Chapter One
Chapter One: November 1, 1981
Minerva looked incredulously at her husband. "I'm sorry, but you gave our grandson to Hagrid?"
"Yes," Albus replied without hesitation. "Yes, I did."
"Albus, when you said you'd send someone from the Order to collect Harry whilst you convinced the Ministry to give you responsibility for Harry, I thought you meant an actual witch or wizard!" Minerva snapped. "Someone who could protect Harry from the remaining Death Eaters!"
"Hagrid is capable, Minerva."
Minerva sighed in frustration. "I do not doubt that Hagrid is taking good care of Harry. I do think, however, that Harry would be better protected if he were left in the care of someone with a wand. What was wrong with the Weasleys?"
"They barely have the room since Ginevra was born," Albus chided his wife. "Besides, I didn't want them to spend extra money on food for Harry."
"I would have paid for anything Harry needs, Albus!" Minerva exclaimed. "I gladly would have given Molly some Galleons. Besides, it's been a day, Albus. It's not like I wanted her to take Harry for a month."
"Minerva, it's done." Albus took a deep breath, and then introduced the topic he knew would be hard on his wife. "We need to leave. Hagrid will meet us at Petunia Dursley's, and we will place Harry there in the permanent care of his aunt and uncle."
Minerva simply stared at her husband. "You're joking. Lily and James wanted us to decide what would happen to Harry if Sirius wasn't around. It's our decision, Albus."
"It is, and I firmly believe that Harry needs to be with his relatives."
"We are his relatives!"
"Minerva—"
"Why are you so against raising him yourself?" Despite her anger, Minerva wanted to understand why her husband was intent on cutting her heart into pieces. "Are you worried about raising another child? You're more than capable, and you wouldn't be doing it alone. I would be here with you, Al. You'd have me this time. And I will never, ever abandon Harry."
"Minerva, I need you to trust me when I say that the safest place for Harry is with the Dursleys."
"I cannae believe that, Albus!" Minerva yelled, her Scottish brogue slipping through. "Petunia despised Lily—and Vernon will be glad to learn of James and Lily's deaths! How can you think that Harry will have a loving home there?"
Albus sighed. "Do you really think that Petunia would mistreat her sister's son?"
"Yes, I do!"
"I don't agree."
"Harry will be more loved and cared for if he lived with us!" Minerva pleaded. "If you're afraid of our notoriety, I already told you—I will retire right now and live in the Manor for the rest of my life. No one needs to know we have him. Please."
"I have my reasons, Minerva. Trust me."
"Albus, if you expect me to leave my grandson with two people who treated Lily horribly, you need to give me a better explanation than trust me." She stared at him, her eyes glittering with ferocity. "You're threatening to take my grandson away from me, ensuring that he has no idea who we are. I'm not letting him go without a fight."
Albus believed his wife. If he didn't give her his rationale, then she would use her not-inconsiderable talent to forcibly take Harry from Hagrid or the Dursleys, and then she would take the baby to the Manor and have Albus banished from the premises. Albus knew he couldn't hide everything from his wife, but he also knew he couldn't tell her his exact rationale.
So, he decided to tell her about his suspicions surrounding Harry's blood magic, and left out the part about Tom Riddle's survival.
When he had finished, Minerva spoke his own words back to him in a dangerous voice. "You believe that Lily sacrificed herself for Harry. In doing so, she protected him with blood magic, which means Harry must live with blood relatives if we want the protection to be kept intact."
"Yes."
"Yet you won't tell me what we're protecting him from, exactly?"
"This world is riddled with villains, Minerva," Albus said tiredly. "You can't expect me to name all of them."
Minerva changed tack. "Fine. Let's say there is another dark lord out there targeting Harry. We are his blood relatives, Albus. We could take care of him! Or, if you continue to refuse, I will take him. It doesn't need to be both of us."
"No, Minerva." Albus shook his head. "His caregivers need to share Lily's blood. Or, perhaps more accurately, Athena's blood. You do not share Athena's blood."
