Chapter Two
Three colleagues and friends stood in front of a large stone Kneazle. Poppy Pomfrey and Professors Filius Flitwick and Pomona Sprout were all wondering why Minerva would need to see them after sending out a note that she was taking a few days off. Poppy would have prescribed a vacation for the weary headmistress. She would have recommended nothing shorter than a week. The three staff members knew that once a new headmaster or mistress was named, the stone guardian that protected the head's office would change to an animal that best represented the current head. That was one of the interesting and still unexplained magics of the castle. Poppy thought that the ugly gargoyle was a perfect representation of the true side of Albus Dumbledore. He rarely ever slipped out of his well crafted grandfatherly persona but it wasn't pretty when he did. It boggled her mind that he covered up everything that ever happened to her most frequent patient. She probably would have suffered permanent brain damage from the many oblivations he had attempted on the formidable matron. All healers were trained in occlumency to protect the sanctity of the healer patient relationship. Poppy went the extra mile and became a certified Master Occlumens. However, she knew that both history and fiction were written by the victors. Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald. The whole wizarding world believe that sun shined out from his arse. They even went so far as to let him unofficially shape the magical world and its future. Poppy was drawn back to reality as the spiraling staircase started its accent to Minerva's new office.
"First, we three each get a note from Minerva in the middle of the night asking for a few personal days. Not a few short precious hours later, she sends out a patronus message asking us to meet her in her office. Does anybody else find this a tad peculiar?" Professor Flitwick inquired with his high pitched squeak.
"Not only do I find it peculiar, I also detected hints of nervousness and uncertainty in our dear colleague's voice. Two traits we haven't ever seen her display since she lost Jacob. She has obviously has something extremely important to tell us and it's obviously a tad more urgent than the need for a few days off." Pomona Sprout deduced.
Poppy was the unofficial firecracker of the Hogwarts staff. "A galleon says that it has something to do with Mister Potter." Poppy quipped.
"Oh for Merlin's sake Poppy, have you no decency. Minerva isn't just our colleague but our dear friend." Pomona admonished her friend. "Besides, you don't need the brain of a Ravenclaw to sniff out a sucker's bet out of thin air."
"Hey, I want the two of you to leave the fine and reputable house of Ravenclaw out of this." Filius said as he stepped off of the staircase and onto the landing just outside of Minerva's office. Pomona and Poppy were right on his heels when he knocked on the door. A reserved and meek Minerva opened the door and quietly ushered her friends into her office.
"Good morning Filius, Pomona and Poppy. I am hopeful you three will be able to help me with some emergency issues that arose overnight. Snitch will be here in a few moments with a pot of fresh and a few fresh pastries. If you feel that you need anything stronger, just let either one of us know." Minerva said as she led her colleagues to the sitting area hoping a smile would return to her face. She motioned to her friends to sit down.
"The first bit of news is related to the two missing members of the Golden Trio. Mister Potter has safely returned from wherever he ended up after the end of the battle. He is safely resting in my bed after he arrived at my door around four this morning." Minerva saw her three friends were able to relax somewhat when they heard the Harry was still alive. "Poppy, I will send you a patronus when Harry wakes up again. I would like you to give him a proper full physical. IF you have to count every single hair on his body I want your examination to be that detailed. He has a few nasty and very new scars. I also believe a full medical history is in order and not that bloody whitewash Albus drug up from his backside all those years ago. One more thing Poppy, could you also put together a list of mind healers of the muggle equivalent for me. Earlier, I had to use a sleeping charm on him. Harry fell into a state of shock from probably reliving another nightmare."
Poppy nodded emphatically before she began to speak. "There are only two people I would ever recommend. Although, one just suffered a serious loss of her own. Andromeda Tonks would have been my first choice. However, my second and only other choice would be Dr. Mallory Bell. She is a graduate of both Hogwarts and Cambridge University. She has a lot of experience in dealing with cases both child abuse and post traumatic stress disorder. Her daughter just happens to be Katie Bell who was a former teammate of Harry's. Having Katie introduce Harry to her mother might be a good idea. Harry, I doubt has gotten over his trust issues."
"It is great that we are making some headway with young Mister Potter however nothing has been said about the other missing member of the Golden Trio. Miss Granger was quite the force to be reckoned with. I saw her drill one of the biggest holes by the use of the piercing hex. Fenrir Greyback was nearly split in two. It was a shame Miss Granger didn't take out Greyback sooner before he mauled Miss Brown. She should be here amongst friends celebrating this pyrrhic victory." Filius lamented.
"I see that Ravenclaw brain of yours never shuts down. It also happened to be the only thing sharper than a goblin forged battle blade." Minerva said with a smirk. "Yes, I haven't mentioned anything about the whereabouts of Miss Granger. I have no solid verifiable bits of information as of yet. It is rather difficult for me to talk about either one of my two favorite students. In one of his nightmarish fits, Harry spoke on various people who had died in front of him. First, he mentioned James and Lily, followed by Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and young Nymphadora Tonks." Minerva said as tears flowed down her cheeks. Pomona got up, walked over to the crying witch and pulled Minerva up from her seat into a warm hug.
"You don't have to say it if you can't. I am guessing the latest person who was taken from Mister Potter was Miss Granger." Pomona said as Minerva's tears turned into an uncontrollable torrent. Poppy and Filius were absolutely stunned. One of the brightest students to have ever graced the hallowed hall of Hogwarts was dead. It took Minerva a few more minutes to regain her composure.
