First Day of School
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and although many of the characters in this story are original characters, most of the characters in this story are characters from the Potterverse. This will be the last time I write this disclaimer.
(The Goddess of Wisdom)
The black steam train roars as it awaits its student passengers. Seas of black wool or cotton cram around the boarding area of the train. The sounds of owls hooting, frogs croaking, cats purring, people chatting and laughing, fire crackers exploding, and the rattling of many school items filled the air. Minerva McGonagall takes a deep breath as she straightens her square spectacles over her green eyes and smoothes out her faded black robe. Today is September 1st, 1937; Minerva's first day of school.
"Minnie! Are you sure you have everything?"
Minerva turns towards her mother Anne, who is holding her sister Catherine's hand. Anne uses her free hand to run through her raven locks as she gazes at her daughter with worry-filled brown eyes. Anne and Minerva had went through her things several times before coming to Platform 9 ¾; Anne is stalling.
"Mum, I have everything, and I'm okay. You don't have to worry."
Anne throws her arms Minerva and plays with Minerva's black hair. "I know Minnie, but this is the first time you've ever been away from me. I just don't want you to come back different than when you left. I just want my Minnie to come back next year."
"Don't worry, Mum, I'll always be your Minnie. Besides, you'll still have Katie."
"Until I go to Hogwarts three years later" says Katie as tosses her long blonde hair towards a group of boys, who nearly trip over Minerva's chestnut trunk. Peeved, Minerva glares over her shoulder. "She's eight, you morons."
Minerva turns away from their uncomfortable glances to the playful brown eyes of her sister, whose hands were placed on her hips. Before Katie can come up with a retort, she dissolves into a fit of coughing. Tears well in Minerva's eyes as she drops her trunk and hugs her sister who, regardless of the three-year age difference, is her exact height.
"Oh Katie, I am going to miss that cough so much at Hogwarts!"
"Well don't worry, Minnie" says Katie as she wipes her eyes, "You're gonna hear this cough all Christmas break, and Easter break, and summer break, and in three years, it'll be like old times."
"You're right" Minerva looks down at Katie's hand-sewn red robe, "but the way you're growing, you're gonna have to wear Papa's old robes when you come to Hogwarts."
All three of them laugh at this. "Oh, I wish your Papa was here to see you off" says Anne.
"Did I miss her?"
Minerva looks behind Anne and Katie and see her father Paul McGonagall shuffling towards them. She dashes to him and buries her face in his baggy brown robe, nearly knocking out of his arms the package he has. "Papa, you made it!"
"There was a lot of work at the broom repair shop, but it was worth it."
Minerva's eyes widen as her father give her the package. Anne and Katie come behind her to marvel at the package as well. "You got me a broom?"
"Yeah" he says as he runs his fingers through his blond hair, "It's a Nimbus 1945, so it's a year old, but it's in great condition. One of my customers gave it to me when he bought his son a Nimbus 1946, so it's also used. I'm sorry I couldn't get you a new one."
"Papa, it's perfect" says Minerva as she looks into his green eyes, "I wouldn't ask for anything more."
Paolo smiles as he squeezes her. "I'm glad you're happy, Minnie."
A loud ring permeates through the platform. "Minnie you better hurry up before you miss the train!" shouts Katie.
Minerva grabs her trunk from Anne and runs to the boarding area. "Bye, Mum! Bye, Papa! Bye, Katie!"
"Bye Minnie!" shouts Anne, "I'll write you every day!"
"I'll write you every week!" says Paul.
"I'll write you when I can!" shouts Katie, "You know I hate to write!"
Minerva laughs as she looks at her family one more time before she boards the train. As she enjoys the warmth that engulfs her, Minerva jerks forward, nearly dropping her broom. "I better find a seat before I fall on my face."
"Auntie Dorea, why can't we sit with you?"
Several feet in front of Minerva are three female students, two of which look around her age. The upperclassman shakes her wild raven as she smiles down at the two girls. "Sorry, Walburga, but hanging out with underclassmen, even relatives, is totally uncool."
