I still don't own these characters…but oh how I wanna!

This is my first foray into fan fic. So...here goes! All Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated. This story is written in a style like that of J.K. Rowling, in Harry's perspective and all. There are some relationships, but none out of character ones, for example no DM/ HG. Sorry guys. There is a lot of McGonagall in this story though. She plays a larger role in this one in later chapters. Rating is for violence in later chapters.

My thanks to all of the readers, and reviewers, thank you dracodormiens97, MMrulz4eva, and Palanfanaiel for their reviews.

Another Year and Another Problem

2. Tabby Appears

Harry didn't hear anything more from the Order, or Professor McGonagall for the next day and a half, and by this time Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were getting more than a little anxious to leave for Marge's.

"Boy, if your ruddy friends don't show up for you soon there will be nothing to show up for!" Was a common threat heard from the mouth of Uncle Vernon when he noted Harry's lack of absence during his lunch break home, and after work, and again the next morning.

"It's not my fault they haven't shown up yet," Harry would say sounding rather exasperated. The conversation usually came to an abrupt end when Harry started muttering nonsense under his breath, and although Uncle Vernon knew perfectly well Harry wasn't allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts, this still shut him up rather quickly.

"Today," Harry thought, "it was too hot to move. Hell, it was too hot to breathe." Harry sat outside against the back of the house on Number Four Privet Drive. With every breath Harry took, all he felt was the damp air, so heavy with humidity fill his lungs. He didn't know if he could get enough oxygen breathing in air like this. His mind jumped back to thoughts of a lake, and eating a foul bit of Gillyweed to be able to breathe underwater, in the land of the merpeople. He remembered the cool, cool water all around him, and then the feeling of water rushing through his lungs, through his gills.

He quickly snapped his mind away from that memory the instant he saw a young man swimming toward him, "Cedric," He remembered, "Cedric Diggory." And before he let his mind have time to wrap around all of the feelings he still couldn't come to terms with over Cedric's death, he felt someone, something brush past his legs.

He looked about wildly. "What the…" He managed to slip out before a very welcome, familiar, if rather unexpected sight hit him.

"P-Prof-fessor," He managed to stutter out before he came to his senses and realized to the world it appeared as if he was speaking to a tabby cat, and calling it Professor. He had of course recognized Professor McGonagall, even if it did take him a minute, he had seen her demonstration of her abilities as an animagus in Transfiguration class, and recognized the tabby cat in front of him to be her.

He opened the back door into the kitchen letting her into the Dursley's home in front of him. There she morphed into the usual form of his professor in front of a very surprised Aunt Petunia. Harry noticed something. McGonagall was wearing a pair of jeans and a crimson and gold t-shirt. Why would she be wearing muggle clothing?

Professor McGonagall acted as if she hadn't seen Aunt Petunia at all. She turned to face Harry, "Come on boy, let's go get your things, we don't have all day to stand here." And abruptly turned and began walking toward the stairs.

Harry was, imaginably so, a bit taken aback at his professor showing up here, let alone ignoring his aunt, and heading for his bedroom. He quickly walked in front of her and said, "Erm, uh, okay. It's up here, Professor." And quickly let the way to his room. A wave of relief washed over him as he saw that he had, indeed tidied his room up a bit in getting ready to leave. His trunk was already packed, and Hedwig was in her cage, happily hooting at the two of them when they entered the room.

Harry hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her after she had been stunned last year, and it hit him now, what a strong woman she must be. Four stunners? He felt so helpless when it happened, watching from the astronomy tower. Questions raced through his mind at top speed. "How was she, did she feel all right, how did she manage…" his thoughts trailed off when he saw her looking at him quizzically. He realized he must have been staring at her while thinking. "What is it Potter?" She asked him, her face seeming perturbed. "I, well I just wanted to know how you were doing. I haven't seen you since Umbrige…"He trailed off. He watched her face turn from perturbed to almost embarrassed, her head was down as she answered him, "I am okay Harry. Thank you."

Harry watched as McGonagall quickly surveyed the small, and dingy room, with what appeared to be the remains of bars on the one window in the room. A look of, what was it? Was it pity, or sadness, maybe regret, crossed her face, and then quickly was gone. She smiled at him, "Alright Potter, are these your things?" She asked when she noticed him looking at her. "Uh, yeah" Came his reply, quickly running around to gather the few things he had removed from the trunk in the last day or so, and showed them into place, slamming the lid, "This is it."

She performed a simple charm to have the trunk follow her down the stairs, "Probably the same one Tonks used," he thought to himself as he carried Hedwig's cage down the stairs with Hedwig in it, sitting contentedly on her perch. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, she lifted the handle, and rolled it down the hall.

"Um, Professor," he started, "where are we going? Are we flying? Or using floo powder? What's been happening, anyway? I mean, I haven't been receiving my Daily Prophet's and…" He was cut off by a quick "Shush. I'll tell you in a minute. Just follow me," from McGonagall.

They walked out the back door past a still very surprised looking Aunt Petunia, across the almost too pristine front lawn, and down Privet Drive. Neither spoke as they turned the corner onto Wisteria Walk and then stopped directly in front of an older model Ford which seemed to be in still quite good condition. Harry looked up in surprise when he saw Professor McGonagall stop, take keys out of her purse, and open the trunk of the car. She looked around quickly, and seeing no one about she took her wand from her purse, and levitated the trunk into the car. "You, may put that into the back seat, Harry," she said gesturing toward the cage with Hedwig still in it.

"Did she just call me Harry?" He thought, "I don't believe it's ever been anything other than Mr. Potter. Odd." He then recalled back to the letter, at the bottom, she had said Harry too, He wondered if this was a new thing for the summer, or if she was just being odd for no real reason.