"Thank you Mona. Your warm hugs could always make a tortured soul feel whole again. I can tell you what I know but that isn't very much. Her absence is quite telling. She hasn't been spotted alive in quite some time. A strong willed woman like Miss Granger would have made her presence known a long time ago. There are two possible outcomes I see occurring. One is that she is in fact dead. The other outcome is that she has chosen not to reveal the fact that she is still alive. My intuition tells me that Harry knows the full story. That story is tearing him up from the inside. Is it just me was it really a dynamic duo and a tagalong instead of a truly golden trio? Mister Weasley always to me seemed jealous of either Harry's unwanted fame and massive fortune or Hermione's intelligence and magical prowess." Minerva reached into her robe's inner pocket and fished out a small flask. She uncorked the top and took a swig of her favorite scotch to steady her erratic nerves. She put the cork back in the mouth of the flask before returning it to her pocket.
That shot of golden scotch did exactly what Minerva needed it to do. "If we want to move forward with regards to Miss Granger, we will need the full story from Harry first. That may take some time. Both of you know how reserved Mr. Potter can be. Other than Miss Granger, I believe there are one other person other than myself that could get through to Harry. Filius, I need you to contact Miss Lovegood. I understand Harry befriended your young raven two years ago. I am sure her unique personality can break through Harry's defenses." Minerva said as she looked at the Charms professor. Filius agreed to contact Luna.
"All of these events have led me to my next decision. I feel that the few days I had asked for earlier will now not be enough. There is something that I need to disclose to you both. I must confess that there is a growing attraction to my young Gryffindor cub." She looked up and saw her three friends smiling. She saw Mona and Filius dig into their pockets. They each pulled out a few galleons a piece and handed them over to Poppy.
"It's about time you confessed your crush to somebody about young Mister Potter." Mona smiled back at her friend. "Even if you did cost me a few galleons. I would have won the pool if you two had gotten together."
"Poppy, why am I not surprised you started a betting pool?" Minerva asked her old friend.
"For the last twenty years, Albus has been cutting back my budget on rare medicinal potions and the ingredients for those potions. He rerouted all of that money towards Severus's budget. Did I see any extra healing potions or salves from Severus? Not one so I had to supplement my budget somehow. Those Ginger Demon Twins have nothing on me and my betting network. I've been running the books throughout Hogwarts and Hogsmeade long before they were even twinkles in their horny father's eye. I really wanted to strangle that bearded bastard myself for what he did to the only man I ever loved." The Hogwarts Matron had tears dribbling down her cheeks as she remembered her beloved.
"Poppy, I thought you had no interest in men. In fact if we are revealing secrets here, Poppy and I have been sharing a bed of passionate love for quite some time. You have been the only one to ever give me an earth shattering toe curling sheet ripping orgasm." Mona took her lover's hand in her own.
"Have you ever noticed that muggle photograph on my nightstand? It shows a younger man and a slightly older woman both happily in love with each other. That love was ripped away from me on a cold rainy November night back in 1981. The day Sirius Black was hauled off to Azkaban Prison without any trial. His mentally addled cousin even got a trial. But Albus somehow convinced Barmy Barty and that old bitch Bagnold to lock him away." Poppy's ire continued to rise as the tears fell from her eyes. "My story is somewhat similar to Minnie's. It wasn't professor and student but healer and patient. We met while I patched him up after a run-in with his cousin and a bunch of her lackeys. He was just like Harry's father. A Danger magnet Sirius was. I secretly considered myself his own personal healer for all the times I had to mend this or patch that up all the while not getting any blood on his expensive clothes or carpets. After mending a broken arm, that rogue finally barked up enough of his Gryffindor courage to ask me out on a proper date. James, Lily and Remus all approved. Lily commented that she knew only a woman with the strongest of wills could ever keep that rogue in line." Poppy picked up her mug of tea and took a sip.
"I was the one who nursed Sirius back to health from his extended and illegal stay in Azkaban. I didn't know how he was able to get into the castle at night but I warded the doors to the hospital wing to allow his magical signature to enter after hours. Two days before You-Know-Who attacked Godric's Hollow, Sirius and I were on a date in Muggle London. That was the day he proposed to me on a sidewalk in front of Tower Bridge on a rare clear crisp autumn night. I was quite surprised that the perpetual bachelor would propose to anybody let alone me. I asked him to give me a few days to mull over my decision." Poppy reached down between her ample cleavage and pulled up a golden necklace with a small diamond engagement ring with ornate intricate craftsmanship. "I was going to say yes. Technically we were married under common law while he was still in prison. It was one hell of a consummation of our relationship that somehow mother magic herself recognized our bond."
"I am not sure what to say. I had no idea that Sirius Black could keep his mouth shut about a secret romance with you let alone anyone else. That man loved spinning yarns about every woman he bedded. They always seemed more myth than mortar." Mona said.
"There may have been a bit of magic in protecting our secret. That and the ever present threat of a castration curse if he ever uttered a word about us." Poppy fired back with a sad smile hung from her face.
"Poppy, I hope I don't come off as sounding too crass or dismissive about your relationship with the former head of House Black or you Minerva with your feelings for Mister potter. Those feelings should never have materialized in the first place. As much as I detest the liberal use of that certain celibacy charm, it should have stopped any romantic feelings either of you were having towards Black or Potter. It should have stopped you both from having these notions towards any student male or female." Filius observed before sipping his small sniffer of brandy.
"Normally Filius, you would be right however as we learned over the last six years with Harry is that he is known for doing anything normally. He tends to pull off the impossible on a regular basis. There are a few factors that cause the charm to break. I believe that Harry and I share some of familial connection. Lily considered me Harry's back-up godmother. Second, Harry is one of the most powerful wizards since Merlin and the founders of Hogwarts. He is leaps and bounds more powerful than Dumbledore and Vol…Vol…Voldemort.'
