Disclaimer: A tribute to one of the greats.
Team Hedgehog
"May I have a moment of your time Minerva?"
"Who?" The woman turned. "Larry? What are you doing back at Hogwarts?"
"I was hoping to have a moment of your time," he said quietly, "now I realize that you don't like me very much . . ."
"I didn't like your grades in Transfiguration," McGonagall interrupted. "But I never had a problem with you."
"But . . . the wedding . . ."
"My fight with my daughter wasn't because I disapproved of her marriage to you," Minerva said quickly, "I was disappointed that she'd thought I'd disapprove of her marriage to you."
"And then you were both too bloody stubborn to work things out," Larry sighed.
"She gets it from her mother," Minerva said proudly, "as I got it from mine. The tradition of naming out daughters after the moon isn't the only thing that gets passed along."
"I see . . . well the baby is going to be born any time now and I was hoping . . ."
"Baby?" Minerva asked sharply. "I'm going to be a grandmother and nobody told me?"
"I thought you knew?"
"Well I don't," Minerva sighed, "come along then."
"Where are we going?"
"To wherever my daughter is," McGonagall replied. "Don't dawdle."
"Yes Professor," he agreed cheerfully.
Two years later . . .
"That simply won't do," Minerva said with a frown, "if Luna gives you half as much trouble as you gave me at her age then you're never going to be able to do any research and properly watch her at the same time."
"What do you suggest then mother?" She asked through clenched teeth.
"Why don't I send one of the school elves along to watch Luna so you can devote more time to your work." Minerva said. "And . . . perhaps I could come occasionally and lend a hand?" She added somewhat hopefully.
"Thank you mother," Selene Lovegood said happily, "that will be quite helpful."
Several years after that . . .
Minerva was sitting in her office grading papers when a frantic house elf popped in.
"Professy Minnie, is horrible."
"What is it Snappy?" Minerva asked intently.
"Missy Seleene is sick."
"Tell Poppy to meet me at the Lovegood House," Minerva called over her shoulder as she left in a dead run.
Minerva arrived in her daughters house to find Luna weeping over the fallen form of Selene Lovegood.
"Step back child," Minerva said. A chill went through her body as she reached down to check her daughter's pulse. "She's going to be just fine," Minerva said in relief. Casting the few healing charms she knew, Minerva did her best to stabilize her daughter as she waited for the school healer to arrive.
IIIIIIIIII
The head of the tiny Lovegood family rushed into St. Mungos and nearly plowed into his mother in law.
"Is she?" Larry was white faced.
"She's alive," Minerva said tightly, holding little Luna in her lap, "she just won't wake up."
"I wouldn't worry about it," an old woman sauntered in smoking a pipe, "poor dear just needs a chance to get a bit of rest I'm sure." Distance and lack of familiarity moderating the woman's normal attitude to the females that had the misfortune to marry into her family.
"Nanny," Luna jumped off Minerva's lap and threw herself into the arms of the other old woman.
"Gytha," Minerva said tightly.
"Minerva," Gytha replied cheerfully.
The years past, and while Selene did eventually come out of her coma. The road to recovery was a long one and so Larry's grandmother ended up spending quite a bit of time with the youngest Lovegood.
"What do you want Luna?"
"I want to go to Hogwarts this year and I want to have a pet hedgehog," Luna said shyly.
"Sensible," Nanny said cheerfully, "but how are you going to get those things? You're a year too young for Hogwarts and they don't allow pet hedgehogs."
"Um?" Luna's nose scrunched up.
"Why don't I show you?" Nanny suggested. "But I'll need your help."
"Ok Nanny," Luna agreed.
"All you need to say is . . ."
Several hours later . . .
"What?" Minerva asked sickly.
"Nanny's going to teach me how to be a proper witch," Luna chirped.
"None of that silly wand waving for our gel," Nanny agreed.
"But our family has been going to Hogwarts since the first class," Minerva protested.
"All the more reason to try something new," Nanny retorted, "right Luna?"
"Right," Luna agreed.
"I . . . but . . . I . . ." Minerva sputtered.
"Shame she couldn't learn both," Nanny sighed, watching Minerva out of the corner of her eye, "if only Hogwarts started a year earlier."
"Why?" Minerva seized the chance to get her granddaughter into her school.
"I wouldn't want any special treatment," Nanny said quickly. Like hell she wouldn't. "So it's best just to forget about the whole thing."
"It's no special treatment," Minerva said quickly, "just a form that has to be signed by her father."
"Well," Nanny said slowly to twist the knife. "I suppose if she were to go a year earlier then she'd graduate a year earlier. So then she'd still be young enough to learn my trade . . . might even be better that way," she mused.
"Done," Minerva said firmly, "you hear that Luna? You're going to Hogwarts."
"Can I bring my pet hedgehog?" Luna asked, looking up at her grandmother with wide innocent eyes. "I don't want to go if I can't bring my hedgehog."
"Hedgehog?"
"Every proper witch needs a familiar," Gytha said primly.
"I suppose we could arrange permission," Minerva agreed.
"Yay," Luna cheered.
Which was how Luna came to attend Hogwarts a year early along with her pet hedgehog.
The first day of school . . .
"Come along Luna," Minerva said to the young girl by her side, "you'll want want to be on the train early to get a good spot."
"Ok grammy," Luna agreed. Her face was set into a stern look mirroring the older woman until her attention was captured by a dingy looking boy. Pulling away from her Grandmother, she walked up to the boy and began examining him. "Hello," she said to the strange boy. "Why are you just standing here? Are you waiting for someone?"
"No," Harry said, "I'm looking for Platform nine and three quarters."
"Luna," Minerva called out when she noticed the small girl had left her side, "there you are. Who's your friend." She gasped when the undersized boy looked up with emerald green eyes. "Harry Potter."
"You know him grammy?"
"I knew his parents," Minerva said absently, "come along children." She tried to cover the horror she felt at the boy's appearance. "The Hogwarts express won't wait for late students."
"Ok grammy," Luna agreed. She seized the boy's hand and dragged him through the barrier.
The Sorting . . .
"But there is no Hedgehog house," the hat protested.
"I don't care," Luna maintained stubbornly, "I wanna be in Hedgehog house . . . and Harry too," she added as an afterthought. She'd finally found a friend and Nanny had always said that if you find a good man then you're to get your hooks into him and not let him go until you felt like it, and she didn't 'felt' like it yet.
"How about Hufflepuff, then? A badger is, if you squint a bit, something like a hedgehog." The Hat cajoled.
"No," Luna said stubbornly.
AN: Swordchucks gave me the line about Badgers looking like Hedgehogs if you squint. Half outline but it's been sitting on my HD for a while and I wanted to get it out, so I gave it a rough polish and slapped it together.