A Cat's Tail: Minerva McGonagall Fan Fiction

Chapter 3

A/N I know the picture I drew makes Minerva look a bit older but I really wanted to try drawing her! Also I know that Pomona Sprout is a few years younger than Minerva in the books, but I wanted them to be in the same year for the purpose of this story.

"Um, hello?" Minerva and Hagrid stopped their conversation to see a girl with short blonde hair at the door of the compartment. "Could I sit here? I got kicked out of my sister's compartment because I am just 'an annoying little first year'"

"Sure! I'm Minerva, and that is Hagrid, we're both in first year too. How many sisters do you have?" The girl pulled a face.

"Twelve. Including me. I'm Rolanda by the way. Rolanda Hooch! Wait, your Scottish right?" Minerva nodded awkwardly. She was very self-conscious about her accent, even though both her parents repeatedly told her it was lovely, and Hagrid had as well. "It's cute! And I love your eyes by the way!" Rolanda kept talking. And talking. And talking. Minerva and Hagrid couldn't get a word in edgeways. "Wait. I'm the shortest one here aren't I? Dammit! My mum said I wouldn't be!" The one-sided conversation continued, until a prefect (who's voice made you feel very inferior) told the trio that they would arrive in 5 minutes.

As Minerva stepped off the train, Rolanda disappeared into a sea of unknown faces. "Don't bite yer lip so much, yer'll 'urt yerself!" She heard Hagrid say from behind her. "An' don't look so serious! This is the chance of a lifetime! Going to school in a magnificent castle!" Minerva thought he was exaggerating. She couldn't see a magnificent castle, just rowdy students.

"First Years! Come here! First Years! Don't want to be left behind!" Minerva jumped as a short man with a very loud voice yelled from somewhere in front of her. Hagrid dragged her through the swarms of students.

"Sorry 'bout that! Didn't wanna lose yer!" Hagrid yelled over the chatter.

"You three! Get in that boat! Now!" The game keeper yelled as he thrust Hagrid Minerva and another girl into a boat. Hagrid looked queasy.

"I'm not too good wi' boats. Sorry if I vomit down yer!" Minerva grimaced at the thought. The other girl in the boat looked alarmed.

"If your going to be sick, please vomit over the side! Oh, I'm Pomona Sprout!" The girl had unruly brown curls, and a much shyer voice than Rolanda had. She looked how Minerva felt, though she wasn't one for showing her emotions. Nervous. Very nervous.

Minerva looked up as she heard several people in the other boats gasp. She looked up, and couldn't believe her eyes. There was the castle that everyone had described to her, although it was much more magnificent in real life. Words could not sum up it's beauty.

Swooping grey turrets topped an enormous brick building. The castle glittered in the moonlight, and flags that were dotted all over the castle flapped frantically in the wind. Candle light spilled from all the windows, giving the school such a mysterious aura, that Minerva just wanted to find out it's secrets. It looked like it had secrets in abundance.

As the boat drew forward (Minerva realised, with the aid of magic) the castle drew closer and closer, it's beauty only magnifying each time she blinked. "Ugh! This castle needs a wash! It's so old!" A girl dressed in as much pink as she could fit in a black and grey uniform sneered at the castle. Minerva couldn't believe her.

"Yeah! If my father were to hear about the terrible state of this school, he would pull me out immediately!" The boy in the boat said. Future Slytherines, she thought as another girl joined the conversation.

"It's not even that big! Most of my houses are bigger than this!" The girl glared at Minerva, Hagrid and Pomona. "Black, Malfoy and Umbridge, you should be proud to be in our pure blood presence!" The girl wearing pink looked slightly embarrassed.

"Yep. Pure bloods through and through!" The girls voice was so high pitched and sickly, it made Hagrid vomit down the side of their boat. Minerva laughed with Pomona as the others screamed.

"You filthy mudbloods! You blood traitors! You are not worthy of my presence!" Yelled the one who introduced herself as Black.

"Sorry 'bout that. I'm not so good wi' boats yer see - wait! Wha' did her just call me! 'An mer friends! If anyone's a traitor it's yer and yer bloomin' pure blood nonsense!" Minerva put a hand on Hagrid's shoulder.

"Don't waste your time on those lot" she said reassuringly, and Pomona nodded. The others just looked insulted and Umbridge flicked her hair as her boat swam away.

"Friends?" Pomona asked.

"Friends." Hagrid and Minerva said in unison.