessary and rash, that you're risking the life of children here, that…"
Only Hermione Granger was daring enough to interrupt her teacher's rant.
"We aren't children anymore, Professor."
Minerva cast a glance that would have easily scared a dragon.
"Shut up, Miss Granger. Albus," she turned to her husband again.
"Have you ever considered that all you try is utterly useless? That you're needlessly risking all we have left on our side- namely yourself?
She panted, as if she'd run a long distance. She felt like it as well. It was true what she'd said and he just *had* to realize that as well. He wasn't stupid, after all. Absolutely not, actually.
Albus was still calm, though, and just folded his hands beneath his chin.
"I am aware of all these things, Minerva. But you have to admit that only Harry can fight Voldemort. You cannot ignore that fact."
"Have you told him…" Minerva whispered, trying to get her temper under control but failing horribly. If Albus had told Harry the true reason why Voldemort so desperately wanted to kill him… The two reasons, actually- the reason was a twofold one, one part ancient and one part more recent. A strange coincidence, actually- she'd never really thought of that.
But Albus slowly shook his head.
"I haven't. But you know it and you know what I say is true. And neither you nor I can hold his friends from following him. They are of age, Minerva. And I am sorry you cannot accompany them, Minerva, but Hogwarts needs a leader and that leader are you."
His soft, soothing voice sounded so logical, so sincere, that Minerva was out of objections. But that didn't mean she agreed. She knew he was wrong. She knew it.
So she proudly stood up, straightened her back, looked him straight into the eye and hissed
"Go then, Albus. Go then. Go to hell."
With this, she slammed the door shut, ran towards her room and locked it with a quick spell.
There, Professor Minerva McGonagall fell down on her bed and cried.