#Elphinstone Urquart

[brunuhvielle]

William Elphinstone Urquart & Minerva McGonagall

If you really like an argument, we should see more of each other.

[songbookff]

👀 👀

Ok, so back at the beginning of the year, when I was finishing my Harry Potter fic, I started a Minerva McGonagall/Elphinstone Urquat fic. It’s a WIP, and like the Star Trek fic, will probably remain that way for some time. But I’ll share this little tidbit. 

It took her walking away for him to realize that he had actually fallen in love with her. Elphinstone wondered at what point during the last two years that he lost his heart, but he was in love with Minerva McGonagall and she was walking away. He sat behind his desk and stared at the folded piece of paper she had left for him to find. Her perfect handwriting looped out his name: Elphinstone Urquart.

[minerva--mcgee]

McGonagall with the Marauders #9 - In The End

She let out a deep breath and sat on the end of her bed, reaching up and rubbing her sore shoulder. Rolling out her neck, Minerva made her way closer to the headboard and laid down on her back and pulled a blanket over her. After a rather uneventful day, she felt more tired than usual.

Her eyes drifted closed and the night slipped away into darkness - until a few hours later, she heard a familiar voice whispering to her.

“Minnie,” said the voice gently, “Minnie, it’s time to go.”

Minerva opened her eyes and saw her husband Elphinstone for the first time in years. She gasped at the sight of him. The last time she remembered him, he was cold and pale, the blood having rushed out of his body. Minerva had been the one to discover him by the lake. He looked older than he ever had. But this time - this time he was young, like he was when they first met. He was wearing his best robes.

His hand reached out to hers, and she hesitated for a moment before taking it in hers. He pulled her up to him, their bodies touching. Minerva noticed that the pain that had grown to accompany movement over the years was gone.

“Phin,” she breathed, putting her forehead against his. They sat together for a moment, before he pulled back to look at her again.

“Minnie, you’ve done so well,” he used his hand to stroke the side of her face, “I’m so, so proud of you.”

“I’ve missed you so much.”

Silence. And then, “Are you ready to go?”

Minerva was confused, and looked around the room. She looked back at the bed and saw that he body was still laying, appearing to sleep peacefully under the covers. She waited to watch her chest rise and fall, but it did not. Her eyes met his again.

“Yes, Phin. I think I am.”

She caught a glimpse in the mirror behind him, and finally noticed that they both were not solid - rather, they were translucent, the clear appearance of ghosts. Like Phin, she looked like she had in her twenties, at her prime. She did not have the scars of war that not laced her body,  Something moved near the doorway of the room, and she saw the figures of her mother and brothers waiting for her. Malcolm and Robbie both had their shit-eating grins on their faces that she remembered.

“Headmistress McGonagall,” said Malcolm teasingly. “You’ve done well, sis.”

“The most feared and respected!” echoed Robbie.

Her mother, Isobel, came forward and hugged her. “You’ve had a long, full life, Minerva. You deserve rest.”

A crashing sound came from the opposite side of the room. “Oh! Sorry we’re late, Minnie!”

She snapped her head over and saw five more figures had suddenly appeared.

“Damn! We missed her reunion with Phin!”

“This is all your fault, Moony!”

“She deserves respect, Prongs - did you want to be here to watch her die!”

The suave figure of Sirius Black turned to great her. “Minnie!” he said cooly, “You look good, Minnie.”

“Oh, stop, Sirius,” said Lily, approaching Minerva. “Are you ready to go?”

Minerva felt herself truly laugh for the first time in many, many years. “Yes, I suppose I am.”

“Great!” said Nymphadora Tonks. “We don’t have much time down here - let’s go ahead and go.”

“Real smooth, Nymphadora,” said James Potter, teasing her. She turned to glare at him, but Lily stopped her. Phin turned back to her.

“Let’s go, my love.”

With one last look at her body, she finally felt safe.

The next morning, her room was found by Filius Flitwick, without the ghosts, and the peaceful body of the most renown Headmistress in the history of Hogwarts, with a small smile on her face.

[hogwartsbypictures]

Elphinstone “you look beautiful, wife” Urquart & Minerva “thank you, husband. You look quite handsome as well” McGonagall 

Taken by an enchanted camera on Christmas 1983

**Young Minerva McGonagall Spam**

[hogwartscastle]

Minerva McGonagall married her former boss who died three years after the wedding? Why have I never heard of this before?

