Father Figure

Written by: HoshiHikari

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All Characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

Summary: All Harry wanted after the war was to fulfill his promise to Remus and Tonks. However his chance to raise Teddy Lupin is snatched away when he is placed in Azkaban for murdering Lord Voldemort. Thirteen years later Harry breaks out of Azkaban in hopes of perusing his role as Teddy's godfather. Despite being labeled as the new Dark Lord, Harry tries his best to be the father figure that would make his parents, Sirius and Remus proud.

Warnings: Spoilers from DH!

Chapter 11

"How long have you been waiting on my doorstep?" Harry asked, leaning against Scopius' bedroom door as he studied the cat who was looking at pictures on the bedside table. He stepped into the room and locked the door behind him, his eyes never blinking as he watched the cat transform into a human.

"Not nearly as long as when I was observing the Dursley's after Voldemort's first reign." McGonagall replied steadily, noting that Harry had dropped his disguise as Tom.

"out of curiosity, how long would you have waited, Professor?"

"However long it took to get a chance to speak with you Potter."

"It's Lord Potter to you, Headmistress." Harry corrected. "Speaking of which, don't you have duties at Hogwarts? Surely you can't abandon your job for an undisclosed amount of time and hope that the school will remain standing upon your return. Have you forgotten McGonagall that the war has begun?"

"Yet you have invited me into your home without question." McGonagall countered.

"and so I have." Harry chuckled. "still should you not be worried that I already have sent men to attack Hogwarts while you're away? I am the Dark Lord after all and the conquest of Hogwarts by the Dark Lord is inevitable."

"How is it that you can speak of being the Dark Lord so easily and the murder of children as though you are talking about the weather? You are not the Harry Potter I remember. I am saddened to see that Azkaban has changed you so profoundly. Black would have..."

"And whose fault is that?" Harry suddenly shouted. "Who's fault is it that another Dark Lord has risen? Surely my actions can't be blamed after you lot sent me to Azkaban for saving England."

"Everyone has choices Potter. You will be blamed if you continue down this unsavory path. Black wouldn't have wanted you to turn out this way. Dumbledore wouldn't have wanted to see you turn out this way. I don't want to see you turn out his way Harry."

"I don't give a damn about what Dumbledore thinks or what Sirius would have wanted. They're both dead and you will be too in a matter of time."

McGonagall didn't seem at all fazed by the threat of her life.

"Dumbledore was wrong. It's not about choices. I was never given a choice to be the Boy-Who-Lived. Voldemort would have killed me if I didn't kill him first. I was never given the choice to be the Dark Lord. Lucius is right about one thing. Even if I refuse to be the Dark Lord, Shacklebolt's still going to come after me till I'm dead. Might as well have an army to defend myself with."

"So you are motivated by revenge."

"Partially. There's no harm in completing Voldemort's work. England's already tried the Light's way and it has failed. I suppose it wouldn't do much more harm to run this place by Tom's, that is my own philosophy."

"You're insane Potter. You out of all people should know the terrible deeds Voldemort has caused during his reign."

"What do you expect of one who had been a host to a piece of Voldemort's soul? We aren't as different as Dumbledore had claimed us to be."

A long pause followed Harry's statement.

"I did not invite you into my home to discuss my sanity. All you need to know is that I am the Dark Lord and since you are the Headmaster of Hogwarts, you are therefore my enemy." He paused. "Now tell me McGonagall, why are you here? Surely you haven't come just because of Teddy's absence from Hogwarts. Surely you now understand why he will not return to the school. This is for his safety. I will not put my godson in harm's way, especially when I know for a fact that Hogwarts will crumble under my attack."

"and I will not willingly watch a former pupil of mine walk astray. For that matter, neither would your favorite Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

"Don't you dare bring Remus into this."

"Surely Remus will be disappointed in your poor judgment and his poor choice of naming you godfather. He's..."

