Sorry for the late update! I completely forgot about my evening shift at work today.
25 July 1997
Minerva entered her rooms and instantly gasped. "Good grief, Pomona," she said, recovering quickly and dropping her hand from her chest. Her eyes swept across the room. The fire was crackling happily in the grate and Pomona was sitting in one of her red armchairs beside the coffee table. "I can see you have made yourself quite at home. Comfy, are we?"
Pomona closed the newspaper and put it purposefully down on the table. "You had me worried sick, Minerva. It's almost midnight. Where on earth have you been?" She folded her arms across her chest, watching Minerva as she took off her cloak and hung it up on a coat's peg.
"I was at the Hog's Head with Aberforth. I was not intending on staying for long but we had company." She sighed, took off her shoes, and then came to sit opposite Pomona. "Potter was moved yesterday, to the Borrow. It took quite some organisation and a large group was involved in the proceedings, including Rubeus and," she stopped and took another deep breath. "Alastor is dead, Pomona. He was killed while they were moving the boy."
Pomona's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand. "No," she said quietly.
"Somehow You-Know-Who found out that Potter was to be moved today instead of next week," Minerva continued. She passed a shaky hand over her eyes. "I do not know much of the specifics, but it seems dozens of Death Eaters were waiting for Potter in Surrey."
"Did anyone else..." Pomona trailed away as Minerva shook her head.
"Hagrid is a bit shaken, and Fred Weasley was hit by a spell, but not a life-threatening one, so I am told." Minerva closed her eyes. She still could not quite believe that Alastor had been killed. She had known the mission was going to be dangerous. Indeed at the most recent Order meeting, which had quite possibly been her last, Mungungus had quite desperately attempted to get someone to swap places with him. It seemed that he was not the one who should have been concerned about his fate and mortality.
"There is more," she said, opening her eyes again and putting a hand to her forehead. "Charity has been found."
"Alive?"
Minerva swallowed. "No," she said quietly.
Pomona closed her eyes and a long, prolonged silence filled the room. They had both been expecting the news but that did not make hearing it any easier.
"Have you read much of this evening's paper?" Minerva said eventually.
"Only the first page," Pomona replied, glancing at the Daily Prophet on the coffee table. "Why?"
"According to the Ministry, Charity has resigned. I saw Rufus today, who told me that they do not want to instil fear in the people," she said. "That the Ministry needs to appear that they are in control of the situation. They were not intending on speaking with Emily either."
"B-But someone must!" Pomona spluttered.
"I agree, as did Kinglsey, which is why he speaking with her now," Minerva said.
"And what of Alastor?" His parents?"
"His mother and sister died quite recently," Minerva said. "Nymphadora has gone to find his niece, but I have heard it is proving difficult to locate her. It is likely she had gone into hiding," Minerva said.
Her words were greeted with a short silence.
"Minerva, when you saw the Minister," Pomona began. She straightened slightly and leaned forwards. "Did he tell you anything more about his plans for Hogwarts? The magically binding contract he believes could keep you as Hogwarts' Headmistress... Has he managed to create it?"
Minerva shook her head. "It is complicated. The process will likely take several months, which we do not have. So—"
"If He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gains control over the Ministry—"
"It is more than likely that they will not approve of me becoming Headmistress, and that they will instate another Death Eater to take my place."
Pomona sighed. "Well," she said, "we were already preparing for that eventuality before the Minister came up with the idea of the contract. I must say I am quite relieved."
Minerva frowned.
"If we succeeded at making this contract, they would have come after you, I am sure," she said. "Just like with Albus."
Minerva looked away. "Perhaps, but the Minister is still keen to try."
Pomona nodded warily and a prolonged and heavy silence filled the room. "I assumed you had not eaten yet, so I made something for you." Pomona produced a small bowl of soup with slices of bread placed on a plate beside it.
"Thank you," Minerva said, slightly surprised.
Pomona sighed. "I know what you are like, dear," she said, pushing the food towards Minerva. "Any news from your brother?"
"Not a peep, apart from a short message last week saying that everyone is safe in Nairn."
Pomona nodded. "Good, I'm glad." She leaned back in her chair again and took a sip of her tea.