So, this is my first HP-FF. I hope you will enjoy it!

summary: a few weeks after the war and just one week before the new school year starts Minerva McGonagall meets an interesting young boy whoes name suddenly appeard on the list of new students like out of nowhere. Who is this young boy? What is so special about him? And why did his name appear on a list that already was completed for years?

I hope you enjoy this story!

I don't own Harry Potter, the wizard world and all the lovely characters of the Harry Potter books - it's sad but it's true...

All belongs to wonderful J.K. Rowling (who made an AMAZING job here!) :-)

xxxxx

C1. THE LIST

What a moth... Headmistress Minerva McGonagall stood in her office. She sighed in relief. The school had finally been built up again, there were new and old teachers for every subject and the new education plans where finished. It had been such a lot of work - at all the last one. She had to giggle on that fact: rebuilding the whole castle hadn't been that difficult and time-intensiv as the new education plans... there had been great meetings at the ministry. A lot of important politicans, teachers and other wizards - that were... at least said to be important... They had to decide about a lot of changes. The scheduels were changed - there were new subjects like MUGGLE SUBJECTS in which the sudents should learn important basics of muggle school education like maths. Also they all had to learn LATIN now. PHILOSOPHY with main focus on Ethics also was a new subjects. Among the new subjects also was LITERATURE as well as ENGLISH. Quite useful had to be the practical subject PRACTICED MAGIC in which the students should learn something about real jobs in the magical world and meet operators and workers out of these jobs. Overall there were 8 new subjects and that wasn't all that changed: school didn't last from 1st to 7th year anymore - now there were 8 to 10 school years. Students were able to finish school after the 8th year. But for high positions like in the ministry, at school or becoming an auror they had to finish 10 years of magical school. So the oldest students would be 21 (!) years. Minerva didn't like that idea. She did finish the school after 7 years and made her way as hundrets and thousand of other wizards did - but the new minister wanted this new rule. "Graduates have to be more mature and more ecucated on more than just one level!", were his words. And as he was the new leader of the magical world and so the "boss of every boss" (how his asistent once said), he got whatever he wanted. He also insisted on Harry Potter, his friends and every "war hero" that didn't finish school yet, to come back to Hogwards. Minerva had a long (and loud) discussion with him about this idea. She found it stupid! Harry and his friends had proven that they were mature and well enough educated - but rules were rules. Now matter what she said - this was a verbal battle she lost.

Minerva shook her had. 'That silly minister...', she thought as there was a knock on the door. It wouldn't be him or? She didn't know why but this arrogant young man visited the school and her office at least once a week.

"Headmistress?"

She smiled as she heard a familiar voice that didn't belong to a politican. It was Harry Potter followed by his friends Ron Weasley and Hermine Granger.

"Harry, Ron, Hermine, it's great to see you!"

"Thanks headmistress and same to you!", answered Rom with a big grin on his face.

"So, what brings you along?"

"We finally got the portrait back from the ministry", replyed Hermine and pointed to a hugh framed portrait that Rom helt in his hands and that was covered by a big white cloth.

"Great! So Serverus can finally return home!"

Harry lifted the cloth and revealed the portrait of the former school master Severus Snape.

"Good evening, Severus!", greeted Minerva with a big smile.

But she didn't get any reply.

"We already tried to talk to him - but he refuses to answer", informed Hermine.

Minerva sighed in concern.

"He needs time", said a dark voice from behind the desk. The four spined around to find Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore awake in his own portrait.

Minerva nodded understandingly: "So we all do."

She took another look on Severus Snape who stood in his dark frame just showing them his slim back that was covered by the usual black clothes.

"Now Harry, would you put the headmaster to his right place?", she asked.

Harry nodded and took out his wand. By magic the portrait of Severus Snape was lifted into the air and placed on the wall next to Dumbledore's, just above the desk.

"Thank you, you three."

Later Minerva was sitting in her office alone again. She tried to talk to the portrait of Severus Snape as the other former headmasters did - but there was not reaction. Snape just stood there, not saying a word, not even letting them see his face.

"Severus, please", Minerva tried but the was no reaction.

Getting his portrait back had been difficult. The ministry didn't want to accept him as a former headmaster and wanted to destroy the living portrait. Minerva, the three friends along with many other wizards had to fight for it.

Minerva decided to stopp trying to get Snape to open up. Dumbledore was right - he needed time. It was terrible what the young man had to suffer his whole life and how he always was regarded. Minerva decided to wait untill he wanted to talk to them - what had to happen someday - at least she hoped it would...

She went back to the files on her desk. It was a good feeling being watched and protected by such a long line of former headmasters - at all having her mentor Dumbledore and her friend Severus behind her to strenghen up her back. At least she hoped that Snape was still some kind of friend to her...

She pulled out the list with the new students out of a paper stack. On it's right bottem corner it showed the number 28. There would be 28 new kids at the age of 11 visiting the 1st year classes. She went through the names as she had done at least ten times before. She wanted to remember their names from the beginning. At the penultimate name she stopped and sighed. The ministers son... She shook her name and put the list back on the table. Just because the father was some kind of an arrogant... cheesecake... doen't have to conclude that the son would also be!

She looked around in the office. It still was a strange feeling to sit here - here in Dumbledore office, in his chair...

She thought about all the lovely and close moments they had shared... Others didn't know, but they had been more than just good friends... but despite that she still hadn't known him very good...

After his death, during the war and afterwards there were a lot of things revealed about Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Some things were good - some weren't... some things were just nasty rumors - some weren't...

Minerva shook her head. She didn't want to think about that now. She stood up and wanted to go outside enjoying the nearly empty castle in the chilly evening hours.

She caught one last look an the list - BUT... WHAT WAS THAT? The number 28, the number of students had changed into a 29. She went through the list and found one additional name there:

Ephraim Dexter Famulus.

xxxxx

So, this was the first chapter of my new story. What do you think about it? Reviews are very welcome! :-)