Harry kicked stubbornly at the ground of the backyard causing the blades of grass to ruffle angrily. He was frustrated at everything lately. There had been no reply to his letter, but it hadn't been returned either. It had been about three days and his dreams had been plagued with all manners of outcomes to his final plea.

Aunt Petunia had determined to see as little of Harry as possible it seemed after their argument. Every day she either sent him out into the garden to do some menial task like plucking weeds or picking up stray leaves. When he was done, it was back into the cupboard. It did nothing but compound his anger and rejection.

Today was going to be different though. He had placed his treasured picture book into his pocket and had rushed out into the garden to do every task she could possibly assign him. He finished in record time and was sweating from exertion when he headed back inside.

"What are you doing in here?" Aunt Petunia asked him coldly from her spot at the kitchen table where she was reading a tabloid.

"I finished." Harry said. "I'd like to go to the park, please Aunt Petunia?"

Harry waited for a response, but she was silent and Harry took it as his que to leave as quickly as possible. He practically ran to his spot next to the squeaky swing. It was a rather cool day for the summer and hazy grey clouds had clouded up the July skies making the park a perfectly quiet place to be.

He made himself comfortable under a tree and opened the book to stare at the photos. He almost didn't need to look at the pictures anymore. His parents' and grandparents' faces had been burned into his memory. He felt the familiar pang in his chest followed by a wave of anger.

"You left nothing for me here." Harry bitterly told the smiling picture of his parents. "I have nothing, I am nothing."

The tears pricked at his eyes before falling down his cheeks and onto the plastic sheet.

"Harry." A voice spoke from behind him and he jumped away in shock. The photo book laid on the ground between the pair.

"Who are you?" He asked and rubbed away the tears from his face in an attempt to hide he had been crying.

-xx-

Minerva McGonagall's Perspective

Summer was too short in Minerva's opinion. There was never enough time to get everything done to the standard she held for herself. Ever since Elphie had died she couldn't help, but throw herself even deeper into her work. It was the little solace she had after losing him so suddenly. She had even put their small home in Hogsmeade up for rent as she had no intention on being back there if she could avoid it, but also couldn't fathom the idea of selling away their memories.

She convinced herself it was to allow her students to have better access to her and to have more time to devote to her Deputy Headmistress duties, but truthfully it was to avoid confronting the loss of her husband. Today, she had been locked away in the Headmaster's office supervising the magical quill that wrote the letters to the new students. Minerva smiled as she thought of all the new Gryffindors that would walk through those magnificent castle gates for the first time. The surprise in their eyes always brought her joy although she very seldom showed it.

Her thoughts were interrupted as a sudden bell tone rang throughout the office.

"What in Merlin's name was that?" She muttered and looked around.

Albus' office was filled to the brim with strange and unusual magical artifacts. It wouldn't be the first time one caught her off guard. She reflected upon the last time she had been alone in his office and one of the books began to shred itself to pieces. She didn't know how he got anything done in such a chaotic workspace. Perhaps she would ask him when he returned from his trip to Romania about moving the quill into her office instead.

BONG!

It sounded again and this time Minerva picked up on the location. It was a small silver tray stuffed precariously on top of a stack of several old books and what seemed to be a pair of socks. She moved closer to the tray and saw it had several letters stacked upon its surface with muggle postage stamps.

'What would Albus be doing with muggle mail?' She wondered.

"Vernon Dursley," Minerva read aloud and her mind flashed back to the dark November night they had left Harry on a muggle doorstep. That had been the name of his relatives and that was certainly the address she had spent the entirety of that cool November morning scouting. She remembered the portly, angry man who had shooed her from the garden wall and frowned.

It seemed Albus was screening their mail. It seemed a prudent thought that he would keep an eye on the Potter boy and his family although perhaps a tad invasive. Albus wouldn't be due back for at least another week. It seemed it would be up to her to check the contents of this batch of letters lest the mail be delayed.