Walburga puts her hands on her hips as Dorea slams the door on them. "Forget her, Lucy!" she says as she grabs the arm of the auburn-haired girl, "We'll sit somewhere else!" Walburga's eyes meet Minerva's as they pass each other. Minerva frowns as Walburga glares at her before she drags Lucy into one of the compartments. She shrugs and, rather than checking to see if there was an extra seat in Walburga and Lucy's compartment, enters a compartment across from their.
The students in the compartment stopped their conversation and stared at Minerva. Taking a small breath, she points to an empty seat next to the door. "Is this seat taken?"
"Not at all!" says stout, brown-haired boy on the window side of the seat, "Come on in!"
Minerva shoves her things under the seat and sits down. The girl sitting across the brown-haired boy pulls her new robe over her opened legs as she bends towards Minerva. "So what's your name?"
"Oh! My name is Minerva McGonagall. And yours?"
The girl points at herself. "I'm Augusta Dane, the future most powerful witch in the world!"
The brown-haired boy covers his mouth, his cough sounding very similar to the word 'wrong'. "What's was that?" shouts Augusta.
"I'm Alastor Moody, future…bum perhaps, I'm too tired to think about right now."
Augusta folds her arms and glares at Alastor with blue eyes. "You'll never accomplish anything if you're lazy."
Minerva shakes her head as she turns towards the tan-haired boy in front of her. "And what's your name?"
"My name is Terrence Hitchens, but you can call me Terry."
"You're really quiet, Terry" says Augusta as she kneads his arm with her fist.
"It's hard to get a word in with you two."
"Please" says Alastor as he leans on the window sill, revealing how disheveled his robe is, "You have to speak up more, Terry."
Terry rolls his eyes as he starts to read The History of Hogwarts. Minerva looks around and plays with the collar of her robe. "So, I have a little sister name Katie. Do any of you have siblings?"
"No" says Alastor and Augusta, but Terry pipes in afterwards. "I have twin sisters from my father's first marriage, Elizabeth and Isabella or, as I call them, Beth and Bell. Bell has a five-year old daughter named Harley."
"Harley is a cute name" says Minerva.
"So" asks Augusta, "Are any of your family members muggle-born like you?"
Minerva jerks her head towards Terry. "You're a muggle-born?"
Terry backs into his chair. "Yes"
Minerva's eyes widen. "Wow. I've never met a muggle-born before."
"Well, I've never met a pureblood or a half-blood before either. This world is so new to me."
"Today's your lucky day, Terry" says Alastor as he slaps Terry's knee, "I'm half-blooded!"
"Really?" asks Augusta, "With your attitude I would have pegged you as a pureblood."
"Well, I'm not really sure. My father's half muggle, half muggle-born and my mother's half pureblood, half squib. I don't know how the magical world counts squibs, so I may be muggle-born as well. Hell, with the squib practices in this world, my grandparents might be related!"
Minerva looks at her black shoes before breaking the awkward silence that passes between the four. "So, Augusta, are you a pureblood?"
"Of course" she answers as she nods her blonde head, "Product of the Dane and Pettigrew families! What about you, Minerva?"
"I'm pureblooded as well. My mother was a Macmillan before she married my father."
"Oh" says Alastor, "So you're a Scotsman, or in your case, a Scotswoman."
"Actually, I'm a Scottish English…"
Minerva and Alastor nearly fall into Augusta and Terry as the train comes to a halt. "Well, time to go" says Alastor as the four of them grab their things and mix into the group of students exiting the train.
"Leave your trunks and things on the platform! Upperclassmen to the carriages! First years come with me!"
Minerva jerks as she feels Terry's hand on her shoulder. "This is all so strange to me! I'm a bit nervous."
"Don't worry, Terry. We'll stick together."
"We'll all stick together!" says Augusta as she grabs both Alastor's and Minerva's hands, "Grab Minerva's hand so we'll get a boat together!"
"Boat?" Terry says as Minerva grabs his hand.
"You'll see" says Minerva.
The four of them join a group of first years as the surround around a tall, balding man with a hook nose. Pulling his patched-up brown robe tighter around him in defense from the wind, he waves enthusiastically at the crowd. "Hello, children! Let me be the first to welcome you to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Renfield Filch, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts. If you're good, little children, this will be one of the last times you see me. If not, well, then you'll probably see me a lot. One last thing before we go: say hello to my wife, Nora Filch for me!"
