Post by McGonagallsGirl on Jan 13, 2008 23:01:59 GMT -5
At last! The long anticipated (by me) companion to the piece I posted just a little over a year ago entitled "Detention". Below is a link to the original. I think it's best to read them side by side, really. Chapter one of the original, then chapter one of this piece, two with two, three with three and so on.
Thanks to my fantastical betas ChildMinerva and Minniequill.
They're my favorites.
Have a lovely day. ;D
admmfics.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=somewhat&action=display&thread=1166741018
***
Detention: A new Perspective
Ch.1
Harry and Ron trudged up to the Transfigurations classroom slowly. It had been a long week for both of them. With Dumbledore gone Umbridge was going mad with power and Harry found himself with nightly detentions. At this point, Harry had given up trying to figure out why he was getting the detentions. He supposed he ought just to be grateful that his hand wasn't going to get sliced open this night, and that he wouldn't have to sit through it with Umbridge singing the praises of the Minister of Magic. But he wasn't as grateful as he knew he ought to be. He would have rather not had detention at all. Dumbledore would have never stood for it. Not just the hand slashing, but the sheer number of detentions.
But Dumbledore was gone, and no one had seen or heard from him since he had left. Harry was beginning to think he had abandoned them, and so what if he had? Hogwarts could and would take care of itself. The students wouldn't stand for such oppression much longer, Harry knew it.
"Ron, you don't have to come with me, you know."
"I'm here for moral support. It's not right of McGonagall to give you extra detentions, what did you ever do to her?"
"...Yeah... except, I'm pretty sure she's saving me. If McGonagall makes me write an essay, at least I can be confident it won't be written in my own blood."
"This is the crookedest sort of saving I've ever seen, then."
Harry nodded as they descended the stairs and emerged in the Transfigurations Courtyard. "Well, thanks for sticking with me anyway."
"You'd do the same for me," Said Ron with a shrug as they approached the door leading to the Transfigurations classroom. "How much time 'til your detention starts?"
"Er..." Harry looked at his watch. "Ten minutes. Should I go in early?"
"What are you, mad? You've got three weeks of these things. Why go in early? Besides, what if she's not ready for you yet? What if you catch her off guard, mate? "
"Right." Harry stood at the doorway looking at it for a moment, positively dreading going in; then he looked back at Ron. "Let's just get it over with. Maybe she'll let me out early."
Ron gave him a look that told him he was making a mistake as he tentatively knocked on the door. He then cracked it open and poked his head inside, "Professor?"
He spotted her hunched over her desk. "Come in, then, Potter." She said, sitting up, without a hint of the exhaustion she had physically displayed left in her voice.
"Professor, you don't look well."
"Mind your own business, Potter." She said, and immediately hoped that hadn't sounded as severe to him as it had to her. "Mr. Weasley? What are you doing here?"
"I've come to stand by Harry. I'll not let him be taken alone."
Minerva was amused. "Mr. Weasley, you have a test tomorrow in my class, you're going to tell me you have nothing better to do with your time tonight than to sit here and suffer a detention you didn't earn?"
"Harry didn't earn this one either, Professor." Ronald Weasley said courageously.
Minerva sighed; she hadn't the time or temperament to take much more of this. "Goodbye, Weasley."
Weasley sighed. "Right then. Bye, Professor McGonagall." And with that, he slowly left her classroom.
"Professor, I --"
"Sit down, Potter." Minerva said, anxious to start the proceedings. The sooner she could wrap things up with him, the sooner she could return to her rooms and start on the research the Order had asked her to attend to. And there was also a mountain of 7th year essays waiting for her scrutiny, which she was supposed to have finished grading two days prior.
Potter moved to his usual desk in the Transfigurations classroom, looking as if he weren't quite sure what to expect. He tried again. "Professor, it's Umbridge, she's--"
"First of all, and I want you to listen carefully, it's 'Professor Umbridge'. If she feels we aren't showing her proper respect then the educational decrees will only get worse."
"But isn't that giving in?" Potter asked, apparently taking offense.
But Minerva had not the time to deal with his preconceived notions of how things were supposed to be. She had her hands full enough, teaching him how things were.
