Ch.10

A/N: Hi sorry it took so long to get this up it was a very tough chapter to write. I hope you like it. Thanks for your reviews.

The corridors were mercifully empty as Minerva headed back to the office of the new headmaster that evening. All day long, she had had to endure constant questioning from her friends who seemed to be regarding her now with great a mixture of fear, pity, and suspison. It wasn't just from her friends either, the entire school was whispering about Minerva McGonagall. Rumours both extremely exaggerated and surprisingly accurate were flying around the great hall along with the morning owls. Minerva was exhausted, she hadn't answered any questions and had spent the majority of the day hiding from anyone who looked as if they might try and speak to her. So it was quite a relief to be able to walk down a normal corridor completely at peace without having to dodge behind any statues or tapestries. What people failed to realize was that Minerva was just as curious about much of what was happening as they were, and the pain of Tom's betrayl was by far to fresh on her mind to disscuss with anyone.

Arriving at the gargoyle she paused, she had half a mind to turn completely about and run as fast as she could, never to return to the school again. Common sense eventually overtook this notion and she cleared her throat ready to give the password.

"Gargoyle." She said without any particular tone. Nothing happened. Minerva raised her eyebrows at the gargoyle as if it had planed to trick her all along.

"Gargoyle!" She said harshly. Still nothing occurred. Would it be possible that Dumbledore had already changed the password. Minerva couldn't see how he would have had time to worry about something as simply as a password when there was so much else that had to have been taken care of today.

"Gargoyle… I don't know the bloody password, just open, I must speak with Professor Dumbledore!" Minerva tried reasoning with the stone figure. When nothing happened again she drew her wand.

"I hate to do this but you give me no choice." Pointing her wand straight as an arrow she opened her mouth for the spell when the gargoyle sprang aside. Minerva looked stunned for a second that the gargoyle had actually complied, when she saw Professor Dumbledore. He was beaming ear to ear in surpressed laughter, standing on the stairs right behind where the gargoyle had been. Minerva had never seen him look so buoyant, and scowled at him dangerously.

"I hardly think this be the time for jokes, Professor." She scolded.

"There is always some time for jokes, Minerva, without them there would be a unnecessary amount of stress, it is best to stay light-hearted, I think." Minerva opened her mouth as if to retort and then closed it again quickly like a goldfish. Dumbledore just beamed before adding, "But please let us not lurk in doorways come up." And he stepped aside to allow her to pass. "I think you truly gave Fredrick a fright down there, I had to keep patting him on the back to reasure him that I wouldn't let you hex him."

"Fredrick?" Said Minerva as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Yes Fredrick, the gargoyle, it is his name." Dumbledore said matter-of-factly as he took the headmaster's chair behind the desk. Minerva glanced at the desk, hardly believing that Professor Dippet's lifeless corpse had layed there just this morning.

"Is that the new password then, Fredrick?" She said causally, not really interested but attempting to post pone their inevitable subject.

"Obviously not, surely you know by now Minerva that in order to have an efficient password it must change every week, So it would be most inappropriate to use the Gargoyle's name seeing that it doesn't change at all." He paused for a moment as if trying to let this information sink in, Minerva only stared, and so he continued, "No, the new Password is Baby Ruth."

"Baby Ruth!" Minerva exclaimed now thinking he was completely mad.

"Certainly, it is a new muggle candy of some sort that I am quite fond of. Do you not like it Minerva?" Dumbledore asked legitimately. Smiling at her in a dazed far off sort of way, his eyes traveling up her face, resting intently upon her eyes. He looked as if he would like nothing better than to sit gazing at her while they discussed gargoyles and candies.

