Minerva's Choice
Minerva stared at the man she had once admired with great trepidation. Albus truly intended to leave the child outside in the cold, with only a letter until he was found the next morning. He's so convinced that his way is the only plausible option, he refuses to listen to reason. Too lost in his own "brilliance" that Minerva doubted he had truly listened to a word that she had said about these muggles.
She could remember countless times that Lily herself, and even her husband James, had spoken of Petunia and her hatred of anything having to do with the magical world and her unkind treatment of Lily after she started attending Hogwarts. Minerva had found Lily in tears more than once over the years about the things Petunia had said or the way she had treated her. Albus swore up and down that this was for the greater good and that everyone deserves a second chance regardless of their past. However, who's 'greater good' was the ultimate question. Minerva knew she wasn't going to be able to get him to see reason, at least not tonight. That would have to be a battle fought another day.
So, with one last glare at the old coot, she leans down to place a kiss on Harry's new scar, a silent promise to watch over him and to protect him from harm. His forehead already chilled from the night air. She transforms back into the small grey tabby and begins to walk away with her tail straight in the air, puffed, twitching the tip to show her displeasure. She continues to walk away until she hears the faint 'pop' indicating that Albus had apparated away before quickly darting back to Harry's side.
Minerva quickly resumed her human form and cast a quick diagnostic spell on the boy. The parchment that appeared indicated that he was already on the verge of hypothermia. The crazy old man hadn't even bothered to cast a warming charm to help Harry or any other protective enchantments to keep him safe till morning.
If she didn't know any better, she would say that Albus didn't seem to care for the boy or his wellbeing at all. He did not knock on the door or ring the bell, simply left a letter and walked away. Just as she was beginning to curse the old man and his tendency to prioritize what he sees as his "greater good" above simple things like logic and reason, Harry began to stir.
Minerva was lost in her musings and hatred of the once great Albus 'Whatever' Dumbledore, she didn't notice the panicked emerald-green eyes searching frantically for his parents. Harry's pained and panicked screams pierced the night and brought her back to the present.
Quickly and carefully, she lifted the frightened babe and cradled him close to her heart, where she instantly knew he would stay for the rest of her days. No matter what Albus "bloody" Dumbledore had to say about it.
She knew that she would have to go about this carefully and quietly to ensure that Albus didn't try to interfere. Once she was able to gently coax Harry back to sleep, she laid him back down and curled up next to him in her Animagus form. Often, when she would babysit the lad, she would transform to entertain him, and he would affectionately call her MinKitti.
Minerva resolved to give the Dursley's 48 hours to prove her wrong. In which time she would be watching carefully.
A few hours later she heard footsteps approaching the door from inside. She knew Harry was awake because she could feel him gently stroking her fur to calm himself as he tried to figure out where he was. A sudden shrill scream caused her to jump, hissing and swatting at the perceived danger. She looked up to see a stern, skinny horse of a woman staring down at her and the baby, clutching a hand to her heart. Harry had begun wailing, frightened by the noise and the sudden loss of his friend.
Petunia recovered herself, and quickly snatched up the babe and brought him inside before any of the neighbors could see. Minerva had to quickly squeeze inside as the door was closing and hide herself behind a chair in the corner of the sitting room where she would be able to see and hear what was happening in the kitchen.
Petunia had set the boy on the kitchen table without a care in the world. She offered Harry no words of comfort or kindness of any kind before turning to her fat, walrus looking husband with the letter from Dumbledore in her hands. "What is the meaning of this Petunia dear?" Vernon asked, putting down his coffee and the morning paper before turning to face his wife.
Petunia didn't answer, instead she turns and takes Dudley to set him up in the living room with a few of his toys before coming back into the kitchen. She holds up the letter and simply states, "It's from them" she says.
It takes but a moment for Vernon to understand who the "them" she's referring to are. "What the bloody hell do they want?" Petunia ignores him as she begins to read the letter, growing more and more indignant with every line she reads. By the time she finishes reading her face is contorted in a mixture of rage and pure hatred. How dare they? How dare they tell her that she must take the brat? How dare they leave her no choice? It's not her fault that her freak of a sister and her pathetic husband got themselves killed. She had told Lily since they were kids that she was a freak, and it was going to bring her nothing but trouble if she got herself mixed up with those freaky people and their "magic".
"My sister and her husband apparently were killed by that man I told you about because they got themselves mixed up on the wrong side of a war. That (she points at Harry) is their freaky little brat who they are trying to force on us. Something about blood magic protecting him if his home is with us."
