A/N: I wished I owned Harry Potter. Alas, I do not. Ms. Rowling, I'd be happy to take it off your hands.

A/N: Are you surprised? Now, most of the time I think I am A) Decently original or B) Confident enough in my story that flames don't bother me all that much. I won't defend something that I think takes a lot from the original, but takes a hard right turn. However, when I wrote chapter 15, I was unaware that McGonagall being related to him was not uncommon. That being said, I will defend this position because she is one of the characters that I wanted to spend a lot of time with, and this seemed like a 3 stones - one professor situation. Bleh, sorry for that turn a phrase.

In the immortal words of the legendary John Cleese "Now for something completely different."

Chapter 16: New Facts and Faces

October, 1994

"Harry, I just can't believe it," Hermione whispered to him as they sat on the couch late Friday night. "It sounds ridiculous."

"Ridiculous or not, it's true," Neville said for the fourth time in as many minutes. The common room was entirely empty as it was past midnight, but that didn't keep them from whispering. "Hermione, do you know what a magical family tree is?"

"Neville, of course I do!" Hermione snapped, her voice rising above a whisper for the first time in half an hour. "It is a magical tree kept in the ministry keeping track of pureblood families to make sure the genealogies are trackable."

"My grandma got a copy of Harry's. The ministry keeps track of all magical births. There is no doubt in my mind that Harry's mom was McGonagall's child. She is on Harry's family tree. No wonder it was sealed."

"Hermione, I don't know why you want to take this away from me." Harry gave her a bit of a glare. "She is my family, someone who cares for me no matter what. Why is that a bad thing?"

"It's not a bad thing, not at all," Hermione clarified, "it's just a lot for me to wrap my head around. If it was someone else, I would think they might have ulterior motives. But it's Professor McGonagall, so if she agrees to it, then I guess it must be true." She shook her head slowly and Harry realized that his best friend was finally coming to terms with the weirdest thing in Harry's life, and that was saying something.

"It was surreal to me to," Harry admitted. "She lets me call her Grandma Minnie," he said, and Hermione snorted in disbelief.

"That's adorable," Neville told him. "How was your day with her?"

"It was amazing," Harry said, a huge smile flowing across his face, a facial expression he could not keep of his face flowing across his face. "She was a great professor, head of house, and deputy headmaster. She is an even better grandmother. She told me she loves me, Hermione. Even if I hadn't been her grandson. She meant it too."

"That's great, Harry!" Hermione told him.

"Do you know it was the first time anyone had ever said they loved me?" Harry's eyes were filled with tears again, but this time he managed to keep them contained. "It was amazing. To have someone in your life who loves you unconditionally," Harry's eyes took on a far-away look, "it really makes me wonder about my parents, and what life would have been like if they had never been targeted. I almost never think about it, but Grandma Minnie and I talked about it for hours. Whether or not Mom and Dad knew, or what it might mean. We talked about anything and everything."

"Like what?"

"Like how my relatives treated me," Harry said. He looked around furtively, making sure that no one was around. "About what all of this is," Harry said, slowly taking off his shirt. Hermione squeaked and turned around, but Neville stared at Harry's chest, the scars telling a different story than the foolish books about his perfect upbringing.

"Jesus, Harry," Neville said with a sharp intake of breath. "I thought your summer was amazing. I didn't know Professor Hayashi was capable of shit like this."

"I didn't get any of these this summer," Harry explained, putting his shirt back on. "I got them at the Dursleys." He smiled with no real humor in the smile, the plastered smile Harry had perfected over the years, the smile that said he was fine to all but his good friends. "I think I got the first one when I was 4 and I was late cooking breakfast for my uncle."

"Harry, can I turn around now?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, if you are Harry's best friend, you need to see them," Neville told her.

"See what?"

"Neville, it's fine," Harry told him. "I wasn't thinking clearly. This is something Hermione has to choose on her own."

