The Girl Who Lived

Reunions & Realizations

Mention of self-harm, suicide and sexual assault.
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June 3rd, 1996.
Hogwarts.
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Elena Clairmont and Professor McGonagall landed through the Floo Network in Professor McGonagall's office.

Even through her spinning vision and her revolved stomach, Elena noticed on the clock that it was past midnight. The trial had been in the late afternoon, the trial had been a little over an hour, and walking from the Ministry to Grimmauld Place took a while too.

She had counted wrong all of this time. But at least it had kept her sane.

"Did you..." Elena started, clearing her throat and rubbing her wrists. "Did you mean everything you said about me? At the trial, I mean."

Professor McGonagall was walking to her desk and she sat down in the large chair. Her aged fingers carefully moved rolls of ungraded parchment out of the way to clear the space. Elena sat down in front of McGonagall, waiting for a simple yes or no.

Everybody knew that Professor McGonagall was the one teacher that was loyal but would never show any type of emotion towards her students. She was known for keeping her personal feelings and professionalism separate.

But at the trial, her voice had been filled with emotion- some hurt and some pride- as she had defended Elena to all of her capability. The way McGonagall had said she cared for Elena as if she were her own daughter and the way McGonagall had gone to fight for Elena's freedom... That implied more than McGonagall had ever shown.

"Yes, I meant every word." Professor McGonagall admitted with no emotion. Elena nodded, her bottom lip between her teeth.

She knew that it was a long shot to have any comfort right now but she thought that even Professor McGonagall would be different. A stupid thought, perhaps. "Nobody came to fight for me."

The girl's voice was so quiet and melancholic that Professor McGonagall looked up from arranging the parchment rolls on the desk. Elena's eyes were on her oddly bent fingers that the Healer had barely been able to fix. But Elena's magic had healed the bones incorrectly just as it had with her collarbone. Elena clenched her bent fingers into a fist.

"I waited for two days. Did you know that I counted the seconds until they became hours in my head? The grand total of time I counted was forty-two hours, ten minutes and fifty-three seconds. Turns out, I miscalculated. I had forgotten that after I arrived at the Ministry, one of the Officers hit me and I fainted. I didn't keep track because I couldn't but after that, I kept track of every single second I spent in that cell, without anyone coming to help me. Even when I slept or when I tried to at least, I kept track because I wanted to remember. I needed to remember that anger and disappointment."

She paused, rubbing over a small bruise on her jaw. She winced and shook her head in defeat. There wasn't a place on her body that didn't hurt when she touched it.

"I stopped counting." Elena said quietly, shutting her eyes for a moment. "The moment I stepped into that courtroom, I stopped counting. I gave up for a moment and I was ready to let them take me to Azkaban because I figured nobody could hurt me there. I would be by myself. Alone, just as I have been before."

Professor McGonagall blinked, trying to decipher the lost expression on Elena's face.

"And then you came into the court chambers and started fighting for me." Elena looked up, silver lining her eyes. "You were there, telling the Minister for Magic that I was your pride and joy. That you love me like I was your own daughter. Why would you do that?"