[minervmc]

Minerva: Don’t you dare touch me. I am not your puppet, I am neither a pawn nor the queen on your chessboard.

Ephistone:Of course you are not.

Minerva: Then why do you treat me like that?

Ephistone: Your metaphor is faulty. You are not on my chessboard, you are the other player across the board. But for now... Checkmate.

[mychippedbutt]

Meeting the family

Minerva: Dad, you haven't said a thing all supper.

Robert Sr.: Oh I'll say something.

Isobel: Robbie please-

Robert Sr.: Do not 'Robbie' me! I'll say something alright!

Robert Sr.: Did you, Urquart, lust after my daughter, a girl twenty years your junior, while she was working FOR you at the magic ministry.

Malcolm: Here we go.

Minerva: Dad!

Elphinstone (shocked): WHAT!?

Elphinstone: THAT, Reverend, is ABSURD! I would NEVER do something so unethical.

Elphinstone: And she was 18 for Merlin's sake!

Robert Sr.: Well... good. That's good.

Elphinstone: I did not lay a finger on her until she was at least 22. I think.

Robert Sr.: EXCUSE ME?

Isobel: Oh my God.

Minerva: Please stop.

Elphinstone: Well you weren't working for me then, this I know!

Minerva: Shut up.

Malcolm: I like him.

[aroacehogwarts]

Professor McGonagall - Pottermore

Childhood

Minerva McGonagall was the first child, and only daughter, of a Scottish Presbyterian minister and a Hogwarts-educated witch. She grew up in the Highlands of Scotland, and only gradually became aware that there was something strange, both about her own abilities, and her parents’ marriage.

Minerva’s father, the Reverend Robert McGonagall, had become captivated by the high-spirited Isobel Ross, who lived in the same village. Like his neighbours, Robert believed that Isobel attended a select ladies’ boarding school in England. In fact, when Isobel vanished from her home for months at a time, it was to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that she went.

Aware that her parents (a witch and wizard) would frown on a connection with the serious young Muggle, Isobel kept their burgeoning relationship a secret. By the time she was eighteen, she had fallen in love with Robert. Unfortunately, she had not found the courage to tell him what she was.

The couple eloped, to the fury of both sets of parents. Now estranged from her family, Isobel could not bring herself to mar the bliss of the honeymoon by telling her smitten new husband that she had graduated top of her class in Charms at Hogwarts, nor that she had been Captain of the school Quidditch team. Isobel and Robert moved into a manse (minister’s house) on the outskirts of Caithness, where the beautiful Isobel proved surprisingly adept at making the most of the minister’s tiny salary.

The birth of the young couple’s first child, Minerva, proved both a joy and a crisis. Missing her family, and the magical community she had given up for love, Isobel insisted on naming her newborn daughter after her own grandmother, an immensely talented witch. The outlandish name raised eyebrows in the community in which she lived, and the Reverend Robert McGonagall found it difficult to explain his wife’s choice to his parishioners. Furthermore, he was alarmed by his wife’s moodiness. Friends assured him that women were often emotional after the birth of a baby, and that Isobel would soon be herself again.

Isobel, however, became more and more withdrawn, often secluding herself with Minerva for days at a time. Isobel later told her daughter that she had displayed small, but unmistakable, signs of magic from her earliest hours. Toys that had been left on upper shelves were found in her cot. The family cat appeared to do her bidding before she could talk. Her father’s bagpipes were occasionally heard to play themselves from distant rooms, a phenomenon that made the infant Minerva chuckle.

Isobel was torn between pride and fear. She knew that she must confess the truth to Robert before he witnessed something that would alarm him. At last, in response to Robert’s patient questioning, Isobel burst into tears, retrieved her wand from the locked box under her bed and showed him what she was.

Although Minerva was too young to remember that night, its aftermath left her with a bitter understanding of the complications of growing up with magic in a Muggle world. Although Robert McGonagall loved his wife no less upon discovering that she was a witch, he was profoundly shocked by her revelation, and by the fact that she had kept such a secret from him for so long. What was more, he, who prided himself on being an upright and honest man, was now drawn into a life of secrecy that was quite foreign to his nature. Isobel explained, through her sobs, that she (and their daughter) were bound by the International Statute of Secrecy, and that they must conceal the truth about themselves, or face the fury of the Ministry of Magic. Robert also quailed at the thought of how the locals – in the main, an austere, straight-laced and conventional breed – would feel about having a witch as their minister’s wife.

