Ok, well. Welcome to my newest story and probably the main one that I'm going to work on because my muse for 'Like Mother, Like Daughter' kind of, um... ran away... heh.
Anyway. This is my Girl!Harry story because I wondered what would happen if he had been a girl? Would Dumbledore have really left him - well, her - with the Dursleys? A bit different when you think about it. Hope you enjoy it, anyway.
A/N: Her name is a bit odd, but it's the wizarding world, come on! It's a combination of Lily, James, and Lily's maiden name, Evans. Her middle name is the childhood nickname of Minerva McGonagall. I have a creative streak that runs away from me sometimes. :(
DISCLAIMER for the whole story: Anything that you recognise is, quite obviously, not mine. I did not get the rights for Christmas. tear Oh well.
Here goes!
The Girl-Who-Lived
Lijevvin Mina Potter was only a baby when Voldemort murdered her parents. This is her story.
Hagrid dug through the ruins of the Potter family home. As he passed the body of James Potter, tears stung his eyes. That was when he heard a baby cry. He ran towards the stairs at the back of the house. Bounding up the stairs, his wails joined the baby's when he saw Lily's crumpled body. Moving to the crib, the baby girl that had been crying stopped. She gazed up at him with large, emerald green eyes; Lily's eyes. Hagrid wrapped the last British Potter in a blanket, and carried her out of the house as the Muggles swarmed.
"Hagrid!" The cry came from a young man standing next to a motorbike. Hagrid pushed his way over to the man.
"Sirius. I thought yeh'd be here soon as yeh heard..." his voice trailed off. Sirius broke the awkward silence.
"Is that- ?"
"Yeah. Little Lijevvin. Dumbledore sent me ter get her."
"Can I take her? I'm her godfather, Hagrid."
"Sirius, I have ter bring her ter Dumbledore. You'll have to ask him, mate."
The younger man looked wistful.
"At least take my bike, then, Hagrid. Get her to safety fast. I've got something else I need to do." His expression changed to anger.
"Sure thing, Sirius. Thanks."
With that, Hagrid drove the motorbike a mile out of Godric's Hollow and took off.
Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall were arguing fiercely in front of Number 4, Privet Drive.
"Albus! You cannot seriously be considering leaving that poor child here!"
Albus bowed his head. "I have no choice, Minerva. She has no other immediate family left in Britain."
"Then I'll take her!"
His head shot up.
"I cannot allow that, Minerva. This is the only place where she will be safe."
"Albus, I will not just stand by and let you hand over an innocent baby girl to these horrid Muggles! She will be famous, Albus, and putting her in the care of a wizarding family would be disastrous, yes, but so would this! Lijevvin Potter will not grow up spoiled with me, Headmaster."
"Minerva, please-"
"She's my goddaughter, Albus. I am begging you." The despair in her voice troubled him.
"Minerva-"
He was interrupted by a low rumbling in the sky. Both professors looked towards the source of the noise and saw a huge shape atop a flying motorbike.
"Right on time, Hagrid," Professor Dumbledore remarked when Hagrid had dismounted from the bike, "and that must be Lijevvin."
"Yes, Professor Dumbledore, sir. I got her out eas'ly enough, jus' before the Muggles surrounded the place." Hagrid passed the little girl to Albus. She yawned and stretched out a hand, brushing her short fringe out of her face. Minerva gasped when she noticed the thin, lightning shaped scar on her forehead.
"That would be where the curse..." murmured Albus.
"Professor, sir, could I say goodbye? I mean, its goin' ter be so long 'til she comes ter Hogwarts an' all."
"Of course, Hagrid!" Hagrid bent down to leave a rather whiskery kiss on the baby's forehead.
"Well, I guess I better go. Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, sir." His voice was choked with tears. "I have to return Sirius's bike, too." And with that, Hagrid was gone
Minerva broke the silence left by his departure. "Can I at least hold her, Albus?"
He passed Lijevvin over to Minerva. She studied the girl intently. Lijevvin was the spitting image of Lily, except that her hair was black. However, it did not look as unruly as James'.
"Minerva, I am not going to leave her here."
"I- what?"
Dumbledore smiled. "I am not going to leave Lijevvin Potter with her Aunt and Uncle."
Professor McGonagall simply stared at him.
"Instead, I am passing her into your c- oomph! Well, I guess that means thank you, then."
"Of course it does, you old coot!" Her voice was slightly muffled due to the fact that her face was buried in his chest, while tears of happiness trickled down her cheeks.
"Minerva? Is it just me or is Lijevvin getting squashed?"
She sprung away from him at once, gazing down at the child in her arms. Lijevvin chose that moment to open her eyes. Dumbledore watched the exchange between the child and her new mother with a smile gracing his lips.
"She could pass as your biological daughter easily, m'dear. You have nearly identical eyes."
"That is true; but all of her is Lily and James." She looked at him. "What are you going to tell Fudge?"
"That Lijevvin Potter is in the care of someone rather close to her parents. That, I think, is all he needs to know. For now, at least. I must ask, though, Minerva. Will she be living at Hogwarts?"
