CHAPTER III

Your presence still lingers here

She entered the new memory slowly. When she was in, flashing images of that day passed beside her like a hurricane. She could see people, owls, stores, glasses, colors, hats… until they all settled in a sole image: Diagon Alley.

She saw her younger self carrying a heavy set of packages and bags, all of them almost clouding her vision. A new broomstick on a store caught her attention: the new Comet 100. She almost stopped and someone collapsed with her. All of her stuff went straight to the floor.

"Oh, I am so sorry," she said instantly, while she kneeled and started to pick up her things. "I… Professor Dumbledore!"

He also had kneeled to help her and now she was looking directly at his eyes, his brilliant blue eyes. His beard was auburn with white, and either was his hair. She could remember feeling back then her cheeks burning with shame. However, he had not noticed and picked up her stuff and gave it back to her when both were on their feet again.

"I did not see you, Professor, I am so ashamed…"

"You should be" he said, curtly, "For all I can remember, not answering someone's letter is considered a rude thing to do. The first three days I thought I had to blame the owl, but when the first week finished, I thought something had happened to you, so I came to look for you. Now that I see you are safe, must I assume you did not want to answer?"

She felt a hard lump in her throat. His blue eyes seemed to be scanning her and she did not liked to be looked at as if she was guilty of something.

"With all due respect, Professor, I believe your… proposal… was indeed a bit hurried… I have never considered teaching, I am an auror, not a teacher."

"Well, perhaps you should consider it. A job like yours is quite strong for someone who has lost so much. I invite you to be a member of my staff, to use your knowledge for a much nobler cause than revenge."

"Teaching is not higher than revenge, Dumbledore," she said sharply, her eyes wet, "If you had lost all your family you would know… Your mother, your father, your… your… your four-year-old sister! Then you would know! Leave me alone and don't come back talking nonsense to me!"

She threw all of her things to the floor and ran away. He could hear something crashing and then saw that ink was spilling out of one of the bag, staining everything: books, food, papers. He kneeled again and cleaned the spilled ink with a spell from his wand; having done so, he picked up everything and started walking again.

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The images began flashing again and, without wanting so, she was pulled out from that memory and entered another one. One of the most pleasant memories she had. The first night she had spent at Hogwarts as a teacher.

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It was September 1st. She could not believe she had, after all, accepted Dumbledore's offer to work at Hogwarts.

She was only able to believe it when she was in her quarters, ready to go to The Great Hall so she could have some dinner. She now remembered when Dumbledore had presented her to the students, who had greeted her applauding.

Halfway to the door, she heard a knock, and she immediately opened the door. There stood Dumbledore, smiling.

"Good night, Professor McGonagall," he said. Minerva thought that new title was quite strange but it sounded special when he said it, "I trust you will go to dinner. You do eat, don't you?"

Minerva smiled slightly. She still hadn't apologized to him for all she had said before. However, he had not said anything to her about her shameful behavior and seemed to simply have forgotten it.

"I was actually…"

"Excellent," he interrupted, and offered her his arm. "Would you do me the honor of letting me escort you to diner? I am afraid all these years away from Hogwarts had made you forget the way to The Great Hall."

"I have not forgotten anything, Professor," she said, taking his arm, "But it will be my honor to go with you."

Then they walked, the Headmaster and his teacher, his soon-to-be Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor, his most loyal friend and, of course, his only life companion.

That night they walked to The Great Hall the way they would be predestined to walk their entire lives; together, side by side, shoulder by shoulder and her arm wrapped around his.

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She pulled herself out of that memory. It was bliss to remember but it was still so painful, so horrible to see him and to know she would never be with him again, with not even a body to cry for.

Minerva wondered then how Voldemort had known she and Albus had a relation. "There was no way," she muttered to herself. They had always been so discreet, so careful… How was it possible?

But it was, and Voldemort had stolen his body, the body of the man she had loved so much. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach. His body had been stolen… and she was lying in a bed, like a coward, shutting herself away from the world.

"I will wake up," she thought, "Revenge is going to wake me up. I will recover his body, I will fight Voldemort and I will kill him. Albus, my father, my mother, my sister… I owe them."

Her eyes opened violently. She stood up on her bed immediately and heard someone screaming loudly.

"Dear Merlin!" cried the Medi-with, clutching her chest, "Headmistress!"