Disclaimer. Don't own them. Only like playing in the same sand box.
Echo's in the Moonlight.
Sequel to "Shadows in the Wind"
Chapter Four September 1st 1982
Minerva led the students down the great hall to the front and called out the names of each to be sorted. Her eyes lingered over young Bill Weasley as he got up onto the stool to be sorted, and her heart soared as he was sorted into Gryffindor. He was too polite to mention in the classroom that she was the one who came when Ronald was born, or when Ginny was born as well. Perhaps that was just a long forgotten childhood memory, Arthur and Molly didn't forget though, and while Fudge struggled to be minister asking Albus to drop everything, Albus was quietly working with Arthur in the ministry cementing the foundations for the Weasley's to join the order.
1988
8 yr old 'Neville Longbottom is dropped accidentally by his Great Uncle Algie from an upstairs window. Instead of falling to his death, he bounces down into the garden demonstrating his natural magical ability. His family is ecstatic.' Albus Dumbledore received an owl from Neville's grandmother describing the event, and that she was confident that he would manage at Hogwarts studying under the current teachers there.
Minerva McGonagall sat upon the wall of the garden watching the people inside the house get ready. Her heart ached for the young boy as he was batted and pushed out of the way by his older cousin then someone whom she knew showed up at the door. Minerva hopped off of the wall and hurried down the street through the cat door of a home that smelled like cabbages. She hissed at several of the other cats that warned her it was their home she had entered. She didn't care, and after her second hiss the others left her alone. If Mrs. Figgs noticed that she had a new cat to her additions she never let on.. She did accept the offer of tea from a saucer, and some of the chocolate cake slice that was put out for her. She stayed all day just watching Harry as he looked through the photo album of all of Mrs. Figgs cats, and listened as they spoke of other things.
For a moment she just stared at Harry- looking at his eyes that were so much like his mothers, and how much like his father he was- Minerva wanted to scratch Vernon Dursley's face when he came to pick Harry up- he snarled and cuffed Harry, though he came to no real harm. Minerva was out the door before any one could say and she watched as Vernon locked Harry in the cupboard under the staircase. She knew that Albus would not be happy with her- he had wanted to go over things for the school and she had said she had something else to do. It had been Harry's birthday, and there was no acknowledgments for it- anything. His aunt Marge had come the week before and gave Dudley a computerized Robot to play with, and for Harry, a box of dog biscuits. They treated him as if he – well, with out a shred of decent human kindness could be. Sometimes they locked him in the cupboard under the stairs for a week. She was angry- and when she saw the questioning glance from Albus as to where she had been she strode past him up to her room and slammed the door behind her.
It was sometime later that she heard the gentle knock on the door of her long time friend – Poppy. With a wave of her hand she let the door open. Poppy had a covered tray and brought it to where Minerva lay on her bed in her dressing gown. Poppy's hand went to her forehead, then picked up her slim wrist. "You have Albus worried – you're a bit feverish… what do you want me to tell him?" She asked uncovering the tray and handing Minerva a large mug of hot tea.
"That a dog would have a better life than what he gave to a child." She said softly. Minerva sipped the tea then put it aside. Poppy's wand changed Minerva for bed then she found a coverlet and placed it over her to keep out the chill. She made Minerva finish the tea, and eat a few crackers before making her drink from a small bottle that would give her rest. When she was sure Minerva was asleep she went to where Albus was pacing the floor.
"How is she Poppy?" he had asked as she put the tray to the side.
"Sleeping now. Let her be Albus. She made up her mind about what she needed to do long before you made the decision of what you wanted her to do. She said to tell you "That a dog would have a better life than what you gave to a child." I don't quite know what she meant by that but before she fell asleep she mumbled something about someone being locked in the cupboard under the stairs."
Albus looked at Minerva's door. "Poppy, you may think me as wrong as Minerva does, but there is a singular reason why – why the boy who lived must remain with his blood relatives for as long as possible. Do you know why?"
He saw Poppy blink once. " You invoked a protection spell for him" she said simply. Being a healer, she would know- she had to know the pain that leaving Harry behind would cost Albus, and Minerva. Poppy followed his gaze to Minerva's door.
"She would take him in as her own, and it would leave him open. Her heart- needs to be stronger for this Albus. She needs to have resolve if she is to be here for him when he needs it the most."
"Do what you can for her Poppy…" he said at last. He strode to Minerva's room to look in on her and was unprepared for the tears that he saw on her sleeping face. "I am only trying to protect him Minerva- don't you think I love him just as much as you?" he had asked her sleeping form before wiping away her tears. He didn't know if she had heard him in her sleep. He sighed, bent over and kissed her silken lips softly. "As I love you" he said before departing her room.
