#Elphinstone Urquart

[anachriva]

I had to google McGonagall's husband for the ship week, and I found that they got married in 1982, which means something like this may have happened

[rosie-love98]

*Context: So, on August 1st, 1985 Severus Snape and Constance Hardbroom went to secretly eloped with only a few witnesses. While it was a (dare I say it) happy occasion, it still wasn't exempt from any...mishaps...*

*Amelia Cackle and Minerva McGonagall are leaving the room Constance was getting ready in.*

Amelia Cackle: Doesn't she look lovely, Minerva?

Minerva McGonagall: Absolutely! You've done a wonderful job with that fashion spell, Amelia. Such an elegant bridal dress! And a matching veil to go with it! I wonder how Severus would react?

Elphinestone Urquart: *rushes to them with irritation* Minnie, Amelia, we have a situation with the groom!

Minerva McGonagall: What, Elphie?

Amelia Cackle: Cold feet?

Elphinstone Urquart: Worse.

*Moments later, Elphinstone takes the ladies to see Severus wearing his usual, everyday robes but with a white rose pinned on his coat and his hair slightly curled.*

Severus Snape: *fails to see any issue with his stoic self*

Minerva McGonagall:

Amelia Cackle:

Elphinstone Urquart:

Minerva McGonagall: *to Amelia Cackle* Fashion spell?

Amelia Cackle: Fashion spell. Hold still, Severus.

@valtors-bitch @theworstwitchforever @theworstwitch @snonions-and-cream @snapeaddict

[moonyaugust]

how i see minerva mcgonagall

clever cat

born on october 4th, 1935

half-blood (mother is pureblood, father is a muggle)

bisexual

scottish

patronus: cat

gryffindor chaser, prefect, and head girl

of the mcgonagall and ross families

animagus form is a tabby cat

has two younger brothers: malcolm (three years younger) and robert (six years younger)

aunt to two nieces (maria-gabrielle and elsie) and a nephew (bobby)

professor of transfiguration at hogwarts, head of gryffindor house

broke her leg during the quidditch cup finals in seventh year, which prevented her from going pro

not close with her mother isobel, as isobel resented minerva for being able to practice magic freely, while her marriage confined her to the muggle world

her father fought in the second world war and returned with ptsd, nerve damage in his left side, and hallucinations. minerva was his main caretaker (isobel had grown to hate her husband over time) until his death in fourth year

hatstall between gryffindor and ravenclaw

fell in love with dougal mcgregor at eighteen but declined his proposal, not wanting the same life as her mother

worked at the department of magical law enforcement for several years

repeatedly turns down the marriage proposals of her friend and former boss, elphinstone urquart

best classes were transfiguration (obviously) and defense against the dark arts

was in a relationship with poppy pomfrey as teenagers, though poppy's marriage drove them apart. as adults and coworkers, they maintain a friendly yet distant relationship

her mentor at hogwarts was albus dumbledore, they developed a close friendship and bond as adults. minerva doesn't always agree with albus' methods, but trusts him nonetheless

friend group was poppy pomfrey, alphard black, lyall lupin, and pomona sprout

loves tea, takes it without milk or sugar

bites her nails

fiery, headstrong, and incredibly intelligent. everybody either wants to be minerva, date minerva, or kill minerva

sees a lot of herself in sirius black

songs for minerva: kyoto by phoebe bridgers, i just don't think that you like me that much anymore by leith ross, addictions by lucy dacus

young fancast is hailee steinfeld, older fancast is michelle gomez

if you want more minerva, check out my fic valkyrie!

[hprecfest]

Link to the fic <3

A Broomstick Built For Two - Spin84

HP Rec Fest -- Day 7

Prompt 7: A canon- compliant fic @hprecfest

I don't love the Pottermore backstory for Minerva, I grudgingly suppose it's canon, so today's rec is for a fic that pairs her with Elphinstone -- (possibly the only part of that backstory I actually kind of like.)

A Broomstick Built for Two

Pairing: Elphinstone/Minerva

Creator: spin84

Rating: M/R

Word Count: 4,004

Summary: Elphinstone celebrates his first birthday as a married man.

Why You Should Check It Out:

This unusual fic gives us the Elphinstone/Minerva relationship from the former's perspective.

It's a tender, fun, sensual story that falls just on the right side of sentiment without going over the line.

Minerva is … Minerva. Slightly acerbic and practical, but willing to be wooed into a bit of frivolity.

[perverse-idyll]

@hprecfest 2024 - Day 3: a fic not on AO3

So here I am, forging ahead with Day 3 on Day 13. A veritable reccing speed demon, that's me. But the sun has gone down, the rain is pouring from the eaves outside, and I have three fics to rec for your delectation: two Snarry and one Minerva ship.

Death Row by girl_tarte. Here we have a Snape who has fallen to the bottom of the DE pecking order and is assigned to watch over a captured Boy Who Lived. Tarte's prose is always a joy to read, and her Severus is droll, morally blasé, unimpressed by all parties (including himself) and capable of acts of courage and absurdity. To his own surprise, he abducts Harry from prison to protect him from both sides of the war, and a ridiculous and touching (also rather halting and inconvenient) tenderness makes an appearance while they're holed up together. Then Harry's kidnapped. Tarte's writing style is a treat, full of wit and unexpected fine details, and the concluding sex scene is one of my favorites in all its awkward romanticism and attunement to human foibles.

Laws of Magnetic Attraction by goseaward. This is a non-magic AU, set in the US after WWII, at a time when gay men and lesbians could be jailed or fired from their jobs if caught. Harry is an injured former pilot and Snape a disgraced former physics teacher who ended up working on the Manhattan Project. Goseaward's style suits the sharp, guarded edges of the characters; the tone is crisp and unsentimental, and most of the emotion is pushed down beneath the surface. Snape is a manipulative asshole (therefore very much IC) who essentially bullies Harry into starting a liaison, a fraught relationship that shatters when Harry discovers incriminating documents and betrays Snape's trust for what he believes are important reasons. This isn't a sweeping romance, and there's nothing soft about it, but it feels adult and true and in the end not hopeless. Something about the incisive, unerring prose and the portrait of their imperfect entanglement fascinates me, and I've come back to this story over and over again.

