Severus McGonagall
by Teddylonglong
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story. I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes!
"Don't worry, my boy," the headmaster spoke up gently. "Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey told me everything. In case of child abuse, Madam Pomfrey is not bound to her healer's oath towards me as the headmaster of this school. Therefore, I merely need you to answer a few questions for me."
Seeing Severus hesitantly nod, he continued, "Is my assumption correct that it was your father, who inflicted your broken ribs as well as your other injuries?"
"Yes," Severus replied in a hardly audible voice, uncertainly pulling his bed cover up to his chin.
"Ten months of the year, you're going to spend at Hogwarts anyway. During this time, Professor Slughorn as your head of house acts as your guardian. Would you like to return to your father during the holidays, or do you want one of us to become your guardian?"
"I'd like Professor McGonagall to become my guardian. I don't want to return to my father if it's not necessary," Severus answered, hesitantly, glancing at Lily, who nodded, encouragingly.
"Very well; there are two possibilities," the headmaster continued. "Either your father will willingly give up the guardianship over you, or we'll need to have a trial. However, we will definitely win any trial with the evidence that Madam Pomfrey gathered and is willing to place into a Pensieve. I shall go and speak with your father immediately."
"Thank you, Professor," Severus said, gratefully.
"Thank you, sir," Lily echoed, smiling.
"Don't worry, Severus; everything will be all right," McGonagall confirmed in a soft voice, as she conjured a cool cloth and gently bathed his flushed face, causing him to close his eyes in relief.
HP
An hour later, the headmaster returned to the hospital wing, his eyes twinkling, mischievously.
"I trust everything went well, headmaster?" the healer enquired, giving him a concerned look.
"Yes, Poppy. Tobias Snape willingly gave up the guardianship over Severus, telling me he wouldn't want to have anything to do with the magical world anymore," the headmaster explained.
Poppy looked at Severus. A small smile was playing on the boy's lips that widened when the headmaster took the seat which he had occupied earlier and continued, "We only need your new guardian's signature on this parchment, and it will send itself to the Ministry of Magic for registration."
"Thank you, Professor," Severus said gratefully as Dumbledore slowly popped a lemon drop into his mouth.
"Are you sure, my boy, that you want Professor McGonagall as your guardian?" the headmaster asked, gently. "I believe that all of our teachers, including myself, would be willing to take you in."
'McGonagall is really nice, she won't hurt me, and I'd be able to remain friends with Lily,' Severus mused, letting out a long sigh.
"Yes please, provided that Professor McGonagall agrees," he confirmed.
HP
Later the same day, when Poppy released him at the end of the last afternoon class, she accompanied him to her best friend's private rooms. "Minerva, Albus brought the guardianship papers. Only your signature is needed for the transfer of the guardianship from Mr. Snape's father to you," the healer explained in a soft voice. She handed her friend the parchments Dumbledore had left on Severus' night table earlier.
"Are you sure, Mr. Snape, that you want me to become your guardian?" McGonagall turned to Severus, who was anxiously watching her and let out an affirmative reply.
"Very well." The professor signed the parchment, which rolled itself up and vanished into thin air.
"Thank you so much, Professor," Severus whispered, trying to suppress the tears that we threatening to leak from his eyes, "for taking me in so I don't have to return to my father."
"You're very welcome, Severus, and since I'm your guardian now, you needn't call me 'Professor' in private. My first name is 'Minerva'," the teacher replied softly.
"I don't know if you knew my mother, Eileen Prince..." Severus hesitantly began to speak, knowing that he could fully trust his new guardian.
"Yes, I did. She was an amazing woman and a brilliant Potions Mistress," Minerva confirmed, smiling.
"She taught me to brew when I was very small, and I love brewing potions, but my father hates it when I brew, and he always punished me afterwards, especially after my Mum died a few years ago. I know that he willingly agreed to give up the guardianship over me, but I'm still afraid that he might come here to punish me, or he might try to do something to Lily instead," Severus admitted in a barely audible voice.
"This castle is charmed so that Muggles aren't able to see it. Your father can't come here, and since he told Professor Dumbledore that he doesn't want to have anything to do with the magical world anymore, I'm fairly sure that he will leave you and Lily in peace," the old witch assured him, gently.
