Hello there,

I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter! (and if you do, don't forget to let me know with a review 3)

I woke with a start on the first day, probably because of the ambient light. It took me several minutes to remember where I was, disoriented as I was by the red light filtering through the bed curtains. I even had a brief moment of panic, wondering if my aunt had already woken up and needed me, and I abruptly drew the curtains back, only to stop dead as the surroundings reminded me where I was. This reminder only served to make me hurry even more, running through the stone corridors down to the ground floor, so eager and excited was I about the holidays that had just begun.

Minie stopped me at the entrance to the kitchen, half amused, half annoyed by my exuberance ("You could have hurt yourself if you'd fallen!"), and handed me a generously filled plate with a dignified air after making me wash my hands. She served herself a hearty breakfast as well, and we waited until our stomachs were full before chatting.

Minie must have sensed that I wasn't quite ready to take the initiative, for instead of asking me what I wanted to do, she directly suggested going for a walk around the area. I agreed at once and quickly walked up to my room to grab my scarf and a jacket (my favourite cat had firmly advised me not to run, worried I might fall).

When I came back down, I noticed that Minie had also changed. She had shortened her long dress so she could walk more easily, and I noticed warm woollen stockings covering her legs. She had also swapped her pointed hat for a simple black woollen bonnet and was wearing delicate leather gloves. She noticed me observing her and merely commented,

"A warming spell could have protected us, but I don't like being dependent on magic, and we're in an area where Muggles might pass by from time to time, especially if we wander away from the manor."

She took my hand, and we stepped out into the crisp air. She didn't walk too quickly so I could easily keep pace with my shorter legs. We didn't talk much, simply enjoying together the beauty and majesty of the landscape that some might have called austere. To me, it was nothing but beautiful and new, and as a city dweller, I was discovering one thing after another. I eventually let go of Minie's hand so I could run more freely from one curiosity to another. Here, a strangely shaped rock, carved by the moorland rain. There, a flower frozen in ice, near a patch of snow. Over there, a hill crowned by an old, almost entirely collapsed tower…

oOo

After an hour and a half of leisurely walking, I started to tire, and after one last effort, we took a break on a small rise. Two rocks provided comfortable seats, made even cosier when Minie waved her wand and transformed the tops of the stones into soft cushions, not without mentioning that it was an exception. I thanked her, fascinated by the magic, and began to ask a few questions about what she had just done. She explained a few basic rules of Transfiguration and spoke to me about magic in general.

After some time resting, I got up to get a better view of the landscape, and also because standing still made me more aware of the cold. The commanding position I had from the knoll where I was standing allowed me to see a vast stretch of the landscape, and in the distance...

"Minie, is that the sea over there?"

Minie stood up, transforming the rocks back as she did so, and squinted in the direction I had pointed.

"Exactly right, Harry! Do you want to go and see it up close?"

"Can we?"

"Of course," she smiled.

"How do we get there? Do you have a car? Or are we going to Apparate again?"

"Much better, you'll see—I think you're going to love it."

Wearing a mysterious expression, my cat set off towards the house, refusing to say any more. I followed her, and after about twenty more minutes of walking, we arrived at the back of the manor. Minie headed towards the broom shed we had visited the day before and opened the creaky old door. Inside, carefully hung on the walls, were about a dozen brooms—strangely clean and remarkably polished.

"I told you I'd show you what wizards do with these tools," Minie said with a smile, picking one up.

The broom was made from dark wood and was longer than the one I usually used to clean the floor at my uncle and aunt's house. On the handle, there were also two peculiar seats with some sort of footrests. I must have looked particularly puzzled because Minie chuckled softly before leading me outside and placing the broom on the ground. She asked me to step back a little, put her hand above the broom, and said:

"Up!"

The broom rose, leaving the ground to position itself obediently under Minie's hand.

"It flies?" I asked, amazed.

"It does indeed, Harry," she replied with a smile. "Come on, I'll help you get settled."

With her help, I climbed onto the contraption and soon found myself perched on the back seat, my feet securely wedged into the stirrups. Before getting on herself, Minie muttered a whole series of spells meant to keep me from falling, followed by an invisibility charm for the broom and another to keep us warm once we were at altitude. Finally, holding the hem of her robe with dignity, she settled in front of me, and I instinctively grabbed her waist. A few seconds later, we were airborne.

oOo

At first, Minie flew at a low altitude, often turning around to check if I was alright, but I quickly gained confidence and soon didn't need to hold on. I wanted to go higher, faster. I felt absolutely wonderful on the broom. I loved the speed, the height. I loved seeing the landscape below, the lochs like frozen sapphires against the backdrop of the moorland. There were hardly any houses—this was wild Scotland. Minie was focused on steering, but that didn't stop her from pointing out various curiosities now and then. Here, a wizard's manor; there, a loch with a peculiar shape; and here, a bird flying not far from us... We passed through a few clouds—damp, but Minie's spell soon warmed us up again. Flying... one of my dreams, come true.