"I believe Albus put a few powerful binds upon Harry's magic shortly after the deaths of Lily and James. He claimed he placed these binds on Harry for the lad's own safety. I cannot prove it but I believe those binds were a method to subdue Harry's natural abilities. Dumbledore placed Harry with his magic hating muggle relatives. I was a both a witness when the Potter wills were both written and then when they were signed. I am having the damned time remembering the actual content of the wills. I cannot be certain but The Dursleys were not supposed to be Harry's legal guardians nor was Dumbledore supposed to be his magical guardian. My theory is that Harry was somehow able to break through those shackles. If Harry can break though those binds, he must be powerful enough to brush aside that charm and survive Voldemort's killing curse. My last clue came when I was meditating this morning. Somehow I was able to tap into Harry's consciousness. Whilst meditating on my magical core, I saw another magical strand that was different from my own. I am pretty sure that I touched his magical core. Does that mean we are bonded somehow? I don't know but something is forming between Harry and me." Minerva's voice was starting to strain. She picked up her mug of tea and took a sip before returning the mug to the side table.
"All of this boils down to time. I want to take more time off. I want to help Harry heal his mind, heart, body and soul completely. I also want to see if this bond can really blossom. I also want to feel happy again. As of this morning, I am stepping down from the post of Headmistress of Hogwarts. I still wish to hold the head of Gryffindor house and retain the professorship of Transfiguration. In my short time as Headmistress, I have felt the heavy burden of those three roles. The role of the head of Hogwarts is too much for just one person to hold. I believe the school would be better served if there wasn't one headmaster or mistress but a coalition made up of the four heads of house. The school's educational standards have been in serious decline for the last half century. Those issues are ones for another day. I hope all I will need is just the summer off to help Harry heal. However I am planning for the possibility of needed more time." All Minerva needed in the world right now was the approval of her three friends.
"Where will you go? How can we keep this out of the Prophet? I can see that vulture Skeeter salivating already if she found out. Once kitty gets out of the bag, it can never be put back. I am not sure you will be able to return to teaching here in England. Are you okay with not being able to teach here at Hogwarts?" Filius inquired.
"Filius, I want to first be a partner, wife, mother and an author. I have grown weary of teaching the basics to the younger generations. I would like to move into becoming a mentor of those who seek to learn advanced transfiguration. Hogwarts and the education of young witches and wizards will always be in my heart and blood. My drive to stay at Hogwarts has diminished year after year. Albus saw to that. I never wanted to be headmistress anyways. Albus also never should have interfered with Harry and his parents, the Longbottoms not to mention the countless others he has manipulated over the years." Minerva said as her ire raised slightly.
"Not to doubt you Minerva but you are in your early sixties are you not? Are you even able to conceive a child? Filius asked.
"It's funny you should ask that Fiilius. I am not sure if you have even heard of this but there is one physical side effect of that celibacy charm. How the charm works is twofold. One aspect is that it shuts down the brain's ability to form attraction to any student. The other aspect is that it shuts down a woman's reproduction system entirely. Reproductively speaking, I am just a fertile as a Hogwarts graduate. I felt myself wake up down below as soon as Harry broke through that charm. Speaking of which, Poppy, could I schedule a time with you for a checkup?" Minerva asked.
"I am free any time. All of the serious cases have been moved to St. Mungo's and my small team finished patching up the few remaining patients in my ward. I have one still under observation but other than that I can visit you wherever and whenever you'd like."
"I will let you know." Minerva smiled back at her friend.
"I know that we can make this work Min." Pomona extended her arm and wrapped up Minerva's hand. "I will speak with the board of governors. I think your idea about a council to guide the school is a good one but it is a radical one and convincing those sticks in the mud will be quite the Herculean challenge. Albus could barely manage running this school let alone his two other prominent positions. As much as I would have liked to be Headmistress, the amount of parchment work alone would be a nightmare. There should be a support staff underneath the head of our school. I am still amazed with how you practically ran the school while Dumbledore engaged in his flights of fancy. I for one believe each one of us either needs to start looking for a replacement or start training their replacement. Nobody at this table is getting any younger. Mister Longbottom could easily take over teaching my classes up till fifth year despite not even earning his mastery yet. Have you thought about you could replace you? You are still a legend in your field. We still have to fill the Defense, Potions, and History positions. I cannot believe Dumbledore never exorcized that idiot Binns years ago. Secondly where did money allotted to the history position end up. Our history is much a living growing creature being taught by an actual dead man. Our history is also a hell of a lot bigger than just the Goblin rebellions." Pomona spat out in disgust.
"I have been considering retirement since the start of last year. I put out a few feelers to a few former students one of which has attained his mastery. You all remember Head boy Michael Weatherly Smyth from Hufflepuff who graduated in 1983? He could easily step right into taking my place as professor of Transfiguration. Say what you will about his actual teaching skills, no one could brew as well Snape. As for a replacement for potions, before she married Narcissa Black almost beat Severus's record when she achieved her mastery. I believe would work out a deal with Minister Shacklebolt. I am pretty sure Narcissa did all within her power stay away from the clutches of her husband and his master. I think we can get Horace to stay on for a year or two if we can't convince Kingsley but I'd rather not have that sleezeball with his frisky fingers." Minerva said trying to keep the disgust from her voice.
"I take it Harry would have been offered the Defense post if he was ready. Hell, aside from Remus Lupin, he has been the most competent teacher we have had for that class since a young Tom Riddle applied for that position all those years ago. He even taught both the youngest Weasley boy and young Longbottom how to conjure up a patronus charm. Two of our more problematic students with poorly matched wands and yet Harry was able to teach them both one of the hardest spells offered in Defense. Two years ahead of when it's generally taught. I agree he would be the perfect choice. However, I am guessing he is in no place to handle the stress handing just one class let alone a full schedule." Mona observed.
"Are we even sure he would even wants to come back to Hogwarts?" He doesn't have many happy memories of this place. Every year someone or something tries to kill him. His adventures should be recorded in Hogwarts: A History. That man needs a new rock to keep him grounded. There isn't anybody more suited to be his new rock than you Min. As for the Defense post, if we could lure William Weasley away from the goblins, I believe he would be a good fit. However convincing that young feisty bridge of his will be a tough sell. Two other options would be Trevor Proudfoot and Diana Savage. Both are former aurors whom both are fully decorated. I recently heard from Diana. She's already put in an application, resume, and a syllabus proposal. I can arrange an interview for the end of the week if that okay with everybody else." Filius said.
