Past Lives

[dianahawthorne]

PAST LIVES: by dianahawthorne/stsgirlie
Summary: What happened to Professor McGonagall to make her resign from Hogwarts? Why is the Headmaster so cold? What does Aberforth have that Albus wants?
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Everything except the situation is J.K. Rowling's.
WARNINGS: Completely AU and very angsty.
A/N: Please read and review!

Chapter One: Truth to Tell

“Albus…I don’t know how to say this, but…I’m in love with you,” Minerva McGonagall confessed, too anxious for his response to stay still. She shifted in her seat, twisting an old handkerchief in her hands, but her eyes never left the face of the love of her life.

Silence reigned supreme for several seconds, the large grandfather clock by the bookcases ticking loudly before chiming the five o’clock hour.

Albus’s stone-faced expression flickered for only an instance, replaced with disbelief and then disappointment.

“Professor McGonagall, that was a very inappropriate thought to share with your employer,” he began coldly, “and I do not reciprocate your feelings. Will you resign your position, or do I have to fire you?”

As Albus finished his brief speech, tears freely streamed down Minerva’s face, and the handkerchief she had twisted was used as it was intended. Minerva suppressed a sob, her shoulders shaking from the effort.

“I will resign – that way you will not be questioned by the Board of Governors. Do you need a written resignation, or will a verbal statement suffice?” she asked, her voice sounding hollow to her own ears.

“A verbal statement is all that is necessary. Your belongings must be out of your rooms by seven o’clock this evening.”

Minerva stood up and slowly walked out of the office of her former best friend, not-so-secret love, and the man who broke her heart.

As soon as she reached the bottom of the stone staircase guarded by a gargoyle, she fled to the safety of her rooms. She thanked her lucky stars it was Christmas break, and that al the students had gone home, so no one would see her stern façade had cracked.

“Wulfric,” she said to the portrait of Morgana Le Fay, who guarded her rooms. She wondered who would replace her as Transfiguration professor, Head of Gryffindor, and Deputy Headmistress. She wondered who would use her rooms as their own. A slight cough from the resident of the portrait alerted Minerva to the fact that she was standing in the middle of the hall crying. She opened the thick mahogany door that lay behind the portrait, and entered her chambers for the last time. She waved her wand, which caused her bottomless carpetbag to open for her possessions. Another wave of her wand shrunk the furniture she owned and Banished them to her carpetbag as well. She walked over to the windows for one last look at the grounds of Hogwarts. She could also see Hogsmeade from her vantage point, the twinkling lights of the wizarding village painfully reminding her of Albus’s twinkling eyes.

She walked out to the gates of Hogwarts, not bothering to pack up her office. She did not keep personal items there, anyway, and whoever the new Transfiguration teacher was could use her lesson plans anyway. At least her students would not suffer from a lack of an organised lesson plan.

She laid her pale hand on the gates and they opened for her. She stepped through them for the last time, and turned to catch a final glimpse of Hogwarts, which had been her home for so many years. However, the gates clanging firmly behind her and glowing red alerted her to the fact that she was no longer welcome in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She began to make her way down to the village. She would try to find a room at the Three Broomsticks. Ducking into the warm, inviting bar, she quickly located Rosmerta, the owner of the Three Broomsticks, and asked if there were any rooms available.

“Oh, Professor McGonagall, there aren’t any rooms free. I’m sorry. Would you like a drink?”

Minerva declined and exited the pub, her head hanging low. She did not have anywhere else to go – her ancestral home was no longer in an inhabitable state, and she had no relatives to stay with for the time being. Thinking of families led her thoughts to Albus again – and she knew what she could do. Turning around, she stepped into another bar – this one gloomier and empty – except for one white-bearded wizard polishing a fire whiskey glass with an old rag. He looked up as the bell above the door jingled, signalling a visitor. His blue eyes that so resembled his brother’s widened, and his hands began to shake.

“Hello, Aberforth,” she said softly, “can I stay here tonight?”