Without even looking at Vernon, she grabs the swaddled babe who is still crying asking for his ma and da and proceeds to throw him into the cupboard underneath the stairs. She told Lily she never wanted to see the brat, she hadn't even gone to the wedding, why should she be forced to take care of him now that they're dead. She had meant what she said. She wraps on the slit in the door and yells at the frightened child, "Enough you little freak. Quit that crying or I'll give you something to cry about. Your precious ma and da are dead and they're never coming back. They don't care about you, they never did. So, knock it off."
Petunia storms back into the kitchen where she finds Vernon turning various shades of purple as he reads through the letter she had left lying on the table. "The nerve of some people. Thinking they can tell us what to do. Well of course we're not keeping him." He turns expecting Petunia to agree. "Of course not. We've got to protect our Dudders. I won't allow him to be subjected to that stuff growing up like I was. We'll leave the boy in the cupboard for a week to make sure they aren't watching and then you can throw him in the river for all I care."
Minerva couldn't believe what she was witnessing. How could anyone do that to an innocent child? One who just lost his parents and is part of their family? She knew that had the roles been reversed and Dudley had ended up on Lily's doorstep, that woman would have immediately welcomed the babe into her home and raised him as if he were her own.
She warned Dumbledore, she told him based on everything she knew, and everything Lily had said, that Harry wouldn't be welcomed here and he would be singled out for his abilities. Minerva quickly transfigures herself into a spider and crawls into the space with her boy. She transforms back into her Animagus form and Harry immediately pulls her into a bone crushing hug in an attempt to calm himself down. She gently meows to remind him to be careful. He releases some of his hold as he begins to stroke her fur. "MinKitti. Har scared. Want ma. Want da. Har scared." He continues to sob as she tries her best to comfort him as much as a cat can comfort the boy. She curls on his chest and begins to purr, eventually he exhausts himself and falls into a fitful sleep.
As Minerva lays there curled against Harry, still purring lightly to comfort the lad, she starts thinking of all the ways she can hex Albus Bloody Dumbledore into the next millennium for ignoring everyone and putting Harry through this hell. No matter how temporary it may be. She is thankful that she has set up an orb to capture everything that has transpired. She would need it for evidence against Dumbledore when he chose to fight her on this. It wasn't a matter of if he would attempt to return Harry here, but when.
Not once throughout the day did anyone come and check on poor Harry. No one brought him a bottle or any food to eat. And certainly no one dared come and change his nappy which had been thoroughly soiled by the next morning. Minerva cursed the Dursleys, they weren't fit for her boy, they weren't even fit to call themselves human beings.
Finally, Petunia opened the door and grabbed Harry by the scruff of his neck and placed him roughly on the living room floor. Complaining about how the child reeked and should've taken better care of himself. Minerva has had enough. She jumps out of the window and resumes her human form. She quickly transfigures her clothes into appropriate muggle attire. A simple black, knee length skirt and a deep maroon jumper. Fitting for both the weather and her noble house of Gryffindor. She raps smartly on the front door and waits anxiously. She hears Petunia curse under her breath, a babe crying as he's thrown back into his cupboard and the small door slamming shut.
Petunia opens the door and looks Minerva up and down as if she was seeing an alien. "Whatever it is you're selling, we don't want any." She moved to shut the door in Minerva's face, only to find her way blocked by some invisible force. She stared open-mouthed at Minerva.
Minerva merely smirked at the vile woman. "Come now Petunia. Surely you wouldn't want the neighbors to see you consorting with one of "My people" as you so kindly put it." She watched as recognition filled the horse-woman's eyes.
"You… you're the one who took my sister away from me aren't you?" Petunia asked. "I am Minerva McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yes, we have met before when I came to speak with your parents about Lily. Perhaps we should continue this conversation inside before we gain an audience. Wouldn't you agree?" McGonagall calmly watched as a rainbow of emotions crossed through the woman's eyes.
After a minute Minerva merely stepped around Petunia and took a seat on the couch. Petunia slowly closed the door and eyed the strange woman with apprehension. "What do you want?" She asked. "He said your kind wouldn't bother us." She crossed her arms in front of her as she stood watching the strange woman in her living room.
Petunia knew that there was nothing she could do against the woman. However, she was reluctant to show any fear. What right did this woman have to come into her home and try to push her around?
"I'm here for Harry Potter. I'd like to spend some time with him." Minerva said calmly. She knew she'd never allow her boy back in this house, but she was merely trying to give Petunia one last chance to come clean and show some sort of remorse or compassion towards her nephew.
