Harry slept soundly after the day of adventure in Hogsmeade and a belly full of warm broth that Minerva had prepared. Life with his new guardian was turning out to be the best thing that had ever happened to him. He hoped she would never realize how much trouble he really was.

"Harry." Minerva called and gently pushed his shoulder to get him to wake. "It's time to wake, child."

"Mmf." Harry groaned into the pillow, but gave her a lopsided grin and slowly sat up. He let go of the stuffed barn owl reluctantly. Mallow just hoo'ed softly in return.

Minerva ruffled the hair on his head before leaving his side and heading back downstairs. Harry felt sorely tempted to fall back asleep, but he knew she would be waiting. Instead he slowly wandered into the bath and washed up before getting dressed. Today he opted for a dark green jumper, a pair of tan slacks, and a brown robe. Downstairs he found Minerva reading over a few letters while she sipped at a cup of tea.

"Good morning." He greeted her and she replied in turn. He helped himself to the plate she had prepared - it was eggs, some type of vegetable hash, and a piece of toast. She slid a small vial of a green ominous looking potion at him.

"Your nutrient potion." Minerva told him. "You'll have to take it with every meal until Agora says otherwise."

Harry swallowed down the viscous potion with some distaste. It tasted better than some of the potions he had been forced to take when he had the flu, but not by much. Magic was amazing, but why did all potions have to taste like the underside of someone's muddy boot after taking a trek through the forest? Minerva took the vial back from him and he resumed eating with gusto as he tried to get rid of the lingering aftertaste.

By the time he finished, Minerva had set aside the letters and was staring at him. Her eyes held a look of anxiety he had yet to see on the normally reserved ex-professor. Her sturdy nature had been keeping him grounded through the whole ordeal. It was unsettling to see her appear anything less than confident and steadfast. It made something inside him squirm uneasily.

"The headmaster has finally sent over the guardianship paperwork. It seems he had a bit of trouble convincing your relatives to give over their rights." Minerva said and slipped a piece of the letter in front of him. "All we need to do is sign this bit of parchment and things will be proper. That is if you still wish to be my charge."

"What?" Harry said dumbly before looking at the parchment. Could she really mean to take him in permanently? He had been nothing but a burden. He had made her buy him clothes and Mallow. Not to mention he obviously had some type of health problem. Why would she want a kid like him?

"If you don't wish to sign it, I understand." Minerva said sadly. "We can try to find you a better family perhaps one with children…" She trailed off and muttered to herself. "Perhaps the Weasleys would take him in."

"No!" Harry exclaimed and jumped up and hugged her. "I want to be with you."

Minerva returned the hug and pressed her face into his hair. He could feel her smiling against him. Harry was finally beginning to believe that this was to be permanent. He could finally have the family he had always desired even if it wasn't traditional. The fear seeped away from him and he fell into the comfort of her returned embrace with gusto.

They held each other for several moments before finally parting neither party unable to wipe the smiles from their faces. Harry found he liked his guardian's smile just as well as her normally stern countenance. It made his heart flutter and something akin to pride well within him for being the source of her rare smile. She truly was the best thing to happen to him even more so than magic.

"You will have to sign here." Minerva handed him the quill and pointed to a space just below the edge of the parchment paper. "I have not made any alterations to the document. I assume you would want to keep your birth name."

Harry paused. Did he want to stay as Harry Potter? He had seen the effect his name had on the villagers although they had been mild in their reactions he assumed that others may not be. Other than his outward appearance his name was the only gift he had been able to retain from his parents. Of course, it would be obvious to anyone who looked at him that he was the boy who lived. His scar was revealed to the world especially with his new haircut and a name change would mean very little. However a part of him desired to be marked in some way as tied to his new guardian. His brow furrowed as his thoughts churned.

"What is troubling you?" Minerva asked with concern.

"I-" He started, but paused again. Fear of sounding childish crept upon him, but Minerva's pleading expression forced him to continue. "I think that a name change wouldn't be such a bad thing."

He looked away from her piercing gaze and focused instead on the markings of the worn wooden dining table.

"I see." He could hear the pensive hesitation in her reply and the room fell into silence as they both lost the words to speak. Harry let out a small sigh before setting the quill down. His thoughts and reservations came bubbling out of him before he could stop them.

"I will always be marked as Harry Potter and I know you've told me to be unashamed to wear my scar, but I hate the attention." He said and gestured to his head. "I don't mean to throw away the name my parents have left me with, but to me Harry Potter was an orphan boy locked away in a cupboard. I know it sounds daft, but I don't feel like I'm fully him anymore. I want to be more than just Harry Potter."

Minerva grasped his hand in hers. "It is not our names that define who we are, but our actions." She squeezed his hand gently. "There will be responsibilities you will have to uphold as you grow into adulthood because of your family name and I fear that by giving up your surname you will find it more difficult to assume these duties despite the respite it may give you now. This is something I plan to teach you to the best of my ability, but alas we've had more essential ground to cover. May I perhaps offer a compromise?"

Harry nodded uncertainly and finally dared to look up at the woman. He doubted the compromise would truly be an earnest one. Adults always had a way of getting exactly what they wanted out of him. The Dursleys had always used the guilt of having to burden themselves with him to enforce their will. Even the Headmaster had tried to manipulate him into doing exactly as he ought to with the guise of ensuring his safety. No, adults always got whatever they desired and Harry felt ungrateful for even suggesting the stupid desire to be anyone other than Harry Potter.

"We could alter your first name to be an elongated form and perhaps add on my own surname in addition to your father's." Minerva offered, "I know it is not the biggest change, but I hope that it will be enough to mark your fresh start as it were."

"Really?" Harry asked incredulously. It was better than he had dared hope for. Perhaps adults could be different or at least Minerva was different. Affection blossomed within him and he smiled gratefully at her. "What are the elongated forms of my name?"

"Have you ever known me to go back on my word, child?" Minerva asked and Harry shook his head rapidly. "Harry is a shortened version of Henry traditionally. However, I believe many Harrys have also been Harrisons, Harolds, or Harveys. I'm sure there are others as well if you do not fancy those."

Harry pondered the options before meekly asking the witch, "Which do you think suits me?"

Minerva shot him an amused look, "I thought it was your desire to change your name?" She prompted him. "For me, you will always be Harry."

Harry frowned, but nodded. It seemed Minerva was not going to give him the option of skirting the responsibility he had foisted upon himself. Harrison seemed too long to be a first name especially with the addition of his new surname. He remembered Henry was the name of many English kings including the one that had executed several of his wives. Somehow such an auspicious name seemed more cumbersome than Harry. That left Harold and Harvey. He voiced both names aloud in his head. Harvey seemed wrong in some way perhaps because it was so close to Harry.

"Harold." He concluded and Minerva simply nodded her acceptance of his choice.

"Harold James Potter-McGonagall." She proclaimed and he smiled at her. "A very respectable choice." She charmed the document to reflect the desired change and prompted him to take up the quill. He signed his new name on the bottom of the sheet without fuss. The new identity taking over his old one with ease and finally Harry felt he was coming into his own. Life was just beginning and he would take every opportunity to prove he was more than just the boy who lived. He was Harold James Potter-McGonagall, the boy who would do.