[esoterica1693]

Colour me intrigued! I just can't see how a best-friend could do that to anyone. Albus, you cruel <expletive>! Obviously there's a whole lot more going on behind the scenes than you've shown so far! I look forward to reading more.

[dianahawthorne]

Chapter Two: Favour
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The door slammed shut behind Minerva, causing the tinkling bell to ring again. As she stepped towards the bar, Aberforth set the now-polished glass down on the counter and gripped the edge of the bar, steadying himself.

“What are you doing here, Minerva?” Aberforth whispered, his hoarse voice wavering with emotion, “why aren’t you with Albus?”

Minerva sat down gracefully on one of the old, chipped barstools, and rested her elbows on the rough wooden counter. “I told your brother that I loved him tonight,” she began, eyes watering as she wiped the back of her hand across her eyes exasperatedly.

Aberforth shoved the glass away, and leaned further across the bar to place his old hand gently over Minerva’s pale, smooth one. “What did he say?” Aberforth asked, this time his voice a comforting caress to her broken heart. She could almost imagine that Albus was talking to her…

She breathed in sharply, and forcefully yanked her mind from that train of thought. Focus on the present, Minerva; she thought to herself, Aberforth won't kick you out of the Hog’s Head. “He said…he said that I could either resign my position or be fired,” she laughed bitterly, “I resigned.”

His eyes grew wide at the implications of what she was telling him hit home, and he clenched his teeth in anger. That bastard, Aberforth thought, that bastard broke the heart of the woman I love – the one who loves him, and not me.

“I’ll kill him,” Aberforth growled, his harsh voice and flashing eyes shocking Minerva.

“No, Aberforth! Don’t. It was my fault, anyway, I should have known that he would never love me, who could love such a pathetic creature as myself, anyway?” she said, her eyes once more filling with tears as she laid her head down on her folded arms and sobbed.

Aberforth immediately calmed down – he knew that harming his brother, no matter how satisfying it might be – would only hurt Minerva more. Walking around the bar, he reached Minerva’s barstool and gently gathered her in his arms. “Oh, Minerva,” he murmured into her ear, as her soft body against his spurred on a fantasy of both of them lying in his bed after a night of love-making. His desire for her grew, and she looked up at him when the evidence of his need for her began pressing against her stomach. Her eyes, as they locked with Aberforth’s, held a strange mix of desire and desperation – and she stepped further into his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and pressing herself more firmly against him.

“I won’t mind if you kiss me, Aberforth,” she said breathily, as her eyes bore into his. He wasted no time in bending down to catch her lips with his, the kiss making any of his fantasies featuring Minerva pale in comparison to the real thing.

“I need you, Aberforth,” she whispered, her voice husky with desire as she began unbuttoning his robes. He did not need to be told twice – scooping her up gently in his strong arms, he carried her to his bedroom, where they made love.

[jrs]

Gods Albus! What a bloody ars'! Though, this could get ugly... I'm in - give us more! ;-)

[dianahawthorne]

Chapter Three: Don’t Let Them Scare You


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Albus Dumbledore sat up in his bed, sweating, as he emerged from the worst nightmare he’d ever had. What if it wasn’t really a dream? He hoped it was just a dream, but to confirm it, he had to go check on her. He hurriedly Flooed to the Hospital Wing and Conjured up a chair next to the sole occupied bed.

“Oh, Minerva,” he murmured, “this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have allowed this to begin, no matter how much I love you. I can’t stand to see you like this…”

He moved his chintz armchair closer to her bed, still grasping her pale, delicate hand.