Love endured, but trust had been broken between her parents, and Minerva, a clever and observant child, saw this with sadness. Two more children, both sons, were born to the McGonagalls, and both, in due course, revealed magical ability. Minerva helped her mother explain to Malcolm and Robert Junior that they must not flaunt their magic, and aided her mother in concealing from their father the accidents and embarrassments their magic sometimes caused.

Minerva was very close to her Muggle father, whom in temperament she resembled more than her mother. She saw with pain how much he struggled with the family’s strange situation. She sensed, too, how much of a strain it was for her mother to fit in with the all-Muggle village, and how much she missed the freedom of being with her kind, and of exercising her considerable talents. Minerva never forgot how much her mother cried, when the letter of admittance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry arrived on Minerva’s eleventh birthday; she knew that Isobel was sobbing, not only out of pride, but also out of envy.

School Career

As is often the case where the young witch or wizard comes from a family who has struggled with its magical identity, Hogwarts was, for Minerva McGonagall, a place of joyful release and freedom.

Minerva drew unusual attention to herself on her very first evening, when she was revealed to be a Hatstall. After five and a half minutes, the Sorting Hat, which had been vacillating between the houses of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, placed Minerva in the latter. (In later years, this circumstance was a subject of gentle humour between Minerva and her colleague Filius Flitwick, over whom the Sorting Hat suffered the same confusion, but reached the opposite conclusion. The two Heads of house were amused to think that they might, but for those crucial moments in their youths, have exchanged positions).

Minerva was quickly recognised as the most outstanding student of her year, with a particular talent for Transfiguration. As she progressed through the school, she demonstrated that she had inherited both her mother’s talents and her father’s cast-iron moral sense. Minerva’s school career overlapped by two years with that of Pomona Sprout, later Head of Hufflepuff House, and the two women enjoyed an excellent relationship both then, and in later years.

By the end of her education at Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall had achieved an impressive record: top grades in O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, Prefect, Head Girl, and winner of the Transfiguration Today Most Promising Newcomer award. Under the guidance of her inspirational Transfiguration teacher, Albus Dumbledore, she had managed to become an Animagus; her animal form, with its distinctive markings (tabby cat, square spectacles markings around eyes) were duly logged in the Ministry of Magic’s Animagus Registry. Minerva was also, like her mother, a gifted Quidditch player, although a nasty fall in her final year (a foul during the Gryffindor versus Slytherin game which would decide the Cup winner) left her with concussion, several broken ribs and a lifelong desire to see Slytherin crushed on the Quidditch pitch. Though she gave up Quidditch on leaving Hogwarts, the innately competitive Professor McGonagall later took a keen interest in the fortunes of her house team, and retained a keen eye for Quidditch talent.

Early Heartbreak

Upon graduation from Hogwarts, Minerva returned to the manse to enjoy one last summer with her family before setting out for London, where she had been offered a position at the Ministry of Magic (Department of Magical Law Enforcement). These months were to prove some of the most difficult of Minerva’s life, for it was then, aged only eighteen, that she proved herself truly her mother’s daughter, by falling head-over-heels in love with a Muggle boy.

It was the first and only time in Minerva McGonagall’s life that she might have been said to lose her head. Dougal McGregor was the handsome, clever and funny son of a local farmer. Though less beautiful than Isobel, Minerva was clever and witty. Dougal and Minerva shared a sense of humour, argued fiercely, and suspected mysterious depths in each other. Before either of them knew it, Dougal was on one knee in a ploughed field, proposing, and Minerva was accepting him.

She went home, intending to tell her parents of her engagement, yet found herself unable to do so. All that night she lay awake, thinking about her future. Dougal did not know what she, Minerva, truly was, any more than her father had known the truth about Isobel before they had married. Minerva had witnessed at close quarters the kind of marriage she might have if she wed Dougal. It would be the end of all her ambitions; it would mean a wand locked away, and children taught to lie, perhaps even to their own father. She did not fool herself that Dougal McGregor would accompany her to London, while she went to work every day at the Ministry. He was looking forward to inheriting his father’s farm.

