Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Dear Reader,
To say I was devastated at Minerva's death would have to be one of the greatest understatements ever made. I apparated back to Hogwarts with Minerva's body whilst Harry and Hermione stayed behind to answer all the questions that the press asked them. Once there, I placed her on the bed and sat down opposite, merely looking at her. I suppose I was in a state of denial for I kept expecting her to sit up and smile at me.
How long I sat there I don't know but eventually Harry came to see me. He'd organised her funeral which was to be held the following day. It was a small ceremony, held within the Hogwarts grounds, with only those closest to her attending. I agreed to everything, not really caring, all I could think of was 'she's dead'. That thought, that horrible thought kept running through my mind like a record whose needle stayed resolutely within the groove.
Harry left me soon after, and Hermione followed carrying Diana whom we had left with Madame Pompfrey. Even as a babe, Diana was intuitive and she sensed that something was wrong. Hermione placed her in my arms, and she pushed herself against my chest and held one of my fingers tightly in her hand. It was then that the tears began to fall as I realised that Minerva would never see Diana grow up, wouldn't see her go to Hogwarts, graduate, get married, have children of her own...the list was endless.
The tears stopped when I looked at Diana who was peering at me through eyes so similar to her mother's that it was uncanny. It was this more than anything that made me realise that I had to go on, for Diana's sake. My daughter was getting tired by this stage so I placed her in the crib and dragged it so I could sit back down on the chair.
I must have fallen asleep, for the next thing I remember is Harry waking me up to go to the funeral. I nodded, and took Diana to the next room, kissing Minerva gently before I left. I didn't want to see others touching her body, even though I knew it was necessary so I took as long as possible to dress, choosing a suit that Minerva had bought me.
It was simple, black jacket, black pants, and she had brought me a blue shirt she said matched my eyes, with a tie of a darker blue. Diana, I dressed in red, the same colour that her mother favoured, and together I carried her outside where the funeral was taking place. As Harry had promised, there was a fairly small number of people there. Hermione, Neville, Ginny and the rest of my family, the Hogwarts staff, Harry and of course myself and Diana. The press were crowded at the Hogwarts gates, but I found out later that Hermione and Harry had charmed the gates with so many enchantments it was impossible to get through.
Harry said the obituary, not that I listened overly much. I caught occassional snatches such as 'heroine', 'mother' etc. but I was too focused on her body which was lying on a white marble slab similar to that of Dumbledore's. As soon as Harry had finished, there was a burst of flame which died down almost immediately, leaving a marble coffin that was to be placed alongside Dumbledore. Minerva had always wished to remain at Hogwarts, even in death, and Harry and Hermione thought it was fitting. I suppose I would have too if I could comprehend anything except the fact she was dead at that time.
Afterward, I walked back to out chambers and locked the door. I know I had said that I would move on, but now that the reality had set in, I wanted nothing more than to isolate myself. And isolate I did, for a month, calling in food packages for myself and Diana until Hermione figured out the counter-charm to the locking spell I had used (it was one that Minerva had taught me, and extremely powerful).
January 27 1998 - Excerpt from Hermione Granger's diary
I finally got into Ron's rooms today. The idiot had locked himself in there for long enough and it was time that he came back into the real world. Not to mention that the school governors want to re-open the school. Surprisingly with Ron as Headmaster. Minerva had written in her will that it was he who she wished to succeed her; and she placed some sort of spell upon the parchment that makes it impossible for the governors to disagree with her. Everytime the issue is raised they seem to lose track of what they were saying. It's quite amusing to be honest.
Anyway, back to Ron. I broke the spell that he'd used to lock the door and entered. It was extremely dark and I admit I was somewhat apprehensive, but nevertheless I continued forward. Finally I reached the door to the living room which had light streaming from beneath and opened it. Inside was Diana's crib and she was smiling quite happily looking above her.
My mouth had fallen open by this stage as I looked around. Everywhere, taking up every available surface, were paintings. All of Minerva, though some included Ron and Diana as well. They detailed Ron and Minerva's relationship at different times beginnning with the aging potion that started everything, Minerva moving a chess piece, marking in class, the two kissing in front of window, curled up in front of a fire, laughing as they fell into a lake, Minerva holding Diana. They were simply spectacular.
I followed Diana's gaze and looked upward to find Ron painting the ceiling. He looked dreadful to tell you the truth. He looked as if he hadn't shaved for the entire month he'd been inside, he'd lost a drastic amount of weight, and his posture spoke of one who had lost everything.
"Ron?" I called hesitantly.
He looked down and glared at me, though he levitated himself back to the ground. Diana gurgled and he crossed the room and picked her up. She laughed and yanked at his beard, causing him to smile. This small difference made him look almost happy, but then he turned back to me and the smile vanished.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded shifting Diana so he rested on his hip.
"The governors wish to re-open the school," I answered, holding his firey blue gaze.
He glared at me. "I am not leaving!" he said heatedly. "This is my home, and Diana's. If they think I'm going to..."
"Minerva wanted you as Headmaster," I interrupted before he could say anything else.
He stared at me incredulously before shaking his head. "No, you just want me out of here!"