Ombra Mai Fu by tetleythesecond. Tetley took down most of her fics when she left fandom; fortunately, two of my favorites still exist as fest posts. This one chronicles the love story of Minerva McGonagall and Elphinstone Urquart, building a persuasive picture of Minerva's youth and Elphinstone's exploration of their gender identity. It's smart and warm and quietly beautiful, and Elphinstone is a very sympathetic and appealing OC (yes, they exist in canon, but mostly in name only). We know Elphinstone's fate, which occurs outside the bounds of this fic, and that knowledge lends an elegiac quality to the tale being told. I fell in love with it the moment I read it, but it's tucked away on LiveJournal and very few readers know about it.

[iamnmbr3]

And a couple more romantic ships since asks are currently seeming welcomed

Elphinstone Urquart and Minerva McGonagall

Nymphadora Tonks and Fleur Delacour

Severus Snape and Charity Burbage

And for irony’s sake the combination of Aurora Sinistra and Sybill Trelawney?

Elphinstone Urquart and Minerva McGonagall:

makes sense, doesn't compel me. i don't hate this or anything and it totally works. my attitude is just. 'ok. that's a thing that happened.' kinda hate that minerva had to have a tragic romantic backstory. i will continue to pretend that she's happily married to professor sprout and it just never comes up in front of the students bc they're super proper and professional and don't believe in discussing their personal lives in front of students...tho i am also entertained by minerva/hagrid as a crackship.

Nymphadora Tonks and Fleur Delacour:

YES. makes sense, compels me. some of you might call this a crackship but you would be wrong. i love the idea of these two together so much. i feel like their mutual bluntness would cause them to initially get off on the wrong foot but eventually they'd learn to appreciate each other. also they could both totally bond over being fetishized for their powers in different ways.

Severus Snape and Charity Burbage:

doesn't make sense and doesn't really compel me. except in the sense that it would add so much more angst to charity's death in book 7.

Aurora Sinistra and Sybill Trelawney:

we don't really see enough of Sinistra to really know about her. so it could make sense but we don't know. it's up to the author who writes the ship. on the face of it, it doesn't especially compel me tho.

[panacevm]

CANON SPOTLIGHT PART IV

Budding romance, reimagined: Elphinstone Urquart and Minerva McGonagall, as portrayed by Oli Lacey and Kristine Froseth.

[carewyncromwell]

“Tell me something, girl --  Are you happy in this modern world? Or do you need more? Is there something else you're searching for? I'm falling... In all the good times, I find myself longing for change, And in the bad times, I fear myself... Tell me something, boy -- Aren't you tired trying to fill that void? Or do you need more? Ain't it hard keeping it so hardcore? I'm falling... In all the good times, I find myself longing for change, And in the bad times, I fear myself... I'm off the deep end -- watch as I dive in -- I'll never meet the ground... Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us --  We're far from the shallow now.”

~“Shallow (cover)” by JessiieSchembri

x~x~x~x

A special Teacher’s Appreciation event was hosted at the end of Carewyn Cromwell’s sixth year, as a special “thank you” to the faculty and staff for all of their hard work. Several students were handpicked by Dumbledore to write some short tributes to individual professors and present them before the school at the end of the month. Most of the students selected, like Penny, Carewyn guessed were chosen because they’d shown a talent for public speaking or because Dumbledore just determined they’d be the most likely to get on board with the idea. Either way, it wasn’t entirely surprising that Dumbledore asked Carewyn to give a tribute. Fortunately the one he’d asked her to prepare ended up being for the teacher she respected most out of the entire staff: Hogwarts’s Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor and Gryffindor’s Head of House, Minerva McGonagall. 

Now, unlike her magical prodigy older brother Jacob, Carewyn had never been good at Transfiguration. It was easily the subject she struggled the most with, out of all of them: she always did much better with Charms, History of Magic, Care of Magical Creatures, and defensive magic. Despite this, though, Carewyn worked her butt off in Transfiguration class -- McGonagall had always been strict, but only to the point of expecting her students to work hard and put in their best at all times. She would still praise when it was warranted, and if someone was struggling, she would still offer constructive guidance if it was really called for. This attitude, coupled with her extensive knowledge of the subject, made Carewyn respect McGonagall all the more and made determined to do well in her class, as she knew that the Deputy Headmistress would only give proper praise if it was truly earned. The thing that made Carewyn the proudest about earning all O’s on her OWLS was that she’d ended up earning an O on her Transfiguration OWL in particular...and when McGonagall likewise found out, she was just as proud herself. 

When Carewyn met with McGonagall to ask her some interview questions so as to help her with her presentation, she instead found the Deputy Headmistress ready to play a game of Wizard’s Chess. 

“My role in this school is to teach, much more than to be studied,” said McGonagall crisply, “which is why it’s important to me that you learn something yourself, as we conduct these interviews.”

She indicated the chessboard on her desk. 

“This is my own personal chess set,” she said with a dewy smile. “And I must warn you -- I’m quite good.”

This Carewyn didn’t doubt at all. Wizard’s Chess wasn’t a game she’d ever really enjoyed, nor was it a game she was very good at -- but at the same time, the Slytherin Prefect was insightful enough to know that this was more than just a game. It was the language McGonagall wanted to speak to Carewyn with...for what reason, Carewyn wasn’t sure, but it seemed that McGonagall was more comfortable talking over a chessboard than over a cup of tea and some biscuits. So Carewyn agreed to play a match -- and when she (rather predictably, she thought sulkily) lost, she found herself suddenly hard-pressed to look McGonagall in the eye. 

