Annabeth Chase and Things Are Getting Intense

Chapter Forty Four

A/N: I'm really excited about this chapter (especially the end) because I think I've been waiting for it since before book one. I hope you enjoy!

Also, happy new year to my fellow jews! I hope those of you who fasted yesterday had an easy time (mine was pretty good) and that you had a lot of great food when it was over.

I'm also love to year your resolutions if you want to share. Mine is to just be happy :)

Enjoy the chapter!

With a glance at Vera, Freddie, and Daisy, Annabeth stood up and followed McGonagall out of the ward, Harry walking next to her. No one was in the corridors; they had all either gone back to bed or to their common rooms to decompress. The only sound was the faint music of Fawks's song as he flew over the grounds.

After a few minutes, Annabeth realized they were heading for Dumbledore's office. She guessed it made sense. McGonagall had been the deputy headmistress. Now, with Dumbledore gone, she had taken his place. The circular office behind the gargoyle was hers now.

The room was exactly the same as it had been earlier that night. The little silver instruments were still wirring and emitting bits of steam. Gryffindor's sword and the Sorting Hat were still sitting on their shelves, undisturbed. But Fawks's perch was empty, and there was a new portrait among the dead headmasters and headmistresses on the walls; Dumbledore was asleep in a golden frame directly behind his desk.

McGonagall watched the portrait for a moment. Then she shook herself out of her reverie and sat down in what was, just a few hours ago, Dumbledore's chair.

"Harry," she said. "Annabeth. I would like to know what you and Professor Dumbledore were doing this evening when you left the school."

Harry and Annabeth shared a quick look. They had been expecting that question.

"We can't tell you that, Professor." Harry said.

"Harry, it might be important," McGonagall said.

"Of course it's important," Annabeth said, shrugging mildly. "That's why he didn't want us to tell anyone, no matter what. I'm sorry."

McGonagall glared at her. "Chase, in the light of Professor Dumbledore's death, I think you must see that the situation has changed somewhat—"

"Not really," Annabeth said. "He never specified that we should stop following orders if he died."

"But—"

"There's one thing you should know before the Ministry gets here, though," Harry said. "Madam Rosmerta's under the Imperius Curse, she was helping Malfoy and the Death Eaters, that's how the necklace and the poisoned mead—"

"Rosmerta?" McGonagall said incredulously. Maybe there was a limit to how much bad news one could hear in one night. Annabeth herself was used to it, but these people weren't.

Before the new Headmistress could go on, there was a knock on the door and the four heads of houses filed in—Slughorn filling in for Snape. Hagrid came after them, still weeping quietly into his handkerchief.

"Snape!" Slughorn shouted, pale and sweaty. "Snape! I taught him! I thought I knew him!"

Before anyone could respond, someone walked into the previously empty frame of a portrait on the wall.

"Minerva," the painted person said, "the Minister will be here within seconds, he has just Disapparated from the Ministry."

"Thank you, Everard," McGonagall said before quickly turning back to the teachers.