Minerva fixed him with a venomous glare. "Lily had my eyes," she replied coldly. "I believe you'll find that eyes have blood vessels."
"But was it my blood or yours that ran through Lily's eyes? Minerva, we have no way of knowing how exactly their body parts were exchanged. And," he added softly, a slight tremor in his voice, "we can't exactly inspect her corpse. We're not next of kin."
"But we are, for the love of God!" Minerva screamed. She was crying, and Albus could feel her despondency through their bond. "Are you actually telling me you won't consider taking Harry in? I have no desire to lessen Lily's blood magic, but, as you said, we cannot actually confirm my blood remained in Lily's—Dalton's—eyes." She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "My only hope is you, and you won't help me."
"Minerva, I'm trying to help Harry. He'll be safer away from the magical world."
"How is it you haven't learned that we're safer together? As a family, Albus." She laughed harshly. "And because my blood seems to be the issue, that rules out Callum, Iolanthe, and Aoife. And your blood—"
"My only living relative is Aberforth," Albus reminded his wife gently. "That would almost certainly be worse than the Dursleys."
"How can you say that, Al?" Minerva snapped. "I could visit Harry. We could visit and help Aberforth take care of him."
"Do you really want Harry growing up in the Hog's Head, where numerous unsavoury characters drink themselves into a stupor each night?"
"Want? Do I want that?" Minerva shouted. "No, Al, I do not want that. But you are giving me very limited options."
"If you wish, you can ask Aberforth," Albus conceded, "but we both know his answer would be no. He would be an angry and sullen guardian."
Minerva knew it was true, but the bleak choice in front of her seemed to slice her from toe to shoulder. She began to shake, and when Albus moved to comfort her, she shook her head. "No way in hell, Albus."
Albus awkwardly lowered his arms from where he had reached for her. "If you wish for me to move out of your quarters, I can do so after we safely deliver Harry to the Dursleys."
"Merlin, Albus. No." Minerva shook her head, causing tears to fly off her face. "No, Albus. I won't banish you from my quarters. Instead, you'll sleep beside me every night as I sob myself to sleep. You will have to live with the pain you're causing—you will have to help me through it. I won't do you the service of protecting you from it. Not this time, and not just through our bond. In real life. You will have to look into my eyes—Harry's eyes—and see just how much you've broken me."
Albus swallowed audibly. "Min, this hurts me too. I would love to have Harry live with us. There's nothing that would give me greater pleasure than to watch you raise him."
"Yet you're preventing that very thing from happening—especially knowing that you and I could protect him better than Petunia Dursley ever could." Her voice vibrated with venom. "And I highly doubt you'd simply let me leave right now and intercept Hagrid."
Albus stayed silent. Neither of them was willing to consider the lengths Albus would go to in order to ensure that Harry remained with the Dursleys.
Whatever those lengths were, they would likely break the couple apart for good, and neither was courageous enough to face that in the wake of all the devastation already surrounding them.
"Minerva, if you hope to come with me, we need to leave now," Albus finally said, his voice soft.
"When are you supposed to meet Hagrid?"
"In half an hour or so."
"Then I will go now, and you will meet me there in fifteen minutes." Minerva Summoned her travelling cloak.
"Why?"
"I want to take fifteen minutes to observe Petunia and Vernon in their natural habitat," Minerva snapped. "You can give me that much, surely."
Albus nodded. "Fine. I will meet you there."
Minerva said nothing as she walked by him on her way out of her quarters. She transformed into her Animagus form and slipped through the hallways, careful not to be seen by any of her colleagues or wandering students. After making it through the grounds, Minerva returned to her human form and Apparated away to where she knew the Dursley's house to be.
As she approached the house, she became a cat once more. The last thing she needed was for Petunia to catch sight of her and remember who she was. Minerva stared through the kitchen window and watched as Petunia cleaned the dining table. She wondered if Petunia knew yet that her sister—her last remaining blood relative—was now dead. As Lily and Petunia's parents had both died, Minerva didn't know who would have told Petunia. It's not like Remus or Sirius knew where Petunia lived; Lily had told Minerva that much herself.
