Minerva McGonagall never felt as useless as she did the year she had to teach under the authority of Death Eaters.
She stayed out of the Carrows' way most of the time, truth be told, and in reality she wasn't even sure exactly what went on in their classes. Sure, she could make some educated guesses, judging by the angry red welts that were visible on the students' skin, and the screams that were heard echoing around the castle. But she had no desire to know any more than she did. The possibilities made her feel physically sick.
Maybe it was cowardly that she didn't want to interfere. She certainly regretted it every time she taught her NEWT-level Transfiguration class and saw the state of those who tried to resist, or the empty chairs where the Muggle-borns should have been sitting. On the surface, Minerva didn't seem like the touchy-feely type, and she wasn't, but she really cared about her students - and seeing them harmed more by the day made her angry.
Some days, she wanted to storm up to Snape's office and demand for him to do something. She'd known him for years; if anyone could appeal to his better nature, it was probably her. He was the Headmaster - he must have some power over these monsters!
But then she remembered, of course. This was the man who killed Dumbledore, and even he couldn't stand up to You-Know-Who - not even if he wanted to.
And she certainly couldn't either. Despite how much Minerva longed to stop all of this, she knew that if she tried, she'd be tortured and probably killed. That was a sacrifice she'd be willing to make if it was worth it, but what difference would it really make? Her post would just be filled by somebody else, maybe someone even worse than Snape or the Carrows.
It was a relief that the Muggle-borns had been forbidden to come back, really. Purebloods and half-bloods were suffering enough under this hell of a regime, so it was a small blessing that they were (hopefully) out of harm's way.
And Potter and the others, too. Minerva had no idea what they were up to, or if Potter was really the one who could save them from all this, but she hoped so. Because if only one thing was certain, it was that they needed saving.
A/N: Sorry for the delay; life and all that. But better late than never! I hope you enjoyed this. :)
I haven't yet decided what to write for the 800-word chapter, so if anyone has any characters/pairings they'd like to see in this collection, feel free to let me know and I'll definitely consider writing them!