Disclaimer: I do not own anything dealing with Harry Potter. How in the world would I ever get so lucky to get the rights to Harry Potter? I don't think I could get it even if I were to win the Harry Potter lottery.

A/N: Le Sigh. It seems as though everyone wanted to hurt me on that last chapter. I honestly do not blame you all. I'd be pissed too. I mean, poor Lenora. Right? We shall see…

Chapter Seventeen: What Minerva Must Do…

Albus pounded against the door. This was bloody ludicrous. How on earth could that fool of a minister claim that he was capable of the murder of that precious girl? He cared for her more than he had ever cared for a student, past or present. Well, with the exception of Minerva.

With a cry of frustration, he fell to the ground and lay upon the dark, dank ground. He had been led to a cell which was barely wide enough to hold a cot and a small stand. There was a small window, but bars had been put up so that he could not escape, even in his animagus form. And as he lay there on the floor, moonlight streaming in through the celled window and across his back, he wept. Yes, he wept hard and long. He wept for all those he had left behind at Hogwarts, unprotected. He wept for Minerva and all the things she must be thinking and feeling. He wept for all he had fought for and had now lost. But, most of all, he wept for Lenora. The poor, poor child. The fact that she was dead was worse by far than the feeling of hatred he had originally felt when they had first accused him of her murder.

He pounded his fist against the ground in both anger and frustration. They were withholding the wrong man. They were wasting time and energy holding him there in Azkaban, and if they would only release him, he would do anything within his power and more to track down Roberta and straighten this whole matter out. But he would give all he had if he could just find Roberta and give her what she really deserved… a swift drop and a sudden drop. That was, of course, after he did much of the strangulation himself. Never before had he felt such hatred towards another human being; especially a female. But Roberta was, without a doubt, the most twisted, underhanded, sneaky woman he had ever known, and how he wished he had never set eyes upon her. He had never before wished to harm anyone as much as he had with Roberta, but now he did. How many lives did she have to destroy before her need for carnage was fulfilled? Why could she not have stayed in America and have left him alone?

He wept for so many hours that he lost track. It could have been for an hour or five, he did not know, nor did he care. He longed to give up, but knew he couldn't. He had to remain strong, for everyone's sake. The other teachers were counting on him, Minerva needed him now, more than ever, and most important of all, he needed to find Lenora's murderer… whoever that may be.

Ooooooooooo

Minerva woke early the next morning. It was about two in the morning, and she was surprised to find that she had fallen asleep in his bed. She relaxed slightly as she remembered what she had done. After she had come home from seeing Albus in Azkaban, she was surprised she had the strength to enter the castle walls at all. She was met by Poppy, Pomona, and Filius at the front door.

/Flashback/

Poppy, Pomona, and Filius all looked at each other. They saw Minerva walk up and her expression was not a good sight to behold. They walked up to her, Poppy on her left, Pomona and Filius to her right.

"What is it, Minerva?" asked Pomona. "What news of Albus?" They were now at the entrance of the Great Hall and Minerva stopped, never taking her eyes off of the floor. Tears were streaming down her face. Filius watched sadly as the tears landed at his feet. He could not remember a time when Minerva had cried so much, tears consistently flowing. Poppy lifted her chin with her fingers until their eyes locked.

"What is wrong with Albus?" she asked. Her own shaky voice was barely above a whisper. Minerva's bottom lip quivered as she looked at her best friend. Suddenly, and without warning, she collapsed against her friend, her entire body shaking with sobs.

"Oh, Poppy, it is so horrible," she sobbed. Poppy led her friend to one of the tables in the Great Hall and sat her down. Minerva rested against Poppy's shoulder as Poppy stroked Minerva's hair. Filius stood in front of the two while Pomona sat on Minerva's other side, rubbing her back. "Albus does not belong there, Poppy, he does not!" Poppy could feel tears prick her eyes and she did not yet know what had happened.

"I know he doesn't, Min. Just tell me what happened." Poppy's voice was soothing, despite what she was obviously was feeling on the inside. Minerva sat up and wiped away her tears, but it was all in vain. Filius handed her a handkerchief and she blew her nose.

"Albus has been placed in a higher security cell, apart from the others," she sniffed. "They say he is a threat to society, as well as the other occupants."

"What?" spat Pomona. "That is ridiculous."

"Albus is no threat to anyone," agreed Filius. "At least, not unless they cross his path."

"Why did they decide that?" asked Poppy. Minerva sniffed again and took a deep breath.

"Lenora's body was found in Knockturn Alley." Poppy gasped and placed her hand over her mouth, as did Pomona. Filius took several steps back and stared at Minerva in horror, his hand in the air. No, it couldn't be. He may not have been as close to Lenora as Albus had been, but he had spent several pleasant hours with the young child. He had grown very fond of the young girl. And now she was dead? This just could not be so.

"Are they sure it is her?" Poppy asked. "It-It cannot be so."

"I'm afraid, Poppy, that they will not listen to me," said Minerva. She had barely uttered these words when she stood and ran from the dining area and towards his office. He may be gone from the castle, but at least she could be around his things.

