Minerva smiled as she heard the shouted "McG" and was encased in a hug by the Weasley twins. She hugged them back in earnest. She had always had a soft spot for the mischievous duo not that she would admit it aloud. She enjoyed their dedication to their friends and their need to bring a smile to other people. "We have missed you Minnie Love!"

"Thank you boys," she laughed as she hugged them back. "I am glad you managed to escape. I would like to inform you if either of you get captured again, purposefully or for any reason at all, I will transform you into mice and keep you locked up in a cage on my desk for safe keeping."

Snickering errupted into the room at the playful banter between the trio. "We knew you loved us McG!" the twins exclaimed merrily. She rolled her eyes at them but smiled nonetheless.

"I am really glad we knicked this when we escaped," George said as he held out a black wand.

My wand she thought emotionally. She gently grasped the wand and felt the warming sensation of her magic. "Thank you," she whispered as she hugged them both tightly. "I thought it was lost to me forever. I dreaded getting a new one."

"Mum why would a person's aura change colors," Hermione asked with a frown.

Talk stopped as everyone looked at Hermione. Her eyes were focused on Minerva as she tried to solve the puzzle before her. Helen moved to her daughter's side and asked, "What color?"

"She still has a golden aura," Hermione said. "However, now she has a white color attached to it."

Helen met Minerva's eyes. Minerva knew what the change in aura color meant and Helen could see the uncertainty on her face. Helen knew it wasn't the result of the color change per say but the timing of it. "Cast the spell Helen," Minerva begged, tears welling in her eyes. "I have to know."

"Let's go upstairs," Helen suggested trying to give her bestfriend some privacy.

"No," Minerva responded sadly. "Everyone will know soon enough as it is. Cast the spell please."

Helen nodded her understanding. If anyone understood, it was her. She had found herself pregnant with her rapist's child. She hoped Minerva would find herself pregnant with her husband's child instead of her rapist. Helen moved her wand around in a series of complicated movements and watched as it worked. A parchment shot out of her wand which she caught and read carefully. "It's Harry's," she breathed in relief for her friend.

Minerva sobbed a sigh of relief. Her legs gave out and Harry's seeker reflexes were the only thing preventing her from falling to the ground. He swept her up in his arms and carried her to the couch. "When's the due date?" he asked Helen as he connected the dots.

"July 31st," answered Helen amused. "I guess Minerva already sorted out your birthday present."

"Best one ever," he said sincerely as he held Minerva. "Are you alright?"

Minerva merely nodded. She had no words so she unbuttoned a couple of her shirt buttons then grasped his hand and held it to her mark. Harry smiled after a moment and moved his hand away. He helped her button her shirt back up.

"You can communicate through the mark," Harold asked intrigued by the mere thought.

"Marks," Harry corrected. "I can sense her thoughts and even see her memories when I touch hers. She can do the same with me when she touches my mark."

"You're not supposed to have a mark," Harold said with a frown. "I have went through every single account in the Ministry on the Animagus Mating Ritual and Minerva's mark and its placement has stumped the entire Unspeakable Department. You having a mark shouldn't be possible either."

"Where's your mark at," Helen asked as she and Harold moved towards him.

"Behind my ear," the young wizard answered.

"Why is it a lioness," questioned Harold as he inspecred the mark.

Harry looked at Minerva who grinned micheviously before flawlessly changing in her lioness form. Gasps of suprise echoed throughout the room. Minerva playfully pounced on Harold's leg before roaring and turning back into herself. "That's astounding," Harold said. "Two animagus forms. Is it because of the ritual?" Harold said as his mind processed what he knew.

"I have had the lioness form since I was a student at Hogwarts; however, the castle itself cautioned me to hide my abilities from those that would use me as a means to an end," Minerva said honestly. She trusted all in the cottage and refused to hide herself amongst her family.

"That's even more brilliant," Helen said as she wrote notes regarding Harry's mark in her notebook. Leave it to healers to document everything. No wonder Hermione is so driven Minerva thought to herself.

"It seems the bonding has given McG Harry's issue," Fred said teasingly.

"What issue would that be?" Harry questioned confused.