"It's covered in scars, isn't it?" Hermione asked turning back to him. Harry nodded. "I'm sorry Harry, I should be able to look. Just not tonight…"

"Don't push yourself, Hermione. When it's the right time, it will come naturally," Harry said. "While the subject change is a little abrupt, Minnie told me that the other schools are coming tomorrow. They will light the goblet and the names will be released from the goblet on Halloween."

"I assume you will skip the ceremony of the names then?" Hermione asked. "I know you didn't go to the feast last year."

"I don't know," Harry admitted. The news with Sirius last year, before he had actually met his godfather had brought up memories that Harry was keen to leave behind him. Memories a one-year old should be able to forget, but an image that haunted Harry's dreams nonetheless. So he had skipped the traditional holiday feast to be alone with his thoughts. He had wandered the castle aimlessly, eventually ending up in the room with the trapdoor that had been the focus of his first year.

Harry often found himself in this room when his life began to weight too much. It reminded him of the courage that Dumbledore had rewarded him for in his first year, the courage that even the greatest wizard of the era had found worthy. It made Harry feel better, even for a moment. No one knew he went there often, not even Hermione. It was a secret place just for him, a place where Harry could just be Harry, something that no one could give him completely. A curse in more than one way.

Eventually, last year, he gone back to the common room and avoided questions as he headed to bed. Harry knew that this year, Halloween would be more than just a feast, even if it had incredibly bad history behind it for him. It would be a real chance to welcome the students of the other schools, as well as a chance to see who the champions for the Tri-Wizard tournament were. Harry knew he would want to stay away to have some time to himself, but his curiosity might drive him to the hall for the festivities anyways. Harry decided that he would not make the decision until he had too.

He suspected if he did not go, his real friends, the group of people he now spent almost every school night with would understand. As Harry went over the list in his mind, he was surprised to realize that along with Hermione and Neville, he included Susan, Hannah, Daphne and Dean. Even more surprising was the realization that Lavender, someone he had considered an insufferable gossip the first three years of school, would probably understand and support him as well.

"It's been a long day," Neville said with an exaggerated yawn. "I'm going to head to bed." He gave Harry a pointed look, and Harry realized that Neville was intentionally giving him time to talk to Hermione. Harry realized that Neville had probably figured out that Harry was hiding something about his day with his grandmother, and even though they were closer Harry would only share it with his best friend.

"Good night Neville," Hermione called after him as he headed up the stairs. "That was nice of him." Harry nodded. "So what horrible secret did Professor McGonagall reveal to you that you can't tell Neville?"

"Hermione, she told me who the person who named me Lord Potter was, the only other person who knows she is my grandmother. It is extremely complicated, because the person who did it apparently looked into the family tree at the request of Sirius. Sirius doesn't know, but he must have suspected something to make such a dangerous request." Harry took a deep breath. "Hermione, he sent the request to Susan's aunt, Amelia Bones. She is the head of the DMLE."

"And she didn't try to track the letter and have Sirius kissed?" Hermione asked.

"Apparently not," Harry said. "It had Minnie as confused as I was. If there is any doubt about Sirius's guilt, Minnie thinks that she would not rest until she had the truth. Minnie, as well as Akira both have enormous respect for Amelia Bones as a witch and a law enforcement official."

"Harry, could you please call them Professor when you are talking to me?" Hermione requested. "I know you are close with them, especially Professor Hayashi, but it just sets my teeth on edge when you refer to them with such familiarity.

"For you Hermione, of course." Harry gave her a faint smile. It seemed like, at times, Hermione would always have that iron-clad belief that all teacher deserved the proper respect. Harry agreed with her in principle. Respect had been drilled into him this summer. But Hayashi-Sensei had earned his respect, and his teacher over the summer had taught Harry that true respect beyond lip service must be earned. Most of his teachers sadly had not earned it and those that had earned it were family. Minne and Akira were his favorite teachers and deserved the most respect but had ironically earned informality.

