20 November 1981
"I—You can't be serious, Albus," spluttered Minerva. "Snape? You want Snape to replace Horace?"
Albus looked up from his clasped hands resting on his desk. He held her gaze and spoke in a calm and measured voice. "I do."
Half expecting him to suddenly tell her that he was joking, Minerva continued to look at him expectantly. When he made no move to say anything else, she suddenly felt anger and hurt take over.
"I don't believe this," she seethed, finally. Throwing up her arms angrily, she stood up from the chair she had been sitting in. "After everything he has done, Albus- the things he has been involved in," she looked at him imploringly, "Do you really want to let him teach in a school full of young children?"
"I appreciate your concern, Professor McGonagall and I value your input," he answered firmly, "However, I can assure you that I would not be suggesting this if I thought any harm would come to the students under our care."
He ended his sentence with a note of finality, and he finished by looking at her carefully over his half-moon spectacles. Deep down Minerva knew that she should not argue with him, however, she felt unable to let this go.
"Then I would strongly recommend thinking through your decision one more time, Headmaster," she managed to say through clenched teeth. "Respectfully, Headmaster, Snape's name was only cleared last week. I don't think I will be alone in saying that perhaps you should reconsider your choice of Potions master for the sake of the students and their parents' peace of mind."
This time Dumbledore's demeanour changed just a fraction, and Minerva could tell that she had struck a chord.
"Professor McGonagall, I have thought through this decision very carefully. I am confident that I have made the right choice. I would not allow Severus to fill Horace's position if I did not believe he was capable."
"I am sure that he is more than capable of teaching, Albus," she said. "In fact, I know that he is more than capable since I taught him for 7 years and his academic reports were beyond exemplary," she added. "But it isn't his knowledge that I doubt."
Dumbledore clasped his hands on his desk. "I trust Severus Snape, Minerva. The question is do you trust me?"
Minerva held back until she knew she was not going to say something she didn't mean. "I do," she said icily, "Headmaster."
Dumbledore nodded tiredly and looked back down. "Thank you," he said, bending over and disappearing behind his desk as he attempted to locate a folder. Once found, he held it out for her. "Now, I would like you to make sure these get to Severus as soon as possible. I have put a piece of parchment with his current address inside the folder."
Minerva walked up to the desk and took the file. "I will have it done by the end of the day," she said stiffly.
Then, turning abruptly round, she marched across the room and opened Dumbledore's study's door. Without so much of a glance back, she left the room.