Harry scrambled through the trees, scraping his arms as the branches and bushes brushed against him relentlessly. He looked around panicked for any sign of the trail he had followed into the woods, but it was dark now and everything blended together. He stopped to catch his breath when the voice of Minnie carried through the wood.
"Harry!" She called. Her voice sounded hoarse and distant.
"I'm here!" He called back and tried to follow the sound. His legs were wobbly with exertion. He hadn't run this much since leaving the Dursleys and as big and scary as his cousin had been, the boy truly had nothing on a griffin.
"Harry!" He heard her call out again, she seemed closer this time.
"Minnie!" Harry called back, but got his cloak caught on a low hanging oak tree's branch in his distraction. He tried to pull away from it, but the cloak was firmly lodged. He couldn't lose the cloak! Minnie had bought it for him. He was sure he'd be sent back to the Dursley's now. She would finally know he was nothing but trouble. He let out a sob and leaned into the trunk in defeat.
Light flooded his vision as Minnie came through the wood and to Harry's side. Her hair was loosened from its bun and flailed around her face with each hurried step towards him. He noticed her eyes were red rimmed and she seemed older than he could remember.
"You're safe." She wrapped him in her arms and he cried. "Shh, it's okay."
Minnie brushed the hair that had stuck itself to his forehead and kissed him gently. Harry couldn't help but cry harder. He didn't deserve this.
"I'm sorry." He wailed into her robes. "I-I didn't mean to…"
"Enough." She said firmly and dislodged him from the tree's hold. "We'll talk inside after we get you warmed up and those scratches healed."
Harry grabbed at her hand and she took it. Harry was embarrassed to see he hadn't been as deep in the forest as he thought. They were out of the wood in a matter of a few minutes. She took him straight to the kitchen where she picked him up and placed him on the counter.
"Let's get these damp clothes off." Minnie waved her wand and its cloak hung itself neatly on the kitchen chair along with his trousers, socks, and shirt. He shivered as his body adapted to the exposure. She placed a warm cup of tea into his hands as she began healing his small cuts one by one. Harry tried to drink the warm liquid, but his throat stubbornly refused to accept anything but the smallest sips. He decided to just hold the cup as close to his chest as he could in an attempt to get warm.
The spells she used to mend his wounds tingled gently as they knitted together the broken flesh.
"Why don't you try to tell me what happened?" Minnie prompted as she finished and wrapped a conjured blanket around his shoulders. "Last I knew you were in the library and when I came to fetch you for dinner you had vanished."
Harry shook his head and kept his mouth shut. She was already going to think poorly enough of him. He didn't want to add to her bad opinion of him.
"Harry, look at me." He looked up at her slowly. Tears glimmered in his eyes. "Nothing you tell me will make me love you any less. I need to know what happened so I can help stop it from happening again. Did you go for a walk and get lost?"
Harry shook his head and looked down again. Minnie let out a sigh and forced his chin up.
"Do you know how scared I was?" She asked him and he shrugged. "I was terrified something had happened to you. I would be terribly sad if you were gone. I'm angry that you didn't tell me where you were going, but I also know that we didn't talk about that being a rule. I'm not going to punish you for doing something you might not have known was wrong, but we need to figure this out together. Please, child."
"I-I was trying to find you something for Christmas." Harry admitted softly, "I saw a griffin in the wood and I hoped that it had dropped a feather." He leant over to his cloak and handed over the three precious feathers with trembling hands to Minnie. She looked at him with wide eyes as she held the plumes gently.
"Harold James Potter-McGonagall!" She exclaimed and he winced. "You followed a fully grown griffin into the woods to try and get me a Christmas present? Of all the foolish things…"
Harry sniffed. "I didn't mean to actually come face to face with it!" He cried. "I just thought that maybe it had dropped one! I promise!"
Minerva set the feathers down and embraced him tightly. "You have no idea how lucky you are to be alive right now." He could feel the small plops of tears upon his hair and he held her back tightly. "You are the greatest gift I could have ever asked for. Never put yourself in danger again especially not for my sake."
"I'm sorry." Harry said sadly.
"I know you are." She let him go slowly. "I told you I wouldn't punish you and I won't, but I want you to reflect on your choice and write for me how you could have handled it better."
Harry nodded gratefully. He could already think of a whole heap of things he could have done differently. He never wanted to make Minnie upset like that again or to worry she would send him away.
"Now off to bed with you or you'll miss Father Christmas." She chided gently and let him down from the countertop. "And Harry," He turned and looked at her. "I love you."
"I love you too."