“I had a nightmare tonight. These past two weeks hadn’t happened, and we weren’t yet together, but somehow I knew that you were going to be poisoned anyway. You came into my office and told me you loved me – but…” his sobs grew ragged as he attempted to carry on, “…but I fired you and denied my feelings. You went to Aberforth… and…. And made love with him…”

Digging through his robe pockets with one hand, holding onto her hand with the other, Albus managed to retrieve a large purple handkerchief. Minerva had bought it for him at Christmas last year. He remembered the laughter in her eyes when she gave it to him… “Now you’ll finally have a handkerchief to match your favourite robes,” she’d said, before giving him a kiss on the cheek. Whoever had poisoned Minerva had taken away their happiness, but he knew that if Minerva ever woke up from her coma, he would never let her go. There was too much sorrow in the world – in their lives – to deny themselves any love and joy…

Where was Fawkes? Albus thought for the thousandth time in the past two weeks. He had tried hundreds of times to call him, but he hadn’t returned to Hogwarts. And Albus had exhausted his store of phoenix tears defeating Grindelwald. If anything would get Minerva out of her coma, it would be Fawkes’s tears, he thought, and he’s not here…

Albus buried his head in his hands and sobbed.


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Aberforth sat on his bed in his lonely rooms, looking at the crescent moon through the dirty glass panes of his bedroom window. He thought back to the night before he had poisoned Minerva…

Minerva and Aberforth were waiting up in Albus’s office anticipating his return from a trial of one of Grindelwald’s followers. The man on trial, Cygnus Black, had been a neighbour of the Dumbledores’ in Godric’s Hollow, and had been Grindelwald’s right-hand man. He was the one who cast the Cruciatus curse on Ariana, which led to her death… Aberforth still blamed Albus for letting Grindelwald and Black into their house, and for Ariana’s death. A dusty, tired Albus stepping out of the fireplace interrupted Aberforth’s musings.

“He was acquitted,” Albus said heavily.

Aberforth clenched his fists in rage. How could that bastard not be punished for killing his sister? He knew that it was always a very slim chance that Black would be convicted – after all, he was a wealthy pureblood with many connections in the Ministry.

Minerva left the room to notify the other Heads of Houses to Albus’s return. Aberforth rummaged around his brother’s office, looking for Albus’s secret stash of firewhiskey. Albus had gone into his bedroom to weep. Minerva returned to a grieving Albus and an extremely inebriated Aberforth. He asked her to make him up a bed on the couch, knowing he couldn’t bear to face the portrait of Ariana in his room. She complied, and then helped him into his bed. Kneeling beside him, she held his hand until he fell asleep.

He woke up later that night, feeling nauseous, and stumbled to the bathroom – or what he thought was the bathroom. He accidentally opened the door to Albus’s bedroom – seeing double made it very difficult to navigate. But what he saw in Albus’s bedroom was a heartbreaking image that he viewed in startling clarity.

Albus and Minerva were making love.

Aberforth was – stunned, shocked, speechless – to say the very least. He couldn’t move – it was as though he was Petrified. As Albus and Minerva drifted down from their climaxes, Albus finally noticed his brother standing in the doorway. As Albus leapt out of bed and lunged towards him, the spell was broken.

“Merlin – bloody hell, Albus! What did you do? What in Merlin’s name did you do?” Aberforth cried.

“Shut up, Aberforth! Get the hell out of Hogwarts!” Albus growled threateningly, approaching Aberforth, wand tightly gripped in his hand, ignoring the fact that he was still naked.

“I love her, Albus! You know that! How could you sleep with her when you knew that?”

Minerva had been sitting still in the middle of the bed, clutching the bedding tightly around her.

“I love her, too, Aberforth! We’ve been together for almost a year!”

With that, Minerva finally broke out of her trance. “I’m sorry Aberforth, but I love Albus. I’ve been in love with him for years…”


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A sharp squawk emitted from a golden cage in the corner. Standing up from his bed, Aberforth made his way over to the enchanted cage that was currently imprisoning Fawkes – both magically and physically. Casting a silencing charm, Aberforth threw a few mouldy owl treats in the cage and sat down in his previous position.

Oh, Minerva…

[admmityourlove]

Angsty to the extreme! I can't help but pity Aberforth a bit, even if I love Albus and Minerva. But how could HE poison her if he loves her?! Grr... This is a really good story. You had me going there for a while with Albus' horrific dream.