“I must say, Miss Cromwell,” said McGonagall, frowning deeply, “I’m disappointed. For as much effort as you put in my class, it really felt like you were holding back, during our match.”

Carewyn's eyes narrowed irritably despite her attempt to keep her composure. 

“I wasn’t holding back,” she muttered. 

“Yet you never took any initiative,” said McGonagall. “You only ever took my pieces after I made a move against you. Your strategy was purely reactionary -- a rather unusual one to choose, for someone who’s always had a flair for planning ahead.”

Carewyn felt like her chest was a briar patch, constantly pricking and poking at her heart, and McGonagall’s prodding only served to poke and prick at it more. 

“Wizard’s Chess is just not something I’m very good at,” she said shortly. “That’s all.”

McGonagall furrowed her eyebrows. “And yet you haven’t pursued bettering yourself in it. Once again -- rather out of character for you.”

Carewyn didn’t answer. She crossed her arms and purposefully kept her eyes averted. 

McGonagall tilted her head, looking over Carewyn with a discerning, but still rather baffled expression. 

“I’ve never seen you this out of sorts before, Miss Cromwell. Are you truly so upset that I won our match? I did tell you that I was good.”

“No,” Carewyn said at once, very forcefully. “I’m not upset that you won. I knew you would, before we even started. I just...”

She crossed her arms a bit more tightly, slouching back a bit in her seat. 

She didn’t want to talk about this. She wanted to just push the whole thing away, and pretend it was nothing. She didn’t want to explain how she felt. 

But opening up to Jacob that last week, after all the time she’d spent bottling up her feelings...it had felt better to get it off her chest, hadn’t it? Even if it had hurt a bit, it had helped. It’d actually helped her and Jacob see eye-to-eye, for the first time in a really long time...

Carewyn felt ill. She hated this idea. 

“...I just...don’t like doing things I’m not good at,” she said, her voice very low and forcibly controlled in the back of her throat. “I don’t like feeling like I can’t do something. Like I should’ve been able to do better, but even if I tried really hard and really wanted to win...none of it matters...”

Nope. Saying this aloud only made her feel more nauseous. Carewyn stoically closed up like a clam. 

 “That’s all.”

McGonagall’s expression cleared slightly. 

“I see,” she said softly. “So it’s not that I won our match...it’s that you did not?”

Carewyn nodded silently, her narrowed eyes still locked on the far corner.

 McGonagall surveyed her student with a mild expression. “It’s perfectly natural to have setbacks, Miss Cromwell. It’s arguably what makes us human. No person can do everything perfectly all the time.”

“Jacob could,” Carewyn accidentally thought aloud.

McGonagall’s brows knit over her eyes reproachfully. 

“Your brother may have been an exceptional student, Miss Cromwell,” she said sternly, “but there are quite a few things he never mastered, as you have. His magical talent may have made his classes easy and may have helped him a good deal with his other misadventures -- but it means that he never had as much empathy for those who struggled academically, nor felt the urge to nurture and encourage others, because he didn’t understand their struggle first hand. He never experienced the pride and sense of accomplishment that can come from mastering a subject you’ve always had trouble with.”

She offered Carewyn a slight smile. Carewyn herself didn’t feel in the mood to smile back, but she forced a nod all the same. 

“...I suppose so.”

McGonagall’s smile faded and her face grew more serious again. 

“All right, Miss Cromwell -- I do believe we’ve run out of time for today. We can resume this Monday afternoon, after classes are through.”

Carewyn felt awful about how she’d acted in front of McGonagall. She already had a lot of trouble opening up to people -- it was something she was still working on improving -- but rather than making anything better, all her opening up that bit had done had shown McGonagall a part of her Carewyn was ashamed of. And that Carewyn loathed the thought of. So she decided she was going to fix it straight away, so that their next interview session would be far more productive. 

The following day, McGonagall received a package from Carewyn containing a rather strange-looking wooden board filled with colorful glass pebbles and a neatly handwritten letter. 

The following Monday, Carewyn arrived in McGonagall’s office to find Gryffindor’s Head of House at the back of the room setting up the board on her desk. 

“Good afternoon, Professor,” said Carewyn politely. 

McGonagall looked up as Carewyn approached. “Good afternoon, Miss Cromwell.”

She settled herself down behind her desk on one side of the mancala board, adjusting her emerald green robes as she did so. 

“Arif Sikander was fascinated by this, when I unpacked it at the staff table,” the Deputy Headmistress said dryly. “Upon reading the rules you wrote, he analyzed it as an ‘abstract strategy game, in the vein of Muggle Checkers.’ Though I must confess, I don’t know if Checkers is quite as old as Mancala.”

Carewyn considered this as she eased herself down into her own chair on the other side of McGonagall’s deck. 

“...I think Checkers might be older, actually. I’d have to ask Mum. But Mancala was first discovered in Africa in the 3rd century, I think, so it is very old. From what I gather from Mum, though, it really never became popular over here the way it did further East...”

“It is interesting that a game like this would appeal to you as a child more than Wizard’s Chess, considering the magical component and your own brother’s skill for it,” said McGonagall. “The concept of capturing pieces is very much the same. The main difference is that you’re trying to collect the most pieces, rather than the most important piece.”

Carewyn shook her head. “It’s not the same. Not to me, at least.”

She gestured to the board. 

“Look -- you see these pebbles? Mum told us when this game was played in ancient times, these pebbles were seeds. You’d remove a cluster of seeds from one of the pits and then ‘sow’ them across the board, trying to get them all back to your collection bank.”

Carewyn smiled broadly. 

“So the idea was never beating the other person. It was trying to help the seeds -- or, in this case, pebbles -- travel to where they’re supposed to go. So when I was little, that’s what I did. I pretended that they were people trying to go home, whether to my house or Jacob’s house. No matter what road they took or which house they ended up in, as long as they ended up somewhere safe...that was the important part. So even if I was proud if I got more people home than Jacob...if I didn’t, that was okay, because at least it got done.”

