Stay Strong and Carry On

Isilarma

Written for the Colors Competition (Orange, positive and negative), and because I needed a break from the Founders. I hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and am no affiliated with Bloomsbury or Scholastic Inc.

"There is not much to say."

What use are words now?

"Despite this evening's events, we must endeavour to keep things running normally until the governors can make a decision."

How can things ever return to normal?

"For now, all students are confined to their houses. They will be free to attend the service if they so wish."

They all will, and she will not take that from them.

"Albus was a dear friend to us all, but we must remain calm."

The students will look to them now, and she will not let them down. Not after so many betrayals.

"More details will be available in the morning, but I think that is enough for now." She forces herself to meet every gaze. Many are crying, and none are ashamed of it. "Hogwarts will survive this. Our students will survive this."

She does not know if she can say the same of herself.

Minerva sat in her office. Her office, on the first floor, close to her classroom. She could have used his. She was Deputy Headmistress; she had that right. But that was his office, and it would always be his office, and the idea that that might change was simply not acceptable.

So she sat in her office, and for a minute, she could pretend that things were as they were. That soon he would knock on the door, and twinkle at her, and propose some hare-brained notion. And she would scoff, and call him insane, and end up going along with it anyway, because it was him, and somehow he always knew what to do.

Except now he was gone, and Severus was gone, and she did not know what to do. Speaking to Potter and the Order, reassuring the students, addressing the staff, that had been automatic, a response drilled in after long years of responsibility. She could not allow herself to show weakness. But duty could only go so far, and emotions could only be suppressed for so long.

There was a soft knock at the door.

"Minerva?"

Not now. Not yet.

"Minerva, can we come in?"

One of them might have gone away, but both? "Come in."

The door swung open immediately, and Pomona stepped inside. Her normally cheerful face was very pale, but she managed a small smile.

"I thought you would be here."

Any other time, the company would be appreciated. "Is something wrong?"

Filius gave a soft snort as he shut the door behind them. "Not exactly the best question you could ask?"

"Filius," Pomona murmured.

Filius sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I know. I am sorry, Minerva."

Minerva looked at him, and the slight tremor in his hands stirred her from her apathy. "Should you be out of the hospital wing?"

Filius waved the concern away. "I am fine. Even Poppy agreed."

Minerva raised an eyebrow. "Did she now?"

"Yes. Eventually," he added in an undertone.

Minerva glanced at Pomona, who rolled her eyes. "I see."

He folded his arms. "Remind me again how long you remained in St. Mungo's after your procedure last year."

Minerva felt a light blush suffuse her cheeks. "That is irrelevant."

"And so is this discussion. I am perfectly all right, or at least I will be." All levity disappeared from his dark eyes. "And right now, we have far more important things to worry about."

Pomona shook her head. "I still can't believe it. Albus gone..."

Minerva flinched, and immediately regretted it when her friends exchanged a look. She moved on quickly, refusing to allow herself to dwell on the moment.

"We must keep an eye on students. This will affect even the older students deeply, and they will need-"

"Minerva, we know," Pomona interrupted gently. "We have spoken to our houses, and the prefects know to be alert. Poppy is watching over those in the infirmary, and Horace has the Slytherins well in hand. For the moment, there is little more we can do for them."

There had to be something. "Have the parents been notified? They must know what has happened."

"You saw to it earlier," Filius reminded her. "Irma is arranging it as we speak."

"The damage from the battle?"

"The house-elves have already cleared it."

"The Order?"

"Have gone, with the exception of Bill Weasley."

"That poor boy," Pomona murmured. She had been fond of Bill. They all had.

Filius nodded, his eyes turning hard. "Indeed. Fenrir Greyback..." His hand drifted to his wand, and the expression on his face reminded Minerva all too clearly of his Duellist past. She looked away, unwilling to dwell on Bill's fate. Another casualty of this war. Already there had been so many, and now that Albus was gone... No.

"What about the Ministry? Did the Aurors remain?"

Pomona frowned at her. "Minerva, are you really all right?"

"Of course I am, or as well as is to be expected." Neither looked convinced, and she felt her irritation rise. "What?"

Pomona just sighed. "We miss him too, Minerva."

Minerva froze. Pomona continued to speak, but all sound was drowned out by a sudden rushing in her ears.

No more interruptions. No more ridiculous ideas. No more stupid sherbet lemons, or technicolour robes, or twinkling eyes. No more sitting drinking hot chocolate in the early hours of the morning, not talking about anything in particular, but just knowing that someone was there...

Memories rushed past; Albus pacing up and down before the welcome feasts, impatient to greet the new students, talking about them after, not just the purebloods, but every student, caring for each and every one of them, yet always being there for the staff too.

He was always there.

And now...

"Minerva?"

