"Okay, class. So keep on practicing with these spells- the Chamber of Requirement will be the perfect location for it. But no hexing in the corridors!"
Minerva's threatening glare was only half as threatening as usual, yet all students nodded obediently. It was a strange thing, but they all seemed to be more… attentive, more willing to learn since the siege had begun. Since the lessons were officially cancelled and since they weren't forced to follow the classes their Transfigurations teacher organized…
Yet most of them did. Even sitting in a Common Room and playing games became boring after two full weeks… And they very well realized they would probably very soon need every magical skill they possessed.
As the students- of all Houses, of all ages- started to somewhat unwillingly leave the room, Minerva leant her head on her hands. Yet she immediately sat up straight again. It was perhaps an obsession, but she was determined not to show any weakness. She had always been like that- always.
As she stood up, started to gather her parchments and noticed almost all students had already left, she heard a soft, deep voice.
"Professor McGonagall?"
As she looked up, she stared right into the blue-greenish eyes of Blaise Zabini.
"Yes, Miss Zabini?" she then spoke briskly.
"Can I talk to you for a second?"
Minerva stared at the girl over her glasses for a moment, then nodded.
"Sure. Have a seat."
With a slightly nervous gesture, the girl obeyed as Minerva sat down as well.
"What is the matter?"
Blaise bit her lips- and Minerva realized how strange this all was to her. Her own Gryffindors, her cubs, as she secretly called them, often came to her for advice or just to talk, but this girl… she… she was a Slytherin! Why did she…?
Yet, Minerva continued.
"Tell me, Miss Zabini. I never bite my students, you know."
Blaise smiled, but it was a strange smile. This girl, Minerva realized, wasn't "a bit frightened" of her in the usual way students were. Perhaps it was just Blaise's Slytherin slyness, but Minerva felt as if the girl looked right through her so carefully built up façade. It was not a pleasant feeling, yet not an unpleasant one as well.
"Good…" the girl then began. "You see, Professor McGonagall, I have always kind of disliked you. You are Head of Gryffindor and so… damn good!"
Minerva nodded, not the least insulted. She understood.
"But now…" Blaise hesitated, but then looked right into her teacher's eyes and spoke sincerely
"I admire you, Professor. You are a brave woman. I have the greatest admiration for you and- and even my goddamn father can't change that. Not anymore."
The girl's eyes spat fire, but Minerva also saw despair in them. And tears.
"I hate him, Professor. I hate him and I wished I could wipe away all the blood of him that runs through my veins." she muttered hoarsely.
Minerva stared at her student over the edge of her glasses. She then, impulsively, squeezed Blaise's hand.
"Don't. It is never good to hate your parents."
Blaise looked up and bitterly smiled.
"How can you say that, Professor? Do you know how they, my father and his friends, speak of you?"
As Minerva did not react, the girl exclaimed
"They call you Dumbledore's whore, Professor! They speak of you as if- as if you've just achieved your position here at Hogwarts because… because… because you are good in… in bed."
Blaise fiercely blushed and looked at her hands, yet Minerva did not move. She just mockingly raised her eyebrows.
"Do they? Yes, of course they do. And I am sure that's not even the worst thing they say of me. But they don't hurt me anymore. Do you understand me, Miss Zabini… Blaise? They don't hurt me because I don't allow myself to hate them. For that is what they want. If they manage to corrupt us with hate as well, then they will win. I do not hate them. I perhaps could hate them if I wanted to, but I don't."
She treated Blaise to a rare smile and stood up proudly. Minerva McGonagall was not as tall as people thought her to be, but she had a special kind of grace that added inches to her height.
"I don't…" she then, almost dreamily, repeated. Blaise stood up as well, and to her Professor's great surprise bowed lightly. As she looked up again, she smiled.
"That," she explained. "was the final sincere go-to-hell to my father. Do you know what our family device is? "A Zabini Bows For No-one". But I now bow for you, Professor, because you possess a bravery that I will never possess. Gryffindor bravery…"
Her eyes strayed off as she thoughtfully repeated
"Gryffindor bravery."
Minerva saw the look in her eyes and determinedly grabbed the girl's shoulders.
"Blaise, look at me!"
The girl obeyed.
"You have had the courage to understand that your parents are wrong. To leave their path and follow that of your own. You are as brave as I could expect of any of my Gryffindors! And I cannot add you to my House, because you have been sorted into Slytherin and thus have Slytherin qualities. But never, never, do you hear me, never feel yourself the inferior of a Gryffindor! Do- you- hear- me?"
Blaise silently nodded and lowered her eyes under the piercing green-eyed gaze of her teacher. Then, very slowly, a smile appeared on her face as she leant forward and hugged her clearly surprised Professor.
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall." she then muttered, a faint blush on her cheeks, as she hastily walked out of the classroom.
Minerva felt dumbfounded. Had she- had she just hugged a Slytherin? Had she just comforted a Slytherin whose father called her the whore of Dumbledore?
