Hermione Granger and the Theft of Magic

Chapter 16: A Lovely Lie

[A/N: Thank you to Calamity Owl for beta-reading this chapter!]

Harry found himself alone by mid-morning the next day. Dobby had taken Hermione home around six when a healer came by to check on him, and Sirius and Remus left after he was formally discharged a few hours later. Harry had just finished going over the hospital room one last time to make sure nobody had left anything when a knock on the door nearly made him jump.

"Guid morning, Mister Potter," Professor McGonagall said. "How are ye feeling?"

"I'm fine," Harry said. "They just kept me for observation."

"Ye nearly died," McGonagall said sadly. "That's nae 'fine.'"

Harry shot her a wry smile. "I'm surprised you're not used to that by now."

"I am, and that's the problem." She shook her head. "I've seen you in too many hospital beds, laddie."

"In my defence, I was almost always in the same one at Hogwarts," Harry said.

McGonagall pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ah, yes, your plaque. The fact that the Twins and, as I later learned, Peeves, were moved tae put a plaque for ye on a bed proves my point."

"Oh, so you finally figured out Peeves was involved?" Harry asked. "He was their secret weapon in making sure it couldn't be removed."

"Yes, they admitted it tae me after ye graduated," she said. "Now stop trying tae change the subject, Mr. Potter! Ye end up in these beds far too often for my likin'."

He shrugged. "I'm sorry, Prof...Headmistress. As much as I try to stay safe, this is a dangerous line of work."

"I know, and I worry about ye constantly." The older woman sighed. "Lad, your parents were some of my favourite students, and they're ne'er goin' tae forgive me if ye meet them again before I do."

That comment brought Harry up short. McGonagall had been a constant for over half of his life thus far and he had trouble imagining a day when he'd walk into Hogwarts without her there.

Was that how other people his age felt about their parents?

He mentally shook himself and responded. "I'll do my best to avoid that happening, but my father was an Auror. He knew the risks, too."

"Your father was only an Auror because of the war," she said. "He'd finally married the girl he'd been chasing tae ludicrously little effect for nearly ten years and I suspect if he'd had his way they'd ne'er hae even left the bedroom, tae say nothing of hunting Dark Wizards."

Harry hurriedly shoved any thoughts related to his parents doing that into the furthest part of his mind and tried to stay focused on the real topic. "But Professor Dumbledore told me he'd always wanted to be an Auror."

Such fury washed over McGonagall's features that Harry nearly took a step back, but it disappeared as quickly as it came and she calmly responded, "Only tae protect your mother from the war. He once told me he'd rather fight for her rights in the Wizengamot than the streets, but he ne'er shied away frae doin' either."

"Oh." Harry looked down. "I didn't know that. Even so, though, I'm not sure the Aurors would have caught Marcus and Millie anytime soon without my help and Hermione's. We probably saved a lot of lives."

"Of course ye did," McGonagall said. "Remus told me how ye both were magnificent. There are lots of ways tae save lives, though. Those two might ne'er hae turned Dark at all had Severus not been allowed tae run their house all those years."