Cared For

Chapter 21: The Sorting

"Interesting," murmured the Hat, "Very interesting,"

"Please Gryffindor, please Gryffindor," Harry pleaded with the Hat.

"Why not..... Slytherin? Slytherin will help you on th way to greatness, no doubt about that -no? Well if your sure, better be GRYFFINDOR!"

The Hall erupted into cheers as Minerva took the Hat off him. As he found a seat in the Gryffindor table, he looked over at Minerva, who sent him a rare smile as she put the Hat on 'Turpin, Lisa'

"Congrats, Harry," one of the Weasley twins, Fred whispered in his ear. They watched as Ron was sorted into Gryffindor and the Sorting was over.

"Before we begin our feast, I have a couple words to say," Dumbledore announced, "And here they are: Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, Tweak!" He sat down and the Feast began.

"So Harry, these are my brothers, Fred and George," Ron said as he took a large bite out of a chicken leg, "And there is my brother Percy,"

"I know who they are. I know all of your brothers, actually," Harry responded. Ron was shocked.

"You never told me you met THE Harry Potter!" Ron said accusingly at the twins. They shrugged their shoulders and continued eating.

"I live here, at Hogwarts. Hogwarts is my home," Harry said, "Professor McGonagall is my adoptive guardian,"

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed.

The feast soon ended and the Prefects of each house lead the first year to their common room. As Harry left, he glanced back at Professor McGonagall, who was watching him intently. Harry couldn't tell from where he was, but he was sure that there were tears in her eyes.

Percy led them through multiple stairways and passages until they came to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"The password is Caput Draconis. You need to remember it in order to enter to the common room." Percy explained. Harry was extremely tired, as well as the rest of the first years, who nodded their heads sleepily. The portrait swung open as they climbed in. They went to their dormitories to find all their trunks at the foot of a bed. They climbed into their beds and fell asleep.

**Page Break**

Minerva McGonagall couldn't fall asleep.

She shifted around in her bed, but every position felt wrong. She felt like she was forgetting something, or something was wrong. Eventually, she got up and went to Harry's room.

It seemed odd to Minerva, seeing his room spotless. She normally walked in to see a swamp of clothes and items on the floor and a lump on Harry's bed that was him. The room looked bare to her, with his cupboard empty with only a few hangers.

Harry had gone to many sleepovers before, seeing his bedroom this clean wasn't new, but it felt so final. Like he would never come back.

"Relax Minerva," she muttered to herself, "he is still in the castle. You could see him anytime."

But she felt nervous, and at the end, she decided to go into her Animagus form and have a stroll in the corridor.

She went around the hall, down many stairs and through many corridors until she heard something. She stiffened and hid behind a suit of armour.

After a while, she saw a shadow of a student. She came out and turned back into human form before coming over to the student. It was a formerly crying Longbottom, in pyjamas. Minerva sighed.

"What are you doing out here, Longbottom?" she asked sternly.

"I got lost," he mumbled.

"What were you doing out of your dormitory?" She asked.

"I wanted to go for a walk, I couldn't sleep,"

She sighed again and led him to the portrait of the Fat Lady and took him inside. After reprimanding him about being out of bed, she watched as he went up to his dormitory. A thought came to his head.

"Should I go check on him?" she thought to herself.

At that moment, Neville's dormitory door opened again, only to reveal Harry.

"Minnie," he whispered, "why are you here?"

"Neville got lost, I was leading him back here," she whispered back to him. "Why are you up?"

"Um..... I couldn't sleep," he whispered.

"Well, go back to bed. You have classes tomorrow, Harry." she whispered. Harry nodded and turned back to go into his dormitory. Minerva also turned around to go back to her room before feeling a small pair of arms around her waist.

"I love you," he whispered. Minerva stroked his hair before he went back up to his room.

And Minerva McGonagall fell asleep with ease that night.

___________________________
Sorry for not updating for so long. I didn't have a good idea what to write, so it seems like I copy pasted Philosopher's Stone.