Post by crystalpheonixeyes on Mar 5, 2007 22:57:28 GMT -5
A/N: Not really sure wherre this belongs....Anyway, hope you like it and please reveiw.
Disclaimer: It's all Jo's.
There was almost nothing left of Minerva's old friend. He had only his cheerfulness left, and even that abandoned him at times since he fell ill, when the pain was too much to take. Albus was so pale, so old. He looked older than Minerva, with his hair turned snowy white, his face a mask of delicate lines and his eyes no longer seeing well.
Minerva sighed. "Very well, Albus, speak - but only for a little while."
"I'll be gone soon, but I need you to promise me one thing."
"Only one thing?" Minerva tried to jest a little, but Albus would have none of that.
"Stop it, Minerva! I don't have time for that! Listen carefully, at the edge of the lake, where it meets its source, there's a shallow crossing - much like the ones we used back home."
"Back home?" Minerva interrupted. "Surely you don't mean-"
"But I do," Albus laughed. "Home is still there - even after all these years."
Minerva started protesting. For her the Glen and the Valley stopped being a home a long time ago, but as Albus broke into another fit of hacking coughs, she kept it to herself and let her friend go on.
"Once you cross the stream, you will find yourself walking through a slightly rocky area. A little distance to the right of the crossing you will find an old Oak. Between its roots I have put something for you. I want you to go there when you know your time has come."
"No one knows when their time comes, Albus. You can't expect me to-"
"I know you, Minerva," Albus said stubbornly, holding tightly to the sleeves of Minerva's gown. "If anyone can know when their time has come it's you. You will go there. I know it… I know it…"
"But-" Minerva tried again.
"Promise me, Minerva!"
"I-"
"Promise me!"
"I promise…"
Soon after that Albus had died. When the grief-stricken Harry had told her, Minerva vowed to keep her promise. There was no question about it. Minerva was not going to disrespect her friend's - no, her love’s last wish. The time has come, and Albus was right. Minerva did know.
Her destination was clear ahead. It was a giant Oak, so similar to the one which they had met so many times all those years ago - the one from which branches they had pelted passersby with acorns.
Minerva stifled a sob.
It had been such a long time ago. Those two were long gone. All those memories seemed to belong to someone else. These were the memories of a simple country girl, not those of an old teacher.
A teacher. That was all she was known as these days. All those who had known her when she was a mighty leader of the war against Grinwald were long dead.
With fresh determination she neared the tree and bent in the damp soil to pull the small watertight box she knew would be waiting there from between its roots.
She stared at the box for a long time, her fingers lingering over the moist wood, lightly touching the tiny lock. At that touch, there was a small clicking sound and the box cracked open ever so slightly.
With trembling fingers she opened the box. A tear slid down her cheek. Just one tear. Inside was only a slip of old parchment, on which was written in Albus's neat purple handwriting:
"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
"My dearest, I cannot wait to see you again. Come home, beloved friend. “
"Yours for always and for ever,”
"Albus."
When they found Minerva McGonagall's still body the next morning after an extensive search conducted by worried students, teachers and family, she had a soft smile on her calm, pale face. It seemed like the wrinkles on her thin face straightened and that she was once again young.
Raymond, who was the one to carry the feather-light body back to Hogwarts, could only be comforted in his grief by one thing.
In his imagination, his stern grandmother was once again the young woman his grandfather had fallen in love with, the one he had only known through the portraits done for his mother's and uncle's births. He could see her well, her raven hair flowing in a light breeze, her emerald eyes glowing with ill-suppressed excitement, pushing through a dark veil and finding herself with her beloved Albus again.
She was home.
Disclaimer: It's all Jo's.
There was almost nothing left of Minerva's old friend. He had only his cheerfulness left, and even that abandoned him at times since he fell ill, when the pain was too much to take. Albus was so pale, so old. He looked older than Minerva, with his hair turned snowy white, his face a mask of delicate lines and his eyes no longer seeing well.
Minerva sighed. "Very well, Albus, speak - but only for a little while."
"I'll be gone soon, but I need you to promise me one thing."
"Only one thing?" Minerva tried to jest a little, but Albus would have none of that.
"Stop it, Minerva! I don't have time for that! Listen carefully, at the edge of the lake, where it meets its source, there's a shallow crossing - much like the ones we used back home."
"Back home?" Minerva interrupted. "Surely you don't mean-"
"But I do," Albus laughed. "Home is still there - even after all these years."
Minerva started protesting. For her the Glen and the Valley stopped being a home a long time ago, but as Albus broke into another fit of hacking coughs, she kept it to herself and let her friend go on.
"Once you cross the stream, you will find yourself walking through a slightly rocky area. A little distance to the right of the crossing you will find an old Oak. Between its roots I have put something for you. I want you to go there when you know your time has come."
"No one knows when their time comes, Albus. You can't expect me to-"
"I know you, Minerva," Albus said stubbornly, holding tightly to the sleeves of Minerva's gown. "If anyone can know when their time has come it's you. You will go there. I know it… I know it…"
"But-" Minerva tried again.
"Promise me, Minerva!"
"I-"
"Promise me!"
"I promise…"
Soon after that Albus had died. When the grief-stricken Harry had told her, Minerva vowed to keep her promise. There was no question about it. Minerva was not going to disrespect her friend's - no, her love’s last wish. The time has come, and Albus was right. Minerva did know.
Her destination was clear ahead. It was a giant Oak, so similar to the one which they had met so many times all those years ago - the one from which branches they had pelted passersby with acorns.
Minerva stifled a sob.
It had been such a long time ago. Those two were long gone. All those memories seemed to belong to someone else. These were the memories of a simple country girl, not those of an old teacher.
A teacher. That was all she was known as these days. All those who had known her when she was a mighty leader of the war against Grinwald were long dead.
With fresh determination she neared the tree and bent in the damp soil to pull the small watertight box she knew would be waiting there from between its roots.
She stared at the box for a long time, her fingers lingering over the moist wood, lightly touching the tiny lock. At that touch, there was a small clicking sound and the box cracked open ever so slightly.
With trembling fingers she opened the box. A tear slid down her cheek. Just one tear. Inside was only a slip of old parchment, on which was written in Albus's neat purple handwriting:
"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
"My dearest, I cannot wait to see you again. Come home, beloved friend. “
"Yours for always and for ever,”
"Albus."
When they found Minerva McGonagall's still body the next morning after an extensive search conducted by worried students, teachers and family, she had a soft smile on her calm, pale face. It seemed like the wrinkles on her thin face straightened and that she was once again young.
Raymond, who was the one to carry the feather-light body back to Hogwarts, could only be comforted in his grief by one thing.
In his imagination, his stern grandmother was once again the young woman his grandfather had fallen in love with, the one he had only known through the portraits done for his mother's and uncle's births. He could see her well, her raven hair flowing in a light breeze, her emerald eyes glowing with ill-suppressed excitement, pushing through a dark veil and finding herself with her beloved Albus again.
She was home.
