one dance at a time

8/17/2019 one dance at a time

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Summary: Follow Albus and Minerva as they fall in love-one dance at a time.

Rating: safe for everybody..."T" Rating

A!: e originally started on this story in A#ril $%%& but we lost our way

once or twice with it. !ow that we're nearing com#letion( we thought it wastime to share it with all of you. e ho#e you en)oy.

*+ou are so adorable. +our mother will be very #roud.,

The little girl studied the mirror before her( which had issued its o#inion. er

#ale face was accented by soft( blac hair( which had been #ulled u# with a

bow. The bit of ribbon was made with the family tartan and matched the

emerald sil robe that swirled around her anles as she waled forward to

ins#ect herself more closely. */ don0t want to go to the #arty. / would much

rather 1nish reading my boo.,

*Someone as beautiful as you will be the belle of the ball. +ou will have a

great time and / am sure the boo will be long forgotten.,

The girl eyed the mirror doubtfully but turned toward her wardrobe all the

same. She carefully selected a #air of matching sli##ers and sat on a small

stool to #ut them on.

*2arling( are you almost ready3, er mother0s voice drifted through the

house. The little girl 4uicly stood and raced out of her rooms and down thehall.

er mother was sitting with her bac to the door and the young lass

watched as she charmed her shiny( blonde hair into a beautiful chignon and

adorned it with 5owers. 6ight green eyes smiled at her from the mirror and

soon she was 1nished. *Are you ready to greet our guests3 +our father is

waiting for us downstairs.,

er mother too her hand and the women of the house made their way

down the swee#ing staircase. At the bottom( a handsome man dressed informal robes was standing by the front door as the 1rst of the family0s

friends arrived. e too his wife0s hand in one of his own and #laced his

other hand on his daughter0s shoulder.

2o7ens of #eo#le had been introduced to the girl and she was getting a bit

bored. She new some of the witches and wi7ards from #revious dinners but

no one who was very interesting. 8ust as she had started to 1dget( a bit of a

commotion broe out in the front yard and her father sti9ened. Someone

interesting must have arrived and the little girl strained to see through all

the robes to get a glim#se of the new #erson. Finally the crowd #arted and aman a##roached.


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er mother whis#ered a #iece of advice as she issed her husband on the

chee. *e is only a wi7ard( love.,

The gentleman made his way u# the stairs. The girl0s eyes widened as she

looed u#. e was very tall and had dar red hair. She hadn0t seen anyoneas tall as her father before and that im#ressed her.

er father began to mae introductions and the older man smiled at her

causing his eyes to twinle. *Albus 2umbledore( May / #resent my wife

Athena and my daughter Minerva.,

*/t is very nice to meet you., er mother etended her hand and the wi7ard

too it. e brought her hand to his li#s and brushed a small iss across her

nucles. Minerva sighed( waiting for the #inching of her chee or a #at on

the head. /nstead the man( Mr. 2umbledore( crouched down and too herhand as well. */t is a #leasure( my dear., e then issed the bac of her

hand taing her by sur#rise.

Minerva giggled as his moustache ticled her sensitive sin causing the

wi7ard to smile in return. e stood u# and greeted her father with a formal

handshae. Mr. 2umbledore moved along entering the sitting room as the

#revious guests had done.

Finally all the guests had arrived and Minerva and her family made their way

into the sitting room. The house elves were bringing around trays 1lled withhors d'oeuvres and all the guests were mingling gaily. Minerva stood by her

mother0s side as she received several comments on how big she had gotten

and how grown-u# she looed.

Minerva hated these #arties for )ust that reason. ;veryone treated her as if

she were a baby. She was very smart for her age.


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the weather. >eing the only little girl at the table was awward but she

sim#ly concentrated on her food and didn0t say anything unless ased a

direct 4uestion. The main to#ic at the table was alchemy. er father wored

in the 1eld and most of the guests did as well.

She found she was very good at looing interested in what her neighbor hadto say without actually #aying attention. /nstead her thoughts were centered

on the boo u#stairs in her bedroom. /t was di?cult to read and she had to

loo u# several words already but it was so fascinating that she didn0t mind.

er love of learning came from both #arents and she had been reading

boos meant for children twice her age since she was very young. They had

a huge library and had started one for her the day she had been born.

For dessert Minerva was given her usual cu# of fresh fruit. She had never

been very interested in sweets. A trait her #arents found most odd. The

others seated around her had anything from cheesecae to tri#le-layerchocolate fudge cae. er nose wrinled at the thought of having to eat all

of it. She had noticed that when anyone ate a lot of sugar they started to act

very funny. !ot at all lie themselves and she lied herself )ust as she was-

than you very much.

@nce dessert was 1nished( everyone made their way to the enchanted

veranda for drins and dancing. o7y chairs were set u# in grou#s to allow

for discussions and the garden was in bloom and #erfect for a sunset stroll.

Minerva0s eyes were begging to be dismissed as she looed at her Mom.

*8ust a bit longer darling and then you can head to bed. +ou never now( youmay be ased to dance.,

Athena laughed at the loo of horror on her daughter0s face. Minerva had a

few dancing lessons under her belt but was shy at the idea of trying it out in

#ublic. She hu9ed her way over to an overstu9ed chair and 5o##ed down in

a rather un-ladylie manner. She sat there watching everyone dance and

have a good time. A few #eo#le had sto##ed by to say hello but nobody

stayed for very long. She was not in the mood to be #olite and had to force

herself to smile.

ith her mind otherwise occu#ied( she didn0t see the gentleman sit net to

her. hen he s#oe( she )um#ed slightly in her chair. *Miss McBonagall( how

are you this evening3 !ot bored by all the stodgy adults are you3,

She looed into the blue eyes of Mr. 2umbledore and gave another of her

half-hearted smiles. */t is not that / am bored Mr. 2umbledore but / would

rather be reading my boo.,

e leaned bac a little in his chair before continuing. *And what is the boo

you are reading3,


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Minerva0s eyes lit u# as she went on to tell him all about it. */ received it

from my mother a cou#le of wees ago. /t is called A >eginner0s Buide to the

Study of Trans1guration. /t is very interesting. / have had to as about a

cou#le of the words but / believe this will hel# me when / am older and can

#erform magic on my own. hen / go to ogwarts( my mother says / can

tae a trans1guration class every year. My mom made me come to the #artytonight to learn what she calls *social graces0 and / am on a very interesting

cha#ter.,

hen Minerva 1nished s#eaing she too a dee# breath. She was afraid she

had said too much to the stranger but one loo at his face eased her fears.

*/ thin trans1guration is very interesting too. / too it every year / went to

ogwarts.,

Minerva studied him for a moment. */ thought you lied alchemy3 That iswhat everyone here seems to 1nd interesting. /t is all anyone ever tals

about.,

Mr. 2umbledore started to laugh and Minerva straightened in her chair. She

didn0t lie to be laughed at and decided she might not lie this man after all.

*/ agree with you wholeheartedly( my dear. / do love alchemy as well but

even / would en)oy taling about other areas of magic.,

Minerva relaed again after he e#lained why he was laughing. e was verynice to s#ea to. Much better than most of the adults she had met tonight.

They sat for a few minutes and continued to tal about trans1guration. e

told her about how if she studied really hard( she would even be able to turn

into an animal. She thought it was a little strange but it would certainly be

fun.

*an you turn into an animal3, Minerva looed at him 4uestioningly trying to

decide what ind of animal he would be. */ thin you loo ind of lie a lion

with all that red hair.,

Mr. 2umbledore laughed again and this time Minerva )oined in. *Than you

for the com#liment but / am afraid you will be disa##ointed. +es( / can turn

into an animal but / become a snowy white owl. / was sorted into Bry?ndor

at ogwarts which may account for my lion-lie a##earance.,

is eyes crinled as he smiled at her and she new he was teasing. A snowy

owl sounded very nice to her. All of her family owls were brown but she had

always wanted a white one. ;ven though it wouldn0t be her 1rst choice of an

animal to turn into( she decided it was good for him.

As they were 1nishing u#( she noticed another grou# of witches #ointing and


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laughing again but this time it was at the two of them. *Mr. 2umbledore(

why are all those women laughing and #ointing at us3 hat do they 1nd so

funny3,

Mr. 2umbledore turned and looed in the direction she had #ointed. e

sighed and shoo his head. */t is nothing. They )ust 1nd me funny for somereason.,

e gave her a big smile and stood. Minerva was disa##ointed he was

leaving but #erha#s her mother would let her go to her room now. She was

very sur#rised when he etended his hand. */ was ho#ing a young lady with

#retty green eyes would honor me with a dance3 Thin of it as learning

more about *social graces, and #erha#s your mother will free you

afterwards.,

Minerva couldn0t hel# but loo ho#eful and after careful considerationdecided to grant his re4uest. She too his o9ered hand as he led her to the

dance 5oor. She was much shorter than him but not for long. Suddenly( with

a whis#ered s#ell from Mr. 2umbledore( she was nearly eye level and her

feet were no longer on the ground.