"If I were you, I'll stop right there McGonagall." Harry said with warning between clenched teeth. "You can say whatever you like about me, do whatever you wish to me if given the chance, however don't you dare speak of Moony like that and expect to walk out of my home alive." He paused and then added as an afterthought. "The image that Teddy has of his father doesn't need to be further ruined by you, even if Teddy isn't home at the moment."

"As though you would have allowed me to walk out of here alive, at least not after you've made your future intentions so clear."

"How else am I to explain to Scropus why his cat suddenly died. Did you see the way his eyes lit up when I told him you were his? He's quite fond of you."

"You could always buy him a new one."

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Harry asked. "And another cat will not be the same. Why else do you think I haven't replaced Padfoot with a black dog or Moony with a wolf? As much as I love canines, the replacement will never be the same."

"Then why am I here? Your intentions couldn't have possibly been just to present Malfoy with a pet. You knew the cat was me yet you still allowed me entry. "

"You haven't answered my question either. Why did you come?"

"To say that this had nothing to do with Teddy is a lie. I wanted him at Hogwarts if only to have the presumed feeling of safety when war did break out. I wanted to know who the Dark Lord was and if it was you then I wanted to do nothing more, and I still want to do nothing more than to make you see reason."

"All this at the risk of your life and the safety of those you left unattended at Hogwarts?"

"This is war we're speaking of Potter. If I must die to stop you from attacking Hogwarts, then so be it. One life is insignificant to the hundreds that can be saved. These are children we're speaking of. They are young and innocent."

"Why should I care? Voldemort didn't care when he tried to kill me as a baby. Shacklebolt didn't care when he threw me in Azkaban. You did nothing when I was discarded like rubbish."

"Not everyone supported Shacklebolt's decision." McGonagall said quietly. "Not everyone voiced that opinion. Those who did felt the Ministry and the Order's wrath. You have to understand Po—Harry, I have a school to run and the safety of the students to consider..."

"You're part of the Order." Harry interrupted.

"I was part of the Order. Those who make up the Order now are what Severus would have called mindless, spineless, boot-licking imbeciles."

"Names?"

"You already made it clear that we are enemies Potter. Though I disagree with them, I will not aid my foe."

Harry smiled at that.

"That's one of the reasons why I like you and find it difficult to draw my wand upon you. Pity that you won't even consider any proposition that I would make to you and so I won't even try."

"I'm not one of them."

"Yet I will still go and claim Hogwarts as mine. You'll have to believe me when I say going after Hogwarts and by extension, you, is not personal. Personal is between Shacklebolt, his supporters and I. Hogwarts is merely in my way. You are in my way. Thus if you and I can work out a truce, then perhaps there will be no blood shed at Hogwarts."

"I will protect Hogwarts with my dying breath. You know very well Potter that though I may not see eye to eye with those who have betrayed you, I do not condone the path you currently take and therefore cannot support you."

"I expect nothing less from Minerva McGonagall. Go back and prepare yourself for war. I will be on your doorsteps soon. If you change your mind, then let me know. Unless you bear ill intent, my doors will always be open to you."

"Ill intent? How do you know I don't carry that now?"

"Simply because you would have not been able to see Number 12 Grimmauld Place to begin with, let alone be allowed to sit on my doorstep."

"Those Death Eaters carry no ill intent?"

"They are surprisingly loyal to me." Harry confirmed. "We've managed to get along quite nicely."

McGonagall didn't know what to say to that and so she remained silent.

"I will give you time to consider my views Headmistress. For now Hogwarts shall remain a sanctuary but for how long that depends on you. If you attack first then I will be force to turn my attention onto you."

"You know I will not remain silent once the war begins."

"I think you'll be too overwhelmed to be on the offense once people begin to realize that the school's been left untouched and everyone rushes there for a piece of sanctuary."

"If Hogwarts really is a place of sanctuary then you wouldn't even have plans to attack it. Hogwarts is your home."

"This is my home." Harry growled out. "Hogwarts maybe your home. Everyone else may call it home but it is not mine. It never was and it never will be. How can a place be called home when its inhabitants consider me as an enemy?"