After some time, we arrived above the sea. The broom descended slowly, Minie guiding us in wide, lazy circles. The waves crashed against the rocks, sending spray flying. Seen from above, it was truly magnificent. I had only seen the sea once or twice in my life, during holidays with the Dursleys. I hadn't really been able to enjoy it, being constantly called to order by my aunt, who didn't want me standing around gawping when I could be useful around the house.

We landed on a black sand beach, sheltered from prying eyes, and without saying a word, I took Minie's hand, which was still holding the broom, and we slowly walked towards the waves. We didn't speak, preferring to take in the surroundings in silence. The sky was cloudy, but not dark, and the clouds were reflected on the waves in places where the water was calmer. We stayed there for what felt like minutes, or maybe hours, until hunger convinced us to find somewhere to eat. Instead of taking the broom again, which Minie miniaturised and slipped into a pocket, we walked. Minie had spotted a small village not far away.

We reached it after about ten minutes of walking across the moor and then along a muddy little path. We found food in a small pub on the main street and treated ourselves to a delicious fish soup. We avoided talking about the broom journey, as we were surrounded by Muggles, but we enthusiastically discussed the landscape and the soup. Once our stomachs were pleasantly full, we left the pub and the village, walking a bit longer before taking the broom again for our return to the manor.

oOo

As we began our descent towards the manor, I hugged Minie again—this time it wasn't out of fear of losing my balance, but as my way of thanking her for the day. After putting the broom away, we made our way back to the sitting room, and upon hearing my not-so-discreet yawns, Minie urged me to wash up and head to bed, which I did without needing to be told twice, as tired as I was.

When I got back to my room, Minie joined me and told me a story about a princess and seven goblins, which seemed like a Wizarding version of Snow White where the dwarfs weren't miners but goblin bankers. I was finally ready to sleep, and Minie held my hand as I lay down, stretched my aching limbs, and closed my eyes. In my half-sleep, I heard her old voice start to murmur a sort of lullaby, which I carried with me into my dreams.

The next morning, the sky was clear, with only a few high clouds breaking up the uniform blue. We ate outside, and I struck up a conversation about magic. Minerva then went to fetch a book from the manor's library—a first-year textbook—and began telling me in detail about the different subjects. After a while, we found ourselves with a complete stack of books by our side, including a magical picture book and Hogwarts: A History—a massive but fascinating volume about the school I would soon be attending. As we started leafing through it, Minie had to give me plenty of explanations since many words, like Quidditch, were unfamiliar to me. I soon found myself taking notes, and Minie joined in shortly after, as some of my comparisons to Muggle concepts left her a bit baffled. The morning passed by quickly, and we had lunch in the same spot as breakfast. When it came time to decide on the afternoon's activities, I timidly asked:

"Minie, do you think we could fly again?"

Minie took on a thoughtful expression before her face lit up with a wide smile.

"That's a great idea, Harry! Meet me in front of the shed as soon as you've put on some warm clothes—I just need to check something."

I hurried to my room to comply while Minie walked around the manor towards the broom shed. When I arrived at the door, she opened it straight away and nodded approvingly at my outfit. Smiling, she handed me a broom.

"I was hoping to find it. It's a special model for children—it's quite old but still in working order. It belonged to me when I was young. Technically, children aren't supposed to do magic before going to Hogwarts and getting their wand, but old Wizarding families don't usually bother with this rule. Most wizard children grow up with magic all around them, and depending on the family, learning to fly or getting a wand early isn't uncommon."

I took the broom with respect and finally got a good look at it. It was much smaller than the one we had flown on the day before—about twenty centimetres shorter than me. Its dark wooden handle gleamed, clearly having been carefully cleaned before being stored in the shed. It had a kind of handlebar like on a bicycle, probably to make it easier to hold on to. Minie chose for herself an elegant broom of light-coloured wood and led me outside. I was a bit nervous, having no idea how to make something that I usually used for cleaning fly, and having never performed magic deliberately before. Nevertheless, when Minie explained how to position myself and I shouted,

"Up!", it only took two tries before the broom leapt into my hand. A bit more forcefully than necessary, perhaps, but the important thing was that it worked.

