Title: View from the Streets

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: The Dursleys do not keep Harry, so his life is very different and even tougher. Extreme AU


The trio were sitting in a small café, just off of Diagon Alley, where the Professor had bought a tea for herself and Rebecca and a hot chocolate for Harry.

"I feel that there are some things that you need to know before you attend Hogwarts, Harry." Professor McGonagall began.

Quickly and efficiently the Professor outlined the events behind Harry's biological parents' death. She started with how James and Lily met and went on to tell about the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, culminating with the attack on their house at Godric's Hollow. After telling of the attack, McGongall went on to tell Harry about hi fame and the stories that had been told about him, both the fictional stories published of his supposed grand adventures and the tales that Professor Dumbledore had told her of him living a happy and carefree life with his Aunt and Uncle.

"The fat bastard left him in a god damned industrial dumpster." Rebecca growled.

"Dumpster?" McGonagall asked, confused.

"A big trash can used by businesses." Harry explained.

"Oh Merlin." McGonagall breathed in abject horror.

"It's fine." Harry said. "Mum found me. Now we take care of each other."

McGonagall looked between young Harry and the woman who took care of him for a decade. It was clear to the Professor that things had been hard for the pair, and it was easy to imagine, and based on Harry's earlier comment, that the young woman had done things that she was not overly proud of in order to care for the boy.

"I think I should be clear about one thing." McGonagall said. "Hogwarts is a boarding school and under normal circumstances the students are not allowed off campus except for the school breaks. From Third Year on, with permission, they are allowed to visit Hogsmeade during the day on selected weekends."

Both Rebecca and Harry looked shocked and slightly afraid at this idea. Ever since Rebecca had first found Harry, they had not spent a single night apart, often being on their own during the day but always together in the evening.

"However, I think I might have a solution." The Professor said. "I am not just a Professor. I am Deputy Headmistress, and as such have quite a bit of authority. Provided you have a domicile in Hogsmeade, I am willing to provide an exemption to Mister Potter that would allow him to leave school grounds during the Weekend and stay with his mother."

"That would be brilliant." Harry said.

"What's the catch?" Rebecca asked, knowing that nothing in this life is free.

"Mister Potter would be required to report to me every Saturday morning before leaving the grounds and must return to me by seven am on each Monday. During the week he will not be allowed to leave the grounds and must sleep in the dorms with his Housemates." McGonagall explained.

"Why are you doing this?" Rebecca asked.

"I was friends with Mister Potter's parents and I deeply regret that I took Professor Dumbledore at his word in regards to Harry's status and never followed up." she replied honestly. "For tonight, I will take you back to the hideout, but I will return tomorrow and will assist you in finding a place to stay in Hogsmeade."

"Thank you, Professor." Rebecca said.

"My dear, you can call me Minerva." McGonagall said with a smile. "Thank you for taking care of young Harry."


Anger was seething under the surface as Minerva walked into Albus' office. While she wanted to choke the Headmaster with his own beard, she wanted to see what he would say and did not want to tip him off.

"Headmaster." She said as she entered the office. "I was just supervising the sending out of letters for our new First Years and happened to see Mister Potter's name. I was wondering how he was doing?"

This was not an unusual request from the Deputy, having asked about Harry a few times a year since the night the Headmaster had deposited the boy on the steps of his relative's house.

"He is quite fine, Minerva." The Headmaster said, looking up from his paperwork. "He is happy with his relatives and I understand he is looking forward to attending."

"That's good news." She said, just managing not to explode at the Headmaster. "So I assume you saw him just a few days ago?"

"Yes, of course." The Headmaster replied absently.

"Well, that is quite interesting." Minerva replied. "Seeing as I have just been speaking to Mister Potter and he had no idea that he was a Wizard."

"I thought we had agreed that, for Harry's safety, you would not go near his Aunt and Uncle's house." Dumbledore said, looking over his glasses at his Deputy.

"Yes we did." Minerva replied, her voice hard. "So imagine my surprise when I discovered that Harry had been living on the streets of Muggle London for the last decade after his Uncle threw him out like garbage."

"What?!" Dumbledore said, genuinely shocked.

"You have been lying to me for a decade, Headmaster." McGonagall said in a tone that brooked no argument. "I know you have plans for Harry, but forget them. I will be taking reasonability for him once he gets here. You will have no contact with him without myself and his Head of House present. If he gets sorted into Gryffindor then there will be a second Professor, of my choosing, present instead."

"But…" Dumbledore began.