*/ ho#e you do not mind. / thought / would do the guiding.,

er eyes widened in sur#rise but only for a moment. A walt7 had started

and he whirled her across the 5oor while she ased all sorts of 4uestions on

how he had done that and where was his wand.>efore long( Minerva reali7ed that the music had sto##edC yet she was still

sus#ended in the air. She also noticed that a rather #retty witch was coming

towards Mr. 2umbledore but she had a strange smile and was maing funny

faces at him. Minerva decided that she did not lie this woman at all and

wondered how she could get away 4uicly. owever( Mr. 2umbledore had

not returned her to the ground and she was at his mercy for the moment.

hen the witch 1nally reached the cou#le on the dance 5oor( Minerva heard

the woman as him for a dance but his res#onse confused Minerva. */ am

afraid that Miss McBonagall has not informed me as to whether or not this isour last dance. Therefore( / must decline your invitation at the moment. >ut(

than you for asing., is res#onse made the lady very mad but Minerva

noticed a smile on Mr. 2umbledore0s face as the other witch stom#ed away(

so she smiled too.

*hy was the lady so mad at you3 2id you do something that she didn0t

lie3, Minerva was not sad that the witch had gone to )oin the others in the

corner( but she did wish that they would sto# staring. @bviously( their

mothers had never told them how rude it was to stare. /f her mother caught

her doing such a thing( she would be reminded of that very #oint. Anotherone of those so-called =social graces.0


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*My dear( / want to than you. +ou see( that young witch wanted to dance

with me but / did not wish to dance with her. !ow( / believe you had a few

more 4uestions about trans1guration and it would be im#olite of me to wal

away from you at the moment. ould you care to grace me with one more

dance while / attem#t to answer your 4uestions3,

Feeling that this would be the best way to s#end the remainder of her time

at the #arty and to ensure that her mother and father would be #leased(

Minerva agreed. As they walt7ed across the 5oor( she noticed that her

mother was smiling at her. er s#irits were raised because that meant that if

she #layed her cards right( her mother would release her from the #arty

after this dance.

As the music ended( Mr. 2umbledore escorted Minerva to her mother0s side.

*Mrs. McBonagall( May / com#liment you on raising such a delightful younglady. And 4uite a graceful dancer( if / may say so., As her mother thaned

the nice man for such #raise( Minerva reali7ed that she had forgotten

something very im#ortant. As he turned to wal away( Minerva called after

him.

*Mr. 2umbledoreD Mr. 2umbledoreD, She noticed him swiftly turn to face her

and dro# to his nees so that they could be at eye level with one another.

She thought that was awfully nice( since most adults never thin of such

things. */ forgot to say =than you0. Mother says that a lady should always

than a gentleman after a dance., 6eaning in close to his face( shewhis#ered( *ut her mind was full of things and she needed answers.

After a moment of sheer silence( Minerva felt courageous enough to as her

mother a 4uestion that had bothered her most of the night.

*Mother( why were those witches staring at Mr. 2umbledore and laughing at

him3 e said it was because they thin he0s funny and / su##ose he is but

they shouldn0t laugh at him. /t0s not nice( is it3,

*ell( Minerva they were not eactly laughing at him. They were smiling at


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him and #robably ho#ing that he would notice them and as them to

dance., Minerva did not understand why that would mae him funny and

she ased her mother for more of an e#lanation. *6et0s see if / can mae

this sim#ler for you. Those witches were not married and Mr. 2umbledore is

not married either. They were ho#ing that he would as them to dance and

that maybe one day they might fall in love.,

A #aniced voice esca#ed Minerva0s throat. *@h MotherD / am not married

and / danced with himtwiceD 2oes that mean that he will thin / want to

fall in love with him3, Minerva0s eyes had now grown large and she clutched

her boo to her chest( ho#ing that her mother would now the answer.

*2earest child. /t0s all right. / assure you that Mr. 2umbledore thought no

such thing. e reali7es that you are much too young for him and he is a

#erfect gentleman. +ou did him a favor tonight by dancing with him and

your father and / a##reciate that.,

Feelings of relief caused Minerva to slum# bac into the large #illows and

she began to chatter away again. *2id you now that he is able to turn

himself into an owl3 e said that / can do that one-day too but / don0t want

to be an owl. / am going to 1nish my boo tonight and then try to dream of

which animal / want to be. an you or father turn into animals3,

*!o( dear. /0m afraid neither your father nor / am able to do that. There

aren0t many witches or wi7ards who have enough talent to master such a

sill. / tell you whatsince you were so coo#erative tonight and youbehaved lie the beautiful young lady we now you can be( how about you

and / go to ogsmeade tomorrow and buy you another boo3,

Thining that she had the best mother and father in the world( Minerva

agreed and settled down to 1nish her boo before drifting o9 to slee# and

attem#ting to #icture Mr. 2umbledore as a snowy white owl.

Chapter 2

*Minerva( hurry u# darling or we will be late., Minerva heard her mother0s

voice calling from downstairs and she hu9ed a bit as she closed the boo

she had been reading.

Hogwarts: A History was fascinating and it made her long for the day when

she would become a student. Two years seemed lie such a long time( even

though her #arents insisted that it would be here before she new it.

Minerva )um#ed o9 her bed and s#ed downstairs with her boo tucedcarefully in her arms.


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She came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs and began to wal more

gracefully as she neared her mother. She wasn0t su##osed to run in the

house and she had to be very careful not to be caught.

*There you areD hat in the wi7arding world were you doing u# there3 @h(never mind( / am sure it more than liely had to do with the boo under your

arm., Minerva0s mother hustled her over to the stairs where their luggage

was waiting. @nce all of the bags had been shrun and #laced into their

various #ocets( Minerva and her mother were trans#orted by #ortey to the

vacation house they would be staying at for the net few wees.

The /nternational i7arding onference was being held in the south of

France this year and Minerva0s #arents had rented a small house on the

beach as a tem#orary residence. The conference lasted for only a wee and

the additional time was going to be used as a well-deserved vacation. er#arents would be attending the lectures during the day for the 1rst wee

and Minerva would be watched by one of the house elves since she wasn0t

old enough to watch herself )ust yet. She didn0t really mind since Moy was

one of her best friends and had watched over her as long as she could

remember.

As she settled into her tem#orary bedroom( she was horri1ed by all the frilly

#in lace that seemed to s#rout out of the walls themselves. /t was obvious

that the owner of this house did not have very good taste at all. ith a

wrinled nose( Minerva called her father.

*2adD,

er father came waling into her room a few moments later and u#on

seeing the room his face s#lit into a grin. *Eitten( whatever is the #roblem3

Are you not fond of the room decorated es#ecially for you3,

Minerva watched as her father tried to ee# a straight face. She was not in

the mood for teasing. After all( he was not the one being forced to s#end the

net few wees in a #in #alace. She crossed her arms over her chest andnarrowed her eyes at him.

er a##roach seemed to wor because he laughed heartily and started to

wave his wand( changing the decorations into something more to her liing.

She gave him a beautiful smile and a hug before getting bac to her

un#acing. She thought about the nicname her 2ad had given her a cou#le

of years earlier. e had 1rst called her by that name when she had

announced at breafast that she wanted to become a cat when she was

older. /t was shortly after the #arty where Mr. 2umbledore had taled to her

about becoming an animagus that she had decided that is what she wouldbecome. She didn0t mind the nicname when no one was around but she


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would need to have a tal with him about using it in #ublic. She hadn0t

minded before but she was getting too old for such frivolous names and she

wanted to let him now before she was embarrassed in front of someone

im#ortant.

Minerva0s 1rst few days were s#ent reading in her room or on the #orchwhile her #arents were away. She was having a great time doing eactly

what she wanted to do and had even 1nished Hogwarts: A History and had

decided to start it again when her Mom and 2ad announced a horrible

decision.

*Really Minerva( going out will be good for you and / am sure you will en)oy

the com#any of a girl your own age., er father was looing very stern

which was not a good sign at all. And when her mother s#oe u#( Minerva

new she was doomed.

*/t was very nice of Mrs. Fontelle to o9er to tae you sho##ing in the

wi7arding village here and / should thin you would be a bit grateful. er

daughter is very nice and / am #ositive that the two of you will get along

wonderfully.,

Minerva new she was stuc s#ending the day with a woman and girl she

didn0t even now and would have to desert her boos for Merlin only new

how many hours. ith a sigh( she started to #ic at her food and refused to

loo at either of her #arents for the rest of dinner.

The morning came all too soon and she struggled trying to decide what to

wear. /t was very warm outside and her mother warned her not to wear any

dar colors. She 1nally decided on a light blue summer robe( which had

been #urchased es#ecially for this tri#. Sli##ing on her shoes( she sat

#atiently while Moy #ulled her hair into a com#le braid( which would stay

neatly in #lace for the day. There was a noc at the front door and Moy

went to answer it while Minerva tried to stay focused on being nice to the

lady she was about to meet.

Minerva too a dee# breath as she left the room( glancing longingly one lasttime at her #ile of boos sitting on her dresser. She headed down the

hallway( scuGing her feet a bit as she went. The sight that greeted her

nearly made her turn around and run. Standing before her was the ty#e of

witch Minerva always hated to s#ea with at the dinner #arties her #arents

would throw. And the daughter looed to be an eact re#lica. >oth were

dressed as if going to a #arty( rather than out sho##ing for a day and not a

hair or ruGe was out of #lace. >oth of them had fae smiles #lastered on

their faces as they greeted her. >efore the day was out( Minerva was sure

she would die of boredom from all the tal about hair( mae-u# and the

latest gossi#.


