Chapter Nine
Poppy Pomfrey couldn't believe her eyes as they cautiously crossed the apparation lines. The space in front of the huge, run down and ugly stone prison was filled with military tents like the ones from the Defense textbooks and History of Magic classroom photographs.
There were groups of people on blankets on the newly cropped up grass, playing cards and chess, as Aurors and other Ministry dressed people ran around.
"Remember to stay calm and open," Professor Merrythought said as they walked through the rows of tents. Pomona slipped a hand into Poppy's.
"Who are all these people, Professor?"
The woman looked over at Xiomara with a grim smile. "Most are from the Ministry analyzing the leftover footprints and papers from the Blackcoats, just the ones not in Auroring uniforms are captives from Nurmengard."
Poppy felt a lump develop in the back of her throat as she walked past a group of men, some of which were missing limbs.
"There are so many."
"Professor Merrythought!"
They all turned to see the familiar auburn haired Transfiguration professor waving at them. Poppy smiled for the first time in months. Though he looked older and thinner, the man looked the same as she remembered; alive and colorful.
"Albus!"
The group drew close to him and he greeted them all warmly. "Can we see her?" Edward blurted out and Dumbledore chuckled.
"Of course," he said smoothly. "She's working with a handful of the Aurors in the tent over there, but I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you all."
The four were giddy with excitement, but walked with their two professors to the large tent as calmly as they could. "Is there anything they should know before seeing Miss McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore?" Merrythought asked.
Dumbledore nodded slowly, looking at each of the students before speaking. "I do not mean to scare you, but if you are going to be there for Minerva, you need to do what's best for her and that's knowing how to help her. Minerva suffered extreme traumas during her months in Nurmengard, we may never know the extent of them, unless she tells us them. The healer says that she's suffering from a defensive psychological damage among her physical and internal injuries, leaving her with problems in speech."
"She can't talk?" Xiomara asked concerned.
Dumbledore hesitated, not sure how to explain it to children so young. "She can, but do not expect her to. Trauma can coped with in two way, you concede to the pain or you fight it. When Minerva fought it, her speech was a concession of the torture. We don't know how she will react, so just be cautious. The best thing we can do for her is show her love." He opened the flap and the group moved into the dimmed room.
Poppy caught sight of her first. The small, willow figure in the corner. She stood at a large table with a group of people that made her seem small like a child. As her eyes adjusted, she caught sight of the changes in her friend, how her slender form had shrunken to malnourished and cavernous, her pale skin now was white as a sheet, how she jumped at the slight noise and
She still looked like Minerva; her long dark hair braided in a complex elegant braided away from her face, her dark green intelligent eyes, her thin eyebrows, and high cheekbones, but she wasn't sure Minerva was in there anymore.
She was gesturing to pieces of paper, not speaking, but nodding and shaking her head decisively as those around her were hastily making notes when she abruptly looked up.
Her eyes met Poppy's and a smile broke out on her face. Poppy rushed around the table moving towards her friend, slowly only when she got to her. There was a second pause when Merrythought's and Dumbledore's instructions filtered through her head.
"Oh my god," she sobbed, gently pulling her best friend into her arms. "Merlin Minerva, I never thought I would see you again."
She didn't answer, but Minerva' arms tightened around Poppy's neck as tears poured down her face. "God, I missed you so much, Mina."
It seemed like years before they parted and Poppy grasped her hands to look her up and down. Then Minerva opened her mouth and surprised them all, "Hello Poppy."
Poppy chuckled and burst into tears, hugging her again. Tears were all around, running down the faces of both Professors and the others Aurors in the room, unashamed and unembarrassed at the happiness on the face of the girl that had all come to care for.
When Poppy finally released Minerva, Xiomara cautiously walked over to her roommate and gave her a quick hug before skittering back, as if afraid she would shatter from too long a touch.
"I'm so glad you're okay."
Pomona just took Minerva's hand and smiled widely with tear filled eyes, whispering to her as if that as more placating the younger Hufflepuff that the Gryffindor.
Edward was the last one, standing back near Merrythought and Dumbledore. "You won't hurt her, Potter," Albus prompted him gently and that was all that the Gryffindor needed to take the few steps forward and greet Minerva with a chaste peck on the cheek.
