Aunt Mini

Chapter one

Harry had his head on his arms while he stared around at the hundreds of people that were still in the great hall. He’d seen most looking towards him but so far everyone left him alone. Before he put his head down, he ate a lot and drank a few cups of tea, the first things he had eaten or had to drink in days. Friends would run over to him with news, like Fred was alive when they thought he was dead, Remus was also alive. Everyone realised why these people were thought to be dead, with the fighting still going on, spells flying everywhere the healers couldn’t really do a thorough examination on anyone. Every time Harry tried to help he was taken back to the end of one of the tables and told to stay and not move, he had done enough.

‘Harry, dad said we’re going to head home,’ Ron said as he stepped over with Hermione.

‘I’m staying here Ron, the wand for one but there’s a few things I need to do, then I’m going to get my own place now he’s gone.’

‘It’s still not safe Harry, some escaped,’ Hermione said sounding concerned.

‘Yeah, but I’m not going to live my life in hiding anymore, with Voldemort it was different, he’s dead, so it’s time for me to get used to being alone. Actually I’m looking forward to it.’

‘Are you sure mate, you know it’s still your home?’

‘I am Ron, it’s time for me to get my own place. We all know the reason I couldn’t before, Voldemort. But I will be there a lot, I love your home, always did and the family of course.’

‘Alright and you know mum will want you there a lot. So we’ll see you in a few days maybe?’

‘You will,’ Harry stood and hugged his two best friends, ‘Just think as well, you’re a couple now you can have some time alone which you two will need.’

‘We do but we still like spending time with you, but about that, Ginny?’ Ron asked.

‘Are you referring to me and Ginny?’

‘Yeah, you were dating.’

‘That seemed like a lifetime ago Ron, I haven’t thought of your sister like that in so long and right now it’s not something I want to worry about. I want to stay here and help and have some time alone. I should go see McGonagall, give her that stuff.’

‘Alright Harry, we’ll see you soon,’ Hermione hugged Harry again then left with Ron.

Harry knew he couldn’t tell his friends the whole truth but he also realised that now their lives were going to be different where they didn’t have to live in each other’s lives anymore, it was time to have some parts of their lives that they don’t have to share.

Harry stepped over to a still messy Minerva McGonagall, ‘Harry, I thought you were told you stay put.’

Harry chuckled, ‘I did but I need to talk to you about something, in private if we could?’

‘Yes, of course. First though, are you heading out with the Weasley’s?’

‘No, I was hoping to stay here for a while, then I’m going to buy my own place.’

‘What about the ones that escaped, they would go after you more since you killed their lord?’

‘I’m not going to hide anymore professor, he’s dead, he was the danger to me. The death eaters and snatchers are a danger to everyone, so we do what we’ve always done, be cautious and hopefully catch them.’

‘This is your decision, you are an adult now, so yes, you can stay if you want. Now as the school needs to be repaired which will take a while and you will be the only one staying in your old dorm room, you can transfigure two beds into one, change it into something that you would like for now.’

‘Oh, thanks I’d like that.’

‘Then let’s head to my office so we can talk,’ Minerva and Harry walked off towards the transfiguration classroom then to the office at the back, ‘Sit down, would you like some tea Harry?’

‘No thanks, I’ve drank so much tea it’s a wonder liquid is leaking from all my cuts,’ Harry smiled when he heard McGonagall chuckle.

‘Very well, what do you wish to talk to me about?’

‘A few years ago something occurred to me, I couldn’t work out why so I spoke with Dumbledore. It took a while but he finally told me the truth, but asked that I not mention anything to anyone until Voldemort was dead, it was to keep someone safe. But after hearing the explanation things made sense to me.’

‘I know Albus was always trying not to say much because it would put more people in danger.’

‘Yeah, I used to get angry when he wouldn’t tell me things that involved me, but I finally understood. Okay, I hope you’re not upset about this but I used to see looks you gave me from the moment I started here. Fred and George thought you felt sorry for me, because so many people used to give me those looks. You were different, the looks you gave me weren’t just sorrow. For a few years I would watch you trying to work out what it was, that’s when I went to Dumbledore,’ Harry could tell McGonagall knew what he had found out, ‘I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to, I’m good at keeping secrets. All I want to know is now he’s dead if you would like to get to know me, personally I mean, I know I would with you.’

‘The only reason you were not told was for both our safety Harry. Naturally I would have been a target if they found out we were related, staying secret allowed me to protect you without anyone being the wiser.’

‘I get that, Ron and Hermione were always in danger, more than others and they were just friends. If they found out you were my great aunt they would have taken you to get to me. I don’t know anything about my family, always thinking they were dead.’

‘I was your grandmother’s sister, on your father’s side of course, her name was Gwendolyn.’

‘Why didn’t Sirius tell me, he told me other things that everyone wanted to keep from me?’

‘Sirius didn’t know, your father didn’t know who I was Harry, no one did apart from Albus. As far as your father knew I was just professor McGonagall, not his aunt Mini who only saw me when he was a child, five years old he was. By the time he started here at Hogwarts, I had changed a lot. So you realised I would watch you closely, even if I did feel sorry for what you had been put through and were going through, you worked out it was more.’

‘Something always drew me to you, so even though I never spoke to you unless it was school related, something told me you would be there for me. It was so strange why I felt so close to you but with so much going on I really couldn’t take my time to work it through. It was just after Voldemort returned when I brought up my thoughts to Dumbledore and since he knew by then I could keep secrets and act differently if I needed it, he explained.’

‘We were always going to tell you Harry, I wanted to a long time ago. But if someone got suspicious they might have done some checking and found out. So now you know who I am and we can finally get to know each other as family, that is something I have wanted since you were born. I will say this, I did want to take you after James and Lily died, but Albus explained about the blood wards and even though I hated the idea of you living with them, it was safer and your safety was my first priority,’ Minerva reached across and took Harry’s hands in hers knowing she could finally be more to Harry than just a teacher.