Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Poppy's heart was broke a little more each day, slowly eroding. Albus' memory charms proved mostly effective. Minerva seemed to remember a Bulgarian lover from the war, Najinski, but refused to share details of their relationship. Poppy, Neptune, and Dierdre would all nod solemnly whenever she referenced her little "war baby" as she called it. But when she sank further into her false memories, she would insist that she was going to give the baby up at birth.
"An Auror does not have time for such things." She sniffed, caressing her now prodigious bump. Neverthless , Poppy convinced her to conceal the pregnancy whenever she left the grounds. Secretly Poppy thought it would serve Albus right if Minerve gave away their child. But at the same time, she dreaded the damage it would do to her friend if she ever remembered.
Albus' memory modifications were not flawless, however. More than once, Minerva would wake up asking when Albus was due back home. Poppy denied knowledge of his whereabouts. The conversation would end, and Minerva's unmodified memories submerge again.
Neptune was having a hard time accepting the entire situation. His temper was not helped by the fact that Minerva no longer seemed capable of producing the explanations to fully flesh out the bizarre story of Albus' abandonment. Twice, Neptune threatened to go to Dumbledore and demand answers. After all, as head of the clan, he had the right and duty to demand answers of anyone who had wronged the McGonagall family. Finally, in the first week of December, he left to call on Hogwarts. Deirdre attended him as backup and a rational voice, whichever he needed more. He realized with an invitation, it was nearly impossible to get on the grounds. They had just Aparated to Hogsmead when his wife grabbed his sleeve.
"Wait, love," She hissed, "why do we not simply question Aberforth? He caused this trouble. He should explain it."
"Woman you are far wiser than I," He lifted her hand from his sleeve to his now-smiling lips. Together, they curst into the pub.
Aberforth looked up from this dusty bar, and instantly fear trickled into his actions. His motions became far tenser. And though he instantly looked back down, his glance kept flickering to the couple moving toward the bar. He had the air of prey trying to decide if running or hiding was the best option.
"You know why we are here." Neptune spat out as he arrived at the bar. Deirdre sidled up next to him.
"Do you have a back room where you can talk?" She commanded, "Or would you prefer to discuss this out here?" Aberforth sized them both up again, decided he was defeated, and jerked his toward a rickety looking set of stairs.
Upon ascending the stairs, they found a tiny, grimy suite of rooms belonging to the bartending himself. They were indicated to sit in two rather battered looking wooden chairs, probably rejects from the bar. Aberforth sat at a third and sighed, "So he's really left her?" He winced up from his down-turned demeanor. He did not seem quite as brash, victorious or brazen as they expected, "I expect it's hurt Minerva pretty bad?" His voice was so softened, Neptune and Deirdre regarded him in shock.
Deirdre finally gathered the wits to reply, "But that's the worst part of it! He's tampered with her memory, so she doesn't even remember being his wife. She thinks the baby is the offspring of a Bulgarian wizard killed in the attack. It's so pitiful to see her befuddled. We have to know why Albus would do something like this!"
It was Dumbledore's turn to stare in shock, "Are you serious? He may be scum, but this is below even his level. What a swine." Aberforth groaned, rubbing his forehead, "My brother has always been unstable, he would say it's a side effect of his genius. I would say he's an egotistical idiot who doesn't know how to take responsibility for the atrocities he's taken part in." They all sat fuming in silence. Finally Neptune spoke.
"You keep referring to a past event… some terrible tragedy. We only know Albus Dumbledore as a brilliant wizard, a war hero. What could he possibly have done to merit such contempt?" And from there Aberforth spun them the tale of the Dumbledores in Godric's Hollow.
"And ever since her funeral, every relationship Albus pursued ended with the person either terribly hurt or killed. There have only been a few people he allowed to get clost to him, and it never ended well." He sighed and finally gazed earnestly into his visitor's eyes, "I am sorry Minerva had to go through this. But honestly, you have to do what is best for Minerva."
"I have thought about it, quite extensively for these past few weeks. I have decided Minerva is an adult, who deserves enough information to make her own decision. I want to try and get those memories back." His voice was as immovable as his determination.
The barkeeper sighed, "Well, if I know my brother well enough, he is a romantic at heart. He will not have had the guts to completely remove and destroy her memories. He will either have removed them and stored them for safe keeping, or blocked them."
"She can remember him sometimes when she has just woken up!" Deirdre threw in desperately.
"Ah, then he has probably blocked them! That will be easier." He sighed, "If you truly want to do this, if you really want to open her up to a life of sorrow and misery. I will do what I can to help."
The couple sitting before him nodded earnestly, "And if she wants her memories erased then let her chose that for herself."
