Every Tear Falls Down For a Reason (But I Promise I Won't Cry For You)

4

The next morning, bright and early, found the six students once more in the potions lab, yawning as they worked on the next step in the process to becoming animagi. Once they had reset their cauldrons, they all headed up for breakfast, since most of them had just rolled out of bed and headed over. Six o'clock was not a pleasant time for most of them to be awake, though Harry and Ginny were used to it, having fallen into the rhythm over the course of the school year, going for their morning run before breakfast. The others hadn't quite gotten used to the earlier wake up yet, though they were getting better at it; even Ron had grudgingly admitted that waking up early and getting in shape had its benefits.

Sirius left them at the dining room, as they had a couple of hours before they would need to attend to the potion, and he remembered being that age; though Harry seemed to like having him around, he would still enjoy having time alone with his friends.

As they ate, Harry filled them in on the new Defense professor. He warned them to keep their guards up, as he told them what he knew, and what Minerva had told him.

Hermione was very interested in their theories that the Ministry was trying to get its hooks into Hogwarts. "Is there a way to see a record of this Umbridge woman's actions while at the Ministry?"

Neville nodded. "The Chief Archivist for the Wizengamot would have a copy of all voting records and proposed laws, including who proposed them and what arguments were made on either side. But you would have to have a seat on the Wizengamot to request the records."

Hermione looked at Harry, but he shook his head. "Technically, I haven't claimed my seat yet. I have to be twenty-five, so Sirius is my proxy until then. I can ask him if he can request the records for us, or Neville could ask his grandmother, who holds the proxy for the Longbottom seat until he's of age to take over." Neville nodded his agreement.

Minerva came into the room in time to hear their discussion, and it reminded her of something she had wanted to bring up with her young charge. The students all offered their professor greetings as they finished eating, and once done, she asked them politely to give her some time alone with Harry.

Harry looked a little nervous, but he willingly followed his guardian to the sitting room. She gestured for him to sit. "Nothing's wrong, Harry, I just caught the end of your conversation, and it reminded me of something I've been meaning to discuss with you." Harry nodded, reassured. Minerva took a deep breath. "As you remember from last summer, Sirius made you his heir. You are also the Potter heir, and I don't wish to add on to your burden, but I would like to make you my heir as well."

Harry blinked. "I thought heirs needed to be a blood relative."

Minerva nodded. "That's why I didn't bring this up until now. I've been searching the family trees, to see if there is any overlap, and it took me a while. What you need to understand, Harry, is that if I die without an heir, most likely, the McGonagall line will end with me. My older brother was the head of house after our parents' death in the war with Grindlewald, but he was killed along with his family in the first war. My own husband and children were killed as well, so I am the only one left."

Harry looked surprised that she had had a family. He had never thought to ask her about it. Minerva smiled sadly. "I didn't bring it up because I still miss them. I don't think that ever goes away, so don't feel guilty for not knowing."

Harry nodded. "So did you find a link?" he asked curiously.

Minerva nodded. "Eight generations ago, a squib was born into the McGonagall line. He was cast from the family and lived in the muggle world. He gave birth to a daughter, who had a son, who had another son, who had a daughter... in any event, the line ended with a young girl, born Lily Evans."