Minerva McGonagall stared down on Harry and turned white as a sheet.

"Oh", she said faintly.

It was the first time Harry saw his Head of House speechless. It was oddly satisfying but also disturbing. Normally McGonagall was sure to come up with a cutting remark. It dawned on Harry that he had to take the initiative.

"Er ... hello, Professor. I have a question about trans ... well, actually I have a lot of questions about my parents and how you became my godmother. Could I come in?"

Minerva nodded, still stunned, and waved Harry into her living room, stepping aside to let him in. Harry had never before been in the private rooms of one of his teachers. He noted the homely flair of the room with the domestic touches everywhere. The walls were draped with Gryffindor red tapestry, ornate with golden vines. Harry was surprised to see a burgundy coloured couch in front of the fireplace. It had to be Albus Dumbledore's touch. Harry was far less surprised to see huge over-laden bookshelves on two sides of the room. That was definitely like Minerva McGonagall.

His Professor watched him anxiously while he moved through the room taking in every small detail. Finally she couldn't take the silence between them any longer and blurted out:

"Your parents asked me to be your godmother because Lily was like a daughter to me."

"Why did you never tell me?" Harry asked quietly.

He found himself unable to look McGonagall in the eyes. He was ashamed to feel tears brimming in the corners of his eyes and didn't want her to see them. She shouldn't see him weak and childish like that.

Minerva took a step back as if slapped hard across the face. Slowly she closed her eyes and breathed deeply in and out again, gathering the courage to answer Harry.

"You have to understand that we were at war, Harry. I was fighting like everyone else who was strong enough. When your parents went into hiding it was because of me and Lily's pregnancy. Your father wanted to keep fighting with the rest of us but I insisted that your mother needed him by her side more than we did. It was a lie. We needed all the fighters we could get. When you were born, Lily asked me to be not just a sort-of-adoptive grandmother to you but also a godmother."

Minerva took another deep breath but before she could go on, Harry asked again.

"Why did you never tell me?"

"I thought you were happier with your aunt and uncle ..."

Harry laughed bitterly. He, then, turned around to face her. He was angry and his eyes flashed enraged.

"Yeah, sure! Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were the nicest people I could have wished for. Where were you all these years?" he yelled at her. His tears now falling, despite his angry swipes at his eyes.

Minerva backed away from him again and ducked her own head in shame and to hide her own tears.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I didn't know. I never wanted you to ..."

"What?" interrupted Harry. "You never wanted what? To be my godmother, my parents to die, leave me at the Dursleys or me finding out that my 'Grandma' abandoned me? What?"

Minerva cried openly now. She was trembling from head to toe.

"I ...I wanted to raise you. Please believe me, Harry. I begged Albus to let me keep you but ..."

Again she was interrupted by a furious youngling.

"But what? I can't believe that strong, ass-kicking McGonagall begs or doesn't get her will. If you really had wanted to keep me, you would have found a way!"

Harry was overwhelmed by his feelings and choked on his words. He couldn't stand to be in the same room as a weeping McGonagall. He had to get out.

Turning on his heels, he made a run to the door and down the corridor. He kept running, not paying attention where his feet carried him to, until he reached his dormitory. There he suddenly knew exactly what he was looking for. He knelt down and pulled his trunk from under the bed. Rummaging through the depths of it, he looked for and found the photo book Hagrid had given him his first year in Hogwarts.

Tearing through the pictures he looked for one with McGonagall in it, but he found none. He stuffed the book into the pocket of his cloak and sprinted out of the dormitory again. Running all the way to Hagrid's hut, he skidded to a halt in front of it and banged at the door frantically.

"Hagrid! Open the door this instant or I'll blast it to kindling!"

"Hey! No need to shout. I'm not deaf or daft. And no need to threaten me."

Hagrid opened the door and glared mockingly at Harry. The moment he saw Harry's glare through reddened eyes, he grew serious and let him in. Inside he sat Harry in one of his gigantic armchairs and placed a cup of tea into the clammy hands of the boy.

"Now what's that all abou'?"

"Weren't you at breakfast today?"

"Nope, had to take care of som' animal. What happened?"

"I found out McGonagall is my godmother."

"Oh blimey. How?"

"She blurted it out at breakfast ... WAIT! So you knew? And never told me?"

"Now, Harry, I promised Dumbledore ... great man, Dumbledore is ..."

"NO, HE'S NOT!"

"Yeah, he is, harry. You're just mad at him now."

"I thought you didn't know because there's no picture in the photo book. Why did no one tell me?!? I have a right to know!"

"That's a long story ..."
"Tell me! I have a lot of time because I'm not going anywhere until I know."

"Well, then you should probably also talk to us", came a soft voice from behind Harry.

He whirled around only to find Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall standing there. Dumbledore carried two large volumes in his arms and McGonagall wiped her nose with a handkerchief in on hand and in the other she held a small basket with HARRY stitched onto it.