I managed to sit on the broom with a fair amount of awkwardness while Minie checked one last time that the safety spells on my broom were still effective. She commented as she went through her checks:

"The altitude limit spell seems to be in place. It'll stop you from going higher than twenty metres. The anti-fall spell is still intact too. It can't prevent every mishap, but as long as you fly normally, it should keep you from slipping off. Anyway, I'll be right here to watch you. Anti-cold—good. Impervius... All seems well. Are you ready?"

A bit intimidated, I just nodded, and Minie mounted her own broom before demonstrating how to take off. After a few clumsy attempts, I managed to get airborne, and once in the air, I did a few exercises under her guidance to learn how to steer my broom. I was a quick learner, and soon I moved on to more complex games. Minie would throw a ball for me to catch, then make me chase it as she controlled it with her wand. After about an hour, we landed, and my cat simply remarked with a smile:

"You'll make an excellent Quidditch player, Harry."

I smiled, thinking back to the magical sport I had learned about that morning. Minie had told me that my father played it and was good at it. I hoped I might join my house team next year too.

"I'm going to stop flying here, Harry—I think that's enough for me today."
Seeing my pleading expression, she added, "But you can carry on for a bit longer as long as you're careful—I'll keep an eye on you from the ground."

I took off again immediately and had fun for a long time, instinctively understanding how to perform increasingly complex manoeuvrers. I didn't use the handlebars, preferring to hold directly onto the broomstick itself. Minie had settled at a table outside to grade papers while keeping an eye on me. Eventually, she left to prepare the meal, reminding me to be careful.

oOo

Noticing the loch, I decided to see what it felt like to fly over water. I amused myself by skimming the surface, almost brushing it with my foot. The clouds reflected brightly on the water, giving me the impression of flying between two skies. I heard Minie calling me and saw that I had moved quite far from the manor, so I hurried back, showing off a few tricks I had invented along the way. I was proud to demonstrate my newfound dexterity.

Halfway back to the shore, I decided to attempt a loop-the-loop while holding on with just one hand. I had almost succeeded earlier and wanted to impress Minie. So, I pointed my broom upward and soared toward the clouds when suddenly it began to vibrate. Taken by surprise, I tried to regain control, but my other hand started to slip, and I suddenly found myself plummeting toward the surface of the loch.

I felt as though my fall was slowed, but I still hit the water with some force and was immediately submerged. The cold was terrible, and I struggled clumsily, barely knowing how to swim. The weight of my wet clothes made it even harder. Before long, I couldn't keep myself afloat, and the water closed over me. The cold caused an almost physical pain, and I closed my eyes.

oOo

I didn't realize I was out of the water until a sudden warmth spread through my limbs. I opened my eyes to see Minie leaning over me, her face tense. We were on the loch's shore, about twenty meters from the manor. A broom was lying nearby, and Minie's robe was as soaked as my own clothes. I tried to speak, but she gestured for me to be quiet and waved her wand over me, then herself, before asking in a neutral voice:

"Can you walk, Harry?"

I tried to stand up and nodded. She motioned for me to follow her, and we made our way back to the manor. I could feel she was angry, and I didn't dare ask whether we should really leave the broom on the ground. She sent me straight to the shower and told me to come downstairs when I was done.

I obeyed without question and washed quickly before putting on clean clothes. I hesitated at the top of the stairs, then finally decided to go down. She was waiting for me in the kitchen with a hot meal. Without a word, she motioned for me to sit down, and we ate in silence. Feeling lost, I eventually asked:

"Are you angry, Minie?"

My own voice sounded so pitiful that the answer was obvious.

"Of course I'm angry, Harry! What on earth were you thinking? I told you to be careful, I trusted you, and I find you plunged into the lake!"

"I'm sorry..."

"I should hope you are!"

I didn't know what else to say and finished eating quickly before going up to my room without another word being exchanged. I was afraid that Minie would send me back to the Dursleys after what I had done. I had probably broken the broom she lent me. Her childhood broom. I watched from the window as she went out to put away the other broom she had used to fly to my rescue. Not once did she turn her head toward the manor.

After a few hours, as the shock from the accident gradually faded, it became clear to me that Minie wasn't going to come see me, and I started to cry quietly, the way I had learned to do at the Dursleys'. Not too loud, so as not to be noticed or punished even more. Yet, after a while, I heard the door open, and I tensed, convinced that Minie was coming to scold me, maybe even to tell me she didn't want me any more.

She sat on the edge of my bed and, after a moment, placed a hesitant hand on my shoulder while I kept my face buried in the pillow.

"Harry, look at me, please."

Her voice was calmer than before, but I still obeyed quickly, not wanting to make her angrier.

"Harry, do you know why I'm angry?"

