Minerva McGonagall appeared in the same muggle hotel room their previous meetings had been held. She was greeted warmly by her friends and the meeting commenced.
"How did it go Minerva?" Amelia asked.
"Quite well. He was nervous and confused but after some time he relaxed and even enjoyed himself; until he was recognized."
"What happened?" Dolores asked.
"He felt the pull of his familiar and we went to Eyelops. Apparently his owl, Hedwig a snowy white, was causing a disturbance. Harry defended her from the store clerk and nearly got himself hexed. The store clerk nearly had a heart attack when he realized who Harry was. We were mobbed outside the store. I've never scene a wizard and familiar bond so quickly." Minerva said.
"I recorded two spikes in his magic in a short period of time. What were they about?" Anastasia asked.
"That must have been when he received his wand and baton. His wand is the brother wand of Voldemort's and his baton is a mystery. Ollivander said it shouldn't even work but it seemed to bond with Harry even more so than his wand. He tried to return it to its case but it jumped back into his hand. I don't know what to make of it." Minerva said perplexed.
"You mean that purple thing in the display case works. I tried it years ago and got no reaction." Cassandra said.
"In Harry's own words; she likes him." Minerva responded.
"She?" Everyone said simultaneously.
"Yes she. Apparently all the core materials were harvested from female creatures and blended together. It will be interesting to see what she can do. Ana you may need to create a stronger pendant; it appears that even with it Harry managed some extraordinary accidental magic. He managed to apparate himself out of danger."
"That must have been the spike I recorded ages ago. I'm unsure what to do until Poppy can examine him more thoroughly." Anastasia said.
"Very well."
"What about Harry as a person?" Cassandra asked.
"He seems timid and shy, but once he feels comfortable around you he is a very pleasant young man. He is eager to please even to a point of volunteering to perform chores. The only problem I see at the moment is he doesn't like to be touched. He flinched when I touched his shoulder."
"Harry the Hugger doesn't like to be touched. I remember the way he was at his first birthday party. There wasn't a leg safe from him; he hugged everyone." Amelia said.
"That's what worries me. Those worthless muggle relatives of his never showed him any affection. Their hatred for him must have been stronger than we anticipated. I hate to think what would have happened if we didn't intervene." Minerva spat.
"Do you have any idea what Dumbledore's plans are now? He's been too quiet." Dolores asked.
"Albus always kept information to himself. My only fear is he may try something once he learns Harry isn't with his relatives. He always seems to have a contingency plan in place." Minerva said.
"Harry being sighted in Diagon Alley is going to be in the morning edition. Are you prepared for what the old man will say?" Rita said.
"I'll manage. I am his guardian after all and I'm just doing my job. On to other business; how is Miss Tonks fairing?" Minerva asked.
"She is exceeding our expectations. She will make a fine addition to our ranks." Pomona said.
"Excellent, she has been the only viable candidate for quite some time. How are our investments?"
"Growing nicely. We will be able to replace all the money we took from Mr. Potter in two years time." Septima said.
"Excellent, I hated the fact we had to steal from him but we had no choice. The goblins can be helpful but expensive. Our own funds have been dwindling faster than our numbers. I hope when the time comes he will forgive us. Does anyone have anything else to add?" Minerva said solemnly.
Everyone remained silent, and then Minerva ended the meeting and returned home. The next morning, Minerva found Harry in the kitchen early. He was attempting to help Mipsy with breakfast but was unsuccessful. Minerva had to explain to Harry that he didn't have to help prepare their meals. Harry couldn't grasp the concept immediately but obeyed Minerva's instructions.
Minerva read the front page of the Daily Prophet and sighed. After finishing their meal, she informed Harry that she had to work today and if he needed anything just ask Mipsy. Minerva used the Floo to return to her office at Hogwarts and proceeded directly to the headmaster's office. She wanted to finish any unpleasantness as soon as possible. She arrived at her destination quickly and entered. She was met by a smiling Albus Dumbledore who spoke.
"Good morning Minerva. I see you had an eventful day yesterday."
"Yes, I wanted to get Mr. Potter's school things early to avoid the crowds. That is my right as his guardian. If it wasn't for one foolish clerk, he would not have been recognized at all." Minerva said.
"I understand. I had hoped that Petunia would have taken Harry to buy his things. She must have informed him of his heritage." Albus said eyes twinkling.
"She told him nothing. She informed him that his parents were killed in a car crash. She refers to Mr. Potter as the Freak. I told you they were the worst sort of muggles." Minerva spat.
