Chapter 4

sorry about spelling Dumbledor wrong in all the other chapters, I didn't even realize...ah well. Anyway umm I hope you like it. If you don't well then why in the world are you reading it...no I am kidding read away I say...emmm..yes well even if you detest it with every nerve in your body umm please review I love looking at reviews it makes me all so excited. Thanks! and enjoy.

The clock in the transfiguration room ran on magic, of course, and as Minerva glanced at it she saw that it read

"pleasant enough class ends". Sure enough as Minerva began to pack her bag the bell sounded.

"Hmmm…the bell must be off a bit." Said Dumbledor thoughtfully and then he turned and attempted a smile at his pupils, who were all waiting patiently for him to exsces them.

"Class dismissed, don't forget the 3 scroll paper on muggle inventions and their uses in modern transfiguration due Monday." As the room began to thin Minerva noticed that Tom was waiting for her at the door. He would walk her down to the quidditch pitch where Gryffindor would face its last match against Slytherian. She flashed him a smile and was about to hurry off to join him, when-
"Minerva?" She turned, Professor Dumbledor was looking from her to Tom extremely uneasily, "Might I have a word with you before you head off to the quidditch pitch?" Minerva looked into the eyes of her transfiguration teacher Albus Dumbledoor. Inwardly she knew Tom would be upset, to say the lest. But if Dumbledor wanted to talk with her she would of course give him her time.

"Of course, Professor." She said turning to look at Tom, who nodded quickly, as if to say he understood…Minerva was relieved. Then he turned his dark eyes on Dumbledor, and to Minerva's amazement she thought she saw him sneer. He threw her one last beam before vanishing out of sight down the corridor. Minerva looked back around at her teacher, sweeping her long ebony hair out of her face. Her grades were the top of every other witches in the school, and she was just 16.

"What do you need, sir?"

"My office." He said as he lead her to the small office at the back of the classroom. Minerva stepped in hopeing this wouldn't take long. Dumbledor closed the door.

"Minerva," He said finally turning "There is no easy way to tell you this…but I feel it is my duty." Minerva stiffened this was starting to sound an awful lot like the news she had received when her father died.

"What is it, sir?" She could not keep the fear out of her voice, embarrassed she bent her head.

"I know that you are in very close with Mr. Riddle," Minerva raised her head almost instantly and if possible grew even stiffer. Whatever, Dumbledor was going to say she didn't like the direction it was going. Ever since the Myrtle girl had died Minerva had become very protective of Tom (not that she wasn't already) and somehow she could sense that Dumbledor was not a fan of Tom Riddle's. Foolish as it may be, Minerva had always got the impression that Dumbledor was jealous of her relationship with Tom. She could also tell that he was perhaps a bit protective of her as well, weather this was because she was his best student or for some other reason oblivious to her she didn't like it in the lest.

"Who doesn't know, sir?" Minerva joked, it had been something for year that the most popular Slytherian and the most popular Gryffindor were friends but know that they were in a romantic relationship together…The whole school was in an uproar. The scandal had hit the roof when had asked Minerva out the week before in the middle of the great hall, on one knee as if he was proposing. At the time she had just said yes out of sheer embarrassment, but now she realized that she loved him with all her heart. She did admit that he had a nasty temper though.

"In all seriousness, Minerva, I have a very pessimistic view about any relationship with Tom at this stage." Minerva unconsciously clenched her fist, but her professor continued. "I wouldn't be saying anything of course if it wasn't serious, believe me I don't like meddling in student affairs, I'm quite frightened of them actually. However, recently I have come across some startling evidence that suggests that Tom might be trying to…"

"Thank you Professor, but I really do have to go." Interrupted Minerva whose face had grown as red as Dumbledor's hair. She turned her heel, but before she could get out the door, Dumbledor caught her arm around her elbow.

"Minerva, wait, please I know you are angry and you don't want to hear this, but please listen to what I have to say, before you go to him." Minerva halted and looked back around at the man who she had come to consider like a father, a guide, a mentor. Her emerald eyes met his blue ones and the twinkle in then seemed to hold her in place.

"I'm sorry, professor, what have you discovered?" she said attempting a calm exterior manner.

"I think," began Dumbledor, "that Tom may be forming a group against anyone who isn't pureblood." Minerva almost laughed. "Tom wouldn't do that he's half-blood himself." She said frustrated at Dumbledor for suggesting such a riddiculas thing. Dumbledor looked as if he was about to respond when there was a loud knock on the office door.

"Professor Dumbledor! Come quick!" The voice was that of Minerva's good friend Angela Anderson, who played chaser on the Gryffindor quidditch team. Dumbledor opened the door, and Angela rushed to him. "Quick, sir its Ariel, she, she's dying!" Dumbledor met Minerva's eyes for one fleeting instant and then turning back to Angela he said:
"Lead the way."