"Set it up Filius. One aspect we haven't considered was the fact that Albus Dumbledore was a big reason why students came to study here at Hogwarts despite all of his foibles and machinations. He has left us in quite a hole educationally speaking. All four of us are graduates of this school. How many extra classes did you remember Hogwarts offering that have been cut over the years? Classes like basic education fundamentals like sentence structuring and essay writing should come back. Many of our children have difficulties if they didn't seek out earlier education before coming here. Classes on the wizarding arts, music, law and government have all been cut and they should be brought back. I wholeheartedly agree about Binns. We need to oust him as soon as possible. I will not have any student sleeping through history ever again. My greenhouses are just a few floors below the history classroom. I can even tell you when young Mr. Weasley has class by his dulcet snore. I had a hunch about Binns and checked with the Salary record. Albus still pays Binns but rerouted that money back into his private account. He was so brazen to think that nobody would ever check it that he didn't attempt to hide it at all. I will immediately dispatch a letter to Gringotts asking to remove all of that money and put it back into the school's general fund." Pomona explained before taking a sip from her cup. She notices Minerva shiver slightly.
"My apologies Filius, and Pomona but my newly formed connection tells me that Harry is slowly starting to wake up. For the time being, either one of you would be a great head for the school with the other taking the role of deputy. I think opening this discussion up to Septima, Aurora, Bathsheba for their options would be best. Right now it just feels like the perfect time to turn over the controls of the castle. I'm going to use one obscure little perk of being the school's head. Mona, I dare say you are in for quite a shock." She smiled as her friends looked on in surprise. "I Madam Acting Headmistress Minerva Lillian McGonagall step down as headmistress and head protector of Castle Hogwarts. I name Madame Professor Pomona Rose Sprout as my successor. Mutatio In Ductu." The air started to shimmer as the control of the castle's wards shifted from Minerva to Pomona. Minerva merely shivered as the controls left her. Pomona on the other hand was nearly knocked out from powerful influx of power coming from the wards that still protected Castle Hogwarts.
It took a few moments for Pomona to recover her composure. "Where were all of these powerful wards and security measure during the last year? One of us should have been able to activate these very powerful intent based wards to defend the castle. From what I can gather, these wards would have utterly annihilated anyone who wished to harm a student. Then again student on student attacks would cause so much extra parchment work." Pomona theorized.
"I have a sinking suspicion that Albus has been somehow weakening the wards here ever since that fateful night at the end of October back in '81. He knew something he only shared with one other person. As close as I and Albus were, we were never as close as him and Severus. Severus played the roll of his confessor and confidant. A house elf could have farted on the quidditch pitch in the middle of a tornado and the headmaster should have been notified. That's how strong the wards should have been. Nevertheless, all of that is in the past now and it seems to me that the wards have recharged themselves. I can't explain how that happened. Now you have control of the castle. Treat her well. She'll hear you. All you have to do is ask. Poppy if you could follow me. Both Harry and I would like you to exam us now." Minerva said as she stood up. Poppy followed Minerva's action. Filius and Pomona decided to continue their planning elsewhere in the castle.
Poppy leaned in and whispered to Minerva right outside the door to her bedroom. "Where did you get the galleons for a Madame Delacour Barely There robe? I don't think either Filius or Mona could have seen but I swear if you thought of Harry once more, your silent orgasm could have stained that lovely robe. How they didn't see your massive nipples sticking out is beyond me." Poppy said with glowing smirk.
"I can't even give you a piece of my mind for that saucy jab Poppy. He is the strongest specimen of catnip this tabby cat has ever encountered before and it drives me wild. Yet if I come on to him too strong, I will do far more damage than good. He needs all the steady and stable love and support I can give him. I swear to make him whole again. As for my nipples, I caught both of them trying to hide glances. I caught Mona even licking her lips when I slightly turned in her direction. As for the robe, it was a Christmas present from Matthew. I've kept it under a strong stasis ward all this time. I've never felt worthy and sexy enough to put it on until now. However, this conversation is now over. It's time to switch on Healer Poppy mode." Minerva said sternly.
"Yes sir boss sir. Who will be going first? I can fulfill your need for a full check up right now if you wish." Poppy said.
Instead of verbally chastising Poppy, Minerva deftly slipped her wand out of her holster and shot a low powered stinger right at Poppy's shapely rear which caused Poppy to shriek. Minerva followed the stinger up by giving Poppy her classic look. The same look that no student of hers ever wanted to see twice.
"I will be going first Poppy. Harry isn't fully awake and I wouldn't want to spring a full exam on him without shocking him and not getting his consent." Minerva said.
"Okay Boss. Let's get started. I'll need you to remove anything that has been improved by magic. These diagnostic charms are very sensitive and are not as accurate if they hit interference from another source of magic." Poppy explained. Minerva pulled off her robe and placed it on the couch. She then removed her small diamond tear drop earrings. Her body looked like a woman in her mid sixties still fit enough but nothing terribly attractive. That all changed when she removed her necklace which had a powerful glamour ward scheme etched into the small silver cat pendant. Once that pendant was removed, Minerva looked more like she belonged in PlayWizard magazine as their Wanton Witch of the year with the full centerfold treatment. Poppy's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Jesus, Mary, Merlin and Joseph, do you have any idea how much I want to rip my clothes off, push you down on to the couch and go to town. I knew you were one powerful witch but you could pass for a recent graduate." Poppy pulled out her wand from one of her pockets. Magic began to fly out from the tip of her wand but Poppy didn't speak a word. Her eyes stretched open with each result her spells brought back. She stopped waving her wand, closed her eyes and took a deep breath before casting one last spell. A folder materialized in front of her and Poppy reached out took the folder in to her hand. It was Minerva's medical file detailing her entire medical history.
