His Daughter
Author: Leta McGotor
Disclaimer: I own nothing but some characters like Nostradamus Crehl and the McDrake family including Richard McGonagall. The other belongs to JKR.
My thanks to EM and starlover88 for your reviews. You are great.
gahhMinerva: Yes, Richard McGonagall is the best example for a man you could slap again and again. He is all but a gentleman. I know it is not Christmas yet but it is great that you liked that part, nevertheless. Thank you for your review.
SherbetKitty: The scars play a role in the next chapter. I hope you are not too disappointed that I didn't mention them here. And yes, that creep wants Minerva, don't belive he wants her because he is the loving father. Thank you for your review.
DamesFan: Wieso hast du noch Ferien und ich nicht! Das ist derartig unfair! Das Blöde ist, ich kann meinen Lehrern schlecht ins Gesicht sagen, dass ich in ihrem Unterricht fast einschlafe und viel lieber meine Gedanken zu Papier bringen würde. Und ja, es wird einen kleinen Familienstreit geben (so im Ausmaß vom Untergang der Welt), denn Albus wird seine Tochter nicht freiwillig hergeben (jedenfalls hatte ich das nicht geplant). Auf jeden Fall Danke für dein Review und lass wieder von dir hören.
Chapter 8: Away
Albus sat down at the head table in the Great Hall, but it seemed that he had left his thoughts upstairs with the letter on his desk. He stirred in his cup nearly the whole breakfast along and didn't notice that Professor Crehl tried to talk to him for ten minutes now. It was in vain. Albus only looked at his cup, as if it was something very special and noticed nothing of the happenings around him. To his luck not many people noticed the absence of his thoughts for there were the Christmas Holidays and most of the students and parts of the staff had gone home to their families.
When breakfst was finished all made their way through the hall to leave but Albus only sat there and did nothing. So Minerva went up to the table with a worried expression on her face. Was it because of her bahaviour of the last evening that he seemed in another world or was it something else, problems with the school, with some of his colleages, trouble with the Ministry or something she couldn't imagine. She guessed that it was not her behaviour for nobody in her whole life had ever shown such an reaction, nobody, with the exception of her mother had loved her enough, to be upset with her in this way.
When she reached the Head Table she looked around. Nobody was near them and so she sighed before stepping closer.
"Dad?" Albus showed no reaction and Minerva was sure that he ignored her willingly. She swallowed. Had she hurt him that much that evening? "Dad?" Minerva's voice was quiet for she was all but sure about what to say. Little did she know that it were not her words that took his thoughts away, but the letter he received this morning. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you. Please, forgive me. I promise I will never do it again." A tear fell from her eyes as she made her way back, Albus hadn't noticed that she had spoken with him.
This afternoon Albus was sitting in his office and waited for Minerva. They had planned that the last day, but he was not sure if she would come. The whole morning he had thought about the letter and asked himself what to do. First he wanted to discuss it with his daughter at lunch but to his surprise she was missing when he had entered the Great Hall and he wondered why. When he had finished eating he had waited for her but she never came. Now he stared at his office door and hoped that soon there would be a knock. But he waited in vain. From time to time he looked at his clock. She was never late and it worried Albus what could have happened to her.
After one hour had come and gone Albus stood and made his way downstairs, out to the Qudditch Pitch. Flying was one of Minerva's hobbies, he knew and he was sure that she would use every opportunity to train. But to his dismay she was nowhere to be seen and he made his way back and up to the library. Surely she was reading something or made her homework. He found a few students and some of them asked something about their Transfiguration homework but he noticed quickly that Minerva was not among them. After he had cheched on the common room, the kitchens, the Astronomy Tower, the Transfiguration classroom and the dungeons he made his way to the Forbidden Forst.
It was becoming dark outside and the students, who had had a snowball fight, had gone back to their dormitories. Soon he reached the edge of the forest, his clothes wet from the snow. But to his dismay all was dark and nowhere was a figure moving around. He called her name once, twice but he didn't get an answer. Where could she be at that time of the day and why was she avoiding him? Or has something happened to her? Panic rose in him for he didn't knew where else to look for her. He called her name for the last time before turning around to go back to the castle. Then he heard something and stopped. Slowly he turned around, wand in his hand.