"I think Neville had the right idea," Hermione said, rising from the couch. "Can we continue this tomorrow?"

"Probably, but only in the morning," Harry told her. "Akira told me yesterday that the students from the other schools are coming in the afternoon, and that the goblet will be lit in the evening."

"Harry, I read all about Beauxbatons and Durmstrang in some books about magic in Europe when Dumbledore announced the tournament!"

"Go to bed, Hermione," Harry said with a patient smile. "I just wanted to let you know I'm going to talk to Susan tomorrow and see if I can't figure out what is going on. If Sirius can return to England, I have him up here tomorrow to introduce him to everyone as my godfather. What's more, I could out from under the Dursley's thumb without Minne, sorry, Professor McGonagall having to do anything."

"Good idea Harry," Hermione told him, and then couldn't stop herself from heaving a big yawn.

"Good night, Hermione," Harry said as he went up to bed. Even Neville was asleep as Harry disrobed and began his nightly workout. He was careful to be quiet, but as he finished his pullups, he heard a soft sound behind him. He dropped off the bar and turned to see Ron sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at Harry. They both looked at each other for a minute in silence.

"So, I see you with Neville a lot," Ron said quietly.

"You see me with Hermione a lot too," Harry said, and although his voice was quiet he couldn't keep the venom out of his statement. "That must be quite a problem for you."

"You know, at first I thought it would be," Ron told him. "I thought now that you were best friends, I would not have to deal with her. Turns out I was right and wrong." Harry cocked his head at Ron, unsure of what Ron was saying. "I was right that she would leave me alone. I was wrong in thinking it was what I wanted. She has always been mental, you know that?"

"Ron, I'm not sure where you are going with this, so tread lightly," Harry told him. "If this discussion is going to go longer, I suggest we move to the common room."

"Well, I'm just saying all the badgering and annoying, I miss it," Ron said.

"Yeah, well as annoying as it is, she is the best friend anyone could hope for."

"You aren't mad at me, Harry?" Ron asked.

"Of course I am, Ron," Harry explained. "And I don't think that we can just brush the way you have been acting as water under the bridge. But that doesn't mean we aren't friends. I've heard wonderful things about some of the girls coming from France, and as much as I hope I don't start drooling Hermione and Neville are not the type of people to talk with that stuff about." Ron gave Harry a half-hearted smile.

"Sounds good," Ron said and Harry nodded and began his nightly set of sit-ups, totally content for the first time in months. Maybe this school year would be perfect after all, especially if he didn't lose the friendship of Ron. Ron could be an annoying git and often was not the nicest to Hermione, but when Ron was next to Harry, Harry was simply a different person. It was as if two of Gryffindor's truest sons drew their courage from each other in a way he couldn't from anyone else.

Akira had finally given Harry a day off on account of the emotional outburst from realizing who his grandmother was. Harry knew the students from the other schools were coming in between lunch and dinner, and while he had professed an intention to ogle the guests as an olive branch to Ron and not a real offer, the appearance of the new students gave him an opportunity to do something entirely different.

"When I got your note, I was certainly surprised," Susan said, stepping into the Owlery on Saturday afternoon. "What is so important that we will miss the appearance of the new students? I can't say what I am more curious about."

"It's a sensitive topic," Harry said, "and it isn't a coincidence that I matched the time of this chat with their arrival. I cast a silencing charm, but there might be a way to penetrate it and I wanted to minimize the chance of us being overheard."

"So you are willing to trust me now?" Harry was a bit confused at that statement. "You don't remember our question game?"

"Of course I do," Harry said, realizing what Susan was referring to. "Susan, I hope you don't see that as me not trusting you." He motioned to a seat next to him and Susan sat. "I was having too much fun to take it seriously. I'll make you a deal. Let's play the game again. Except for every 5 questions you ask, I'll ask one."