Hermione shared a look with the twins before grinning at her dearest friend. "Leave it to Harry Potter to do the impossible yet again," Hermione said with a smile.

Laughter filled the room as the light banter and gave Minerva time to calm down from learning about her pregnancy. "Enough joking around. We need to discuss our plan to take back Hogwarts," Harold said seriously some time later.

"Take back Hogwarts," Minerva questioned, suddenly all business.

Hermione looked at her with sad eyes before answering, "There was a reason they wanted you out of the castle. It has gotten really bad. They are torturing the students. No one is allowed in and no one without a dark mark is allowed out. The older students are taking the brunt of it and hiding the younger students when possible. The house elves have forbidden from feeding the children that don't go into Great Hall for meals. The free elves and teachers personal elves are feeding them the best they can."

Minerva looked horrified at the thought. Tears fell freely down her face as the thought of her students suffering untold horrors. She wasn't there to protect them. "Why are the other teachers not fighting them?"

"Their leader is absent," the twins answered honestly.

"Me," Minerva asked in disbelief.

"The moment you were hit with those stunners, you became our generation's Albus Dumbledore," Hermione said honestly. "The fifth year students saw the attack. They saw the fire in your eyes at the injustice. That moment you became their leader, our leader, regardless if you want it or not."

Minerva gulped at that. She never wanted to be a leader. Harry pulled her into his embrace. "I may be the Chosen One to end Voldemort," he said. "But you are the only hope Hogwarts has. The other teachers and students alike will follow you. They will fight for justice if you ask them!"

"I never wanted to be that," she whispered emotionally. She didn't want to see the children fighting.

Harry smiled sadly at her. "I never wanted to be the Chosen One or the Boy Who Lived. I never wanted a psychotic wizard constantly trying to kill me but its happened. I chose to work towards ending him once and for all and then enjoying the rest of my life."

Minerva gave him a watery half smile before nodding in acceptance. "You are correct. If the students will follow me, I will lead them to the best of my ability. Now do we have any plans on how to enter Hogwarts unseen and how to take control."

"You realize you are married to a Phoenix animagus, right?" questioned Harold with a teasing smile. "He is able to flash a person in. We figured we could get close to the boundary line and then Harry could flash us into the chamber of secrets."

"You can flash people through the boundary line," Minerva asked suprised. The protective wards should have kept him out. After all, they had updated them after the whole Peter Pettigrew fiasco.

"I can," Harry admitted. "Hermione and I have managed to flash into the castle several times to deliver food and healing draughts. Neville and Luna has arranged a makeshift hospital in the room of requirement. Madam Pomfrey has been teaching basic healing spells to the older students in her spare time."

Minerva frowned grimly at the thought of the students suffering at the hands of Voldemort's supporters. "How do we gain control of the castle?" Minerva asked. "Severus has the wards and I doubt he will given them up easily."

"We plan to have the founder's heirs ask Hogwarts to give you control of the wards," Harold answered. "Hermione is technically a Slythrein heir, Harry is Gryffindor's heir, Susan Bones is one of the two remaining Hufflepuff heirs and Luna Lovegood is the Ravenclaw heir."

"I have been in contact with Luna and she will bring Susan when we decide to meet," Hermione answered. "You should know immediately if Hogwarts will grant our request."

"Severus will also know as soon as the wards switch to me," Minerva cautioned.

"We will ask Hogwarts to switch them to you when you ask for them," Harry said.

"It will need to be during dinner in the Great Hall," Minerva said thoughtfully. "All of the professors will be there and could help if needed. How do we protect the students?"

"I found a spell but it must be performed from above and by a person in authority at the school," Harold said.

"From above," Minerva asked confused.

"The twins are taller and physically stronger so they are going to vault you up in the air so you can quickly say the spell and they will catch you on the way down. You will just need to focus on saying the spell," Harold answered. "Hermione, Harry and me are stronger fighters so we will provide you cover."

"When do we attempt it?"

"Monday evening," Harold answered. "The Carrow twins are not always present on the weekends. We are going to eliminate them as well as Snape."

"Very well," Minerva agreed. "I will need that spell so I can memorize it!" Harold merely nodded.