"Dad?" Albus was relieved. From out of the forest Minerva came stumbling toward him. He smiled at her but stopped when he saw her lost and teary expression.
"Minerva, what happened? Are you alright?" He hurried to her and hugged her before he looked in her face waiting for answers.
"I'm fine, really.", she added when she saw his unbelieving expression. "I'm only a little bit tired, that's all."
"Why were you in there?"
"I… I looked for… a place to think."
"What is your problem, Minerva? You know we can talk about all and there will always be my window to look out and clear your mind. So what is it?"
"You… you must know I'm really sorry. But I haven't talked to anybody about it. I didn't want to be that harsh. Please, forgive me, Dad." Albus was confused. What was she taking about?
"Minerva, I believe I don't understand what you are saying. Sorry for what? Never talked about what? I can't follow your thoughts."
"Yesterday evening, the reason why you were upset with me today."
"I was not upset with you, Minerva. There is no reason why I should."
"But you ignored me this morning, you said nothing to me you didn't even show any reaction."
"You have talked to me this morning? I'm sorry Minerva, I didn't notice. My thoughts were far away and I didn't notice that anybody was talking to me. I'm sorry, I didn't intend to make you believe I was upset with you. Surely I was upset, but not with you."
"Not with me, but why…"
"I got a letter from the Ministry this morning. Your fath… I mean Richard McGongall and your uncle want to take you away from Hogwarts. You are supposed to go to another school."
"No! I want to stay at Hogwarts, I want to stay with you. They can't… I will not go anywhere. They don't have the right to decide about me. He is not my father! Dad, please, do something."
"Of course, of course. Tomorrow we will go to the Ministry and speak with them. You will see, it is going to be alright."
"When you say it is so then it is so, Dad." Albus smiled weakly at her. He was not sure that all would work out how he hoped it would, but never would he tell this Minerva. So both linked arms and made their way back to the castle.
The next morning Albus and Minerva were the only ones who had got up that early and the whole school was sleeping when they left the castle with a portkey to reach the Ministry. Their appointment was early but they didn't want to come to late for fear that they would have a bad point if they would do so. Arriving at the Ministry they sat down in front of the office they had to go to. With them there were no other people and they sat in comfortable silence.
After what seemd like an eternity the door of the office opened and a small man with brown hair came out, talking to somebody they couldn't see yet. But only seconds later Richard McGonagall stepped out of the office into the corridor.
"Thank you, that you listened to me. You see my daughter is very important to me and now after… after Victoria's death (he took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his eyes), she is all I have left. Thank you for your understanding. It means a great deal to me to know my daughter at a school, which is the best for her. And I believe that Hogwarts isn't suitable."
"Of course, of course, after such a tragic loss your daughter must have the chance to learn to live without the mother. I'm so sorry for all what happened." The Ministry official said.
Minerva stared at both men, not believing her ears. Albus instead had risen to his feet and was going to the two other men.
"Sorry, to interrupt, but what is going on? I have brought the girl in question with me that she can decide on her own what is the best for her and I don't belive that her father is the best choice." He marked the word father and looked at Richard McGonagall. "Don't you think that staying at the school is the best for her, because she is used to the surroundings, she has friends and…"
"And she always will be reminded on her mother. No. Minerva is going with me. I'm her father and I decide."
"I see that this way, too, Professor Dumbledore. The girl will have a very hard time when she stays at Hogwarts. It is better for her to have the remaining family around her in the next time. Surely you'll understand that. And now excuse me, I have a lot of work to do." With these words the man went back into his office.
Richard McGonagall was grinning broadly at Albus. "And you lose again, you crazy fool. First Victoria and now Minerva. Isn't it a bit depressing to always lose against me, is it? I have won again" He laughed before he turned around, sized Minerva at her arm and pulled her with him down the corridor.
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