Strong hands held him down. The same hands that once had helped him countless times now hindered his every move. Though his breaths came in great gasps and tremors racked his body, Dumbledore was not content to be meek. His will, strong as ever, compromised his ebbing strength. Weak as he was, Professor McGonagall easily kept him on the bed with a firm hand on his chest. Poppy finished a second litany of healing spells and charms over him.
"No, Albus, don't fight this, please." McGonagall pressed down with a little more pressure.
"I ... Filius was almost killed today ... because of me." Albus panted. "Because I couldn't ... nothing left and -"
"But he wasn't, Albus." Minerva ran a hand across his brow lowering her voice to soothe him. "You're both going to be fine. You need to calm down. Your injuries are severe. We can talk about this tomorrow."
Her words might as well have been said to an empty room. Dumbledore began to twist and turn. He wailed with a raspy voice. "No tomorrows ... no more time. Meeting ... must ready ... now. So strong ... so fast."
"Keep him still, Minerva! His injuries will open again if he keeps this up." Poppy cried out. With a flick of her wand, tight bands appeared and wrapped themselves around and over Dumbledore's legs holding him fast to the bed.
Minerva placed both hands on his shoulders and pressed down with added force. Her face paled betraying her shock. Underneath her hands she could no longer feel his vital strength. Always before she had touched his shoulder for comfort. Always before she received reassurance from his solid form and vigorous resolve. But now his flesh was limp and pliable. She felt no taut muscles pushing against her fingers only bones under the too soft flesh. She looked into his eyes and immediately regretted doing so for his eyes were glassy with fear gone unchecked. His face was ashen and aged a hundredfold. For the first time in her life, Minerva McGonagall felt pity. Her admired friend was a shell of his former self. How could he be reduced to this? Sweet, strong Albus. We have been so blind and selfish.
Suddenly Dumbledore grabbed hold of Minerva's wrist. His hold would later leave bruises. "Tom was there. Came so very close, he did." His hold slackened. He let out a long rattling breath and seemed to sink further into the bed. "Minerva, did I do right by Filius?"
McGonagall cupped his face. "You did exactly the right thing, Albus. Rest now please."
"Things to do ... must tell -" Albus clenched and opened his fist repeatedly.
Minerva took one of his hands in hers. She looked into Poppy's stricken eyes. "Do it, Poppy."
"He'll be -"
"I know. I know. Do it." Minerva spied Ollivander and Snape entering the ward. "Quickly!"
Poppy heard the approaching men but did not hesitate. She drew her wand and said "En Psyche Susto Divigore!" A red glow erupted from her wand tip and floated over the headmaster's prone figure.
Dumbledore's eyes grew wide fully aware of what action the women had agreed to. He shook his head from left to right violently trying to deny their decision. As the glow creeped upwards past his waist he looked Minerva in the eye. His voice was harsh. "I forbid this, Minerva."
"I know and I'm sorry, Albus." McGonagall said softly. She squeezed his hand as the red glow reached his cheeks then wrapped about his head completely. "You will never know how sorry."
Ollivander and Snape looked on helplessly as the eerie glow engulfed the headmaster fully. It was too late. His frantic motions ceased. His fists unclenched. His eyes closed. His chest fell once. His companion emerged from his body and hovered uncertainly about his chest.
"Why have you done this?!" Snape shouted. His hands were balled into fists at his side. "Why?!"
McGonagall stood up and faced them all. "He was beyond his limits, Severus."
Poppy breathed in deeply before saying, "He will now get the rest of mind and body that he desperately needs."
Discreetly, Mr. Ollivandor waved his hand and cast a Circle of Anomi. He had a feeling the course of this conversation would not be pleasant.
Snape railed on. "You should have consulted us first! Couldn't you wait?!"
"After he regained consciousness, he seemed to be lucid but the trauma and blood loss was too great." Poppy explained. Her own anxieties made her bold. "Would you rather have waited and seen him descend into dementia as his systems degraded further? That would have been quite a show!"
Ollivander moved to a small table where sat an ever full pitcher of water and some glasses. As he poured water into two glasses, his mind whispered to Minerva across their bond. Are you all right? Hers whispered back. I will be. Ollivander looked at Snape. He fully understood the younger man's anger. He also knew that misdirected anger would prove more harm than good. "Poppy and Minerva have full discretion on this matter, Severus, as their positions befit. No one else was needed."
"If this is how you make an exit for a friend, refrain from doing me any favors unasked." Snape walked closer to the side of the bed.