"Do you consider me as your enemy?" McGonagall asked evenly.

"Should I?"

"I am the headmistress of Hogwarts. You've made your plans very clear and I've made my stance just as obvious yet here we are having a civil conversation in your home, your sanctuary."

"Despite everything, you knew before coming here the risk you would be taking yet you bore no ill intent when you first came. It is only fair that I be a decent host and reserve my judgments for now."

"Judgments for what?"

"Are you my friend or are you my foe?"

"I am..."

"I do not need a response immediately. Consider your response carefully. In the meantime Hogwarts shall remain a sanctuary." He paused. "Of course if you need sanctuary from this madness, you know where to go."

Without turning around he unlocked and opened the door.

"You know very well that if I walk out of this house alive, I will not be coming back for another cup of tea."

"I didn't offer tea. I offered an alliance."

McGonagall walked passed Harry without a word, pausing by her former student when he spoke again.

"Scropius would be lonely without the company of his cat."

"Where were you Minerva?" was the first thing that greeted McGonagall the moment she stepped passed the gargoyles and into the headmistress' office. "You were gone the entire day. I was just about to fire call the Minster to alert him of your absence and..."

"Filius." McGonagall interrupted the deputy headmaster. "I was only gone for a few hours. The ministry does not need to know of my every move."

"I was worried. We are at the brick of war. I would have gone looking for you myself if I didn't have to watch the school."

"Dumbledore took excursions when he went out to search for the Horcruxes. You didn't see me run after him even though I knew his life was in danger. I watched the school and ask no questions as was expected of me. You can do the same for me."

"I will do what I believe is in the best interest for the school and that includes keeping the headmistress alive. I can't keep said headmistress alive if she goes off running into trouble."

"I made it back alive, Filius. So there you don't have to worry about me."

"Minerva…"

"Trust me Filius. I am keeping the best interest of this school at heart. "

"By running off when we should be preparing for war?"

"Sometimes war can be prevented."

"Not one led by Voldemort."

"You really would believe its Voldemort, Filius?"

"I have no reason to believe otherwise. Ginny, Kinglsey and even Dumbudore confirmed…"

"Dumbledore lied." McGonagall cut off the other.

"Actually I neither confirmed or denied Shacklebolt's assumption." Dumbledore's portrait chose that moment to interrupt what was surely going to turn into an argument. "He believed what he wanted to believe and spread what he wished."

"Then the man in question is Potter?" Filius asked. "I hardly believe Potter would really take on the role of the Dark Lord considering his past associations with Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

"Those with a mind will agree with you Flitwick, but unfortunately the world is full of imbeciles." Snape's portrait commented. "The new Order's a fine example of them."

"The new Order's led by the Minister. What do you expect?" McGonagall asked to no one in particular. "It is essentially another hand of the Ministry."

"Which I expect will try to be overthrown by the Death Eaters." Snape murmured.

"The Minister and Ministry will fall. I have no doubt Harry meant his words when he said it's personal between him and Shacklebolt."

"and how would you know that Minerva? When did you speak with Potter" Filius demanded. "Wait, you just came back from speaking with him didn't you?"

When McGonagall didn't speak, Flitwick spoke again.

"He could have killed you. He could have…"

"Yet he didn't. He could have kept me at Grimmauld as a hostage and made his demands but didn't. He could have authorized the Death Eaters to attack Hogwarrts while I was away but he didn't. He could have done many things but he let me leave alive and healthy."

"because you made a pack with the devil." Flitwick accused.

"Are you sure Harry's the real devil here?" McGonagall snapped. "Shaklebolt's the one that created the mess. The Minister's the one that isn't letting up. Harry was right about one thing. Even if he chose not to be the Dark Lord, Shaklebolt's still going to go after him until he's dead."

A heavy silence followed this statement.

"What else did you and Harry agree on?" Dumbledore asked softly.

