A/N: I do hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter, and I'm trying to work furiously in between rehearsals and such to write more.

To explain one point about the last fight, yes, his magic is depleted, but that is going from 100% to 70-80%. You can see how he would still be able to fight. Plus, Minerva was weakened by holding her animagus and casting a spell, hence why her children stepped into the fight.

As always, enjoy!

Xxxxxxx

"GODDAMN IT!" Minerva cried, fist hitting the wall in frustration and rage.

"DAMN IT, DAMN IT!"

Tessa put her hands on her hips and began pacing around the room.

"We almost had him!" Minerva cried.

"But did you spell work?" Percival asked. "We knew it was a long shot to capture or kill him here, Mom, the goal was to weaken him. Did you?"

Minerva gave him a fuzzy look, then closed her eyes, "Yes, yes it worked, but it didn't look like it, did it?" She gave a humorless laugh.

"Good then. That's all we need. Are you okay?"

Minerva moved her arms and legs. "I feel fine. You? Tessa?"

Her children nodded.

"Where is Esmerele?"

"Here!" A voice cried from the fire. "I'll stay at Hogwarts, though, I don't really want to get in the middle of that mess."

"Yes, you stay right where you are." Minerva said.

"What the HELL is going on in here!" A voice boomed from what was left of the front door.

They all wheeled around to face a very angry Kingsley Shaklebolt.

"Thought I'd start some redecorating." Minerva said sarcastically.

"Don't give me that cheek, McGonagall, you fought him here at home, didn't you?"

She remained silent, her eyebrow arching in that elegant way it always does when she's trying to look innocent.

"DIDN'T YOU!" he demanded.

"YES! And so what if I did, Kingsley? It's my house, my rules!"

"Wrong!" He marched forward, index finger pointed accusingly at her chest. "You are in England, MY country, MY jurisdiction! Do you even REALIZE how much danger you put the people of Godric's Hollow in?"

"I didn't put them in danger! The fight was in my house!"

"You disturbed the whole village! You can't just go shooting spells and shattering windows wherever you want! What if one of your spells had gone astray?"

Minerva rolled her eyes. "My god, I'm Minerva McGonagall, not some idiot first year student who can't control their magic! You think I can't aim my own goddamn spells?"

"Can your children?"

Both Tessa and Percival scoffed but it was Tessa who retorted, "Do you KNOW who our parents are? Please. Of course we know where we're aiming."

"Minerva, you have an hour to clean up this mess, then report back to the ministry."

Minerva laughed, "Really, you think you can order me around? Hogwarts is not in your jurisdiction, and when I return to the castle, you have no right to summon me as you please. I did what I had to do to protect my family, so stay out of this. You didn't do anything in the beginning, don't try to act like you give a damn now."

Kingsley shook his head, "I am cautious,"

"No you're an inactive fool, that's what you are."

Minerva flicked her wand and instantly her house was returned to normal, the glass gone, the debris gone, the scorch marks erased from the wall.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Minerva smirked at the minister. "Don't get your robes in a twist."

Kingsley glared at her then apparated away.

"God, Mom, you know how to piss people off, don't you?" Tessa smirked.

Minerva smiled and wrapped her daughter in a side hug. "Like mother like daughter."

"Do you think he'll try and find out what happened?" Percival asked gently.

She sighed. "I'm sure he is wondering what it was about, but I cannot reveal to him the real reason for dragging Donal here. The next step, of course, will be luring him to Hogwarts to fight. Hopefully by the end of this week he'll attack again. We have to keep the fight in the forest; we can't let him onto school grounds. The wards will have to be realigned."

"When do we start working?" Tessa asked.

"Tomorrow morning. I think we all need rest."

Xxxxxx

Upon arriving back to the castle, Minerva and her children slowly made their way up to the Gargoyle.

They were dismayed, however, to find Kingsley standing at the entrance waiting for them to arrive.

"Your statue won't let me in," he said crossly.

"No, I think not. He seems to like you as much as I do." Minerva sneered.

She marched forward and nodded her head and the staircase sprung to life.

