Minerva McGonagall stared out onto Hogwarts grounds silently as her tears fell down her face. The Final Battle had taken place yesterday and Harry Potter had ended the self proclaimed Lord Voldemort for good this time. The massive crowd had mostly left this morning although like her there was some that didn't have anywhere else to go so they remained. Poppy Pomfrey still was transferring patients to St. Mungo's to finish recovering from various injuries and curses. Poppy needed to recover herself and wasn't able to help a ward full of injured as much as she would have liked to. The Ministry had removed all of the bodies of the fallen that hadn't already been claimed by family members, mostly Death Eaters. The castle was damaged significantly and would require a lot of work and effort to be as it had before the Final Battle. Now wasn't the time for rebuilding though, now was the time to mourn. And mourn she did!

Minerva cried for the lost, the damaged, the hurt. She cried in relief the bloody war was finally over and she cried for the hurts it would take to right their world once again. Hurt feelings would happen regardless which path the new Ministry of Magic would choose. So many of the old Ministry had perished in the last few years, Minerva didn't know if they would be able to conduct business like it had prior to the Ministry's fall. She cried in relief that this hellish year was finally over and she cried for those she hadn't been able to protect throughout the Carrows terror.

"There you are," a male voice said from the doorway. "I have been searching for you for ages."

She quickly dried her eyes with the palms of her hands and took a deep breath. "How may I help you Mr. Potter?" she asked in her no nonsense way as she turned to face him hoping he wouldn't comment on her red, blotchy face.

Harry Potter gave her a concerned look but thankfully ignored her lack of composure. "I thought we agreed on Harry?" he retorted with that cocky grin only a Potter could pull off.

Minerva smiled and nodded her head. "Forgive me Harry," she said. "What may I help you with?"

He grinned at her sheepishly before replying, "I am going to need you to keep an open mind." Minerva raised her eyebrow in silent question as he drew nearer. "I need to apparate us somewhere else before we talk," he said as he held out his hand to her.

While she might have questioned others for merely the request, Harry Potter had earned her trust and respect. This young wizard had earned her friendship and loyalty for his unrelenting search for justice. He had done what many older and more knowledgeable wizards would be hard pressed to do. She didn't say a word and lifted her hand gently in his as an answer. Hogwarts anti apparation wards were nonexistent as of now so apparating from Hogwarts wasn't an issue. He smiled before she felt a tug behind her navel and felt her world spin.


Minerva felt her feet touch the ground and opened her eyes. Confusion worried her brow as she looked at Harry. "I don't understand," she whispered as she looked at the farmhouse that seemed so familiar. "Why are we in Caithness of all places?"

"This is the part where you will have to keep an open mind," he said teasingly. He grabbed her hand and tugged her up the walkway, across the porch and into the house. She noted the inside hadn't changed other than modernized utilities and furniture since the last time she had been in this house when she was seventeen.

"Why are we at the McGregors Farm of all places?" she asked Harry, her anxiety increasing more than she cared to admit.

He took a deep breath before he started to speak. "Yesterday after my defeat of Voldemort, Hermione and I were blindsided by a pureblood bigot that happened to work as an Unspeakable. We had our magic bound, identities hidden, memories replaced and were transported back here in time to the summer of 1954."

Minerva turned sharply to Harry, her eyes blazing in fury. "Is this your idea of a joke?" she demanded. "Why would you do such a thing?"

Minerva moved towards the door but Harry quickly caught her hand and tugged her back. "I would never knowingly lie to you," he answered her honestly, desperately. "An Unspeakable transported me back in time and gave me the identity of one muggle man by the name of Dougal McGregor."

Minerva searched his eyes for any hint of untruthfullness but found none. She closed her eyes and bowed her head as her tears started. "Why would an Unspeakable do such a thing?"

"He planned to keep me in the past until he could come back with Tom Riddle," Harry answered. "He very nearly got away with it too. Thank Merlin he had spent so much energy that he couldn't bring Tom back immediately. Hermione managed to break through her memory charm and plant messages in Malcolm's subconscious mind. He remembered the messages when he became an Unspeakable and came back in time to stop the rogue Unspeakable. Malcolm returned us back to the correct place in time and with our magic unbound although he left our memories from the past."

"I remember that summer," she said confused. "If Malcolm saved you, how do I still remember?"

"Malcolm choose to leave that summer as is," Harry answered as he wiped her tears away. "That summer defined who you are and started your path towards justice. Would you have became who you are now without that summer? The Malcolm that saved us was from the late 70s and had witnessed the fierce warrior you had become. He feared stopping the time incident, stopping our meeting in 1954, would change too much so he left us in time until after you had made your decision and left for London."

Minerva sobbed at that point as she clutched him. "Life isn't fair sometimes," she managed to get out as she gave into her sorrows. Her legs collapsed but she didn't notice, her grief was overwhelming her.

Harry gathered her up in his arms and then carried her to the oversized chair. He settled her in his lap and against his chest as she sobbed herself into oblivion. "I have you love," he whispered emotionally, well after she had fallen asleep.