This is my first attempt at writing Harry Potter fanfiction, and hopefully it is up to scratch. Please let me know what you think and I'll be sure to take your advice on board. I love the MM/AD ship and decided to write my own set during Minerva's last year at Hogwarts. If Minerva's student status offends you then please stop reading now. The age of consent in the UK is 16, and by her seventh year Minerva ought to be 17, so by British standards (wizarding and muggle) everything is Kosher.

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Studious by nature, Minerva McGonagall was glad to be back at Hogwarts. She loved her father dearly and enjoyed seeing him during holidays, but it was high time to be learning once more. Minerva was beginning her seventh and final year at Hogwarts, studying NEWT Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts and most importantly of all Transfigurations- although she excelled at all of her subjects, this was Minerva's forte. She reflected that she could not be luckier to have such a skilled mentor as Professor Albus Dumbledore who had offered to take her on as his apprentice. Minerva was still reeling from this development.

Minerva sat at the table opposite her father about to press her point about the foolishness of the Minister's latest actions against Grindelwald. In her enthusiasm for the subject, she had failed to realise that Murdoch McGonagall was teasing her. However, the response she had been formulating was lost as a familiar owl flew through the gable window and landed by her orange juice. It had hooted as though in amusement, drawing Minerva out of her surprised reverie and prompting her to untie the letter.

"I could swear that was Albus Dumbledore's owl." Intrigued, Murdoch regarded his only child

"Mmm, yes." Minerva unravelled the parchment, stroking the regal looking owl behind its ears with a familiarity that suggested she had done so many times. "Mercury." She continued petting the head of the bird absently and did not notice her father's eyebrows raise in a gesture that she had inherited.

"Well? What does it say, Min?" He couldn't keep the curiosity from his voice, nor could he resist using her childhood nickname.

"Erva." She looked over the parchment, a smile tugging at the corner of her lip. "You should know, father, it was you that named me."

"Don't tease me! You're a talented girl, Minerva, and he must have spotted your skills."

"'Miss McGonagall,

Your assistance throughout the previous term has been invaluable, benefitting both myself and the lower years of transfigurations classes. It has come to my attention both through your exceptionally advanced work in my class and also your aptitude for passing on your considerable knowledge that you have a natural flair for transfigurations. Therefore I wish to offer you an apprenticeship, which should you choose to accept will result in your becoming a master upon the completion of our tenure-' He can't be serious, Da?"

Murdoch's face shone with pride. This was all he had dreamed of for Minerva and more.

"Of course he is, and if he hadn't made this kind of offer he'd have been a bloody fool!" Murdoch drank from his mug of coffee, a satisfied smile around his mouth.

"Father!" Minerva admonished him, her stern expression not quite reaching her eyes.

"Your mother would have been so proud, Min." He cleared his throat. "Keep reading."

"'You are under no obligation to accept, and will be busy enough as things stand with your studies and now, as Armando wishes me to inform you, Head Girl duties. Please use the remainder of your Summer to consider my offer carefully, and we will speak after the welcoming feast. Enjoy your holiday immensely, and refrain from working too hard!

Yours Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore'"

Xiomara Hooch, her closest friend dug Minerva in the ribs none too gently. Lost in her thoughts, Minerva was surprised by the emphatic prodding. Guilt washed over Minerva as she noticed that Headmaster Dippet was still speaking from the High Table.

"And finally, would all pupils please give a hand to our new Head Boy, Mr Fabian Gilchrist," cheers rose along with applause, particularly from the Ravenclaw table as Fabian stood. He smiled shyly, and ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair "...and our Head Girl, Miss Minerva McGonagall." A deafening roar emanated from the Gryffindor table, and several people patted her back as Minerva stood. From his seat by the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore tipped his goblet to Minerva, his electric blue eyes meeting her own.

After she had sat once more on the bench, the meal passed in a blur for Minerva. Distractedly, she responded to the congratulations of people around her. Xiomara looked as happy as Minerva felt, and towards the end of dessert she reminded Minerva; "You remember that you need to speak to Professor Dumbledore about..." her voice lowered dramatically, "the thing." Minerva laughed at the antics of her quidditch obsessed friend.

"I'm hardly likely to have forgotten, Xiomara."

"Yes well, I was just checking." She returned to the remainder of her ice cream, pretending to pout. As she caught Minerva's eye, they both burst into laughter.

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Shivering slightly, Minerva knocked on the door to Professor Dumbledore's office. The resounding 'bang' echoed through the corridors, empty of the younger students she had spent the past half hour guiding to the correct dormitories. The oak door swung open, revealing Albus Dumbledore. The intricate patterns of gold stitching on the deep purple material of his robes was characteristic of his quirky style of dressing, making him appear both dignified and eccentric.

"Minerva, come in." He stepped to the side, allowing her entry. "It is a pleasure to see you again. I trust your Summer was pleasurable?" Before she could answer, he continued; "Merlin's beard, you're freezing. Let's go and sit in my living room where you'll be warmer by the fire." She had missed this easy familiarity with him during the holiday. Never having seen his private quarters, Minerva was eager to see the place where her friend and mentor resided. She followed him through a door behind his desk and took in her new surroundings eagerly.

"Sit down by the fire." She complied, easing herself into a comfortable armchair. "Now, my dear, I haven't allowed you to get a word in edgeways. How are you?"

"I'm well, thank you Professor. It's good to be back at Hogwarts. Are all of these yours?" Minerva's emerald eyes sparkled with barely contained glee as she gestured to the hundreds of books shelved and covering the walls of the expansive room. His lips twitched in amusement.

"Why yes. You truly are Murdoch's daughter." The professor watched as Minerva blushed at the compliment, aware not for the first time of how attractive she was.

"Your collection is very impressive." Her own ancestral home housed a library broadly ranged and extensive in its content, but there were spines emblazoned with titles even she had never heard of.

"Thank you, Minerva. Doubtless you'll manage to work your way through it before Christmas. Now, have you reached a decision about becoming my apprentice?"

"Yes!" She responded zealously almost before he had finished the sentence. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow in surprise; it wasn't often Minerva spoke with such a degree of excitement. "That is to say, I'd be honoured, sir."

"Very good, although the privilege is all mine- minds like yours are to be cultivated, Minerva." It was true that she was indeed prodigiously talented in his field, and Albus felt confident that she was the perfect choice.

She blushed once again, and there was a momentary lull in the conversation during which Minerva noticed the flecks of silver though his short titian hair glowed luminous in the firelight. His magical aura was tangible, and it really was astonishing to her that such a powerful wizard had selected her to be his apprentice.

"Do you have any questions you wish to ask me?" He recalled pestering his own mentor with a constant stream of queries when Nicholas had first taken him on and smiled wistfully.

"Yes sir. When do we begin?" Minerva watched as Dumbledore's smile became a fully fledged grin. It seemed that he was every bit as enthusiastic as she was.

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Exhaustion was evident as the usually graceful Minerva slumped into the canopy bed. It was a good thing she no longer shared a room with other girls, as the late arrivals from of patrolling and working with Professor Dumbledore would be sure to wake them. Pulling up the feather duvet, Minerva burrowed into the mattress and reflected upon her evening. They had decided that first of all Minerva would work on continuous transfigurations every other evening; she could not wait.

If she hadn't promised to help with the first and second year classes tomorrow, Minerva would have stayed awake to begin reading the books he had given her. However the younger children were the most exuberant and she'd be no use to him half asleep. Also, she had Defence in the morning, and there was no way Alastor Moody was getting the better of her. As thoughts of the impending day slid through Minerva's mind, sleep overtook her.

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Well, that was the first chapter. I hope that it was good. Please review.