And now for a little Albus-Minerva interaction! Part two will follow as soon as it arrives in my brain.
As always, please review. Also: should the next part continue the Minerva-focus or go back to Meta?
Chapter five
No-one could say that the beginning of the fourth week of term was anything but unauspicious. Due to Dumbledore's commitments at the Ministry of Magic, Professor McGonagall found herself ensconsed in the Headmaster's office, and struggling to put paperwork in order. In the five years since her appointment as Deputy Headmistress, it was a task to which Minerva had become accustomed.
Routine, dull administrative jobs were not activities in which Albus Dumbledore excelled, and Minerva had learnt – painfully – during her first year as Deputy that Dumbledore had a habit of putting Notice-Me-Not charms on papers he didn't want to deal with. That had caused quite a fuss when some busybody or other from the Ministry had descended on them halfway through the summer term and irately demanded to see a full reckoning of the school's accounts forthwith, as previous requests had apparently been ignored. Cue much panic, and more than a few words between Headmaster and Deputy once it had all been sorted out.
For Minerva, who was methodical by nature, the much-despised paperwork was something of a solace. These few quiet hours that she spent each term in the Headmaster's office were a source of peace and even renewal, accompanied as they often were by the soothing sounds of Fawkes's trilling in the background and the gentle tinkle of the moving parts of Dumbledore's shiny toys.
On this occasion the peace was shortlived.
An insistent tapping on the windowpane distracted Minerva from her report on this year's OWL and NEWT results, and she crossed quickly to the window to allow the large tawny owl entry. Her stomach clenched as she recognised the black envelope tied on the owl's leg, and her hands shook a little as she freed the owl from its burden and provided the expected reward.
"What's it going to be this time?" she muttered as she sat down again. The black envelope lay with innocuous stillness on the desk, but Minerva knew it would not remain long thus if she did not act. She broke the seal with her customary decisiveness, and waited.
As she had expected, the envelope slowly levitated itself before speaking in a solemn voice that Minerva recognised as belonging to the current head of Magical Law Enforcement. "The Ministry regrets to inform you that the body of Lewis Diggle was discovered this morning. Further details will be forwarded to you when they became available, and we request that you inform those family members who reside in your care." A long note was sounded, and then the envelope dissolved gently into nothingness in a manner quite unlike the furious incineration that accompanied the more standard variety of Howlers.
"Poor Alice," Minerva murmured, her voice shaking slightly. She'd known and taught Lewis Diggle, who had left Hogwarts only recently. Like his parents and his young sister, he'd been a Gryffindor. It was still a shock to her that the middle Diggle, Charles, the boy who'd been hexed by Lucius Malfoy, was a Slytherin. Although it was not as if very ambitious children did not sometimes end up in Gryffindor, just as some very brave children could find themselves in Slytherin...
"What's the matter, my dear?" Albus Dumbledore asked as he stepped out of the fire. She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she had not noticed the sudden flare of green.
"Lewis Diggle's body has been found," she told him tightly. "And the Prophet contained news of more Disappearances this morning. So far, no more that are connected to the school, but it's only a matter of time. Albus - "
"No, Minerva," Dumbledore said gently. "Now is not the time to go obviously on the defensive. We want these children to have as normal lives as possible -"
"Whilst their families are Disappearing and dying?" Minerva flung back at him. "Do we even know why this is happening, Albus? Is it truly as random as it appears? I've heard rumours that the Ministry are considering passing laws against allowing Muggleborns to hold prominent roles in our society. Is it true?"
To Minerva's frustration, Dumbledore did not respond. He simply stood before her, tall and thin, looking strangely aged, for all that his flowing hair and beard still contained much of its original auburn. What disturbed her most, however, was the fact that the bright blue eyes behind the half-moon glasses were missing their usual twinkle.
"Albus!" she inisted when still he said nothing. "Should we be worried? Are we facing another Grindlewald?"
"I do not know, Minerva," Dumbledore responded with a gentleness that was as frustrating as his silence had been. "Like you, I have heard rumours and murmurings to the effect that our society should be purged of undue Muggle and Muggleborn influence – but I know not whence these rumours come, and certainly I know of no official measures to that effect."
