After the war, nothing was the same. Hogwarts wasn't the same. A lot of time passed until the Earth cured its wounds. But new wounds would be done to others. She used to live in the muggle world in a farm, hiding from everything until the harvest.
During winter days she wouldn't come out, during the harvest she would use her wand to do it as quickly as possible. Her neighbours find it extremely strange that someone could do the harvest from one day to another and not be seen. With some protective spells around the house everything is possible. Nobody would see her and no one would harm her and her daughter.
She had many scary statues in the garden with scary features that really would come to your mind as a "Do not enter" advice or warning.
They looked very real like someone had petrified them. And it is exactly it.
Minerva McGonagall entered the iron gate, followed by Rubeus Hagrid.
- Shall I knock? - He asked.
- No, leave it to me. The last time you know to somebody's door you made it fly into the house. - Minerva McGonagall knocked the door and waited anxiously.
A woman answered at the door. She was tall, pale, and thin. She had a fine black and straight hair cut until her shoulders and a black left eye. The other one was stitched. You could see a white nuance in her hair that was separated by the rest of the hair by two black pearls. Her lips were red as roses and her nose was aquiline.
- Hello, Medusa...
- Professor McGonagall? What are you both doing here? Come in! Let me get you a cup of tea. – She asked.
- I'm afraid I don't have good news.
- Please do come in, anyway so we can talk. I need to know about my brother. I don't see him for ages. – The pale woman let them in and closed the door delicately. McGonagall wasn't very at ease for she was surrounded by muggle objects.
- If your mother could see this...
- She was surrounded by it as well. My father took her wand. – She said amused. She had the most calm of the smiles. Everything in her was calm.
A little girl showed up.
- What's wrong, mommy?
- Nothing, honey. They're friends of mine. Don't worry, sweetheart, everything's alright. Go to your room, I'll check your homework in a minute. – The little one disappeared. – What brings you here?
- I see you lost an eye. – Medusa smiled.
- The one that cut it off lost his ability to live. He's right there in the garden, one of my finest statues. It's a pity to think that someone can break it. Make yourself at ease if you wish, I don't like it a bit. Breaking glass objects seems to relieve stress. It's good for your health.
- I still remember the moment you petrified James Potter.
- He was bulling me and my brother. I had a reason. I wouldn't petrify someone because it pleases me. On the contrary, I find it an extremely dreadful gift for someone to have. I would gladly trade it for 5 Galleons. I would buy a pot of Lionfish spines and Horklump juice for a Herbicide Potion. I'm in lack of it. But tell me about Severus, how is he?
- I am afraid I have sad news.
- What happened? Is he hurt? – McGonagall looked at Hagrid. – Well? Tell me already! I ought to know! It's my right if it concerns my family. Is the Dark Lord gone? Where Severus? Where is my brother?
- He fought bravely to serve our school and ... the Dark Lord he... – Tears fell from Medusas eyes.
- Is he dead? – Old McGonagall couldn't answer. – Tell me! Is he dead?! - McGonagall nodded and let her head go down. – I lost my parents, and my brother put himself to the services of Albus Dumbledore. My lover was dragged into this being innocent. I know that my brother didn't do the best choices. But I must say that both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore killed him when they used him like a pendulum.
- Be reasonable, Medusa!
- Reasonable! Don't utter that word! I lost the only family I had due to Hogwarts services! I bet you want to claim my daughter as well to be trained and to be taken down like a pig for slaughter! I must tell you, she won't go! She's the only I've got left. – Athena entered the living room.
- Mother...
- It's alright, Athena.
- Why are you crying? – Athena sat with her mother grabbing her hand. She was too nervous. Athena gave her a cloth so she could her tears.
- No one is here to claim anything.
- What more could you possibly do in here?
- I am the new headmistress of Hogwarts.
- Congratulations to you! – Medusa said bitterly
- Albus charged me to speak with you if anything went wrong. Dumbledore is dead, so is you brother. I know that your harvest wasn't very good this year.
- We're not starving! I can provide for my daughter and for me the enough to survive. I won't leave this house! I came here to be far away from that world!
- Medusa, my friend, I know it hurts... – Said Hagrid.
- You don't know Hagrid. You'll never know. My brother was stupid enough to believe in Dumbledore's and Voldemort's words. But I won't be a fool! I'll stay right where I am. I won't take sides.
- Medusa, my dear. You don't need to take sides anymore. Everything is over... Voldemort is gone forever, and Dumbledore as well. But if you want to do what is best for you daughter, let her study in Hogwarts and live there. Also I need a Potions Master. I would be glad if you could come and fill up your brother's shoes.
- No one will EVER fill up my brother's shoes. Ever, I say! Not me, not anyone else! My daughter won't have a wand and won't be a witch!
- Is she better in a farm, hungry, uneducated?
- I want her alive! Sometimes you must do some things wrong in order to keep those you love! And I don't want to lose Athena! I rather stay and live with a rope in my throat constantly.
- Medusa, you are a Ravenclaw. You're intelligent and you know what to do and when to do it! I expect you to act as a Ravenclaw and a brave witch, like your brother. That's what you are! Now stand up with your head held high.
- Why me, Minerva? In all the people in this world, it had to be me as if I don't have enough to worry.
- I need you in Hogwarts. It's the only way I can thank you for your sacrifices and your brother's courage and fight. Come and I'll protect you. Stay and I can't do anything for you. Be the Potion Master, Slugghorn is retiring.
- I don't have much of a choice, have I? I can't even pay my bills and surely I can't pay my brother's funeral. I have nothing. Death Eaters ruined everything in fields when passing. They even tried to enter. But I stopped them. I petrified people, I deserve Azkaban for that. But I don't regret having petrified murderers.
- You're not going to Azkaban for that. You're going to Hogwarts, to recover and to teach. That's what I expect of you. Now, I hope you have some floo powder left. I want you to go to Diagon-Alley and buy everything that Athena needs to attend classes. You have the list here. – McGonagall gave Medusa a letter. The same letter that she and her brother received from Hogwarts, telling them they had been accepted. - But for now, I need you to come. Severus is still on the Infirmary.
- I can't leave my daughter here.
- Hagrid will take care of her. Now, let's go.