Post by laundry basket on Dec 30, 2006 17:20:55 GMT -5
A/N: I got the information on ages and such from Snitchseeker.com, here's what I found out:
1925 - Minerva McGonagall is born
1956 – Minerva McGonagall begins teaching at Hogwarts
c1960 - Sirius Black, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter and Severus Snape are born
In the story, Sirius is four years old, which would make the year 1964, meaning Minerva would have been teaching for eight years, making her 39.
Now, on with the story!
Babysitting Sirius
"No! Absolutely not!" cried Minerva McGonagall, turning away from the Headmaster.
"Min, come on-" Albus started, but was cut off.
"There is no bloody way I am babysitting him."
"Why not?"
"He is a demon!" she hissed furiously. "A demon in child's clothing!"
"He certainly isn't that bad, you did perfectly well the last time-"
"He threw spaghetti in my hair!"
"He was two months old!"
"What's your point?"
"Min-" he pleaded, "please? We have a lead on dark activity, and if Walburga and Orion can find someone to sit with Sirius and Regulus, we can follow them! This could be a big break!"
Minerva hesitated. "Are you sure you're going to be able to trail them?" she asked skeptically, crossing her arms.
Albus nodded. "As sure as lemon drops are tasty!" he said excitedly, and Minerva made a face.
"I hate lemon drops, which you should remember. However, I am willing to overlook this fact in the face of something much more important. As long as it isn't in vain-" she stopped and paused dramatically, as Albus waited with baited breath.
"I suppose, I could watch them for a bit. Only a bit. But I won't be happy about it!" And with that she left, taking careful care to slam the door behind her.
&.&.&.&.&.&.&
Minerva McGonagall walked quickly and quietly through the small town, anticipating the day ahead of her. Another fight with Albus and a compromise had her arriving at the Blacks' house at 10:00 AM and leaving at 10:00 PM, the compromise being Poppy giving her a sedation drought that made her agree to practically anything under it's effects. Cursing Albus and Poppy and the Blacks and anything else she felt like, she pulled out the strip of paper sent to her by Orion and read it aloud:
"The Most Noble and Ancient House of Black can be located at number 12, Grimmuald Place, London."
She watched with silent awe as the house seemed to inflate before her eyes, popping up between numbers 11 and 13.
"These people are much too paranoid," she thought as she walked up the cracked cement steps. She surveyed herself one more time, making sure she was presentable. She had worn loose emerald green robes and brushed her hair out behind her back. She had decided that, being Blacks, emerald green robes and the blackness of her hair would remind them of Slytherin. She was wearing contact lenses instead of her usual square glasses after they had 'accidentally' flown off her face and under Hagrid's foot. She had enough evidence to suggest her friend Rolanda Hooch was behind it, but was saving the lecture for when she returned to Hogwarts. She knocked sharply on the door, and immediately heard yelling and running footsteps.
A young boy opened the door, four years old at most. He had long-ish black hair that fell over his grey eyes, and he was wearing a most peculiar outfit; brown corduroy pants with a purple shirt with white stars all over it that twinkled brightly. He wore a cowboy hat with a wizard's pointed hat on top of it, and had a fake parrot on his shoulder. All in all, he seemed nothing like any of the Blacks- he seemed vibrant and full of energy, not withdrawn and sullen like his parents and relatives.
"Hi!" the boy said brightly, and Minerva realized that this was Sirius, though she hadn't seen him for several years.
"Hello," she said politely. "May I come in?"
"Only if you know the password," he said seriously, crossing his arms and trying to look intimidating, but failed miserably.
"Er- password?" she asked, trying not to laugh at the ridiculous way he was behaving.
"Yes," he continued, "Mummy says that a new lady is coming today to baby sit us, but you might not be her, so I have to check." He was attempting to block the entire doorway with his small body, arms still crossed.
"Sirius-" she started, but he interrupted her.
"How did you know my name?" he asked in an amazed tone of voice. "Are you a magician? Can you do magic like Mummy and Daddy? Oooh! Will you turn me blue?"
Minerva actually laughed, before she regained her self-control and said,
"I know your name because I babysat for you when you were very small. I am here to baby sit you again, along with your brother." She said it all slowly, making sure he understood.