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/f Minerva had to visit one more clothing sho#( she was going to scream.

They had not sto##ed at one boostore or any other sho# of interest for that

matter the whole morning. 6ana( the daughter( wanted nothing to do with

Minerva and continually ignored her #resence. The mother( Mrs. Fontelle(

was nice enough but she was not at all interested in the same things as

Minerva and her family. She was grateful that it was 1nally lunchtime andshe would get a brief res#ite from having to comment on the hundreds of

out1ts that were su##osed to be #o#ular this season.

They settled down at a small cafH and while Minerva ordered a sandwich

and butterbeer( her com#anions ordered a light salad with s#arling water.

As Minerva ate in silence( attem#ting to ignore the #ointed glances she was

getting( she noticed a rather interesting looing sho# across the way.

Suddenly she decided she had #ut u# with enough for one day. *Mrs.

Fontelle( would you mind if / headed across the street after we 1nish withlunch3 There is a sho# / would lie to loo in.,

A thoughtful frown covered Mrs. Fontelle0s face as she contem#lated the

re4uest. 2eciding it would do no harm she gave her #ermission and told

Minerva to meet her bac at the cafH in one hour0s time. Minerva needed no

further encouragement and #ractically ran to the sho# with the menagerie

of magical devices sitting in the window.

She ste##ed inside and a bell at the door chimed. !o one came u# front to

chec on her so she headed into the store. /t was much larger than she had1rst thought from looing at it from the outside. All sorts of magical ob)ects

were cluttering the shelves and whirling( bu77ing and clicing noises 1lled

the air in a sort of sym#hony of sound. Minerva came u#on a case of old

#ocet watches and too one out to study. The outside was a bit #lain but

inside was a whole universe( literally( and she was awed to thin that

anyone could tell the time with such an ob)ect.

*hat an interesting 1nd. Sim#ly fascinatingD 2o you mind if / tae a loo at

it3, A vaguely familiar voice broe into her head and distracted her from her

study. Turning around( she was sur#rised to see Mr. 2umbledore standingthere with a smile on his face. She doubted he would recogni7e her and

handed him the item he had in4uired about.

*Miss McBonagall( what a #leasant sur#rise. / don0t now if you remember

me but we shared a dance a cou#le of years ago at a #arty of your #arents.,

A twinle entered his eyes as he greeted her formally.

Minerva suddenly felt shy at having been remembered. e was not 4uite as

tall as she recalled but he still had the auburn colored hair( which she had

remared on all those years ago. A blush cre#t into her chees as he tooher hand and greeted her as if she were a lady. */ remember you( Mr.


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2umbledore. +ou become a snowy owl for your animagus form. ;ver since

then( / have wored very hard at learning everything / can in order to

become an animagus myself.,

Minerva scolded herself when she saw the laughter in his eyes. She had said

too much and he #robably didn0t care whether or not she was going tobecome an animagus in the 1rst #lace. She could feel her chees as they

warmed with a blush and ta##ed her foot in frustration.

*ell my dear( / am glad that / ins#ired you to study the sub)ect further. /f

you are not too busy( would you care to )oin me across the street for an ice

cream before / head bac to the conference. / am afraid / must #resent a

rather boring s#eech which may cause everyone there to fall aslee#.,

Minerva giggled before answering. She had forgotten how funny he could

be. */ would love an ice cream.,

As they headed bac to the cafH she had left )ust minutes earlier( Minerva

wondered what had made her say she would love an ice cream. She didn0t

care for sweets at all and #articularly dislied ice cream( as it was so cold.

owever( on this warm day it might not be so bad and she decided that his

com#any would be worth the e9ort.

At the counter( she chose #lain vanilla( although Mr. 2umbledore

encouraged her to be more adventurous. Mr. 2umbledore chose chocolate

ice cream with chocolate syru# and a candy to##ing with whi##ed cream. Allin all the thought of eating his large serving made Minerva sic to her

stomach.

They went outside and too a seat at one of the last two em#ty tables and

Minerva found herself getting more and more nervous in his #resence. She

started to 1dget and had to mentally mae herself calm down. They ate in

silence for a few moments and then Mr. 2umbledore ased her a 4uestion

that made Minerva forget all about being nervous.

*Are you looing forward to starting ogwarts in a cou#le years3,

Minerva didn0t hesitate with her answer. *@h( / can0t wait to start ogwarts. /

)ust 1nished reading Hogwarts: A History and have started the 1rst cha#ter

again. / am trying to learn everything / can before / go. / have ased my

#arents all sorts of 4uestions. 2id you en)oy going to ogwarts( Mr.

2umbledore3,

Minerva0s eyes s#arled as she taled about her favorite sub)ect and she

waited #atiently for Mr. 2umbledore to give her an answer. *My school years

at ogwarts were some of my best. / made many friends and had a greattime. /n fact( / en)oyed it so much that when / was o9ered a teaching


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#osition last year( / acce#ted. / am now the Trans1guration #rofessor so / will

see you there in the near future.,

Minerva began to contem#late Mr. 2umbledore as her teacher at ogwarts

but before she could tell him that she was very ha##y he had acce#ted the

#osition( they were interru#ted by her two com#anions for the day.

*Minerva( you shouldn0t be bothering Mr. 2umbledore., Mrs. Fontelle strode

u# to the table and gave Minerva a critical loo. */ am so sorry if she was

bothering you. She said that she saw a sho# she wished to visit across the

way and / su##ose / should not have left her to her own devices.


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owever( Minerva did not wish to thin on her com#anions. She wanted to

thin on Mr. 2umbledore because she found him utterly fascinating. The

more she learned about him( the more she wanted to now. And he was

di9erent from most adults. e actually seemed to treat her as a young lady

instead of a child and that made all the di9erence. !ot to mention the fact

that he was handsome and etremely intelligent.


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reading( she sli##ed o9 her shoes and sat 4uietly on the beach watching the

tide and listening to the strains of various #ieces of music coming from the

large ballroom decorated for the adults. @ccasionally she could hear the

high-#itched laughter of a witch or wi7ard and she wondered if all adult

#arties were loud and boring.

As she sat 4uietly on the shore and listened to the noise from inside( she

found herself humming the tunes being #layed at the ball. hen the band

began to #lay her favorite #iece of music( Minerva stood u# and began to

dance slowly to the tune as she imagined a handsome man with her. She

giggled when she reali7ed that the man she #ictured looed a great deal lie

Mr. 2umbledore and that caused her to blush slightly. Still( she moved

gracefully around the shore until someone nearby coughed and startled her.

*Miss McBonagall( / did not mean to sur#rise you with my #resence. / do

a#ologi7e., Raising a hand to her chest( she tried to catch her breath andthin of something to say in return. hen she failed( he s#oe again.

*+ou see( / 1nd myself bored with these ty#es of social gatherings and so

often #eo#le wish to occu#y my time with small tal. /t )ust became too

much and / felt the need to brea away for a moment of #eace. And then /

found you here. hy aren0t you inside en)oying yourself3,

@nce she found her voice( Minerva reali7ed she was slightly embarrassed at

having to tell him the truth. *Mr. 2umbledore( /0m not su##osed to be out

here. / am su##osed to be at the children0s gathering but / could not stand itany longer. ;veryone there was so much younger than myself and /( too(

sli##ed away for some air. / ho#e you won0t tell my #arents. They would be

most dis#leased if they new / was out all alone.,

*ell( Miss McBonagall / assure you that / will not mention this to anyone. /t

will be our little secret( although / cannot imagine why your #arents would

not allow you to attend our #arty. +ou may not be old enough to en)oy all of

it( but in some ways it would be better than s#ending an evening with the

younger ones. Alas( it was not my decision so / really should not interfere.,

@9ering her one of his biggest smiles( Minerva found herself staring bacinto his twinling eyes and feeling a warming sensation in her chees.

*Than you for such a nice com#liment( Mr. 2umbledore. / su##ose / should

be heading bac to the other #arty and you will #robably be missed at your

#arty. /0m sure there are do7ens of witches who are )ust dying to dance with

you., As soon as she uttered those words( she mentally iced herself. She

did not want him to now that she had been #icturing him while dancing and

she ho#ed that he was not o9ended. asting her eyes down towards her

bare feet( she felt 5ushed and certainly not willing to meet his crystal blue

ga7e. Turning to leave before she could further humiliate either of them( shefelt a warm hand gras# her own.


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*Miss McBonagall( / was ho#ing a young lady with #retty green eyes would

honor me with a dance before she returns to her own ball., /nstinctively she

looed around for someone on the beach before the reality of the situation

hit her. They were the only ones on the shore and he had meant herD *@f

course( if you would rather return( / shall understand., @9ering him herhand( Minerva felt a rush of ecitement 5ow through her as they began to

move to the music 5oating on the air from the ballroom.