"No games, Harry!" Susan said, her eyes blazing fiercely. She took the roll of parchment Harry had sent on Hedwig earlier this morning and read from it the message Harry had sent. "Susan. A matter of urgent importance has come up. Please meet me at 1:00pm in the Owlery. Harry." She ripped the parchment into little pieces in anger. "What is so urgently important?"

"You said your mother, and I assume your father is dead?" Susan nodded, instantly defenseless. "I won't give you some pointless apology, or stupid pity. I didn't say that to bring back bad memories. Trust me when I just wanted to confirm something, and I wanted it from your mouth. I swear I will never bring it up again."

"Thank you," Susan said, the relief clear as it spread across her entire body as muscles unclenched.

"Susan, you forget I am one of the few people in the school who can empathize," Harry said. Susan nodded slowly as she realized what Harry was saying. "Tomorrow is one of the best days for everyone in the magical world… except me."

"That's true," Susan said thoughtfully. "While they are technically alive, I guess Neville could join us and we could be the three kids who don't have parents. What a sad club that would be."

"You know about the Longbottoms?"

"Yeah, Hannah told me," Susan said. "I can't believe what Neville had to go through. It is really remarkable. It would have broken many other kids. At the least, they would not have had his bravery."

"How does Hannah know?" Harry asked. "No one has ever mentioned it, and I thought I was the only person to know. I only learned over the summer."

"Well, Hannah wasn't technically supposed to tell anyone…" Susan said with a bit of a grimace. "But she has a bit of a gossip problem, and she needed to tell someone. I told her to tell me so that it stayed a secret. Granted I didn't know what she would be telling me, but now I am even happier. If this got out, it would break Neville, not to mention Hannah."

"Neville told Hannah?"

"Yeah. Turns out they have been studying together pretty often, even if we aren't around."

"Yeah, but that isn't something you tell someone you are falling for," Harry said.

"Falling for?" Susan said, her eyebrows raised. "They are 14."

"You know Neville. Do you think he is looking for a quick snog? That story is not exactly romantic," Harry countered. "Still, that is a weird thing to share, regardless of why he did it."

"Hannah says they have been sharing everything. Honestly, she is a little upset Neville hasn't tried to kiss her yet. You boys seem to be more than ready to fight each other even if would result in serious injury, but if a girl puts her hand on your shoulder, you freak out."

"We are getting majorly off topic." Harry wrenched his mind away from Neville and Hannah's blossoming relationship, even if a small part of him wanted to know everything, since Susan and Hannah clearly didn't keep secrets from each other. "You said your aunt was head of the DMLE when we played the question game earlier this year?

"You remembered?"

"Of course. You shared some pretty important stuff with me. What kind of jerk would I be if I didn't remember?" Susan nodded, but there was a weird look in her eyes, something that made Harry nervous although he had no idea why. "From what I understand, she was the one who presented Minister Fudge with proof that I was a pureblood and he named me a Lord."

"She mentioned she was investigating a strange case over Christmas when I visited her," Susan told Harry. "In fact, it involved you. Harry, it was the Sirius Black case. She was in charge of hunting him down. Strange, she talks about work with me, but she didn't say a thing about him over the summer since I assume she was still on the case. Not that she shares anything confidential, but still, it's odd that she would move off a case of that importance."

"Well, that actually explains a lot," Harry said. "I don't get exactly when she presented Fudge with the proof or what she knows, but a lot makes sense."

"Well, it doesn't to me!" Susan snapped.

"You said I didn't trust you," Harry said, choosing his words carefully. "How about I prove you wrong? Only one person knows the entire story I am about to tell you. Ron knows most of it, and Neville knows a little, but in about 20 minutes it will be you, me and Hermione. To be entirely honest, I do have an ulterior motive. I hope you can figure out what your aunt knows, but I'll trust you."