Ollivander finished pouring. "An exit's value is what you make of it in the end not where it leads to at the beginning."
"Do you know what you've done?" He touched Dumbledore's head gently, almost reverently. "Do you have any idea?'
"This is what we should have done long ago." Poppy gratefully took one of the glasses Ollivander proffered to her and Minerva. "I knew, we all knew, how weak Albus was ... the show he was putting on for everyone. I failed him by not insisting he rest, do less, delegate more. I should have intervened when he was scheduled for tree duty. The man was already maintaining the Blessing with a third of his own energies. Oh, I know exactly what I have done, Severus, and I am glad of it."
"You've gone too far forcing him into a state of physical stasis like this." Snape looked from the still headmaster to the composed deputy headmistress. "I heard him. He forbade you to do it."
"He did and I denied him that choice." Minerva answered back briskly. She took a sip of water. "Let the consequences rest on me."
Ollivander looked down on Albus. "He was so very tired. A rest will return him to his old vigor and power."
Snape paced in front of the bed. "It may be weeks before the charm allows him to wake. What do we do in the meantime? Tell everyone he's gone on vacation, destination unknown? It will make all the headlines."
"No, it won't." Minerva looked at all of them in turn. Her lips quirked into a mischievous grin.
"No?" asked Snape. Poppy regarded her old friend with shrewd eyes.
Ollivander caught the mental flash of Minerva's inner amusement. "The game you are contemplating is -"
"Is necessary." Minerva interrupted. She put her glass down and crossed her arms. "Who better than I?"
"Nothing I say will sway you I suppose." Ollivander touched her lips with his finger. They looked at each other in silence for a time communicating only with their eyes and minds. "You were always a better player than an observer."
"Why should you have all the fun?" Minerva said saucily. Her gaze traveled to Snape. It was clear that he would explode unless an explanation was given and soon. "Albus won't be going anywhere. He will be attending to his duties as normal."
"How? The psyche charm cannot be interrupted once cast. Casually breaking the charm could kill him." Snape ceased his pacing and sat on the edge of the bed as if unwilling to lose sight of the aged wizard. "Are you proposing we turn him on and off somehow?"
"I am surprised at you, Severus, potions master that you are, that you haven't already guessed." Minerva's expression was resolute. "I'll be using up most of your stores of polyjuice starting tomorrow. You'll need to get your hands on more, discreetly of course, while you brew another batch here."
Snape swallowed his surprise. "Polyjuice is a banned substance for animagi. Not quite a sentence to Azkaban but illegal nonetheless."
"I am well aware of the ban and its reasons. I choose the risks."
Severus nodded. "What do we tell the others? It's almost time for dinner. They will expect to hear some news."
"We will not be telling anyone anything. Think of the effect on morale on both sides if the truth about Albus is disclosed." Poppy shared an infinitesmal nod with Minerva. From the corner of her eye, she saw Snape's astonished look and smiled. "Severus, why do you continue to labor under the misconception that guile is uniquely singular to Slytherin house?"
"The less people who know about Minerva masquerading as Albus the better." Ollivander remarked. "We will keep this matter within the four of us and Nicholas."
"And we will exercise the utmost control over this situation at all times." Minerva unfolded a blanket over Albus and lovingly tucked it around him making sure his beard stayed above the blanket. "There cannot be any changes to any of our plans and strategies. We will carry on."
"But all the House heads should be infor-" Snape began.
"This matter is not open to a vote, Severus." She rose and faced the potions master. "I shall make it plain for you. As deputy headmistress I am ordering you to hold your tongue and keep your head. You may follow that order with ill grace or resign immediately."
Ollivander winked at Snape. "Severus, my boy, one thing you need to know about Albus. He has a decided preference for strong, decisive, clever women and often succumbs to the temptation of surrounding himself with them. Such women will continually surprise you. Best get used to it now."
Poppy and Minerva laughed out loud. Ollivander joined them while Snape could only shake his head. After a quick discussion, the circle was dissolved. They scattered to carry out various tasks. Only Madam Pomfrey stayed to keep erstwhile visitors away from Albus' bedside and watch over Flitwick's recovery. Minerva hurried to Albus' office to begin her own study of his activities in preparation for the next few weeks. Ollivander went off in search of Nicholas.
Snape transported Albus into the Room of Counsel and placed Dumbledore in his former isolation room in the dungeons. There the headmaster would be snug enough left to convalesce in undisturbed secrecy.