He looked incredibly disappointed. "Oh. Well, come in, then," he replied, and led her into the house.
She squinted into the dark shadows, trying to make out anything in her way. Suddenly light burst forth, and she blinked rapidly at the room in front of her. It looked to be a large anteroom, with a staircase in the middle and a door to either side. Several portraits hung on the (rather ugly) green walls, and all the occupants were stiff and grumpy looking men in suits and women with frilly dresses. In the corner of the staircase stood a tall round-ish object, holding what seemed to be umbrellas. On closer inspection, she realized it was made of some sort of legs, and turned away, feeling a bit sick. Not much else adorned the bland room, so she turned back to Sirius, who was watching her intently.
"Are your mother and father here any where?" she asked him, not expecting his next move, which was to run to the stairs and yell,
"MUMMY! DADDY! THE BABYSITTER'S HERE!"
Minerva winced at the volume, but quickly composed herself at the sound of footsteps, and the sound of a woman's voice calling,
"Sirius Orion Black! Didn't I tell you not to yell?!"
And then Walburga Black appeared.
She wore a black dress ("Fitting," Minerva thought) with a high lace collar and intricate designs. Her not quite brown, not quite auburn hair was pulled into a perfect bun atop her head, but despite the fact it made her look old and ancient, Minerva could tell she had been very pretty in her day, though she was probably only a few years older than Minerva. Her face was long and hollow, with high cheekbones and small blue eyes. The entirety of her face was nicely symmetrical, until she turned her head, and you could tell her nose was crooked. Not much, like Albus's, but so much it was obvious without being too obvious. Thin hands with short fingers picked up the front of her dress so it wouldn't drag as she walked, and Minerva could barely stifle to impulse to bow and say, "Your majesty!"
Walburga seemed to be studying Minerva as she descended the stairs, as she took her dear sweet time doing so. She finally reached the floor below, and stretched out a hand towards her.
"Walburga Black," she said in a voice that sounded as if she was only greeting her because she had to.
"Minerva McGonagall," she replied, taking her hand; it was cold and clammy.
"Why don't we go and talk in the sitting room?" she said, gesturing towards the door on the left. Minerva nodded and followed her into the room.
dun dun dun...
1925 - Minerva McGonagall is born
1956 – Minerva McGonagall begins teaching at Hogwarts
c1960 - Sirius Black, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter and Severus Snape are born
In the story, Sirius is four years old, which would make the year 1964, meaning Minerva would have been teaching for eight years, making her 39.
Now, on with the story!
Babysitting Sirius
"No! Absolutely not!" cried Minerva McGonagall, turning away from the Headmaster.
"Min, come on-" Albus started, but was cut off.
"There is no bloody way I am babysitting him."
"Why not?"
"He is a demon!" she hissed furiously. "A demon in child's clothing!"
"He certainly isn't that bad, you did perfectly well the last time-"
"He threw spaghetti in my hair!"
"He was two months old!"
"What's your point?"
"Min-" he pleaded, "please? We have a lead on dark activity, and if Walburga and Orion can find someone to sit with Sirius and Regulus, we can follow them! This could be a big break!"
Minerva hesitated. "Are you sure you're going to be able to trail them?" she asked skeptically, crossing her arms.
Albus nodded. "As sure as lemon drops are tasty!" he said excitedly, and Minerva made a face.
"I hate lemon drops, which you should remember. However, I am willing to overlook this fact in the face of something much more important. As long as it isn't in vain-" she stopped and paused dramatically, as Albus waited with baited breath.
"I suppose, I could watch them for a bit. Only a bit. But I won't be happy about it!" And with that she left, taking careful care to slam the door behind her.
&.&.&.&.&.&.&
Minerva McGonagall walked quickly and quietly through the small town, anticipating the day ahead of her. Another fight with Albus and a compromise had her arriving at the Blacks' house at 10:00 AM and leaving at 10:00 PM, the compromise being Poppy giving her a sedation drought that made her agree to practically anything under it's effects. Cursing Albus and Poppy and the Blacks and anything else she felt like, she pulled out the strip of paper sent to her by Orion and read it aloud:
"The Most Noble and Ancient House of Black can be located at number 12, Grimmuald Place, London."
