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Minerva sat down in the front row. So many people had shown up but she knew perfectly well that many of them were just there to make an appearance, not because they had known Albus Dumbledore personally. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Dolores Jane Umbridge. 'How dare she? How dare she! After everything that happened last year, how…' Minerva had never felt hatred as she did now. 'Albus wouldn't have wanted this. He would have wanted a small service with those he loved. Just those close to him. But how small could such a funeral be with the whole school present?' She couldn't help but smile a little. 'What are all these people doing here? How many of these people are here because they're actually sad that Albus is… gone,' she thought, just as Rufus Scrimgeour sat down next to her.

"Terrible loss," he told her, looking straight ahead. Minerva turned to him angrily.

"Shut up, Minister," she replied coldly. He turned to her with a shocked expression.

"Excuse me!"

"Do you really need me to repeat myself?" Minerva asked with contempt. "I told you to shut up. 'Terrible loss' you say. You have no idea what you're talking about. Tell me, who was Albus Dumbledore?"

"He… He was the greatest wizard of our time. The defeater of the dark wizard Grindelwald. The only one You Know Who ever feared."

"Exactly what I thought. All that, all those titles, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock, they never meant anything to him. He never wanted to be famous. He just wanted his students and the staff of Hogwarts to be safe and happy. He wanted to love and be loved and he wanted to lead a normal life. All of you important people, you think that all there is – was – to Albus Dumbledore was Professor Dumbledore. How many of you actually knew Albus? Not Dumbledore, not the great wizard but Albus, the man behind the wizard. How many, I ask you, Minister?"

"I… well…" He was interrupted by the sound of singing. Scrimgeour looked around, alarmed but Minerva remained still, sitting straight-backed and proudly in her seat. She knew exactly who were singing, she knew how well-liked Albus had been by the Merpeople. She knew that they at least were saddened by the Headmaster's passing.

Minerva didn't know what it was that made her turn her head but as soon as she did, she saw Hagrid walking up the aisle, carrying what she knew must be Albus' body. 'Wrapped in sparkling purple and carried by Rubeus Hagrid. Now there's something he would have loved.'

As Hagrid placed Albus' velvet-clad body on the marble table, Minerva could distinctly feel the tears she had fought so hard sting in her eyes. Biting her lip, she forced herself not to let them fall, not to let anyone see her weakness. 'This is derisory! Why can't I just break down and cry? Because your students are here and so is that… that… that woman! But surely they would understand…They never knew, Minerva. They never knew that you had just found love, or that you've been in love with this man for the greater part of your life. Oh, give it up and focus for Merlin's sake!'

When Minerva focused on the funeral again, a small wizard in black robes was standing in front of Albus' body. Minerva couldn't believe her ears when she heard what this tufty-haired little man had to say about Albus Dumbledore. Who was this man and why had he been allowed to speak at this funeral? He knew nothing of Albus, as he had really been. He knew nothing of the caring and slightly eccentric demeanour that was Albus Dumbledore. He knew nothing of the sweet-loving barmy old codger that she herself had played chess with so many times in the past decades. As she had just told Scrimgeour, 'nobility of spirit', 'intellectual contribution' and 'greatness of heart' were perhaps true words but they did not describe Albus Dumbledore as a whole, as a man. A small smile appeared on her face as she remembered. Remembered the years she had shared with the man now lying limp on the marble table. Remembered chess games and debates, remembered how they'd agree to disagree, remembered working together in comfortable silence or walking outside on the grounds. But clearest in her mind were images of how he had made her open up. How they had been snow fighting or how he had chased her around in is living room only to pin her to the ground and tickle her mercilessly. He had brought out the happy and childish Minerva McGonagall, whom she had buried underneath her stern façade. And who could forget the most incoherent speech he had ever made? 'Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!' she thought with a thin smile. That smile vanished, however, at the bright, white flames that erupted around the body. A white marble tomb appeared when the flames vanished, encasing the table and Albus' body. As a shower of arrows from the centaurs soared through the air, a lone tear escaped Minerva's pride and slid down her cheek. No one noticed it and for that Minerva was thankful. She couldn't bear the thought of having to face questions about her lack of self control after the service.

The service was over and people were leaving. Minerva knew that Poppy Pomfrey would be keeping an eye on her but she couldn't care less. Even as everybody else had left, she was still in her seat. Finally she rose and walked to the white marble tomb. She stroked the stone with her fingertips in a soft caress.

"Minerva, come. You can do nothing now," sounded Poppy's voice from behind her.

"I know, Poppy." Minerva wondered momentarily how her voice could sound so calm when inside she was yearning to break down and cry and shout and scream. "Please, I just need… just a few minutes alone with him, okay?" She felt a hand on her arm, a comforting gesture from a long-time friend.

"Of course, Minerva," said Poppy before leaving the new Headmistress alone with her thoughts.

"Albus," Minerva whispered to the marble. "Merlin, Albus, how do you expect me to run this school? I am not you; I am not even your equal! Albus, I can't do this alone!" Finally she sunk to her knees and let her tears flow freely down her cheeks.

When she finally walked through the corridors of Hogwarts, all signs of her tears were gone, dried and then washed away by sea water. But in her eyes her sorrow showed, she knew.

"Minerva!" a voice sounded and she was shaken back to reality.

"Hello, Sibyll," said Minerva wearily. She really had no desire to talk to the Divination teacher right now.

"Oh, Minerva, can you believe it? Dumbledore, gone!" Sibyll exclaimed. Then she lowered her voice. "Of course, I knew already. Saw it in a vision! It came to me in a dream! Suddenly and unexpected, it –"

"You knew, did you!" Minerva interrupted with cold fury. "If you knew, you miserable old fraud, then why didn't you warn him! Why! You know why? Because you didn't know! Stop trying to be what you're not, Sibyll Trelawney," Minerva ended, her voice barely audible. Then she passed her colleague without another word and disappeared through a secret doorway.

TBC...