"I-I don't really care either way professor….err…don't you think we ought to be getting on with everything….professor." Minerva asked awkwardly, she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. For some reason she found she couldn't breathe properly. Even though Minerva would have preferred to disscuss anything else under the sun with Dumbledore than her 'situation' to feel his eyes boring into her was extremely unsettling and yet…..oddly satisfying. Minerva knew that they were toching upon something dangerous and thought best to move on. Her words did seem to bring him back to reality and she watched as his eyes unfoucesed on her and refocused on the desk in front of him.

"Yes your quite right, of course Minerva, we have much to disscuss." She sighed in relief. Dumbledore shifted to, clasping his hands in front of him in a very bussiness like manner. "So…" His blue eyes twinkled, and he smiled slightly, "First I assume you would like to know what happened last night in the duel between Tom Riddle and myself." Dumbledore asked as if edging her on.

"Yes sir, why can't I remember any of what happened? I mean I know I hit my head but…"

"Ahh, good question, you are quite right it wasn't just your head injury that caused you to forget, you see Tom reveiled many things that he obviously didn't want you to hear, in the end he used the oblivate charm on you before I could stop him…luckily I was able to interven soon enough that you didn't loose to much of your memory." Minerva was confused, and her face must have shown it for Dumbledore chuckled slightly,

"It's alright Minerva if I am correct, and I believe I am, your memory should return in time."

"What did he not want me to know, sir?" She asked bracing herself for the worst. Dumbledore hesitated, as if he was contemplating a very difficult desion. Minerva, being very unpatient, began to frown and shift in her chair more and more as Dumbledore continued to stare at her. Finaly he seemed to come to a desion.

"Minerva, I am going to tell you this because I believe that you deserve to know, however first I must inform you of some very important things." Minerva swallowed. "First of all, Tom Riddle, as you must have known has had very difficult childhood," Minerva nodded,

"Yes well growing up in a muggle orphanage among other unfortunate things made him have a keen hatred towards anything not pure-blood. However, unlike most muggle haters, he avoids crowds of other pure-bloods, did you ever notice Minerva that he didn't have any real friends, besides you?

"Well-now that you mention it-yes. But he wasn't disliked at all, they all admired him, he was the most popular in-"

"Admired certainly, but that's what makes him so different Minerva, Tom Riddle didn't admire anyone, he didn't need anyone, he never wanted any friends and never tried to make any…besides you…do you know why he befriended you and no one else"

"No." Minerva said plainly.

"This may be a bit painful to hear, but is essential that you understand….Tom Riddle as I am sure you have gathered by now is the heir to Salazar slytherian. The sole heir, Minerva." Minerva raised her eyebrows in astonishment, and her lips went deadly thin. "Whereas you Minerva, you are the heir to Gryffindor." Minerva gasped, clasping her hand over her mouth. "Oh yes, you are too the sole heir. Godric Gryffindors last living realitive. And perhaps just as importantly, you are also a half-blood. Are you beginning to understand, Minerva?" MInerva's face had gone as white as Nearly Headless Nicks. She did not answer, but Dumbledore continued. "Yes Tom realized that combining your bloodlines would create an heir like no one has ever seen before…an heir of both Slytherian and Gryffindor. Not to mention that Tom always considered you something of a-something of a trophy, someone that trusted him perhaps more than anyone else in the school. Yes Tom was very proud of his relationship with you Minerva...very proud." The emerald eyed goddess felt her throat tighten and she cursed her watery eyes, she couldn't cry again, she wouldn't. But then her hand found her stomach and she suddenly felt sick, carrying an abomination. Carrying the devils child, how could she raise a murders child, a murders heir, a slytherian heir. Dumbledore must have known what she was thinking for he spoke up immediately, "It is a Gryffindor heir you carry as well, and it is still part of you Minerva, half of you," Minerva couldn't hold back the tears now, and she quickly looked away, she wanted to scream at Dumbledore for his stupidity, Tom Riddles spawn! But she restrained, and closed her eyes tight forcing the tears back. She would have to get rid of it, and the sooner the better she wouldn't be responsible for an evil child. She wouldn't give Tom an apprentice! She wouldn't stand for it!