Over the next 20 minutes Harry explained the history of Sirius Black. He started with the night his parents died, and then all about Peter Pettigrew. He then fast-forwarded to the escape from Azkaban and all the encounters with the black dog last year, ending with the incident in the Shrieking shack. He ended with the time turner and the dementors. Although he told her about his Patronus, he kept the shape and identity of Prongs a secret. But he did reveal Professor's Lupin status as a werewolf. Harry considered hiding that, but if Susan ever found out he knew she would likely never trust him again, even if she would understand why Harry hid it.

"Wow," Susan said. She had stayed quiet through the entire story. "When you said 20 minutes, I was expecting to be done in 5. That must have taken half an hour. But that is quite a tale. You think my aunt knows Sirius is innocent?"

"I have heard nothing but incredibly complementary things about your aunt, both as a person and as an investigator. If she found the discrepancies in Sirius's case, she would have eventually gotten to the bottom of it. That's the only reason she would not have tried to chase him down after getting his letter."

"I assume there is a reason you can't tell me who your mom's magical parent is?" Susan said, shrewdly looking at him.

"Yeah, sorry," Harry told him.

"Hey, I'm not complaining. Everyone has some secrets. I'm not your Hermione, nor would I want to be. She will be your best friend for the next few years, at least."

"I don't love what you are implying," Harry said, holding back an angry growl.

"Oh, you misunderstand," Susan said, her eyes horrified. "I did not mean to say she wouldn't be a great friend to you the rest of your life. But you don't have a marriage contract, so someday the person you marry will probably be your best friend. I have to say that until this year I was sure it would be Hermione."

"You don't think she is my best friend?" Harry asked.

"No, she is. It's kind of remarkable that you became good friends and have stayed good friends at the age most boys and girls can barely look each other in the eyes. It's probably why you can talk to me, Lavender, and Hannah while looking at our eyes instead of our chest." Harry couldn't keep the blush off his face. "Oh, so even the noble Harry Potter notices!"

"Stop it," Harry told Susan, "Or I'll take off my robe."

"I dare you too," Susan said, and Harry shrugged, and then yanked off his robe. "God, Harry!"

"I have clothes on underneath," Harry said to Susan, who had turned around. "I've just been told my muscles would be fairly attractive to girls. Susan shook her head but turned around and her eyes widened at the sight of Harry's arms in a short sleeve t-shirt."

"Whoever told you that was not wrong," Susan said. Harry grinned as he put his robe back on.

"So even the prude Susan Bones notices!" Susan grinned at him as he sat down next to her again. "Can you will figure out what your aunt knows?"

"I'll get it out of her. She won't say no to me, not if I say it's important," Susan said.

"You can boss the head of the DMLE around?"

"Obviously not," Susan said, "the head of the DMLE is quite imposing. My aunt is another matter entirely. If you talk to her you should address her in her more formal role until you know each other better. At the very least it will be good to figure out if she is the one who got you your new position." Susan rolled her shoulders as she stood up. "I assume Neville told you all about pureblood and rules for Lords and Ladies."

"Barely," Harry said. "It's a hard subject for Neville, for obvious reasons."

"Did Hermione find it in a book?"

"No, I just have a new friend, one who doesn't want to be associated with the whole group yet. In fact, I recently gained an entire new group of people I talk to, and while that is not why we became friends, I'll include her since you know at least some of the others." Harry walked over to the door and opened it. "You obviously know Cedric and his friend Jason. I assume you also know my quidditch captain Angelina and Cho Chang."

"Odd group," Susan commented as they paused outside the room.

"This new friend last one has been my friend all year, although she would never admit it," Harry says. "At the moment, she is my date for the Yule Ball." Susan's eyes widened. "Oh, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone else."

"That's not why I am so visibly surprised," Susan told him. "A girl asked you to the Yule Ball?"

"She left me an out, but recently she has been acting less and less like a friend," Harry admitted. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't like her as a friend. I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't curious about what it would be like if we were, well, more than friends. She is also in Slytherin, so wouldn't we set the world alight with horrible rumors?"

"You definitely would, but if the reason you go with her is because she is in Slytherin and you want to start rumors, that's horrible. No girl deserves that."

