Bonus Chapter

Violet sat next to Hermione Granger when Harry and Ron came down for breakfast the next morning. To Ron's disgust, the two girls seemed to have become friends.

"Maybe they'll give us some advanced classes if we keep our grades up this year," Violet was saying as the boys sat next to her. She looked up at them. "Wotcher Harry, Ron."

"Hullo, Violet," Ron said as they sat.

McGonagall walked along the table handing out schedules. She stopped behind Violet and handed class schedules to Harry, Violet, Ron, and Hermione.

"Violet, Harry," she said. "You have break just before lunch. Please come to my office at that time."

"Okay," Violet said with a smile.

McGonagall moved on to a group of sixth years.

"Why do we have to go to her office?" Harry asked. "Are we in trouble already?"

Violet gave her brother a confused look.

"No. Today's my birthday."

She spoke as though it explained everything. It did not. It did explain why several owls delivered a few packages to her shortly after.

"I thought you said you didn't have any friends or family?" Ron asked.

"Besides Neville, I don't, but Auntie does. These two are from her nephews and this one is from my music teacher. The card is from an old friend of mum and dad's."

"Happy birthday," Harry said awkwardly. It had been so long since Uncle Vernon kicked Violet out that he had forgotten when her birthday was.

"Relax," she told him with a laugh as she opened her first gift. "I don't expect you to remember. Especially considering how long it's been."

"You didn't say you're friends with Neville," Ron said.

"We had the same music teacher in Hogsmeade and usually went for lunch after our lessons."

She said this just as Neville joined the breakfast table. Ron turned his stunned gaze to him.

"Neville, you take music lessons?"

He turned red, surprised by the question but nodded.

"Like I said yesterday, my family though I was a squib so Gran started taking me to learn piano so I would always have a skill to fall back on in the Muggle world."

"Are you any good?" Harry asked.

Neville shrugged as he poured himself some cereal.

"He is," Violet said confidently. "He already plays better than some adults."

Neville's face burned red.

Violet returned to her gift pile and smiled excitedly as she unwrapped a journal for writing music. She next unwrapped a set of guitar strings and a book titled "Magic and Music: Walking the Line Between Worlds" by David Bowie. Harry choked on his orange juice.

"No way! David Bowie is a wizard?"

Violet raised an eyebrow.

"Obviously. Haven't you heard his music?"

Neville read the title as he munched on his cereal.

"Can I borrow that when you finish?"

"Sure."

Harry head was still spinning with this revelation as they headed to their first class of the day, History of Magic. Harry expected the class to be very interesting, especially since the professor was a ghost! However, it became painfully clear rather quickly that Professor Binns's class was as dry as his monotone voice. The dull first lesson did nothing to steady his nerves as his and Violet's meeting with Professor McGonagall ticked closer and closer. Finally, the bell rang and Ron and Harry exchanged nervous looks.

"I'll see you at lunch then?" Ron asked.

"Yea," Harry replied nervously.

Violet led the way down several corridors and up the stairs to McGonagall's office. She knocked on the door, seemingly without a care in the world.

"Come in," McGonagall called.

Violet pushed the door open and smiled at the witch as she and Harry entered the office. The office looked very much like a small library with a single curio cabinet of personal effects. Bookshelves lined the walls and seemed to hold everything from textbooks to muggle novels. The curio cabinet held an old and battered set of porcelain Gobstones, some trinkets from traveling, and many framed photos of family and Violet. Harry was most surprised by a wedding photo of McGonagall and an older man.

"Y-you wanted to see us, professor?" Harry started nervously.

She gave him a sharp look and then smiled as though amused by something.

"Relax, Harry. You're not in trouble. I just wanted to have tea with the pair of you for Violet's birthday." She gave Violet a sympathetic look. "It's not easy having your birthday land on the first day of school."

"I don't mind."

Professor McGonagall poured them both a cup of tea and opened a tin of ginger nougats.

"Happy birthday, Violet."

She handed over a large wrapped package. Violet opened the package and gasped.

"A travel potions kit! Thank you, Auntie!"

"Use it wisely. It's hardly my specialty, but Professor Snape appreciates an eager mind, so go to him if you ever need help. And try not to set the toilet on fire again."

"Again?" Harry asked, nearly choking on his tea.

"When she was eight," McGonagall explained, the corners of her lips twitching, "Violet found my late husband's old potions school book and decided to try making one of the potions. But she did not have a cauldron yet so she decided to use the toilet bowl instead."

"Remember how I told you that a gold cauldron can react badly to some potions. Long story short, so can porcelain," Violet said with a guilty sort of giggle.

"Thankfully, my nephew was in town with his family and was able to put out the fire."

Harry enjoyed several more stories from Violet growing up with Professor McGonagall as they drank their tea and ate cookies. It was an odd feeling for Harry as he looked back and forth from his sister to Professor McGonagall. He was grateful the witch had included him on his sister's birthday tea and the gentle smile she gave him as she told stories of Violet growing up made him almost feel welcomed by her. But he couldn't help feeling a little jealous as well. Violet had had a loving childhood since leaving Privat Drive. Why had Professor McGonagall only taken Violet all those years ago?

Unaware of Harry's thoughts, McGonagall and Violet's conversation turned to Quidditch. Harry pulled his mind away from his slight resentment to listen and learn. Ron and Violet hadn't been able to fully explain the game to him on the train, but it had sounded fascinating. Too soon, however, as break came to a close, McGonagall turned to Harry, her face serious again.

"Harry, I will tell you the same thing I told Violet before she came to school. Outside of this office, I am Professor McGonagall. I will not treat either of you any differently than any other student in the classroom. But," she added in a softer tone, "when you are in this office, I am not your teacher. I don't expect you to call me Auntie like Violet does, but I won't mind if you do. You can come to me for anything from help with homework or concerns about going home or any questions you may have."

Harry wasn't sure how to feel. The closest he had ever had to a trusted adult in his life until now was the unspoken truce between his Aunt Petunia and himself. His former Muggle teachers had certainly never offered him help before, even when he came to school in ill-fitting clothes with obvious bruises. He did not know how to feel about McGonagall's offer, but he didn't want to be rude either so he nodded.

"Thank you, Professor." He felt the question rising in him. He tried to suppress it but the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Why didn't you take me in as well when you took Violet?"

To his surprise, McGonagall and Violet shared a pained looked, almost as though they had expected the question.

"I wanted to, Harry," the witch said gently. She wore an odd expression. Regret? "I really did. I wanted to take the pair of you the day Lily and James were killed. However, it was important for you to stay with your family."

"Why?"

"Professor Dumbledore," Violet explained, looking angry. "He explained it to Aunt Petunia the night he gave us to her. When mum died and you survived, it opened the door for some type of magic. Dumbledore used that magic to bind you to Aunt Petunia which will protect you from Voldemort-" McGonagall winced at the sound of the name, but said nothing. "-until you come of age. It's really old magic that I don't understand. But that's why Dumbledore wouldn't let you come with us."

She looked at her brother tearfully as though she could read his resentment on his face.

"Violet has told me what life has been for you in that house," McGonagall continued. "I will personally see to it that nothing of the sort happens again. I will be keeping a closer eye on you when you are back there from now on."

She spoke with such sincerity, but Harry didn't dare hope she was being honest. After all, she was just his teacher. His Muggle teachers had never cared when she showed up to school in clothes that didn't fit, broken glasses, and bruises. How invested could McGonagall really be in his well-being?

The bell rang, indicating the end of break. McGonagall gave Harry a reassuring smile and then stood and opened the office door.

"Off you go then. I still expect you both to eat a proper lunch."