[dianahawthorne]

Chapter Four: So Shaken As We Are

He dreamt the same dream again - but this time there was something different about it. He could see the dull glistening of a tarnished golden cage in the corner, obscured by the clothes flung over top of it. As the bed shook, a worn flannel shirt slid off the rounded dome of the wire cage, revealing a starved-looking, bedraggled phoenix.

The dream ended, and Albus leapt out of his bed. Quickly dressing himself in a pair of dark trousers, and, for once, a dark shirt, he grabbed his wand and Invisibility cloak and Flooed to Aberforth's flat.

Even before Albus had stepped fully out of the fireplace, he had his wand out and Petrified Aberforth. Taking no risks, Albus also cast Incarcerous Fero, which Conjured thick iron chains and bound his brother's limbs to the wall. Quickly making his way to the corner where he had seen Fawkes, Albus flung the shirt off of the tarnished cage. He could clearly see that there was nothing there.

Albus blinked several times and shook his head, as though dispelling a hallucination. When he realised that the cage really was empty, he turned slowly and deliberately on his heel to face Aberforth.

He released the Body-Bind curse enough to allow Aberforth the ability to answer his questions.

"Why did you take Fawkes? Where is he?" Albus asked coldly.

Aberforth sneered at him before replying, "How do you think I took him?"

Albus's eyes flashed, and he straightened his back almost imperceptibly. Arming his Occlumency defences, Albus focused on Aberforth's mocking eyes. He entered his brother's mind forcefully. The darkness and malice present nauseated and sickened Albus - how could his brother have become so evil? Searching for memories of Minerva, Albus stumbled upon jealousy, hatred, and a thirst for revenge against Albus for, according to Aberforth's mind, taking Minerva away from Aberforth. Then Albus stumbled upon the memory that proved Aberforth had poisoned Minerva.

Aberforth had managed to free himself from the full Body-Bind Albus had placed on him, and lunged suddenly at his brother. However, Albus was somewhat prepared for the sudden attack, and Apparated to a point directly behind Aberforth.

"Stupefy!" Albus roared, and a jet of red light hit his brother in the middle of the back. As he landed on the hard stone floor, Albus heard a sickening crunch that was obviously the breaking of his brother's nose. Albus flipped his brother over, and cast Episkey to fix the nose. Before he could finish the spell, however, Aberforth's skin rippled, the leathery consistency and wrinkles transforming into smooth, pale skin.

Albus was hit with the sudden realisation that this man wasn't his brother. It was someone else using the Polyjuice Potion. Before Albus could fully grasp the enormity of this situation, his attention was drawn to the imposter's features. The black hair and glasses were very familiar.

They belonged to James Potter.

[jrs]

Whaa what?! Whoa - that was definitley unexpected! more! please...

[Junora]

Please more! I'm speechless that's... just...whoa!

[dianahawthorne]

Couldn't Grasp Such Ideas


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Albus dropped his wand in shock. James Potter? he thought, almost abstractedly. He couldn't focus on anything; the shock was too great. Albus needed to take James back to school, to Poppy, and have him tested for prolonged Polyjuice Potion use. He floated James in front of him and Flooed to Poppy's office.
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He was sitting by Minerva, holding her hand, when Poppy returned with James's test results.
"He's been using Polyjuice for the past two months, Albus," she said sadly. Albus stared at the results unfeelingly.

"Albus?" He looked up at Poppy, who had placed her hand on his shoulder, "You need to get some sleep."

"I can't leave her, Poppy," he whispered sadly, "I just can't. Especially not now."

She nodded understandingly. "At least try to get some rest."

Poppy dimmed the lights with a wave of her wand. He heard the door close as she exited the Hospital Wing for her quarters. He murmured a spell and Minerva's hospital bed expanded to twice its original size. He gently lifted one corner of the covers and crawled into the bed beside her. Draping an arm around her slender waist, he drifted off to sleep. Just before losing consciousness, however, he thought he felt her snuggle up against him, like old times.

