Dear Reader,

This chapter is not that interesting, and it is kind of long for what it says. However, it was necessary. Sorry it has taken me so long to update, but am actually in Alaska and have managed to get online just to update for you! Enjoy! (but the next one, will be better, I promise!)

-LunarLitLover

Preview for Next Time: Albus/Grindelwald is about to torture someone when he loses his nerve

Recap: Minerva has found out that Albus is Grindelwald and decided to go to Slughorn, the leader of the resistance against Grindelwald, for help. Albus/Grindelwald is planning on convincing Reese, the Minister of Magic, by any means necessary, to make him legally the leader of the British Ministry.

Chapter 25: Help Needed

"I need your help," Minerva said, her wand still pointed at Slughorn.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about, Minerva!" Slughorn said with more than a hint of panic in his voice.

"I know who Grindelwald is! And I know you're the resistance leader, so you can actually do something about it!"

"And why should I believe any of this? Do you have any proof?" Slughorn asked, his eyes still flitting back and forth between Minerva and her wand.

"No, I don't have proof, but why would I lie?"

"Well, the fact that you have your wand pointed at me makes me wonder if you have a motive," Slughorn smiled slightly and Minerva lowered her wand to her side. She hadn't realized how threatening a gesture it was until that moment; her adrenaline had been running so high that using her wand had seemed more natural than strange.

"I dropped my wand. If I give you back yours, will you promise to listen to me…actually listen?" Minerva asked hesitantly.

"I suppose I have no choice. But before we get into messy issues, please sit."

Minerva hesitated. She was still in a hurry. Yet she also knew that the best way to gain Slughorn's trust and help was to talk and negotiate with him in a calm, relaxed manner. So she sat down and handed Slughorn his wand.

But Slughorn got right to the point. "So, if you know Grindelwald's true identity, let's have it. Who is he?" Slughorn drummed his fingers on the desk, obviously impatient. Classes would be starting in a few minutes.

"I…he…he is…" But Minerva couldn't do it. She couldn't turn Albus in. She knew he would most likely be killed, or, if he was lucky, he would be sentenced to life in Azkaban. And no matter how much she hated his deceit and his lies, she couldn't do that to him. She loved him too much.

"Ah, I see," Slughorn observed. "At first, I didn't believe you actually wanted to give me true information, but now I see you do. Or at least you think you do. But you're having trouble giving it up, and I think I know why."

Minerva was taken aback. "You do!"

Slughorn nodded. "It's Albus, isn't it? He's actually Grindelwald, isn't he?"

Minerva looked down and didn't respond.

"Ah, I see he is. I knew he was working with Grindelwald but I never expected him to be the Grindelwald. I have been trying to warn him, to stop him of the folly of joining the other side, for a while now…but nothing seemed to work…but now I understand…if he is the Grindelwald, then of course he wouldn't give it up…"

Something clicked in Minerva's head for the third, but not the last time, that day. "That's why you turned us in, isn't it? You gave the Headmaster memories from months ago, and I couldn't figure out why you waited all that time to turn us in then…but you were threatening Albus, weren't you? Trying to dissuade him from continuing on with the opposition?"

"Quite right you are, Minerva. I thought maybe the prospect of losing his job would make him quit, but obviously, he didn't stop his campaign or stop…er…meeting…with you."

Minerva blushed and looked down, abashed.

"It makes sense to me now that he would be Grindelwald himself," Slughorn admitted. "But, Minerva, I still need you to tell me how you know this, how you learned he is Grindelwald. You have to tell me the whole story; I can't deduce or guess this part. And I have to know, to make sure it's true."

Her eyes flashed a warning at him.

"Oh, Minerva, I don't think you are lying or acting or anything like that, but I need to hear the story in case there are hidden details that you may not have understood or noticed. Please do me the courtesy of telling me all of the details, so we can quickly take action."

But this was the wrong thing to say.

"Oh, please, Professor, please, don't take action against him! Don't kill him or arrest him! Please!"

"Minerva, I'll have to do what I'll have to do," Said Slughorn honestly. "And it may not be any of those things if he comes quietly. But you came here to give me information and I'm now asking you to do so. We both know this is of great importance."

Minerva gulped and summoned her courage. Then she launched into her story.

"Well, I was in Albus's quarters-"

"Where, Minerva? Which room were you in?"

Minerva glared at Slughorn before muttering, "His private rooms."

Slughorn then nodded for her to continue.

"Well, I could see and hear into his office from where I was-"

"Which was where?" Slughorn questioned further.

It seemed as if Minerva was not going to be able to hide the knowledge of her night in Albus's rooms from Slughorn. Yet she tried once more. "I…I was…on the bed…just sitting…waiting…"

Slughorn nodded again.

