Sweet Memories

Sweet Memories

Minerva McGonagall smiled, as her eyes browsed through her favourite photograph on her mantelpiece. The people in the front of the photo were some of her favourite students.

In Hogwarts in all her years. She was indeed proud of the lot, some of them, she, mused had gone on and done much greater and braver things, than she had expected them to. She went closer to the photograph and moved her fingers across a certain man with a plump face, he had perished in the war, but he had given it his all and more. She smiled, as she remembered them as first formers. Who'd have thought the blundering chubby boy would die fighting against the Dark Lord? Who'd have thought the young Ginny Weasley, would forget her disastrous first year would grow up to be a valuable tactician for the order?And didn't Severus Snape dismiss Hermione as a good-for-nothing bookworm who only did well in her lessons because she memorized all her set books? Just at that moment, a big, restless owl entered her office and dropped a parchment. Minerva frowned and squinted at the owl- no, definitely not very familiar.

The parchment contained that tiny handwriting, as neat as ever! Ah, how could she ever forget this scrawl? Years ago, it had given her so much pleasure to browse through parchments and parchments of this handwriting, reeling out information in the subject she was so passionate about! It said:

Dear Professor,

I hope this finds you in the best of spirits! I'd like to invite you to the opening of my latest project- a division of St.Mungo's, but my very own! It's a center for the depressed and downtrodden- a place for mental health care rather than physical.

Minerva glowed with pride, Hermione; the keen earnest bushy haired girl, who did all the extra credit assignments, had indeed grown up into a wonderful, caring woman! The letter went on to give the time, place and other details of the inauguration. And what a befitting spouse she was, to the National Team's Coach, Ron Weasley!

Albus had once told her that in one of his mid night wanderings, these two were in the charms corridor, quite "self-absorbed" and Albus didn't even have to disillusion himself, to escape from their sight, as he so often had to do when he went for his mid night walks in the Astronomy Tower! She smiled at the memory, of the animated Filius, imitating them bickering, only the way, married couples do- way back in the first form! Yes, the entire Hogwarts staff had seen this wedlock coming!

As she popped a Ginger Newt in her mouth, she thought of Harry. She hardly saw him these days; yes an odd picture here and there in The Prophet, reporting his work as an auror. She hoped she'd see him in the inauguration. Harry was a treasure indeed, he had proved to be an asset wherever he was, be it Gryffindor house, or in the quidditch Team or in the Auror Team in the Ministry of Magic. And now, after Albus gone, little Harry, as she still liked to think of him as, was probably the best Wizard in the world!

She would love to have him in Hogwarts again-probably, as a Defense against the Dark Arts- the post was fairly stable now. Being headmistress was a heavy burden. She wondered at times, how Albus, had managed that twinkle each day, and even maintained a civil tongue when speaking to Argus Filch-which she found extremely difficult to do, especially when he came to her complaining about something as trivial as dungbombs in the library. She had thought that being headmistress would mean a privilege to delegate less enjoyable tasks (as Severus had muttered jealously when she got the job!)

Severus. She had known him since his days at Hogwarts; he hadn't changed a bit in all these years. Brilliant, passionate and sneering, as always, she often wondered if she could deal with him changing. His heart was in the right place, and he was always giving subtle, unobvious hints to show he cared. Shamefully, they went unnoticed most of the time!

She thought of some of the most important decisions in her reign so far- Divination was no longer a subject, much to her pleasure. If students were particularly interested (which was really rare), they could go and learn Divination-and only as an extra curricular (she had made that clear), from Firenze. She had asked Sybil Trelawney to "retire to enjoy her remaining senses!" which she thankfully obliged by saying, " Yes, the fates have informed me that I must go seek my fortune away from Hogwarts!"

She looked back at the picture, only to see Fred and George Weasley waving wildly, she didn't know if it was a habit but even now, she could feel the corners of her mouth straightening. There were still students talking about their escape! They were practically a legend, and a role model (her mouth tightened again) to the students in their time! The twins were extremely successful businessmen, and now had branches all over the world!

They had recently appointed Remus Lupin as head of the U.S.A chain of "The Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes"!

Remus-another one of her favourite persons, he dealt with his condition so well, and was so successful in the war that the ministry had the given him the Order of Merlin- Second Class! Godric knows he deserves it! Ginny was in charge of the overall Sales of the Wheezes, Minerva thought it very tactful, as Ginny, with her charming personality, could persuade anyone into anything. She remembered the time when Ginny Weasley- as head girl had talked Albus into making Exploding Snap legal during lessons. That, girl, she had some sort of an inexplicable charisma. Why, hadn't she found her way all right into Potter's heart?

People would come and go, there would be wars to be fought and won, but there were some people who would stay on forever. Minerva felt her eyes drooping with sleep, and her body dropped in tiredness, even in her somnolence, with all the happy thought flowing in her mind, she felt that she would have produced the world's best patronus!