Pussycat, Pussycat.
Dumbledore couldn't get through the wards. They were Arithmantically enforced, to the power of 13, if he wasn't mistaken. Sirius would love to get a look at this. A man almost as advanced in years as Albus came hobbling out from between the empty animal pens. There was a strong glamour over them, any muggle approaching would believe that the pens were full of cats. Albus wondered briefly where they were.
"What do you want? You got a cat?"
"No no. My visit is of a personal and professional nature. I am here to see Minerva McGonogall."
"Milligan."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Milligan. Minerva Milligan and I would be Stiweard Milligan, her husband."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Milligan. I am Albus Dumbledore."
The man grunted, to illustrate that he didn't personally care, but knew that he had to recognise that. He dropped the wards and ushered Albus through into the house.
There were cats everywhere. Not as an exaggeration to show that there were A LOT of cats. They WERE literally EVERYWHERE, and they were all making noises. It almost sounded like a conversation. Albus recognised Minerva's animagus form amongst the animals. It WAS a conversation, Minerva was gabbing away. Stiweard's hand came down around her neck, gently stroked for a moment before turning her head to face Albus. Minerva jumped down from the table and transformed, facing the Headmaster stern faced and bedecked in full tartan.
"About bloody time. Leaving me till last were you? The sure thing?"
"I wanted to give you time to realise what was happening, to work out your feelings before I arrived. You have neither been left till last nor considered a sure thing. Although, you were the most sure thing and the least sure have already accepted so I am nothing if not hopeful."
Minerva smirked.
"Who do you have?"
"All of them Minerva, I have all of them. I still have to talk to Dr. Granger, it is difficult to just turn up during the wind down of a monumentally important dig. I tried and failed to make an appointment to see her. There are still a number of junior positions to fill, but I have some help there."
"Severus?"
"Married to another man with five children, all of whom he gave birth to himself. Relaxed, funny and happy. His husband Reuben will be Deputy Head, he'll be in charge of the Primary School. He was a Hufflepuff. Severus, known as Russ to his family, turned down Head of Slytherin because he doesn't like house partisanship."
"Oh my God. Harry?"
"Making invisibility cloaks and coaching aurors. Still living with his Godfather."
"Sirius?"
"Training aurors and writing books."
"Remus?"
"Married to Talia, Arithmancer."
"Ronald?"
"Richer than Malfoy. Driven and dangerously perceptive. Single."
"Great Merlin. Malfoy?"
"Married to a mute woman, Daisy, of mixed blood who has an extreme personality. She will be our new librarian. They have a four year old daughter called Sally. I am her Uncle Albus, for Severus' children too."
"You'd better get Dr. Granger onside quickly. Those children will need her parents services with you as their Uncle. Who else?"
"Neville Longbottom and his wife Bug will be coming from Australia to teach Herbology and Muggle Studies respectively. Bug is a muggle whose real name is Beulah. They surf and like a good barby, Neville is the calmest person I have ever met. Luna will be coming back to teach Divination with Sybil, she's a Shaman and the lizards gave enough warning of my visit for her to be packed when I arrived."
"And the old crowd? Not 'the old crowd' just the old crowd. Am I making sense?"
"Perfectly my dear. The old crowd will all be there, excluding Irma, who is sadly no longer with us and Viola Vector, who is suffering from Parkinson's Disease. It is not something that I know much about. She didn't recognise me to begin with and she never stopped shaking. It broke my heart to see such a fine mind destroyed. Filius and Pomona came back immediately. So we've got Auriga, Sybil, Severus, Filius, Pomona, Rolanda, Rubeus, Remus and Firenze. Argus is old and frail, but his grandson, Angus will be coming in his father's place. The House Elves have all returned, the greenhouses are restocked, the forest assessed and repopulated."
"Poppy?"
"Goodness me. I completely forgot about Poppy. I don't even know where she is."
"She's in Glasgow, we get together every other Friday. Would like me to call her for you?"
"In your professional capacity as Head of Transfigurations and Gryffindor?"
"I would think so."
"Marvellous."
Stiweard shuffled into the room with a tray of tea and cakes.
"Stiweard, I don't suppose I can interest you in a job at Hogwarts could I?"
Stiweard grunted and gave the old Headmaster an appraising look.
"I'll go wherever Min goes, I don't much mind where I am. I'm no great shakes in the brain department though. Good at fixin' things and living creatures always seem to take right well to me. Odd job kind of man me. That's how Min and I met, came out to help fix up the place. You got anything like that and I'd be glad to do my bit."
Albus looked thoughtful for a moment; Hogwarts was now a big place, much bigger than ever before.
"Would you be interested in working as a caretaker? Angus is a fit young man but I doubt that he'll be able to keep up with the demands of such a large school. A few extra hands might make all the difference."
"Aye, mark me down. I can do that. I'll help with whatever critters you're planning on keeping up there too if you like."
"I shouldn't think that would be a problem, quite useful, quite useful."
Albus was beaming. Minerva was an essential part of his team. He had been a little worried about not being able to offer her the assistant headship, that really did need to go to the person who would be in charge of the primary school, in this case Reuben. There needed to be a clear structure. She didn't seem put out that he hadn't offered that though. He knew that she wouldn't want to work with the younger children, that wasn't where her talents lay.
They sat for a while eating cake and drinking tea and talking about the new school and Albus' vision for it. Minerva was interested in how the lives of all their old friends, colleagues and students had turned out. Albus couldn't wait to have everybody back together. There would be some fireworks for certain, but hopefully also some hatchets buried and some new starts and new friendships. A bright new dawn for the wizarding world, heralded by a bright new dawn in the lives of the people who made it possible for the wizarding world to continue safely and happily into this bright new millennium.
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A/NStiweard Milligan – because Sti weard is the origin for a popular Scottish name (Stewart) and it means "the one who looks after domestic animals" and because Spike Milligan (may his genius never rest) wrote and starred in a play called "The Great McGonogall" when JKR was but a pup. JKR loves to whip everything out of social references, make sure all those references resonate even if you don't understand why. I do understand why, 'cause I'm a brainy bitch – this is kind of a tribute to her braininess, playing her game with the rename. It also keeps the resonant consonants, making it still recognisable as her name. At least I explain...