"Nothing. He offered Hogwarts sanctuary as long as Hogwarts doesn't interfere with the takedown of the Ministry. Of course we all know that once war breaks out it would be impossible not to take a side. Shacklebolt will surely expect Hogwarts to come to his aid."

"But you don't plan on siding with the Minister do you?" Snape asked.

"Nor will Hogwarts aid the Dark Lord. The Minister might be at fault for the cause of the war but Harry too has to be responsible for his actions. The moment he starts sanctioning attacks upon the innocents then he is lost."

"and thus you are trying to prevent the outbreak of the war." Dumbledore stated.

"War is inevitable. It's personal between Harry and Shacklebolt." McGonagall sighed. "Though its not personal on my part for either side, I have to keep the best interest of Hogwarts at heart. I will have to be making a decision soon."

"The right choice is never the easiest though in this case it may very well be." Dumbledore stated wisely. "Tom was lost, Kingsley walked astray. Harry simply needs proper guidance."

"Harry made his position clear and I have made mine. Once he starts murdering innocence then he is no better then the rest."

"Minerva, this is a school. The best interest of Hogwarts is the welfare of its occupants, mainly students."

"I know that Dumbledore and I will make my decision accordingly." McGonagall gave another sigh.

"The best decision would to keep Hogwarts from being caught in the middle of war and that may very well mean siding with Harry." Flitwick stated. "But I agree with you Minerva. Hogwarts will not bend to the Dark's will nor will it allow the Dark free reign and allow chaos and destruction to be the norm. This is after all a school. What kind of message would we be sending to the next generation if we allowed this to happen?"

"If Harry is willing to offer Hogwarts sanctuary then perhaps he is willing to negotiate." Dumbledore commented slowly.

"Even if Harry is willingly, the Death Eaters will not have any of it." McGonagall pointed out. "They fight…"

"why do they fight McGonagall?" Snape questioned.

"for the thrill of causing chaos, destruction, bloodshed…"

"That would perhaps only apply to Bellatrix Lestrange." Snape corrected. "The previous Dark Lord had his own set of beliefs and values which he was willing to fight and ultimately die for. Whether you agree with his beliefs, values and methods to gain this change is another matter."

"and what exactly were Voldemort's ideals?" Flitwick questioned. "You were a Death Eater Snape, I would think you would know best as you did willingly join."

"The government was and still is a broken system and the way the Dark Lord saw fit to correct it was to tear it down and rebuild it from scratch. The Dark Lord was an extremist but that does not mean all his Death Eaters were or that Potter will be. All rebels are labeled negatively but that does not mean that the current government is always correct or that the cause that the rebels fight for do not hold merit."

"Well said, Severus. If I had listened to Tom so many decades ago then perhaps Lord Voldemort would have never risen. Minerva, don't make an old man's mistake. Perhaps it is time to sit down and see what the Dark really wants. I highly doubt they really want another war. Lucius would have initiated one a long time ago if that was really the case. Draco took in Teddy and despite inheriting the Malfoy mannerism; he's quite like his parents in many ways. That in itself should be saying something. "

"You're advocating for Hogwarts to take a stand with those who the world has labeled as evil. The Ministry is going to have a field day with that." Flitwick spoke up.

"Shacklebolt doesn't deserve to lead." Snape sneered. "He's no better than the others before him."

"But paving the way for Darkness to corrupt England is not the solution either." McGonagall stated.

"Hence it's time to sit down and negotiate for the best of the future generations." Dumbledore edged on. "Like you said Minerva, the Ministry will fall. Shaklebolt is as good as dead. The best thing to do is to make sure whoever takes control next will have learned from the mistakes of the past."

McGonagall took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly.

"Filius what do you think?"

"Hogwarts hasn't seen eye to eye with Shacklebolt for some time. I suppose its worth listening to the other perspective and then decide from there. As long as you keep Hogwarts best interest at heart then you will always have my full support Headmistress."

"Very well I will contact Harry." McGonagall paused and then added as an afterthought. " I suppose Scropius will be thrilled to see his new cat again."