As they moved in #erfect time to the music( Minerva smiled u# at him and

when he returned her smile she looed away shyly. Thoughts of their 1rst

dance rushed into her mind and she des#erately tried to control the nervous

feelings stirring in her stomach. She had never felt this way before but it

wasn0t an entirely bad feeling. All too soon for her( their dance ended and he

ste##ed slightly away from her( without releasing her hand.

*Miss McBonagall / wish to than you for another lovely dance. +ou are

growing u# so fast and soon you may very well have to sli# outside to get

away from all of the #otential suitors at a ball )ust lie this one. Moonlit

dances with old men such as myself will be long forgotten and,

*Mr. 2umbledore / could never forget youD And / don0t thin of you as old. /

thin you are one of the most interesting #eo#le /0ve ever met and it is / who

should than you for the dance. +ou have made my evening eventful and /

a##reciate that.,

The twinling blue eyes of Albus 2umbledore met the emerald green ones of

Minerva McBonagall and each smiled. *ell Miss McBonagall( / suggest we

both get bac to our res#ective #arties. / will wait here until you are safely

inside before maing my way bac to the boredom of my own a9air. And

again( than you for the dance. / loo forward to seeing you in my classes at

ogwarts. Intil then( study hard and #lay even harder., Slowly bending

forward( he brushed his li#s softly against her nucles in a gentlemanly

manner and released her hand. Taing her sweet time( she made her way

bac to the doorway leading inside but before entering she turned to see if

he was still watching. !oticing that his eyes were still trained on her( shewaved one last goodbye before disa##earing into the building.

6ater that night( as she lay in her bed( Minerva re#layed the dance with Mr.

2umbledore in her mind. For some reason( she couldn0t thin of anything

ece#t his eyes and how he smelled of lemon dro#s and chocolate. She had

never been fond of such sweets but now it seemed that she could not get

enough of that #articular scent. hen she remembered the way he had

danced with her and then gently issed her hand( she found herself feeling

nervous and ha##y all at the same time. She wasn0t sure why she felt that

way but she did now one thing. She was most assuredly looing forward tostarting ogwarts and seeing more of the great Albus 2umbledore.


16/79

Chapter 3

*Minerva McBonagallD,

er mother and father had told her all about the sorting ceremony so she

was more #re#ared than most 1rst-years. ;ven nowing what would ha##en(

she was still a bit nervous at the #ros#ect of a wi7ard0s hat being able to see

into her thoughts( but she was never one to argue with hundreds of years of

tradition.

Maing her way to the stool( she too a dee# breath and waited as the2e#uty eadmaster #laced the tattered garment on her head. er ga7e

caught Mr. 2umbledore0s whose twinling eyes were watching her from the

head table. She had searched him out when she had 1rst entered the room

nowing he would be teaching her. She had greatly antici#ated seeing him

again and felt her chees warm with his ga7e steadily watching her. er

thoughts were sna##ed bac to the here and now by a voice inside her

head.

Well, well, well. I see that I have a McGonagall in my presence. I remember

sorting your parents. Let’s seeHarol! was in Gry"n!or an! Athena was in#avenclaw. $oth noble houses an! worthy o% honor. &ow we must choose

the correct house %or you. I% you are rea!y, I will procee!. Minerva shifted a

bit in the seat as the wise magical ob)ect continued.

I see you have a !esire %or learning, oh yes. 'ou have rea! many, many

boo(s, most o% which were above the recommen!e! rea!ing level %or those

entering Hogwarts. )ery impressive %or such a young age. An! what’s this I

seea sharp wit to a!! to that. I sense that you woul! be able to hol! your

groun! in any situation, given your vast comman! o% the language. 'ou

woul! ma(e an e*cellent a!!ition to #avenclaw an! your mother woul! beso please!. $ut there is more to li%e than a sharp wit an! a love o%

(nowle!ge.

Here in your min!, I can see that you are one o% the bravest at heart,

regar!less o% your age an! e*periences in li%e. 'ou possess an inner

strength an! a !esire to right the wrongs o% the worl!. +hose ualities

combine! woul! earn you an honore! position in Gry"n!or. 'ou have never

been a%rai! to spea( your min! an! the thought o% !anger !oes not %righten

you as it !oes most chil!ren. 'ou have ma!e your %ather prou!. $ut bac( to

your housesuch a !i"cult !ecision. Let me pon!er a moment longer.


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The seconds slowly marched by and Minerva could do nothing but wait. She

could feel the eyes of every single #erson on her and it made her

uncomfortable to be the center of attention. The 4uiet humming from the

hat did nothing to calm her nerves and the butter5ies in her stomach were

going mad. After what seemed an eternity( the hat ased a 4uestion of her

that others might have to thin about but she did not hesitate in her answer.

+ell me, Miss McGonagall, which woul! give you more pleasure: having an

a!venture in li%e or rea!ing about the a!ventures o% others in a boo(-

Silently( she answered the Sorting at without any reservations.

*/ would rather have my own adventures and then when / am older( / might

write them down for others to read. 2oes that answer your 4uestion3,

In!ee!, in!ee!. I believe you will be a per%ect t in the house o%

*Bry?ndorD,

Minerva sat motionless( unsure if the hat had told the entire school of its0

decision or sim#ly her. I#on reali7ing that a grou# of students at one of the

long tables had started cla##ing( she )um#ed from the stool and made her

way to )oin her classmates. /t wasn0t until later in the evening that she

discovered that her ead of ouse was none other than Mr. 2umbledore( or


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Surveying him momentarily( she had a hard time 1nding her voice. All sorts

of feelings were running through her mind and her nees seemed to have

gone wea. She had been ecited( nervous( 5ustered( and embarrassed all

at the same time and she was sure that he would notice the #in hue in her

chees. Taing a dee# steadying breath she relaed her face and #roduced a

broad smile. After testing her voice slightly( she agreed to accom#any himto breafast and the two made their way to the Breat all.

The morning classes were very boring for the intelligent witch and she

feared that this year would not be challenging enough to hold her interests.

That was( of course( until she went to her 1rst trans1guration class with


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abilities and gifts in the art of trans1guration. Minerva sus#ected that she

had been the to#ic of conversation in the sta9 lounge on more than one

occasion.

/n her e9orts to mae her #arents #roud and to continue maing wonderful

grades( Minerva s#ent many hours in the library. /f she wasn0t studying for a4ui7 or doing her homewor( she was seeing out boos on various sub)ects

to read for #leasure or hel#ing her fellow classmates with their homewor.

hen she did choose to read( they were ty#ically tets suited for those older

than her and their main focus was on the art of becoming an animagus.

Since her 1rst conversation with the man nown as *Mr. 2umbledore(, she

had been fascinated by the #ossibility of harnessing such #ower and sill

and it would be necessary to learn more in order to achieve her goal. The

only time she too a brea from her studies was during the 4uidditch

matches. She en)oyed sitting with her friends in the stands and cheering for

the 6ions and nothing com#ared to the victory #arties thrown afterwards. The years seemed to #ass 4uicly and the longer Minerva attended

ogwarts( the more it felt lie her home.

/t was nearly hristmas during Minerva0s fourth year at ogwarts School of

itchcraft and i7ardry and everyone was ecited about the u#coming

holidays. The students were becoming harder to control in classes as

everyone found themselves daydreaming about the time o9 and the +ule

>all which would tae #lace that weeend. Minerva0s fellow classmates were

the most enthusiastic students as it was their 1rst time to be able to attend

the dance( at least without a date from a later year.

owever Minerva had not #lanned to attend( as she had always hated these

ty#es of social gatherings. er mother and father had encouraged her to at

least #ut in an a##earance and even told her stories about attending the

festive ball in their days. owever( she had no desire to waste an entire

evening standing around watching others dance and mingle. /nstead( she

thought she would en)oy the #eace and 4uiet of the common room for a

change. >ut her #lans had changed suddenly with a chance meeting in the

hallway.

*Jiomara ooch( / will not tell you again. / do not intend to go to the #arty. /

would much rather s#end my time reading or studying. >esides( / don0t even

have a date and / am not going to sit around waiting for someone to as me

to dance., 8ust as her friend was about to o9er a thousand reasons why

Minerva should attend( she turned to wal away and bum#ed into all3,

Re#eating her #lans to her head of house( she waited for him to commendher on her wise use of time. /nstead( he caught her com#letely by sur#rise.


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*/ am sorry to hear that you will not be attending this year. / had ho#ed to

see you there., Minerva noticed a twinle in his eyes that she had seen

before. She remembered seeing it the 1rst time they had danced together at

her #arent0s home and again when they met in France( but this time

something seemed di9erent about it.

*all arrived and everyone had dressed in their best

robes and made etra e9orts to loo their 1nest. ;ven Minerva chose a

stunning set of emerald green robes that matched her eyes and allowed

ooch to arrange her hair into an elegant braid. /n looing at the mirror(Minerva could not believe that she was actually going to this stu#id


21/79

gathering but if it meant seeing


22/79

an animagus( es#ecially if that meant s#ending more time with him. 2rifting

o9 to slee#( she #ictured his face in her mind and she sli##ed o9 to dream

of the man who made her feel so alive and beautiful.

