McGonagall narrowed her eyes as she heard the faint popping noise of somebody apparating in and twitched her nose upon noticing the familiar figure who had just appeared under the yellow light of the lampost on the corner of Privet Drive. She took in the tall thin elderly man coming her way and watched as he was completely oblivious to his surroundings; scrummaging around for something in his rather long purple cloak.
Exasperated she rolled her eyes at the man's antics and continued to watch him. As if he could feel her watching him he paused mid-search and looked up with a sharp look, his bright blue eyes assessing around him before landing on her shadow-hidden form.
The cold assessing glare quickly turned into a warm look and a wide smile as he shook his head in amusement and going back to looking in his cape. Finally finding what he was looking for he brought out a silver Put-Outer and clicked it twelve times in succession, each click flaring out the light of each lamp along the street and bringing darkness in its stead. Once the street was clouded in darkness he placed his Put-Outer back in his cloak and strode towards where McGonagall sat.
"Professor McGonagall," he greeted with a warm tone, smiling at the grey tabby cat perched elegantly atop the brick garden wall of No. 4 Privet Drive.
The tabby simply blinked at the man before leaping off her perch and shifting back into her human form. Adjusting her green cape around her shoulders, McGonagall simply looked at Dumbledore through her square framed glasses.
"Enjoyed the day of celebrations Professor McGonagall?" Dumbledore asked, adjusting his half-moon spectacles to sit more securely atop his nose.
McGonagall wrinkled her nose in severe distaste. "Celebrating? I believe our community has celebrated quite enough for everybody. Owls littering the skies, storms of shooting stars... It's no surprise the muggles bleeding noticed!"
"You can't blame them," Dumbledore gently scolded. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."
McGonagall narrowed her eyes and turned a cold gaze to Dumbledore. "I can understand that, but the disappearance of Voldemort came with the price of the lives of James and Lily Potter. Two students you yourself taught and watched grow up I might add," she reprimanded with a cold and solemn voice.
Dumbledore didn't have a response and simply looked down at his feet before looking back up and stuffing his hands into his robe pockets and fishing out his golden pocket watch. "Hagrid's late," he remarked offhandedly.
McGonagall arched a brow, "I don't suppose you want to tell me why it is here of all places the meeting is taking place?"
Dumbledore took a deep breath and stroked his rather long silver beard, "Here is where young Harry Potter's aunt and uncle lives. They are the only family he has left so he's being placed under their care,"
McGonagall visibly faltered turning to face Dumbledore's aloof figure sharply, "Ye cannae mean th' people who live here!" she exclaimed her Scottish accent coming out stronger in her absolute shock. "Dumbledore you cannot mean it! I've been watching these people all day, They're rude and boorish and completely coarse! Harry Potter come and live here!"
"Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore reprimanded firmly. "It is the best place for him to be. With family. His aunt and uncle will explain everything to him when he's a bit older. I've made sure of it in the letter."
"Letter? What letter could possibly explain to them that James and Lily were murdered because their son was prophesised to bring about the end of Voldemort; a terrible and villainous wizard?" McGonagall quarrelled in a harsh whisper, anger starting to coarse through her blood in indignation.
"Professor McGonagall, here is the best place for Harry Potter to be. Everyone in our world will be raised on his tales of his feats and can you just imagine how that could turn his head? Fame following him around before he can walk, talk? For something he cannot even remember?"
Professor McGonagall scoffed and opened her mouth to counter his statement just as a low rumbling broke through the quiet night and slowly became louder and louder. Dumbledore began to look up and down the street, but McGonagall simply rolled her eyes and looked up, recognizing that motor's noise anywhere. A rather large and black motorcycle slowly descended and landed gently onto the street beside them. The man sitting atop the motorcycle was just as huge, striking a daunting figure which was not helped by the long wryly black hair and beard that hid all but his brown eyes and the tip of his turned-up nose.
"Hagrid" Dumbledore sighed in relief, stuffing his golden pocket watch back in his robe pockets.
The giant of a man carefully dismounted himself from the bike and both Dumbledore and McGonagall noticed the bundle of blankets snuggled tightly into the crook of his elbow.
"No problems were there?" Dumbledore asked, stepping closer to the man and placing his hands behind his back.
"No sir. House was practically burnt to the husk, but I got him out in good enough time. Was quiet as a mouse this 'un,"
Professor McGonagall stepped forward and carefully took the babe from Hagrid, thanking him with a soft smile. Looking down at the little lump of blankets, she scanned the barely visible sleeping face of the little boy bundled inside. Under small curls of black hair was a scar, red and slightly swollen and shaped like a slanted fork of lightning.
"That's rather unfortunate," Dumbledore remarked as he peered over her shoulder to look at the babe. "A scar he'll have for his lifetime."
McGonagall cooed softly, sad that the poor boy would live with such a constant reminder of an awful time.
"Very well, let me have him Professor McGonagall. We've got to get him with his family," Dumbledore declared, stretching his arms out to take the baby from McGonagall's grasp.
McGonagall arched a brow before stepping out of Dumbledore's reach.
"Not so fast Dumbledore," she stated softly.
"Minerva?" all formal address being thrown out of the window as he gaped at her with a rather confused expression.
"I wanted to hold my tongue in all honesty. Give the boy a chance to be with family. Grow with his own kind," McGonagall started, smiling down at the boy who stirred gently before tucking a chubby fist under his chin.
She then looked up and gave a cool hard look at Dumbledore, " But I do believe enough is enough. You will not be entrusting this boy to this family. They will do nothing but ill-treat him and will definitely do wrong by him. Goodness knows Lily and James would not want that lifestyle for their one and only son."
"Professor McGonagall, this is the only option for young Mr Potter," urged Dumbledore.
"Actually," she stated, "It is not. You see, James and Lily were your students for 7 years. But they were very dear and near to me and even entrusted me with the title of Godmother," she said in a clear and calm voice, keeping a steady gaze with Dumbledore's and watched as his eyes widened ever so slightly.
"And stated in their will, as I am sure you know, Harry was to be entrusted in his Godparents care if anything were to happen his parents." McGonagall paused here. "Therefore Albus, I shall be taking my duties seriously and take on the title of guardian for this little one. Is that clear?" she asked rhetorically and with an arched brow at the confounded man before her.
"Now Hagrid, if you would be so kind as to tell Sirius when you return his bike of this sudden turn of events, I would be ever so grateful," she asked kindly with a smile at the burly giant.
Hagrid couldn't help but blink rapidly in astonishment before nodding his head in agreement.
"Now come and give your goodbyes Hagrid and do be sure to pop around for some tea later on," she said, handing the babe over to Hagrid gently before turning her attention solely on a rather perturbed Dumbledore.
"Good night Professor Dumbledore, I do wish you a safe journey home," she declared with a dip of her head in parting before turning back to Hagrid and watching with a sort of fondness as Hagrid placed a rather whiskery and slobbery kiss gently upon Harry's forehead before handing him back over to McGonagall's expectant arms.
Adjusting the weight of the baby to one arm, McGonagall grabbed her wand from inside her cloak and watched as Hagrid mounted his bike and departed off into the sky. McGonagall then made her way down the street a bit before disapparating off, not bothering to take so much as a glance back at Dumbledore