She watched with silent awe as the house seemed to inflate before her eyes, popping up between numbers 11 and 13.
"These people are much too paranoid," she thought as she walked up the cracked cement steps. She surveyed herself one more time, making sure she was presentable. She had worn loose emerald green robes and brushed her hair out behind her back. She had decided that, being Blacks, emerald green robes and the blackness of her hair would remind them of Slytherin. She was wearing contact lenses instead of her usual square glasses after they had 'accidentally' flown off her face and under Hagrid's foot. She had enough evidence to suggest her friend Rolanda Hooch was behind it, but was saving the lecture for when she returned to Hogwarts. She knocked sharply on the door, and immediately heard yelling and running footsteps.
A young boy opened the door, four years old at most. He had long-ish black hair that fell over his grey eyes, and he was wearing a most peculiar outfit; brown corduroy pants with a purple shirt with white stars all over it that twinkled brightly. He wore a cowboy hat with a wizard's pointed hat on top of it, and had a fake parrot on his shoulder. All in all, he seemed nothing like any of the Blacks- he seemed vibrant and full of energy, not withdrawn and sullen like his parents and relatives.
"Hi!" the boy said brightly, and Minerva realized that this was Sirius, though she hadn't seen him for several years.
"Hello," she said politely. "May I come in?"
"Only if you know the password," he said seriously, crossing his arms and trying to look intimidating, but failed miserably.
"Er- password?" she asked, trying not to laugh at the ridiculous way he was behaving.
"Yes," he continued, "Mummy says that a new lady is coming today to baby sit us, but you might not be her, so I have to check." He was attempting to block the entire doorway with his small body, arms still crossed.
"Sirius-" she started, but he interrupted her.
"How did you know my name?" he asked in an amazed tone of voice. "Are you a magician? Can you do magic like Mummy and Daddy? Oooh! Will you turn me blue?"
Minerva actually laughed, before she regained her self-control and said,
"I know your name because I babysat for you when you were very small. I am here to baby sit you again, along with your brother." She said it all slowly, making sure he understood.
He looked incredibly disappointed. "Oh. Well, come in, then," he replied, and led her into the house.
She squinted into the dark shadows, trying to make out anything in her way. Suddenly light burst forth, and she blinked rapidly at the room in front of her. It looked to be a large anteroom, with a staircase in the middle and a door to either side. Several portraits hung on the (rather ugly) green walls, and all the occupants were stiff and grumpy looking men in suits and women with frilly dresses. In the corner of the staircase stood a tall round-ish object, holding what seemed to be umbrellas. On closer inspection, she realized it was made of some sort of legs, and turned away, feeling a bit sick. Not much else adorned the bland room, so she turned back to Sirius, who was watching her intently.
"Are your mother and father here any where?" she asked him, not expecting his next move, which was to run to the stairs and yell,
"MUMMY! DADDY! THE BABYSITTER'S HERE!"
Minerva winced at the volume, but quickly composed herself at the sound of footsteps, and the sound of a woman's voice calling,
"Sirius Orion Black! Didn't I tell you not to yell?!"
And then Walburga Black appeared.
She wore a black dress ("Fitting," Minerva thought) with a high lace collar and intricate designs. Her not quite brown, not quite auburn hair was pulled into a perfect bun atop her head, but despite the fact it made her look old and ancient, Minerva could tell she had been very pretty in her day, though she was probably only a few years older than Minerva. Her face was long and hollow, with high cheekbones and small blue eyes. The entirety of her face was nicely symmetrical, until she turned her head, and you could tell her nose was crooked. Not much, like Albus's, but so much it was obvious without being too obvious. Thin hands with short fingers picked up the front of her dress so it wouldn't drag as she walked, and Minerva could barely stifle to impulse to bow and say, "Your majesty!"
Walburga seemed to be studying Minerva as she descended the stairs, as she took her dear sweet time doing so. She finally reached the floor below, and stretched out a hand towards her.
"Walburga Black," she said in a voice that sounded as if she was only greeting her because she had to.
"Minerva McGonagall," she replied, taking her hand; it was cold and clammy.
"Why don't we go and talk in the sitting room?" she said, gesturing towards the door on the left. Minerva nodded and followed her into the room.
dun dun dun...
* Darn I should have read this yesterday .... 