Early next morning, Minerva slipped from her parents’ house and went to tell Dougal that she had changed her mind, and could not marry him. Mindful of the fact that if she broke the International Statute of Secrecy she would lose the job at the Ministry for which she was giving him up, she could give him no good reason for her change of heart. She left him devastated, and set out for London three days later.

Ministry Career

Though undoubtedly her feelings for the Ministry of Magic were coloured by the fact that she had recently suffered an emotional crisis, Minerva McGonagall did not much enjoy her new home and workplace. Some of her co-workers had an engrained anti-Muggle bias which, given her adoration of her Muggle father, and her continuing love for Dougal McGregor, she deplored. Though a most efficient and gifted employee, and fond of her much older boss, Elphinstone Urquart, Minerva was unhappy in London, and found that she missed Scotland. Finally, after two years at the Ministry, she was offered a prestigious promotion, yet found herself turning it down. She sent an owl to Hogwarts, asking whether she might be considered for a teaching post. The owl returned within hours, offering her a job in the Transfiguration department, under Head of Department, Albus Dumbledore.

Friendship with Albus Dumbledore

The school greeted Minerva McGonagall’s return with delight. Minerva threw herself into her work, proving herself a strict but inspirational teacher. If she kept letters from Dougal McGregor locked in a box under her bed, this was (she told herself firmly) better than keeping her wand locked there. Nevertheless, it was a shock to learn from the oblivious Isobel (in the middle of a chatty letter of local news) that Dougal had married the daughter of another farmer.

Albus Dumbledore discovered Minerva in tears in her classroom late that evening, and she confessed the whole story to him. Albus Dumbledore offered both comfort and wisdom, and told Minerva some of his own family history, previously unknown to her. The confidences exchanged that night between two intensely private and reserved characters were to form the basis of a lasting mutual esteem and friendship.

Marriage

Through all her early years at Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall remained on terms of friendship with her old boss at the Ministry, Elphinstone Urquart. He came to visit her while on holiday to Scotland, and to her great surprise and embarrassment, proposed marriage in Madam Puddifoot’s teashop. Still in love with Dougal McGregor, Minerva turned him down.

Elphinstone, however, had never ceased to love her, nor to propose every now and then, even though she continued to refuse him. The death of Dougal McGregor, however, although traumatic, seemed to free Minerva. Shortly after Voldemort’s first defeat, Elphinstone, now white-haired, proposed again during a summertime stroll around the lake in the Hogwarts grounds. This time Minerva accepted. Elphinstone, now retired, was beside himself with joy, and purchased a small cottage in Hogsmeade for the pair of them, whence Minerva could travel easily to work every day.

Known to successive generations of students as ‘Professor McGonagall’, Minerva – always something of a feminist – announced that she would be keeping her own name upon marriage. Traditionalists sniffed – why was Minerva refusing to accept a pure-blood name, and keeping that of her Muggle father?

The marriage (cut tragically short, though it was destined to be) was a very happy one. Though they had no children of their own, Minerva’s nieces and nephews (children of her brothers Malcolm and Robert) were frequent visitors to their home. This was a period of great fulfillment for Minerva.

The accidental death of Elphinstone from a Venomous Tentacula bite, three years into their marriage, was an enormous sorrow to all who knew the couple. Minerva could not bear to remain alone in their cottage, but packed her things after Elphinstone’s funeral and returned to her sparse stone-floored bedroom in Hogwarts Castle, accessible through a concealed door in the wall of her first-floor study. Always a very brave and private person, she poured all her energies into her work, and few people – excepting perhaps Albus Dumbledore – ever realised how much she suffered.

J.K. Rowling’s thoughts

Minerva was the Roman goddess of warriors and wisdom. William McGonagall is celebrated as the worst poet in British history. There was something irresistible to me about his name, and the idea that such a brilliant woman might be a distant relative of the buffoonish McGonagall.

A small sample of his work will give a flavour of its unintentional comedic value. The following was written as part of a poem commemorating a Victorian railway disaster:

Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay! Alas! I am very sorry to say That ninety lives have been taken away On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember’d for a very long time.

