"Come in."
Pomona pushed open the door. Minerva was seated at the desk overlooking the Quidditch Pitch and turned back to look at her.
"You wanted to see me." Pomona closed the door behind her.
"I know you're busy, but we need to talk." As she spoke, Minerva sat down at the other table, the one she used when speaking with students.
"Are you going to give me career advice, Professor?" Pomona said jokingly.
"Actually, the headmaster asked me to speak with you. Why did you tell Mr. Diggory about being an 'observer'?" Minerva asked.
Pomona glanced at the Firebolt in Minerva's office, then looked back at her.
"You could have encouraged him in other ways. Why did you say that?" Minerva asked.
"What else did you expect me to do?" Pomona snapped. "You were the ones who broke fairness first."
"We have to look at the bigger picture," Minerva said futilely.
"Do you know what it feels like to be humiliated?" Pomona said, somewhat agitated. "The feeling runs so deep that it transcends our lives."
"It's only a Quidditch match," Minerva said in surprise. "Aren't you overreacting?"
Pomona could not explain it to Minerva.
Because Harry's Firebolt had been a gift from Sirius. He had told her so while lying on her sofa.
"Why does your office smell like dog?" Snape had asked when he came to her office.
"Is it strange for there to be a dog in my office?" Pomona had said with a smile.
He had not answered, merely watching her with a cautious, suspicious gaze.
"In any case, the Firebolt crossed the line. It isn't a Nimbus 2000," Pomona explained weakly.
"That doesn't seem to be what you really want to say," Minerva said.
"Yes. Jokes shouldn't go too far. Of course, I don't think