Being Minnie's Daughter

Chapter 66

Marlene's POV

    "Are you sure about this?" I ask hesitantly, standing in the entryway to the McGonagall library.

    Mackenzie looks up at me with a maniacal grin. "Absolutely."

    I sigh and look over at Minerva who's standing there with an identical look covering her face.

    "Just because it hasn't been done before doesn't mean we can't do it," Minerva smiles.

    I cross my arms and scowl, "That doesn't make me feel any better you know. I'm not like the Marauders who will just jump into any crazy plan."

    Mackenzie tilts her head to the left, "I should've tried to test this theory on James months ago." She turns to the book covered desk and scribbles on a scrap of parchment. "Of course, that would've meant that we wouldn't know his true Animagus form but I doubt James would've cared."

    I lean against the wall as the two McGonagalls start pouring over the books, talking far too fast for me to piece together any information. Something about helping the Order, about keeping myself and most likely Mackenzie hidden in the future; it doesn't make sense to me.

    "Can you go back and explain this all from the beginning?"

    The McGonagalls stop suddenly and look over at me. "Of course, darling," Minerva says sweetly.

    Mackenzie skips over to the window bench with a potions innovations book while I lower myself into an armchair by the roaring fireplace.

    "It is not safe for you to leave this house looking like yourself. Someone could recognize you and instantly the death eaters could be upon you."

    I nod. "I understand that but why can't I just cast a charm to change my figures."

    "It will wear off over time," Mack pipes up. "It also wears off faster when you produce lots of spells."

    "Meaning I can't get stuck in a duel?"

    "Exactly," Minerva says softly. "You could either risk getting very strained from the use of magic or risk transforming back into your normal self. Then there is another issue of who you would turn into. Would you pretend to be someone who currently attends a school? Would you try to be a foreigner? It would not be simple to figure out." She turns and looks at Mackenzie. "Albus and I are trying to create a setup like that for Mackenzie, we have been for years. It takes a lot of planning and cannot be initiated quickly."

    Mackenzie looks up, "You are what?"

    Minerva shakes her hand, "Not now Mack, that can be discussed later."

    "You have to stage her death, won't you?" I ask softly. "Like how she did with me."

    Minerva sighs, "Yes." She turns and looks at her daughter, "We don't want to do it soon however, we want to wait until the threat towards your life seems the highest without jeopardizing you actually dying."

    Mack drops, "Remus won't be told I am alive like we are doing with Sirius, correct?"

    Minerva nods. "I am planning on telling them both that you two are alive at the same time. Your father disagrees, he's afraid a close friend is telling Lord Voldemort."

They would never!" I burst out. "I've known them since I was eleven! I've know Sirius even longer than that. They would never spill our secrets."

Minerva walks over and places her hand on mine. "I agree with you, Albus has started to get paranoid as he has gotten older. It's leftover effects of Gellert Grindelwald finally affecting him."

"He hides it well," I say softly looking at Mackenzie. She sticks out her tongue and spins her finger around next to her head. I shake my head as Mackenzie starts chuckling.

"That he does," Minerva says with a small smile.

"Okay back on topic," Mackenzie says fast, slamming her book shut. "I can easily shift between different Animagus forms and we want to see if we can manipulate you into that as well."

I look over fast, "I'm not a metamorphmagus though, I can't change the way I look."

"We think if we add a few extra ingredients to the potion that we will be able to give you two options for transforming, maybe more," Minerva says softly. "We are no potion experts but we have more than enough resources available to use."

"What would my two options be?" I ask softly.

Mackenzie shrugs, "Unfortunately, we don't exactly know but we have a good guess. Your patronus was a dog, so we expect your Animagus will be a dog as well.

Minerva holds up her hand, effectively silencing Mack. "Of course, we could be wrong, your patronus can change while your true Animagus cannot. The other one we hope to influence would be an owl."

"Why an owl?"

Minerva shrugs, "well, letters between the order may be more secure since you would be delivering them."

She smiles, "Oh that's true but why wouldn't you try to get me to turn into an insect so I can do recon?"

Minerva shakes her head, "Too dangerous."

I sigh. "If you say so Minnie."

She shakes her head and turns to the library doorway. "I am going to go make some tea and sandwiches for lunch. Any preferences?"

"Egg salad please mum," Mackenzie smiles from the side of the room.

She nods and walks out, leaving Mack and I alone.

Mack waits until Minnie is well out of earshot before moving across the room. "We need to make a plan to tell Sirius that you are still alive. I'm not sure how though."

"I agree," I say softly. "So how are you planning to force me into an owl?"

She shrugs, "To me, it has been very obvious this whole time. Metamorphagus abilities usually travel through DNA and heritage so," she pulls a snow white owl feather out of her book. "I plucked a feather off myself while I was an owl. I'm hoping it will give you some slight metamorphagus abilities because of my DNA in the feather."

I take the feather into my hand, the pure white feather gleaming against my tan skin. "So you think it will give me enough ability to shift animagus forms."

"Exactly," she smiles. "Are you agreeing to our plan?"

I look up at her now bright green eyes, "I think I am."

"Great!" She laughs, the mischief leaving her eyes as they go back to their natural blue. "Let's go eat lunch!"