After

The day after the repairs began, someone pointed out that Minerva was without a wand and she realised that she had better replace it before the new semester started. In the aftermath of the war she wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. Thankfully Garrick Ollivander, who had managed to recover and survive after his imprisonment in Malfoy Manor, had come to Hogwarts to assist in the recovery efforts by examining wands for repair or recommending replacement. He saw her performing wandless magic from across the room (he’s very sharp eyed for that sort of thing,) and excused himself from consulting with Lavender Brown to confront her about it.

“Doing that wandlessly is an insult to that Fir and Dragon Heartstring masterpiece I created.”

Minerva looked immediately uncomfortable, Filius and Poppy, who were both nearby, nearly started to laugh. Minerva turned to the old wandmaker and said, “Well, I did it a much larger insult than that, I’m afraid.”

“Oh no.” Ollivander knew what she meant immediately, “You didn’t?” He asked mournfully.

“It’s gone, Garrick,” Minerva answered plainly. “I couldn’t stand the sight of it.”

He sighed and suggested she come to the shop soon, “I’ll pull every Fir and Dragon Heartstring wand I’ve got and if one of them doesn’t do the job I’ll eat my hat.” 

“Careful, Garrick, I never intend to but I do have a tendency to surprise.” 

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It was three days into the repairs when the Order got the good news. 

The ministry was not only putting off the depositions of the survivors, they were no longer going to be taking the form of full Ministry hearings. And the written assessments that had been compiled and submitted by Minerva and Kingsley were enough to get everyone in the Order except Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Kingsley, Pomona, Filius, and Minerva herself off the hook. 

Filius and Pomona, who had gotten the news from Kingsley that afternoon, appeared that evening in Minerva’s office, carrying on and shouting, with a bottle of celebratory whisky.

“We did it,” Filius enjoined, adding with sarcastic timing, “We have to testify! Let’s celebrate!” He summoned up a chair in front of Minerva’s desk for himself, magically placing three glasses in front of her. 

Minerva chuckled and said, “that is not what we are celebrating,” as Pomona pushed aside her paperwork and put the bottle down with a thud. 

“Isn’t it though?” She asked sardonically, magically drawing up a chair and collapsing into it. 

Minerva considered the whisky for a second, sighed and said, “No, but close enough.” 

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Five days into repairs the Tables for the Great Hall arrived and Minerva blanched at the cost but when they had been settled in did feel much better that the hall wasn’t empty.

That is, until she looked up at the head table from the doors and found Filius, Pomona, Septimia and Poppy all trying not to laugh as they placed a massive, ornate, chair at the center of the table. She lost the small smile that had been playing across her face at seeing the hall as it should be and replaced it with a hard look at the four of them. 

She apparated across the room, which was still full of people placing benches and admiring the new furniture. “What do you think you’re doing with that?” 

“Just putting it where it belongs,” Filius said with a barely contained mischievous grin.

“No.” Minerva said firmly, recognising it as one of those extravagant things Albus had gotten for himself when he became headteacher. Minerva had already sworn not to be like him.“Absolutely not.” 

“Oh come on, you have to use it, otherwise it’s just sitting about gathering dust,” Poppy said with a smirk. 

“As it should,” Minerva began, but before she could continue Septimia interrupted.

“Don’t be like that, you know you want to try it.” She clearly knew that wasn’t true, and was trying not to smile too much.

“I don’t.” 

Pomona came at it from a different direction, “It’s tradition, Minerva, you know Dippet had one here, and Albus, and I’m sure there were others. You want to give the Students the real Hogwarts experience, this is part of it.” She chuckled slightly and Filius finally broke up and laughed at Minerva’s sour expression.

Minerva huffed and, looking squarely at her long-time friend said, “Pomona I am not sitting in that damn chair for breakfast every morning, that’s ridiculous.”

“Other people have done it…” Septimia said, trailing off with a shrug.

“Yes but they were dramatic, old, gay, men…” Minerva said, offended, then realised there was a good joke just waiting there, and she said, in the same irate tone as before, “I’m only the first three, it’s not the same.” 

Pomona had to brace herself against the offending chair she was suddenly laughing so hard. Septimia stumbled slightly, trying and failing to control her mirth, she leaned on Poppy’s shoulder as Poppy braced herself against the new table. Filius tried to catch his breath, half bent forward, with one hand on his chest and the other on his knee. Minerva wore a modestly pleased expression.

Pomona straightened up, breathing heavily, and now that her friend was not using it as a means of support Minerva attempted to vanish the horrid chair with a snap. It didn’t budge. She looked at it curiously and tried again. Snap. Nothing. “What have you done?” She asked, turning to Filius immediately.

“Something that you can’t undo,” He said with a haughty smirk.

“You’re joking,” Minerva said, appalled.

“No, I am not,” Filius assured her.

Minerva, determined that if she couldn’t vanish it she could at least remove it, cast a locomotor charm on the chair, still to no effect.  “You horrendous little hobgoblin,” Minerva said, turning back to her smirking colleague. 

“It only responds to my magic signature, so unless you can pick it up and move it yourself, it stays,” He said with a grin, knowing that she could not. He was only planning to let that trick continue through the opening feast, but that Hobgoblin remark had earned her another few days.

