Very sorry for the late post! I don't have too many pre-written chapters left so I'm trying to juggle work with writing and it can be a bit difficult to remember to post! Anyway, better late than never I suppose.

2 May 1998

The battle was raging. People were screaming and shouting all around her. Rubble was flying in all directions, and just a moment ago half of the ceiling in the entrance hall had come crashing down.

Minerva dodged yet another spell that came pelting toward her. She heard it hit the wall behind her, leaving yet another small crater in the stone walls. Another three came shooting towards her and Minerva waved her wand so that all three spells went hurtling back towards the caster. The man, or woman, Minerva was not entirely sure, was hit square in their chest by their own spells. They flew backwards and disappeared from sight. However, they were soon replaced by another two Death Eaters.

Minerva stumbled backwards as she blocked and parried the onslaught of spells. She could not remember how long she had been fighting in this corner of the castle. Filius had been with her at the start. She had briefly spotted Remus at some point, too. However, both were gone somewhere else now, against the seemingly neverending line of Death Eaters who kept reappearing or being replaced.

A killing curse shot dangerously close to Minerva's ear and Minerva was again surprised at her agility given how little she had slept over the last year and how long it had been since she had last duelled in this capacity. Another killing curse flew towards her - it seemed to be the only spell these two Death Eaters knew how to conjure - and Minerva dodged it again. Quickly, she then pointed her wand at some torch brackets on the wall and flicked her wand towards her attackers. The metal uncurled and then snapped around the Death Eaters like venus flytraps.

"Watch out!"

Minerva spun wildly around, caught eyes with Tonks who was the one who had spoken, then fell painfully on the rubble as something, or someone, bowled into her - a child.

"Help! Help me!"

The boy's cries were filled with terror and panic. His hands were empty, his wand likely long lost or broken, and he brought them up to cover his eyes - too frightened, it seemed, to do anything else. Minerva pushed herself up and instinctively shot a spell in the direction of Bellatrix Lestrange, whom the boy had been running from.

The witch parried the spell with ease and sent another one straight back. With no way to shield herself from such a spell, Minerva could only think of one thing. She gripped the boy's robes tightly with one hand and disapparated.

She landed unsteadily beside Tonks, trying not only to keep herself upright but the boy too. Several spells came hurtling their way. Minerva hastily blocked some while Tonks took care of the others.

"I'll take this one," Tonks shouted, "and you take the others?"

Tonks needn't have asked. She was already engaged in a duel with Bellatrix Lestrange, leaving Minerva with three other Death Eaters to subdue. There were days when this would have been easy for Minerva. Yet, these Death Eaters were younger, more agile, and less tired than Minerva currently was. Neither were they encumbered by a young and frightened eleven-year-old who needed protecting.

Minerva gripped the boy's arm tightly with her hand. She parried three spells, blocked more, and then sent a quick succession of her own spells toward her attackers. One fell. Two had managed to block her spells.

The two retaliated. One of the spells went wildly off course. It hit a wall and the impact caused fractures and fissures to break apart the stone as they climbed to the ceiling. Minerva pushed her students aside as a heavy groan ensued, and then the ceiling cracked and gave way leaving Tonks and Bellatrix on the other side of the collapsed corridor.

There was silence for a moment as those on Minerva's side of the wall tried to protect themselves from the falling debris - Minerva having attempted to turn tumbling rocks into grains of sand before they could hit either her or her student. It was only shortly afterwards, when the ringing in her ears was subduing, that Minerva heard panicked cries.

"Look out!"

The boy screamed, a scream of pure fear, and he cowered down - his hands covering his eyes as he buried his head in his knees. Minerva heeded his warning too late. The spell soared towards her and she had just the time to shield the boy, and not enough to shield herself.

Minerva staggered as a searing pain shot through her side.

"Professor McGonagall!"

Minerva blinked back the dark patches that threatened to take over her vision. She dared not look at the damage the spell had done. Instead, she straightened with great difficulty and waved her wand so that pieces of parchment littering the floor flew up and shot straight at her two attackers who seemed to have materialised out of nowhere. Another wave of her wand enlargened the parchment and transfigured the sheets into heavy slabs of stones. The Death Eaters were knocked clean off their feet.

"Professor McGonagall, are you all right?"

Minerva winced as she gingerly touched her waist - a few inches from where the spell had hit her. She moved her hand closer to the sore and instantly yellow and black spots consumed her vision. Minerva swayed and moved her hand away. She would deal with that issue later, she thought.

"Professor?"

"Hold on tight, Mr Lewis," she said, stretching out her hand. Martin Lewis slipped his hand in hers and Minerva disapparated again.