/End Flashback/

Minerva had spent the night, hugging Albus' pillow and crying. And now, it was two the next morning. Albus was in prison and Lenora was dead. How could something so horrible happen to two of the most loving, sweet, considerate people on earth? It just didn't seem to make sense at all.

She stood up and went to the couch. She had brought her diary here earlier the previous day so she could read over it and had left it there. She mindlessly flipped through the pages until she reached an entry. It was the last entry she had written and had been written-. 'Hmm,' she thought. 'That's weird. There's no date on this entry.' Well, no matter what day it was, it was obviously the last one she had written. She was about to pass over it when she noticed a name… Roberta Kingston. Her hand froze upon the page and her breathing became faster. What about Roberta? Her mind racing, she began to read the journal entry.

'Dear Diary,

'I am so angry, I can barely see straight. I just want to throttle someone-preferably Roberta Kingston. That woman is the most insufferable woman I have known in my entire life, and that is saying a lot. I've known many people, and not one of them has managed to make me as angry as she has so fast… Well, perhaps with the exception of Dolores Umbridge.

'I was in Hogsmeade the yesterday when I saw her. I was doing my usual runs for the Order, making sure that all was ready for our attack on Voldemort and his followers when I noticed her across the street. She was entering a dark alleyway where known death eaters are known to go when they are meeting with others of shady character. So, I followed her. I do not know why I was so curious. She was, after all, the one who caused Albus so much trouble in the past. I suppose I just couldn't help myself, I was too curious.

'I tried to follow her, but I became lost in the crowds of Hogsmeade and by the time I reached the alleyway I had seen her entering, I was too late. She was already gone. It is all for the better, perhaps. Though, I feel rather guilty about not telling Albus. I did want to, but when I went up to his office to tell him, I just could not find it in my heart to do so. He already has so many lines creasing his face from worry that I could not in good conscious add the extra burden of letting him know about Roberta. Besides, I see no harm-,"

And suddenly, her journal entry ended there. It just ended there. There was no rhyme or reason to the sudden incomplete entry. She just seemed to stop right in the middle of a thought. What could have been so important that she had to stop? And what was Roberta Kingston doing in Hogsmeade when, according to Albus, she had been in America for the past seven years? And why hadn't Lenora been with her? None of it made any sense at all.

Minerva closed her diary with finality. She knew what she had to do. Getting up, she walked to her closet and grabbed her cloak. She made sure to grab one which was heavy, to keep warm, and dark, so she could hide easier in the shadows. She looked up at her clock. It was two-fifteen a.m. She had to hurry if she wanted to complete what she needed to do by the next morning. She jotted a quick note to Poppy explaining everything and sent it by owl. She then transformed into a tabby cat and headed out for Azkaban. She had transformed for two reasons: first, she wanted to make sure she could still do it. Second, she thought that it might help her to get to Azkaban faster… and she was right.

Ooooooooooo

Poppy Pomfrey stumbled to her window when she heard an incessant rapping at her window. Why was someone sending her an owl so early in the morning? What was so important that she had to get an owl at two-fifteen in the morning? She thrust the window open, nearly knocking the poor owl off the ledge, and waited impatiently until the owl came in and offered his leg. She took the letter and ignored the owl when it made a small hoot, hoping for some sort of treat. She opened the letter and tried to focus her eyes upon the words written. It was only then that she remembered she needed to put on her glasses to read. She did, and was confused at first about what was written. What did Minerva mean? Then, the full force of the words hit her.

'Poppy, I am going to Azkaban to meet with Albus. I need my memory back and I need it back now. There are things I need to know and they cannot wait any longer. Thank you for all your help. Minerva.'

Her eyes bulged out of her head. She was torn between joy, laughter, and fear. First, she was happy for her friend. After all, she was going to get her memory back (hopefully) and have fun doing it. At least, she hoped she would have fun doing it. Then, she wanted to laugh. Just the absurdity of it all made her want to laugh. Minerva and Albus… in Azkaban. It was simply ludicrous, if you thought about it, and yet so incredibly amazing at the same time. What would Fudge say if he knew what Minerva was planning on doing?

Then, fear welled up inside Poppy. What if they were caught? Minerva would not only by publicly humiliated, but kept in Azkaban herself. And as for Albus… well, the possibilities were great.

Poppy sent a silent prayer above, hoping it was heard. She feared for two of her best friends, and hoped that they were okay. She prayed for their safety and hoped they would succeed in what they needed to do. She folded up the letter, sighed, and headed off for bed. She stopped, however, when she heard the owl give an impatient squawk. She smiled when she walked back to him and handed him an owl treat. The animal hooted and took off.

A/N2: I know, a tad shorter than my last chapter, but what can I say? I have no inspire-ation. Well, I hope you like this chapter. After all, it is the lead up to our favorite scene. The scene where Min and Albus become- Min and Albus. And by "Min and Albus", I mean two lovas! And by "two lovas", I mean the best kept secret Hogwarts has seen since Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor. And by the best kept secret Hogwarts has seen since Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor, I mean HA-WINK! (Winks) Hehehe. Will she get her memory back? Okay, I'll tell you. She (enter cell phone static here)… her…. me-… ree… (signal fails). END TRANSMITION. Always Hopeful