“Don’t believe for a moment that I won’t try,” Minerva challenged him with a grim expression.

“Minerva, don’t,” Poppy said urgently, (as she is one of the few people who have knowledge of Minerva’s real age, which she has skillfully hidden from much of the Wix world and at which it is inadvisable to be dragging heavy furniture about.) “That thing weighs half a tonne,” She said exaggeratedly.

“You had better tell that to Filius, because I will get this damn thing out of here if I have to drag it every centimeter of the way,” Minerva announced with great determination, seizing the back of the offending chair and beginning that long haul despite Poppy’s continued protests. She made it a little less than a meter before she had to stop “Merlin, Mim, and Mungo, what is thing made of?”  

“Ironwood,” Pomona supplied, then taking a slightly closer look at the chair said, “couldn’t tell you exactly which species of course, but you know it’s the heaviest wood in the world?”

“Blibbering Humdingers,” Minerva said exasperatedly, leaning against the very chair she sought to be rid of.

“It doesn’t help that it’s inlaid with real gold and stones,” Septimia said, adding absentmindedly, “Heavy stuff.”

“Filius, I swear on our long friendship that I will hex you to Jupiter and back if you do not remove this thing.” 

The Charms professor smiled serenely and said, “No you won’t.” 

Minerva just sighed in response. Then who should walk through the Great Hall doors but a hero? “Rubeus,” Minerva said, loudly enough to catch the half-giant’s attention, and she waved him over.

Hagrid stepped up onto the raised dias, skipping the three steps entirely. “Some kinda staff meetin’ ya fergot te tell me about?” He asked jokingly. 

“No, no, nothing like that.” Minerva said, casting a sharp look around at her misbehaving colleagues. “They’ve put this chair here and I can’t move it, it won’t respond to my magic and it’s too heavy to move, believe me, I tried.” She seemed almost a little embarrassed about it.

“Aye, fer you, but I’ll take care of et,” He said genially, smiling at the new Headmistress and then giving an amused but disapproving look to the others. 

“Oh, come now Hagrid, have a sense of fun,” Pomona chided, though she was resigned to the facts. 

“Not funny te make her grouchy, she’s dangerous, ya know,” He said, chuckling, “Even if she cannae move a chair.” 

“Don’t you start in,” Minerva said, her warning tone tempered somewhat by a small smile. 

So, against the other Professor’s wishes, Hagrid dutifully picked up and removed the awful chair with a muttered, “oh, thadis sorta dense iddnit?” Of course it was extra heavy because of yet another charm that Pomona had installed, which she usually uses to weigh down plant pots that are in danger of tipping over. However, Flitwick found it and put it back where it ‘belonged’ half an hour before the opening feast.

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On the seventh day of open Hogwarts repairs, Kingsley arrived bearing very good news. Strolling to the middle of the Great Hall where people were gathering before splitting into groups, he stopped beside Professor McGonagall and called out in his booming, deep, voice “If I might make an announcement, please.” Which attracted every eye in the hall.

Minerva, curious, said sarcastically, “Well, the floor is yours, Mr. Shacklebolt.”

“As of eleven fifty-eight last night, The restored Ministry of Magic has apprehended yet another conspirator in the overthrow of the Government, and one I felt would be of great interest to many of you…” He said, clearly drawing out the moment. When he was sure he had everyone’s attention he turned to Professor McGonagall whom he knew would be most pleased with his news and said, “We have arrested and charged one Madam Dolores Jane Umbridge for Treason, the Use of Dark Magic, Aiding and Abiding Anti-Government Organisations, and High Crimes against Muggleborns.” 

He didn’t even get all the way through the list of charges before a loud chorus of whooping and cheering and laughter erupted throughout the hall. Minerva was, in fact, quite pleased with this development. Most of her students, current and former, had never seen a look of such pure delight and surprise grace her features. 

“Kingsley that is the best news I have had in years,” she said, seizing his hand and shaking it. Then she immediately turned to further questions, practically bubbling over with schadenfreude and delight. “Were you there when it happened? Where was she found? Is it embarrassing? Please tell me it’s embarrassing. Can I add Assault by Unprovoked Offensive Magic charges to that list? I think she deserves it. In fact, can she be charged for everything she did here too? Illegal use of Truth Serum on Minors? Barbaric and Unusual Punishment?” She didn’t give him time to answer any question before asking another.

Kingsley just laughed at her enthusiasm with a laugh like rolling thunder. “I do believe that there is room for an Assault charge or two,” He answered with a grin as the groups started to split off to do their work, chatting happily about the arrest and coming trial, and speaking amusedly about the Headmistress’s reaction. 

When most everyone else was out of earshot Minerva leaned in slightly to Kingsley and said only half-joking, “Or, to save us all the legalities, you could look the other way and ‘accidentally’ let me into the holding cell and I’ll take care of the whole problem.” 

Kingsley laughed again and shook his head, “I’m afraid not, Professor, I’m afraid not.” 

“Ah well,” Minerva said with a shrug, “You still have my vote for Minister,” She added proudly, clearly riding a high from learning that Umbridge was locked up.