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Her fugue, His Lie, and Their Story

Chapter 1: Objections

Poppy Pomfrey was not an arrogant woman, nor an ignorant one. She admitted readily that she had accepted personal defeat on many more occasions during those past few days than she would have liked to in a lifetime- but it was high time, she decided, to stop losing.

Hogwarts was crumbling- quite literally crumbling under her rather sore feet. There were bricks falling from the ceiling, stones lying loose on the floor, blood stains on the walls, and every time somebody took a step, their footprint would get ingrained in the dust. Needless to say, it was no place for the sick- it was exactly the place for the dead- and so, naturally, when Chief Julianne Goode of St. Mungos came forward to welcome those in her bomb zone of an infirmary to the greatest hospital in England, Pomfrey had little objection.

Little

That objection came in the name of two patients who were injured in marginally different ways. Two patients of which Madam Pomfrey simply could not let go because if she did, it may have turned out to be yet another loss.

The girl was attacked, alone, in the eastern courtyard. She had been brutally raped, beaten, and cursed, losing all memory and struggling even for her name. Only after much consideration was it that Madam Pomfrey decided she would take responsibility for the girl, for she felt her recovery depended much more on stability and comfort, as opposed to change and efficiency. It was something Poppy thought she owed Hermione Granger- after all, she had played quite a large role in saving their very world.

The man was in a coma still, even a week and some after the battle, fighting off the poison from a snake bite- not just any snake bite, the pet of the Dark Lord. Of course, he shouldn't have been alive, but he was, and he shouldn't have thought he was going to die the villain, and yet, he did. Madam Pomfrey was watching his chest rise and fall rhythmically, her heart panged with guilt, when she made up her mind to save him. He wouldn't be going to St. Mungos where they might give up him, no, she was taking him home- she was taking both of them home.

Battle Ensues at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

(May 11, 1998)

It would seem that Hogwarts School has not yet had its fill of trouble on the homefront. Reliable sources reveal that issues among the staff have suddenly taken more precedents over all the many abominations of war. Even before the dead lie cold in their graves, rumors are beginning to swirl- among those closest to those in command, shall we say- that Professor Minerva McGonagall, formerly Deputy Headmistress, is power-hungry for the higher post. The problem? It has also been disclosed that Professor Pomona Sprout, and believe it or not, Professor Sybil Trelawney are also fighting- kicking and screaming, we might add- for the title of Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It's no surprise to find a brawl there. It was confirmed just last night that the school will undergo major reconstruction projects, with plans for work start beginning in June and ending as early as August! Now that's a quick turn around, and it certainly leaves us all wondering whether such tightly managed progress will be able to pay proper homage on those hallowed grounds.

But why fight over the highest paying job- besides the fact that it is highest paying?

"They all have their own agendas…" Says one source, who has chosen to remain unnamed, with a wave of his hand. "Professor Sprout always went on and on about the lack of funding for the greenhouses. And once I told her I forgot to water my houseplants- she then found a reason to give me detention and said that if she were in charge, "that would be reason enough!'"

"Professor Trelawney thinks she can predict the future, so naturally, she thinks she ought to have the job and Professor McGonagall, well, she's just fed up with always being second in line!"

But what about the timing of such a mundane argument, we asked our source, how does that make you feel?

"I think it's sick," he admits, "really twisted stuff, that is. No respect for the dead or the living."

Sick? We'll leave that judgment up to you but this story isn't finished yet…

There are also whispers going around the world- most notably Hogsmeade, that Professor Severus Snape- current or former headmaster has yet to be confirmed- has, in fact, survived injuries he sustained during combat. Of course everything's very hush, hush, but this would throw another twist in the mix. Yet another contender, rather, a sudden hero, vying for the grand prize of remaining captain of the S.S. Hogwarts.

Sadly, only time will tell how these events are to unfold and respectful precautions, most likely, will be taken, slowing down the process even further. As for now the fate of Hogwarts remains to be seen.

-Rita Skeeter

"In all my life, I've never witnessed such a blatantly disrespectful attack! What on earth was she thinking? It's not been two weeks; Parent's are still burying their children, for god's sake!" Minerva seethed.

She was pacing the length of her equally wasted office like a wild animal held captive, kicking up little bits of dust with every movement she made. The portraits were empty, having long run off in fear of the headmistress' tirade, or otherwise they would have been cursing Rita Skeeter's name too.

