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Minerva McGonagall came to a stop in front of the stone Gryffin, one arm resting on the walking stick next to her. She glanced down at it in annoyance for a moment, then back up at the Gryffin, waiting. After a moment, the Gryffin slowly began to turn and she stepped carefully onto the revolving stone staircase. In a few moments, they had taken her to the top and she stepped off, pushing open the wooden door to Dumbledore’s office.
He looked up from his work as she slowly made her way across the room.
“Ah, Minerva,” he said, laying down his quill. “How are you feeling?”
She glanced at him for a moment before transfiguring one of the chairs in front of his desk into a more comfortable version, and took a seat. The corner of Dumbledore’s mouth twitched up in amusement as he watched her.
“As well as can be expected, Albus. I just wish I could be rid of this infernal stick.” She gave the walking stick, which was resting against the arm of the chair, a disdainful look.
“My dear Professor McGonagall, we are all very relieved to see you safe and on the mend. After what you went through, a little support for a while might be a good thing,” Dumbledore responded gently.
“It was foolish of me.” Minerva responded bluntly.
“On the contrary, my dear, it was quite heroic.”
She looked up at him, that characteristic Gryffindor fire in her eyes.
“It was rash, and a stupid thing to do. My emotions got the better of me, but - that woman. After everything she had done to the school, the students, you . . . And then to go after Hagrid like that, like some sort of thief in the night. A coward.”
Minerva looked away and took a breath.
“I did more harm than good by it,” she said quietly.
Dumbledore looked puzzled. “Whatever do you mean, Minerva?”
She was silent for a moment.
“I wasn’t here,” she began quietly, eyes staring at the floor in front of her. “To protect them. For Harry. He had no-one, there was no one here for him to turn to. If I hadn’t acted so foolishly, I would have been here. He could have come to me, he would have come to me, and Sirius would never have -”
She pressed her eyes shut.
“It’s my fault,” she said in a whisper as she felt warm tears forming beneath her shut eyes.
And in the darkness, she saw him.
Sirius on his very first day at Hogwarts, his slightly pale 11 year old face looking up at her during the sorting ceremony. She could feel the hat in her hand as she placed it on his head, could hear its voice as it called out “Gryffindor!”
She could feel the pride in her chest as she watched him walk to their table, but also the worry for him. She had known the Blacks, and a son of theirs placed in Gryffindor would not make things easy for him, not at all.
She saw him older, then, laughing at the back of the classroom with James, Remus, Peter. As much as the four of them were the cause of her daily headache, she took comfort in the bond they shared, the family they had given to Sirius after the cruelness of his own.
And Remus. As much an outcast as Sirius had been. Now he was the only one left. The last Marauder standing, alone.
And finally, she thought of Harry. Of all of the loss and pain he had already endured in so young a life. Of his happiness at having found Sirius. Of his joy at thinking of their future together. And it was all gone.
Because of her.
She felt the warmth beneath her eyelids grow and she stood and turned away from Dumbledore as tears escaped their bounds and rolled gently down her face.
“Oh, Minerva,” she heard Dumbledore sigh. She heard him rise and move to stand in front of her, grasping her hands in his.
She looked up at him, finally opening her eyes, and when she met his own, she saw they were full of tears as well.
“It is not your fault, Minerva,” he said, peering down at her. “If anyone is to blame, it is me. I knew that Voldemort -” Minerva flinched ever so slightly, looking away, “ - would try to do something like this, to use Harry in this way. If anyone is to bear the blame, it is me.”
Minerva looked up at him for a moment, then slowly removed her hands from his.
“Be that as it may,” she said quietly, turning carefully back to her chair and taking her walking stick in hand, “ I should have been here.”
She walked slowly towards the door, leaning more heavily on the stick now then when she had first entered. When she reached the door, she paused. Raising her wand, she wordlessly transfigured the chair back to its original state, then stepped onto the stone staircase.
“Good evening, Professor Dumbledore,” she said, and let the steps carry her away.
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Minerva rose from the body of Alecto Carrow as she listened to Amycus’ threats.
“What’ve they done, the little whips?” he screamed. “I’ll cruciate the lot of them till they tell me who did it!”
“She’s only stunned,” Minerva replied impatiently.
“We can push it off on the kids. He can punish them. Couple of kids more or less, what’s the difference?”
Minerva felt the anger begin to rise in her chest.
“Only the difference between truth and lies, courage and cowardice, a difference, in short, which you and your sister seem unable to appreciate. But let me make one thing very clear. You are not going to pass off your many ineptitudes on the students of Hogwarts. I shall not permit it.”
Minerva swallowed and took a deep breath. She could feel herself shaking. There had been many times such as this for the whole of the school year, moments when she thought she could keep herself restrained no longer, when she must raise her wand and fight back. But then she would think of him. Of Sirius. Of what had happened to that clever mischievous boy the last time she had let herself intervene. She couldn’t do it now, couldn’t risk leaving her children, because they were her children, all of them, alone in Hogwarts with these brutes and no one to turn to. Not again.
But if Harry really was coming . . . If help was on the way . . .
“Excuse me?” Amycus moved forward until he was offensively close to Minerva, his face within inches of hers. “It’s not a case of what you’ll permit, Minerva McGonagall. Your time’s over. It’s us what’s in charge here now, and you’ll back me up or you’ll pay the price.”
And he spat in her face.
And then, all of a sudden, Harry was there.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he said, and attacked Alecto.
Minerva’s mouth dropped open as she clutched her chest.
“Potter!” she said, feeling the relief of seeing her boy alive and wanting to protect her swell within her.
And then Luna Lovegood appeared as well and they were telling her all about their plans and the others who were coming as they rushed through the halls of Hogwarts, Minerva sending Patronuses to the other teachers as quickly as she could.
And then they rounded a corner and there stood Severus Snape.
Seeing him and knowing that Harry was here, that help was on the way, she allowed all of the fury at what he had done to her school and her students that past year to rush into her.
And finally, finally, for her students, for her trusted Dumbledore, for Harry, for James, for Remus, and for Sirius, Minerva McGonagall lifted her wand, and fought back.