Title: Thoughts and Deeds
Summary: Minerva's view of the night she was Stunned, becoming AU in future chapters. With Dumbledore near her all the way, nothing can go wrong. Can it?
Rating: T for later chapters, just to be safe. Tell me if you think it's too high a rating though, I'm a very bad judge of these things...
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, although I must, I suppose, take responsibility for the plot.
A/N: Rather strange, but I hope you like it.

What? What was going on? There were noises around, noises that made her sad, noises that made her worry. What was all the fuss about? Why wouldn't these people just let her get a good night's rest for once in her life!

She sat up and opened her eyes. Everyone had gone, but the noises remained, slowly fading. Where was she? This looked like a place she used to go years and years ago. The grass was green, there were many trees around, and a little brook bubbling past her. Once upon a time, she would come here to read, and would stay for hours and hours. How did she get to here from Hogwarts though?

Minerva moved her hand and found a book there beside it, her favourite as a child. She picked it up and flicked through the pages. It was in fact hers from decades ago – see just there, where she had coloured in the line drawings when she was seven.

When she turned back to the front again to read it, however, her brow creased. Instead of words now, there was a movie playing across the first two pages. It seemed to be set at Hogwarts, at night-time, just outside the front door. A few people were walking briskly down the hill towards the forest, in the direction of Hagrid's hut, wands at the ready. Minerva frowned. She then saw someone else burst out through the front doors, apparently screaming something at the group; although there was no sound so she couldn't tell what. They turned around towards the woman. One of the people in the group was short and squat, and wore a frightening leer on her face. She said something, and the whole group raised their wands. Red light filled the picture.

Minerva felt a sudden pain in her chest, and had difficulty breathing for a minute. She looked down, seeing no physical cause for it and resolving to ask Madam Pomfrey about it next time she had the chance.

The pain struck again, this time worse. She couldn't breathe at all. She began to panic as her vision left her and she passed out.

When she next opened her eyes, she saw only stars. She tried to turn her head, but couldn't muster the energy. Looking around as much as her eyes alone would allow, she saw the castle. In one of the towers – could it be the astronomy tower? – she saw a group of students staring out the window.

"Get back to your exams, children!" she shouted. At least, she tried to shout. There was no sound, and she wasn't entirely sure her mouth had moved, either. She closed her eyes, trying to think of a solution to being Petrified. The next thing she knew, she was surrounded by people. She heard mention of 'mediwizards', 'St Mungo's', 'stunners', and 'dead'.

"Who's dead?" she asked, worried that the red light had hurt someone.

"What was that? Was that her? What did she say?" she heard.

"Shh," someone said very close to her ear. "Don't speak to me. I'm invisible. You'll be fine. Nobody is dead, thank Merlin."

"Albus?" she murmured.

"Dumbledore left, Minerva. Nobody knows where he is," one of the others replied.

"I know where he is," the invisible one chuckled softly. Minerva smiled faintly.

She heard more people arriving, and then felt herself being moved onto a stretcher.

"Don't go." She barely made a sound, but Dumbledore understood.

"I'll be around, Minerva. You know I always am." He patted her hand as she slipped back into unconsciousness.

She had returned to the woods. The book was still there, but she didn't want to read it for fear of what else she might find inside. She simply curled up against a tree by the brook and watched a squirrel search for nuts in the grass. It darted around under the trees, and whenever it found a nut, it would clasp it in its little hands and carry it back to the small hollow in the base of another tree, in between the roots.

"Minerva," someone said from behind her. She turned around slowly to see Dumbledore there.

"How did you get here, Albus? For that matter, how did I? I have absolutely no idea what is going on. Could you fill me in?" she asked briskly, although obviously glad to see him.

"I believe you saw a movie in the book you have now abandoned, Minerva," he began. "Perhaps you recognize some of the events shown?"

She shook her head. He nodded understandingly.

"Go and take a look now. You won't see anything you don't know about already."

Minerva frowned, but went and picked up the book and began to read it. This time, the woman who had been following the group was lying on the ground in what appeared to be a very uncomfortable position. For a moment, you could tell that she opened her eyes, and then the viewpoint turned to see a window in the Astronomy tower, where students were gathered.

"Albus, who is she?" Minerva asked, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

"I think you know," he replied, the light in his eyes slightly dying for a moment.

She did know. She looked again and the woman was surrounded by people. A team of mediwizards was fast approaching, stretcher at the ready.

"Why? What happened?" Dumbledore's face grew uncharacteristically sour.

"The Headmistress and her supporters saw fit to attack Hagrid. You did not approve. You took four Stunners to the chest."

Probably no need to see Poppy after all, then, she decided. Either I'm dead or I'm at St Mungo's.

"So, have you taken to walking the afterlife, or am I still functional?" she asked matter-of-factly.

"You are alive, Minerva, although not much more than that. I must admit that I have been lurking around your bedside for a few days now, but you haven't done very much at all. I thought I might try to visit you here."

"Here being…?"

"Inside your mind, I believe."

"Ah."

He nodded and gave her a moment to think.

"So I've been out for how long exactly?" she eventually asked.

"Four, maybe five days. You haven't said or done anything since that night."

"Is there something I can do to return to consciousness? Any way I can help the Healers?" Dumbledore smiled. Minerva never was one to sit around when she could avoid it.

"It would help if you took time every so often to meditate on returning, imagining yourself returning, becoming utterly immersed in that thought." She nodded.

It was then that she noticed that she had been standing for a very long time. Too long, in fact. So long…

Dumbledore caught her as she collapsed, and laid her down on the ground carefully. He sat too, and for a moment considered cradling her head in his lap. He didn't, of course – he valued his life too much. But he did take one of her hands, trying to keep it warm.

Please review, if you feel so inclined... more will come soon, hopefully tomorrow if I remember.