"Minerva, nothing that was part of you could be evil, nothing!" Her eyes flew up immediately and met his. She looked frightened.

"How did you know what I was thinking!" She asked suddenly, immediately after these words she turned bright crimson at her childish retort. But to her utter amazment Dumbledore smiled.

"You have much spirt, hopefully it will be a trait you pass on." Minerva glared at him

"Don't listen to my thoughts."

"It is quite hard not to, they are unnaturally loud for thoughts." They looked at each other, one flaring in furry and the other mearly grinning quite at ease.

"Minerva," Dumbledore said on a much more serious note,

" You must promise me that you will do nothing to harm that child in any way."

"But-"

"You must!"

"He will use it for-"

"Promise!"

"…I promise….but what if he uses"

"MInerva the child didn't plan its own blood line, did it, it deserves the chance to live."

"Dumbledore, that is asking for trouble, Tom planed this, and we shouldn't let him have the opportunity to go through with whatever he might be planning now for this poor childs life."

"You promised to keep it, did you not"

"Well yes but"

"Then let us move on. We still have much to disscus." There appeared to be no room for argument Dumbledore looked quite set on what he had decided. Seeing that she wasn't going to push the subject, Dumbledore smiled again and jumped into a what appeared much happier news.

"In light of your condition…I realize that it might be more comfortable for you to stay here at Hogwarts in larger quarters…..teachers quarters for instance." Minerva furrowed her brow.

"I don't understand." Dumbledore continued to smile.

"You are an extremely bright and well qualified witch, and I was hopeing that you might be willing to take on a teaching positon here at Hogwarts."

"Teach, sir?" Minerva said shocked "But I haven't even finished my education here at Hogwarts, how can I possibly teach, when I am just 17?" Dumbledore chuckled.

"As I say you are an extremely capable student, one of the best I have ever seen, and since I am no longer going to be the transfiguration teacher I thought-"

"TRANSFIGURATION!" said Minerva completly flabbergasted, to teach Dumbledore's old spot, to follow in his footsteps…she could never have dreamed.

"Of course, I understand if you don't want the job, it is after all rather stressful and-"

"NO, no, of course I'll accept. I am just surprised, shocked really that you think I am capable for such a highly regarded and difficult subject."

"Oh good," Said Dumbledore happily taking out a lemon drop and popping it into his mouth. Minerva grimiced slightly, how anyone could put that into their mouth was beyond her. "Well," said Dumbledore around chews, "Now that that is covered, I have something else to ask you." Dumbledore said, a red curl fell into his eye which he wiped away carelessly. Minerva figited in her chair, afraid of what this next question would be.

" I know its never been done, but I think with recent events it might be a good idea to have what you might call a deputy in charge, or in your case a deputy headmistress, that is if your willing to take on the responsibility." Perhaps, Minerva thought she had misheard Dumbledore. For there were plenty of more capable and of course older and more experienced teachers in the school than she, after all she would be teaching everyone in her year. Why would Dumbledore give such an important role to a 'just of age' girl. Yes she must have heard him wrong. Dumbledore must have taken her silence as a yes, for he smiled and continued.

"Oh and one final thing, it appears that I also will be needing a head of Gryffindor house and well-I know it's a heavy bag…, I hope you won't mind accepting it. It isn't that bad though, rather exciting, it should be very fitting to have Gryffindor's heir as head of house." This was all starting to make sense to Minerva, ther was no other teacher from Gryffindor, and since the headmaster was from Gryffindor maybe this was the only house he trusted to put in high positions.

"Of course, sir." Said Minerva recovering her voice.

"Good, good, but call me Albus please, you're a teacher now." Dumbledore beamed,

"I've givin you my old chambers and your bag is already moved in."