"Well Poppy, how is my health?" Minerva inquired.
"The scans show that you are in the best health for someone in their twenties let alone in their mid sixties. Your breasts have gained two and a half cup sizes. Your last physical placed your size at 38D but now you are a sizeable 40 Double G. Any other woman with breasts your size would need to charm her breasts or wear a fitted muggle bra to avoid back pain later on. You on the other hand I theorize will not have those problems. Your breasts already defy gravity. As for the rest of your body, your boosted magic has fully healed each one of your old quidditch related injuries. You could start training to run the London Marathon and actually finish it. You were also correct about your reproductive system. You will start to have your period once again unless you become pregnant. Your body will want to become pregnant. Your body will begin to experience the need to reproduce. If you do not want become pregnant, you should either abstain from sexual intercourse or start on anti-pregnancy potions. The good news is these potions help even out your periods too. As you know my door is always open to you wherever you end up in this world. Do you think Harry is awake enough yet?" Poppy said before Minerva let out a girlish giggle.
"I believe he is. We can go in now."
Harry found himself in Minerva's bed once again. What was stranger was that he was standing at full attention. He could hear a muffled conversation coming from the other side of the bedroom door. In a few seconds flat the door to the bedroom flew open, Minerva and Poppy walked into the bedroom. A very surprised Harry did his best to hide his fully erect cock but hiding something that big was a futile task. Minerva couldn't keep herself from blushing after seeing not so 'Lil Harry alive well and standing up so tall. Poppy decided to break the silence in the room. She took out her wand and shot a closing charm at the bedroom door.
"When a gal gets to see a very nice hard penis, it can really make that gal's day. I must say Mister Potter, you really have grown up since the first time you visited my ward. I can see why you were always on the skinnier side. Everything you ate went to feed that ruddy basilisk you have between your legs. Is it okay if I sit down on the bed next to you?" Poppy asked. Harry slowly but surely nodded his head affirmatively. With his permission, Poppy walked over to the bed and sat down next to Harry. Harry for the first time in probably months started to laugh. It was infectious. However, Poppy could tell it was forced with one look into his eyes.
"Harry, Minnie asked me to give you a full physical but I can tell by the look in your eyes that you are not mentally or emotionally ready for such a procedure as invasive as a physical. I know that you've trusted me in the past but even still you seem wary. With your permission, I would like to give Minerva access to the unaltered unabridged version of your medical file. That file I was successfully able to hide from both Albus and Severus for the last six years. I hope I appear trustworthy to you. I am going to tell you something that no one but me in this world knows. There used to be two others that knew but they were taken from me." Poppy took a few deep breaths to steady her wary nerves.
"There were three dates in my life where I came very close to downing a bottle of poison; October 31st 1981, November 3rd 1981 and June 15th 1996. I don't need to tell you the importance of those dates. Harry, as strong as I am normally, my grief nearly drove me to commit suicide. It was our muggle studies professor who saved my life all three times. I owe my life three times over to Charity Burbage and I have no way to repay her kindness. I tell you this because I see the same look in your eyes that I had in my eyes right before Charity found me in time. You may have lost more than most but grief is still grief. It will eat you alive if you let it. I recommend you setting up a support net to catch you when you fall. Minerva, your friend Luna and Katie Bell's mother, Mallory who is a board certified psychologist who deals with cases similar to your own. These are merely recommendations Harry. None of this will ever be forced upon you. The mind and body only truly heals when the heart and soul want to heal. We just want you to know that there are people who love you dearly. I believe that John Lennon said it best that I get by with a little help from my friends." Poppy stood up and wiped a few tears from her eyes.
"I will send up a house elf with some essence of dittany and a scar healing salve. I think a vacation away from England maybe even away from Europe would do you a world of good. All of your scars including those two nasty ones from those two killing curses will heal fully when you have dealt with the negative emotions attached to those scars. I do hope to see you again Harry just never in a professional sense. Well you should stop by my ward before you leave; I finally got around to making and installing a plaque above your bed." She said with a growing smirk. She made her farewells as she left Minerva's bedroom.
Minvera walked over to the bed and sat down. She subtly opened up the top of her robe. She wanted to gauge Harry's reaction. A normal seventeen year old boy wouldn't be able to stop drooling over the sight of her massive cleavage. Harry never even looked in her direction let alone her sexy canyon. He looked frozen, completely numb and in shock. It was quite a shock when he started to speak. She quickly came back to her senses and listened intently.
"She's… she's… she's really gone, isn't she Profess… fess… Professor?" Harry stuttered out before he began to weep. Minerva did what felt absolutely natural. She scooted across the bed and pulled Harry into a hug. She unknowingly placed his head on her left breast just as the tears started to fall.
"Harry, we can only assume that she is gone. Teams of aurors from the Ministry have searched the entire grounds. A team from St. Mungo's has identified all of the fallen and injured. Her name doesn't appear on either the list of the dead or the list of the wounded. Nobody can confirm that Miss Granger is in fact truly gone. I hope and pray she has escaped and is still alive." Minerva said as she shed a few tears for her second favorite student.
"You… you… you… called… me… me… Ha… Ha... Harry and n…n…not Mister Potter." Harry stammered out.
"Harry, I have decided to take a leave of absence from this school and I will tell you while a little bit later. It was a decision that has been at the back of my mind for a number of years but I never got passed the tipping point throwing in the towel until recently. Secondly, I doubt that you will ever be my student again in the setting of an actual school. Your six years at Hogwarts isn't what any of our other students have experienced in probably the history of our school. I'd wager that in your case that the bad memories outnumber the good ones. Nonetheless, I thank you for being a wonderful if somewhat underachieving student who could have done a lot better if you stayed away from Mr. Weasley. It was an absolute pleasure to teach you even if we didn't have the best of starts. I need to ask you if you feel comfortable talking about Miss Granger." She didn't know it at the time but with Harry's heads on her breast, her body responded accordingly. Her nipples were just a few millimeters from ripping through the thin fabric.