McGonagall’s expression grew rather thoughtful. “...So rather than fighting your opponent, you work in conjunction with them, for the betterment of others.”

 Carewyn nodded. “Yes.”

“Hm,” said McGonagall. “A rather idealistic perspective, for a simple game of winning and losing.”

Carewyn’s expression grew a bit more serious. “But isn’t that just it, Professor? It’s like you said -- it felt to you like I was holding back, in our chess match. And thinking back on it...yeah, I guess I was. But the reason I was holding back is because I don’t like beating people at games. I like playing games. I like playing Quidditch, and having fun, and doing my best. What I don’t like is the feeling of losing...like you should’ve been able to do better, but you didn’t -- so you feel angry and bitter and hurt and self-loathing. Like a failure and a disappointment to yourself and to others...”

Her blue eyes narrowed just a bit. 

“...And really...I don’t like making anyone else feel like that either, if I can help it. It’s terrible. That’s why I don’t get competitive. That’s why I don’t like it when people treat games like war -- because people can’t be mended like chess pieces can, with a simple Reparo.”

McGonagall considered Carewyn for a long moment. Then, very slowly, something in her expression melted, softening the creases around her eyes and deepening the wrinkles around her lips. 

“...You truly are a very gentle soul, aren’t you, Miss Cromwell?” she said softly. “For as strong of a face you put on -- a face rather typical to students from Severus’s house -- you sincerely care for other people’s happiness far more than you do for your own achievement.”

Carewyn smiled. “And for as confident a face as you always put on, you really don’t like talking about yourself very much, do you, Professor?”

McGonagall blinked in surprise. 

“That’s why you wanted to talk over a game of Wizard’s Chess, rather than just talk. It let you focus on the match when you didn’t want to answer certain questions, without compromising your pride. Even right now, talking about mancala gave you the chance to tap my brain rather than let me ask you any questions about yourself.”

McGonagall looked oddly flustered.

“I do believe I already said that I am far more experienced with teaching than being a subject to study,” she said at last rather stiffly. 

Carewyn’s smile softened. 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about certain things, you know,” she said gently. “I won’t think any less of you, if you want to change the subject. I mean, I reckon I’ve already shown you the worst side of me,” she added a bit more ruefully, “so I’m already playing catch-up there...”

“The worst side of you? Miss Cromwell,” McGonagall said reproachfully, “since we parted ways after that match, you’ve been doing more than your fair share to improve on your shortcomings. I’d say that is the very best side of you.”

Carewyn didn’t wholly agree, but receiving validation from the usually faint-of-praise Professor McGonagall felt nice, all the same. 

“Thank you, Professor.”

“Now then,” said McGonagall, “shall we start our game?”

“Yes,” said Carewyn. “Why don’t you make the first move?”

McGonagall moved her first cluster of pebbles from the third pit across the board. Landing one pebble in the collection bank gave her the chance to go again, and she emptied the second pit across her side of the board. 

“Is there no way to determine who moves first?” asked the Professor. 

“Sometimes people flip a coin,” said Carewyn, emptying her third pit and then fourth pit so that she “sowed” pebbles both on her and McGonagall’s side of the board. “But I don’t mind going second.”

“Wouldn’t going first give that player the advantage?”

“Sort of. But going first doesn’t guarantee you’ll win. And really, I don’t mind not having the advantage -- I don’t need it.”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t be so overconfident.”

“And perhaps you shouldn’t assume me letting you have the advantage means I'm planning something,” 

“Well, now you’ve made me wonder, Miss Cromwell,” said McGonagall rather dryly. 

Carewyn laughed. “This is your first time playing this game, Professor. I’m just trying to be nice. And besides...we Slytherins love a good underdog story.”

She brought her pebbles across the board to an empty pit right across from one of McGonagall’s full pits, using the move to “capture” both her single pebble and McGonagall’s ten. 

“My score is now 20,” said Carewyn with a smile. “Five more, and I win.”

McGonagall’s face spread into a fuller, more determined smirk than Carewyn had ever seen before. 

“Challenge accepted, Miss Cromwell.”

The first game Carewyn won 28-20. It ended fast enough that there was time for a few more rounds, and as they played, the two women actually started talking more casually. 

“Did you play Quidditch, Professor?”

“Indeed I did. I was on the Gryffindor team nearly my entire time at Hogwarts, much like your friend, Charlie Weasley.”

“Were you a Seeker, then?” asked Carewyn curiously. “For some reason I had you pegged more as a Chaser.”

McGonagall’s lips curled up in a cool smile. “Your instincts are correct. I was a Chaser. A talented one as well, if I do say so myself.”

Carewyn grinned. “It’s a shame we never got to play a Friendly match... though judging by how competitive you are, I don’t know how ‘friendly’ that match would’ve been!”

McGonagall gave a light “hn!” through her nose. “Your instincts once again are correct, Miss Cromwell. I frankly was almost relieved that you didn’t return to the Slytherin team in your third year, prior to their match against Gryffindor -- it made it far easier for us to crush them decisively.”

Carewyn frowned deeply. “Charlie did a great job in that match, but so did Orion and the others. They’re all very talented players.”

“I’m afraid having a lot of talent is not always enough to ensure victory, Miss Cromwell,” McGonagall said lightly. “I myself learned that very lesson, in a match against Slytherin, no less.” 

She offered something of a wry smile. 

“...I admit, though...I have spoken with Severus in the past about how surprised we were that you weren’t sorted into Gryffindor. I think both of us see the rationale for your placement much better now, but in the beginning, it did confuse us. Mr. Amari’s placement, however, I still don’t know the reason for -- Pomona and I could very easily see him in her house instead...”

Carewyn cocked her eyebrows coolly. "Orion isn’t someone you can know. You can only try to see the world through his eyes, and maybe understand him a bit better through what you see.” 