Albus strode through the halls of Hogwarts with the intention of going outside to- he didn't know quiet what he would do- maybe borrow a broom and ride about the Quidditch pitch a few hours when he was approached by one of his Professors. The young man stood with practiced confidence before the headmaster with a parchment in his hands.
"Headmaster- a moment please?" Albus stopped and regarded Professor Quarrel. He knew what was coming. Prof Snape, appointed to the position of Potions Master had pointed out upon several occasions that while Professor Quarrel had a vast knowledge making him a capable defense against the dark arts teacher, he had little practical hands on experience in the same subject. Various hot spots were debated over dinner several times. Before he lost his nerve, Prof. Quarrel thrust the parchment in Albus's hands. "It's my formal request to take a year's leave of absence to, to further my education on the dark arts. I've decided to go to the Black Forest- near the Hardtz silver mines- and see the birthplace of our craft- a pilgrimage of sorts."
Weary Albus didn't even read the presented paper that listed all of the benefits this travel would have for the school. He simply nodded, giving his permission for the leave of absence, and said the students would have another teacher borrowed to fill in until his return.
Albus watched the eager young man stride down the hall. Such a simple thing that made him happy. He knew he could not contain him if he truly wanted to go. By that evening Snape was at his elbow asking if he had decided which of the teachers would be filling in for Prof. Quarrel during his absence. Albus nodded. "Prof. McGonagall will as she has so much free time…"
It was if he had stuffed an entire pound of lemon drops into both of their mouths at the same time. He knew that it was not the arrangement that ether of them would have wanted, but he had hoped that in giving her the extra responsibility, that she wouldn't have the free time to keep visiting Harry while he was growing up. She had to have read his thoughts as she spoke no further about any difficulty in teaching both subjects in the same year.
July 23, 1991,
Minerva sent the last of the letters off to the students and stood in the owlery watching the owls take flight across the lake. A new year was to begin. A year when she would be able to see if what Albus had planned so long ago had actually worked. He wanted Harry to just grow up a normal boy with out a swelled head. She knew there was no chance of that where he had been raised, and after the years of abuse that he had endured- there was little chance of him being- well- normal. Some would ask, well, he defeated you- know- who- why would he be anything like normal…
But she had looked into his eyes that summers day sitting next to Mrs. Figg, and saw the pain in his eyes when it was time to go home. She had taken time to address Harry's letter, giving his address as the cupboard under the stairs, She wanted the Dursley's to know that she knew- that others knew how they were treating Harry- even if they didn't know exactly what he meant to the wizarding world- or to her.
A day later the Owls returned. One in particular had an interesting message for Albus, who had Minerva make several copies of the letter and send them by a few owls, just to make sure that at least one would get through. When they did not, more owls were sent- until every owl that the school owned was sent each bearing the letter for Harry Potter. They had the letters delivered in several manors, Albus quite liked the idea of the fresh delivered eggs each having a letter as he knew that they made Harry do the cooking- if anything, he wanted them to know how serious they were about having Harry come to their school to be educated.
The owls informed Albus that they had left, and where they were going to, and the messages were taken there.Everyday this hadgone on, until over breakfast Albus sighed and made his decision.
Hagrid walked into the dark forest with a letter in his pocket, and a cake that he had made himself. He patted the neck of Pet who came out from the edge of the clearing. She was the most friendly of them all, and seemed to know when they needed
The hut on the rocks was small- almost no place at all to land, and when he dismounted he sent her where she would be safe to wait out the storm. She didn't mind. She bedded down on the over cropping and watched Hagrid enter the hut, and the noises that followed, then followed the two of them to take the boat back to the Dursley's so they wouldn't be stranded on the rock. She kept a safe distance from Hagrid, but knew, at the train station when he was ready to go home. Getting up on her he covered himself with a cloak of invisibility until they were out of the station, and then they were off.
September 5th 1991
Watching through the leaves she saw the four children who were new to the grounds after the sorting, and who were being introduced as friends with Hagrid who held a special delight in all of them. One of them was recognized as a Weasley, one she knew to be the boy that was rescued from the rock house in the middle of the ocean The girl she didn't know, but the last boy – looked directly at her – and – saw her. His face showed a quiet – resignation about the death he had seen. He nodded to her before entering into Hagrid's hut with his friends.
AN: When I listed this story as a AD/MM, it is because they are the primary characters in the story- not necessarily that it will be a story about a relationship between them. I have thus placed it under "Drama and Mystery" Not Romance / RelationshipsIf you like reading about AD/MM, then this is the story for you, (Sorry no lemons today if that's what your looking for, this isn't the story for you Please understand that a story does not have to have lemons in it to convey the events between people and what they feel in their lives.)
Taylor
