Minerva closed her eyes as she steeled her resolve. "You can do this Minerva," she whispered to herself as she opened her eyes. With a wave of her hands the doors to the Great Hall opened and she walked in confidently.

Today was her first official day as Headmistress of Hogwarts. The Board of Governors voted unanimously for her. It was a feat few others managed. There seemed to always be discord amongst the board; however, Albus' attack on her person had cast a rather favorable light on her and she was only to happy to exploit it. Severus is rubbing off on me she silently mused.

Minerva made her way down the aisle and paused when she noted the Head's seat. Gone was the golden throne like chair that Albus had sit in for decades. In it's place was an old fashioned chair made from black onyx. The Hogwarts crest was dominant on the tall back. A badger made of yellow diamonds, an eagle made of sapphires, a snake of emeralds and a lion from rubies. A variety of crystals outlines the image. It was a magnificent piece of artwork in her opinion.

"Where did the chair come from?" Minerva questioned. It was obvious the staff had no more answers than she did.

"I had the elves replace that obscene golden throne with something more elegant," Helena Ravenclaw said as she floated into the room. Minerva looked at the ghost in shock as the normally elusive Ravenclaw ghost stopped in front of her. "You protected the Gryffindor heir at the risk of your life. I felt that should be rewarded. Hogwarts always protects its heirs. That chair belonged to my mother and was used at the Head table for the entirety of her career. All of the Founders had a chair specifically made for them with Hogwarts crest on it. I had the elves place it in storage after Mother passed on. You are the first person to use it since her."

Minerva stared wide-eyed at the ghost for a moment or two before managing, "Thank you for the honor."

"You are most welcome Headmistress McGonagall," Helena Ravenclaw offered before floating out of the hall and leaving the room in silence.

Minerva stared at Severus in horror as she processed his words. "Dammit Minerva," he growled at her. "Focus! The Dark Lord is on his way here as we speak. Go to your office and protect the wards!"

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and pecked Severus' lips lovingly before running as fast as her seventh month belly would allow. The added weight of the twins hindered her movements. She was a liability to her family she knew, too large of a target, so she made her way to her office and focused on the wards. She would focus her vast magic and control Hogwarts like she would a chess board.

Minerva had been practicing her magic since she had been named Headmistress. She had realized very quickly that Hogwarts itself was aiding her. It seemed her protection of Harry had solidified her worth to the school. The elves and ghosts became atuned with her magic and a communication system of sorts were developed.

The goal was not to keep Voldemort out but to provide enough resistance where he didn't realize they were laying a trap for him. Harry would be waiting in the Great Hall for him. The others would be leading the assault on Voldemort's forces while she lead Voldemort to Harry and hopefully the last face-off between them.

Minerva closed her eyes and prodded the others on where to move towards so Voldemort followed them to Harry. It was time to end this madness!

Minerva entered the Great Hall and nearly cried at the destruction she saw. The charmed ceiling was no more, in its places dull stones that had seen better days. The house tables were broken. She searched the growing crowd worriedly until she spotted Hermione's bushy hair. Her daughter was keeping away the crowd of people eager to get to Harry by maintaining a protective shield.

Hermione was straddling Harry's lap and clung to him as he clung to her just as fiercely. She envied the way they were able to push the world away and focus on their own little world. As she neared the protective barrier, she noticed they both had multiple injuries. She glanced around the room to find the resident healer. Poppy had cornered Severus and was ignoring the wizard's complaints while healing his injuries.

"Mya needs you," a concerned voice said.

Minerva turned to see a worried Lee Jordan. "I know," she whispered. "She isn't even aware she has a barrier up. Go to my rooms and check on Robert for me. I will take care of them."

"Sure thing Professor," Lee answered.

"It's Minerva," she corrected as she grabbed his hand gently. "You are no longer a student."

"Sure thing Minerva," Lee said with a grin as he squeezed her hand affectionately and swept out of the room.

Minerva moved near the protective barrier and gently laid her hand on it. She sent a pulse of love towards her daughter amd smiled when the barrier collapsed. She moved to the young couple and eased down next to them. She was unprepared for them to cling to her as they allowed their emotions to show. "I have you loves," she whispered emotionally as she embraced the couple as much as her bulging belly would allow.

She missed the silence that fell upon the room and the photographer snapping photos.