McGonagall and Harry Chat

"Well, that was chapter 9. How about we break for bed?" Molly suggested after they finished reading 'The Writing on the Wall.'

Everyone got up.

"Mr. Potter. Might I have a word with you?" McGonagall said

"Yes Professor?" Harry asked as everyone left to go to bed

"Mr. Potter." McGonagall said. "I want you to understand that from now on, if you have a problem, you are to come to myself or one of the other Professors. I don't want you feeling that you need to do EVERYTHING yourself to save the day. And I would also like to apologize for not believing you about the Stone all those years ago."

"It's fine professor" Harry stated.

"It is not fine, Mr. Potter" she informed him. "It showed, not only me, but all of us, that we rely too much on one person."

"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry figured.

"That is correct." She confirmed. "But with the way things are at the Ministry, the rest of us are going to need to step up to show that Albus Dumbledore isn't the only one who believes you. There is safety in numbers, and where a leader is a good thing to have, others need to be ready to step up if the leader isn't able to act."

"Like Dumbledore not being there." Harry figured remembering the night he went after the stone.

"Correct. Perhaps if I had heeded your warning..." she said

Harry shook his head.

"You would have had to deal with him." Harry argued. "I still say what I said before when we read about it. It was better to face him then when he was weak rather than have my first time be last June at that graveyard."

"My point is, Mr. Potter, if you have a problem with a student, a teacher, or…a house-elf…even those muggles you live with, please inform an adult of the problem. Preferably someone who is reading these books so we're aware of what you're going through."

"So like…if I had told Mr. or Mrs. Weasley about the Dursleys locking up my stuff and keeping me from using Hedwig, you would have understood the car incident more."

"Either that or if you had told them about Dobby, they could have made certain you got on that train." She suggested. "I have a feeling you're going to keep secrets from adults later in these books. I want you, while we read, to think about how things could be different if you had informed someone who is able to do something about it about a certain situation."

"Yes Ma'am" Harry said. "And…just so you know, later in this book, I DO go to an adult."

"If you're referring to Professor Lockhart, I should then say 'please inform a COMPETENT adult'" she said.

Harry smiled.

"Thanks for caring Professor."

"Sir Nicholas isn't the only one who looks after Gryffindors." She said. "But I especially want you paying attention to books 5, 6, and 7 as we're able to change them."

"Yes Ma'am" he said. "Oh, Professor?"

"Yes Mr. Potter?"

"When you said that the brooms don't call the game to Sn…Professor Snape," Harry asked correcting himself before she could. "Then why did you give me the best broom on the market at the time?"

McGonagall sighed as she thought about the best way to answer.

"It was for not fighting harder that night." McGonagall answered. "It's no excuse nor does it make up for it, but I knew that your father would have gotten you that broom anyways had he lived."

"What do you mean fighting harder?" Harry asked having missed the first chapter.

"I had been present that night you were left at the Dursleys and tried to persuade Professor Dumbledore from leaving you there." She said handing him the first book. "The details are in the first chapter."

She left the boy with the book.

Confused, Harry opened the first book and read the first chapter.