Petunia had grown into a scrawny adult, and the sight of her next to her bulky husband made Minerva want to laugh. The house seemed fine enough, and it was certainly clean.
At least I won't have to worry about Harry contracting an unseemly disease, Minerva thought morosely.
She spent the fifteen minutes she had observing the family. Minerva didn't manage to catch a glimpse of Dudley, but it was likely too late for the child to be awake.
Suddenly, she heard Albus' voice murmur, "Professor McGonagall."
Minerva quickly transformed. "Professor Dumbledore."
"What have you noticed?" Albus asked, pointing his chin in the direction of the open window.
"She likes to clean," Minerva stated matter-of-factly. "That's all I saw."
They stood in silence until Hagrid arrived on a motorbike with Harry in tow.
"Oh, for Heaven's sake," Minerva muttered as the motorbike came to a stop in front of them. "Albus, was that really the safest method of transportation?"
Albus kept quiet.
"Here yers go, Perfess'rs," Hagrid said gently. He held Harry in front of him, and Minerva quickly took the baby into her arms. "He fell asleep alon' the way. I don't think he's hurtin'."
"No," Minerva whispered. Her eyes roamed over Harry's face, committing every skin cell to memory. "No, he's perfect."
"This is—this is Lily's sister's house?" Hagrid asked.
Albus nodded. "Yes, it is. He'll be safest here."
If either Albus or Hagrid heard Minerva sob, they didn't comment on it.
"Here, Minerva," Albus said expectantly, holding out his arms. "It's time."
Minerva exhaled a great, shuddering breath before giving their grandson to her husband. "There."
Albus gently took hold of Harry and carried him up to the Dursley's front stoop. He Conjured a carrier and placed Harry inside. Then, Albus withdrew a letter from his robe pocket, and slipped it under Harry's blanket.
"You're leaving him on the doorstep?" Minerva asked, aghast, as Albus came towards them again. "You're not even going to ensure they take him?"
"I have placed protective charms on Harry and his carrier," Albus said as soothingly as he could. "No one will take him."
Minerva did nothing but watch Harry as Albus bid Hagrid goodbye.
"Minerva?" Albus murmured. He placed a hand on the crook of her elbow. "Will you come home now?"
She shook her head. "No. I need to see Harry go inside. I need to make sure he's safe."
"All right," Albus said softly. He kissed her temple. "I'll see you back at the castle."
Minerva nodded and immediately transformed into her cat form.
She stayed vigil in the Dursley's yard for hours, hidden by a rosebush. She was hungry and tired, and just about ready to cry, but she would not be leaving before she saw Harry taken inside.
This boy—this baby—was her grandson, and she was not about to let him starve on a doorstep.
Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, Petunia opened the front door of number four, Privet Drive. She screamed upon seeing Harry and stared at the bundle on her doorstep for what seemed like decades.
Minerva watched as Petunia, quietly and hesitantly, picked up Harry's carrier and brought him inside her house, and closed the door.
Instantly, Minerva transformed into her regular self, and, unable to face Hogwarts, she went home to the Manor to sob.
Minerva wasn't sure what time Albus found her. She felt like she had cried the entire volume of the Atlantic Ocean, and her throat was raspy.
"Al?"
"Oh, my dearest, darling Tabby," Albus whispered. "You worried me. Here." He Summoned a glass of water and held it for her. "You must be dehydrated; the couch cushions are soaked with tears, not to mention your robes."
Minerva felt the truth of it when she sat up and felt her damp clothes stick to her skin. "Thank you."
Albus watched as Minerva had a few sips of water before stating softly, "It took me twelve hours to find you."
"Twelve hours?" Minerva wondered. "Wow. Surely you knew I would have come home."
Albus simply stared at her without answering, content to watch her.
"What is it, Albus?" she asked tiredly. "What do you want from me? I have nothing left to give."
