A/n: I'd like to say a special thank you to Miss Ang who is playing beta reader for me and for poking me a lot to get me back into writing.
Chapter Two.
The train station was a beehive of activity. People were gathered in clusters near the train, engaged in last minute chatter. The station bell rang out and the train rumbled into life and began to move. Some of the people on the platform began to walk along side the slow moving train bidding a final farewell to their loved ones.
Minerva McGonagall watched with interest as a figure suddenly appeared from the shadows and ran forward. His arm stretched out as he made a lunge for one of the compartments. With an almost feline agility, he pounced through the door just as it was closing and disappeared into the compartment. With one last piecing note from the train's whistle and the squeal of the steel wheels on steel rail, the train quickly moved out of the station leaving people staring after it.
As people filed out of the station around her, Minerva watched the train till it was a mere dot on the horizon.. She was unaware of the curious looks that came her way. Years of being surrounded by non-wizarding folks had forced her to accept the looks and now it was just a part of everyday life.
" 'Cuse me, Miss," came a shout from the other side of the platform. "That was the last train outta ere."
Minerva looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man waving at her. He was wearing a blue uniform, and she assumed he worked at the station. He was looking at her with a curious concern. He obviously thought she was one of those city folks who didn't understand why trains run all the time from village stations.
"Yes, I know." She refused to shout like some fish wife so she answered in a direct voice, slightly louder than her normal speakingone.
She didn't think he would have heard her, and she watched as he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders before disappearing in a rickety looking ticket office. Minerva remained seated for another ten minutes. The station lights dimmed around her but a dip in lights didn't unnerve her. The dim light actually assisted her in slipping out of the station unnoticed.
Minerva looked behind her before slipping amongst a group of trees that hid a small clearing. To most people who stumbled across this little clearing, it was simply a small patch of grass that wasn't much use to anyone apart from those young lovers who picnicked here from time to time. To Minerva and others of her kind, the clearing gave them a chance to transport themselves elsewhere. It was an ideal Apparition site. She would Apparate to the outskirts of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from here.
The school was warded with Anti-Apparition spells to prevent people from entering or leaving Hogwarts. Apparition wasn't her favourite means of traveling but it had its uses. Minerva remembered as a teen, she had been desparate to finally get her license to Apparate. Her first time had been successful but far from smooth. She had felt like she was being pushed and pulled in many directions and felt rather ill through it all. Now, she could Apparate without any annoying side effects, though she wished the audible pop when she Apparated could be softer or non-existent.
In the silence of the clearing, Minerva found herself reflecting on the past and thinking about what lay ahead of her. She hadn't seen Albus Dumbledore for years. They had exchanged owls from time to time but letter writing was something very different from face to face contact. When she had accepted Armando's offer, she hadn't really put a lot of thought into meeting Albus after all this time. It was a chance to return home and do something that she loved: teach. Working at the French Ministry of Magic had been rewarding in many ways, but France wasn't home.
Armando's letter had been welcomed and she jumped at the chance he was offering. It was only now that she wondered about all the small things. When she saw Albus, what would she call him? Headmaster or Albus? Should she embrace him, shake his hand or simply stand there? Would he have disclosed their personal history to other staff members? Should she say something or was it never to be mentioned? How would working under him be? If Minerva hadn't prided herself on her Gryffindor courage, she probably would have invented some reason why she couldn't take the position.
Minerva stomped her foot and took a deep breath. If she was going to Apparate to Hogwarts, she would need a clear head. She didn't fancy being spliced only to turn up at the gates of Hogwarts with a leg or her head missing. That wouldn't make a good first impression after all these years. Minerva closed her eyes, and with a faint pop, she had Apparated away.
She appeared moments later and saw the stunning view of Hogwarts dominating the skyline. As she walked along the stone path that led to the gates, she wondered who would be meeting her and taking her up to the school. Maybe Albus would come down and meet her, but she wasn't expecting it. As she approached the gates, she decided that however Albus Dumbledore greeted her would be how she would judge their situation.
"Professor McGonagall," came a friendly greeting.
Minerva couldn't help but break into a warm smile. She would know that voice anywhere.
"Hagrid," she greeted warmly as the half man half giant opened the cast iron gates.
"Is good ter see ya afta all this time, Professor."
The last time Minerva had seen Hagrid, he had been a third year and already towering over his classmates and even the teachers. Now, he stood before her as a man, a very tall and broad man with a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard. His small black eyes gleamed in the moonlight and he had a smile that instantly made Minerva feel at ease.
"I'm glad to be back," she replied as she walked through the gates. "And, call me Minerva, Hagrid. You always did at school."
"Professor Dumbledore sent me down ter welcome you," Hagrid said as he began to lead the way up to the school. "Tha Minister arrived unannounced and Professor Dumbledore asked me ter meet with you."
"That's very kind of him and of you, Hagrid," Minerva answered with a smile. The suspicious part of her mind wondered if the Minister had really arrived at all and Albus was putting off their meeting. Well, she would find out in the morning and take it from there.