"Stop interrupting me, Potter." She said. "It is not 'giving in'. It's holding out. I have a duty to protect the children in this school. And, like it or not, you do too. Your fame has given you a power and an influence over the other students that you couldn't possibly understand that you have."
"I don't want it."
"Did I ask you? Of course not. And if you don't stop interrupting me, I'm going to make you write lines." Minerva immediately regretted the threat. It was, of course, an empty one, but all the same. She knew what Dolores Umbridge had been doing to her children. She knew all about it.
"As I was saying, we both have a duty to protect the children, some of whom are hardly eleven years old, and the oldest of whom may barely scrape eighteen. If we can do anything to stave off the wrath of the misguided Ministry of Magic, and really Dolores Umbridge, then we haven't got a choice. We must." Minerva took a steadying breath. "And so, first of all, it's 'Professor Umbridge'. Questions?"
Potter nodded. "Where's Dumbledore?"
Minerva frowned. "Professor Dumbledore."
"Where's Professor Dumbledore?"
"I don't know."
Potter looked incensed, "Of course you do, you're his deputy."
Minerva looked him over, carefully. "Obviously my loyalties lie with him, and only him. But, may I remind you, that it is Professor Umbridge who is the current Headmistress. Thence, technically, I'm her deputy."
"Don't change the subject." Potter said, forgetting himself for a moment.
Minerva cleared her throat, warning him to back away from the line he had very nearly crossed. The situation was more complicated than he knew or had any right to know.
She tried to keep the pain as far from her voice as possible when she said, "Potter, I've not heard from the Headmaster in over a week. And he hasn't told me of his whereabouts. He feels it is in the best interest of everyone, and safer for me, if I don't know."
"I'd imagine you gave him an ear-full for that." Potter smiled.
It was Minerva's turn to forget herself. "As a matter of fact, I did."
At that moment an owl started to peck at her window. It was dark out and she squinted for a moment before rising and cursing both Albus and his brother, and his brother's bird, Chiltion, all at once.
"Chiltion?" inquired Potter.
"Aberforth Dumbledore's bird." Minerva clarified, annoyed as ever with Albus' timing.
"Professor Dumbledore's brother?"
"Who else?" she replied, short of patience, as she let the bird in and took the scroll from its leg. As soon as she had the scroll the bird took off for the owlery to drink and eat before it began it's return trip. Minerva opened the letter and read it several times, slowly, fighting off tears at one point.
Dearest M,
This bird has never been intercepted before; I doubt he will be this time.
But just in case he happens to run into trouble, I shall not reveal to you my whereabouts.
Thank you, my dear, for looking after our school in my absences. I know this was never the
plan but it seems to be working out for the best.
Make sure Harry knows I have not forgotten him. Tell him I say, "Hello"
My thoughts are with you, always.
Love,
APWBD
It seems to be working out for the best?! Clearly Albus was not experiencing anything remotely close to the constant battle she was. And, as fate would have it, she wasn't even on the level of the war that was fighting the Dark Lord at present. She blinked, It was the first she had heard from him in over a week, and at least now she knew he was alive.
Although she wasn't positive, at that moment, that she was grateful.
Make sure Harry knows I have not forgotten him. It made Minerva sick. After a hundred years of living, Albus ought to have known to reassure his wife that he had not forgotten her before reassuring his student, not after.
She'd have to travel to Grimmauld Place that weekend and leave him a message to stop sending birds. Indeed, Chiltion hadn't been intercepted that time, but Dolores was constantly getting smarter at her job.
Minerva, after reading the words once more, shut the letter in the drawer of her desk.Then it occurred to her that Dolores was set to start regular searches of the teacher's spaces sometime that week. She felt as if she were ripping out her own heart, but she finally took it back out of her desk and set it aflame with her wand.
Her voice sounded hoarse when she continued, after it had burnt. "Professor Dumbledore says hello."
"You burned it?!" Potter suddenly yelled and it made Minerva's head pound.
She walked quickly over to him, desperate for him to start using logic he had never been taught. "Anyone could find it and anyone could read it, and of course, by 'anyone' I mean Dolores Umbridge. I know exactly what that letter said, I've learned it by heart. So you needn't worry about the information getting lost. Calm yourself."