[dianahawthorne]

Chapter Six: Ashes to ?

Ashes blew across a field near Hogwarts, on a strong wind that shook the branches of the trees in the Forbidden Forest. Getting tangled in the pine needles, the ashes all finally dropped onto the surface of a still pond in a hidden clearing. Within a very few minutes, a young unicorn and an old thestral arrived at the pond, silently, as though they were ghosts. In unison, the unicorn and thestral stepped into the pond, no ripples signifying their presence. The ashes that had floated on the surface of the pond started to shimmer and rise into the air. As the unicorn and thestral threw back their heads and brayed, an explosion of light and water obscured the vision of anyone that happened to be watching. When the water cleared, the pond, thestral, and unicorn were gone, leaving a red-and-gold phoenix in their place. Suddenly, the phoenix disappeared in a burst of flames, and the clearing in which all this had occured was indistinguishable from any other open space in the Forbidden Forest.


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Simultaneously, the same reborn phoenix appeared in another burst of flames on the nightstand next to an enlarged bed in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. The soft light of dawn filtered through the gauzy curtains framing the windows and reflecting off the bird's red and gold plumage. The phoenix grabbed the coverlet of the bed with his claws and flew towards the foot of the bed, revealing the sleeping bodies beneath.

The woman began to stir, stretching her arms above her head as she yawned gently. She opened her eyes, blinking several times to adjust to the dim morning light. Suddenly, she noticed the bright bird looking inquisitively at her with his dark eyes. The phoenix flew back over to her and perched on her knee. She settled back against the headboard of the bed and stroked the phoenix's feathers.

"Hello, Fawkes," Minerva said, her voice slightly hoarse from disuse. Hearing his lover speak for the first time in two months stirred Albus from his deep sleep. He hoped it wasn't a dream.

"Min?" he asked tentatively. She turned towards him and snuggled against his shoulder, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and breathed in the scent of her hair. Planting many kisses on the top of her head, he bent down and lifted her chin gently with one finger, meeting her soft lips with his own.

"Oh, Minerva," he whispered, as they broke apart for air, "how I love you..."

[dianahawthorne]

Chapter Seven: The End is Only the Beginning...

James Potter had been in love with Professor McGonagall ever since he had first noticed girls. He never was good at Transfiguration, but he pushed himself to suceed because she taught the subject. He even became an illegal Animagus to become closer to her. As his seventh year began, he began seeing Lily Evans, a Muggle-born who was Minerva's particular favourite. He worked himself into Minerva's good graces, becoming one of the few people she would reveal her true self to. She danced with him at his wedding to Lily - something he'd never meant to have happen. He couldn't break up with Lily, however, because he would lose the easy rapport he had built up with Minerva. She would have been sure to take Lily's side.

So James bided his time, waiting until Lily was expecting their first child before making his move. He had developed a skill in Occlumency and Legilimency over the years, and he used that to enter Aberforth Dumbledore's mind. One night, he had placed the old man in a full Body-Bind and stripped him of his memories of walking in on Albus and Minerva. Of course, the aging bartender did not have any feelings for Minerva, so he altered the memories. He'd immersed himself in the Pensieve that he'd borrowed from Potter Manor, so he would be able to present those memories to Albus during the next stage of his plan. He then forced Aberforth's mouth open and poured a bottle of the Draught of Living Death down his throat, rubbing the wrinkled skin around the bartender's neck to ensure the potion was completely injested. He'd then cut hair from Aberforth's long beard before Transfiguring the man into a tarnished golden bird cage. He took the Polyjuice potion he'd brought with him and Summoned Fawkes. Seeing the burst of flames that signaled the phoenix's arrival, he quickly Stupified the bird and thrust it into the cage, before performing the most complex containment charms he knew. Only when he was sure the phoenix could not leave the cage did he go downstairs for a half-hour to shut down the bar. He knew that eventually he would have to cast Fiendfyre on Fawkes and scatter his ashes, as the only way to destroy a phoenix is to cast that curse. And all the ashes must be present for a phoenix to be reborn, so scattering them would ensure that Dumbledore's phoenix would be no longer. After the potion had worn off, he Apparated to the small cottage he secretly kept in Hogsmeade.

