A/N: Okay, here it is…chapter 2. I'll admit it, I'm slow, but bear with me…I've got 2 weeks left until my senior thesis is due….Anyway, yes, I can't resist throwing in my trademark character  - Uray just has to go in. Oh, and Melina is this M. McGonagall from this plaque in the PS/SS-movie.

Thankies to all my reviewers. Good to know that I sparked your interest.

Disclaimer: Boy, I can't believe, I forgot it. But….For the canon stuff…I don't own it – if I did you could buy my stories in every bookstore of the world. Some basics of the McGonagall family come from Isis Malfoy's story "The Wizards, the Animagi and the Web of Darkness".

Chapter 2 - Confusion

When Minerva awoke the first thing she felt was a pounding headache. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she prayed to be in her large, comfortable bed in Hogwarts with Albus just gone to fetch her a cup of tea and call for Madam Pomfrey. Becoming more aware of her surroundings, however, she quickly realized that her prayer wouldn't be answered. It was too cold and too damp. Finally opening her eyes, Minerva closed them quickly in disgust, when the sun was stinging in her eyes.

Aware of her headache she rose carefully, opened her eyes again and looked around. All she could see was a wide plain field scattered with some bushes. Just next to her stood one, deprived of all its leaves. They lay rotting on the ground and from the condition of her robes had apparently served as her mattress. Minerva shivered in her damp robes. Where was she? How had she gotten here? And why?

"Oh Merlin!"

Suddenly it all came back to her. The ministry. The sneers. Percy. Voldemort. Albus…Albus! No, it couldn't be true. It must have been a dream. A nightmare at that. No, it couldn't be.  

Minerva got up, intent on clearing up this huge mess. When she did, she felt something rustling in her pocket. Removing a graying lock from her face with one hand, she fished for the object with her other hand. It was a letter. A letter?

Her heart grew heavy and she had to sit down on a nearby stone. So it was true then. It wasn't a dream. She was declared an outlaw. Fired from her job at Hogwarts and replaced by none other than the Dark Lord himself. And the only man, she had been sure she could always trust had changed sides. Albus had joined Voldemort. Minerva remembered the sneers and his cruel chuckle, when he had told her that he had been stringing her along to believe he loved her. His displays of love and affection had been fake, he hadn't cared for her one bit. They only thing he had ever wanted was her loyalty and her practical help, as long as he needed it. And now that he had reached his goal, he, of course, wanted to get rid of a 'whimpering woman'. Then he had informed her coldly again that she was outlawed – she would be brought to Azkaban by the next day to serve a life-long sentence for treason.

At that moment, with the last shred of sanity, Minerva had stunned the three men, fled from the office and, transformed into a cat, had run from the city. She had run with no break at all until some time during the night she just lost consciousness from pure exhaustion.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Minerva again remembered Albus words, when he had ripped her life apart. Turning her face to the bright sun, she let out a long piercing scream that came from the depth of her breaking heart and disrupted the peaceful morning air with its sheer terror.

After almost a minute of screaming out her agony she succumbed to her pain and began to cry in earnest.

***

Far north on a huge estate a woman shot out of her reverie. Melina McGonagal noticed  the fire crackling merrily in the fire-place, which she had not really seen for some time.

"Meli?" her father asked, "What's wrong?"

Melina searched her mind "I don't know, Papa. I just think that some things have been strange lately. Everything is so quiet. And…," she hesitated, "I find it rather odd that after fighting Voldemort for so long we are now negotiating."

Uranos McGonagall smiled at his daughter. What had Minerva said: "The born auror." But she had her point. Thus, his smile vanished: "I know, Meli. It is strange. To me, too. We have been fighting against Voldemort for more than 20 years now. He never showed any willingness to accept anything less than full power and a reign of darkness. Why they think in the ministry that they could come to an agreement is beyond me too."

Melina jumped up from her seat. "That is what I mean, Papa. Where did they get this ridiculous idea from?"

"Dumbledore recommended it," her father supplied.

"And just because he did, everybody believes that Voldemort will come around?" She started pacing. "Where did he get his conviction from?"

Uray shifted uneasily. "What are you implying, my child? That Dumbledore has changed sides?"

Melina paused and looked at her father in deep thought. "If it wasn't Dumbledore…Dumbledore himself…then I would say yes. But it is him. So no, I don't think so."

Her father took a deep breath. "You scared me for a second. Can you imagine, what would happen if he did?" His daughter nodded solemnly. "Can you imagine, what would happen to your aunt? To all of us?"

Meli swallowed hard. "I don't dare."

Just then there was a knock at the door of the palor. Upon the come in-call of the master a house elf stepped in followed by a towering ministry official. Father and daughter looked at him with some well-hidden trepidation. Maybe it was due to their unpleasant conversation just before, but both couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming.

"What is it, Batty?" Uray asked.

Before the little elf could answer, the ministry man, by the name of Henton, stepped forward: "Uranos McGonagall?" After an affirmative nod from the man in question, Henton took out a roll of parchment. "I am authorized by the ministry of magic to inform you that your sister, Minerva McGonagall, has been charged and convicted for treason. And after the attempted assassination of the Minister of Magic yesterday, her sentence has been raised from exile to a life in Azkaban."

"No." was Uray's toneless comment.

Melina joined in "You are kidding, right?"

The man looked uncomfortable, but shook his head. "No, ma'am. I'm afraid not. Ms. McGonagall has been removed from her post at Hogwarts. She has also been declared an outlaw from the magic community. This document," he held up the parchment, "gives evidence to her loss of all privileges of a member of our community."

The young with felt her anger boiling. "What idiot signed this document?"

Henton hesitated again. "The same, who signed her verdict. The new minister of magic. Albus Dumbledore."

A clonk could be heard. Everybody in the room shot around to see Uranos McGonagall having fallen heavily into an armchair. He buried his face in his hands. "No, it can't be. It can't be. How can he do that? How can he do that to her? Oh Min…Oh my God!"

Melina was torn between crying and killing somebody as she went over to comfort her father. The ministry man seemed like a good target. But when she looked into his face, she could see a lot of uneasiness. And a lot of sympathy. The guy apparently didn't like this job one bit. So instead of grabbing his collar and punching him Melina opted for asking, why the ministry actually saw it fit to send somebody to deliver this information.

Henton shifted uneasily and seemed to be battling with himself. Finally, he hesitantly said: "I'm afraid, there is more to it." Upon the questioning looks he received, he added quickly: "Please, it could get me into big trouble telling you this." He looked around nervously and then said "The whole case is somewhat odd. Your aunt was never informed of the charges. She got to know only after the verdict. And actually it shall remain a secret. That's why I was dispatched to tell you in person. And of course, she lost her position at Hogwarts and was replaced by…" he hesitated again and uttered the last word with a great deal of effort "Voldemort."

The other occupants stared at him wide-eyed. Henton fidgeted: "I better get going." He turned towards the door. Just before reaching it, he turned to the others. "One last thing. Professor McGonagall has disappeared. All ministry people have been ordered to hunt her down. Your manor will be observed. She needs a lot of help to get out of here, but if you supply her with it, make sure to be very careful." With that he was gone….