Dumbledore had just finished going through all the reports in the newspapers, at least those he deemed interesting, intriguing, or important. He was arranging the papers back into an organized stack when he felt a presence approaching his office. He left the newspapers on the table as he straightened his back and schooled his expression.
"Come in," he boomed, just as the incoming individual was about to knock on the door.
The doors of the office were pushed open, and Minerva McGonagall stepped through. Her expression was the usual, as you would expect from her. Her face was stern, stiff, and neutral. She was blank, empty and devoid of any expression.
Nothing on her face betrayed the ordeal she had been through just the day before. Nothing showed that she had been involved in what was nearly a duel to the death, that she had killed a Death Eater or that she had stood against the Dark Lord himself.
Despite her blank expression, Dumbledore was able to pick up something different in her eyes. There was an extra bit, just a small measure, of added respect.
He had the realization that in the past few weeks, the relationship between them had turned tense because of certain ideals and the differences in their ideologies. That they had not been able to arrive on the same page regarding various issues and topics and it had produced a crack in their relationship.
However, the actions Dumbledore had taken yesterday had helped him reconcile that lost respect and gain even more than she had previously held.
This newfound regard was not simply because Dumbledore had displayed overwhelming power. Minerva, from the beginning, had a fair idea of how powerful he was. Maybe, she might not have expected that much power but it did not matter much. Instead, this respect was because of the stand he had taken.
Like many others, Minerva had been skeptical when he had announced that he would be actively killing Death Eaters. She, too, had wondered if it were another one of his political moves, another one of his plots, or another one of his manipulations. But yesterday's incident and Dumbledore's firm, resolved stand against Voldemort had cleared all doubts and suspicions regarding his intentions. He had actively opposed the Dark Lord and had even sliced one of the Death Eaters in two, moments before they had fled.
It was a positive turn for Dumbledore. He could once again hope for Minerva to trust him completely, and to stand at his side when the time came and the situation demanded it.
"Ah, Minerva!" Dumbledore smiled brightly, gesturing toward the empty chair across the table. "Have a seat."
"Albus," Minerva nodded in return, a very small, barely noticeable, smile appearing on her stiff face as she settled into the chair.
"Did you read the newspapers?" Dumbledore initiated the conversation, his smile still in place and his eyes twinkling behind his half moon spectacles. "What nonsense, ridiculousness, and exaggeration they are spewing. It almost made me laugh, though I am not entirely sure if I should laugh or cry at such buffoonery."
"They have placed me a bit at a crossroad," he added with fake seriousness but amusement in his eyes. "And I am not able to reach a conclusion."
Minerva chuckled, just a little, at Dumbledore's splendid joke, or at least, this was what he thought. The atmosphere eased, and the lingering sense of depression and suffocation pressing against them began to lift.
"While I agree that journalists have a certain art for writing useless, exaggerated, nonsense and sometimes even incorrect news," Minerva replied, "I do not think they have been exaggerating all that much especially regarding you."
"On the contrary," she continued. "I believe they have kept your praise a notch or two below what you truly deserved, likely out of fear that they might spite the Dark Lord and face the repercussions."
Dumbledore simply nodded but offered no further comment on the matter. Instead, he turned the discussion toward a more serious subject.
"How are you feeling, Minerva?" he questioned, his voice softening with the warmth of a friend. "You stood against Voldemort himself; you even battled him."
Minerva shrugged, her expression barely changing, save for a slight glint in her eyes as if she were remembering the moment.
"I would not really call it a battle," she replied. "I was barely able to repel one of his spells, and even then, only after it had been weakened by Lord Olario."
"And as for how I am feeling?" she continued. "I am not sure. Perhaps weak and useless. I was barely able to do anything against him. If not for your intervention, I would have surely died."
Dumbledore shook his head with a small, comforting smile.
"Do not be too harsh on yourself, Minerva," he said. "What you faced was a Voldemort being powered by a runic formation that was siphoning magical energy from eleven wizards. Eleven Death Eaters. He was beyond powerful and you were not prepared."
"If it had been Voldemort under normal circumstances, you surely would have fared much better," he added. "Not to mention that you were able to kill one of the Death Eaters at the very beginning of the duel, and in an almost effortless manner at that."
"You did extremely well," he added in a reassuring tone.
Minerva nodded, her thoughts clearly contemplating his words and her eyes appearing to stare into the distance. The silence stretched for a few moments before Dumbledore broke it.
"Minerva," he said. "If you do not mind my asking, why did you jump into the battle? Why did you leap in to save Edmund Bones at Lord Olario's call?"
"Not that I am opposed to what you did," he added quickly. "In fact, I am quite pleased and proud that you did not remain standing there idle like the rest of the Wizengamot and were willing to take action against those filthy Death Eaters."
"It is just that I am unable to fully comprehend the intent and purpose behind Lord Olario calling in his favor from you and your immediate response to it."
Minerva knew that this was a question which was surely going to be brought up sooner or later and after all what had happened, she did not plan to hide the answer from Dumbledore. At least, not to this question.
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