[[ @goddessofhogwarts, From here. ]]
goddessofhogwarts answered:
Minerva tapped her fingers against her goblet in thought. It was not the strangest owl she’d ever received–not by a long shot–but any owl at midday, let alone from Aberforth, was very unusual. She sent the bird off again before it drew too much attention and waited until curious student eyes had returned to their lunches before perusing the letter again.
“Minerva, will you stop that?”
She glanced at the man on her right, amused; the potions master was scowling at the way her fingernails clinked against the crystal.
“Of course. Thank you for asking so politely,” she said dryly, but stilled her hands. “Albus didn’t say anything to you about expecting visitors, did he?”
Severus blinked. “What? No. It’s not like he actually tells me anything. You’re his deputy…. Why?”
“Because apparently we’ve got one.” Minerva hesitated–but, technically, he was her second when Albus was away doing Merlin-only-knew-what. She handed over the letter and waited for the inevitable sigh.
“Oh, goody. I suppose you’ll be needing someone to fetch her–or send her on her way?”
“It’s certainly not going to be you, if that was your idea of volunteering,” Minerva sniffed. “Aberforth doesn’t think she means harm, and–”
“You trust his judgement?”
“–Fang is not so easily deceived. I’d like to speak with her–at the very least, see what she wants. I’ll not have you scaring her away before then.”
Severus snorted and went back to picking at his lunch. “Fine. On your own head be it.”
Minerva ignored that decidedly unhelpful remark and stood up–time to seek out a friendlier face. She found it halfway across the Entrance Hall.
“Ah, Hagrid–I believe there is someone heading for the gates with your dog….”
“My dog?” Hagrid reared back a little in surprise, “Which - ? Oh, er,” He coughed, “right you are, Professor. Must be Fang, I expect - Fluffy, as you know, is secured as always.” Wouldn’t do for anyone in charge to think otherwise about that. People got right toe-y with a three-headed hound on the loose. “I’ll just ... trot off and take care o’ that, then.”
Unfortunately, some key aspects of Aberforth’s message were not completely accurate. As in, Fang was currently hightailing it back to the castle on his own, and back down the trail the ‘young lady’ hadn’t been fitting the description of either. The would-be attacker was gone, finally chased off in disgust; he’d had no answers for her beyond ‘she’d been convenient’, and for want of any other option she’d let him go.
The wand, however, she’d kept - though he seemed reluctant to leave it behind - and it still twiddled in her fingers as she trudged to rest of the way toward the castle doors.
Ah, there was Fang, just outside the gates by some sort of huge, kneeling statue. Or so she thought, until she got closer and the ‘statue’ turned its head toward her and slowly stood up. And up. And up.
... Oh boy. Thera froze where she was, jaw slightly open, as Fang woofed and ran to greet her - with the ‘statue’ looming behind.
“Uh. Hi.” Her head tipped back a little, as the man continued getting bigger the closer he came. This ... was going to be interesting ...