"Dilly!" James called.

A sharp pop indicated the house-elf's arrival.

"Yes, Master James, sir?" Dilly asked, bowing.

"Dilly, please put this in Professor McGonagall's tea, but don't let anyone see you," he said, holding out a teabag appearing to hold Minerva's favourite brew, but really holding another dose of the Draught of Living Death. "And put this in Headmaster Dumbledore's hot chocolate," he continued, handing the house-elf an envelope filled with a dream powder, not the Headmaster's usual mix of hot chocolate. This powder would ensure that Albus Dumbledore would dream whatever James wanted him to - and James wanted him to be tortured by Aberforth making love to Minerva. "And return here when you have finished!" James concluded, handing the packets to Dilly. He would have to Obliviate the elf once the tasks were carried out. James couldn't afford a liability...


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This is what Albus Dumbledore saw when he entered the mind of James Potter, one of his close friends, a former student, and now, the man who had poisoned Minerva.
Albus was immensely relieved that James had not discovered there was another way for a phoenix to be reborn, even if not all of the ashes were present. A young unicorn and old thestral would have to perform a ritual - no one was sure exactly what happened, but the myth had gained credibility in certain intellectual circles. And now Albus had proof of its veracity.

Albus turned around to look at his lover, who was sleeping so peacefully amongst the down pillows and warm blankets Albus had brought from their own rooms. He knew he had to do this now, to spare her any more pain.

"Ennervate," Albus said, pointing his wand at James after casting a Silencing charm around his immediate area and binding James to the bed. The dark-haired man opened his eyes, looked at Albus, and spat in his face.

"You nasty bastard - how could you take Minerva from me? How?" James screamed as Albus wiped the spittle from his own face.

Maintaining a calm front, Albus replied, "Minerva is not an object to be owned. She is a woman who gave her heart to me, as I gave her mine in return."

"Keep telling yourself that, old man. She'll never be yours!"

"That's where you are wrong, James," Minerva said, coming out of the shadows, "I've always been Albus's. And he is mine."

James Potter looked at her, dumbstruck, before the Aurors Minerva had called led him away.

"I thought you were asleep, my dear," Albus said to her, taking her hands in his.

"That's what I wanted you to think, darling. I needed to know what he would say to you - I thought he might bring up our age difference, and I knew that you'd take that remark to heart. And I needed to show him that I am yours, and you are mine. We are two halves to the same whole, Albus, and I love you. I will never leave you."

He gathered her in his arms and embraced her passionately. "I love you, Minerva. With all my heart and soul."


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The Daily Prophet, 7 September 19--, Morning Edition
JAMES POTTER SUBJECTED TO DEMENTOR'S KISS

After his arrest two months ago for the poisoning of Minerva McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration, Head of Gryffindor House, and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, James Potter's sentence of the Dementor's Kiss was executed. Mr. Potter, a resident of Godric's Hollow, waived his right to a trial, accepting the punishment of the Dementor's Kiss. His wife, Lily Evans, gave birth to their child, a daughter she named Rose Minerva Evans, in honour of her mentor Minerva McGonagall. During Mr. Potter's last statement before the Kiss, he admitted to controlling Ms. Evans with the use of the Imperius curse and unregulated use of the Amorentia potion. Ms. Evans is currently recuperating at Hogwarts with Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore.

In other news, the Daily Prophet is pleased to be among the first to congratulate Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall on their engagement. Their wedding will be a small ceremony at Hogwarts on the twentienth of November. We wish them a long and happy marriage.



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The End