Rise to Power

1. Minnie's Letter

1. Minnie's Letter

Minerva McGonagall held the letter in her hands, staring down at it. 

"Minnie! Dinner!" She looked up as she heard her mum calling her from the kitchen. She was sitting outside on the porch stairs of her house, as the cool autumn breeze swept a few leaves off the ground, gently landing in front of her. She took a deep breath, shoving the letter in her skirt pocket, and stood up as her mum appeared in the doorway.

Her mum leaned against the doorway, arms crossed and a raised brow, looking at Minnie, who was looking back at her with hands behind her back. "What'd you do?" She said, immediately thinking that Minnie had broken something or got in trouble with one of the neighbors again.

"Nothing!" Minnie rushed out, blushing after she realized how guilty she sounded. "I got my letter." She said so quietly it was just above a whisper.

Her mum's face broke into an ecstatic grin as she jumped out of her position, pulling Minnie into a hug, arms wrapping around her tightly. "Well, let us go inside and read it, shall we?" She said, before turning and going inside, a spring in her step. Minnie pulled out the letter, fiddling with it in her hands nervously while walking to the kitchen table.

She'd been expecting this letter. In fact, she'd been counting down the days until it arrived. Her parents had both attended Hogwarts, and she had even been able to do a few things with her magic, controlling it. The other day, she managed to bring a dead bouquet of flowers back to life. She knew she was going to Hogwarts, so why was she so disappointed about the letter?

In truth, she really was excited about going. That is, until a few days ago when she overheard her dad talking in the kitchen with her mum.

"Isobel, it's getting dangerous out there. People are getting killed, families are getting killed. Hogwarts is the safest place for her-"

That night, she'd laid awake in her bed, pondering over what her father had said. She didn't care if she was safe or not at Hogwarts, but her family would be home without her. What if they got killed? Her brother was only 8, he hadn't even gotten the chance to live yet. Now, that wouldn't be fair. He was always so excited when their parents talked about Hogwarts with the two of them. Minnie had been so fearful and lost in thought that the idea of staying and listening fully to what her father had to say, just left her mind completely. Now, if she had; she would have heard her father recount that it was only muggles and muggle-born families, and only a handful of half-bloods, like herself. This meaning, her chances of actually getting hurt were very low.

Now she was inside at the dining table, eating with her family at the dinner table as her father read the letter aloud in an animated voice, a proud twinkle prominent in his eyes.

She hadn't even realized that she wasn't paying attention until she heard her name being called. "So, what'd you think, Min? School starts in two weeks, do you want to go school shopping next Wednesday with your mum?" Her dad asked her, putting down the letter.  She took a bite of her food and smiled tightly, nodding her head rather stiffly, but her parents didn't notice. Her mum and dad shared a look, smiling softly as they started back on their meals, talking about her dad's work.

That night she sat purposefully on her windowsill and tried to read, but she kept getting distracted. Thoughts of her family getting killed and her not being there flooded her mind. There was no getting out of going to Hogwarts, that was for sure. No matter what she could try. She decided to just give up, putting her book down on her nightstand and crawling into bed. What if she was just overreacting? Surely no one would kill her family. They had no reason to. They were good people, always so kind and welcoming to everyone. They'll be fine. She thought. They will. They had to be.

~~~~

The next morning, she woke up from the movement of her little brother crawling into her bed next to her.

"What's wrong, Robbie?" She asked the little boy. The moment she sat up, his arms wrapped around her, hugging her neck tightly while he was crying.

"Robbie, what is it?" She asked, starting to get worried.

Robbie murmured something that she couldn't quite hear.  "Hmm?" she questioned, rubbing his back, trying to calm him down.

"I-I'm gonna miss you. You're leaving and won't be back until Christmas. Christmas!" Robbie said before he started sobbing harder, his tears falling quickly as he buried his face back into her nightshirt, holding her tightly as though if he were to let go she might disappear. 

"Oh, Rob," she said, resting her chin on top of his hair and pulling him into a hug. "It really won't seem like I'll be gone that long. I bet you after I leave on that train, it'll only feel like a week until holiday. That's not long, is it?" He shook his head, rubbing his eyes with his fist. "See? I'll be back in no time! And, when I'm gone, you can come up with your own ways to play jokes on Mummy and Daddy. Does that sound fun?" He nodded once more, and Minnie smiled ruffling up his hair lovingly. 

Minnie took her brother's hand and led him down the hall to his room. As soon as he was tucked back in, she read him a bedtime story. Once he had drifted to sleep in his own room she started back down the hall, returning to her room once more. It was only 6 in the morning, so she decided to stay up and finish her book.

She should've been excited, but it seems like there are more and more reasons to stay. Who knows. Maybe it'll be fun. She thought. Maybe I'll make new friends and it'll all be great.

And with those thoughts in her head, she set to reading her book once more, pushing away the despairing thoughts that threatened the peace in her mind.