Thanks for the reviews :) I hope you enjoy this chapter too!

5 January 1996

Minerva walked to the Great Hall, a copy of the Daily Prophet clutched tightly in her hand. For once Dolores did not stop to talk to her but rather just scowled in Minerva's direction. Ignoring the dark looks, Minerva went straight to Albus.

"Where have you been?" she asked him quietly. Term had only just started and Minerva, after a brief sojourn to see her family, had returned to the castle the previous evening to discover that Albus was not inside the castle and had not been for two days.

"I had to do some work outside of the castle," Albus answered vaguely, causing Minerva to purse her lips. "Has somebody alerted Padfoot?"

Minerva pulled out her chair and sat down. "I did," she said. "I sent him a message as soon as I saw the papers," she said. "Molly is on her way to see him now."

"How did you send the message?" Albus asked.

Minerva pursed her lips again. "Patronus," she replied in a somewhat clipped tone. "I am not foolish enough to use an owl or the floo network, Albus," she reprimanded him slightly.

Noticing that Albus was about to apologise, Minerva shook her head and instead thrust the newspaper in front of him and pointed at a small article in the corner of the page. Under the headline highlighting a mass breakout at Azkaban, lay a brief article outlining the tragic death of Broderick Bode. Minerva had her suspicions that the cause of his death was less a tragic incident and more along the lines of a purposeful murder.

"Devil Snare?" said Albus quietly, his frown reflecting the same puzzlement Minerva had felt when she had first spotted the article.

"Elphinstone knew Bode quite well," she began to explain. "Overlapping interests at work, I believe. Not that Finn could disclose any of the information he learnt, mind," she added. "Bode was an Unspeakable — he worked in the Department of Mysteries."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows glanced up at Minerva who nodded. "The accident at work they mention here..." he began.

"May not have been an accident," Minerva finished for him. "Perhaps Bode was put under a spell like Sturgis," she added quietly. "And if that was the case, well, no one would send a potted plant of Devil Snare by mistake, Albus. The act of getting it into a pot in the first place is dangerous enough."

"I agree," Albus said. "It was intentionally put there."

Minerva nodded, then straightened and looked around the hall. Dolores did not seem preoccupied with Minerva and Albus' conversation. Neither did any of the other staff who all seemed too engrossed in reading about the breakout at Azkaban.

"When is the next meeting?" she asked.

"This Friday," Albus replied. "Though I believe—"

"You're on probation!"

Minerva and Albus stopped talking and turned their attention to the front of the Hall where Weasley and Potter were speaking with Hagrid. Weasley covered his mouth his hand — clearly, he had been the one who had shouted. Minerva frowned.

"Probation?" she repeated quietly, then looked at Albus questioningly. She did not give him the time to say anything, however, as she then realised that Dolores had inspected Hagrid's class a few weeks ago. Instantly her expression hardened and she pursed her lips angrily. "This has got to end," she said angrily. "First Sybill and now Hagrid."

As she said this, Dolores stood up and crossed the Great Hall. Minerva noticed that Umbridge was following Hagrid, no doubt because she was about to inspect his lesson again, she thought. Indeed, Dolores had that dreadful clipboard of hers in her hand. Minerva and Albus continued to watch the short witch until she had stepped out of the Great Hall and disappeared from view.

"She's not even consulting you anymore, Albus," Minerva said. "I will visit Hagrid later on this evening," she added, sighing before turning to face Albus again. "What were you saying?"

Albus' eyebrows were still furrowed, and it was a minute before he said anything. "Erm—that perhaps we should bring the meeting forward," he said a little distractedly. "I will be away this weekend."

Minerva pursed her lips. "This is the sixth time this year," she said.

"I know," was all he said.

His words were followed by a pregnant pause during which time Minerva held Albus' gaze, and studied him for a moment.

Finally, she sighed. "I don't know what you are up to but please do not give Dolores any more reason to get rid of you," she said.

Albus raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"If she notices that you are away from school for days at a time, then she may use this to her advantage and try and make out that you are neglecting your duties as headmaster," Minerva explained. "If she does do that, then I am in no doubt that she could get Cornelius to appoint her as Headmistress like that," she added, clicking her fingers.

"What would you do if that happened?" Albus asked her.

Minerva opened her mouth but never got the chance to answer because suddenly the bell rang marking the end of breakfast. She closed her mouth again and broke eye contact with Albus, and stood up. "Severus wants to speak to you about occlumency classes," she told him curtly. "Something about wanting to borrow your pensieve."

Albus nodded, and Minerva pursed her lips again. She wanted to continue their previous conversation about Albus' secretive journeys, however, her first lesson was now in less than 10 minutes, and a student wanted a word with her before it began. In the end, she merely sighed.

"I also need you to sign Poppy's order list," she added, as began to move away. "I left the form on your desk."

"Thank you, my dear," Albus said, and Minerva nodded before then turning and sweeping out of the hall.