"I… I… I… think I can." Harry said as he fought back the tears. "She w…w…w…would want you to know. You were by far her favourite teacher."
"I did indeed know. I probably know one little secret more about Hermione than you do Mister Potter." Minerva said rather saucily mixed in a pinch of lust.
"I don't want to burst your little bubble of smugness you seemed to have just enveloped yourself into right now but Mione and I shared everything secrets and all. I've known for a long time that she only fancied girls. I was both happy and proud she told me. I even got to meet her muggle girlfriend Lyla this past October when we were held up in London. She made Hermione smile in a way I've never seen before. However, sleeping next to each other in a tent for a few months, one or two embarrassing fantasies came to light and boy does she have one. While she was very much in love with Lyla, she had the hots for somebody a few years her senior. Would it surprise you to know that you don't just turn on the boys Minnie?" Harry said before flashing that famous small smile of his.
"You… you… you called me Minnie." She said as she weakly mocked him. She was really trying to hide her sudden intake of air with his unexpected use of her pet name. "I only those who are very near and dear to my heart get away with calling me that. You are now the fourth person still alive to earn that right. I don't even have to tell you to cherish that fact."
"A right I am privileges and honored to receive." Harry decided to press his luck. He gently grasped her hand and brought her hand up to his lips. He softly planted a warm kiss on the top of her hand. He pushed a little bit of his magic through his lips. Minerva hand started to tingle as if it had fallen asleep. She was caught off guard by his sudden display of affection.
"That's ten points to you Harry in my book for a very clever use of magic." She wanted to return the favor. She leaned her head down and kissed the top of his head. Her nose picked up the scent of lavender and honey. Her feline instincts and libido went into overdrive when she inhaled her favorite scents coming from his hair. It took a severe effort to reign in her lust in and lock it in an iron clad steel trunk at the back of her mind. Harry felt her pang of lust too. He needed to change gears He wanted to feel good again. He wanted to feel whole again. Right now however, it felt way too soon going way too fast.
"If you want them, I will give you all the graphic details. However as a card carrying member of the male species, it goes against my honor subject a fair maiden to such horrific images and descriptions. Yes, my best friend who was my rock for the last six years is in fact stone cold dead." Harry ended his sentence with a tone devoid of any emotion.
"Yes Harry, I'm afraid I actually need the unpleasant details. I think you are very close to your final breaking point. It will only take one more shock to your system for you to either slip into a deep depression or into a homicidal rage. Let's take this news one piece at a time. I want you to start slowly from the beginning. " Minerva said hoping to tease out some of Harry's legendary Gryffindor courage.
"Do you remember when Voldemort made his final demand to me? The same one he gave me one hour to surrender to him out in the Forbidden Forest." She nodded silently daring not to speak in hopes of keeping him talking. "This was right after Hermione and I saw Snape die after being bitten by Voldemort's big ugly snake Nagini. He gave me a few of his memories which in turn gave us the final piece of information on how to end Voldemort. We used the Headmaster's pensieve which still has Snape's memories. I'll explain more about our quest to you and all who deem worthy. Suffice to say that after seeing those memories, I knew how to end the war. That knowledge reduced Hermione to tears.'
"She pleaded with me not to seek that nose less bastard. She begged me. She pleaded with me. She even got so desperate to offer me her most precious gift. I told her that she should have saved it for that special moment between her and Lyla. Both girls wanted to have a child of their own. Hermione tried every trick in the book but she knew that she couldn't convince me otherwise. She did love me enough to let me go even if it felt like I stabbed her in the heart. It was no more than fifteen minutes later that I made my way down from the castle to the edge of the odious Forbidden Forest. I saw bodies strewn everywhere before I made my way into the forest. Before I reached Voldemort, I used a very powerful magical artifact that had the power to bring the spirits of the dead back to life. I recalled the spirits of my parents, Sirius, Remus and Dora Tonks. Knowing that my loved ones were watching over me gave me the extra courage I needed to get the job done." Harry waved his hand in the air and conjured up a large glass. With another wave of his hand, the glass filled up with water. He took a large sip before placing the glass onto the nightstand nearby. Minerva's robe had slowly opened up revealing more of her generous bosom. He had to slip his hand underneath the blanket and try to somehow hide his slowly growing erection.
"Where did you learn how to do wandless conjuration let alone be able to wield wandless magic at all? That parlour trick Albus does when he conjures up the feast is really him tapping a rune with his wand beneath the table to alert the house elves it's time for the feast to begin. It was only Merlin who was thought to be able to freely use wandless magic effectively.
"I believe those stories are for another day. If the government were privy to those secrets I would probably be detained by the Department of Mysteries for the rest of my life to be subjected to endless testing. I have just enough momentum to finish my story. After I spoke to my loved ones, I walked into the clearing where the school's thestralls can be found. Voldie, Bella and a few other death munchers I didn't recognize. Bellatrix was beyond her normal level of insanity. She whipped out her breasts and started torturing her nipples spouting off how her master was going torture me into a driveling mess. I saw Hagrid in chains. He pleaded with me to turn around and run the other way. I have learned that the Potter Family is famous for their stubbornness. I am apparently following in my family's footsteps. I really didn't have the strength left to say or do anything else. Until..." Harry suddenly stopped. He was trying to find the correct words but they seemed harder than a snitch to find.
"Until what Harry, you were almost there. You can do it. Us Gryffindors can do amazing things when we dig deep and find our courage." Minerva said as she kissed the top of his head trying to use that trick Harry used. Her robe had fallen off of her shoulders leaving her breasts completely exposed. She noticed a small bump sitting out from the blanket. She immediately looked away.