"Calm down my dear, I'm sure it was only a misunderstanding. Lily's sister would never treat a child with such disdain. I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for her actions. Perhaps you misunderstood her or perhaps young Harry exaggerated a bit." Albus said in his grandfatherly tone.
"There was neither misunderstanding nor exaggeration. Did you forget what Lily herself told us about Petunia? She hated Lily because she was a witch and Mr. Potter seemed to have inherited that hatred. I do hope that Severus doesn't do the same." Minerva retorted.
"Severus has my complete confidence. I know he and James didn't get along but that is not the issue. You should have waited until the letters were sent and not use your position to give young Harry preferential treatment. He may attempt to use that to his advantage in the future." Albus said.
"Why would you think such a thing? I've done nothing out of the ordinary. Members of the board have used their positions to obtain the book lists early for ages. How is this any different?" Minerva retorted.
Albus sighed over exaggeratedly and said. "Young Harry is a special case as you are well aware. He should be treated as any other new student."
"Then why was his name not down as a muggle born student? He should have been listed as such regardless of where he was born. He would have been completely overwhelmed if someone hadn't spoken to him first." Minerva said.
"I'm certain Petunia would have explained what he needed to know. If not, he could have learned it here."
"What of his fame or his position in this world? Would she have explained those things as well? I am just doing my job as Deputy Headmistress and his guardian." Minerva spat.
Albus sighed loudly again. The conversation was not going as expected. With nothing left to say, he dismissed his colleague and returned to his morning tea.
The last three years had not been kind to Albus. Minerva had taken her role as his 'assistant' much too seriously. Her position as Harry Potter's magical guardian even more so. It made it very difficult for Albus to operate as needed. Ever since Augusta Longbottom, a personal friend of Minerva's, became a member of the Board of Governors things were even worse. He couldn't allow Severus the leeway needed to perform his duties either. And now, Harry Potter was coming to Hogwarts.
Ever since he had been forced to return Harry's property to Minerva, he had nothing to offer the young savior. He planed on giving him a few trinkets here and there as positive reinforcement for performing certain tasks. Harry Potter needed to be properly conditioned and unquestionably loyal to him to fulfill his destiny. The loss of the Potter fortune was another matter. Try as he may, Albus Dumbledore could not locate any information on who claimed it. If he could locate and retrieve Harry Potter's family legacy he could win his loyalty, but he had been unsuccessful.
If Minerva watches Harry too closely, he will not be able to become the hero the wizarding world will need in the upcoming war. Albus Dumbledore was at a loss as to his next course of action and this was unacceptable. He couldn't 'eliminate' Minerva nor could he remove her from her position as Harry's magical guardian. He would he to wait and see what could be done in the future; too much was at stake for Albus to fail now.
Minerva returned to her office in a huff. She could not believe the audacity of her once trusted mentor and friend. She busied herself with the usual summer tasks for ending one school year and starting a new. By lunch she had decided to complete her work from home. She called a house elf to her to gather the necessary items to complete her year end tasks. Minerva returned home with her work and called for Mipsy.
"Mipsy where is Harry?"
"Master Harry is in the garden. Mipsy served Master Harry his lunch."
"Very good. Please make me a light lunch and bring it to my office."
"Yes mistress." Mipsy said and went about her assigned task.
Minerva went outside to the garden and saw Harry playing with Hedwig. They seemed to be bonding even further. Harry turned around and saw Minerva and greeted her with a warm smile. Minerva spoke.
"Are you two enjoying yourselves?"
"Yes mam. Hedwig really likes it here; so do I." Harry said bashfully.
"I'm pleased to here you say that." Minerva looked at Harry and questioned. "Is something wrong?"
"I . . . Its just that you're being so nice to me. I don't deserve it." He said ashamed.
Minerva's heart broke. She led Harry to a nearby bench and they sat. She looked at him and spoke calmly.
"You do deserve to be treated well, never believe for one moment that you do not. Your relatives were wrong for lying to you. I've decided to work from home this summer and we can spend more time together. I know everything is overwhelming but in time it will get easier."
"Thank you. Do you think you could tell me about my parents?" Harry asked.
"Of course, I'd be more than happy to. Come into my office in about an hour and we can talk." Minerva said.