The pile of letters seemed to be a mix of incoming and outgoing mail. The first seemed to be a bill from some manufacturing company. The second, a return postcard for a magazine subscription. The third, a check to the electric company. Minerva was about to just send the whole lot through and be done with it when she saw the strip of notebook paper sticking out.

She slipped the folded paper from the stack.

'H. Potter. 4 Privet Drive, Surrey, UK.' The return address read.

"To Severus Snape?" She questioned aloud. "Of all the people on this earth."

Her mind churned with mixed emotions. On one hand, she didn't want to invade the boy's privacy. It certainly was his right to write a letter to whomever he pleased. On the other, how did the boy even know Severus' name and why was he sending the man a letter. Minerva's brows furrowed - if Albus was here she was certain he would read it and want to know its contents.

'But, he isn't here. It's your responsibility to take over the Headmaster's duties in his absence and you were tasked with keeping the boy safe.' Her mind argued and she slipped open the letter.

A photograph slipped out from the folded paper and onto the floor and Minerva bent down to pick it up. She stared down at her two former students sadly - Severus and Lily. They had been thick as thieves when they had come to Hogwarts. She remembered them just as this on their night of sorting. One, to Slytherin and the other to her Gryffindor. She had often caught them spending their first year in the library together studying and sharing notes. It had made her so proud to see two of her pupils so invested in their education.

Time and allegiance had driven them apart. She often wondered why Severus had ever chosen to follow his band of buffoons into the Dark Lord's service. She had thought him better than that. Although, now he was a changed man or at least seemed to be. Idly, she wondered if they would have rekindled their friendship if Lily had survived that horrible night and could see him now - Head of Slytherin house and a Potions master to boot.

She placed the photo down onto the tray carefully and began to read the letter. Minerva's breath hitched in her chest as she took in the boy's plea to know more of his mother.

'I knew those muggles were no good.' She thought as she refolded the message with the photo. Minerva wanted no more than to storm into that dreadful home and snatch Harry from their clutches. How dare they treat him with such callousness as to tell him his parents died in a car crash from drunkenness? Lily and James Potter - a couple of freaks and worthless drunks - the thought made her laugh aloud bitterly. There could be nothing further from the truth.

"He has to know the truth." Minerva declared and she headed to the floo, but not before sending the rest of the letters back through the charmed platter and grabbing a cloak.

Minerva arrived at the fireplace of Mrs. Figg in a flash of green. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of stale popurri, cabbage, and cat. She had never really cared for the woman since Arabella had tried to capture her and take her in as one of her strays. However, this was her lifeline to Harry. Albus had assured her the woman would keep a careful eye on the Potter boy and his family.

"Minerva!" The old woman greeted warmly before flashing a broad grin. "What a surprise! I haven't had anybody use the floo in ages. I forgot it was even connected."

"Hello, Arabella." Minerva greeted. She steeled her expression to her familiar stern appearance. The squib seemed to take no mind to the witch and offered her a cup of tea which Minerva took cautiously.

"Now, now. Sit." Arabella motioned to the plastic covered armchair. "What brings you here?"

Minerva remained standing and thought carefully. She hadn't entirely thought this idea through. What was she going to tell the woman that wouldn't get back to Albus and raise alarm?

"Albus is away." She answered neutrally and took a sip of tea for good measure. "I've come to check in on the Potter boy. I assume you are still monitoring the situation?"

"All is well, all is well." Mrs. Figg answered, "I've done just as Albus has asked. Although it has been quite some time since I've heard from him. I hope he is well?"

Minerva nodded and Mrs. Figg continued.

"I haven't seen much of Harry this summer. Usually the Dursleys will have him stay a week or two with me when they go on holiday, but I've only seen his cousin and Mr. Dursley travelling this season. Mrs. Conners was telling me they've gone to visit his aunt out in the countryside. I hear she breeds bulldogs, terrible business if you ask me." Mrs. Figg tutted and stroked Mr. Tibbs as he rubbed against her stockings.

Minerva eyed the cat who seemed a bit too big for a normal feline skeptically, but the woman continued to blather on about dog breeding. She began to wonder if this had been a waste of time.