Yes, she had.
And she did not feel bad.
Minerva's threatening glare was only half as threatening as usual, yet all students nodded obediently. It was a strange thing, but they all seemed to be more… attentive, more willing to learn since the siege had begun. Since the lessons were officially cancelled and since they weren't forced to follow the classes their Transfigurations teacher organized…
Yet most of them did. Even sitting in a Common Room and playing games became boring after two full weeks… And they very well realized they would probably very soon need every magical skill they possessed.
As the students- of all Houses, of all ages- started to somewhat unwillingly leave the room, Minerva leant her head on her hands. Yet she immediately sat up straight again. It was perhaps an obsession, but she was determined not to show any weakness. She had always been like that- always.
As she stood up, started to gather her parchments and noticed almost all students had already left, she heard a soft, deep voice.
"Professor McGonagall?"
As she looked up, she stared right into the blue-greenish eyes of Blaise Zabini.
"Yes, Miss Zabini?" she then spoke briskly.
"Can I talk to you for a second?"
Minerva stared at the girl over her glasses for a moment, then nodded.
"Sure. Have a seat."
With a slightly nervous gesture, the girl obeyed as Minerva sat down as well.
"What is the matter?"
Blaise bit her lips- and Minerva realized how strange this all was to her. Her own Gryffindors, her cubs, as she secretly called them, often came to her for advice or just to talk, but this girl… she… she was a Slytherin! Why did she…?
Yet, Minerva continued.
"Tell me, Miss Zabini. I never bite my students, you know."
Blaise smiled, but it was a strange smile. This girl, Minerva realized, wasn't "a bit frightened" of her in the usual way students were. Perhaps it was just Blaise's Slytherin slyness, but Minerva felt as if the girl looked right through her so carefully built up façade. It was not a pleasant feeling, yet not an unpleasant one as well.
"Good…" the girl then began. "You see, Professor McGonagall, I have always kind of disliked you. You are Head of Gryffindor and so… damn good!"
Minerva nodded, not the least insulted. She understood.
"But now…" Blaise hesitated, but then looked right into her teacher's eyes and spoke sincerely
"I admire you, Professor. You are a brave woman. I have the greatest admiration for you and- and even my goddamn father can't change that. Not anymore."
The girl's eyes spat fire, but Minerva also saw despair in them. And tears.
"I hate him, Professor. I hate him and I wished I could wipe away all the blood of him that runs through my veins." she muttered hoarsely.
Minerva stared at her student over the edge of her glasses. She then, impulsively, squeezed Blaise's hand.
"Don't. It is never good to hate your parents."
Blaise looked up and bitterly smiled.
"How can you say that, Professor? Do you know how they, my father and his friends, speak of you?"
As Minerva did not react, the girl exclaimed
"They call you Dumbledore's whore, Professor! They speak of you as if- as if you've just achieved your position here at Hogwarts because… because… because you are good in… in bed."
Blaise fiercely blushed and looked at her hands, yet Minerva did not move. She just mockingly raised her eyebrows.
"Do they? Yes, of course they do. And I am sure that's not even the worst thing they say of me. But they don't hurt me anymore. Do you understand me, Miss Zabini… Blaise? They don't hurt me because I don't allow myself to hate them. For that is what they want. If they manage to corrupt us with hate as well, then they will win. I do not hate them. I perhaps could hate them if I wanted to, but I don't."
She treated Blaise to a rare smile and stood up proudly. Minerva McGonagall was not as tall as people thought her to be, but she had a special kind of grace that added inches to her height.
"I don't…" she then, almost dreamily, repeated. Blaise stood up as well, and to her Professor's great surprise bowed lightly. As she looked up again, she smiled.
"That," she explained. "was the final sincere go-to-hell to my father. Do you know what our family device is? "A Zabini Bows For No-one". But I now bow for you, Professor, because you possess a bravery that I will never possess. Gryffindor bravery…"
Her eyes strayed off as she thoughtfully repeated
"Gryffindor bravery."
Minerva saw the look in her eyes and determinedly grabbed the girl's shoulders.
"Blaise, look at me!"
The girl obeyed.
"You have had the courage to understand that your parents are wrong. To leave their path and follow that of your own. You are as brave as I could expect of any of my Gryffindors! And I cannot add you to my House, because you have been sorted into Slytherin and thus have Slytherin qualities. But never, never, do you hear me, never feel yourself the inferior of a Gryffindor! Do- you- hear- me?"
Blaise silently nodded and lowered her eyes under the piercing green-eyed gaze of her teacher. Then, very slowly, a smile appeared on her face as she leant forward and hugged her clearly surprised Professor.
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall." she then muttered, a faint blush on her cheeks, as she hastily walked out of the classroom.
Minerva felt dumbfounded. Had she- had she just hugged a Slytherin? Had she just comforted a Slytherin whose father called her the whore of Dumbledore?
Yes, she had.
And she did not feel bad.