"…Until she came running out of nowhere. She must have used a location spell or a tracking charm on me. I didn't want to follow me. One of the death eaters started firing curses at her. As you know, there isn't much light in the forest during the day. The conditions at night under the barrage of spell fire, Hermione became easily distracted. She didn't see Bellatrix coming up from behind. She surprised Hermione and with one quick wave of the wand Hermione was bound up and suspended between two trees. Bellatrix vanished each piece of Hermione's clothes one piece at a time. That harpy complained about nice big and perky Hermione's breasts appeared. She then bound Hermione's breasts together really tight.'
"I wished she had silenced Mione but I think Bellatrix got off on the pain she was causing. It felt like I was being tortured each time Hermione screamed. Bella next conjured up a harness with a large spiked dong. She then brutally raped Hermione in both lower entrances until Hermione started to visibly bleed. That deranged bitch even coated her hand with Mione's blood only to then lick her hand clean. It got so bad that Voldemort had lost interest in Bella's depravity. I was surprised when he stunned Bella. I even prayed that Voldemort would just put Hermione out of her misery but he just waved his wand and cut her down from the trees. He then healed a few of her injuries only to that she didn't bleed all over his runic shield he had designed in the forest floor with what looked like salt."
"She didn't die out in the forest and neither did you. How did you both escape? Minerva asked cautiously.
"The twins slipped me a box of their enhanced Peruvian instant darkness powder. They told me with their enhancements the powder worked over a much large open area. While old Snakeface was healing Hermione, I slipped the box out from my pocket, pulled the little cube out from the box. I chucked the cube into the center of the area. In the blackout, I silently summoned Hermione to me. I then pulled Katie Bell's brome out of my pocket, returned it to full size. I mounted the broom between our legs. I casted a sticking charm to Hermione's rear and to the broom to keep her on the broom. I took off straight up into the cloudless night.'
"Luck must have been on our side because somehow my disillusionment spell held. Somehow we made it back to the castle. I landed in the courtyard next to the Great Hall. I levitated Hermione over to Poppy where she immediately finished what Voldemort started. I was selfish. I needed to hear her voice I brought her back to a conscious state. Hermione didn't seem to scream or cry at least not yet. She hugged me and thanked me for saving her life. I know that's not the story of her death but I needed to share that one first to help alleviate some of my pain." Harry looked somewhat relieved to unload some of his burden.
She didn't know what to say after hearing quite a tale. Her brain didn't want to function correctly. Harry did it. Harry actually opened up to her. She counted that as a small miracle. That story he just told was something nightmares were made from. She knew she had to say something. She didn't want him to shut back down. He needed to know that she truly cared for him. Humor seemed to work in the past. It would work again. He was in fact the son of a marauder and genius mother.
"Would you look at that! I would have won a wet robe contest if my robe hadn't slipped off my shoulders." She let out a laugh. Harry's eyes shot open at what she said. They nearly shot out of his skull once he realized he was looking at the largest firmest pair of breasts he had ever seen before. His days of running away scared with his tail between his legs were over. He stood up to the two most depraved psychopathic people ever known to the magical world in the last century and won. He summoned up that Gryffindor courage and gave her right breast a firm yet gentle squeeze. He felt her nipple instantly harden.
He let his fingers circle and tease her breast and nipple. "I know you want to help me heal. I want to take you up on your offer but there is no way I could ever fully heal here or anywhere in the British Isles. I figured that out when you told me about your sabbatical. The use of my first name gave me a better idea of where your feelings for me stood. The fact that you are not stringing me up by my plums for copping the most wonderful feel in the world told me that we are passed the point of just mere educator and student. It means that you want something deeper from me just as I want something deeper from you. If you are willing to help me heal then I am willing to let you deep inside the somewhat tormented and tragic yet ever changing world of Harry Potter. I wanted to be whole for the first time since October 31, 1981. Right now though even though I just was in your shower. I could another hot relaxing shower." Harry said as the waves of muscle ache started to set in. His whole body just needed time to fully relax.
"I accept your offer. We should discuss whatever is growing between but at a later stage. First, I want you to follow me. I have a rather large bathtub I never use. I stare at it and it makes me feel lonely when I have nobody to who can share it with me." She stood up and let her robe fall down to the floor. She gave Harry the perfect view of her toned shapely backside as she sashayed her hips towards the bathroom. Harry was just left sitting on her bed gawking at her pefect ass. He was impressed with all the work she must put into staying physically fit. He knew almost ever witch or wizard were inherently lazy being gifted with magic. They couldn't understand that a more physically fit witch or wizard is a more power wielder of magic. He was happy to be the cub to her cougar. That thought couldn't keep a smile off his face.
"Harry, if you don't get you and your not so scrawny little self in here with me, I will come back and start hexing your plums to pieces." Minerva called out from the bathroom. Harry didn't need to be told twice. He pushed the sheets off, climbed out of the bed and ran for the bathroom. Minerva was already submerged up to her neck when Harry reached the edge of the large bathtub. She always wore a necklace made of pure silver. Harry's eyes followed the silver chain down to the top of her breasts. There were two silver charms dangling from the chain. One was a cat the other was a lightning bolt. In his mind, those charms were proof enough of her feelings for him.
"I see you've added a new charm to your necklace Min. It must have been a more recent addition. All I remember seeing was a small cat charm around your neck whenever I had the briefest of glimpses while you were doing your best in trying to teach me. I can also see you and your girls look rather comfortable." Harry said with a smirk.