He decided to just ignore it, at least for now, and put Hedwig in the car. He then got into the passenger side, and sat next to McGonagall who was now buckling herself in and starting the car. "Fasten your belt, Merlin knows how these muggles drive, so unsafe." She started tut-tut-ing, as she rolled down the window on her side of the car.

Harry laughed to himself, he never thought he would see the day that he would be sitting next to his professor in an old car driving through Little Whinging. "Professor, why are we traveling by muggle ways instead of floo, or portkey? And what is going on, can you tell me now?" Harry asked, a little impatiently. His professor sighed. "Yes, I can begin to tell you now. I will explain the mode of transportation later. We have a fairly long journey ahead. If you get hungry, one of our House Elves packed a lunch in that basket behind you." "Thank You, I'm okay though," Harry replied, "do you want me to get anything for you?" Harry asked her. "No, no, I'm not hungry. Harry, Thank You."

They sat in silence for few minutes, and just when Harry was about to bring up his question again, she began to speak in a low voice. "Harry, you know I was teaching at the school when your parent's went there, correct?"

"Umm, yeah I knew that," Harry said, a little confused as to what his parents had to do with what was going on now.

McGonagall continued, "I was still head of Griffindor House at that time, and for the most part, things were quiet during the times they spent at school. Quite unlike the…problems you have had to deal with. But do not get me wrong, Mr. Potter, your parent's were far from boring, but I am sure Mister's Lupin, and Black," her voice stopped for a moment after saying Sirius's name, remembering what had happened the previous year then continued, "have told you enough of your parent's school activities to last you for quite some time."

Harry laughed, remembering some of the stories he had been told by his former professor and godfather, "Yeah, I've heard quite a few stories," he said.

"Well then," She began, "I will not be adding to that collection, not right now at any rate." She smiled, seeming to be recalling memories from her past. "When I was head of Griffindor house during your parent's time I had to give career advice, just like I did with you last term. Your father was a little one sided in his studies, and not too much unlike you, Harry, wanted to become an auror. Your mother, decided to pursue her love of helping others and go into teaching." Harry interrupted her, "My mom taught at Hogwarts? My dad was an auror? How come no one told me this stuff?" He then realized he had just interrupted her, and quickly said, "Um, continue," in a low voice.

"Well your father trained to be an auror, but dropped out of the program when The Order became a full time job for him. He had enough money in inheritance from his father that he did not truly need to work, but wanted to anyway. Your mother, Lily, was the Potions professor at Hogwarts before Professor Snape. He took the job after, well, after the attack. I suppose no one brought it up because, It's been so long now, almost sixteen years, it seems almost like Professor Snape has just always been there." She chuckled thinking back to when Snape was hired, and the confusion the rest of the school went up into.

"But that is not what I was telling you about," she remembered, "I was telling you that when your mother came to see me, to go through her advising. Lily Evans was always very good at her academics, not unlike your friend Ms. Granger. She had a great aptitude for all subjects of study, but really focused on Potions and Transfiguration. She was unsure of which she wanted to teach. She studied both intensely. I took her on as something of an apprentice to me. Lily and I became quite close." She paused for a moment, and Harry looked at her and saw the tears shining in her eyes.

He didn't know what to do. Did he say something, or ignore it. Finally he simply put is hand on hers. She looked at him, and smiled. She moved her hand and quickly wiped away the tears, which were now beginning to creep to the brim of her eyelashes.

He still had so many questions. Well really, he still had all of the same questions, but he didn't really mind, he was learning about his family. A family he never got to know. But he had to learn what this was about.

"Professor," he began tentatively, "I love hearing about my mom and dad, but why now?"

Well, I know that it feels like you are alone Harry. You had finally found Sirius, someone who you thought was your last tie to your parents, and now he is gone too," She paused. He was looking out the window, but she could see in its reflection the tears running down his cheeks. Now it was her turn to comfort. "Harry, I…I…I thought you should know more about your family, more about where you came form, and maybe it would help. You would have something to fall back on when you have to deal with the memories of what happened last year, and yes Harry you will have to deal with them." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and continued, "Whether you want to or not is not going to be a factor for too long. Voldemort knows that Sirius will be a weakness for you and he will try to exploit it. So for now, you have a bit more than old photos of your parents to go on, and you are learning more about your family." She stopped. He turned to face her. "Thank you" was all he could say.

They stopped the car a few minutes down the road to get out and stretch their legs and it occurred to Harry he still had no idea where they were headed. "Professor, I was wondering, where are we going?" He asked her as they got back into the car.

"Well potter, the Order's headquarters are still at Grimmauld place, but we decided there should not be anyone living there, just good for meetings. It might be safer that way. So, there are a few homes all throughout the area where we are all living. The one we are headed to is my family home in Scotland. The Weasley family is there, as well as Miss Granger, Remus Lupin, Tonks, and well, of course I am there. The others are not far, but far enough so if one home is attacked the entire order is not destroyed," she said briskly.

"Where is Dumbledore staying?" Harry asked, then immediately after doing so felt badly, for he had tried not to think of his Headmaster as he still harbored some resentment toward the man who had shut him out so much last year. He knew he shouldn't but it was still hard. "Dumbledore did after all," he told himself, "have good reasons not to explain. Not right, but still good intent."

"The headmaster will be doing a lot of traveling, so he may stay for us for a few days over the summer here and there." She said briskly. He glanced over at her, and could have sworn he saw a slight blush come over her face. "Nah gotta be the light." He thought to himself.

"So, umm…chicken professor?" He asked grabbing a piece from the basket behind him.