Summary: Professor McGonagall's thoughts in the third book when she takes Harry's Firebolt to be checked for jinxes. (Oneshot)
A/N: I edited this a bit - just fixed some of the grammar and whatnot. Enjoy!
Standard disclaimers apply.
Musings
"Well, I'm afraid I will have to take this, Potter."
"W – What?" said Harry, scrambling to his feet. "Why?"
"It will need to be checked for jinxes," said Professor McGonagall. "Of course I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down –"
"Strip it down?" repeated Ron, as though Professor McGonagall was mad.
"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," said Professor McGonagall. "You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free."
"There's nothing wrong with it!" said Harry, his voice shaking slightly. "Honestly, Professor –"
"You can't know that, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, quite kindly, "not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that it has not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed."
Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and carried the Firebolt out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her.
Minerva McGonagall could practically feel Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley's shocked and angered expressions from the other side of the portrait as she walked down the corridor. She gripped the broom tighter.
She knew there was only one person who would send him a broomstick like that. Of course it was Sirius Black, that no good, sneaky, brilliant, charming…
Stop, she commanded to herself as she continued her brisk pace towards Professor Flitwick's office. He wasn't the same person he was twenty years ago.
Rapping on his rather small wooden door, McGonagall thought about the broom and how such a wonderful addition to the Quidditch team would make Potter even more unbeatable.
The boy's safety comes before the Cup.
"Hello, Minerva! Ooh, what's this? Is that a Firebolt?" Flitwick asked eagerly. She was tempted to smile and proudly say that it was Potter's.
"This broom must be checked for jinxes. I want both you and Madam Hooch to strip it down," she said sternly, handing the broom to Flitwick. He gently took it as if it were a piece of glass.
"Very well, I'll keep you updated. Would you like a cup of tea?"
"No thank you. I have grading to attend to."
The truth was McGonagall didn't think she would be able to swallow it. She half-wished that the broom would be jinxed so there would still be solid proof to show that Sirius Black was evil. On the other hand, she half-wished that it wasn't hexed, and that it was truly a gift that made up for all of Potter's missed birthdays.
But then McGonagall's image of Black as a completely changed man would be, well, changed.
When she heard that Black had betrayed Potter and Miss Evans, or Mrs. Potter…
McGonagall smiled sadly for a moment, thinking back on the days where James and Lily would make the most noise in the corridors.
But she didn't believe it. She couldn't believe that Sirius Black, James Potter's best man at his wedding, the godfather of his best friend's son, was a spy for Him.
However, the evidence was all too clear, all pointing to one conclusion: Sirius Black was the traitor.
It didn't make sense; it completely went against Black's character. McGonagall knew, of course, that he despised his family. Why else would he be the first Black in history to be in Gryffindor?
She remembered that very day when she called his name, already bracing herself for another rude, pompous Black. It was a huge shock, obviously, when the Sorting Hat yelled out "Gryffindor!" Everyone was. In fact, the entire school was absolutely silent until Sirius jumped off the stool and cheered before hugging the actual hat.
McGonagall dabbed the corner of her eyes. She was glad that she was alone in the corridor. Well, it will all be settled in a few weeks, she thought as she entered her office.
Of course that didn't stop her worries.
Potter with Weasley in-toe came up to McGonagall after every Transfiguration class to ask about the Firebolt, to which she replied, "I shall tell you once we've finished checking it. Now, please stop badgering me."
When came the day Flitwick called McGonagall to his office, she couldn't help but feel slightly nervous.
There's no reason to be, she thought quickly as she walked to Flitwick's door. Taking a quick breath she knocked on the door.
"Come in, come in!" Flitwick called from the other side. McGonagall opened the door to reveal Flitwick sitting behind a standard-sized desk that made him look even smaller.
"Ah, Minerva! Well, I have to stay we checked and re-checked every curse, hex, and jinx that could be placed on a broomstick, and we found absolutely none!" McGonagall stared at him stunned.
"There were none?" she repeated rather softly.
"Yes! I made sure the broom was in the perfect condition." Flitwick winked at McGonagall. She was still in shock as she was handed the Firebolt.
During her trip back to her office, her mind was exploding with questions; very much like the first time she was told of Black's betrayal.
Is this an act of guilt for betraying Harry's father and mother? Or is it something else…
All she knew was that a right hand man of a wizard like Him wouldn't be guilty of a betrayal.
So…was it possible that Sirius Black was actually good? That he still was good? McGonagall tried to squash the thought because it brought her hopes up.
When she entered her office she made herself a pot of tea.
"You idiot, you're still pestering me after all these years," McGonagall muttered into her cup of tea.
She always had a soft spot for him when she was teaching him. She actually found his multiple nicknames for her rather fun: McG, MiccyG, McGonny…
Her breath hitched in her throat. He was so innocent…
She knew why he always gave her those nicknames; he and James always tried to lighten her up. She supposed that there were moments when she did become "McG"…they were very rare of course.
She hadn't been her in over twelve years. Could she still be her?
She never had another student affect her quite like Sirius Black…or any of the Marauders when she came to think of it.
Two days later, McGonagall and Harry bumped into each other in the corridor.
"Do watch where you're going, Potter!"
"Sorry, Professor –"
"I've just been looking for you in the Gryffindor common room," McGonagall said. She wondered for a fraction of a moment whether she should dispose of the broom herself. Why should she do a favor for Sirius Black, the escaped convict?
"Well, here it is," she continued finally, holding out the Firebolt, "we've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all – you've got a very good friend somewhere, Potter…"
When she saw Potter's jaw drop, she smiled. She thought she was finally beginning to understand Sirius' reasons.
"I can have it back?" he said weakly. "Seriously?"
"Seriously," McGonagall said, unable to keep the smile off her face because of the simple irony in his choice of word.
A/N: Please review!
MissGoalie