Slowly she watches as Petunia's face slowly starts to pale. Her eyes start flashing between Minerva and the door that leads to the cupboard under the stairs. "I've never heard of him. We only have one son, Dudley. There are no other children here." She stated as calmly as she could.
Minerva quickly lost the stern, calm facade that her students had come to know over the years. "How dare you, Petunia. Do NOT try to lie to me. I know for a fact that he is here in this abysmal place you call a home." After quickly freezing the Dursley's in place, Minerva stormed toward the cupboard where her precious boy lay. She opened the door looking around at the small, cold dark space covered in dust and spiders. She finally spotted Harry who was curled as far back into the corner as he could. Minerva smiled at the small boy, "Hello prìseil. It is good to see you again. I'm going to take you away from here." She pulled the boy into her arms and gently laid him on the couch. "Now let's get you cleaned up and ready for our trip." She quickly banished his soiled clothing and shrunk some of Dudley's clothes that she had summoned to fit Harry.
She produced a parchment and quickly got to her last order of business before leaving this house for good. She sat at the kitchen table with Harry sitting on her lap, clutching his now clean baby blanket from his grandmother. She released the Dursley's from the spell holding them in place. "Do come and have a seat, Petunia. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can leave."
Petunia cautiously began making her way towards the table while Minerva began writing out a quick statement for the Dursley's to sign that would relinquish any claim towards her boy. "Here," she said, sliding the parchment towards Petunia and her husband, "Sign and date at the bottom. This simply states that you relinquish any and all legal & blood claims you may have on the boy and do not wish to have him as a ward in your care, nor will you seek any kind of visitation. You will never be able to reverse this should you come to your senses at a later date. Once this is done you will never see or hear from Harry again unless he decides to see you once he is of age."
Vernon was the first to find his voice as Petunia stared blankly at the parchment. "What about the money?" he asked quickly. "We had the whelp in our care, we demand to still be compensated as the letter claimed." So that's why Harry wasn't thrown out of the house right away even though they didn't want him. Dumbledore had promised the Dursley's money. They were going to be paid, and yet they still treated her poor boy worse than the Dark families treated their house elves. Minerva drew a few calming breaths so as not to scare the wee bairn on her lap. "After what I have witnessed and documented," she said, eyeing the Dursley's "Not only will you not be receiving a single pound for Harry, but you will also be receiving a visit from the Aurors before the week is through."
"Aurors? What the devil is an Auror?" Vernon spluttered. Before Minerva could answer Petunia blurted out "Their version of police." She immediately clamped her hand over her mouth as if she had just cursed in the presence of her parents.
Minerva slowly turned back to Vernon, "Yes, as your wife has so eloquently put it. Aurors are our police force. Now I will ask again. Please sign and date where it is indicated, and Harry and I shall be on our way."
Vernon and Petunia slowly signed the parchment and gave it back to Minerva. She quickly gathered her things and bundled the happy babe to her chest so they could apparate to her summer home in Hogsmeade village. Before she reached the door, Petunia tentatively asked one last question. "What about the protection from the Blood Wards against that Dark Someone or other?" Minerva sighed as she attempted to calm herself. Honestly, what had Dumbledore been thinking? To establish the blood wards, he would've had to tie them to poor young Harry's magical core. That would have depleted the babe and put him at serious risk. "They would not have been effective anyway if your treatment of Harry were to continue on as it began. You see, they rely on the bond of love and willing acceptance between the family. As you did not love Harry or treat him as family the wards would have failed by the end of the week. The Dark Lord is gone so there is no need for that protection at this point in time. He would never know to look in a muggle neighborhood anyway. Good day Petunia. I hope for Lily's sake that you can one day see that Harry is your nephew and is innocent. He has done nothing to you. He deserves to have a connection to his mother's only remaining family."
Without a backwards glance Minerva glided swiftly from number 4 Privet Drive. Hoping that she and her babe would never have to return. As she reached the end of the street Minerva apparated them to Hogsmeade. Harry had gotten fussy as they re-appeared in the village. Apparently, he had not enjoyed the feeling of apparition.
She smiled down at the lad and gently brushed the hair out of his face. "There there little one, it's all over. You'll get used to it in time. Now, we have a busy day ahead of us. We must get to Gringotts before mean old whiskers can do too much damage." After brushing a quick kiss on his new little lightning shaped scar, she set off quickly on her way.
Translations:
*Prìseil = Precious