Potter nodded, looking a bit intimidated, and Minerva watched him closely for a moment longer.
He had so far to go.
Thanks to my fantastical betas ChildMinerva and Minniequill.
They're my favorites.
Have a lovely day. ;D
admmfics.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=somewhat&action=display&thread=1166741018
***
Detention: A new Perspective
Ch.1
Harry and Ron trudged up to the Transfigurations classroom slowly. It had been a long week for both of them. With Dumbledore gone Umbridge was going mad with power and Harry found himself with nightly detentions. At this point, Harry had given up trying to figure out why he was getting the detentions. He supposed he ought just to be grateful that his hand wasn't going to get sliced open this night, and that he wouldn't have to sit through it with Umbridge singing the praises of the Minister of Magic. But he wasn't as grateful as he knew he ought to be. He would have rather not had detention at all. Dumbledore would have never stood for it. Not just the hand slashing, but the sheer number of detentions.
But Dumbledore was gone, and no one had seen or heard from him since he had left. Harry was beginning to think he had abandoned them, and so what if he had? Hogwarts could and would take care of itself. The students wouldn't stand for such oppression much longer, Harry knew it.
"Ron, you don't have to come with me, you know."
"I'm here for moral support. It's not right of McGonagall to give you extra detentions, what did you ever do to her?"
"...Yeah... except, I'm pretty sure she's saving me. If McGonagall makes me write an essay, at least I can be confident it won't be written in my own blood."
"This is the crookedest sort of saving I've ever seen, then."
Harry nodded as they descended the stairs and emerged in the Transfigurations Courtyard. "Well, thanks for sticking with me anyway."
"You'd do the same for me," Said Ron with a shrug as they approached the door leading to the Transfigurations classroom. "How much time 'til your detention starts?"
"Er..." Harry looked at his watch. "Ten minutes. Should I go in early?"
"What are you, mad? You've got three weeks of these things. Why go in early? Besides, what if she's not ready for you yet? What if you catch her off guard, mate? "
"Right." Harry stood at the doorway looking at it for a moment, positively dreading going in; then he looked back at Ron. "Let's just get it over with. Maybe she'll let me out early."
Ron gave him a look that told him he was making a mistake as he tentatively knocked on the door. He then cracked it open and poked his head inside, "Professor?"
He spotted her hunched over her desk. "Come in, then, Potter." She said, sitting up, without a hint of the exhaustion she had physically displayed left in her voice.
"Professor, you don't look well."
"Mind your own business, Potter." She said, and immediately hoped that hadn't sounded as severe to him as it had to her. "Mr. Weasley? What are you doing here?"
"I've come to stand by Harry. I'll not let him be taken alone."
Minerva was amused. "Mr. Weasley, you have a test tomorrow in my class, you're going to tell me you have nothing better to do with your time tonight than to sit here and suffer a detention you didn't earn?"
"Harry didn't earn this one either, Professor." Ronald Weasley said courageously.
Minerva sighed; she hadn't the time or temperament to take much more of this. "Goodbye, Weasley."
Weasley sighed. "Right then. Bye, Professor McGonagall." And with that, he slowly left her classroom.
"Professor, I --"
"Sit down, Potter." Minerva said, anxious to start the proceedings. The sooner she could wrap things up with him, the sooner she could return to her rooms and start on the research the Order had asked her to attend to. And there was also a mountain of 7th year essays waiting for her scrutiny, which she was supposed to have finished grading two days prior.
Potter moved to his usual desk in the Transfigurations classroom, looking as if he weren't quite sure what to expect. He tried again. "Professor, it's Umbridge, she's--"
"First of all, and I want you to listen carefully, it's 'Professor Umbridge'. If she feels we aren't showing her proper respect then the educational decrees will only get worse."
"But isn't that giving in?" Potter asked, apparently taking offense.
But Minerva had not the time to deal with his preconceived notions of how things were supposed to be. She had her hands full enough, teaching him how things were.
"Stop interrupting me, Potter." She said. "It is not 'giving in'. It's holding out. I have a duty to protect the children in this school. And, like it or not, you do too. Your fame has given you a power and an influence over the other students that you couldn't possibly understand that you have."