"Because I broke your broom, and I was a stupid child for disobeying you?"

"No, Harry, you weren't a stupid child—you were just a child. It was your first time flying, and I left you alone—I shouldn't have done that. You can't assess what twenty meters high really means, and you don't know how to react if your broom malfunctions... Harry, I'm angry because I was terrified. You could have died. I'm angry because you took risks, and because I didn't think enough. I could have lost you, Harry. When I saw you above the lake, I panicked so much that instead of summoning a broom magically, I ran to the shed. Thankfully, the charms on your broom slowed your fall. I managed to retrieve it, by the way, but I doubt it's still usable for flying."

I remained speechless after hearing the unexpected apology from the witch. She was worried about me...

"But Minie, it's not your fault at all, it's mine!" I finally heard myself protest. She was being kind to me, but I knew I had messed up. Besides, I didn't mind if she punished me—I doubted she'd do anything as painful as my uncle's punishments, unless she sent me back to them. The mere thought made me shiver, and I lowered my eyes.

"Harry?"

Minie must have sensed my change in mood because she pulled me awkwardly into a hug before speaking again.

"Harry, I really mean what I said. You may have made a mistake, but you're far from being entirely responsible. I'm a little angry that you were reckless, but it was mostly my worry for you that made me react the way I did. I think you've been punished enough by your swim, and I trust that next time you'll pay more attention to altitude limits, right?"

"There will be a next time?"

"Of course, Harry—unless this experience has put you off flying entirely."

"Does that mean... you're not going to send me back to the Dursleys?" I finally dared to ask.

"No, of course not, Harry!" Minie replied, horrified. "Why would I do such a thing?"

"Because I messed up?"

"You know, normal parents punish their children when they make mistakes, but they try to make the punishment fit the misbehaviour. And I doubt anything you could do would ever make me go to such extremes. Merlin, Harry, I've started taking care of you—I'm not about to abandon you now!"

Minie hugged me tighter, and I returned the embrace, more moved by her words than I would have thought possible. She wasn't done yet, though, and took a few moments to find the right words.

"Do you remember Christmas, Harry? You asked me if I could be your guardian... I've thought about it, and if you still want me, I would love to have that chance. We've spent a lot of time together this year, and I've gotten to know you. I think you deserve better than what you've known so far. Even though Hogwarts and your House will offer you a sort of family, I want to take care of you as more than just your teacher, or your Head of House if you end up in Gryffindor. I love you, Harry."

For a brief moment, we were both silent—maybe because she hadn't expected to say all that, and me because I was too stunned. I was still in her arms, and I could feel her tension, realizing that she was waiting for a response from me. With difficulty, I finally managed to say, in a voice made sharper by my emotions:

"I love you too, Minie... I want..." I stopped, cut off by an uncontrollable sob. "I want you to be my mom."

I started crying, and Minie, understanding, pulled me onto her lap and held me even closer. I felt her wipe something from her cheek, and we stayed wrapped in each other's arms for a long time. I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep, exhausted from the flight and the emotion, until I woke up the next morning.

oOo

The outside was dark, and as I approached the window, I noticed it was raining. I turned around when I heard my bedroom door creak open and saw Minie watching me.

"Good morning, Harry! I came up to see if you were awake—I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

I shook my head and went over to her. We went down to the kitchen and had breakfast without mentioning the events of the previous day, but it wasn't necessary. I knew I hadn't dreamed it from the thoughtful and tender looks my cat often gave me. After finishing my last glass of pumpkin juice, Minie suggested that we spend the morning continuing the knowledge exchanges we had started the day before. I agreed eagerly, and we spent the morning in the living room, chatting and taking notes.

When hunger set in, we had a meal and then returned to the living room. A storm was brewing outside, and it wasn't the time to go flying again. Even though I loved flying, I was happy to be in the warm room with the old witch. She suggested teaching me how to play wizard's chess, and our game was well underway when the flames in the fireplace suddenly turned green. Minie noticed immediately and froze for a moment before abruptly standing up, grabbing my hand to get me out of the room.

She didn't have time to make me cross the threshold before a voice rose from the hearth:

"Minerva, Minerva, are you there?"

The voice sounded like that of an old man, and it made my guardian flinch. She quickly pushed me behind the living room door, whispering urgently:

"Go to your room quickly, Harry, please. I'll explain later, but it's important that you obey. The one who's coming must not know you're here."

The anxiety in her voice was almost tangible, and, impressed, I obeyed without thinking.

oOo

Once Harry had disappeared, running around the corner of the hall, I calmly closed the living room door before stepping quickly toward the flames.