Minerva resumed her narrative, "There were two men, neither of whom I could see, at first, but both of whom I could hear-"

"When did they come in? You never mentioned when and how they came in."

"I don't know when they came in!" Minerva said, exasperated with Slughorn.

"Why not? You were there weren't you?"

Slughorn should've been a Muggle police interrogated,Minerva thought. He'd be good at it…

Slughorn's cough drew Minerva from her thoughts as he asked again, "Why don't you know when they came into the room?"

Minerva gave up trying to conceal her secret. "I must have been sleeping when they came in, alright! I had…" She trailed off, hoping Slughorn would finish her sentence for her so she would not have to confess the embarrassing truth. But when Slughorn did not, she had no other option but to say, "I had spent the night."

She could feel Slughorn's eyes on her even though she herself was not looking at him. "I see," he said eventually.

Minerva looked up immediately at this frightening reaction. "Will I be expelled?"

"I do not know how any of this is going to play out, Minerva. However, I think you should finish your story." Slughorn leaned back in his chair and waited for her to continue.

Minerva told him everything she had seen, heard, and done in relation to the morning's incident. She was careful, however, to leave out a few details, such as her nakedness, Albus's failed kiss, and his concern that she'd regretted the previous night. Slughorn, fortunately, did not seem to notice the absence of these missing details. Minerva was grateful for this; she had no desire for Slughorn to pry farther into her intimate and private, good or bad, moments with Albus.

Once she was finished with her recollections, Slughorn said, "Well, thank you very much, Minerva. This information was most enlightening. I shall do what I can as soon as I can to sort out the problem."

Minerva was hit by a wave of outrage. "What!" she yelled, leaping from her chair. "You're just going to discard me, and try to fix things later! I don't think so! I came here, not to help you, but to get you to help me! I plan to do something about this! Just because I need help with knowing exactly what to do, does not mean you can just throw me out like a used post-it-note when you're finished with me!"

Slughorn tilted his head, puzzled, but Minerva had no idea what he was confused about; she couldn't have spoken plainer. However, then Slughorn said, "Post-it-note?"

"Never mind," Minerva snapped, irritated that Slughorn would let a simple unknown word set him off her entire speech. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm doing something about it! And you're going to help me!"

"Oh, am I!" Slughorn asked, eyebrows raised, challenging her.

But before she could answer, the door burst open.

A tall wizard stood in the doorway, panting. He had obviously run the length of the castle. His sandy blond hair was coming out of it's ponytail in odd ways, and his beard and mustache, although short, also showed signs of recent neglect.

He entered the room and closed the door. But before he could do or say anything, both Minerva and Slughorn had their wands out and were pointing them at him. Neither of them recognized the strange, and obviously disgruntled, man.

He did not seem to notice this, however. He, clutching a stitch in his side, simply walked forward and sat in the chair Minerva had just vacated. Minerva and Slughorn exchanged anxious and confused glances and kept their wands pointed at the intruder, although they did nothing.

The wizard took Slughorn's half-full glass of water off of his desk, and swallowed the drink in one gulp. Then, smacking his lips, he put the glass back where he had found it. Only then did he speak. "I'm so sorry about my manners, Sir, Miss, but I'm afraid they are of little importance or value to me now."

"I don't mean to be rude, either," Slughorn inquired. "But who are you?"

"So sorry again, but there is not much time! My name is Andrew Riley, and I am in charge of Grindelwald's wizard resistance branch…"

"So," Slughorn stopped him. "Why in Merlin's name are you here?"

This seemed to snap the strange wizard's mind back into focus. "Oh, sir, I heard you are the resistance leader! I came as quickly as I could! I need your help, sir!"

Slughorn gave Minerva another fleeting look, before saying to Riley, "Is that so? What about?"

"About Grindelwald!" Riley replied, looking exhausted.

"What about him?" Slughorn asked, leaning out of his chair now.

"He's about to torture someone! We have to stop it!" Riley cried.

Minerva's heart plummeted into the depths of her stomach. Albus! She cried silently. Please don't do this! I know you're better than this!

Slughorn's mind, however, was more centered on the victim. "Who is he going to torture!" Slughorn questioned urgently, now rising from his seat. "Who!"

"Is it Reese? Is it the Minister of Magic?" Minerva also asked.

Riley gave Minerva a puzzled look; he was obviously surprised she was in on this information. But then he shook his head. "No, no, not Reese."

"Then who?!" cried Minerva and Slughorn together.

Riley took a deep breath before replying, "Reese's 8-year-old daughter."

(P.S. NO ONE has listened to me and reviewed my two beginnings for my new story! I really need to know which is more liked, so please, PLEASE go back two chaps and check them out! PLEASE!)