A/N: Get ready for a really random little MMAD chapter! :)

Albus' voice resonated on the other side of the door to Minerva's office.

"Minerva, dear?"

Minerva sighed in impatience and placed her quill back in her inkpot. She massaged her temples and closed her eyes briefly before answering.

"My door's open, Albus. You can come in."

Slowly, the door creaked open and Minerva cracked open an eyelid to see Albus with a doleful expression on his face.

His mustache, usually such a dashing and regal silver, was now lit up with many orange sparks, and his beard had a curiously burnt look to it.

Minerva's eyes widened and she hastily covered her mouth to hide a wide grin blossoming on her face. Albus did not notice; or he had just decided to ignore her amusement.

"I spent forty years growing my beard Minerva! And now it's damaged beyond repair!" Albus wailed.

Minerva took a deep breath and attempted to look seriously at Albus. However, the longer she stared at his fizzing, crackling spark-infested beard, the more she found it hysterical. What started out as a muffled giggle quickly mounted into outright, rib-cracking laughter.

"Sweet darling, didn't you think about dousing your beard with a well-placed Aguamenti before you decided to come to me?"

"Well, I did…but this is the result."

Minerva leaned closer and examined the singed bristles that remained of her husband's now pitiful beard.

"A Weasleys' Filibuster Firework, I presume?" she said.

"I had just come down from my study to see Dolores shrieking like a scalded cat—"

"Blistered toad, more like," Minerva interrupted darkly.

"—that a fire-breathing dragon firework had nearly set her mousy curls on fire."

"That would have been worth it to see, I'm sure," Minerva chuckled.

"Well, apparently, I got too close to the aforementioned dragon," Albus resumed.

"And you decided to come to me why? I believe Poppy is the mediwitch."

"My vanity requires an audience, except this time."

"Am I your audience?"

"You are my wife. You see things that otherwise I would not show to anyone else."

"I am honored."

"I am going to see if a Hair Regrowth potion will work on beards."

Minerva nodded and watched Albus leave her office. She laughed gently to herself and sat down to resume grading her essays.

Scarcely ten minutes had passed when another sickeningly girlish "Hem Hem" echoed outside her door.

Minerva raised her head, hardly daring to believe that Umbridge had the audacity to come to her office.

"May I offer you a cough drop, Dolores?" she snapped.

Dolores opened Minerva's door without invitation and stretched her toad-like face into a honeyed smile.

"Oh no, dear, that won't be necessary. I would just like to ask you a favor…"

Minerva knew exactly what "favor" Umbridge had in mind, and though she did not always approve of Fred and George's antics, she privately stored a memo to herself to award 10 points to Gryffindor for sheer cheek.

"If a prelude is necessary, the news must be bad, Dolores," Minerva remarked acidly.

"Oh yes, you see—"

"I'm terribly sorry, Dolores, you'll have to excuse me. I have a fortuitous headache and would like some peace and quiet before meeting the entire student body in two hours. I shall see you then."

With that, Minerva waved her wand and shut the door in Umbridge's face, not seeing the Toad's jaw slacken and eyes bulge out in quiet fury.