Rating: PG
Characters: Minerva and Albus

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Minerva McGonagall stood at the window and sipped her morning tea as she stared out over the grounds of Hogwarts school. The day was brilliant and sunny, fragrant with blossoming flowers and the happy chirping of birds. So different than that day, ten years ago, that changed so much for so many.

This office with its lovely balcony and expansive view had been hers ever since that time, yet somehow it never quite felt as if she belonged here. Instead, she always felt that she was only filling in for the one who should have held tenure here for many more years than he did.

�What�s the matter, my dear? You don�t seem yourself this morning.� A familiar voice called out to her softly.

She turned around with a sad smile, and setting her teacup down on her desk next to a roll of parchment, she crossed the room to stand before the tall impressive figure of Albus Dumbledore.

�It�s a rather sad morning, Albus. I was just trying to prepare for the memorials that I�ll have to be attending today�beginning with yours.�

The man in the gilded frame smiled down on her and his blue eyes appeared to twinkle impishly though she knew it had to be a mere trick of the light.

�Well, if you�re going to be eulogizing me for the umpteenth time�at least offer everyone a sweet first so they�ll remember me kindly and possibly stay awake throughout the service.�

She smiled to herself. �Fortunately, I don�t think I�ll have to be making any speeches today. There�ll be far too many ceremonies that I�ll have to attend though. First there�s the private one for you in the chapel here. Followed by the one that will take place on the grounds commemorating the fallen in the place where so many died. Then there�ll be the official, far more pompous one, that will be held at the Ministry of Magic.

Percy Weasley himself will be doing the honors there. Not that anyone would begrudge the Minister of Magic his say, especially having lost two brothers in the final battle, but he does tend to drone on so�and I find that my attention tends to wander rather badly whenever he speaks.�

She sighed and reached out to caress the finely carved frame with restless fingers. �I received a note from Hermione Weasley just this morning, telling me that she and Ron will be at the memorial at the Ministry, but will have to forego the one here on the grounds, though Harry will attend, of course, he never misses. Seeing as she gave birth to twins only days ago, I�m a little surprised that she�s going to attend any of them, but since the Ministry has practically become the family business, I suppose neither she nor Ron could beg off�even to attend to little Bill and Fred.�

Minerva sighed and turned away from the painting of her dearly missed friend and walked slowly back to her desk. She reached for her teacup�hesitated�and then simply sat down and stared morosely into the fire instead.

�There were so many lives destroyed that day, Albus. No memorials could possibly do justice to the dead or comfort the living in the face of such utter waste. It appalls me still.� Her voice rose in sudden anger �You shouldn�t have died. Neither should Remus�or Hagrid�or Filius. Certainly none of those innocent children should have died. All to appease the utter greed and thirst for power of one horribly sick and twisted man. May he rot in hell forever.�

Dumbledore�s portrait looked down on her with a sad expression on his face and nodded. �No. Of course, you�re right. No one who died that day, should have lost their life that way, but there was no true way to prevent it. And those who gave up their lives did so willingly so that many more could live the life that they deserved. They all deserve to be honored for that sacrifice.�

�Yes,� she whispered. �Yes, they do�but not everyone who survived is living the life they deserve.� Her eyes bright with unshed tears came up to meet his once more.

�Still no luck there?� His voice was quiet.

She shook her head. �No. With you dead and so many others who knew the truth dead or severely wounded�there wasn�t anyway I was able to persuade the Ministry of the truth of the matter. Even with Harry�s testimony�second hand as it was�the Ministry officials still steadfastly refused to listen. They won�t even let me visit him any more. The official line is that all Death Eaters are to be kept securely under lock and key with no visitors and no privileges until they�ve all died. They don�t care at all that they�re punishing the innocent along with the guilty!�

The tears crept slowly down her cheeks. �I�ve failed in every attempt I�ve made to clear his name. They simply refuse to believe that Severus wasn�t a loyal follower of that monster. No matter how much I plead with them, no matter what argument I use�all they can see is that mark on his arm�the mark that�s condemned him to Azkaban forever.�

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Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated characters and concepts are the property of J.K. Rowling. These stories are fan tributes to her works, and generate no profit of any kind. No challenge to the intellectual property rights of Ms. Rowling, or any other author or artist whose works may be mentioned herein, is intended or implied. Story archived by permission of the author.