[orderofdeathrp-blog]

Faceclaim: Idris Elba || Age: 46 Years Old || Pronouns: He/him/his

Ministry of Magic

Gender up to player

Pure-blood

Former Ravenclaw*

Hit wizard for the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol

Open

Required Headcanon

Although Elphinstone has a full-time job at the Ministry, he is the one who cooks and cleans around the house.

Suggested Headcanon

Elphinstone is very proud of his heritage as a Scottish wizard and often wears a kilt.

Connection

Minerva McGonagall

FC Guidelines

Any replacement must be a male-identified or non-binary PoC FC in their late mid forties to early fifties. If you use a non-binary FC, Elphinstone must be played as non-binary.

[marisacapriccio]

Nomen est omen

I did it via meaningslike.com for fun, but what I came accross surprisingly corresponds with the qualities I have always imagined him having.

First recorded as a placename in a deed by Alams de Swinton circa 1235 when mention is made of the "homines (serfs) of Elfinstun". The derivation is from the Gallo-Latin personal name Alphinus, written in Irish records as Alphin, Alpin and Elphine. Two Pictish kings bore the name Alphin, but the etymology is unknown, and is in no way connected with Alba.

Name analysis of Alphinus/Elphin:

It is often strong personalities who have this name. Energetic, charismatic, ambitious and focused. Born to be an executive. If they have true passion for something, they can give everything for it. However this also works both ways. If others want to force on to them things which do not inspire, they can totally refuse to go along.

Their immense ambition makes them want to be the best. A competitive type who usually gives everything they have in order to win. Strong self confidence about their abilities makes this possible. Such qualities help Alphinus tackle all difficulties and solve problems in a leading forward thinking manner.

People around them will invariably notice your leadership traits and submit to your authority. It all comes down to their confidence that shines like a bright light. Taking on new responsibilities has never been a burden to them. Instead they seek out new challenges to show their talents.

Courageous in making hard decisions and ready to act fast when needed. Always up to date with competition. Having the courage to show their talents is not natural for many. Mental strength is one of your greatest weapons.

Even in face of defeats they never waver and simply move on towards achieving the set goals. Their strength develops particularly good when working alone or working in a team where they are the leader.

Like a warrior who marches into war. They want to win. Only the first place can quell their thirst. As a strong personality they know what they want. People appreciate their positive and creative characteristics. When striving for success their ambition has no limits. 

It is easy for them to motivate themselves to achieve a goal. Moreover they are constantly ready to fully apply and to develop themselves. Never would they expect that something is given without effort. Full of energy and determination they are an impressive force of nature. People can get easily inspired by simply working by their side.

Name analysis of Urquart:

Success and endurance are two words that describe them the best. Setting themselves goals and giving everything they have to achieve them is a normal occurrence. Striving towards material success gives them a feeling of not being ordinary.

Not a person who would ever give up on anything. 

People close to them can always count on their reliability. They are responsible persons who emit security.

Urquart is a person who is full of love. Their beautiful emotions create harmony and balance for anyone who is lucky enough to become their friend. Always graceful and charming when dealing with others, their emotional intelligence is very high.

Seeing both sides of a coin lets them constantly find new perspectives to solve any and all disagreements. It is easy to be gracious because they strive for balance. Knowing the importance of balance in their life makes them into a good negotiator.

The impression they usually give to people is that of playful elegance and safety. Even if they have a hard time with something, to the outside world they seem to be doing just fine. People around you feel safe because you give them joy. Giving joy to the world is one of your greatest gifts.

They should learn to find balance between attaining power and material possessions. This is a name that attracts money (in a certain way). However, striving exclusively towards fame and wealth will only work once they have realistic views regarding them. 

Around them exists an atmosphere of authority and certainty. Coupled with their leadership qualities they are able to achieve their goals. Judging a person’s character in a short period of time is one of their instinctual abilities. This allows them to surround yourself with only the right people. Also noteworthy is their organizational talent.

[where-i-cannot-follow]

So I have this headcanon that McGonagall actually swears A LOT, but just not in front of students or acquaintances and colleagues she's not very close to. But under her breath or with Albus, Pomona, or Elphinstone...there is no filter.