"...ah yes, but you came to ask about Harry." Mrs. Figg finally returned to the topic at hand and Minerva perked up, "I've been following orders. I've told him nothing about magic or his parents or…" She trailed off and switched to a whisper, "You-Know-Who and that dreadful business."

"I see." Minerva set down the now cold cup of tea onto the tea table and smiled thinly. "Very well, thank you for continuing to monitor things. I'm sure Albus will be pleased to know that everything is as it should be."

Inside, Minerva could feel her agitation rising. Not only had the conversation been almost entirely useless, but she had learned nearly nothing about the boy. All she knew was that Albus was trying to keep Harry in the dark and his plan was crumbling since obviously he had learned about his parents; at least to some extent if he was trying to contact Severus. It seemed she would have to do some intel of her own.

Minerva bid farewell to Mrs. Figg and headed into the back garden under the guise of appariating back home. She forced a loud pop from her wand and transformed into her animagus form before quickly darting from the yard lest the other 'cats' became suspicious and alerted their owner.

Her paws padded against the earth and she let out a small purr of satisfaction. There was always something so liberating about being in her cat form. It felt almost more natural than her normal human form. She found her way quite easily to Number 4 Privet Drive and as she had those many years ago she watched and waited.

Minerva had been prowling through the hedgerow in the garden when she picked up on movement from the house. It was early morning and the sun had risen just enough over the neighborhood to cast its light. She froze and watched carefully as Mrs. Dursley prepared tea in the kitchen. She saw the horse-necked woman rap on a door in the hallway under the stairs and was alarmed when a small boy appeared from the same small doorway.

They were keeping him in a stairwell cupboard.

Minerva growled and paced to keep herself from transforming then and there. It was bad enough the boy was being kept ignorant of the world he was very much part of and the past that had defined the current state of their very lives. But, to keep a child, any child in a cupboard was cruel.

Minerva stopped pacing to keep the bushes still as the boy-who-lived came out into the garden and she was finally able to get a good look at the child she had left on this doorstep so many years ago. He was pale and scrawny which Minerva thought was so unlike either of his parents, but those bright green eyes were so undeniably Lily's especially when matched with his father's unruly dark hair. She watched carefully as the boy performed his gardening tasks for the day before watching the woman, who Minerva had noted did nothing at all, stuff a small plate of food in his hands and escort him back to the cupboard.

Minerva felt sick, but she couldn't decide if it was from what she had seen or the fact she had been up for over a day without a meal or more than a cat nap on the garden wall. She felt muddled with emotion and decided she would rent a room at a nearby motel before returning the next day with a clear mind.

Two more days of her observations continued, much the same as the first. However, on the third day, Harry finally left the house. She followed him closely through the neighbor's yards as he headed to the small park. Minerva expected he was going to meet some friends or play and was slightly relieved to think that he might have some semblance of a childhood beyond closets and chores.

Instead, she saw him find the shadiest part of the park and sit under a tree and her heart dropped. The small boy under the giant oak tree painted a very sad picture indeed. She crept closely behind him and saw the photo of Lily and James. She was surprised to see the photo moving, perhaps the boy was less ignorant of the magical world than she had thought. Her thoughts drifted to raw emotion as she heard him confessing his feelings to the photograph. Enough was enough, Harry didn't deserve this.

"Harry." She said from behind him as she stepped out from the treeline in her human form once more. Minerva stood still as he backed away and her heart went out to him. She wanted nothing more than to hug him and let him know everything would be alright, but instead she waited for him to make the first move.

"Who are you?" He asked and she smiled sadly.

-x-

A/N: I hope the shift in perspective did this part of the story justice. Please, if you have any feedback let me know and I will be happy to reply. Next chapter will be back to normal Harry perspective. I'm going to try and keep the perspective shifts to a minimum as this is Harry's story, but every now and then I think its important that the other characters get a chance to express what they were thinking and how things played out. Thanks for reading!