"I'm not asking you for anything."
She closed her eyes. How she still felt tired, she didn't know, but it seemed that grief and devastation had a way of creating a weariness in her bones that she couldn't shake.
Minerva breathed deeply. "Now that you've found me, have you come to escort me back to Hogwarts?"
Albus shook his head. "No. I've come to wrap you in blankets, ensure you've eaten something, and then sleep beside you in our bed."
"What about Gryffindor House?" She was ashamed to admit it, but her House had never crossed her mind when she decided to return to the Manor.
Minerva couldn't bring herself to parent the children of others when her own child was dead, and her grandson out of reach.
"Pomona agreed to watch your House," Albus responded kindly. "We're free to be here until tomorrow night."
"It's Monday?" Minerva asked. She knew she had Apparated to the Manor in the early morning, but her head hurt too much to think about the days of the week.
"Mhhm." He stroked her cheek. "Will you let me take you to bed and fetch you some food?" Sensing her hesitation, he added, "It's fall break. There aren't any classes today—or tomorrow, for that matter."
Minerva swallowed roughly and looked at Albus. No matter how much his choices infuriated her, he was still her husband. Besides, she could feel his fear and concern pulsating through their bond.
He might have cut her open, but he wanted to stitch her back together.
"All right," Minerva murmured. She allowed Albus to help her stand. "I'm not sure how much I'll want to eat," she warned as they climbed the stairs.
"I don't think you've eaten in almost twenty-four hours," Albus answered softly. "I'd prefer it if you had a full meal, but if you can only stomach some soup, I'll have Pokey bring some up."
"Soup sounds agreeable," Minerva said. She watched as Albus folded back the bedclothes, and she slipped inside immediately. Closing her eyes, Minerva felt Albus warm the bed and Transfigure her robes into a nightgown, and then felt the edges of a tray around her middle.
"I hope leek and potato soup will do the trick." Albus sat beside her on the bed. "Here, try some."
Minerva took a spoonful and had to admit it soothed her insides and satiated her hunger. "This is wonderful. Do you want some?"
"No. I had an afternoon snack back at the castle. If I'm hungry after, I'll fix something downstairs."
They sat silently as Minerva finished her soup and the accompanying slice of fresh bread.
"Thank you," she muttered as Albus Vanished the dishes and tray, presumably to the kitchen.
"My pleasure." Albus stroked her cheek again. "Would you permit me to hold you while you sleep?"
"Didn't I just sleep for twelve hours?" Minerva grumbled. Still, she rested her cheek on his chest.
"Forgive me, my dear, but I don't believe that was a restful sleep."
"Likely not," Minerva admitted. "What do you plan on doing?"
He smiled wryly. "I'll watch you sleep, or perhaps charm a book to float in front of me. Then, when I too am tired, I'll fall asleep with you in my arms."
Minerva settled more closely against his entire body, wrapping her legs around his. "Al?"
"Yes?"
"I feel hollow," she whispered. She knew she wouldn't cry anymore—not tonight, she had no tears left to give—but there was an emptiness inside her that she couldn't ignore. "I feel like someone carved out all the love I had inside me and ripped it out. I feel like I have finally earned the stern spinster reputation that the students love to give me."
"A spinster wouldn't be telling all of this to her spouse," Albus murmured. He kissed her forehead. "I want you to know that I will never, ever forgive myself for making you feel this way."
"Will you ever be able to forgive yourself for what you're doing to Harry?" Minerva asked, not unfairly. "Will you be able to look him in the eyes and stand by your decision to deprive him of our love?"
She felt Albus wince.
"I want Harry safe. I firmly believe the best way to do that is to keep him with the Dursleys. If that means he never wants my love, I will live with that." Albus sighed heavily. "But I will never apologize for keeping him safe."
"Oh, Al," Minerva murmured, exasperated. "There is more than one way to keep someone safe. Love can, too. Just look at Lily's sacrifice."
Before Albus could respond, she kissed his cheek, and fell asleep.