"Hey, it was her's idea," Harry told her. "And of course I wouldn't do that."

"Harry, what time is it?" Susan said, although she looked a little distracted and annoyed, although Harry couldn't be sure since he was not close friends with Susan, not yet.

"Almost 2:00," Harry said.

"Let's hurry down," Susan said. "We might still see the other students arrive!"

"You go," Harry told her. "I honestly couldn't care less about other schools or the Tri-Wizard tournament. I hope Cedric gets it."

"Me too," Susan said and then rushed off down the stairs.

"That went well, I think," Minnie said, ending her concealment spell.

"I thought so too," Harry said. "You think I made the right choice telling her?"

"Harry, I spent all night thinking about all the new friends you have made. It is entirely by coincidence, but your group of friends, if you blend the Patronus and study group will have remarkable power. Cedric's father and Susan's aunt are considered the two closest to replacing Fudge if he fell out of favor. The Greengrass family has considerable influence, as do the Abbotts. This doesn't even begin to discuss the power and influence that Augusta Longbottom has."

"Eventually, all this influence and power will go to your friends. In 10 years, this little group, these seemingly inconsequential meetings will have great ramifications. Of course, all of this forgets to mention your influence." Harry nodded slowly. "God knows I do not want to spend a lot of time in your past, or I guess it is now our past. But as much as you hate The-Boy-Who-Lived personality everyone has put on you, it comes with a great amount of power."

"Yeah, I know," Harry said. "If only Voldemort was gone for good." His grandmother flinched as he said the name. "Not you too, Grandma! It's just a name. If people are afraid of his name, how can they hope to stand up to the man!"

"I'll try, but it's an involuntary response for so many in England. But you make a good point," Minnie said. "You are right. Especially after the death eater attack at the world cup. Right now, a public statement could go a long way to swaying opinion in Britain. I would urge you not to do anything at the moment to unsettle the British Political System, but if you want to do something, I would be happy to help."

"This year, I'd just like to focus on getting an O on transfiguration," Harry said, giving his grandma's offered hand a squeeze. She smiled back at him.

"We better be close behind your friend," Minnie said. "Our absence will be noticed by more than a few. You go ahead of me." Harry noticed and raced down the stairs. Eventually he reached the front gate, where all the students were arranged by house.

"Harry!" Ron called and Harry managed to make his way through the crowd. He saw Hermione standing next to Ron with a huge smile on his face and Harry casually shoulder bumped Ron.

"You made up?" Hermione whispered to him.

"It's a start," Harry told her. "We'll see." She nodded, and then Harry heard a collective gasp. Everyone was staring at the sky as a distinct shape began to form. There must have been a dozen horses soaring through the sky, pulling a large house behind them.

"Pegasus," Ron said in amazement. Hermione hit him on the shoulder

"Don't be an idiot, Ron. Those are Abraxan, flying horses. They are supposed to be incredibly temperamental. It's amazing that someone could get them to work in concert to fly a carriage." Harry realized that Hermione was right, and what he had initially seen as a large house was indeed a carriage.

"Cool," Harry said as the carriage came to a rest. Then he heard more shouts of amazement as the lake began to bubble. "I really hope that is not the giant squid." Then a giant ship exploded from the lake and the students began to cheer. A large woman, almost the size of Hagrid exited from the carriage, and a bulky man jumped from the ship to land. Most of the students were staring at the massive woman, but Harry's eyes were glued on the man striding away from the lake.

His strides were measured and his hand relaxed at his side. But there was something in the man's eyes and the way his entire body was loose. He also had a build that Harry had seen multiple times over the summer. This man was a wizard, there was no doubt of that. But this new man was a martial artist as well, and Harry felt a small smile curl over his face. Nambung had said any real martial artists relished a challenge, and while Harry was not eager to challenge the headmaster of another school, maybe there would students with him. Who knew, this might not be a huge waste of time after all?