Fake Truth

VI

"You cannot lie about this Albus, you have got to be serious! This is a very important issue and we would not have to be in this situation if you had just told me much, much earlier."

"I'm about as serious as anyone could get, Minerva," he replied, his voice calm and his eyes without their usual gleam, "I am positive it is what happened, she gave the memory to me." he folded her arms, as if to say 'whatever words come out of your mouth are not going to change my mind, about anything.' Minerva knew that, this was Dumbledore; one of the greatest wizards of all time. "And Minerva," he began up again, "congratulations on the new hall decorations, they are absolutely fabulous."

"Thank you Albus, but please, don't try and change the subject."

He only chuckled in reply, she was a bright woman and he knew that one could not so easily trick Minerva McGonagall.

"But why did she give the memory in the first place?"

"Valerie needed to make sure that no one would try to find her or start an appeal to do so."

"Are you sure that memory wasn't tampered with?" She thought that sometimes, just sometimes Dumbledore was a bit gullible. Well maybe not gullible but he liked to find the best in things, no matter how bad situations were.

"Have you ever seen a memory before Minerva?"

"Yes, of course, don't be stupid! Who do you think I am?!" you could hear the irritation in her voice and the foul look started to overcome her face.

"So you know that a memory is quite a clear image then? So let's say that one tampered with their memory, how would it look?"

"Well, like a normal memory, you would not know that it has been tampered with."

"Well, not exactly. You cannot physically tamper with a memory. You can forget or muddle things up but one cannot simply tamper with no trace." He spoke with no flaws in his words.

"So, what would a tampered memory look like?" she asked intrigued by what he had to say.

"Foggy."

"Foggy?!" She was bewildered, Minerva thought that a tampered memory would be more concealed than just foggy.

"Yes, one cannot penetrate and change one's memory can they?" this was no silly laugh, to penetrate and change someone's mind was nearly impossible. Nearly impossible.

"So, you are telling me that this memory has not been tampered with?"

"Yes, Minerva, I know that you do not believe me, but it is in the cupboard next to the desk, so if you would like to try and prove me wrong, I'm not stopping you." He sat back in the large armchair in his portrait and sighed, he had been talking to professor McGonagall for the last hour and she still would not believe him.

"Ok, Ok! If you're sure!"

"Yes, I always win." He laughed as he poured himself a glass of fire whiskey as a celebratory drink, for sitting in a painting with a bottle of firewhiskey next to him, this was about all that he could do to keep himself entertained, and it usually did for Albus knew not his limits with the drink he sat by, sipping throughout the long days at Hogwarts.

"So is that why you blocked all access with the rest of the wizarding world and Hogwarts?"

"Yes, Minerva it was, and still is to make sure I can fulfill as many needs to my students and staff I am able to do so without breaking the law." His sparkle was back in his eyes. The old headmaster definitely did not abide by the law. He knew them, yes. Merlin! He even wrote a fair few of them himself, but to abide by something one has said or written, well he had little control over his more elaborate plans.

She got up to leave the room, also tired with this conversation, she needed some rest school was starting in just two days time and she couldn't teach with an exhausted mind.

"One last thing, Minerva, please do not be a burden and force it upon Draco and Valerie to be friends just yet."

Throughout the day Minerva sat in her classroom with her head in her hands going through what the memories showed. Is that really what happened? Why would it happen like that? She didn't know what to do or what to think.

"I need to look at the memory again." she said to herself as she rose from her chair and made her way back up to the office.

It was late now, almost eleven at night and as she walks up the narrow staircase up to the office. Hoping that all the portraits were asleep she went for the numerous crystal vials at the back of the large cupboard where she was instructed to store them by Dumbledore.

Creak, she heard a noise coming from the door,creak, and there it was again. Minerva stiffened, drawing her wand from her deep pockets at the front of her robe. The professor kept it in front of her as she took small, hesitant steps towards where the sound was coming from.

"Who's there?" she called, hoping whoever was there was unarmed. She stepped forwards, "Lumos," she whispered as she turned to her left and to see a too familiar shadow. "Who are you?" she could have easily blasted a spell at them, she didn't know what she was doing but she waited until the shadow moved forwards, towards her.

"Almost a week in and seven years of teachings and punishments and you still cannot remember my shadow."

It was the voice of a man, young, quite young and that matched the description of the face, body, clothing, everything.

"Draco Malfoy, still up to no good I see?"

"Always think the best of me, professor McGonagall?" he drawled, an evident smirk plastered across his face.

"Well, there is no Harry Potter here for you to torment, so who is it now?"

"Phineas Nigellus Black."

"Why, may I ask?"

"Well who knows my family history better than professor Black?"

"Well, it seems strange that you would come here at this time?"

"Important business," his smirk turned into a smile, a devious smile, "though I'm in no rush if you would like me to do it tomorrow evening instead?"

"No, no, I'm not stopping you from it, just try not to make too much noise." Minerva left, she felt too old to tell Draco off, for she did do a fair amount when he was a student.