McGonagall raised her eyes up to the ceiling with a sigh. “And now I’m reminded more of Filius’s house, for the two of you -- overly complicated and a bit too stuck in one’s own head.”

Carewyn covered her mouth with her hand to hold in a giggle. “That sounds like Jacob! And Mum a bit, sometimes. Though she’s really just quiet, when she’s in her head. She’s never liked being in crowds.”

McGonagall nodded. “Yes, I remember Lane -- she started at school the very year I started teaching.” 

“Really?” said Carewyn, interested. 

“Yes. She wasn’t as adept at the subject as you or your brother, but she was a capable student. She simply wasn’t the kind to showcase her abilities.”

“She never has been.”

“It surprised me, when I found out she eloped with your father,” McGonagall said grimly. “Decisions like that...ones where you’re forced to choose between love and following the Statute of Secrecy...they’re never easy.”

Carewyn sensed something oddly sad, almost longing coming off of McGonagall...something empathetic. She got the feeling McGonagall knew the gravity of Lane’s decision to marry Evan Bach very well -- maybe almost admired it, in a strange way. 

Rather than confront the issue, though, Carewyn decided to sidestep it. 

“...Mm, well...Mum’s family situation was a factor too, though. Even if Dad and Mum’s marriage didn’t work out...well, he still treated her better than her family did. That I do know for sure.”

McGonagall’s face gained a rather cold edge. “Oh yes -- yes, I’m certain of that, as well. From my experience with Lane’s siblings, who foolishly dropped everything they learned that didn’t match up with their narrow world view...I’d say your mother escaping that house was the best decision she ever made.”

McGonagall dropped the last of her pebbles in the collection bank. 

“22-26. My win. Shall we have another round, to break the tie?”

“Sure.” 

Once the board had been reset, Carewyn took the first move, “sowing” her pebbles across the board as she shifted gears. 

“...Were you Muggle-born, Professor?” she asked. When McGonagall looked startled, she explained, “You seem really comfortable talking about Muggle things like Checkers...and the surname ‘McGonagall’ isn’t one I recognize. So I figure you’ve got to be a Halfblood like me, or a Muggle-born like Ben, right?”

“Well-reasoned,” said McGonagall coolly. “Yes, Miss Cromwell, like you, I had both a Muggle and a magical parent.”

“A Muggle father and a witch mother too, I’d guess,” said Carewyn with a wry smile, “since you have your dad’s surname.”

McGonagall gave a light sniff. “Well-reasoned again, Miss Cromwell.”

Sensing that was all the professor wanted to say about the matter, Carewyn didn’t poke any more. 

“I don’t remember my dad very well,” she admitted, “but I remember Jacob receiving his Hogwarts letter. He was really happy about it, and Mum was really proud. And then immediately after...well, I remember Mum got really quiet and upset, and Jacob looked furious. I reckon it was because Dad left...Mum explained to me when I was older that Dad didn’t really know how to accept the truth, that we had magic -- that he’d felt angry and betrayed that the Statute of Secrecy forced Mum not to tell him sooner.”

Carewyn offered McGonagall a rather empathetic look. 

“I don’t remember my dad well enough for him leaving to have really hurt me as much as it probably should have...but I reckon a lot of people weren’t as lucky as me. ...I know Jacob wasn’t.”

Something oddly vulnerable seemed to flicker through McGonagall’s green eyes. It was such a small flicker, though, that it vanished very quickly. 

“...For all of his magical talent, and the arrogance that came with it,” McGonagall said softly, “your brother had his fair share of disadvantages too.”

The memory of Jacob bursting into sobs and clawing at his own face back at the Lake rippled again over Carewyn’s mind.

“...What was Jacob like, at school?” Carewyn asked curiously.

McGonagall gave a wry, but oddly fond smile. “Oh, where do I begin...?”

The conversation moved from Jacob and some of his “experiments” outside of McGonagall’s class, to the subject of Transfiguration itself, to when McGonagall first started teaching Transfiguration back in 1956, at the age of 21. 

The thought of McGonagall becoming a professor at such a young age made Carewyn’s heart ache. Rowan had always said she was going to be the youngest professor in Hogwarts history -- she would’ve had to have been younger than 21 to do it. 

Now, though...now she’d never...

McGonagall noticed how quiet Carewyn had gotten, and seemed to have guessed why. 

“Miss Khanna always esteemed being a professor herself someday, if I remember correctly,” she said quietly.

Carewyn nodded, her gaze falling down to her arms leaning on the desk. 

“She didn’t care which subject, so long as she could teach,” she murmured. “But she thought History of Magic would be fun...she already taught our class most of the time anyhow...”

She swallowed, trying and failing to dislodge the lump that had cropped up in her throat at the thought of her best friend -- beaming and smiling, at the front of the History of Magic classroom -- vacant-eyed and empty, on the grass...

“I know with how much Miss Khanna meant to you, you will likely miss her most out of anyone here at Hogwarts,” said McGonagall gently, “but always know that you are not alone, in grieving her loss.”

Carewyn closed her eyes. In her mind, she saw the new Circle of Khanna -- the determined faces of her friends, flanked by Charlie, Ben, Merula, and Bill. 

“I know.”

McGonagall’s eyes grew grimmer, darker, as they ran over Carewyn’s face. She seemed to hesitate before speaking again.

“...I must confess, Miss Cromwell...when the Headmaster told me that he was assigning my...‘tribute’ for this Teacher’s event to you...I was actually rather glad for it.”

Carewyn looked up in surprise, pausing before she could “sow” the single pebble she’d picked up out of her third pit.

“I suppose I was pleased that we’d be able to have some time one-on-one, to speak candidly,” said McGonagall, and her stiff voice betrayed her discomfort. Her eyes even actually seemed a little misty. “...What happened to Miss Khanna...it affected you so starkly, so badly. Professor Dumbledore was convinced you felt responsible for what had happened, but knew no way he might be able to help you. He seemed to think that whatever wisdom he could try to impart, you wouldn’t hear. And the rest of us...we felt just as lost in how to help you as he did. I remember Filius crying in the staff room one day, saying that he’d just realized that he hadn’t heard you sing once in an entire week.”

