A/N I hope this chapter is an improvement on the last one. Thankyou for all of your reviews, especially the ones that give me hints on how to improve!

Minerva found Harry in a broom cupboard 2 floors up. He had curled into the smallest space possible, instinctively protecting his torso.

"Harry?" she called softly

"Please Aunt Petunia. Please don't tell Uncle Vernon." Harry pleaded, not moving "I'll do more chores, I'll do anything"

"Harry, you are in Hogwarts. It's Minerva. Look at me please." Minerva softly ordered.

Harry slowly raised his bloodied, tear stained face and looked at that of the stern professor.

"Auntie Minerva?" he croaked, still not completely aware.

"Yes Harry, your Auntie Minerva's here, you won't be hurt now, not as long as I can prevent it. Can you come out of there now?"

Harry slowly uncurled and crawled out of the cupboard. When he stood, he had to grip the cupboard for support.

"Oh Harry."

Minerva grabbed him into a tight hug. Harry tried to squirm away but she had a too tight a hold on him and eventually he relaxed into it. As he did so he realised that he was not in Little Whinging any more, that he could and should do magic and that no-one would beat him with a belt as punishment or forbid him food.

Unfortunately along with that train of thought came his Auntie Poppy and how angry she had been. He also realised he had called Minerva, that name as well. He felt the grip slacken around him and he squirmed out and tried to run again but was stopped by a well placed Impedimenta from Minerva. It was if an invisible wall had created itself in front of him and he couldn't go through it.

He turned, fear written all over his face and muscles tensed for running if he saw an opening, back towards Minerva. He knew that that was the only way out but he wasn't prepared for the look on the Professor's face.

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When Minerva had found Harry, her first thought was relief. She had had to rely on many point-me spells to find him and even then had walked past the cupboard without realising. When she saw him curled up, protecting his torso she cringed. Poppy's outburst had obviously triggered a reaction from when he lived in Surrey, his posture clearly showed that he expected anger and shouting to be followed by a beating.

When he had called her Auntie Minerva, she was thrilled. She was probably more like a grandmother to the boy, having spent so much time with Lily both during and after Lily's time at Hogwarts but if Harry wanted her to be an auntie, an auntie she would be. It seemed to soothe him to know she was there and so she used the same name that Harry had called her.

She couldn't resist just holding him close when he stood up. To convince herself that he was really there and to show him that she loved him like her own. She felt him try to wriggle out and it just made her hold him close even stronger. He needed to remember that he had people who loved him and the quickest way was to feel physical affection. When he stopped fighting her, she loosened her grip into a loose embrace, only for him to wriggle out mere seconds later and try to run.

She had glimpsed the expression of horror on his face as he tried to escape and then the expression of fear and flight as he turned around back to her. At first she couldn't understand why he would change so much and then it hit her like an Aguamenti to the face - he was scared of her reaction to what he had called her, scared he had gone too far, scared she would be angry; and what Harry did when he was scared, was run.

Minerva had a huge smile on her face instants after this revelation. The confusion she went through was quick enough that Harry didn't notice and seeing the expression of pleasure on her face, was surprising enough to him that he lost concentration on running and stared.

"Harry do you want me as an auntie?" Minerva asked

Harry was torn inside. Was this a genuine question or was she toying with him, asking him questions like Dudley did only to deny him it. He had been told again and again by Auntie Poppy that hope was a thing to have, that it wasn't a foolish thing to do, but in such a situation? No one would ever want to be an auntie to such a burden like him if they didn't have to, would they?

Eventually reaching his decision he shook his head. "Sorry Professor" he mumbled.

"Harry, I knew your mother well and I know your Auntie Poppy well. They wouldn't mind me being an auntie or a grandmother to you. I would like it too, I was thrilled when you called me that. I am not upset or angry or going to push you away. I would like it if you came to me as well as Poppy for help and guidance. Would you like that?"

Minerva had knelt down to Harry's level as she was talking and they were now looking eye to eye.

"Yes please." The reply was so soft, Minerva almost missed it.

Minerva gathered her new nephew into another hug and lifted him up, still softly talking to him.

"Auntie Poppy was very worried about you. Her and I disagreed on a few things and both of us being the stubborn people we are, neither of us would back down. That was why we were shouting. She wasn't angry at you. Do you want to see her? I can ask Professor Snape to look you over instead if you'd prefer?"

Harry snuggled deeper into Minerva's embrace and closed his eyes. Professor Snape wouldn't ask so many questions and would let him sleep whilst he checked him over, his auntie wouldn't. Not that he didn't want to see her, but she would apologise a lot and talk a lot and now he just wanted to sleep.

"Professor Snape please" he said sleepily