"Bout time you showed back up, McGonagall, the team's been tanking without you. The replacement Seeker can't catch a Snitch if he Accioed it."
There was a moment of super silence and then everyone laughed. Minerva smiled quietly, eyes sparkling calming for the first time since she had been rescued.
"This is Melanie Ramirez and Kingsley Shacklebolt, two of the junior Aurors who helped liberate the prison. Melanie has been looking after Minerva and me," Professor Dumbledore said with a wink.
The women was blonde and pretty with a plain face and brown eyes. She stood in the shadows of the room, watching Minerva cautiously. "It's nice to meet you all," she said with a smile that seemed genuine.
"This is Poppy Pomfrey, Edward Potter, Xiomara Hooch, and Pomona Sprout. Then this is Galatea Merrythought, our Defense Professor."
"And former head of special Auroring operations," the young woman said with a smile and Professor Merrythought inclined her head.
After pleasantries, they migrated out to a blanket on the lawn near the forest's edge when the sunlight was warm. As Xiomara and Edward filled Minerva in on what happened in the nine months she had been gone, Poppy sat with Minerva, filling in details here and there, holding her hand tightly, as if she'd disappear all the while.
Pomona was quieter, but added in here and there, showing her the photographs they had brought.
"And everyone even pitched in and we made this little monument in Hogsemeade for you," Xiomara continued, "and we'd just go and sit there on the weekends, but then people from school and Hogsmeade began leaving notes and teddydragons and flowers and everything."
Minerva peered at the photograph to see what seemed to be her entire year crowded around a mirrored structure that captured the sunlight brilliantly. Roses, sunflowers, and little stuffed animals littered the ground around it. Minerva felt her throat swell shut and pin prick tears sting her eyes. If the others noticed they didn't remark on it.
"Oh yeah, we also brought you some stuff from your dorm that you might want," Xiomara said, pulling out a shrunken duffle bag from her pocket. She moved it from her palm to her blanket and pulled her wand out of her sleeve and raised her wand, then stopped short.
"What?" Poppy said an eyebrow raised.
"Err…I never could remember that stupid spell," Xiomara said sheepishly. Potter snorted and Xiomara smacked his thigh. "Shut up, Potter, we all know you don't know it."
Minerva moved then and the rest of them froze. She plucked Xiomara's wand from her hand and plopped back down on the blanket. With a flick of her friend's wand, the duffle was enlarged to its normal size.
Minerva looked up innocently at her friend and offered the wood back to her friend.
"Same old Minerva," Potter said with a smirk, shaking his head.
*The Great War 1944*
Galatea let Albus lead as they walked the perimeter of the makeshift camp. The February winds were chilly, but allowed for the grasses to begin to break through the ground and the trees to be defrosting. Albus was thinner than she remembered, older too, though she knew just how long it had been since he had left on his mission. His auburn beard was shorter and threaded with strands of grey now and his navy robes looked bigger than the last time she had seen him in them.
It was a while before she worked up the courage to speak.
"How is she, old friend?"
A cruel smile twisted on her friend's face. Before the argument that led up to Minerva's capture, she would have considered Albus one of her dearest friends, but now she was unsure of where they stood.
"Better than when we first got her out of there, but she relapsed earlier last week. When she chooses to speak, it only a handful of words, nothing of significance. I'm the only one who can convince her to eat. She's underweight, malnourished, and magically induced injuries refuse to heal properly. The Healer thinks it's some sort of speech disassociation."
Galatea's eyebrows contracted slightly. "That's rare in a girl, let alone a fifteen year old. But you said she is talking?"
"Yes, to certain people in one or two words. Two weeks ago, I managed to hold an entire conversation before she refused to say anything else. It's like she's here with me, but half of her is somewhere else and I'm unable to be there with her."
"It's difficult for you to protect her from the demons you can't see," Gatalea said gently. She remembered the horrors of captivity from her brief stint with the Aurors. Even being held for mere hours by the enemy was enough to rattle her for years following the day at twenty years old. To be fifteen and held captive for months, she couldn't imagine the turmoil the young woman was experiencing. "Better to have her with you than trying to drown herself in the bathtub when you're not looking."