Kingsley moved forward as if to walk in front of Percival and Tessa, but Minerva held up her hand and shot him a glare, and he froze on the spot.

The three McGonagalls walked up the stairs with one angry Kingsley in tow.

Minerva opened her office door and was greeted by a bear hug from Esmerele. "Mommy, I'm so glad you're okay."

Minerva gave a taught hug, which left her daughter momentarily confused until she saw Kingsley entering behind her siblings. Oh, she silently mouthed.

Minerva moved behind her desk and sat down, and the children stood behind her, little cubs playing back up for Mama Lion.

"Minister," Minerva motioned for him to take the chair opposite of her desk.

"Headmistress, what you did this morning was reckless and insane. You put innocent people in danger! Why do you insist that you act as a lone wolf? Let the ministry help you!"

"Like they helped me when they DIDN'T alert me that Donal had escaped from Azkaban?"

Kingsley rolled his eyes. "Get over it Minerva, it was an oversight."

Her eyes narrowed in anger. "An oversight?" She laughed derisively. "An oversight that nearly killed my daughter! Or did you forget that small fact? Where was the ministry when my daughter went missing for days!"

Kingsley shook his head, "That isn't the point,"

"Then what is the point, Kingsley? I have rescued my children when no one else was there. Time and time again you have proven yourself inadequate, inept, unprepared, and ineffective! I thought you would prove a prudent minister. I see I was wrong."

Kingsley rose up in protest, "You are digging yourself a dangerous hole that even the great Minerva McGonagall cannot get out of."

Minerva laughed. "You think so, Minister? You don't even know where Donal is at this very moment, do you? Until he attacked my home, you and your aurors had no idea where on earth he was."

"And how is it you did, exactly?"

"I had my instincts."

"Instincts?" He said condescendingly.

"Yes, instincts, which over and over again have proven correct."

Kingsley turned around and walked towards the fireplace. "Minerva, I want to help you."

"Do you?"

He spun around, desperation clear on his face. "Yes, I do. But you repeatedly shut me out again and again. You wonder why we have been ineffective, but it is all your fault."

"My fault!" She said incredulously.

"Yes, yours! You get one piece of intel or 'instinct' and you don't bother to share it with anyone but your children! How about you share it with aurors? Maybe then they'll have a place to begin so that we CAN in fact, help you!"

Minerva shook her head. "If I told you what I know and how I came to that information, you wouldn't believe me. You'd send me straight to the St. Mungo's psych ward."

"No, I wouldn't."

She scoffed. "Regardless, I'm not telling you how I come by my information."

Kingsley rose up and walked to the door. He reached out for the knob and turned back to the Scottish witch. "Then I can't help you."

Minerva sighed. "There is one thing, Minister."

He turned around. "What?"

"I will bring the final fight to the Forbidden Forest."

Kingsley's eyes went wide. "You can't do that, Minerva! You'll endanger the school! The students who are here!"

"I will not, I've planned this out!"

"When will it happen?"

"Can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll try and stop me."

"Will it be sooner or later?"

"Yes."

Kingsley rolled his eyes and stomped his foot. "MINERVA!"

"I can't tell you anything more."

Kingsley shook his head and opened the door. "You're going to lose, Minerva."

"You better pray not, Minister, or else I daresay the whole of the wizarding community will be put in peril. It will be far worse than Voldemort ever was, for Donal doesn't take pity on anyone, he has no followers, no friends. He only seeks power, and anyone and everyone is a threat."

Xxxxxx

Minerva stared at the ceiling.

Though in her favorite silk nightgown and surrounded by her softest comforter, sleep wouldn't come to her tired body.

Maybe it was the adrenaline still coursing through her system.

Maybe it was the fact that she was still pissed at Kingsley.

But deep down, she knew what it was.

She was terrified that her efforts today would prove futile.

Even after the spell was finished, he still put up a damn good fight.

And with another clan meeting out of the question, she had no way of knowing if the equations were now in her favor.

For if she had failed today, one of her children would die.

And it would be entirely her fault.

Xxxxxx

A/N: Hope you enjoyed!