A!: Thans for all of the wonderful reviews. +ou mae writing so much fun

for usD Inrelated to our story( we wanted to encourage each of you to checout the new role-#laying board that was created by layre aa Kuill of

Minerva at the1nestschool.#roboardsL.cominde.cgi3 e are having loads

of fun and are looing for more students.

ome by( tae a loo around and say helloD e ho#e you will decide to stay(

creating your own character and being sorted into your house.

Chapter 4

Minerva McBonagall woe for the morning as the sun was )ust beginning to

rise over the trees. She slid out of bed and wra##ed herself in her favorite

sil robe. rossing to the window( she sat u#on the ledge and looed out

over the landsca#e( which had been her home for the #ast seven years.

Today she would graduate from ogwarts and start a new #art of her life.

owever( even with her eams com#leted and her future looing so very

#romising( her heart ached.

There were many things which she could blame for her #ain. She would miss

the school and all that it had come to mean to her. er years there were

more than she had ever ho#ed or dreamed they would be. She would miss

her friends. She reali7ed that once they left this #lace( their friendshi#s

would never be the same. /t would be hard to retain the same closeness

when you lived so far a#art and were #ursuing di9erent dreams. And lastly(

with the war against Brindelwald reaching new levels( she new it was a

dangerous time. So many lives had been lost and she and her friends were

about to be thrust into the thic of it with little to no nowledge of all that

had been ha##ening.

The students were for the most #art shielded from the atrocities of what

went on in the outside world. A decision she had fought against during her

tenure as ead Birl. owever( the >oard of Bovernors and eadmaster had

been adamant that war had no #lace in a school. So now the graduating

class would 1nd themselves entering a world which was very di9erent from

the one they imagined and she could only ho#e that they would all survive

it.

And even though those reasons alone could easily account for hermelancholy mood( Minerva new that what was truly at the heart of her

http://thefinestschool.proboards76.com/index.cgi?http://thefinestschool.proboards76.com/index.cgi?


23/79

sadness was the fact that all had stood her u#.

The young witch was sna##ed from her thoughts by the banging of the largeoa door that #ermitted entrance into her room. /nstantly( she was greeted

by the constant chattering of her best friend.

*+ou will never believe what / )ust found out from ;ddieD, Jia bounced onto

Minerva0s bed giving her a )oyful smile.

Trying to hide her solemn mood from the insightful witch( Minerva forced a

smile of her own. *And what gossi# could ;ddie #ossibly have heard3 Are

you sure he didn0t mae it u#3,

*Nery funny Minerva. e may not be the most reliable source but he heard

this from his sith year Ravenclaw girlfriend( you remember Mary from the

last ogsmeade weeend. ell she is very reliable. /n fact lots of my

information has come by way of her of late.,

;as#erated beyond words at the interru#tion( es#ecially one that Minerva

had already deemed as com#letely without merit( she interru#ted Jia before

she could get any more o9 trac. *The rumor Jia3 / do have to get ready

soon.,

*Sorry Min., Jia gave her a curious loo but continued without further

#rom#ting. *;ddie heard from Mary who heard from


24/79

*ell don0t you have anything to say3,

Minerva gul#ed and tried to clear her head of all the emotions swirling

around. *hat if it isn0t true3,

Jia got u# and came to sit beside Minerva on the ledge. She felt her bestfriends arms wra# around her. *@f course it is true Min.


25/79

only one thing she wanted to remember #erfectly. She glanced u# at the

ead Table. There he sat and her heart )um#ed into her throat.

*/ told you he was bac. My sources never lie(, Jia chided as she ushered

Minerva towards the table. As only her best friend would thin to do(

Jiomara made sure Minerva had an unobstructed view of the ead Table(and in #articular( one Albus 2umbledore. *onsider it my gift to you this

morning(, she wined( watching Minerva0s eyes dart bac and forth from the

food on the table to her #rofessor so close but so far away.

The morning activities for the graduates occu#ied most of Minerva0s time.

She had ho#ed to steal a few moments for herself and #erha#s see out her

#rofessor but there sim#ly wasn0t time. er heart felt lighter than it had in

wees( )ust seeing him and nowing that he was alive and well but she

longed for )ust one more 4uiet moment( one more softly s#oen word. She

would )ust have to mae sure she saw him before the train de#arted( taingher away for the last time when it left.

The graduation ceremony itself was something to rival any fancy #olitical

gathering( in Minerva0s mind. The Breat all had been decorated to

#erfection and with the tables removed it seemed much larger than usual(

even larger than the nights when they held s#ecial balls or other social

events.

A tremendous burst of trum#ets sounded from somewhere out of the blue(

causing Minerva to )um# in her seat. er heart began to race wildly( thiningthat this was it. The moment she had wored so hard towards for seven

years was 1nally here and within the hour( she would be a graduate of

ogwarts( not a student any longer. Two by two the faculty and sta9 of

ogwarts School of itchcraft and i7ardry 1led #ast the graduates. >ut for

Minerva( there was only one man that interested her.

Albus 2umbledore marched alongside eadmaster 2i##et( leading the

#rocession of distinguished teachers. Silver celestial bodies moved brilliantly

across the la#is blue fabric of his robes( which contrasted beautifully with his

auburn hair. er heart beat slightly faster as she imagined how his eyeswould re5ect the blue of his robes. She could easily lose her soul in those

eyes and never once regret it for a second. 8ust then( as he neared her(

Albus turned his head( locing eyes with her for a brief instance. e smiled(

showing )ust the hint of his #early white teeth and if she had blined she

might have missed the surre#titious win he sent in her direction.

Minerva0s chees burned warmly and she felt her li#s curling into a smile as

he #assed. From that moment on( her eyes were loced on himC never once

wavering for fear she might miss another furtive glance directed at her. She

was so caught u# in her mission to memori7e every single line on his facethat she almost missed her name being called to receive several awards for


26/79

her achievements. A 4uic nudge by her best friend was the only thing that

saved her from total embarrassment.

hen Minerva ste##ed u# onto the raised dais towards the #odium in the

sha#e of a magni1cent bird in 5ight( she discovered how overwhelming it

felt to stand behind the ama7ing creation. !o matter how many times shehad seen the #latform used in the various ceremonies at ogwarts she

always liened the bird to Albus0 familiar( Fawes. @n several occasions( she

tried to #icture what Albus would loo lie standing behind the #odium as

eadmaster. !o doubt he would mae a striing 1gure( easy on the eyes

and the soft timbre to accom#any it.

A familiar hand touched her shoulder and she needed no one to tell her to

whom the hand belonged. She could feel the warmth of his strong hand

see#ing through her robes( causing her to shiver with delight. !o matter

how many times she managed to brush #ast him or have him #at her on thebac in a friendly manner( it never ceased to ama7e her as to how 4uicly

her heart would change beat( her breath would accelerate and her insides

would turn to )elly. Tilting her head slightly bacwards( she stared right into

his blue eyes and con1rmed her earlier thoughts. Those robes did wonders

for bringing out the blue in those twinling eyes that were always so

mesmeri7ing.

The remainder of the ceremony #assed much in a blur as one by one

Minerva and her classmates acce#ted their graduation scrolls. hen it was

her turn( she waled con1dently towards Albus 2umbledore and as hehanded her the scroll( his 1ngerti#s and hers touched brie5y( sending )olts of

ecitement through her. She beamed with #ride as he whis#ered a sincere

/ongratulations my !ear so that only she could hear.

As was customary at ogwarts( a festive dance followed the graduation

service and for once in her life( Minerva was looing forward to it. She had

daydreamed for wees about this #art of the day( assuming of course that

her #rofessor had returned by graduation day. >efore things had looed

blea for his return she had #racticed what to say in front of her mirror and

even once or twice with Jiomara. And he hadn0t let her down. e hadreturned( )ust lie her best friend assured her he would( and he had even

seen to it that he was the one who #resented her with her s#ecial awards.

!ow( all she had to do was 1nd the courage to as him to dance with her(

#ossibly for the last time.

The ball was in full swing and Minerva scanned the crowd des#erately for

her #rofessor. She had already turned down three o9ers from her classmates

to tae a s#in on the 5oor( wanting to reserve her 1rst and last dance for

him. !ot wanting to seem des#erate or im#atient( she 4uicly decided

against asing the other teachers if they had seen him and resigned herselfto #laying the waiting game( something she was never very good at to begin


27/79

with.

ith each #assing minute and another dance gone by( Minerva was about to

give u# ho#e. She had come to the conclusion that her #rofessor had

si##ed the graduation #arty( no doubt to attend to matters of war and for

that she couldn0t be angry. ith her ho#es dashed and a sullen loo on herface( Minerva san into a chair in the corner of the room( envious of all the

young cou#les who seemed to be en)oying the dance. /t seemed that she

had missed her one o##ortunity to share a twirl around the 5oor with the

man who dominated much of her thoughts.