Harry smiled and thanked her again. She left Harry in the garden and returned to her office to find her lunch waiting for her. She resized the conjured trunk and unpacked her work and ate at the same time. An hour later there was a gentile knock on her door. She allowed Harry to enter and they both sat in comfortable chairs. Minerva asked Mipsy to bring some tea and Minerva spoke.
"I knew your parents all through school. I was there Transfiguration professor as well as there head of house. They were both in Gryffindor and grew to be fine people. Lily was the top student in her year. She was kind and helpful towards everyone, even if they were in a different house. Do you understand about the houses at Hogwarts?"
"Yes mam. I read about them in Hogwarts a History." Harry stated proudly.
"Very good. Lily excelled in Charms and Potions and she was quite gifted in Arithmancy; that means she could create her own spells. She was a Prefect as well as Head Girl and was a dear friend. James was another story. He was a bit of a trouble-maker in his early days. He eventually grew out of that phase but always enjoyed a good prank. He was remarkably gifted in Transfiguration, I offered him an apprenticeship after school but because of the war he had to decline. He was a superb Quidditch player and was even offered to play professionally."
"What's Quidditch?"
"Quidditch is our sport. I myself played when I attended Hogwarts. There is a picture of my former team on the wall." Minerva said as she pointed at said picture.
Harry looked at the picture and squinted his eyes to see. This did not go unnoticed by his guardian who said.
"Harry are you having trouble seeing? When was the last time you had your eyes examined?"
"I've never had them checked. Aunt Petunia told me to pick out a pair of glasses from the second hand bin where she bought my clothes. It's the only pair I've ever had."
"Well tomorrow we will correct that oversight. From now on I want you to tell me if anything is wrong. If you are sick or hurt, don't be afraid to tell me. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." Minerva said comfortingly.
"Yes mam. I just didn't want to be a bother."
"You will never be a bother and never be afraid or ashamed to ask questions as well. I'll help you any way I can. If I can't, I know people who can." Minerva stated.
"Yes mam. Do you have a book on Quidditch?"
"Of course." She said happily. She gave her wand a wave and a book called Quidditch Through the Ages flew into her hands. She handed the book to Harry and he said.
"Thank you. What was that spell you did?"
"Its called Accio, the summoning charm. You'll learn it in fourth year, but that doesn't mean you can't practice sooner. Now where was I? Oh yes, your father was also very skilled in Defense as well as Ancient Runes, that means he can create wards and Enchant items. Enchanting is very advanced spell work and takes many years to master. He was Head Boy along side your mother and they fell in love that same year. They married soon after leaving Hogwarts and a few years later you were born."
"Was my dad a Prefect like my mum?"
"No. Actually one of his friends was Prefect."
"That's strange. Is that normal, being Head Boy without being a Prefect?"
"I'm not sure. Why do you ask?" Minerva questioned.
"I remember my uncle ranting about someone at work getting a job without any experience. It just seemed strange that's all."
"It does seem odd. I'll look into that. Do you have any other questions?" Minerva said.
"Do you have any pictures of my parents?"
Minerva smiled and then sighed. She walked over to her desk and retrieved a shrunken trunk. She returned to her chair and resized the trunk and spoke solemnly.
"I was going to wait until you became more comfortable before I gave this to you. This trunk has all the things that were salvaged from your parents' home the night they died. It has seven compartments and the larger pieces have been shrunk to fit inside. Here are the keys, they are numbered for each compartment like your's. The first compartment has the pictures that were on the walls that survived."
Harry's eyes went wide with excitement. He never thought to ask if anything of his parent's survived. He took the keys and opened the first compartment. There was a large assortment of pictures of his parents and of him as a baby. There were more than a few of Minerva holding Harry as well as other people. They spent the next two hours going through the pictures and talking. Minerva managed to persuade Harry to wait to go through the other compartments together. Harry kept two pictures; one of his parents and the other of Minerva both of which were holding baby Harry. Mipsy informed them that dinner was served and Harry reluctantly locked the trunk and the two went to have their evening meal.
After dinner, Harry went to his room to read his book and Minerva went to her office to work. While she was working, Minerva made a note to herself to investigate the Head Boy position. At the time, she didn't question Albus' decision because both the positions were held by her students. Now she wasn't sure what to think and she hoped it was nothing.
