One Shots (SLOW UPDATES)

Harry x McGonagall (Platonic)

The room was cold, almost as cold as a winter day. Harry couldn't move from his bed. Something kept him there. Something powerful, more powerful than him. 

A dark figure was standing at the end of his bed. It was wrapped in a black robe, a hood over its head. Its hand was outstretched, the fingers looking like claws. A coldness settled deep inside Harry and he knew it was the figure doing it. The coldness moved throughout his body, like it was trying to find something. Harry was unsure what it was looking for; all he knew was that it kept him from moving anything. 

Harry wondered why the figure wasn't moving. It just stood there at the end of his bed, its arm outstretched. The shadows pooled all along the figures body, twisting and turning into something. Harry couldn't tell what it was; perhaps it was a . . . snake? 

The dark tendrils shot itself out at Harry and he could feel the scream rise up in his throat. He couldn't let it out, though. Time seemed to slow down as Harry watch the snake like thing fly toward him. Everything in his being screamed to move, to get out of the way but he couldn't. He locked eyes with the snake and fear rooted in his stomach. Harry recognized those eyes but he couldn't place them. However, he does know that those eyes - those snake eyes - haunt his dreams almost every night. 

Harry sat up in bed, panting. Sweat was rolling down his back but he was freezing. That was the first time he's had that particular dream but those eyes were always there. They always watched him or followed him around but without a body. This time, the figure had a body. That is what unsettled him the most: the eyes that watched him was actually attached to a body. That meant that someone was after him, someone dangerous. 

Harry needed someone to talk to but he's only been at Hogwarts for a couple of months. Ron was his only friend but he wouldn't understand. The one person that stood out to Harry was Professor McGonagall but he wasn't sure why. Before Harry could change his mind, he grabbed his glasses, got up and quietly walked out of the boys' dormitory into the common room. He noticed that Hermione was curled up on one of the comfortable couches. A book was resting on her chest, rising and falling with each breath. 

Harry quickly made his way to Professor McGonagall's classroom. He expected her to not be there but a faint light fell out into the hallway. 

"I can hear whoever is out there," McGonagall rasped out. Harry shuffled forward awkwardly. "Oh! Hello, Harry dear."

"Hello," he said, looking down. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you."

"No, you're not bothering me," McGonagall said, standing up. Her weathered face let a smile slip and she said, "What do you need, Harry?"

"I - uh . . .," Harry trailed off. He shouldn't have come. McGonagall couldn't do anything about his nightmares. He couldn't back away now, though. McGonagall was staring at him with pity in her eyes. "I had a nightmare and needed to talk to someone."

"And you came to me?"

"You were the only person I could think of," he said, smiling awkwardly. "I can leave if you want."

"No, no," McGonagall said. "Let me make us some tea. I always find the nightmare less scary after a nice warm cup of tea." She smiled. "Thankfully I had some made already." She poured him a cup and they sat down at one of the desks. He watched as she lit a cigarette, taking a long draw. "Go ahead, dear."

"Okay," Harry said uncertainly. He explained his nightmare, not leaving any detail out. After he said everything he needed to, he sipped some of the tea. McGonagall was right; the warmth of the tea coursed through his body, making him feel better already. "I've always had nightmares with those eyes but this time they were attached to a body."

McGonagall just stared at the young boy. Harry flushed, thinking he made the wrong decision. "My dear boy, don't let those nightmares get to you. Worrying about them won't do anyone good, will it?"

"No."

"I believe that nightmares are just a figment of our imagination," McGonagall said sensibly. "Sometimes they look so lifelike that we can't but help see them as real." She hesitated before saying, "However, there are certain . . . circumstances where I do believe people can have warnings about things yet to come in their nightmares. I do think that is what is happening in your case, Harry."

"What?" Harry asked, frowning. "What things are in store for me?"

McGonagall shrugged, taking an even longer draw of her cigarette. "I shouldn't even be telling you this." She sighed, shaking her head. "Bad things happen to everyone, Harry Potter. You've already have had bad things happen to you and I don't want you to worry for anything else that may or may not happen to you. We cannot stop our destiny. That doesn't mean we can't change, them."

"So, what you are saying is we can't stop what will happen to us but there is a way to change it?"

"We are able to shape our future, Harry. All the little choices we make day to day are proof of that. However, we are not able to get away from the bad. Bad things happen everyday and nothing in our puny human lives will change that." Harry nodded, his brow furrowed. McGonagall laughed quietly. "I didn't mean to jump this on you, Harry. I just wanted to comfort you and then I blab about destiny and bad things."

"I think it helped," Harry said quickly. "I'm not as scared as I was before I came here. Thank you, Professor McGonagall."

"You're welcome, dear boy." Harry stood up and gave her a smile. "You look exactly like your dad, you know? But you have your mom's eyes."

"Yeah," Harry said, not sure of what to say. "Goodnight, Professor."

"Goodnight."

Harry walked away, the nightmare just a little thought in the back of his mind. Like McGonagall said, there were many little decisions he could make to shape his destiny. He shouldn't worry about the bad things because he wasn't sure when they would come. He should just enjoy what he has right now, which is a friend, a nice place to sleep, and plenty of food for him to eat. He was safe here at Hogwarts.