"I've just about had it with that woman! When Kingsley's Minister, oh when he is, I'll have him send her straight to Azkaban for treason- a life sentence and not a day less."

"A life sentence? In Azkaban?" Poppy repeated with mild astonishment. Minerva had thrown the paper- quite roughly- into her lap and she thumbed at the corners absentmindedly. It certainly wasn't a considerate piece, nor composed one, but it was unflattering, and she wondered briefly which aspect Minerva was angrier or more embarrassed about. "Surely that's a little severe."

"We have very different definitions of severe, then." said Minerva, in a cold voice. She then fell listlessly into her seat, and began to rub her temples in a manner so reminiscent of Dumbledore that, for a moment, Poppy thought she could smell Lemon Drops in the air. "Please forgive me if my tolerance for such behavior is not what it was a month ago; nearly fifty good people have died on these grounds since then."

A chill ran through the room and Poppy feverently tried to think of something uplifting to say, but there was nothing to make it better. What could she say? That she was sorry? That they had died for a good reason? That they were at peace? No, that was utter bollocks, and it wasn't anything that anybody actually wanted to hear- she had gathered that much from her days at St. Mungos. People always went around saying silly things to fill the silence at a time like that. It was a waste of air. Their attempts only made it harder to breathe.

So Poppy and Minerva remained in that horrible silence for a moment, felt the nausea and then let it pass, resigned to the fact that another wave of sickness would follow and they would just have to face it again. In the end, it was Minerva who broke the quiet. She took a deep, shuddering breath and fixed Poppy with a practical gaze.

"Have you started the evacuation of the Infirmary?" the headmistress asked, and then added as if she felt she were being quite insensitive, "Is everybody stable enough to move?"

"Well, that's actually why I came up here in the first place…"

Minerva raised an eyebrow the same way she always had when a student had been naughty and deserved a good dressing down.

"Most of them are perfectly fit to go to St. Mungos for the remainder of their recoveries, but- but I wish take Severus and Miss. Granger home," Poppy continued, "with me."

Minerva started, just started at her for a moment before lurching to her feet. "Are you out of your mind, Poppy? Take them where?"

"To my home, of course. Goodness knows we've got the room."

The headmistress continued to gawk. "Them together? To your home?" She echoed. "Oh, you haven't been talking to Dumbledore's portrait again, have you? Because he's dead, that is not truly him up there- he doesn't know what he's-"

"-No, I haven't been talking to the bloody portrait." Poppy interrupted heatedly, rising to her feet as well. "I just feel, that in the case of both their well-beings, it would be better if I oversaw their care. Personally."

"But St. Mungos is the best in the country! Severus is still in a coma, for merlin's sake! There isn't a better place for them in all of England!"

Poppy tapped her foot testily on the stone below. "I think you are forgetting, Minerva, that I was once the chief of St. Mungos myself."

"And I think you're making this about something that it isn't."

It was Pomfrey's turn to glare. But there was a limited amount of resentment she could muster, because MInerva, being Minerva, always managed to hit the real issue on the head, and this time it was no different. She fell back into the chair across from the desk with a sigh.

"I don't need your permission to do this."

"And yet, here you are." Minerva said, shaking her head. "I suppose I can hardly argue if it's what you feel best, but i'm not entirely sure it's a good idea, Poppy, after all, I don't recall them as being particularly fond of each other. And Severus- well, you're the healer- it isn't looking very promising, is it? "

Poppy almost wanted to laugh. Of course it was not looking promising- it never did in the case of Severus Snape- it never had- and Minerva would only understand that if she knew the man as Poppy did. But she did not, she could not, and therefore, it didn't matter to her as much. He had cleared his name and would die a hero, for Minerva that was enough. For Poppy it was not. He had to survive. He just had to live and see the quite literal turning point of his own, thus far, wretched life.

"Hm. I haven't saved him this many times to have him die now, Min. And Hermione doesn't remember a jot about anybody or anything… she'll get fond."

A/N: Thanks for reading. I know this chapter was a little boring but I had to set everything up and anyways, I'm just testing the waters. If you like the concept, or what you're seeing so far, please review. Feedback is greatly appreciated.