A hand touched her arm. Unbidden a memory rose up, of reading a letter in a deserted classroom, and his concern, and understanding, and it was like a dam had burst. All the pain, all the anger, all the despair rose up, and this time she did not even try to suppress it. He was gone. How could they continue now?

Then someone was hugging her, and someone else was rubbing her back, and Minerva forgot about duty, forgot about the students, forgot about Snape, and Voldemort, and the whole stupid war, and just sank into the comfort that they offered. She wept until she could weep no more, and all emotion had gone, and all she could do was long for the time when there had been something.

Someone, Pomona she thought dimly, guided her to a chair, and she took it, too numb to do anything else. She blinked, and Pomona's worried face swam into view.

"Minerva?"

Minerva took a deep breath. "I'm all right." She looked away, cheeks flushing with shame at her outburst. She was supposed to be stronger than this.

Pomona grasped her hand. "You don't always have to be," she said quietly. She sighed. "Merlin knows I'm not."

"I don't think any of us are," said Filius.

"But we cannot afford this," Minerva insisted. "The students-"

"Understand," Pomona said. "We are only human, and he was our friend. They know that, indeed, I think they would be more disturbed if we did not appear concerned."

Filius nodded. "They know how much he meant to us, to everyone. Really, I do not know anyone who will not be affected by the news."

Minerva shivered. "What are we going to do?"

Pomona and Filius looked at each other.

"We keep going," said Filius. "We teach our students, and protect them as best they can." A shadow crossed his face. "That is, if Hogwarts even stays open."

"It will," said Pomona firmly. "It has to."

"And what of You-Know-Who?" asked Minerva. "With Albus gone, how can we fight him?"

Silence greeted her words. From the looks on their faces, they had been pondering the exact same question. Minerva sighed. Albus had had a plan, of that she was certain. Unfortunately, the only person he had told was Harry Potter, and he was not saying anything. There was nothing she could do, nothing any of them could do. Would they be forced to leave the fate of their world in his hands?

The thought was enough to kindle the embers of her spirit. That Harry's destiny was linked with You-Know-Who's was without question. But that did not mean that he had to be alone.

They had lost Albus. She'd be damned if they lost another Gryffindor.

"Albus knew what he was doing," she murmured. Pomona and Filius turned startled looks on her, but she continued. "He knew Harry would be involved, and he has told him what he needs to know."

"Harry Potter?" Pomona exclaimed. "He's just a child."

"I do not think he has been a child for a long time now," said Filius grimly. "But to ask this of him-"

"He is involved whether we ask him or not," Minerva pointed out. "And I think he knows that."

Pomona nodded, though her reluctance was all too clear. "But even so, what can we do about it? Has he told you what he's going to do?"

"No," Minerva admitted. "He said he couldn't."

"Then how can we help him?"

Minerva stared out of her office window. Five years ago, she had watched a first year perform a death-defying dive to protect something his friend valued. Strange how little some things changed. She had stood for him then, had recognised what he could do. Now...

"We we be ready for him." She turned back to them. "One day, he will come back to us, and on that day he will need our help. On that day, we will fight for him. Until then, we prepare. We teach, and we protect, just as you said, Filius." Her throat tightened and it took all her willpower to speak the next words. "Albus is dead. But we are not, and neither is Harry. We cannot give up. Not until we make that creature pay for every life he has taken."

The battle light was dawning in Filius' eyes. "We show them that it was a mistake to come here."

"Precisely." She turned to Pomona. "If we stand together, we can ensure that Albus' death was not in vain."

Pomona nodded grimly. "Let it never be said that we abandoned each other. Hufflepuff stands with you."

"As does Ravenclaw."

"Thank you." She frowned as a thought struck her. "We may have some trouble with the Slytherins."

"Not helped by Severus," Filius growled. "I would give a great deal to speak to him again."

Pomona raised an eyebrow. "Just speak?"

The smile Filius gave her was distinctly feral. "I find it difficult to believe that he could fool Albus. Of course, should I be proved wrong..."

"If so, then we would join you," said Minerva. "But Severus is not our concern now. Will Horace stand with us?"

"I doubt he will side with You-Know-Who," said Pomona.

"But he will not make a choice unless he has to," said Filius. "We cannot afford to wait for him."

Minerva nodded. "We will speak to him then. We cannot let him undermine us, not when things are this strained." She rose to her feet. "I will speak to Harry once more, though I doubt his position will have changed."

Pomona glanced at her. "Will you be all right?"

Minerva did not reply. She was not all right, nor would she be for some time. That did not matter. All that mattered were their students, and bringing an end to this madness. She was under no illusions; it would be difficult, and they could very well lose their lives. Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, they had all fought and all had paid that price. But they had fought, because they had something to fight for.

And so did she.

"Minerva?"

Minerva turned, and finally managed a smile. "Yes. I will be fine."

Not immediately. Not any time soon. But she would be. They would survive. And they would fight. For him, and for all of them.

A bit random, but I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought.