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Back to School Drabble Challenge: Minerva McGonagall

Honeycomb Challenge: "You can do better than that."

Word Count: 612

Thanks to Shay for beta'ing!

A gift for Harry. A collection of photos of his parents.

Minerva had several. Far fewer than she would have liked, and far more than Harry did.

"Come on, Professor!" Sirius threw his arm around her, grinning like a madman. "It's a baby party! You have to do what the parents would want!"

Minerva looked to Alice for help, but she was too busy refilling her butterbeer. The room was hot, but not uncomfortably so. James had enchanted the fireplace to flicker brilliant greens and purples. Dumbledore had sent over a bouquet of flowers which kept saying things like "congratulations" and "wonderful" and "sexy peaches". Remus and Lily had filled the house with the smells of chocolate and spices. Trays floated along the walls, loaded with sweets. Hagrid's cooking was the only food untouched.

Couches in all shapes and sizes were full of smiling people.

"It's Minerva now, you know." She pretended to be annoyed by Sirius's hug. "And Sirius, it's not a baby party."

"It's a party celebrating our future daughters." Sirius and James were convinced that both babies would be girls. Lily and Alice were convinced they were both having boys. And the others - well, they had the sense to stay out of it. "Someday when they're seventeen and spoiled rotten and Voldemort has been blasted to Morgana's Tenth Hell, we'll look back on this night."

James plopped down on Minerva's other side. His eyes glinting wickedly, he called to the others. "Hey! Minnie's playing Charades with us!"

Lily giggled. She and Alice were across the room, feeding each other treacle tart. Minerva smiled despite herself. She would have to remember to send some over as often as she could. Especially once the baby was born.

With a flick of her wand, Lily sent a card over to Fabian. He caught it in his mouth, then spat it into his hand. "Dumbledore!"

The room burst into laughter. Gideon jumped on a table. "Nitwit! BLUBBER! PREWETT POWER!"

"Gids!" Frank, ever the responsible one, ushered him off the table. Alice deftly moved a keg out of the way. "Gids, you're drunk!" He lowered his voice. "Alas, Gideon."

Minerva could not longer stop herself from laughing.

"Let's get a picture!" Lily stood up, ushering them all together. "Mary sent me this. Develops on the spot!"

James nodded. "Picture of everyone impersonating Dumbledore!"

Lily tapped the camera with her wand, then squeezed between Minerva and James. The camera flashed, and Lily summoned the picture. "Oh come on, Professor! You can do better than that!"

Indeed, Minerva had done nothing. She was sitting somberly, her hat pointed impeccably and arms stiffly at her side. Nestled between Sirius and Lily, she looked especially formidable.

"Come on, Professor." Remus handed her a butterbeer. "It would mean so much to us."

Sirius pointed his wand at the picture. "Incendio. See, now we have to take another one."

Minerva walked towards the camera, ignoring everyone's protests. "I'll just...take the picture!"

She had found that picture almost four years later, cleaning out her classroom. It had a quick note.

Minerva,

Don't worry at all about us. We're thrilled to be having the baby. Sirius will be the Secret Keeper, and we all trust him with our life.

Someday we'll tell little Harry how his favorite professor impersonated Dumbledore and then burned the picture.

Love,

Lily and James

What Minerva would have given now to be in that photograph.

She pressed her hand on Harry's forehead, fighting back tears. Beside her, Hagrid was sobbing with guilt.

"Hagrid?"

He looked up.

"For the album."