*+ou0re not #lanning to s#end all evening hidden away in the shadows are

you Minerva3 That would be such a #ity and a waste of a lovely gown., That

sily voice radiated in her ears and down her s#ine until her very toes

tingled. /t was soft and so very alluring( lie a moth to a 5ame. >efore she

had a chance to s#ea( his soft hand landed on her shoulder( turning her toface him and his brilliant smile. */ was ho#ing a young lady with #retty green

eyes would honor me with a dance. After all( this may be the last time / see

you for 4uite some time and /0d hate to miss the o##ortunity to dance with

you( my dear.,

Minerva0s heart lea#t into her throat as he too her hand and led her to the

dance 5oor. e bowed lowly to her and in turn she gave a #olite curtsey( )ust

as she had been taught to do ages ago by her mother. Their eyes loced and

Minerva was certain she didn0t blin even once for fear of missing

something in those ama7ing blue eyes. is hand rested gently u#on herwaist while he clas#ed her other hand easily. The music started u# again

and she was more than thrilled when the band began a slow tune.

The lights overhead dimmed )ust a little when the music began( no doubt

trying to set the mood for the young cou#les that would be #arting in a few

short hours. ;mboldened by her new status as a former student of his(

Minerva too a ste# closer to Albus and his hand slid further around her

waist( resting in the center of her bac.

*2o you remember the 1rst dance we ever shared( Minerva3, he asedsoftly. Minerva had suddenly lost her voice and all she could do was give a

subtle nod of reassurance. */t seems lie ages ago and then again it seems

lie only yesterday.,

*/ remember every dance we0ve ever shared(


28/79

gone )ust as 4uicly as it had a##eared.

*/ was worried about you while you were away. / was afraid you0d been hurt

and,

*Afraid /0d miss your graduation too., Again she nodded her head( slightlyembarrassed to be admitting something so #etty when he had more

im#ortant things to be worrying about. *Ah( / wouldn0t have missed this day

for the world( Minerva. ild hi##ogri9s couldn0t have e#t me from seeing

you wal across that stage and taing to# honors as well. /0m etremely

#roud of you.,

*Than you. /t meant a lot to me to have you give me those awards. +ou0ve

taught me so much and hel#ed me in so many ways(, she said her eyes

beginning to 1ll with tears at the thought of leaving him.

*/0d do anything for you Minerva. +ou0re very s#ecial to me and if there0s

ever anything / can do to hel# you in life( all you need do is as. My doors

will always be o#en to you and / do ho#e we meet again.,

/t was as if he timed his words to 1t #erfectly with the ending of the song for

no sooner had he 1nished his sentence( the song ended. Minerva fully

e#ected him to do as he had done in the #ast and iss the bac of her hand

as a way of thaning her for the dance but there was something else hidden

in his eyes and she could see it. Bri##ing her arms loosely( he leaned

forward and issed each of her chees softly( brushing his li#s ever so gentlyacross her smooth sin as they 5ushed crimson beneath his li#s.

Minerva was certain she sto##ed breathing. er heart was #ounding so hard

she could hear it in her head and was certain he could hear it too. er mind

was reeling with thoughts and emotions too numerous to #rocess or even

count and before she new it( she had thrown her arms around his nec and

returned a iss to each of his chees before hugging him tightly.

A cough somewhere behind Albus drew Minerva bac to her senses. /t was

the eadmaster telling Albus he had an urgent owl from the Ministry anda##arently it wasn0t good news. e too Minerva0s hands in his and issed

the bac of each one softly( then rubbed his thumb across the s#ot.

*Remember( /0ll always be here for you( my dear., e s4uee7ed her hands

and let them dro# from his before turning to see to his im#ortant wor for

the Ministry and the war e9ort( leaving Minerva stunned in the center of the

dance 5oor.

She stood rooted to the s#ot for a moment( until his la#is blue robes with

the silver designs were no longer visible. She might have stayed there( lost

in her thoughts if it hadn0t been for Jiomara. *+ou owe me( MinervaMcBonagallD +ou owe me big time and / e#ect #ayment in full.,


29/79

*2id you see that3 e issed my chees( Jia. And in front of everybody

here(, she said dreamily. *And that danceoh it was wonderful.,

*+es and you have me to than for it. And don0t thin /0m going to let you

forget it anytime soon., Minerva sna##ed out of her trance to cast a4uestioning loo at her friend and con1dante. *The band was su##osed to

#lay a fast number and / had to #ractically beg and bribe them to #lay the

slowest( softest tune they now )ust for you. /f it wasn0t for me( you0d have

been doing the harleston with your dear #rofessor and no doubt none of

the rest of it would have ha##ened eitherD, She smiled mischievously at her

friend( still lost in the recent memory. */ don0t thin many of us saw the little

echange between the two of you but / was watching. / saw it all( MervieD,

Minerva raised a trembling hand to her chee to touch the s#ot where his

li#s had brushed lightly. *ave / told you today how lucy / am to have youas my best friend( Jiomara ooch3, >efore she had a chance to res#ond(

ooch found herself being #ulled into a tight hug as Minerva0s face lit u#

with ecitement and ha##iness. *Than you so much. That0s the best

graduation gift you could have given me and /0ll never( ever forget it.,

Chapter 5

*e )ust received the signal sir. /t is time to launch our attac.,

Minerva watched as the witches and wi7ards around her all held tightly on to

the #orteys they had been handed. The head mediwitch standing beside

her shoo her head sadly. They e#ected to have a great many wounded

after this battle was over and had wored the last few wees gathering

su##lies and #utting u# wards to #rotect the hos#ital wing. This was the 1rst

ma)or attac they had #lanned against Brindelwald since the slaughter this

#ast summer.

hen Minerva had volunteered to hel# with the war shortly after graduation(

she #resumed she would end u# 1ghting the enemy. owever( she had been

4uicly shifted into the #osition of assistant mediwitch. She new that they

were attem#ting to ee# the younger generation as far away from the

bloodshed as #ossible and it ired her to no end. er )uvenile fantasy of

1ghting beside


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main attac led by Albus 2umbledore should already be under way and the

#erimeter secure. Today is the day where the tide will be turnedD,

Shouting rang out through the room and grou#s of 1ghters started to

disa##ear. Minerva didn0t consider what she was doing( not on any

conscious level any way. The words Albus 2umbledore and attac wereringing in her head as she launched herself at the nearest #erson with a

#ortey and grabbed hold of it )ust in time to feel the tug at her navel.

Flashes of light in the darness )ust before sunrise greeted Minerva as she

landed unsteadily on her feet on the edge of a thic forest. The #ortey she

had been holding was ri##ed from her hands and she was shoved to the

ground. ris# autumn leaves #ressed into her chee and a heavy loamy

smell assaulted her nose. She heard unintelligible grunts above her and an

inhuman scream before she was wrested from her #osition. She tri##ed over

a body covered in fresh blood as she was #ulled behind the closest tree.

*>loody hell MinervaD hat were you thining3 +ou could have been illed.,

The 1erce ga7e of Alastor Moody met her eyes and she shrun visibly from

the anger she saw there. is face had a s#latter of blood across his chin. /t

was then that she reali7ed he had saved her life. */...(, she trailed o9. hat

could she say that would mae any sense3 Alastor had befriended her

during her tenure at the division but she new his understanding wouldn0t

etend to her feeble ecuse.

*Tae this and use it to go bac., Alastor shoved the #ortey into her hands

and turned to )oin the 1ght.

Minerva started to sto# him but reali7ed it would be useless. She looed out

over the #artially cleared 1eld. The smell of blood and the shouts and cries

of #eo#le in #ain caused her to feel ill. The #erimeter had not been secured

as it should have been and it caused a 5utter of fear to curl in her belly. She

watched as a wi7ard in a heavy cloa used a slicing he to cut o9 the arm of

a young man( someone who had )oined their division recently. She blanched

as his scream reached her ears. er mind was shouting at her to leave( touse the #ortey before she was caught. >ut her body refused to move( even

as she met the eyes of a wi7ard who #ointed his wand at her heart.

All of the recruits attended regular training in dueling and battle scenarios.

After all( it was never certain when they could e#ect an attac and if their

division was breached( they would need every available wand in battle. And

Minerva had always ecelled in her training( even though she new she

would never have use of it. /t was this diligent training that saved her life.

She duced )ust as a stream of red light shot towards her. She grunted in

#ain as her hi# landed shar#ly on a large angular branch.


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er wand was 4uicly #ut into use and she soon found herself in her 1rst

duel of the war. 6ucily the man she fought was ine#erienced and she had

soon overtaen him and had him bound and silenced before guiding his

body to rest in a thic clum# of bushes. The thorns tore at his clothes but

she found that she didn0t care.

Adrenaline was #ouring through her veins and the air( charged with magic(

whi##ed around her as she moved toward the main battle. All thoughts of

the #ortey 5ed her mind as her instincts too over. She dodged through the

duels on the #erimeter of the installation. She was headed for the center of

the drab settlement( nowing it was where she would 1nd Brindelwald and

therefore 1nd Albus.

>y the time she reached her destination( Minerva0s hair had mostly esca#ed

its con1ning bun. er robes were torn in several #laces and dirt and blood

smudged her face and hands. She had several oval sha#ed bruises formingon her nec where a nasty witch whose wand Minerva had sna##ed had

attem#ted to strangle her.