Her eyebrows shot up. "Of course Evvin will be living at Hogwarts! I can't just leave my students. The castle can accommodate one more, surely."
Albus Dumbledore just smiled. "Evvin?"
Minerva looked at him scathingly. Holding the baby girl close, they both spun on the spot and disappeared into the night.
As the two figures appeared again in the main street of Hogsmeade, Lijevvin decided to wake up after her short nap. She looked around with bright eyes, shining green even in the darkest light. The little baby reached out and grabbed a handful of Dumbledore's silver beard. McGonagall clucked admonishingly.
"No, Evvin, you shouldn't't play with Grandpa Albus' hair," she stated as she prised the beard out of Evvin's hand. He chuckled at her tone of voice. She had already adapted to her new role as a mother.
"Let her do what she wants, Minerva. It will make it easier for both of you to sleep tonight."
The walk up to the castle was relatively silent, apart from Evvin's occasional baby talk. As they walked through the front doors, Minerva spoke.
"You do realise that neither of us is going to get much sleep anyway. It's nearly 2am."
"Yes, well... You should get what sleep you can. Tomorrow, little Evvin needs to be introduced to the rest of the staff."
"Albus, how is Severus going to react?"
"I cannot possibly know. However, I don't think that it really matters, do you? Evvin is not going to be raised by Severus, but by you." Reaching Minerva's chambers, he bowed comically. "My fair lady, I bid you adieu. And you, of course, Minerva."
"Albus Dumbledore! What are we going to do with you?"
"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that question, either. Good night, Minerva."
"Good night, Albus."
After laying Lijevvin in her newly transfigured cot, and watching as she fell asleep, Minerva prepared herself for what little sleep she was going to get that night. However, when she woke up in the morning after an uninterrupted 4 hours sleep, the first thing she did was check on Evvin. The baby, though, was safely sleeping in the cot.
She must have been exhausted, too, though Minerva. As she dressed and pulled on her robes, Lijevvin started to wake up. Her first sound was, "Mummy!"
"Oh, little one." Minerva rushed to her side. She scooped up the little girl and held her close.
"Mummy?"
"Mummy isn't here, little one, and- she's not coming back. Daddy isn't either."
There was silence for a while as Evvin worked out what Minerva meant.
"Food?"
Minerva smiled. "Of course, Evvin."
She called up a house elf and asked for a moderate breakfast and food for Evvin. After ending up with a portion of Evvin's breakfast all over the room, she muttered a quick cleaning charm, and wiped down the little girl.
"Mama!"
Professor McGonagall looked down at the child, confused. "Who is 'Mama', Evie?"
"You."
A tear slid down the stern transfiguration teacher's cheek. "Little one..."
Hearing the portrait swing open, she quickly dashed the tear away.
"Ma no cry!"
A voice came from the portrait hole. "Why is 'Ma' crying, and who is calling you 'Ma'?"
Minerva sighed. "Come in, Ro."
Rolanda Hooch would not have waited for an invitation anyway. The stubborn flying instructor walked in and stood stunned after noticing the child cradled in Minerva's arms.
"I guess I know who was calling you Ma."
"Ro, this is Lijevvin Potter. Lily and James- they're dead, Ro."
Her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish.
"And you-"
"Albus gave me custody."
"Right. Just let that sink in." Rolanda moved towards the couch and sat down stiffly. "Before I forget, Dumbledore sent me to tell you that there's a staff meeting in 10 minutes."
"Give me a minute."
As Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch walked into the staffroom, every head in the room turned towards the child on the Deputy Headmistress's hip.
"Well. I did not expect to see that," drawled Severus Snape.
"No more than I would expect to see you with a child, Severus."
His dark eyes stared as McGonagall took her seat beside the Headmaster. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as the baby girl reached out and grabbed at his beard. Minerva clucked once more as she pulled the hand away. She shot a look at Albus as if to say, "Do something!"
He stood up. "As you have all noticed, today we have been joined by another. Last night, Voldemort went to the Potter home, and, consequently, met his downfall in the Potters' daughter. James and Lily were-" he paused, and continued on heavily, "not so lucky."
A silence spread through the room, and tears leaked down the cheeks of some Professors.
"There is, however, some good news. Lijevvin Mina Potter is now living with our very own Professor McGonagall. While she is at the school, the students will know her as Ava McGonagall, Professor McGonagall's niece. After all, the resemblance is uncanny."
Snape groaned.
"Yes, Severus?" bristled McGonagall.
"I am simply worried about how biased the child will become," he replied silkily.
"Why does it matter? It would only make sense!"
Evvin started to giggle as Snape rose from his chair to continue the argument.
"Funny bat!"
Snape turned to look at the baby, and was met with Lily's eyes. He glared for a while, then stormed out, cloak billowing behind him. Minerva stared after him.
"What was that about?"
Dumbledore simply shook his head. Meanwhile, the other Professors gathered around Minerva and her new charge.
Well? What did ya think? Should I continue? I hope people say yes, because I have at least another two chapters already written, and numerous drabbles from her school years that just pop into my head.