[reyamidalakenobi]

Elphinstone Urquart is a pure blood but his house isn't mentioned in the HP wikia so i'm assuming that he was a Slytherin and that's why McGonagall wears so much green

[frances-barden]

My OC Malvina McGonagall Urquart taken by @silvertrumpeter #malvinamcgonagallurquart #elphinstoneurquart #mcgonagallxelphinstone #minervamcgonagall #mcgonagall #gryffindor #misticon #oc #originalcharacter

[minerva--mcgee]

McGonagall With The Marauders #6

Sequel to McGonagall With The Marauders #4

Minerva waited in her office next to the fireplace. She was growing impatient, shifting her weight back from one foot to the other, eventually pacing the room. It was something of a sight - she was wearing one of her best sets of robes, and she had her hair in a looser bun than usual. She reached over and straightened a photograph on the mantle as the fireplace roared to life with green flames. 

She stepped back to let her husband come through the flames, and he threw his arms around her when he emerged. “Minnie.”

“Phin,” she said, pulling back to plant a kiss on his lips.

It wasn’t often that he could come up to Hogwarts to visit her. He was so busy at the Ministry that he was usually working well into the night, and she had plenty to keep her occupied here at Hogwarts. A few names came immediately to mind. But right now, she could spend a day with him. A beautiful day it was, too - one of the first warm days of spring, the sun was shining, students were roaming the grounds of the castle. 

“It’s great to see you,” she said to him, holding him tight. They sat in this position for a few moments before separating. She lead him to her living room, where they sat close together on the couch and chatted over tea about Phin’s work, when a knock came from the door. Minerva gave him a confused look.

“Are you expecting anyone?” said Phin.

“Just you,” she went over and answered the door, coming face-to-face with a red-headed fourth year.

“Miss Evans,” she said, surprised, “What brings you here on a Saturday? Is everything alright?”

“Oh, yes, Professor, I’m terribly sorry to bother you on a weekend,” Lily was speaking fast, not wanting to use too much of her professor’s time, but taken aback by the looser hair that she was sporting, “I’ve just been thinking about this one question on the Transfiguration homework since you assigned it and I was hoping that you could help me with it - oh, hello!”

Minerva turned around to see her husband had stood up and was now only a few inches behind her, looking down at Lily. “Hello there.”

“Miss Evans, this is my husband, Elphinstone Urquart. Phin, Lily Evans.”

“Oh, yes! Lily Evans!” he exclaimed gleefully, “I’ve heard great things about you!”

“You have?” Lily asked, closing her mouth. She hadn’t realized it had been hanging open. “I didn’t even know you were married, Professor!”

“That seems to be a recurring theme here,” Phin teased. Minerva gave him a smirk and elbowed him in the ribs, to which he feigned pain. 

“Well, I’m sorry to have bothered you, Professor McGonagall, I wouldn’t have if I’d have known you had company. I can come back another time, or we can discuss it in class.”

“Oh, nonsense!” said Phin, stepping aside, “don’t let me get in the way of Minnie’s work. Besides, I know quite a bit about Transfiguration, myself.”

A few minutes later, Lily left her Head of House’s private living quarters with her parchment in her hand and tea in her stomach. She was thoroughly confused at the events that transpired.

She made her way back to her common room, still a little dazed and lost in thought. James and Sirius were arguing about the Quidditch match next week, but James interrupted Sirius when he saw Lily enter. “Are you okay?”

“Did you know McGonagall was married?”

They were surprised. “We knew that ... how did you know that?”

“I - I just had tea with her and her husband. He’s great. She really seemed happy.”

James and Sirius exchanged a look of disbelief, and didn’t speak for a moment. It was Sirius that recovered first. “Phin is here,” he said, trying to confirm that he was hearing everything correctly. 

Lily nodded. The two boys sprung into action at the same time, calling up the stairs for Remus and Peter, and that it was urgent.

The four boys were nudging each other nervously, trying to make one of the others knock on the painting. Eventually, it was decided that Sirius would knock, and he did. He knocked multiple times, and no answer came to the door. They stared up at the painting. 

“She’s not here,” said the painting of a woman eating grapes, looking rather bored. “She left about a half hour ago.”

“Where did she go?” asked Sirius.

The painting simply laughed at them and continued to eat her grapes, before the four boys huffed away. 

