Harry Potter: Marauder at Howgarts

They'd both agreed any superficial things such as hair colour or eye colour should not be considered but Professor McGonagall had argued quite fiercely for witches to be considered ahead of wizards. Harry had no issues with that once it came down to the final candidates if there was a close decision that had to be made – but he didn't want gender to factor until then; yes, his Mum had been a witch but the scholarship was for all muggleborn children. He'd been gobsmacked when the Professor had backed down and agreed.

They'd finally come up with a points system: families who had greater financial need would get more points; primary school tests with better results gained more points; then there would be the assessment of the Professor at the interview with the family for general attitude – politeness and what Professor McGonagall called 'a good disposition' and what Harry deemed 'not Dudley or Draco-like.' Gender would be used to make the final call if a boy and a girl ended up within one or two points of each other.

Harry dithered over whether to suggest the last thing but in the end he gathered his Gryffindor courage and blurted it out. "What about their…their home situation?"

Professor McGonagall paused in raising the cup to her lips and looked at him sharply. "What do you mean, Harry?"

"I mean…" he took another deep breath, "what if their family is like the Dursleys? I don't mean that they hate magic because I think those types will already have said no to the entire thing probably but…what if you can tell at the interview that they're not…that they maybe don't love…but I guess…" he stumbled over his words, "I mean, I wasn't theirs so they didn't have to love me and…" he stopped mortified.

He stared down at his empty pumpkin juice.

Professor McGonagall reached over hesitantly and put her hand over his. "It wasn't you, Harry. The Dursleys would have treated anyone who didn't comply with their narrow world view the way they treated you – and they were absolutely wrong to do so. They were…they are the worst sort of muggles – of people."

He glanced up at her and wasn't surprised to see her face set in stern lines but her eyes were warm and fierce.

"I can also tell you that it does happen between parents and children too. Sometimes parents don't love their children appropriately or like them very much. In the worst instances, there is neglect and abuse. But there is a large grey area where rather than outright abuse, there is disinterest or, for want of a better term, coldness. These cases are harder to spot but we come across them from time to time." She paused. "I believe you want us to put all these…these disadvantaged children ahead of those with comfortable family situations? To help remove them from the home to at least give them respite?"

"And to give them a home." Harry said awkward under her kind gaze. "Hogwarts is really the first home I can remember."

She nodded slowly as though absorbing his words. "I see no issues with your suggestion. We will award points again – a larger number to those children we feel would benefit from a separation from their home environment." She pressed her lips together. "I have reported cases of evident abuse in the past to the muggle authorities but perhaps I should also report these additional cases too."

Harry nodded, relieved she'd agreed and understood what he'd meant.

"I'll go back through the notes of the interviews for this prior year, Harry. Some of the families with children in these situations may not have responded to my letter so I will pay them a personal visit." She promised.

Harry felt a lot better after hearing that.

"Well, I think we have a very workable set of criteria." Professor McGonagall said. "Is there anything else you want to add?"

He shook his head.

"We should take a break." She declared briskly. "I could do with stretching my legs and I'm sure you could do with some exercise." She motioned towards the outside where the sun was shining. "How about we take a walk outside and I'll tell you about when I gave your mother her Hogwarts letter?"

Harry grinned at her and quickly accepted her offer. "Sounds great," he hesitated and ploughed on, "Aunt Minerva."

She smiled understandingly at him. "And Harry?"

He looked at her inquisitively.

"I swear on my magic that you will never return to the Dursleys." Her eyes flashed with a fierce protectiveness that shocked him. "Do you understand?"

He could only nod at her as he realised she was waiting for some kind of a reply.

"Good." She rose from her seat, stretched in an absent minded way that reminded him of a cat and gestured for him to join her.

He scooted out of his chair.

"Now, your grandmother Marigold was the one who answered the door," she began…and Harry listened intently, eager to hear about his mother and his grandparents; eager to learn about his family.

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