"Not over confidiant, I see." said Minerva smiling it was starting to sink in, she was going to be a professor at Hogwarts! This would be an absolutely wonderful feeling if she weren't carrying the child of the newly acclaimed Voldemort, according to the paper this morning, although Minerva didn't take this seriously at all. At thinking this name however her stomach gave a slight kick. Minerva's hand went instinctively to her belly. Dumbledore noticed this and stood up quickly. Walking to Minerva he added in a hushed voice,

'The child doesn't have to know. In fact it cannot know."

"I understand, sir" said Minerva sincerely. Dumbledore placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I am very sorry Minerva, I-I wish I could have prevented I wish I had done something…but I-I was so.." Dumbledore's face suddenly turned very dark, and he pivoted on the spot and stormed to the corner of his office alarmingly. Staring at a picture on the wall he said, " Leave now, go while you can, you shouldn't have to stay here with me, you shouldn't have to speak to me, you shouldn't have to look at me, I'm a terrible person Minerva I've failed you in every respect." Minerva was at a loss, she had no idea what had caused this sudden change in behavior.

"Sir-Albus," The name came out forced and muttered, "please I don't know what your talking about, please let me make you a cup of tea, you are simply tired and-"

"I AM NOT TIRED!" screamed Dumbledore. Who was now furious, he rushed to her towering over her, his blue eyes raged with sparks of what appeared to be fire. "Don't you understand, It was me who erased your memory, I was to ashamed for you to know, I didn't want you to see. I can't believe myself…. It should have been my child Minerva! I loved you, he didn't! I've always loved you….always!" Dumbledore went silent suddenly droping his head in a sad way he turned away resting his hands on his desk head hung out of sight. Minerva stared, the silence bursting in her head the air was no longer pleasant. Her heart sped up at the lack of oxygen. Albus Dumbledore, possibly the greatest Wizard of man-kind, was in love with her , she couldn't believe the feeling of betrayl it was overwhelming. Her face grew hot, how could someone she had trusted so much, have hurt her so badley…just like Tom. Minerva felt the tears spill down her cheeks, and this time she made no move to hide it or stop it. Did this "great" wizard have no self control, why was he doing this to her, what did he want from her. Minerva desperately swallowed a lump in her throat as she gaped at the back of this man she had regarded so highly a few seconds ago. Not anymore! She wanted to hit him, to shake this phase out of him. There was a sniff and Dumbledore started shaking slightly - he was crying. Minerva clenched her fists how dare, he show weakness in front of her at a time like this, how dare he be here at all, how dare he love her, or anyone for that matter, he wasn't allowed to love. But somewhere in all this anger Minerva felot pain, she couldn't stand here and just watch this man cry, someone that possibly even against her wishes she still cared for and respected so deeply. All most instinctively her slender arm reached out and touched his shoulder caressing it with her thumb. Dumbledore jerked away spinning around.

"Don't touch me, please, you deserve better than this, leave while you still can." Shouted Dumbledore the paintings on the wall shook, and Minerva knew they were all taking in every word.

"Stop it Albus! Now you've got to pull yourself together, for you, for all the school, and…for….me." She finished a little meaker than she had intended. "And besides, you think I would turn and leave, after all you've offered me here, just cause your in love, really Albus I'd say that's a bit aragont wouldn't you?" MInerva smiled, Albus stared at her for a long moment before he smiled to and bent his head again.

"Where would we be without jokes, Minerva"

"Oh I am quite serious, Albus, you can't get rid of me that easily, you've asked me here and I'm afraid your just going to have to put up with me for a while." But there was laughter in her voice, along with relief.

"I'm sorry, Minerva." Dumbledore said at last, "I'm sorry." Minerva placed her hand on his face and she leaned forward and kissed his forehead. Albus stiffened and then relaxed as she pulled away.

"Now I am going to go see these new chambers of mine, and they better be to my likeing too. Goodnight Albus." And with that she turned and walked out of the glorious office, the last thing she heard was an outbreack of whispering among the pictures.