"And the possibility of a new Grindlewald?" Minerva asked again, wondering at the man's strange reluctance to face this question.
Dumbledore's mustache twitched in a manner that she knew indicated a smile. "As I said, I do not know. I am only one man, my dear. I cannot know everything, contrary to popular belief."
"But if -"
"Minerva, even supposing you are right, what would you have me do? Announce the return of a new Dark Lord in the Wizenmagot and send them into disarray? Frighten the children under our care, when we have no proof?"
His Deputy huffed. "Very well. What do you wish me to do about the Prophet – and the Diggles?"
"It is necessary to do nothing about the former, my dear. You know as well as I do that only a fraction of our students actually pay attention to anything other than Quidditch news, and, as you said yourself, there was nothing in today's paper that would give rise to alarm. Regarding the Diggles, that is a task for the respective Heads of Houses."
"Albus!" Minerva expostulated. "Charles Diggle is only recently released from Poppy's care. He is in no state to deal with anything more, and we both know that Horace Slughorn is worse than useless when it comes to dealing with actual issues that have nothing to do with drinking and holding little parties."
Her tone was scornful as she finished. Like Dumbledore, Slughorn had been a teacher at Hogwarts when Minerva herself had attended the school, and even as a young girl Minerva McGonagall had disliked the man's overt favouritism to those he considered potentially useful in the future.
Albus's eyes glimmered slightly behind his glasses. "If you feel that strongly about it, Minerva, then may I suggest that you undertake the task yourself? I must go out again, and giving bad news is quite within your remit as Deputy Headmistress."
Minerva glared at the old man. "Albus Dumbledore, you are the most Machiavellian character it has ever been my misfortune to meet!"
Dumbledore shrugged a little. "Then all you have to do is leave Mr Diggle to Horace's tender mercies. As Head of Gryffindor, Miss Diggle is unquestionably your responsibility in any case."
Minerva huffed.
The Headmaster selected a raspberry drop from his sweet bowl and sucked it thoughtfully, the round sweet causing one cheek to bulge in a manner resembling a scavenging hamster. "I must leave again before long. What did you do with the house allocation's for this year's intake?"
"I filed them in their proper place," Minerva snapped at him. "What do you want with them anyhow?"
Albus waved a nonchalent hand and the papers appeared before him in mid-air. He placed the scrolls inside his robes and then answered his deputy's question. "The Ministry have decided that it is time that they maintain records of family and Hogwarts house affiliations, and yes, Minerva, I dislike this as much as you do, but if we are to avoid more overt interference from the Ministry I am afraid that we must allow them this concession."
"Dear Merlin, Albus, it looks as if the rumours are right, after all!" Minerva knew she must look as sick as she suddenly felt. "I know those papers contain only the sketchiest of details, but – but there's quite enough there to give grist to the mill of any pureblood fanatic." She clenched her hands. "This really is not what I signed up for, Dumbledore. I thought I'd left the Ministry and Ministry politics behind when I hung up my Auror's cloak fifteen years ago, but now it seems that teaching is just as bad."
She felt a warm hand descend on her shoulder. "You care about people, Minerva. You want to protect them from harm. That's why you became an Auror in the first place, my dear, and it's why I asked you to become my Deputy Headmistress five years ago." The pressure on her shoulder tightened momentarily. "I'm sorry I must leave the unpleasant task of breaking children's hearts in your hands, but I know no-one will do it better than you - "
"Pomona would," Minerva interjected grimly.
"She might," the Headmaster allowed. "But her desire to comfort and coddle the children might also leave them feeling smothered and confused. You will allow them room to think and reflect and grieve on their own terms."
Minerva looked up at that, and gave her old friend and mentor a smile that could almost be described as watery. "Thank you, Albus," she whispered. "Your faith means a great deal to me." She took a deep breath and rose.
Dumbledore accompanied her to the door. "Good fortune go with you, Minerva."
Minerva nodded. "Thank you. And you, at the Ministry. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go and break some children's hearts."