Like I Never Loved At All

Suddenly, the world stopped spinning as I landed hard on the plush carpet of Albus Dumbledore’s living room. I saw just enough to realise that I was no longer with my Albus before I fainted.

I woke up on a large purple couch with Albus, Isabel Worthdall (the school nurse), and Janet Dumbledore peering down at me. I sat bolt upright, as I was shocked, and tried to remember what had happened. Looking into Albus’s cold, impersonal eyes, I remembered the happiness I had experienced the past two days.

“Well, Professor McGonagall, nice of you to join us,” Albus remarked sarcastically, “where did your time-traveller send you? I hope it was a pleasant vacation. Now, I have to ask you to leave, as you have been fired for disobeying the Headmaster. You are very lucky that I have decided not to turn you over to the Ministry of Magic, as you most certainly would have been sent to Azkaban. However, I must insist that you give me your time-traveller this instant.”

If I had had any doubts that I was back in my own time, they had vanished with Albus’s speech. Silently lifting the time-traveller on its chain over my head, I placed it in Albus’s outstretched hand.

“Now then, Miss McGonagall, you have no further business at Hogwarts. Your personal effects have already been removed to your family estate, and your final paycheque has been deposited in Gringotts,” Albus said, turning his back on me as he focused on his wife.

“Isabel, could we continue the baby’s check-up?” Janet asked. I noticed for the first time that her robes were unfastened enough to allow Isabel access to her protruding belly. The family portrait my Albus had hanging above the fireplace swam in my mind. I was jealous – of his Minerva and of Janet. While I was Penelope’s mother, I had never known the experience of carrying his child.

Janet had not been pregnant when I had left yesterday – or was it yesterday? It had obviously been several months since I had been here. 'That was not fair!' I thought to myself. I had only a day and a half with Penelope, and when I come back, it has been months since I have been here!

I was jolted out of my thoughts by Janet asking me, “Do you mind? My husband has already informed you that you have no more business at Hogwarts – so please leave now.”

With that, I burst into tears and ran from the castle. Reaching the gates, they opened for me and then closed with an audible clang. I closed my eyes and focused on McGonagall Manor – my childhood home that I had not seen in over a decade.

I Apparated into the front hall of the Manor. Luckily, the house-elves had not let the Manor fall into a state of disrepair or disuse. Everything seemed to be just as I remembered. Twindy, the house-elf who had raised me, appeared next to me with a crack.

“Mistress Minerva, we was not expecting you!” Twindy squeaked. I could tell he was a bit nervous about my sudden appearance.

“Oh, Twindy,” I managed to choke out before bursting into sobs again, “I have been fired! I’ve lost my job at Hogwarts!”

Twindy looked surprised at this sudden revelation. “Mistress Minerva, why is you being fired?” he asked.

I cried harder. “I was working on a project for Professor Dumbledore, and I created a time-traveller that allowed me to move sideways in time. I went to a time where Albus and I were married and had a daughter. The Minerva of that time had died in childbirth. Anyway, I got very sick in the day that I spent in that time, and I had to return here. I left four months ago and only got to spend one and a half days with my daughter, and I realise that I missed four months of time here! Professor Dumbledore fired me for disobeying him, and I’ll never get another job with this on my record!” I had buried my face in my lap.

Feeling Twindy’s arms embrace me, I allowed myself to be comforted a bit. In a few minutes, I managed to stand. Twindy walked me up to my old room and tucked me into bed. Quickly popping downstairs to the kitchen, he returned with a tray of tea and a tin of Ginger Newts. I managed to get a little bit down before falling asleep, still crying for Albus and Penelope.