Laughter goes through the crowd as small boats surround the bank. As the four of them pack into one, Terry jumps as the boat starts moving. "It moves by itself?" he hisses before he joins the others in taking in the view. The only light around is the flicker coming from Filch's lantern at the front of the group. The darkness of the bodies, boats, water, and sky engulf Minerva as the sound of boats moving through the water fill her ears. Her eyes widen as the figure of a castle that touches the sky comes into view. Minerva's stomach drops as she stares at the millions and millions of windows. This is the biggest place Minerva has ever seen, and she is going to live here for the next seven years!
"Wow" she hears Alastor say as they get out of the both.
"Okay children" shouts Filch, "Follow me."
The first years shuffle into the castle. The ceiling of the halls is higher than the ones in Minerva's house, and the halls are much longer as well. The golden halls are nothing, however, compared to the Great Hall. Whether it's the large golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling enchanted to show the sky, the long wooden tables filled with gaggles of students, or the house banners that fly like badges of honor over them, Minerva is spellbound.
"And now for the introductions"
Minerva looks at the bald man dressed in purple robes and a purple hat. She was too busy marveling at the spacious room to focus on the beginning of his speech. "I," the man continues, "am Headmaster Armando Dippet. To my right are Charms teacher Filius Flitwick, Herbology teacher Elaine Prewitt, and Defense against the Dark Arts teacher Galatea Merrythought. On my left is Potions teacher Horace Slughorn and Transfiguration teacher Albus Dumbledore."
Minerva looks the red-haired man in the blue robes at the end of the Great Table. He looks at the students through his half-moon spectacles with his piercing blue eyes. Dumbledore smiles good-naturedly and waves at the group. I can't wait for Transfiguration, thinks Minerva.
"Now we can start the sorting."
Headmaster Dippet takes out a worn black hat with a slit cut across the top. When the hat is placed on the stool, it starts to recite a poem.
"The hat is talking" says Terry, matter-of-factly.
"Are you going to do that with everything?" huffs Augusta.
They stop, however, when the hat starts calling names. Minerva wasn't paying attention to the names, but to the reaction of the tables when a new student was sorted into their houses. This changes, however, when the hat shouts "Lucretia Black!"
Minerva watches as the auburn-haired girl from earlier timidly sits on the stool and places the hat on her head. "Whoo, hoo, hoo" croons the hat, "My first Black of the year. I know just the house for you…Slytherin!"
The Slytherins cheer as Lucretia runs to the table. "Walburga Black" the hat shouts.
Walburga plops down on the stool and throws the hat on her head. "Two Blacks in one year" says the hat "Must be my lucky year. I haven't had two Blacks since Charis and Dorea…"
"Can it, hat!" shouts Walburga, "Are you gonna put me in Slytherin or not?"
"I'm going to put you in Slytherin!"
After that, the sorting went off normally. The first of Minerva and her friends to be sorted is Augusta, who is sorted into Gryffindor. Terry, however, is sorted into Ravenclaw. Afterwards, Alastor is also sorted into Gryffindor. Finally, the sorting hat shouts "Minerva McGonagall!"
Minerva slowly walks to the stool and puts the hat on before sitting down. The hat starts talking, but Minerva isn't listening to it. Before her, everyone from all four houses and other first years waiting to be sorted have their eyes on her. Minerva straightens her glasses, feeling the gazes of the teachers behind her. She hears the hat say something, but didn't realize until the table with the red-and-gold flags start cheering that it said "Gryffindor!"
As if her body is moving on it own, Minerva moves towards the Gryffindor table. She doesn't register the other sortings. She doesn't register the congratulations of Augusta and Alastor. She doesn't register the pats on the back by Gryffindor upperclassmen. All she can feel is exhilarating joy.
Minerva is officially a student of Hogwarts now.
(The Goddess of Wisdom)
Well, thank you for reading the first chapter of The Goddess of Wisdom! Minerva's family, Terry and his family, the Filches, and Elaine Prewitt are all original characters. Everyone else is a cannon character in the Potterverse, although Augusta has an original surname because she's known by her married name in Harry Potter. See you next chapter!