Minerva makes a difference.
Chapter 1. Minerva makes a difference.
I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.
Summary: Professor Minerva McGonagall had been asked by her favourite student, Lily, to watch her sister's home if anything was to happen to them as she feared that the headmaster was planning something for her son. After seeing the Dursleys, Minerva knew she couldn't allow the headmaster to condemn Lily's son to ten dark and difficult years.
And that changes Everything!
HHr MOF Dumbledore.
24/11/20 Beta by alix33 and TomHRichardson. Thank you.
- Minerva makes a difference. -
Our story starts some forty years ago, on a cold grey Tuesday morning, the first of November, 1981, and we find our heroine, Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in her Vengeful Kitty alter ego sitting on a brick fence near number Four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. She was a little concerned while she waited for the arrival of her boss and the assumed victorious leader of the light, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards, Fearless Leader of the Order of the Phoenix.).
Something terrible had happened to her favourite student, Lily Potter and her family. The headmaster had been tight lipped with a serious look of frustration but the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, Hagrid, had come to inform her late last Halloween evening that he was leaving the castle on a secret task, and that the headmaster had given him specific instructions not to tell anyone about a special delivery of a secret package to Lily's sister.
That cryptic message with the mention of Lily's sister had triggered a memory that Lily had asked her to watch over her Muggle sister as she was concerned that the headmaster had made some suggestions of Petunia caring for Harry if anything were to befall them, and Lily didn't want that to happen as Petunia hated magic.
So, while the Magical World celebrated the fall of a monster, the tragic news of the murder of the Potters had encouraged Minerva to be outside this particular Muggle residence since first light on this cold first of November morning to wait for Hagrid to arrive, and now it was evening. She had been there all day and she wondered what on earth Hagrid had been doing.
Sadly, what she had seen of the Dursleys had convinced her that Lily was right to not involve her sister in the future care of her son. But she knew the headmaster was set in his ways and wouldn't listen to reason as he always knew that he was right. So if the headmaster wanted young Harry Potter to live with these Dursleys, it was obvious that he didn't want Harry to be loved nor to have a happy childhood. It was almost as if the headmaster was punishing the poor child for living.
As the day went on Vengeful Kitty had also noticed a young family who lived next to the Dursleys at number Six, Privet Drive, and they had a young daughter that her kitty senses told her that she was a witch. Particularly when the kind lonely child came over with a bowl to give her some water to drink, and all the hairs on her back rose up when she patted her. The child spoke to her about her family and that her parents were Dentists and warn her to beware of the loud abominable boy next door as he was a nasty obnoxious bully.
It had gotten colder and darker as the sun went down while Minerva still waited, then the lights in the Dursleys' house were turned off and they had gone to sleep. Finally she realised that the headmaster would have Hagrid just leave the poor child wrapped up on the doorstep like Muggle milk bottles attached with one of his infuriating notes that contained no useful practical information. But left you with no other options but to follow his orders to do what he wanted, even if it was the last thing you would want to do. She hated finding those notes that left her sorting out the headmaster's messes while he was off interfering in the happiness of someone else.
That horrible thought galvanised the Vengeful Kitty into action. She had to do something to save young Harry before Hagrid arrived. She transformed back into her human form and took out her wand as a simple brilliant solution worked out in her mind.
As the lights at the Dursleys were dark, and the only lights in the road were dim streetlights. Minerva looked around to see no one was watching as she pointed her wand and transfigured the house number for number Four to read number Two A, and added a happy sign; Welcome to the Evans Residence. She smiled as the new sign with its large white letters could be clearly read in the dark. Then with a flick of her wand, she repaired the broken toys that were in the bin, coloured them pink and scattered them around the front yard.
Happy with her handiwork she walked next door to the home of the little Muggle-born witch and transfigured the house number from Six to read number Four and added a large angry sign that read, 'NO JUNK MAIL' that could also be clearly read in the dark. Both charmed signs and numbers were set to last only an hour before the magic would dissipate in case for some reason, she forgot to remove her magic charms.
Pleased with her handiwork, Vengeful Kitty returned to her waiting position.
Only ten minutes later a man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.
Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore…..PS.
The man walked along Privet Drive and passed number Two. Then he paused for a moment as he read the house number of the next home and it read; number Two A. He shook he head and mumbled as he read out aloud. "Welcome to the Evans Residence. No, no, I am afraid that will never do. It is too welcoming and cheerful, and it even has children toys left in the front yard. Definitely not the place I need for the Boy-Who-Lived to grow up in."
He shook his head as he continued down the street to the next home and read the house number, it was the one he had been looking for, Number Four. He smiled. "Yes, this is the place as it is all prim and proper just as Petunia would have it, and she would never want to receive any nasty common junk mail."