It was late so Minerva went to Harry's room to say goodnight. As she knocked on the door, she received no reply. Minerva opened the door quietly and found Harry already asleep with a book on his chest. She gently removed the book from him and marked the page. He was already in his pajamas, so she carefully covered him with a quilt. She looked upon his sleeping form and smiled and wondered what the future held for her young charge and prayed she was doing the right thing. She looked at his desk, it was quite messy with notebooks and other things and sighed with a smile, her own desk looked similar at the moment. She saw the two framed pictures placed on the left side and her heart swelled with pride that he thought so highly of her. She spotted his baton as well and moved to examine it closer. As she touched it, she received a mild shock that startled her but not injure. She would have to speak with Harry about that in the morning. With one last look at Harry she left his room and retired for the evening.
The next morning she and Harry went to the Eye Healer for an examination. His glasses were extremely weak for him and needed replacing before his eyes worsened. His new glasses were more stylish, being gold wire frames, and fit his face perfectly but more important; he could see everything clearly.
They spent the day talking and wondering around a lesser know magical district known as Raven's Cove. Harry marveled at the new sights and couldn't stop asking questions about the things he had seen. Minerva was more than happy to answer his inquiries and even though she had visited this place many times, she felt she was experiencing this place for the first time. Seeing things through a child's eyes is most refreshing even for the somewhat mundane. They stopped for lunch at a small café, one of Minerva's favorite, and Minerva spoke.
"Harry I'd like to talk to you about your baton."
"What about Isis?"
"You named it?" Minerva said surprised.
"Her," he corrected. "Yes. It was an accident really. The two names I decided on were Hedwig and Isis. I asked Hedwig which one she like best and that's how that happened. But when I was holding her I said the name Isis and she grew warm. I said it again and it felt like she liked it so I thought 'why not?' and that was that. I wrote it down in one of my notebooks."
"You're keeping notes on everything that happens with Isis?" Minerva said reluctantly.
"Yes mam. Mr. Ollivander wanted to know what she could do so I thought it would be a good idea." Harry stated with pride.
"I'm pleased you are taking his suggestion seriously. The reason I wanted to speak with you is last night I came to your room but you were already asleep. I touched Isis and received a light shock. I wasn't injured but I wanted to tell you about it. I wasn't trying to take her I just wanted to look more closely at her."
Harry's was stunned to hear what happened and said. "I'm sorry that happened to you. Maybe if I handed her to you it won't happen again but I don't want you to get hurt."
"The shock I received was more like walking across a rug and shocking yourself; unpleasant but not dangerous. I'm willing to try if you are but don't feel guilty if I'm shocked again. I'm curious as well."
"Okay, if you're sure. I like you and I don't want you hurt because of me." Harry said blushing.
"I'm happy you said that. I like you as well." Minerva said with a warm heart.
Harry blushed fiercely and the two finished their meal and continued their tour of Raven's Cove.
The pair returned to Minerva's estate just before dinner. They washed up and ate another wonderful meal prepared by Mipsy. Harry asked Minerva about house elves and she explained what she knew, from a witch's point of view. Harry decided to talk to Mipsy about her side of the story later.
After their meal was completed, Harry retrieved Isis and returned to Minerva. With a fearful feeling Harry carefully placed Isis in Minerva's hands. They were both relieved when nothing happened. Minerva spent some time admiring the craftsmanship of the baton. The intricate designs and rune schemes were breathtaking offset by a smooth portion that was the handle. She returned Isis to Harry and said.
"Isis is a remarkable piece of work Harry. You had best take good care of her and your wand as well."
"I will. May I take her to school with me?"
"Of course. However, you may not use her for classes and I would advise against trying any spells until you have some experience first. Also, I will be with you when you do use her; for safety reasons. We don't know what will happen."
"I understand. Did anything happen while you were holding her?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact. I contemplated performing a simple spell but I felt I was being warned against it. I can't really explain what occurred but I determined it would not be wise to try. I suggest you record that as well. This is quite fascinating." Minerva said excitedly. Even an educator can learn new things.
Harry nodded in agreement and the two separated for the evening. Minerva once again entered Harry's room to say goodnight to find him hard at work at his desk. She noticed he had been taking notes for all his subjects, potions was his topic of choice this night. They chatted for a few moments and said their goodnights. Minerva returned to her room with a few tears of joy falling. Harry had called her Aunt Min.
Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter.
A/N: I invented Raven's Cove because I can't believe that there are only a few purely magical areas. Besides, If Godric's Hallow exists why not something from the other founders. Isis will have a side story until later; she will be intricate against the Dark Lord, but which one. I often wondered why James was Head Boy; he had no experience. All my cannon facts come from Lexicon and Mugglenet. Next up: The girls.