Cunctation: delay; tardiness.
June 15, 1992
"Dumbledore!"
Professor McGonagall's voice drilled through the heavy oak door of his office, sharp and impatient and threatening to bring it down in woodchips if he did not get it out of her way. But still he sat for another minute, placid behind his desk, putting off the moment.
"I know you're in there, and if you don't open this godforsaken door, I'll –"
Dumbledore raised his wand, there was a click, and the godforsaken door swung inward, revealing a very thin-lipped McGonagall.
"You wish to speak to me, Minerva?"
Not missing a beat, McGonagall swept into the room, sharp eyes trained on the Headmaster. "Yes, I very much would, Dumbledore. I would like to know what exactly you've told the adults responsible for Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Potter."
"I do not see an urgent need to contact them," Dumbledore said mildly, interlocking his long fingers on the desk before him.
"No urgent need –" McGonagall repeated indignantly. "Potter's lying unconscious in the hospital wing! Don't you suppose his aunt and uncle would like to know why?"
"Harry woke up this afternoon, Minerva, and will be quite alright. I've spoken to him and to Poppy, who assured me he will make a full recovery before the end of term. There is no reason to alarm his relatives unduly."
"He's awake?" she demanded, temporarily distracted.
"Yes, sitting up and talking and everything. Although it is more difficult to get past Poppy to see him than to get backstage at a Weird Sisters concert."
"Well, you'd better thank heaven and above that there was no lasting damage," she told him severely.
"I'm not sure I know what you mean," said Dumbledore with polite bewilderment.
"Honestly, Albus, how could three first-years find out about the stone and then break through our best enchantments without you knowing something about it, especially when one of those three happened to be Harry Potter?"
"You overestimate my omniscience, Minerva. There is a great deal that goes on in Hogwarts that I don't know of," he said gravely.
"But you knew about this," she insisted fiercely. "It's been three days, Dumbledore. When do you plan on informing the parents of our resident sleuths precisely what their children accomplished this year?"
"I don't believe I would be doing Mr. Potter or Miss Granger a service by writing home about them. It's difficult for those who have not attended Hogwarts to understand what exactly the education entails. I believe I'll leave it up to Harry and Hermione to reveal as much as they wish to their families."
McGonagall folded her arms and raised a thin eyebrow. "And what about Weasley? He's got three brothers among the gossiping student body. You can't truly be hoping word of this debacle won't reach his parents? What do you plan on saying to Molly Weasley when she discovers her twelve-year-old son faced a vicious, three-headed dog, was nearly strangled by plants, and received a concussion from a great marble chess set all inside the castle you oversee?"
"I suppose you'd appreciate my omitting it was your chess set."
"Dumbledore! This is serious! Three first-years were nearly killed and you have yet to discuss the matter with their parents."
"My dear Professor McGonagall, I believe you'll agree that, given the already-impressive track record of these particular first-years, they were not in quite as much danger as most ordinary eleven and twelve-year-olds would have been. I believe there is very little we can do short of locking them in the dungeons to prevent something like this from happening. If Molly and Arthur, or Mr. and Mrs. Granger or Dursley do discover anything that perturbs them, I will be more than willing to discuss it with them. However, I rather believe their children prefer they be left unawares."
McGonagall surveyed him with a hard expression. "Very well. I hope for your sake you're correct. But," she added severely, pointing a finger at the headmaster, "if I ever discover proof that you knew what those three were up to before they went through that trapdoor, I will personally be writing very detailed letters to each of their families."
And with that she marched out of the office, leaving Dumbledore somewhat more rattled than he appeared.
A/N: Hey! Two updates in twelve hours! Ah! Don't get used to it. I've got three massive papers twisting my gut at the moment plus a Latin exam. Anyway, June seems to be a month for conversations with Dumbledore. Second angry woman to storm into his office in the last few chapters. It's just because all the books end in June and everything comes to the surface then. You know, I always read that line at the end of Sorcerer's Stone when Molly asks if they had a busy year as if she knew everything that happened. But given her later behavior over their safety, I can't imagine she knows very much at all.
Well, thank you all so very much for your lovely reviews! Love you all! And to those of you who reside in the United States alongside myself, hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and that you've got a lot to be thankful for. :)