"Good. Then start giving her hints. A direct attack on the memory block will get us nowhere. We need to leave out pictures from the time of her lost memory. Newspapers, mention the war in passing, but avoid anything to do with Albus. His block will be strongest then," Aberforth calculated, "We'll give it a few weeks. But then, just before Twelfth Night (when the holiday bar crowd has dispersed) I will visit and see what that triggers."
*!*!*!*
Over the next few weeks, Minerva memory slowly began to improve. With every improvement, her disposition grew more erratic. Instead of calmly asking when her husband would return, Minerva would be ripped from her sleep, tortured and screaming for Albus. She would be found intermittently about the Manor crying for endless hours; but when questioned, could not provide a reason for the display. The house-elves, instructed to hide anything with the name "Albus Dumbledore", showed Neptune a piece of parchment in Minerva's handwriting that had begun to order Albus back to the estate. It had been crumbled and tossed to the floor shortly thereafter.
These events were distressing, but Neptune, Deirdre, and Poppy consoled themselves in the knowledge that they were doing the right thing.
Twelfth Night slipped closer, as did Aberforth's visit. Poppy pulled the Lord and Lady of the estate aside the day before to express her concern.
"I don't know if Minerva is in any kind of state to handle a shock such as this. She could deliver any day now!" Poppy sighed, worriedly wringing her hands. "And if she is under any kind of outside stress while doing so, it will only make things worse."
"She must know the trusth! There is no better time! I had to physically stop her from leaving the grounds yesterday. When asked where she was going, she could only say Hogwarts, but could give no reason why." He leaned forward in his chair pleading, "And if she delivers this child, and then insists on giving it away…What kind of havoc will that wreak on her should she recover her memory?"
"I cannot continue to find her weeping in every corridor of this house. She makes it seem as if banshees have come over to haunt the halls." Deirdre sighed, wiping fiercely at her leaking eyes, "And she has not slept through the night for a week now! We started don this course, we must continue until she has found resolution."
"You forget, your sister was as good as dead less than a year ago! Why can't you leave her alone and be thankful she's alive?" She glared at them. Receiving silence, she continued, "From here forward, I medically wash my hands of your plan. You can Floo me or owl me if something goes wrong tomorrow (as I'm certain it will). I will deliver your sister's baby, but I cannot condone this method of memory retrieval." With that, she snapped up her bag and cloak and departed.
*!*!*!*
The day before Twelfth Night dawned frigid and stormy. The snow pelted down in a might blizzard. After breakfast, Deirdre nervously paced the dining hall, glancing out at the storm anxiously.
Aberforth was late, once again. But the house elves showed the barkeeper to a drawing room. Shortly thereafter Neptune and Deirdre followed.
"Who is this mysterious guest?" Minerva called shuffling in. Lack of sleept and the weight of her condition had both taken quite a toll on the once lithe, agile youth.
"Hello, Miss McGonagall," Aberforth called, rising to greet her. He moved to help her light on a seat. "Do you remember my last visit?" There was a strong tinge of regret as he saw how much she had deteriorated.
Minerva froze at the sight of the man who so much resembled her husband. Minerva did indeed have a husband, and remembered him fully now. She paled, and grabbed for a nearby chair back. "Albus! How did you get back on the grounds..." Aberforth stopped his movement toward her, "No you are the one who drove him away! Aberforth!" She screeched his name, "You home-wrecking scum!" And before anyone had time to think, Minerva had pulled out her wand. But in her anger and the deluge of memories that triggered it, the fathomless witch stunned the entire room.
*!*!*!*
When they woke up, nearly an hour later, Minerva's cloak was gone. Neptune called in the house-elves to question them.
"Where is Miss Minerva?" He struggled to refrain from shouting. Scaring the elves would not make this any easier.
"She ordered us not to say!" Karf, the head elf, stepped forward, trembling.
"Karf, you know that Miss Minerva is not well, she is putting herself and her baby in mortal peril by disappearing. I need to know where she went!" He knelt down to the elf's level.
Karf burst into tears, "I be only following Miss 'Nerva's orders, Laird Neptune! I no knows that she bes hurting herself and baby Dumbledore!" he sobbed, "She be going to Hogwarts!"
Everyone jumped to action. Neptune thanked the house-elf and forbid him from punishing himself. Deirdre scrambled to the fire to Floo Poppy. Aberforth received their traveling cloaks from the elves and sent a patronus to Albus, warning him of Minerva's recent disappearance.
"Let's go!" Neptune roared, throwing on his cloak. As an afterthought, he turned, "Karf, if Miss Minerva returns, come and find me immediately. Remember she is not well, her orders are to be disregarded. Keep her in the manor at all costs. We shall return shortly."
With that, they sprinted to an Aparation point.
A/N: I know, another cliff-hanger. But I promise I will update ASAP. Reviews always help :D