"Stow it, Albus. I have enough on you to get you kicked out and you know it. The only reason I have not is that having your reputation is beneficial to the school. I handle most of the day to day running of the school anyway." Minerva cut him off. "And let your little pet, Snape, know his crap will no longer be tolerated. I have enough on him to get his pushed through the Veil."

The normally calm and controlled Witch turned and stalked out of the Office like an angry cat. Albus sat stunned for a few seconds, his quill slowly leaking ink on the parchment it had come to rest on when it had slipped from his fingers.

"Bugger." He quietly breathed.

Suddenly the office was no longer his centre of power and influence where he would shape society, but it was now a gilded cage.


Professor McGonagall was looking around the tiny apartment in Hogsmeade that Rebecca and Harry were considering. To her mind the best thing it had going for it was that it was clean. It was smaller that her personal bedroom back at Hogwarts. There was a small kitchen, with a hotplate, oven, cold-box charmed to keep food cold, a box charmed to toast bread with a few stools along the bench that doubled as the table; a small living room with a pair of chairs, a Wizarding Wireless and a small bookcase; a small bathroom with just a toilet, shower and basin; and a single bedroom with a queen sized bed and a small dresser.

"This is awesome." Harry said, staring around the tiny place in awe.

"There is only one bedroom." Minerva pointed out.

"So?" Harry said, before hurrying off to check out the bedroom again.

"We are used to sleeping together." Rebecca said with a shrug. "A necessity on the street or we would have frozen to death."

A moment latter, Harry re-emerged, a grin on his face while Minerva was still trying to process that revelation.

"Can we live here, mum?" He asked, enthusiastically.

"I don't know. It is Forty Galleons a month." Rebecca said, concerned doing the math in her head.

"We can just get second hand books and stuff." Harry said.

"Not a chance." Rebecca said. "You are getting the best education you can and that means new school gear."

"Ok, Mum." Harry said, slightly dejected thinking that they will not get the apartment.

The math was just not adding up. Taking out the maximum figure of one hundred and fifty Galleons for School Supplies from the yearly total of the Trust Account, they would be approximately eight Galleons a month short to get this apartment. Even dropping it down to the lower figure for new school supplies of one hundred Galleons, it would still be about four Galleons a month short. Ok, sure this year they could conceivably get the school supplies before the refill but they would still have that kind of expenditure for Harry each year. Rebecca was always one to think long term, that was one reason why they had lasted so long on the streets. She had seen far too many other street kids get some kind of payout or win-fall and blow it all too quickly and end up in a worse position than they started in.

"If you want, I can put in a word with Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomstick and get you a job as a waitress." McGonagall said. "She owes me a few favours and it would not require Magic. It would probably only pay about fifteen Galleons a month."

Minerva could see both of them doing the calculations and light up at the prospect.

"I would want to speak to Madam Rosmerta before making any commitment." Rebecca said.

"Of course, Rebecca." Minerva replied. "We can go a speak to her right now, if you want."

A few minutes later found the trio entering the Three Broomsticks, which was mostly deserted at this time of day, but Madam Rosmerta was there.

"Ahh, Minerva, what can I get you?" The buxom owner asked.

"I was wondering if you had a job position available." Minerva asked.

"You're not thinking of quitting up at the Castle are you?" Rosmerta asked, in awe.

"The job is for me, Ma'am." Rebecca said. "I am a hard worker and a quick study."

"May I introduce Miss Rebecca Byron." Minerva said.

"Do you have any experience in waitressing?" Rosmerta said.

"I did some for about a year, but it was not a Magical establishment." Rebecca said.

This caused Rosmerta to look at Minerva.

"She is a Muggle." Minerva explained. "But for the last decade she has been looking out for young Mister Potter here."

"Merlin's beard." Rosmerta said. "No magic should not be too much of a problem on the day shift. I actually find that cleaning the tables and such by hand provides a cleaner surface than a cleaning charm."

"I have arranged for Mister Potter to be able to spend the weekends with his Miss Byron, as they are family." Minerva added.

Rosmerta simply nodded and looked Rebecca over, circling the younger woman a few times.

"She looks strong, maybe a bit skinny." Rosmerta said. "Ok. You can start next week. Monday to Friday, seven-thirty am to five pm. Your lunch will be provided for you when on shift. I will pay you five Galleons a week."

"Thank you." Rebecca said. "I won't let you down."

Professor McGonagall escorted them to the local Hogsmeade Gringotts branch, where they used the key to withdraw the 'first and last month' deposit for the apartment, before returning to the small apartment and sign the contract. The Professor then took them back to the warehouse and they collected the few items that had physical or sentimental value before returning to their new apartment.

TBC…