The white haired old man carefully took out his wand as he could feel someone watching him and cast the Homenum Revelio charm. He detected the presence of a familiar looking annoying cat. He smirked as he thought; 'So that is where she has been all day while he had been hiding young Harry in the castle.'
Silently he cast again the Homenum Revelio charm over the house and detected the presence of a weak magical core inside the sleeping home of number Four. He smirked as he arrogantly assumed that he had detected the weak magical core of a female squib, namely Petunia Dursley. He put his wand away as he took out a strange looking silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again — the next lamp flickered into darkness. He continued to repeat clicking the lighter until the street was dark.
Then he turned to greet the cat that had walked over to him and it transformed into a witch. "Good evening, Minerva."
"Albus." Minerva replied in a cold negative disapproving tone that was even more disapproving as she still felt all tingly after the headmaster had cast the Homenum Revelio charm over her Vengeful Kitty form.
As they waited Minerva tried to reason with the headmaster, but sadly, what she said only confirmed that this was the right place with the worst sort of Muggles that he needed for his schemes and manipulations for the last remaining Potter. His twinkling eyes convinced the complaining witch that the great Albus Dumbledore always knew what was the right thing to do, and it was vital for his new plans for the Boy-Who-Lived, that he grow up ignorant of his heritage and magic as well as unloved and unwanted.
Sadly, Hagrid arrived on a noisy motorbike of all things that was guaranteed to wake up the whole street, and all too soon little Harry Potter was left outside the door of number Four, Privet Drive and it was time for them to leave.
Albus seemed to want to make sure Hagrid and Minerva left with him but Minerva insisted that she had to say a final goodbye to the bundle one last time before she could leave.
Minerva smiled as she bent down to retrieve the letter the headmaster had stuck in the bundle and she could feel the magic that radiated of the parchment that meant nothing good for Harry. She smirked as she wandlessly banished it to the doorstep next door. She could feel the eyes of the headmaster watching her carefully as she returned to them on the footpath. The old fool wanted to make sure she was not carrying something he didn't want her to be carrying. Then as they walked away, she walked behind her companions as she carefully waved her wand to remove all trace of the magic she had done. The headmaster didn't notice that the house number for number Two A had changed back to number Four.
While the headmaster smirked as he waved his wand from the inside of his robes at his two companions and they suddenly forgot why they were there, and felt no need to ever come to number Four, Privet Drive, ever again.
Hagrid walked to his bike and left with a loud thundering deafening roar while Minerva and Albus shared a Portkey back to Hogwarts.
- Minerva makes a difference. -
Dan and Emma Granger were awakened by the noise of a loud motorbike flying away, and lay there in bed as they tried to get back to sleep when they heard the sound of the door to their daughter, Hermione's bedroom opening, and they prepared themselves for her to come rushing into their room and climb into their bed. Emma had told Dan that Hermione had been upset all day, and she had thought that it was because that none of the other children would play with her again because of the bully next door.
But that was not the reason why Hermione was upset today. No she had seen the bully boy from next door try to kick the cat she had found. The angry cat hissed at the foolish bully and sent him running home to mummy.
Dan and Emma became a little concerned when they heard Hermione's footsteps go the other way and down the stairs.
Their concerns went into full panic mode when they heard the front door squeak open and they jumped out of bed and rushed down the stairs in their pyjamas to the front door to discover their daughter standing on their doorstep holding a bundle that was almost as big as her.
A bundle that obviously contained an infant boy from the blue colour of the blanket.
"Thank you, O Blue Fairy from the Blue Star!" Hermione cheerfully said to anyone there as she turned to go back inside and saw her terrified parents standing in front of her.
Hermione smiled cheerfully as she held up the bundle that was almost as big as her. "Wishes really do come true. I wished on a star for a friend and here he is."
"But Hermione that is a little boy!" Emma tried to reason.
"Yes, of course he is, and just what I wished for. I got so impatient waiting for you two to get busy." Hermione said cheerfully. "I do hope he loves to read."
"But, Hermione you can't.."
"But I have already thanked the Blue Fairy from the Blue Star, so I can't give him back!" Hermione counter-reasoned. "That would be being ungrateful!"
"Oh?"
"So he is mine!"
"Oh?"
Dan tried to make sense of the situation but it was very late and he realised that he needed to check that the boy was okay and uninjured. "Hermione dear, come inside and you can help me check that the boy is okay."
"Harry!" Hermione said as she read the name on the blue blanket. "The boy's name is Harry."
"Okay, but I still need to check Harry."
"Alright." Hermione said as she carried the sleeping boy into the living room, and sat down on the couch with the bundle on her lap.
Dan and Emma carefully unwrapped the bundle to check as Hermione held the boy's hand.
"He looks well loved and healthy except for an angry looking scar on his forehead shaped like a bolt of lightning." Dan said to Hermione.