The thought of Professor Flitwick actually crying for her sake made Carewyn’s heart hurt. 

“I knew the kind of grief you felt, but I...well...I don’t profess myself an expert in dealing with such matters,” said McGonagall. “Even when...I lost someone very important to me, several years ago...I struggled with how best to cope.”

Carewyn was startled by the amount of emotion she felt coming off of McGonagall through her Legilimency. Not just empathy, sorrow, and discomfort, like the kind in her eyes -- but grief. Overwhelming, crippling, devastating grief -- an absence that made one feel like they couldn’t physically stand -- a loss that made one feel frozen, empty, alone...an emptiness that one couldn’t put into words -- that no comfort or sincere plea to help could reach...

“In the end, all I did was bury the feelings deep down and power through,” McGonagall said softly. “In some ways...it’s what I continue to do, even now. And I knew that that would be the last thing that could have possibly helped you, in that state.”

She put on a rather brave smile, despite the slight shine to her eyes.

“...Fortunately...it seems you surrounded yourself with people far wiser about how best to help you than any of us faculty members were.”

Carewyn was quiet for a long moment. Her eyes ran over McGonagall’s face, taking it in critically. The dark, suffocating grief from before still sloshed off of McGonagall, drowning Carewyn in its depths -- inside her eyelids she could almost see the empty, dark house McGonagall couldn’t stand to stay in -- the arms of the man the Professor so longed to be enveloped in again, for just a moment...

Her husband, Carewyn somehow knew. McGonagall had lost the man she loved. 

Her almond-shaped blue eyes became a little smaller and sadder. Putting down the pebble she’d been holding in her hand back down in its pit, Carewyn slowly reached out and actually took McGonagall’s hand. The kind gesture startled the Deputy Headmistress visibly, making her shoulders stiffen. 

“...Did you...not have anyone to talk to about it?” murmured Carewyn. “I mean...when Rowan...” 

Her best friend’s name was a hand squeezing her throat, making it harder to speak. 

“...when...I lost her...I had Duncan. I had Bill, and Charlie and Ben and Merula too. ...When you lost him...was it just too hard to talk about? Is that why you buried how much pain you were in...how much pain you’re still in?”

Carewyn hated the thought of someone with as many friends as Professor McGonagall still somehow feeling alone in her grief. She hated thinking that her professor had been just as alone and helpless as she was, but had had no one there to reach out a hand and pull her out of that chasm of despair.

McGonagall stared at Carewyn for a long moment, the emotion ebbing off of her little by little as she considered her. Despite the stiffness of McGonagall’s shoulders, the Transfiguration professor’s face within a moment had amazingly regained all of its composure, becoming rather mild again as she slid her wrinkled hand out of Carewyn’s.

“...There are two people whom I have discussed the matter with,” she said softly, as she rested her folded hands on the desk. “Professor Dumbledore, of course. He knew Elphinstone before, and he’d heard the news of his passing before anyone else. And more recently…” 

The professor gave a slight wry smile.

“...I spoke to a young lady who went through something similar herself…and rather than merely play the neutral observer and counsel her through her grief, as I’d planned…she outplayed me to the point that I found myself opening up to her just as much myself.”

Carewyn stared, stunned, as McGonagall’s smile flickered with a bit more fondness. The Slytherin Prefect opened her mouth as if to respond, reconsidered, and then closed her mouth, her eyes falling down to the mancala board between them absently. 

After another moment, Carewyn very slowly felt her lips curl up in a smile as she looked up at McGonagall again.

“...This isn’t Wizard’s Chess, Professor. I wasn’t trying to outplay you.”

She picked up the pebble out of her third pit again and dropped it in the next one to pick up both her single pebble and McGonagall’s five on the other side and drop them off in her collection bank. 

“I have no more pebbles, so the rest on your side go to you,” said Carewyn with a broad smile. “24-24: game over.”

x~x~x~x

Tagging my darling @department-shoe-stud​, who expressed interest in reading something featuring “Mini-Mom” and “Minnie-Mom!” (I’m sorry those monikers are so friggin’ adorable, I can’t!! 🥰💗)

[twfriggason]

So- i took it upon myself to research if Rachel weisz was fan casted into the wizarding world right ?

And apparently she is !

As a young version of Minnie M !

Professor M right ?

And well as we know Minnie married her boss who died 3 years later .

Rip btw .

And so- i thought does he have a fan cast for himself ?

elphinstone urquart , and as you know , Rachel weisz was in the movie

The deep blue sea

And y’know who else is in the deep blue sea ?

Right , tom hiddlestone .

And as you can tell my whole acc is about tom hiddlestone .

And Cygnus Black , Walburga black and Alphard Black’s brother and cousin of Orion also brother in law which is disgusting ew , who’s also Sirius and Regulus’s mother’s brother therefore uncle and Father to Bellatrix Andromeda and Narcissa .

And-i fancasted- and most people do

Some fancasted tom as Orion but my fancast of Cygnus is tom but

I just thought maybe tom would also make a good elphinstone urquart ?

If you don’t believe me

There ya go !

And also for more hp content from me check out my other acc

Marauder’s era .

@coolusernamethatihave

So yeah that’s all !

[hogwartscastle]

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

[rosie-love98]

Which Storyline Would Best Suit These Two?:

Context: I’ve been trying to make a fanfic series where Severus Snape (specifically in the “Harry Potter” films) is brought back to life through magical means and reunites with his ex-wife (m.1985-1986/1987), Constance Hardbroom (of the 1998 “Worst Witch” series). The pair would eventually reunite with their long-lost son, Nicholas Hobbes (from the “Worst Witch” spin-off, “Weirdsister College”).