"I don't want it."
"Did I ask you? Of course not. And if you don't stop interrupting me, I'm going to make you write lines." Minerva immediately regretted the threat. It was, of course, an empty one, but all the same. She knew what Dolores Umbridge had been doing to her children. She knew all about it.
"As I was saying, we both have a duty to protect the children, some of whom are hardly eleven years old, and the oldest of whom may barely scrape eighteen. If we can do anything to stave off the wrath of the misguided Ministry of Magic, and really Dolores Umbridge, then we haven't got a choice. We must." Minerva took a steadying breath. "And so, first of all, it's 'Professor Umbridge'. Questions?"
Potter nodded. "Where's Dumbledore?"
Minerva frowned. "Professor Dumbledore."
"Where's Professor Dumbledore?"
"I don't know."
Potter looked incensed, "Of course you do, you're his deputy."
Minerva looked him over, carefully. "Obviously my loyalties lie with him, and only him. But, may I remind you, that it is Professor Umbridge who is the current Headmistress. Thence, technically, I'm her deputy."
"Don't change the subject." Potter said, forgetting himself for a moment.
Minerva cleared her throat, warning him to back away from the line he had very nearly crossed. The situation was more complicated than he knew or had any right to know.
She tried to keep the pain as far from her voice as possible when she said, "Potter, I've not heard from the Headmaster in over a week. And he hasn't told me of his whereabouts. He feels it is in the best interest of everyone, and safer for me, if I don't know."
"I'd imagine you gave him an ear-full for that." Potter smiled.
It was Minerva's turn to forget herself. "As a matter of fact, I did."
At that moment an owl started to peck at her window. It was dark out and she squinted for a moment before rising and cursing both Albus and his brother, and his brother's bird, Chiltion, all at once.
"Chiltion?" inquired Potter.
"Aberforth Dumbledore's bird." Minerva clarified, annoyed as ever with Albus' timing.
"Professor Dumbledore's brother?"
"Who else?" she replied, short of patience, as she let the bird in and took the scroll from its leg. As soon as she had the scroll the bird took off for the owlery to drink and eat before it began it's return trip. Minerva opened the letter and read it several times, slowly, fighting off tears at one point.
Dearest M,
This bird has never been intercepted before; I doubt he will be this time.
But just in case he happens to run into trouble, I shall not reveal to you my whereabouts.
Thank you, my dear, for looking after our school in my absences. I know this was never the
plan but it seems to be working out for the best.
Make sure Harry knows I have not forgotten him. Tell him I say, "Hello"
My thoughts are with you, always.
Love,
APWBD
It seems to be working out for the best?! Clearly Albus was not experiencing anything remotely close to the constant battle she was. And, as fate would have it, she wasn't even on the level of the war that was fighting the Dark Lord at present. She blinked, It was the first she had heard from him in over a week, and at least now she knew he was alive.
Although she wasn't positive, at that moment, that she was grateful.
Make sure Harry knows I have not forgotten him. It made Minerva sick. After a hundred years of living, Albus ought to have known to reassure his wife that he had not forgotten her before reassuring his student, not after.
She'd have to travel to Grimmauld Place that weekend and leave him a message to stop sending birds. Indeed, Chiltion hadn't been intercepted that time, but Dolores was constantly getting smarter at her job.
Minerva, after reading the words once more, shut the letter in the drawer of her desk.Then it occurred to her that Dolores was set to start regular searches of the teacher's spaces sometime that week. She felt as if she were ripping out her own heart, but she finally took it back out of her desk and set it aflame with her wand.
Her voice sounded hoarse when she continued, after it had burnt. "Professor Dumbledore says hello."
"You burned it?!" Potter suddenly yelled and it made Minerva's head pound.
She walked quickly over to him, desperate for him to start using logic he had never been taught. "Anyone could find it and anyone could read it, and of course, by 'anyone' I mean Dolores Umbridge. I know exactly what that letter said, I've learned it by heart. So you needn't worry about the information getting lost. Calm yourself."
Potter nodded, looking a bit intimidated, and Minerva watched him closely for a moment longer.
He had so far to go.
