Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling

Author's note: Gasp! Could it be? Yes, a new story. Fascinating, isn't it? Somehow this idea jumped into my mind after having read HBP. It's nothing special really, but I try to get back into writing ADMM, because I finally want to finish my story Cold Moon. Better late than never, right.

Oh and the story wasn't proof read, Sue is London, and I haven't yet confronted her with my plea to be my beta again g.

Dedication: To all those who urged me to continue writing

So… Goodbye

Minerva sighed heavily as she went through all the paperwork that had piled up during the last days. There was so much to organize now that Albus was dead. Minerva paused for a second to look at his portrait. He was still asleep and she knew that it could very well take him another week to wake up. She was just about to return to the letter she was writing, when she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in", she called out softly, wondering who would visit her at such a late hour. Her surprise grew when she saw that it was Harry Potter who tentatively stepped into Albus Dumbledore's former office.

"Harry, how…?"

"You didn't change the password." Harry explained before Minerva was able to finish her question. She smiled at him, before she offered him a seat.

"You came to say goodbye." She stated simply, and watched in amusement as Harry's eyebrows shot up questioningly.

"Don't worry, Harry, reading minds isn't an ability being passed on from headmaster to headmaster. It was mere intuition." Harry smiled sheepishly at her.

"Can I offer you something, Mr. Potter?" She had gotten up, and walked to the back part of the office.

"A cup of tea, please." Minerva conjured them a cup each, and sat down again. "I guess you still don't want to tell me where you are going to go now?"

Harry shook his head, staring into his cup of tea. He didn't exactly know what he was doing at the office, but it seemed right to say goodbye to his, now former, head of house.

"But you won't be on your own, will you?" Minerva asked. She worried about her student, and she worried that she wouldn't be able to protect him like Dumbledore had.

"Hermione and Ron will be with me. Professor, I really wish I could tell you, but I can't. I will be careful, though."

"I know Harry, but you have to promise me something." Minerva glared at him sternly and hoped that her stare still worked.

"I'll try, Professor." Harry offered.

"If you manage to fulfil whatever mission you have, and the final encounter with You- know….. Voldemort is close, you'll call help. You'll inform the Order and let us help you. Do you promise that?"

Harry smiled back at her: "Of course Professor. I'll do that." "Good." Minerva said quietly, and they fell silent.

Harry looked through Dumbledore's old office, and realized that McGonagall hadn't changed it at all. The young wizard sadly looked at the perch that Fawkes used to sit on, and a painful knot started to build in his stomach when he saw the Pensive standing on a small table close to the fire place. The memories of Dumbledore's death still haunted him.

"What's on your mind, Harry?" Minerva asked gently. The young boy, who had long outgrown his teacher, seemed to battle with himself.

"Will Hogwarts reopen?"

Minerva leaned back in the huge chair that had once belonged to her dearest friend: "I don't know Harry. It's not on me to decide. I just wrote to the board of governors. They might keep the school open, but even then I am not sure I can…. ." Harry was surprised to see his always so strong and confident transfiguration teacher look rather lost.

He wasn't sure whether he was crossing the line between student and teacher, but he had the feeling that he ought to say something: "I am sure Professor Dumbledore would want you to open the school, and I am sure he would want you to be headmistress. He always put great trust in you. Everyone knew that. If I stayed I would want you to be headmistress, too." Harry offered her an encouraging smile.

Minerva stared at the portrait of Albus Dumbledore for a few moments, completely lost in thought, before she tried to answer: "It's just so-" - hard without him" Harry finished her sentence, and Minerva wondered whether the boy knew more about her than he let on.

"Yes Mr. Potter it is hard. When are you going to leave?" She changed the topic, before things got too personal.

"In the morning I think. We'll go to Bill's wedding before we leave completely." Minerva nodded silently.

She had finished her tea, and so had Harry. He got up from his chair, having said everything he had wanted to say. Minerva did the same.

"I wish you all the luck you need Harry, let us know how you are doing, and whenever you need help, you know how to contact us." Harry was surprised to find his former teacher hugging him suddenly. He returned the hug a little awkwardly, before he smiled at the new headmistress of Hogwarts for a last time. He opened the door of the office but turned around once more: "He'd be very proud of you, too, you know."

With that he was out of the door. Minerva continued to stare at the door for a long time, before she walked over to Albus' portrait. Tenderly running a hand over it, she allowed some tears to escape: "You'll watch over him, won't you?"

With that she returned to her desk. It would be a strange school year, in case Hogwarts opened again. There would be no Albus Dumbledore any more, no Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Nothing was ever going to be the same again, and this time there wouldn't be Albus to catch her if something went wrong, and the pressure got too much. This time she was on her own, they all were.

Okaaay, so it was a gloomy ending, and there wasn't too much ADMM in it, but I liked the idea of Harry saying goodbye to Minerva.

If you liked it in any way, drop me a line, will you? And I hereby solemnly swear that I will continue to update Cold Moon soon!