Descent - Mattheo Riddle

Chapter thirty-two

Observer

June 13th, 4:30 p.m.

Minerva McGonagall had once believed that teaching at Hogwarts was her life's true calling. The echo of students' laughter in the hallways, the thrill of watching young minds grasp the intricacies of magic, and the satisfaction of molding the next generation of witches and wizards had filled her with a deep sense of purpose. Hogwarts was more than just a school to her; it was a sanctuary, a place where knowledge and courage were nurtured, where every child had the potential to become something greater. She had dedicated her life to those stone walls, to the traditions and values they upheld, never imagining that one day they would be tainted by the darkest of evils.

But as the years passed and the shadow of Voldemort grew longer, Hogwarts began to change. The once vibrant halls became suffused with an undercurrent of fear, the air thick with unspoken dread. The students who had once looked up to her with trust and admiration now walked with their heads down, shoulders hunched under the weight of a terror they couldn't name. And Minerva, ever vigilant, could feel the school slipping away from her, its very essence being corrupted by the forces that sought to control it.

The arrival of Harry Potter had brought with it a glimmer of hope, a beacon of light in an increasingly dark world. Minerva had watched the boy grow, seen the fierce determination in his eyes, the courage that so often mirrored that of his parents. She had placed her hopes in him, believed that he would be the one to turn the tide, to bring an end to the terror that had gripped their world. He was the Boy Who Lived, the one prophesied to defeat the Dark Lord. And for a time, it seemed that hope was not misplaced.

But hope, as Minerva had learned the hard way, was a fragile thing.

The day Harry Potter died was the day that hope was brutally snuffed out. Minerva had been there, had seen the horrors with her own eyes. She had watched, helpless, as Voldemort—his twisted form more terrifying than she had ever imagined—broke the boy she had come to care for as if he were her own. The torture had been drawn out, deliberate, designed to break not just Harry, but everyone who had ever believed in him. And when the killing blow finally came, it felt as though the world itself had shattered.

The loss of Harry Potter had been a devastating blow, not just to the resistance, but to Minerva personally. The boy who had carried the weight of the world on his shoulders had been snuffed out like a candle in the wind, and with him, the last vestiges of the world she had once known. Hogwarts, once a haven of learning and growth, had become the heart of the darkness that now ruled their country, soon the world. The castle's walls, once filled with the joyous clamor of students, now echoed with the footsteps of Death Eaters and the terrified whispers of those who remained.

Every day since had been a battle—a relentless struggle to reclaim what had been lost, to fight back against the tide of darkness that threatened to engulf them all. Minerva had seen friends and colleagues fall, watched as the students she had once taught were twisted into soldiers for the enemy. She had felt the sting of loss so many times that it had become a dull ache in her chest, a constant reminder of all that had been taken from them.

But she had never stopped fighting.

For Minerva, giving up was never an option. Every day was a new struggle, every small victory a step towards reclaiming their world. She had become a leader in this war, not because she sought power, but because there was no one else left to shoulder the burden. She had fought in countless battles, made impossible decisions, and carried the weight of the resistance on her shoulders. And yet, despite the overwhelming odds, she refused to let the darkness win.

She had vowed to see this through to the end, to fight for every inch of ground, for every life that could still be saved. The war had changed her, hardened her in ways she never thought possible, but it had not broken her. She was determined to restore what had been lost, to see Hogwarts once again filled with the light of knowledge and hope.