"Good evening, Albus. What are you doing here?" I asked, noticing with satisfaction that my voice remained perfectly neutral.

"Good evening, Minerva. May I come in?"

"Certainly," I replied instantly.

Refusing would have been suspicious, and I didn't kid myself—if Albus wanted to enter, he would, and the polite request was only for form's sake. I took a step back, and with a flicker of green flames, Albus emerged from the fireplace. I gestured for him to sit on the couch, which he did, and I stiffly sat down on the armchair facing him.

"What am I doing here, Minerva? Well, I came to see you. Actually, I think I should turn the question around."

"What I'm doing here? I don't see what you mean. I'm just spending my vacation days at home. What's so surprising about that?"

My response was too aggressive, but Albus had caught me off guard, especially after the events of the day before.

"Come now, Minerva, you and I both know that 'home' for you means Hogwarts, and you haven't stepped foot in that building since the day you received your N.E.W.T.s."

"And I thought it was time for that to change."

"Minerva..." The old wizard sighed, his tone weary.

He scanned the room before pushing one of the pieces on the chessboard that, of course, had not been tidied up in the rush caused by his arrival.

"What have I become to you, my old friend, for you to lie so confidently to me? Are you going to tell me that you were teaching yourself to play chess?"

"Albus..."

"No, Minerva. I've been here for a while, watching you. The defences around this manor are good, but I helped create most of the alarms, and they haven't been updated in a long time. I've come in peace; I don't plan on depriving the boy of his vacation. You can bring him in; he's waiting behind the door."

"You wanted to test me..."

"I was wondering what you would do to protect him."

"Behind the door?"

I quickly stood up and opened the living room door, to see Harry frozen behind it, looking as if he feared punishment.

"I'm sorry, Minie, you seemed so worried, I didn't want to do something wrong..."

"It's fine, Harry, you can come in."

I took the boy's hand to reassure him before leading him into the room. Perhaps a little stiff, but I tried to hide my anxiety as best I could. Albus wouldn't miss it, but at least Harry seemed more at ease. The elderly Hogwarts headmaster waited for Harry and me to sit side by side before speaking in a calm tone.

"Hello, Harry," said the old man in a tranquil tone.

The boy looked at me for reassurance before answering timidly:

"Hello, sir."

"My name is Albus Dumbledore, Minerva may have spoken about me."

"You're the headmaster of Hogwarts?" Harry asked, slightly impressed.

"That's right. I came to visit my friend," he said, tilting his hat in my direction. "I see you were learning to play chess—perhaps I could join the lesson? I'm terribly bad at chess, both Muggle and wizarding."

I wasn't too fond of the idea of Albus lingering at my home, but I didn't quite know how to dismiss him, and he had told me he came in peace. As long as he didn't try anything, he wasn't a problem. Besides, he was already sitting on one side of the chessboard and offering Harry a lemon drop, which helped him relax. I trusted the boy not to mention my proposal from yesterday in front of the headmaster—after all, he was a stranger, and I knew Harry well enough to know he wouldn't say too much.

Contrary to all my expectations, the afternoon passed pleasantly. Albus didn't ask Harry any inappropriate questions, and instead acted like a slightly eccentric old uncle, using his powerful magic to show Harry simple, original spells that made the boy laugh—only after thoroughly crushing me at chess, of course. I was happy to see my old friend in such relaxed circumstances, despite my concerns about everything he had discovered. I knew I'd spend the evening lost in speculations about his reaction, but for now, I tried to enjoy the moment. He left just before dinner, citing his duties as a reason to return, and I almost regretted seeing him go after he handed out one last lemon drop to everyone.

Once we were alone, we had a modest dinner before heading up to Harry's room. I could tell he had many questions on his mind, but he didn't seem ready to ask them just yet, and I didn't feel clear-headed enough myself to start a conversation about Albus's visit. So, we avoided the sensitive topics and I grabbed a book of fairy tales I'd picked up from the library to read to Harry.

When he finally fell asleep, I watched him silently for a few minutes, thinking about the changes this boy had already brought and would continue to bring to my life. The son of two of my Gryffindors, who I was already starting to consider as an inseparable part of my life. I had never felt the need to marry, and had always considered the children of my House as my own. Yet what I felt for this orphan, who I was the only one to have reached out to and who depended on me, was stronger than my attachment to my students. I found myself thinking that it was even closer to what ordinary mothers must feel for the flesh of their flesh, more so than what I had always considered a motherly feeling for my students.

I finally stood up quietly and made my way to my room in silence. I had a lot to think about.

That was longer than usual, and quite a lot of things are happening. What did you think of Albus' visit?