At first, it was supposed to go like this; in the summer of 1985, Severus and Constance would secretly elope with Elphinstone Urquart (McGonagall’s late husband) or Albus Dumbledore (who managed to get the marriage papers from the Ministry Of Magic). Urquart, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Amelia Cackle (Headmistress of Hardbroom’s school, Cackle’s Academy) served as the happy witnesses. Yet, this arrangement had to be kept under lock-and-key for various reasons.

 For one; Severus working as a double-agent for Dumbledore while needing to be connected with the Death-Eaters (facts that Severus told Constance before the elopement). Another is due to Severus and Constance belonging to different sect/breeds of wizards. The “Rowling” Wizards are known as “Imperiums”; they wield wands, allow both witches and wizards to fly brooms and find themselves free with magic. As for the “Murphy” Wizards, they are the “Ex-Codices”; they use wandless magic/their fingers, have the witches ride brooms with the wizards wielding staffs, and have to adhere to The Foster’s Effect (overusing magic can cause crazy stuff to happen). 

While Ex-Codices don’t hate Non-Magical people/Muggles as much as Imperiums, the former branch are more apprehensive with their counterparts. If an Ex-Codice were to marry an Imperium, it is mandatory for either bride or groom to be Non-Magical/a Squib. And, if any children result in the union, their loyalties lie with the mother. If the mother is an Ex-Codice, the child(ren) would be Ex-Codice. If the mother is an Imperium, the child(ren) would be Imperium. Merlin of Arthurian lore was a product of such a mix with an Imperium mother and an Ex-Codice father.

Back to Constance and Severus. At first, the marriage started off nicely. But, over time, arguments would often ensue. Poor communication on both sides, Constance being too traditional/rule-abiding to take risks in the magical arts, Constance not liking how Severus was with his students (and letting the Slytherins get away with everything), and Severus (possibly) pining for the late Lily Evans. What also didn’t help was Severus having nightmares of being like his abusive father, Tobias. Dreams that Severus refused to tell his wife.

Then in 1986/1987, things would take a turn. The Death Eater, Mulciber would (somehow) discover a place near Cackle’s Academy. Unbeknownst to Mulciber, this cottage was the place Severus and Constance have been sharing. When Mulciber confronts Severus about it, the latter would say that it’s just a base Basil Brennan and Sophronia Maidenhair (Snape and Hardbroom’s aliases) would lend him. Curious, Mulciber told Snape that he would visit in order to get some information out of them. As a result, Snape would go to Dumbledore, telling them of Mulciber’s plan. A wise action to make as Constance had gone back to the cottage due to being ill. 

Long story short, Dumbledore had aurors take Mulciber into custody. And, while Constance was unharmed, Dumbledore still had to get Madame Pomfrey to treat the still-sick witch. Upon medical examination, Constance would get the news that she, herself, was carrying Severus’s child. This leads to this dilemma: the outcome.

Choice 1: When getting the news, Severus was in shock. First, there’s his fear of becoming more like his own father as both a spouse and parent. Second (and more importantly) Constance and their unborn child could’ve been killed thanks to him! With these factors, Severus felt unworthy of such happiness and felt like both Constance and their child would be safer/better off without him. So, he put divorce on the table.

Heartbroken, Constance would agree and decided that their upcoming child would be put up for adoption. Specifically given to an Ex-Codice orphanage run by Orbana Hart (a former schoolmate of Amelia Cackle). Thanks to Dumbledore, Constance would hide away at the Flamel House in Paris, France with the blessing of Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel. As Amelia, Poppy and Minerva would come to Constance’s aid, Severus often visited. Though, he and Constance barely spoke with one another.

Then the big day finally arrived with Constance and Severus welcoming a son whom they’d name “Nicholas” (middle name would either be “Brian” after Dumbledore, “Elphinstone” after Urquart, or “Salazar”-this is Snape we’re talking about…).  While the new parents were delighted to have their infant with them, Constance and Severus had to force themselves to sign both the divorce and adoption papers. At nine days old, baby Nicholas was given to Orbana Hart.

Distraught and wanting to keep Constance and Nicholas safe from any Legilimens (including Voldemort should he be back), Severus placed his memories in a box of vials and had Dumbledore magically mind-wipe/alter any recollections that involved Constance and/or Nicholas. Before the mind-alter took place, Constance (having been told of the matter by McGonagall) confronted Severus to stop him. Still, Snape was adamant and went along with the altering to the distress of Constance. She would say her last goodbye to him.

Choice 2: Ok, so this is a working progress but it would almost be the same as Choice 1. The Mulciber Incident, the hide-away to Flamel House, and Snape Mind-Altering. However, there’s this version.

Once knowing that he was gonna be a father, Severus was lost for words. But, in spite of his fears and self-esteem, he was adamant in keeping his wife and upcoming child safe. With the help of Dumbledore, McGonagall, Pomfrey and Cackle, Constance would be cared for at the Flamel House with Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel. Months later, baby Nicholas came into the world.

Unfortunately, the happiness couldn’t last as (somehow) the Ex-Codice Magic Council got word of a child born to a magical Imperium and a magical Ex-Codice. While the Council isn’t surveillant like how the Ministry Of Magic is, they can still be intimidating and demand respect. So when they found out about baby Nicholas, the Council wanted Snape to either give up their powers or for Snape and Hardbroom to give up their son. 

As Snape needed to work for Dumbledore (and later protect Harry Potter), he couldn’t just give up his own powers. Plus, an Imperium suppressing their magic can be extremely dangerous. Constance, herself, offered to relinquish her own powers but the Council denied that offer as the Code states that it’s the Imperium partner who must be non-magical. 

In the end, after much arguments (and possible threats by Snape, McGonagall, and even Pomfrey), the newborn was taken from his parents and given to Orbana Hart’s orphanage. All with Snape and Hardbroom divorcing.

For the same reasons (being distraught and wanting to keep Constance and Nicholas safe) Snape had Dumbledore magically alter his memories but not without storing the old memories in vials. All to Constance’s upset.