Albus turned to look at her sharply and his hand brushed hers slightly in comfort. It was a moment before she spoke again.
"Albus, you have no idea how truly sorry I am that I caused her to run. I had no idea that it would cause her to go to Hogsmeade, let alone to run right into the Blackcoats. I should have waited to speak with her with you. I never thought it would cause this much pain. Please, Albus, forgive me."
She searched his face and bit her bottom lip as a series of expressions flashed; anger, hurt, pain, and then anger again, then perhaps understanding.
"You have no idea she would react as she did," he said and a flood of relief washed over the Defense Professor. "I don't know why she could ever be silly enough to leave the castle. She knew better. My only thought was she was overwhelmed and she needed to clear her head."
"Have you discussed the relationship with her?" Galatea asked gently.
Albus stopped abruptly and turned to face her. His eyes were dark with anger. "She was tortured for months Galatea, of course I haven't spoken to her about it. In my eyes, nothing's changed. There's not anything to discuss with her."
"She's a child, Albus!" Galatea said reproachfully. "And a student no less."
"Like you haven't looked after a student," Albus snapped back as the Defense Professor's face flamed red.
"But I never acted on it! Just think of what this could do to your reputation—to hers? The damages could never be fixed."
"A small price to pay for love."
Galatea growled in frustration. "Think of what's best for Minerva, Albus. You're not even giving her a chance at a future, at a chance to career."
"You never even thought of leaving us be, Galatea. Perhaps, she was safer before you interfered. Perhaps we were happy," he growled at her.
Galatea looked at him, taken aback at his tone. "This isn't some flailing, wild affair, is it, old friend? You love her."
"With everything."
*The Great War 1944*
"Why can't she come with us?" Potter said immediately, looking up at Merrythought with intent brown eyes. Minerva stood across from the Hogwarts lot, near the apparation line.
Galatea shared a look with Albus. "I'm afraid the Ministry is still keeping a lock and key on everyone, Mister Potter, but I'm sure Miss McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore will be back home soon." She looked towards Dumbledore who nodded.
"Sooner than you think," he added.
Potter frowned, but nodded. "I guess we'll see you soon, McGonagall." He pulled down affectionately on the end of her braid and Minerva's eyes smiled in response.
As rest of the goodbyes were exchanged, Galatea and Albus quietly conversed on the side as Pomona and Xiomara hugged Minerva and went to stand near Potter, leaving just Poppy with the girl.
"Don't cry, Poppy," Minerva said quietly as her friend hugged her tightly.
"I-I can't help-p it," she sniffled
She took a step back, wiping the tears across her cheeks with the back of her hand, the other hand holding one of Minerva's. "Promise me you'll come home in one piece? I can't stand not knowing anyone, Mina."
"I will try."
"All ready to go Miss Pomfrey?" Galatea said, walking back over with Dumbledore at her side. Poppy pouted, but nodded, not taking her eyes off her friend.
Professor Merrythought turned to face Minerva, hands nervous moving at her sides.
"I do believe I owe you a great apology, Miss McGonagall," Galatea said sincerely, sharing a slight look with Albus. Minerva blinked slightly suspicious and glanced up at Albus. "I may have jumped to conclusion that were initially not true of the extent of what I saw. I do believe I better understand now."
Minerva rewarded her with a smile and Albus put a hand on the small of her back at the group moved towards the apparation line, leaving the prison in a loud pop.
*The Great War 1944*
It was dark by the time Melanie had found Minerva's tent empty and the girl sitting on a rock a few feet into the forest line, wearing nothing but her night clothes. Immediately concerned, Melanie rushed towards her to find the fifteen year old sitting there motionless.
Drawing close, she slowed and approached her cautiously.
"Minerva?"
Melanie hesitated a moment before reaching out to touch her arm. The girl jerked away and the Auror caught sight of the photographs Poppy had brought in her hand. "Minerva, what's wrong?"
The raven hair girl turned to look at her, her green eyes red and puffy, hands quivering.
"I've missed everything."