“What now?” asked Remus. 

James looked out of the window next to them in the corridor and saw a few figures moving outside on the grounds. He smiled. “Outside!” he proclaimed, running down the hallway as his friends scrambled behind him.

“Min, I know you think the Magpies are going to win the cup, and I’m sorry that I have to be the one to tell you that you’re wrong.”

“Yes, it’s obviously going to the Kestrels this year!” chimed in Poppy Pomfrey, which received laughs from the group.

Minerva and Elphinstone had found their way outside, and were now standing in a circle with Albus Dumbledore and Poppy Pomfrey next to the lake. They were enjoying the nice weather, and the breeze felt good.

“No, no, no,” said Phin in mock anger, “No. I will not accept these subpar Quidditch opinions. The Ballycastle Bats is the only decent answer to this question!”

Albus, with his back to the lake and facing the castle, tilted his head slightly to look past Minerva at a certain set of Gryffindor boys charging toward them. “Oh, this will be fun,” he said with a lightness in his voice. 

Minerva quirked her eyebrows at him, before turning to see what the rest had already noticed. 

“So, we meet again, Elphinstone!” Sirius Black announced loudly, turning heads of the few students within earshot. 

“Oh, sweet Merlin,” Minerva rubbed her temple.

Phin, amused, turned to look at them. “I suppose we do, Sirius Black!” 

Sirius stopped walking for a moment, shocked that he had remembered his name from their previous encounter, but soon began walking again, until he was only a few feet in front of him. The rest caught up, filing into a straight line in front of him.

“They’ve all drawn their wands,” Poppy whispered to Albus behind her hand. They shared a giggle at the scene in front of them. 

“Anyone married to our dear, sweet Minnie must be put to the test!” James shouted, holding his head high and crossing his wand over his chest. 

“You four are so - !” Minerva started, only to be cut off by Phin. 

“No, no, they are absolutely correct, Minnie.” 

That left all of the boys and Minerva shocked. “We are?”

“They are?”

“They are! I mean, I must fight for your honor, my darling!”

“That is exactly right!” said Remus. “We wouldn’t let our favourite professor see just anyone, you know. No offense, Professor Dumbledore.”

Albus raised his hands, gesturing none taken.

“We are prepared to duel you, Sir Urquart!” said Sirius. “Right here, right now.”

Minerva walked over to hide behind Poppy, who would simply move out of the way so that she must be exposed to what was happening. She sighed and buried her face in her hands, wondering how in the world she didn’t expect this to happen. She just wanted one day with her husband on school grounds.

The three staff members watched as Phin took his stance against the four boys, ready to face off. “Uh, Professor Dumbledore, sir? Could you officiate?” said James.

“Absolutely, my boy!” Minerva groaned loudly and tried to face the lake, but Poppy grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. 

“Alright, everyone,” he said, looking between the Marauders and Phin, “I want a clean fight. First to disarm their opponent wins. On my mark!”

He backed out of the way, and dropped his hand, signaling the start of the duel.

By now, many students had gathered around to watch the spectacle, and were laughing. The boys were firing hexes at Phin, who was dodging them one after the other. His wife knew that he was just letting them get a couple of spells in before - 

Suddenly, Phin waved his wand in a series of patterns so fast that few could process what was happening before it was done. He was holding four wands and the four boys to match them were laying on the ground in a leg-locker jinx. 

“The winner is - Elphinstone!” 

The crowd of students cheered for him as he ran over to his wife and planted a kiss on her cheeks. She was less than thrilled.

“Oh, come on, darling, now we don’t have to be apart! I’ve won your honor!” 

“You win this time, Urquart!” Sirius sweared from his spot on the lawn, “But you haven’t seen the last of us!” 

Minerva walked over to them and deducted fifteen house points each and announced that they would lay there until either the spell wore off or someone took pity on them to undo it. She marched up to the castle, only a few catching the tint of red that was creeping on her cheeks. Phin followed her in, but stopped next to James. “Well, I think we’ve made her mad. Perhaps it’s for the best that you stay here.”

[minerrvas]

just saved four urls concerning elphinstone urquart. i mistyped his name at least 48730897034 times

[minervamcgonagallfan-blog]

Do you think Minerva and Elphinstone had a good marriage?