"My mother died very early just like yours," Minerva began to explain, "and my father, who was a muggle, married again. However, his new wife was obviously jealous of me, not only because I had a very good relationship with my father, but because of being magical. One day during the summer holidays, it became unbearable and I went to see Poppy, ill and neglected by my stepmother, and Poppy and her grandmother took me her in. From that time onwards, Poppy's family became my own. So I know a bit about abuse at home," she admitted in a soft voice.
"Thank you so much for telling me this," Severus whispered gratefully. "I really appreciate it, and I won't tell anyone."
"By the way, Severus, I asked the house-elves to add an additional room to our quarters. Seeing that you and I are family now, you need to have your own room here. It's right next to this one."
"My own room?" Severus asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at the teacher.
"Of course you need your own room. You can't stay in your dormitory during the summer for example, and don't forget that our quarters are your new home now. The headmaster brought all your belongings with him this morning. You may even stay in your room during the school year; however, you always have to inform your head of house or ask me to Floo-call him if you decide to spend the night here," Minerva informed him firmly, causing Severus to nod his agreement.
"Of course, I will do that. May I go and have a look?" Severus asked in excitement.
"Shall I call Lily over, before we go and check out your new room together?" Minerva suggested, causing Severus to nod, eagerly.
The professor left through the connecting door to her office, only to return with Lily a few minutes later. The room was absolutely beautiful. It was held in different shades of green and blue, had a comfortable looking four poster bed, a huge wardrobe, a bookshelf, a desk with two chairs, and a breathtaking magical window that changed between random views over the Hogwarts grounds.
"The room is absolutely gorgeous. Thank you so much for giving me such a great room," Severus told Minerva as soon as he had managed to pull himself away from the window.
"You're welcome, sweetie. I'm glad you like it. I'd like to suggest something to you," Minerva said thoughtfully. "Considering that I'm your guardian now, I believe it would be good if we got to know each other better. Would you like to spend the weekends in your own room for a while?"
"I'd like that very much," Severus replied, and a small smile played on his face.
"Of course, you may visit Severus any time," Minerva turned to Lily, causing the two friends to return broad smiles.
During the next few weeks, Severus and Lily spent most of their free time together in Severus' room studying. Only in time for curfew, they returned to their respective houses.
Over the months, not only Severus became very close to his new guardian, but also Lily became like a daughter to McGonagall.
HP
One day, Severus headed into the hospital wing to see Madam Pomfrey.
"May I disturb you for a moment?" Severus asked politely, as he stepped into the healer's office, where Poppy and her grandmother Theresa, who had come to assist her, since she had too much work for one healer just by herself, were just discussing the day's events.
"Of course, Severus, what's wrong? Are you feeling ill?" Poppy queried, throwing him a sharp look.
"No," Severus replied, smirking. "I thought of something. I... I'd like to try to invent some new potions; therefore, I'm looking for a place to brew. In the Potions classroom, there are the older students, who always tease me, because they don't know that I can brew potions, and I can't concentrate with Malfoy and his friends breathing into my neck trying to disturb me. So, I thought that maybe I could use the small potions lab behind your office," he added in a small voice.
Madam Pomfrey remained thoughtful for a moment. "You could use our lab, provided that my grandmother or I are here in our office, because we can't let you do potions experiments completely without supervision. However, sometimes I have to use the lab myself. We're both not very fond of brewing, but Professor Slughorn is often too busy to brew potions for the hospital wing." 'In fact, he's not too busy, but he prefers to gather his fans and have parties,' she thought grimly.
"I could brew the potions for you," Severus offered shyly, and a small smile played on his lips.
'I can't let an eleven-year-old brew the potions for the hospital wing,' Madam Pomfrey mused. 'On the other hand, Lily told me that his mother taught him from the age of two years onwards, and she was an excellent Potions Mistress. I can assume that he knows what he is doing.' "Very well," she said aloud, giving her grandmother a questioning look that was answered with an unobtrusive nod of agreement. "I'd really appreciate it, if you could help me in busy times."
"We'd like you to inform us beforehand if you plan to do experiments with unknown potions though," Theresa threw in sternly.
"I will," Severus promised sincerely. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. Err, do you perhaps know the password to the gargoyle in front of the headmaster's office? I have to speak with Professor Dumbledore about something."
"It is 'Liquorice Wands' I believe," the older Mediwitch replied pensively, causing Severus to thank the healers and dash away towards the gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office.
tbc...
Thank you so much for your kind reviews!