"Come on, Minerva, concentrate!"

The girl vehemently nodded as she gritted her teeth.

"Concentrate!"

But it was no use. Minerva McGonagall opened her eyes and shook her head, panting as if she'd run a very long distance. She felt like it as well.

With a tired sigh, she turned towards her mentor, then sat down on the grass and crossed her legs. She lowered her eyes as she muttered

"I can't."

Minerva shrugged her shoulders and faintly smiled, now playing with a blade of grass. Then, she looked up, and honest green eyes met concerned blue ones.

"I can't. You were right. I am too young. I am not powerful enough. I admit it. I was wrong."

Albus remained silent but then- impossible! unforgivable!- lightly chuckled. Minerva felt her teper rise at an incredibly high speed. Putting her hands on her hips, she stood up and looked straight into his eyes again with a stern glare.

"Now why are you laughing? Wasn't that what you wanted to hear, perhaps? Minerva-know-it-all McGonagall was wrong. Minerva-know-it-all McGonagall isn't smart enough. I am stupid, I am a silly little girl and I shouldn't have left Hogwarts in the first place! So! Are you happy now?"

To her great irritation, Minerva felt tears in her eyes. She quickly raised a hand to roughly wipe them away, but- a firm hand on her arm stopped her in mid-gesture. A well-known voice now sounded strangely close to her ear.

"Don't be angry with me, Minerva. And calm down. I know this stressful to you, but…"

Minerva sighed as she dropped on the grass again and snapped

"See? It's stressful to me. I am a little child who can hardly…"

"Shut up."

His voice was ever so soft, yet Minerva noted the firm undertone and obeyed.

"Now calm down."

Albus crouched down beside his pupil and handed her his own, clean handkerchief.

"Wipe your tears away with this."

She silently nodded, still quite ashamed of her useless tears.

"Now, Minerva McGonagall, let me congratulate you, because the progresses you have made are really incredible."

"You're lying."

Her voice sounded weak, but a faint smile played on her lips. Albus raised his eyebrows and smiled as well.

"I am not. You're seventeen and after three weeks of practice, you are almost capable of transforming yourself without any help!"

"I am not!"

"Oh yes you are! You know, I can even see a kind of- shadow, sometimes. A shadow of the animal you'll become!"

Minerva's head snapped up.

"What will I be?" she, suddenly eagerly, asked.

"I don't know." came his careful response.

"Something quite small…"

"Small?" Minerva muttered, somewhat disappointed. "No hope on a lioness, then?"

He smiled and patted her back.

"I fear not, my dear. But whatever you'll become- you'll become it quickly. One week, perhaps, or two, and then…"

"We don't have two weeks left!"

Albus amusedly sighed.

"Not so impatient, Miss McGonagall! We are now in the east of Belgium, so indeed, in a week, we'll reach the place in Germany where our Minister's armies defend themselves against the Dark Lord's ones. But even if we're there- we can't attack right away. Plans will have to be made, negotiations will have to be attempted… And before the end, I am sure I'll have a fully-trained Animagus by my side."

He comfortingly smiled, but Minerva McGonagall's stubborn, Scottish spirit wasn't soothed that easily. She stood up and balled her fists, now towering over her Professor.

"And yet I have to be an Animagus now! And I will be! Let me try one more time, and…"

"It's too soon, Minerva!"

"It isn't."

Albus Dumbledore read the ever-obstinate expression in the fiery, emerald eyes, and gave in, without any hope, in fact.

"Then try. You know the trick by now, don't you? Concentrate."

Minerva nodded, gritted her teeth. Three seconds later, she closed her eyes, balled her fists, bit her lips and then yelled. She yelled, yelled, yelled all despair, all sadness, all pain out of her body until…

Until what had been the screams of a teenage girl, were suddenly turned into the slightly plaintive yet obviously triumphant meowing of a sleek, sliver tabby cat, who was now jauntily, with clear green eyes surrounded by very familiar stripes, looking at Albus, who felt his jaw drop.

Then, with a pop, Minerva McGonagall changed back and before she could even smile or cheer, she felt two arms around her waist and was silenced by three polite kisses on both her cheeks.

It was a strange feeling.

It was a nice feeling.

But before she could ponder more, Albus hastily released her. His well-meant and kind congratulations, though, did not nearly do to her what his spontaneous embrace had done.

"Thank you, Professor." Minerva smiled, cheeks blushing as she very well knew.

"Thank you, Minerva.", he responded, and when she looked up in surprise, he smiled.

"For being here."

"Being here?" came Minerva's dumbfounded answer.

But Albus smiled, and, resting a hand on her shoulder, he spoke the words Minerva McGonagall knew she would never ever forget.

"I am glad you are here with me."