Part IX - Minerva's Tale

Two nights later, Minerva lay in bed, trying to sleep and was quite unsuccessful. Strange visions passed in her mind.

She saw her mother, a young girl of slightly older than Minerva, cowering before Callista in the North Tower. Callista vanished and a boy with black hair and a friendly face, held out his hand to Calliope. She took it and then two of them ran together - out of Hogwarts. They disappeared, and a new figure emerged. It was the boy, only he was a man now. Minerva understood that this was William McGonagall. She started calling to him, though he did not turn around. He was looking for something. Around his neck was a cat charm that matched hers. He fingered it, and smiled. Minerva thought she heard him say, “Minerva will love it.” She started to laugh but then saw behind him she saw a faceless wizard whose presence made her blood freeze. She tried to warn her father about the Dark Wizard waiting to ambush him, but he could not hear her screams. The strange man in the dark clothes shouted something. When the green light faded, Minerva lay crumpled next to her father’s lifeless body.

She woke up with a start. It was late at night. Her face felt with sweat and tears. Minerva left the room and headed for the common room, where she would not awaken anyone. Once there she sat on a comfortable chair in front of the fire and began to gasp for breath.

The portrait hall opened and in walked Albus Dumbledore. He saw Minerva before she could escape. She chose to confront him rather than run.

“Professor Dumbledore, what are you doing in here?”

“I might ask you the same thing Miss McGonagall. As head of the house I come into the common room every night to make sure everything is quiet and all the students are happily asleep in their beds. Clearly not all of them are.”

Minerva felt a bit annoyed. “Professor, please don’t take offense,” she a bit harshly, “but I don’t feel that I can trust you.”

Dumbledore frowned, but his eyes twinkled. “I’m sorry that I don’t merit your trust, Miss McGonagall. Especially since I trusted you in the Glen.”

Now Minerva was indignant. “You lied to me in the Glen. You pretended to be something you weren’t and tricked me into leaving with you.”

The light in Dumbledore’s eyes faded. He looked sad and then sighed. The wizard moved to the chair beside her and sat down. For a while neither one spoke a word.

“Minerva, you’re very strong-willed,” he said with a small laugh, “That was the best quality of your grandmother who was… a close friend of mine. She was the one who showed me the Glen and taught me how to enter it. When your aunt told me you ran away, I went to find you because I understand you better than you think. I was trying to help.”

“But you lied to me. You made up your whole life history so that I would feel bad about leaving."

Dumbeldore hung his head. “We all have shadows in our pasts that we are ashamed of. Sometimes we’re lucky enough to reach an age where we attain the wisdom that allows us to prevent others from making the same mistakes.”

“Did your family really want you to be a goatherd?”

“Yes. After I graduated form Hogwarts, my parents wanted me to tend the flocks like my brother. But I wanted glory so I became an Auror. When the Ministry of Magic and I had a falling out of sorts, I came to Hogwarts. Goatherding and teaching are very similar, you know.”

Minerva wanted to ask what his secrets were, but his tone indicated that he did not plan to tell her.

“Professor, did you know my father?”

“I knew him very well. William was a very talented wizard. It was my pleasure to watch him grow up from a timid child into a confident and powerful wizard. Everyone loved him in Gryffindor, in all of Hogwarts. Younger students in particular looked up to him. No one wanted to believe he died. Minerva, why are you asking about him?”

“Today my aunt told me all about him and my mother. Then I dreamt about his death. It was so real.”

“Sometimes, the Gift can be a burden. You see things that you never wanted to see. And hope to never see again. Your grandmother, Ursula, used to say that to me all the time.”

“What was she like?”

“Very strong willed and very powerful. Not beautiful, but she could make every wizard’s heart stop beating just by entering a room. She was the Head Girl here though that never mattered to her. And she was fanatically devoted to being a good priestess. When I became an Auror, she used to help me hunt down Dark Wizards. She saved my life more times than I can count. But no one ever knew, and she preferred that.”

“What would she have said about me running away? Would she approve that I’m in Gyrffindor and and not completely in my aunt’s care?”

“I think she would have been proud that at eleven years old you are so self-sufficient. She probably would have understood that you were feeling strangled. I know that she would not have been upset that you were in Gryffindor. She used to tell me, ‘Albus, I’m more of a Gryffindor than you are.’ And I think she would be happy that you are devoted enough to continue your training when you don’t have to. But Miss McGonagall, I am your professor and I do not want you to be overtired for you classes tomorrow. So we can continue this discussion another time if you like, but for now you must go back to sleep.”

She went back to her bed and fell into a dreamless sleep. Dumbledore and Minerva never continued that conversation. It just never seemed like they needed to.