Snape addressed Dumbledore's companion. "I know you can understand me. Guard him well or you will answer to me. Remember, I created you and I can and will deal with failure appropriately." Snape closed and warded the door. He made his way back to his private stores to check on his supply of polyjuice potion. He would not be sleeping tonight. He would begin brewing a new batch tonight. McGonagall would need all he could make.
Due to its all encompassing nature and the unpredictability of recovery, the psyche charm was invoked only for the direst of circumstances but its results were well proven. As the patient healed, the power of the charm would fade until eventually the patient attained a full recovery and awoke. Albus Dumbledore would return in vigorous good health with his powers renewed. The only question was when.
Flamel and Ollivander entered the headmaster's office shortly after dinner. As they approached, they could see Minerva wading through stacks of parchments behind Albus' desk. "She was truest to them in the season of trial, as all the quietly loyal and good will always be. Dickens surely had you in mind, Minerva."
Minerva smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Nicholas. I shall keep that quote in mind when I am on the verge of losing my patience."
"How goes the preparations?"
"The most pressing will be a meeting at the Ministry the day after tomorrow with the appropriations board to discuss next year's budget and curriculum. I will do my best to get out of it before my time limit is up."
"Is Genevieve Longbottom on that board?" Ollivander asked.
"I believe so, Flavius."
"May I suggest we clue her in on what's happening. Besides, I will feel more secure knowing that there is someone there watching your back."
"So would I. If anyone can manage interference for me, she can. Can you let her know discreetly?"
"I believe I have an open invitation for dinner at the Longbottoms that I have long ignored. I will contact Madam Longbottom and let her know that I am available tomorrow night."
"Minerva, have you addressed the matter of your own work?" Flamel ventured.
"I have considered some alternatives but have made no decisions yet. I welcome any advice or help you may have."
"I propose the following. Make my presence here known to the staff now. When the students return, allow me to be a guest teacher of, say, Transfiguration. Between myself, your graduate assistant and Ms. Granger, you will not have to concern yourself with daily classes. I would also like to substitute for Filius now and again."
"Brilliant!" Ollivander exclaimed. "The press will focus on you and not on Albus."
"Deflecting the enemy's attention has historically proven a wise tactic in the short term."
"I accept your generous offer, Professor Flamel. Be prepared to be introduced by the headmaster at breakfast." Minerva beamed. "What about your work with Demos and the new stone?"
"Calliandra has taken on more and more of the study of Demos of late. I suppose she sees him as another son in a way. As for the stone, we are not scheduled to fully start that for another month." Flamel said. "It will not be easy for you, Minerva. One minute as Minerva and the next as Albus. I wonder how you will manage."
The fire cast a reddish glow over Minerva's features. It was past midnight and sleep eluded her still. She held her tartan blanket close and gazed unblinking into the fire. Her thoughts so occupied her that she did not take notice of Ollivander until he kneeled in front of her chair.
"What heavy weight pulls your mind away from sleep, Minerva."
"Not what, Flavius. Who?" She ran a hand through his dishevelled hair. "Dickens."
"Any one in particular?"
"It was the best of times, it was the worse of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness."
"Better that than the 'It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done' and so forth bit." Ollivander took both of her hands in his. Under the cuffs of her robe, he could see the black and blue bruise on one wrist. It was a sobering reminder of the day's events. "The night always brings out the fears and doubts in any of us. The sun will chase them away."
"I can't make any mistakes ... with anyone. The act must be flawless." Minerva bit her lip. "This must be how Severus feels before his meetings. I don't know whether to admire him or declare him to be the biggest of fools to willingly subject himself to this self examination again and again. The fear suffocates me, Flavius. Doubt gnaws upon my every nerve."
"You don't have to do this. We can find another way."
"Albus and I discussed several theoretical contingencies. This scenario was one of them. I thought I was prepared." Minerva looked down on her hands. "Faced with tomorrow, I have wished a dozen times this night that I were a simple teacher and nothing more."
"You are so many things but most of all you are strong. Albus has faith in that strength and so must you." Ollivander entwined his fingers with hers and claimed her hand with a kiss. "I am here for you. You need only say how I may help."
Minerva sighed. "Hold me. Make me forget for a while. Remind me again that I am a woman, too."
Ollivander rose and pulled her up to stand beside him. They left the hearth fire to ebb on its own while they dealt with their fears in their own private way. The sun would rise soon enough.
In later years, it would be said that on this day did the season of trial begin.
Thoughts? Reactions? Need more drama, layers, twists, literary references? Thank you to all reviewers. Your comments motivate me to always do better and I feel make me a better writer. This story would not be where it is without you.
Enjoy!
mavidian