6im#ing slightly she eased toward the door. /t was eerily 4uiet as she let

herself inside. ith her wand held at the ready( she moved down the dar

corridors that twisted and turned in no a##arent order. er heart was

#ounding in her chest and her breaths came in small shar# gas#s. A 5ash on

her right as she entered a small alcove with several hallways leading o9 was

her only warning before she found herself on the 5oor( the reci#ient of a

binding s#ell.

Fear unlie anything she had ever nown 5ooded her body. Inable to move

even an inch did not sto# her from starting to shae uncontrollably as a

shadow moved into her line of sight. A face distorted by hanging 5esh and

oo7ing blood leered down at her as the ti# of his wand #oed into her belly.

*Merlin0s balls(, the gru9 voice s#at.

Minerva relaed immediately but soon felt sic as she too in the etent of

damage to Alastor Moody0s face. As he once again hel#ed her u#( this time abit more gently than the last( she gas#ed in horror. is nose was half gone

and one eye was missing( in its #lace a ga#ing hole. She immediately #ulled

her wand to cast a few healing s#ells.

Alastor grabbed her wrist 1rmly. *There is no time. / don0t now why you are

here instead of bac in the safety of the division head4uarters( but since you

made it this far we can use all the wands we can get so follow me.,

e led her down some more twisting corridors and soon the sounds of yells

mingled with moans reached her ears. Alastor reached out and ta##ed theto# of her head with his wand. She felt a coldness oo7e down her sin as he


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lead her toward the entrance of a room that was glowing with all the s#ells

which were being thrown.

*Try to stay out of the way and throw curses only when you have a clear

shot(, he whis#ered. */t would be to our bene1t for you to stay undetected.

The s#ell should last unless something ha##ens to me. /f it should terminatefor any reason( / would recommend using the #ortey / gave you. This is the

heart of the battle and Brindelwald would not hesitate to ri# you o#en and

laugh as you died.,

Minerva shivered at his descri#tion and followed his lead as he 4uicly

entered the room immediately de5ecting and casting s#ells( one after the

other. er ga7e traveled across the room as her body slid along the wall. er

heart )um#ed into her throat and her world narrowed as she s#otted Albus

on the far side( dueling three men who stood shoulder to shoulder as if

#rotecting something( or someone. e was holding his own but she couldtell that he had some in)uries( even with the distance between them.

As she moved closer( trying to get to him to hel#( she shot o9 binding s#ells

at several wi7ards whose bacs were to her. She ignored the voice at the

bac of her mind which regurgitated the eti4uette of dueling. !ow was not

the time to let ones enemies now of her #resence so a fair 1ght would

ensue. The good guys were horribly outnumbered and her main concern was

getting through this alive( and maing sure Albus had the hel# he needed.

;verything seemed to ha##en at once as she rounded the 1nal corner. Shesaw the witch as her body was 5ung bacwards hitting the wall in front of

her with a sicening crunch but could not sto# her forward momentum in

time. She felt her legs bucle underneath her and cried out as she to##led

over the woman0s torso. The yell mied with those around her but it seemed

that her s#ell had been broen by the sudden )olt.

Several #airs of eyes turned to hers( including a #air that 4uicly widened in

sur#rise before turning to fear and then anger. She watched as Albus s#un

away from her and aimed his wand into the air. A shot of blue light s#ed out

of the ti# and burst when it hit the ceiling. Shouts sounded and Minervawatched as do7ens of bodies suddenly hit the ground )ust as a wave of light

came rushing from Albus and 4uicly s#read through the room( nocing

anyone standing unconscious. ;veryone ece#t for one man.

Brindelwald( now e#osed as his human barrier had been removed( stood

with his wand #ointed at Minerva. e was a giant of a man( tall and burly

with shocing silver hair. is eyes were dar as night as they looed at her

with obvious glee. Minerva had heard tales of the man. !ot only of his

atrocities but also of his life before madness and #ower had consumed his

soul. e had been a great seer whose #redictions often wrought greatchanges. All for good in his younger years but something within him had


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changed after a tragedy in his life that he had not seen and had been

unable to sto#.

*So the choice is yours Albus( love for you or freedom for all3,

Minerva glanced at Albus( confused by Brindelwald0s sily words. /n his eyesshe saw #ain and remorse but it was 4uicly re#laced by determination. As a

s#ell s#un out of Brindelwald0s wand( Minerva saw another ro#e of light

rushing toward her. Albus launched himself at Brindelwald( nocing him

down as she noticed the 5ash of gold in his hands. And then they were

gone.

The soft blue light reached her 1rst and bloced the curse that was aimed at

her heart. She felt #anic start to consume her at the thought that even now

Albus was 1ghting for his life( alone. A hand gras#ed her shoulder and she

)ered away before noticing that once again Alastor was by her side. Shereali7ed that some of the others in the room were still getting to their feet. /t

was then that she gras#ed the whole scene( which had seemed to last

forever( had actually trans#ired in less than a minute.

*There is nothing you can do for him now. ome and hel# us bind the enemy

who have fallen so that this day is worth all of our sacri1ces.,

Albus woe two days later in St. Mungo0s with an ecruciating headache and

a sti9ness in his limbs and every muscle in his body aching.

*0>out time you woe. /0ve been sitting here watching over you since late

yesterday and / was about to lose what little of my mind / have leftD,

*here am /3, Albus raised a shaing hand to his forehead( trying to #iece

together his memories of the recent events.

*+ou0re in the hos#ital. Too 4uite a nasty series of s#ells but you did itD +ou

actually defeated the old gee7er and / don0t thin the wi7arding world has

sto##ed #artying since we found you., Alastor summoned over a nurse to

tend to Albus0 headache as he continued. *Too me forever to 1nd youthough( what with you using the #ortey and all. !et time( why not tell

somebody you0re carrying one of those nasty things before you tae o9 to

do battle with another dar lord( leaving the rest of us behind to clean u#

the mess3,

*There wasn0t time( Alastor., Flashes of images dashed through his head.

Seeing Brindelwald about to ill Minerva. earing his icy voice as he ased

Albus to mae a choice for love or freedom. Seeing the loo of #anic in her

emerald eyes seconds before he activated the #ortey( not nowing if he

would ever see those eyes again. *Minervawhere is she3 /s she alright3,Albus tried to sit u# in bed( eager to hear news of Minerva.


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Alastor #ushed him bac among the bedding and shoo his head. *She0s )ust

1ne( Albus. / too your threats to heart and tried my best to watch out for

her( though / had no idea she0d be )oining us on the battle1eld(, he

chucled. */ thought you meant for me to loo after her in case something

ha##ened to you during the battle., /t was obvious from the loo in Albus0eyes that he had not e#ected to 1nd her there either. */ cast a s#ell on her

that would mae her somewhat invisible but it seems / didn0t cast it strong

enough. @nce / got hit( well it broe the connection and she was discovered.

That0s when you u# and vanished on us., Alastor stood u# and began

lim#ing across the room. */ can tell you right now( if she had any way of

getting to you( she would have surely tried. /0ve never seen a more

determined womana credit to her gender( that lass is.,

Albus noticed that his friend was lim#ing( no doubt having su9ered minor

in)uries in battle himself. *Than you for #rotecting her. She0s very s#ecialand yet brave to a fault. She is indeed a credit to her gender and to her

Bry?ndor roots., Albus #aused( once again hearing the #hrase 0love %or you

or %ree!om %or all’ as it resonated in his head( causing his mind to swirl.

2es#erately wanting to save those thoughts until he was alone( he ased

Alastor about the lim# and his in)uries.

*Seems / got a bit careless or else they were )ust bloody lucy. The

mediwitches 1tted me with this magical eye but my leg wasn0t so lucy. / got

hit with a nasty s#ell( same one that broe the enchantment with Minerva.

>loody git didn0t even now what he was saying so it came out as somegarbled words( though they served their #ur#ose alright. Enoced me on my

arse( uncovered Minerva and weaened my leg muscles to the #oint that /

now have a lim#. Mediwictches say / may have to have it am#utated and be

1tted with a fae leg( but for now it0s holding its0 own., Alastor went 4uiet

for a moment then seemed to sna# bac to his old gru9 self. *!ow( you

need to get well and in a hurry too. The Ministry is #lanning a bit of a big to

do in your honor and if you as me( they0re #ulling out all the sto#s. >iggest

thing to ha##en since the coronation of the new Eing of ;nglandD,

Minerva had tried her best to get to the hos#ital to see her mentor( herhero( the ob)ect of all her a9ection. >ut each time she was told that unless

she was immediate family or had the #ro#er credentials from the Ministry(

no one could enter. Alastor Moody was the only ece#tion to the rule and

even he couldn0t get her access to Albus. So( she had to wait and ho#e that

she would get a chance to s#ea to him at the festivities the following wee.

8ust as Alastor had #redicted( the Ministry had s#ared no e#ense in

throwing the celebration #arty in Albus0 honor. ;veryone who had

#artici#ated in the battle was invited along with dignitaries from several

neighboring communities and even a few from abroad. The food and drinwere #lenteous and the ostentatious decorations were certainly a direct


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contrast to the man they were meant to honor. >anners( glittering tables( ice

scul#tures( crystal and 1ne china( even the confetti falling from the ceiling

and disa##earing )ust inches from ones head screamed 5amboyant.