I admit then, I was slightly afraid of my friend. He looked quite insane with a paintbrush behind his ear, new beard and paint splattered over his robes. Diana however looked quite content and was staring at him adoringly.
"No, Ron," I said placatingly after several moments pause. "You know I wouldn't lie to you. It's what Minerva wanted."
He glared at me, but it soon faltered and he nodded his head. "I'll resign, Hermione," he said heavily. "You can be Headmistress. Just let me keep these rooms."
I got angry then, for some inexplicable reason. This was not the Ron I knew. This was a defeated man and I did not like it.
"Ron!" I said angrily. "Minerva would not have wanted you to lock yourself away! She would have wanted you to live life to the fullest! And don't you dare disagree; you know it's true!"
His jaw dropped for several moments before he nodded abruptly. "You're right," he said softly, his voice hoarse. "But it's so hard without her. She was..."
"Extraordinary," I finished.
He nodded mutely, silent tears running down his face. I crossed the room in three strides and wrapped my arms around him. He sobbed on my shoulder then, squeezing me tightly with the arm that wasn't holding Diana. Eventually he drew back and I kissed him softly on the cheek before stepping away.
"Go and shave, get out of those robes, and come down to dinner with us," I said, taking Diana who tilted her head to one side, looking at me before apparently deciding I was okay and resting her head against me.
Ron grinned. "She likes you," he said, stroking her vibrant red hair gently.
She smiled widely and reached out for him, but he shook his head and kissed her gently. "I'll be back soon," he said, squeezing her hand. "You stay with Hermione."
Before she could protest he had turned away and headed down the hall, presumably to the bathroom. I heard the sound of a shower running and began to walk around the room, examining the paintings. Some were small, and merely a portrait of Minerva with her looking directly at the viewer. Ron seemed to have captured her personality perfectly and her eyes were so lifelike it was uncanny. I moved to the next one which was Minerva leaning over a chessboard with Ron opposite. She had a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, and Ron's eyes were wide with a sort of...realisation in his irises.
I kept moving, examining the paintings until Ron reappeared. His hair was still wet, but his beard was gone and he was dressed in simple navy robes, which would once had been perfectly tailored, but now hung slightly from his thinner frame. He jutted his chin forward and thrust his shoulders back as if steeling himself. He came to stand next to me and Diana held his arms out to be held He took her gently and nodded at me and together we walked out of the room, past Minerva's office and down the spiral staircase.
The corridors were empty, but dinner was being held in the Great Hall and all looked up in surprise as Ron and I entered. Then Poppy Pomfrey smiled as did the other Professors and of course Harry, Ginny and Neville. Ron grinned back nervously and I led him to the table to the centre chair. There he hesitated, but eventually sat down, taking his time to look over the four empty house tables.
"I believe it's time to eat, Headmaster," Professor Flitwick said in his squeaky voice.
Ron nodded slowly, and clapped his hands. Instantly food appeared and we all began eating. I couldn't help laughing at Ron's antics with Diana however. My friend is not the smallest man and to see him making aeroplane noises that caused his daughter to squeal in laughter was an amusing sight to behold.
Beside me, Harry leant over and whispered in my ear. "Well done."
Dear Reader,
I suppose that I did isolate myself, but those paintings became my secondary income, though I did refuse to part with a great many and sold them only to Muggles as I did not particularly like to paint moving portraits and most wizards could not comprehend that.
A week after Hermione made me come out of my chambers, school resumed. I was the Headmaster, Harry took DADA, Hermione took Transfigurations and Neville continued on as Professor Sprout's apprentice. Ginny of course had to finish seventh-year, after which she took tutelage beneath Professor Flitwick.
I had learnt the duties of Headmaster from Minerva, and though it was daunting at times, I found that I was rather good and the school ran smoothly with little to no interference from the Ministry. Perhaps having Minerva McGonagall's husband as Headmaster was part of the reason, or maybe it was because Harry Potter taught there, not to mention other war heroes. Whatever the reason, Scrimgeur left well alone, and life continued.
Diana grew up quickly and before I knew it, she was a student herself. Thankfully she had inherited Minerva's brains and was the Hermione of her time (a title Hermione pretends to hate, but secretly likes). More years passed, and she was graduating at the top of her class with a scholarship to Cambridge Wizarding University where she was to study Transfiguration.
There she met her husband, and they married soon after her 18th birthday. I cannot tell you how difficult it was for me to give her away, but I did and Jacob is a good man who has treated her well. My present to them? A painting of course. Of them two of them when Diana first brought him to meet me.
Now, I am a grandfather a total of six times (Diana inherited the wish for a large family from me) and a great-grandfather fourteen times. I am still Headmaster, have never re-married, and intend to be here for as long as my aging bones allow me.
So, my dear Reader, I hope you enjoyed the story of an extraordinary woman who means more to me than life itself. Her life was extraordinary, and my words do her no justice, but I hope that you remember her name.
Minerva Aurora McGonagall-Weasley.
Yours sincerely
Ronald Weasley - Headmaster of Hogwarts
Author's notes: Well, it's over. I hope you enjoyed this fairly...odd little story. If so, please review. Cheers. Minniequill