For Further Context: Constance Hardbroom is Potions Teacher and Deputy Headmistress for Cackle’s Academy. Like Severus, she is cold, studious, extremely strict, adores the color black and experiments with newly invented potions. But while Severus is an INTJ, Constance is an ISTJ who greatly values tradition, rules and discipline. With this in mind, Constance seems to believe that everyone has their own place and must stick to it. It’s one of the reasons why she butts heads with the Non-Magical gym teacher, Imogen Drill and the clumsy student, Mildred Hubble (a witch from a Non-Magical family). During “Worst Witch” and “New Worst Witch”, Constance doesn’t seem fond of men; she loathes the idea of Cackle’s being co-ed (especially as the wizards could take more power). Yet, she did show interest in Icy Stevens and Richard Avalon. 

@constancehardbroompics @theworstwitch @theworstwitchforever @worstwitchstudent @severitus-for-coping @snapeaddict @severussnapemylove @yaviae

[littlejeanniebean]

At Your Convenience | Chapter 2: Merlin

“I dare you to prank call our stationery supplier,” the dark-haired boy rounded on his coworker, “Why do we deal in so much stationery anyway?”

“What do I say?”

“Whatever I tell you.”

Lily raised an eyebrow and hit the dial, “It’s ringing.”

“Tell them we’ve flooded,” prompted James, mischief making his pretty face look like the sun itself.

“Hi, yes, we’ve had a flood and need some new supply.”

“Immediately.”

“Immediately,” she echoed.

“A very demanding paper pusher is making all kinds of threats.”

“A very demanding paper pusher is making all kinds of threats,” Lily rolled her eyes although the sales rep couldn’t see her.

“Lady looks like a toad. Wears pink from her headband to her goody-two-shoes.”

“Actually, I don’t mind if you delay it, personally. The toad could stand to be denied something for once in her life. Gods, looking at her, you’d think she regularly bathed in pink glitter.”

“Tell them the toilets are busted. That’s why there’s a flood.”

“Well, I suppose you could call it a natural disaster of sorts. Our toilet just exploded out of nowhere.”

James covered his mouth to inhibit his laugh, saying, “Tell them you think it was a ghost.”

“I think it’s a ghost, if you want to know the truth,” Lily cleared her throat in an effort to stay in character, “What products would we like? Well let’s see…”

“Quills,” whispered James.

“Do you have any quills? You know, like the feather pens that you need to stick in an ink bottle?”

“Parchment.”

“And a nice large roll of parchment. A foot wide ought to do the trick.”

“Journals that write back to you like a therapist.”

“Oh, and journals that write back to you like a therapist,” she repeated, “Hello? Are you still there?” Lily put down the phone, “I’m honestly surprised they stayed on the line after the bit about the ghost anyway.”

“That was brilliant!” James exalted. 

Read on Ao3 :)

A/N: Someone please explain to me why I keep automatically typing “Merlin” as “Merline” and then backspacing the ‘e’?? Does this ever happen to you, my fellow HP writers??

Check out @tiny-gorilla​​​ if you haven’t already!! (the artist of the incredible work of fluff below) She’s doing some lovely BLM commissions!!

[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.

[squibstress]

HP Rec Fest -- Day 10

Prompt 10: A fest fic @hprecfest

For today's recs, I'm pulling from one of my very favorite fests, HoggyWartyXmas, which focusses on the staff of Hogwarts and their friends. It rides again this year, in a slighty different form, with traditional prompt-based work, self-prompt work, book-club discussions, and an open "be creative" category. It's going to be a blast, so check it out.

That said, here are a few favorites from fests past:

Ombra mai fu, Being the Beginning of the Very True Story of Minerva McGonagall and Elphinstone Urquart

Pairing: Elphinstone/Minerva

Creator: tetleythesecond

Rating: MA/NC-17

Word Count: 17,250

Summary:

Did you read the latest biographical essay on Minerva McGonagall? Well, the author certainly got a few basic facts right, one has to give her that. Alas, there are those who say that her interpretation of them leaves to be desired, and this writer tends to concur. So let us begin setting the accounts right by telling the beginning of the very true story of Minerva McGonagall and Elphinstone Urquart ...

Why You Should Check It Out:

This fic is one of the most brilliant subversions of Pottermore I've ever read. It plays with expectations and gender identity and creates a very believable love story along the way.

A Taste of Life

Characters: Florean Fortescue, Madam Malkin, Muriel, Pomona Sprout

Creator: therealsnape

Rating: K+/PG

Word Count: 6,500

Summary:

Florean Fortescue tells the story of his Signature Flavours

Why You Should Check It Out:

This fest-opener is a feast of a story that will make your mouth water.

The structure is marvelous, with Florean’s reminiscences forming the perfect frame for the author's wry and perceptive insights into human nature.

A Night at the Opera

Characters: Alastor Moody, Aurora Sinistra, Minerva McGonagall, Pomona Sprout, Poppy Pomfrey, Rolanda Hooch, Septima Vector

Pairing: Alastor/Minerva

Creator: themightyflynn

Rating: K/G

Word Count: 5,878

Summary:

When Alastor asks Minerva to a night at the opera, her friends are possibly more excited than she is.

Why You Should Check It Out:

This was my gift at the HoggyWartyXmas fest, and I loved every word of it.

How could I not? With a sweet (but not OOC-sweet) Alastor/Minerva, an opera, and lots of humor.

I love the deep POV, with each character unsure and observing the other, trying to suss out what's going on in their heads.

The characterizations remind me of why I love fic in general, and fic about these two in particular: A cagey, canny Alastor, whose gruff exterior protects a man who is sensitive and kind at heart. And practical, cerebral Minerva, who also has a softer side that she hides from everyone but her closest friends.

The warmth and humor of Minerva’s friendships with her colleagues is one of this fic’s great pleasures.