Running her hands through her long tresses one last time( Minerva ste##ed

to the entranceway into the ballroom. The loud roar of hundreds of voicesassaulted her ears and in some ways reminded her of the battle scene. A

4uic glance around the room caused her s#irits to dam#en. There was no

way she would be able to 1nd Albus in this crowd and if she did( no doubt he

would be too #reoccu#ied with more im#ortant #eo#le to s#are her more

than a brief moment.

Minerva ste##ed con1dently into the room as several male eyes turned to

survey her striing 1gure. er dee# crimson robes clung #erfectly to her

hourglass 1gure( something which made her self conscious but ecited all

the same. The o9 the shoulder necline made her a##rehensive( having notbeen one for such revealing attire. owever( her invitation had said formal

attire and the sales witch at Madame Malin0s had gone breathless when

Minerva emerged from the dressing room.

So many witches and wi7ards sto##ed Minerva throughout the night to

than her for healing them or for holding their hand until they could be seen

by an e#erienced mediwitch. Intil tonight( Minerva had never truly

contem#lated )ust how im#ortant her )ob was to the overall 1ght against

Brindelwald. >attles were not only won on the battle1eld but in the hearts

and minds of those 1ghting for the greater good and it humbled her to nowthat her sills were to be credited with saving so many young lives.

Many of the young men invited Minerva to dance and she acce#ted one or

two( none of them as silled on the dance 5oor as Albus 2umbledore. And

while she had en)oyed the attention she was receiving from so many

di9erent wi7ards( her heart longed for )ust a glim#se of her Albus. And then

the music sto##ed. ;veryone stilled and all chatter ceased as the Minister of

Magic a##eared on the #latform along with the man of the hour. Minerva0s

heart caught in her throat at the sight of him( whole( healthy and with a

smile on his face.

*Tonight( we are all gathered here to #ay tribute to the man credited with

the defeat of the evil Brindelwald. is valiant e9orts and sacri1ces have

assured us many more years of #eace and #ros#erity and we commend him

for giving so much of himself to the 1ght. Than you( Albus( on behalf of all

assembled here and those who #aid the ultimate sacri1ce so that they did

not die in vain. A moment of silence will be observed to remember the

fallen.,

Minerva started to bow her head for the moment of silence but she couldn0ttear her eyes away from Albus. /f she wasn0t able to s#ea to him( at least


36/79

she could memori7e the way he looed( even at this great a distance. 8ust

then( Albus looed u#( as if scanning the room for someone in #articular and

when his ga7e landed on her( he sto##ed and smiled. Their eyes loced and

suddenly the room was em#ty ece#t for the two of them. At least that0s

how it felt to Minerva. She wanted to run straight to him( des#ite the

im#osed moment of silence but that was not acce#table( no matter howmuch her heart #leaded with her.

*Than you. !ow( the food and drin will continue to 5ow liberally so tuc in

and the #arty will continue as long as there are #eo#le who wish to remain.

;n)oy the remainder of your evening., The Minister of Magic motioned for

the band to begin #laying as cou#les regrou#ed and started moving in time

with the music.

A frustrated growl nearly esca#ed Minerva0s li#s as she tried her best to

weave a #attern through the ma7e of bodies standing between her and the#latform. A determined gleam in her eyes and her long strides had her

standing at the foot of the dais in no time( only to 1nd that it was em#ty.

Albus had gone and her heart san. Taing comfort in the fact that she had

at least seen him( she started to turn around and begin her search once

more. >ut )ust as she s#un around( she slammed into someone solid( warm(

and incredibly welcoming.

*/ was ho#ing a young lady with #retty green eyes would honor me with a

dance., e s#oe so softly she almost missed his words( though in her heart

she new eactly what he had said. */0ve looed for you all evening and untila few moments ago( / had given u# ho#e., e 5ashed her a radiant smile(

one that wi#ed away all of her frustrations( worries( and fears. @ne that

somehow made everything that had ha##ened recently feel lie a distant

memory. *And might / say that you have ecellent taste in formal wear( my

dear. /0m sure you0re the envy of every witch #resent and no doubt the

ob)ect of many wi7ards intentions.,

Minerva0s eyes lit u# and her heart began to si# beats as he commented on

her a##earance. @ne com#liment lie that from him made the #urchase

worth every single galleon and so many more. For the 1rst time in her life(she felt as if he saw her as a young woman and not the young lass he met

years and years ago. Taing his hand( she led him out onto the dance 5oor(

trembling inside from sheer antici#ation at feeling his arms around her( the

closeness of his body to hers( and the familiarity that comes from nowing

and loving someone for so long.

*Than you for s#aring me a few minutes(


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at her and then twirled her around( bringing her bac into his arms and 5ush

against his body.

A dainty laugh sli##ed out of Minerva0s throat( her ha##iness at being in his

arms and having him no longer thining of her as a child bubbling from her

very core. She noted that several #eo#le had sto##ed to watch as the greatAlbus 2umbledore danced with the lady in red. !o doubt the witches were

envious of her #osition and there would be rumors 5ying tomorrow but for

this one dance( he belonged to her and she to him.

The music ended and immediately they were surrounded by onlooers all

congratulating them on their graceful moves and how easily they seemed to

dance together. *e0ve had a lot of #ractice(, Albus answered for them(

sending Minerva a sly win and s4uee7ing her hand. *!ow if you will ecuse

us( / do believe / #romised Minerva a slow dance.,

er ears had failed her. ad he )ust said he wanted to dance with her again3

And a slow dance at that3 Minerva heard the rumblings of several )ealous

witches( no doubt many of whom had their eyes set on Albus 2umbledore.

>eing led to the center of the dance 5oor( Albus leaned in and whis#ered

into her ear.

*@ur habit is to only share one dance #er ball but tonight is di9erent. +ou

were of great hel# to me in that horrible battle( maybe more than even you

reali7e. And they told me how adamant you were about seeing me., e

chucled. *They even told me how you had tried to snea in to see me butto no avail. *Than youfor everything., e leaned close and brushed his

li#s innocently against her chee( )ust as do7ens of 5ash bulbs went o9

around them. !o doubt they would be on the front #age of the 2aily


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accom#anied his suggestion.

1I% you n! the heartache o% leaving 2cotlan! to be too much, I woul! be

honore! to ta(e you on as my apprentice. I have not ta(en many over the

years. +here have been %ew with the passion an! talent that I reuire o%

those I teach. 'ou have both in abun!ance.3

To hide her ecitement at the idea of becoming Albus0 a##rentice( Minerva

had thaned him for the o9er and told him she would consider it. At home(

she had agoni7ed over the decision. To become his student again would

mean a more #rofessional relationshi# between them. owever( in the end

she could not turn down the o##ortunity to learn from the best.

er years under his tutelage had 5own by and their friendshi# had

dee#ened. !ow at the end( when the only goal left before she was granted

her Masters in Trans1guration was to become an animagus( Minerva foundher mind straying from her lessons. ;arly on she reali7ed it was due to a

reluctance to end her a##renticeshi# O afraid of how her friendshi# with

Albus would change. She en)oyed their wals by the lae lost in discussion of

the latest research( their chess matches by the 1re in the teacher0s lounge

and their arguments on various #oints that could rile her as nothing else

could.

As Minerva looed u# into his s#arling blue eyes from her new vantage

#oint by the ground( she reali7ed that everything would change. And if her

new form was inclined to do so( she would be crying tears of sorrow.

*Minerva( haven0t you 1nished with the list yet3, The 4uestion was followed

by a moment of silence. *ell( tae all the time you need. / will be on the

#orch when you are 1nished., The feminine voice was nearly cut o9 by the

clic of a door.

Minerva sighed as her 4uill attem#ted to scratch lines across the #iece of

#archment which was 1lled with names. She found herself groaning as the

list of witches and wi7ards seemed to avoid her every attem#t to shorten it(

no doubt thans to the s#ecial charm her mother had #laced on the#archment. Seems her mother had antici#ated Minerva0s attem#t at

crossing #eo#le o9 the list. er #arents were throwing a #arty to celebrate

her newly granted Masters and they had ased her to add to the list that

they had already started. /nstead she found herself attem#ting to bring

some sense of sanity to a gathering that was obviously growing out of hand.

Branted her family was large( on both sides( but did a sim#le a##ointment

really re4uire an invitation to Breat Aunt Mildred3

hen her #arents had 1rst mentioned a #arty( Minerva had #ictured a small

a9air( maybe in the gardens( with good food and a few close friends andfamily. /t a##eared that the gathering would now be as crowded as any


39/79

Ministry ball she had been forced to attend.

ith a smile( she looed at the end of the list and the one and only name

she had added( Albus 2umbledore. At 1rst she had been sur#rised and then

o9ended that her mother had not #laced him on the list. After all( he was

the reason for her mastery in the 1rst #lace. /t was then that sheremembered the curious smile she had been graced with when her mother

had 1rst handed her the #iece of #archment. And nowing her mother as

she did she reali7ed( as a distinctly uneasy feeling too hold of her stomach(

that she must now( somehow with that mothering sense of hers( that she

had a crush on her #rofessor. ;ce#t that it wasn0t a crush( not any more.

Standing from the chair she had bee

Documents

one dance at a time