The doorbell rang.
"Jane dear, can you get that?"
Jane had come back and her new husband was also working for them, keeping house.
Poppy came bursting in breathless and white.
"Albus!" she panted, "Minerva!"
"What? What is it?"
"Jonny!"
"What?"
"Jonny is… alive!"
"What?" Albus took the letter she had clutched in her hand.
"They're holding him… found him on the battlefield… took prisoner…"
"Here… sit down…" he said motioning to a lawn chair where Minerva had been sitting, "Thomas! Bring some firewhiskey! You look like you're about to faint! Here, I usually do not promote drinking, but due to the circumstances… well… I wish we had some good brandy…"
"Brandy?"
"Never mind… here, drink this…"
She drank it and sputtered for a second then took a deep breath, "Merlin, that burns…"
"Now," Minerva said taking her friend's hand, "tell us what's happened."
"It's in the letter!" she said pointing to the parchment.
He looked down at the parchment, "Jane… I think you had better take the children inside…"
"Children! You heard your father, come on then! Time for lessons anyway…"
A few of them opened their mouths in protest, but shut them immediately with a stern look from their mother. They clutched their dolls and book and marched obediently inside out of the warm spring sunshine into the dreary house for some wonderful lessons.
"Albus?"
He slowly folded the letter back up.
"He's alive… these four years… alive!"
"Jonathan?" Minerva said in shock.
"Alive… in Germany… they're holding him... wizards are… They seem to want…"
"But that's impossible! We both saw him die!"
"Both of you?" asked Poppy in confusion.
At this, Albus gave his wife a slight smile, "Yes… Minerva and I seem to have an extremely deep physiological and certainly magical connection… maybe strong emotion and separation, eh?"
His wife smiled weakly.
"Well, what are we to do?"
"I've got to go… I've got to go help or something…"
"Easy, Poppy, easy…"
"Well, what am I to do?" she said looking up teary-eyed.
"Well first, wipe your eyes," he said gently handing her a kerchief he took from his pocket, "Let's all calm down. You are quite right Poppy, we must do something and we must act quickly, but we can't act quickly without thinking rationally and we certainly can't think rationally in the throes of panic."
"Well, not all can stay as calm as you are in these desperate situations, Albus,"
He smiled, "Trust me, my dear Madam, I am, at the moment, just as flustered as you are, if not more. I'm just more roguish about hiding it."
"I don't understand how you can take this so lightly!"
"Lightly? Understand," he said, his mouth finally forming a serious, flat line, "That it was I who saw him supposedly die,"
That war! That horrid war! Was it perhaps the Muggles? No… they had nothing to do with this. This was of an entirely Wizarding matter. They had him in their German prisons! How could this happen? He saw Jonny die! Was it a trap?
He looked at the letter again, "Well, it appears they are holding him…"
"Ransom?"
"Yes… but maybe not just for money…"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the note doesn't specify…"
"What do you mean Albus, please explain yourself," pleaded his wife.
"I mean," said Albus in a grave tone, "That they may want to exchange people… like a prisoner exchange… or… life for life."
"You don't mean…!" Poppy gasped and Minerva's hand flew to her mouth in shock.
"I do," he said nodding.
"How do you know?"
"I don't… not really…"
"Well then! Why would you fly to such horrid conclusions!" said his angered wife.
"I never fly to conclusions, I usually walk."
"ALBUS!" she said in a warning tone, "Sometimes, I think you apparate!"
"Nonsense,"
"Why must you always try to be so impertinent?"
"I'm not trying to be…"
"Albus!"
"Look! I don't want to be the center of any domestic wars, but can we focus our attention at the real problem here?"
"Oh yes, Of course! Sorry Poppy. How insensitive we are," Minerva said apologetically patting Poppy's hand.
"Indeed, I'm sorry, too."
Minerva shot him an icy glare, and mouthed, "Youstartedit," but he shrugged, "Who is more the fool? The fool who leads or the fool who follows?" he asked aloud.
Minerva's gaze grew more deadly. But Poppy was somewhat oblivious.
"It's a valid question! Look! Are we going to fall into some outrageous trap set by this fool and thus be fools ourselves?"
"That doesn't solve anything, Albus," her glare growing ever more frozen. He would have been tempted to shiverif he wasn't used toher cold glares.
"I'm sorry… perhaps this is out of our hands… and I most certainly need to talk with the ministry before acting upon this," he said truthfully, "Poppy, leave this to me. I need you to stay with the students and not get sick yourself… Armando wouldn't at all be happy with a sick healer you know… and you've been having a hard time lately anyway… no need to make anything any worse,"
"Yes… yes of course, Albus! Thank you ever so much," she said rising at last.
"It's quite alright, but I think you need some rest. Why don't you go home and make yourself a nice tall cool glass of pumpkin juice and read a nice book, hmm? I always find that cheers me up,"
"Yes… I think I'll try that. Thank you again Albus, I'll see you at work yes? Let me say hello and good-bye to the children before I go…"
After she left, he said with sincerity as they walked into the shade of their house, "I wasn't exactly "flying to conclusions" back there you know…"
"Mmm? How's that?"
"Look at the signature!" he said pointing to the bottom of the page.
'Grindelwald'Was written in a great flourish.
"Oh!" she said sitting down, her brow furrowed in thought, "you don't think he's targeting you, do you?" she said searching his eyes for an answer.
He examined the article very carefully yet again and answered slowly, "No… I don't think so… this looks like a very standard form letter sent out to many different families,"
"Besides," she said taking the letter. "Wouldn't they have sent it to you if it was an attack on you?"
"Exactly right, love, but we must advance with extreme caution, Minerva, extreme caution,"
"Yes darling," she said placing a kiss on his cheek, "Of course. I'm sorry for glaring at you so venemously earlier,"
"It's alright, dear. I must say, it must have given students quite the chill,"
Shegave him a secretive smile, an eyebrow raised, "How do you think I kept absolute powerin my classes? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to see Thomas about supper,"
(A/N: Well, we got some comedy and a plot twist! Wow! Geez you guys! I love you all! Thank you, each and every one of you so very much for all the wonderful reviews! And look! I updated quickly. Ha Ha Ha! Jerry is gleeful! Read "Love MMADly"! Do it! I wrote it so you all should like it… my am I conceited… sorry y'all I just finished 2 chappies in a very short period of time. It's making me giddy!)