"You and your party favor would be just as comfortable if you got in. The water is just right neither scalding hot nor freezing cold. It is hot enough to melt away the ache of your muscles. As for my neckline, can't a beautiful woman keep a secret or two hidden behind a shimmering bit of silver? Just because we may be growing fonder towards each other, that doesn't mean I'm going to reveal all of my secrets all at once." She said as her eyes glimmering mysteriously. Harry slid gently into the water and sidled up next to his charming lady. He placed his lips to her cheek. He liked a challenge. He knew she was in for a big one just trying to heal him.
"Min, has anybody told you that you are beautiful? You are positively glowing. I have to be the luckiest guy in the world if I get to call you that." He wanted to show his affection for her. He leaned in and kissed her rosy cheek.
"Harry, I am extremely flattered that you find me attractive. Sixty three year old widows do not get called beautiful even by delicious young men sporting very large packages. You haven't started judging books by their aged covers. I would never have invited you in here to join me if you did. My question is what do you see when you look at me? After I lost Jacob, I never looked or even considered myself in any way sexual. I would feel so out of place trying to chat up another person for a date. So Harry, what do you see when you look at me."
Harry loved her hair when it was out of that ironclad bun she normally kept it tied back in. "I see a future." He replied simply.
"Could you be a little more a little more specific with your answer?" She asked. "I know you have seen this several times on the essays I had assigned you over the years so you should have either improved or just gone on to ignore me"
I see something in you that I was pretty sure I was never able to achieve on my own. I was pretty sure I was going to be dead before the war had ended. I must have been caught in a dream but what a wonderful dream it is. I see us in a home somewhere with acres upon acres of open land. It is quiet and peaceful there. I can hear the laughter of children but my dreams haven't given me any specifics. I never wanted to be rich or famous. All I really wanted was a family to call my own." Harry said as rubbed he rubbed her hand.
"That is very admirable. Not many people young or old would think to say that. I would say that we share the same goal Harry. Having a family is something I have always wanted myself."
"You would make a wonderful caring yet stern mother Min. You want the same things I do. You have had the same things stolen from you due to the same megalomaniac murderer and his band of merry miscreants. We both should finally now get to live the lives we dreamed about." His voice laced with a strained anger.
He pulled Minerva in close and pressed his lips to hers demanding attention. She was always surprised how soft his lips felt upon hers. She wanted easier access to those fully silky lips. She pushed back from him as she climbed up into his lap. As she sat down, his package pressed up against her wet velvety nether lips. It took all of her will power not to give into her body's most natural instincts and her growing carnal lust. Unfortunately, there wasn't must space down there. She let him rest in between her shapely ass cheeks. Her tongue brushed his bottom lip pleading for entrance. He submitted to his cougar. She couldn't get enough of his tongue or his taste. A full twenty had passed before either Harry or Min pulled back for air.
"Harry, I cannot deny that I really would like to take this to the next level with you. Naked snogfests aside, I know and can feel that you are quite ready physically that is to go. I just get that nagging feeling in the back of my head that we are sprinting towards the unknown. I'm not afraid to admit that I am scared that you will reject me and abandon me for someone younger. Logically, I know these fears are completely unfounded but something deep inside of me is tells me otherwise. I…" She would have continued on babbling until Harry interrupted her.
"I know I have a very long and winding road to recovery ahead of me but it was you who told me that you'd me there every step of the way. My heart tells me that testing our physical love for each other is the right next step to take. I would like to start making happy memories with you. Yes your fears are unfounded. Words are not worthy enough to express my feelings for you. I want to prove it to you. Now I want you to meet me in your bed. I want you to take your time and get ready. Do whatever it is you need to do but I want to see you in your true form." He said as he looked directly into those pale green catlike eyes. She didn't have to think twice about what he said. It was the fact that he even said her true self meant that he had accepted her. He pulled her close once again to give her a kiss that curled her fingers and toes gasping for air and wanting more. He then pulled himself away from her and climbed out of the bathtub. He dried himself off with a wave of his hand. Minerva smiled fully for the first time in nearly thirty years. She climbed out of the tub and toweled herself off. She walked over to her vanity and looked at herself in the mirror.
"It's about time you finally showed somebody else those yummy curves. Mister Potter is certainly worth it if what the rest of the castle says is true." The mirror said.
"Ohh… Mira, you know as well as I do that Harry is the only one who could have broken through those walls I erected around my heart. As soon as I remove my necklace, there will be one less secret between us. Yet, it feels he's already accepted me for who I truly am." She said before she took of her last silvery line of defense. She couldn't help but give Mira that quintessential McGonagall smirk before she left for her bed.
She stood in front of Mira a few moments longer. Most of her skin had been replaced by extremely soft orange tabby fur except around her breasts where Minerva had soft snow white fur. Her eyes were a lighter shade and more catlike. Her ears were just like her animagus form albeit slightly larger which stood up through her hair. She still had her long dark auburn hair. Her snatch was surrounded by dark auburn fur. She could see her nipples protruding out through her fur. Other than the fur, the biggest change was that her tail was swinging behind her. At three and a half feet long, her tail was nice furry thick with orange fur with white stripes. She thought her tail looked like one that belonged on a tiger. She had a few theories she wanted to test and prove.
Since she was a hybrid, she had fur covered fingers instead of paws. She picked up her wand and summoned her favorite bra and thong set from her secret closet. The set was exactly like her other favorite pair except for the thong was modified with an elastic ring of fabric to accommodate her thick tail. Even as a hybrid, Min could not avoid the effect gravity had on her large breasts. She could have used a few charms that would have kept her breasts in place but there was something to be said about the look of her breasts encased in sexy fabric. She quickly put on her bra and pulled her thong up and pulled her tail through the stretchy hole. With one last look in her large vanity, Minerva sucked in a deep breath and called upon all of her Gryffindor courage. She had already been nude with Harry while in her human form. She was waging an inner war of whether she was ready or not to show her lover her true form. She may have been born a human. She felt most like herself in her current form. She finally beat back her doubts as she opened the door to the bedroom and walked out to meet Harry.