"It's okay, Daddy, I will kiss it better!" Said Hermione who was still holding Harry's hand as she leant over and kissed the scar on the little boy's forehead before her father could do anything.
PFFffffff.
They watched in surprise as the scar burst open and a dark mist came screaming out.
"Harry, you shouldn't be smoking at your age. It will stunt your growth and give you bad teeth." Hermione chastised the sleeping boy.
As the dark mist became thicker, she waved her hand through it to sweep it away from herself and Harry, but as she was still holding his hand, when her other hand passed through the mist, the mist caught fire, and the entity screamed again as it burnt up like tissue paper into nothing before it could form a shape.
"Oops!"
Dan and Emma had witnessed some strange things happening around their daughter, but that was the strangest thing yet. Their daughter had just performed some sort of Exorcism on the child and they watched in wonder as the entity burnt up, and the angry scar shaped like a bolt of lightning closed up and faded away. They had never seen a wound heal that fast before.
"See! All better now!" Hermione said proudly. "Can I keep him? Pleeeease?"
All this commotion woke up the little boy and he opened his eyes and smiled as he hugged the little girl. The bright smile and the vivid emerald green eyes moved something deep inside Emma to hug both children.
Dan chuckled as he could see that the decision was going to be left to him. "Well it is after midnight, so he can stay tonight and we will work it out in the morning."
"Thank you, Daddy." Hermione said as she moved to hug her father. "I love you."
Dan knew he had a very hard decision to make the next day as he watched his daughter snuggle up with the little boy. He picked both of them up together in his arms and placed them into Hermione's bed. They were asleep in a moment as he kissed her forehead and tucked them in.
Dan stood by the door as Emma came up behind and wrapped her arms around him as she looked longingly at the two children. Hermione was a miracle baby and it was unlikely that Emma would have another no matter how busy they got. And their work as dentists had revealed the sad situation for abandoned children. But it also meant that they knew how the system worked, and Dan could tell that Emma wanted to keep this little boy who had made their little girl very happy.
- Minerva makes a difference. -
In the morning, Petunia Dursley opened her front door to collect the milk, and found the unwanted frustrating letter. She immediately recognised the loopy writing and angrily threw it into the fireplace without opening it. After all the strange things that happened the day before and with the talk about her oh so brilliant clever sister, the last thing she needed was to read a letter from that Manipulative Old Fool. Sadly, that would be the last time she thought about her sister, and her sister's son with the nasty, common name, and anything magical at all.
Until the next time.
But regrettably, Petunia's brief touch on the envelope was enough to trigger a strange pale angry red coloured dome to appear over their home. The red dome faded away as the ward settled in place and connected to the only magical being inside the dome. Unfortunately that magical being was a Squib called Petunia Dursley nee Evans and the drain on what little magic she had would make her feel tired, weak and irritable all the time.
- Minerva makes a difference. -
While in a castle to the far north, a strange looking silver instrument started moving, which made a certain old wizard very happy as he saw how weak the signal was, and he forgot about a certain little boy, whom he had condemned to suffer for ten dark and difficult years. That was the boy's punishment for not dying with his parents and stealing his glory by destroying the dark lord and not leaving a body for him to show.
The boy would suffer, weak, ignorant and unloved, until Dumbledore could rearrange his destiny for the boy to face Tom again.
The old manipulative wizard looked at his list of things to do and crossed off the first item noted as Durzkaban, with a chuckle at his private joke. The next item on his list was sending the idiot Grim to Azkaban. He used his fireplace to floo travel to the Ministry of Magic to inform the Minister of Sirius Black's betrayal of the Potters, and sent the whole Ministry after the dog and not the rat.
After that successful diversion, he returned to the castle to wait for young Cornelius to send him word that Black had been caught. Then all he had to do was arrange for the dark lord's most vicious servants to eliminate the Longbottoms and he would have total control over the boy. He checked the weird-looking clock on the wall and it was almost time for the compulsions he had placed on the rat to kick in and lead the Lestranges to Longbottom Manor to find their dark lord.
The headmaster's plans were coming to together nicely and he decided that he would visit Gringotts later that afternoon to see much gold the Potters had left him.
For the work of the Greater Good consumed much wealth in lives and gold.
- Minerva makes a difference. -
Serendipitously, the Manipulative Old Fool was totally oblivious to the information that someone had made a little change that was critical to all of his schemes and plans, and would be the undoing of everything.
While the little Boy-Who-Was-At-The-Centre-Of-All-This, AKA Harry, was warm and snuggled in the arms of the little witch. The nightmare of the bad wizard was not in his dreams.
And when the sun rose, he was awaken by a kiss from his cute girlfriend. They sat together to read from Hermione's favourite book, Where The Wild Things Are, while they waited for her parents to start the brand-new day.
- Minerva makes a difference. -
Thank you for reading.