Childhood's End by spiderwort

Summary: Minerva McGonagall comes of age during turbulent times, marked by a horrific Muggle war and the cunning predations of a malevolent, long-lived warlock named Grindelwald. Her own life is marked by struggle: her mother's mysterious mental disturbance; her friends' troubles, which she feels bound to ameliorate; and the looming responsibilities she faces as sole heir to Connghaill Keep. This book, the first in a series, records her last carefree summer and her first year at Hogwarts. The series itself, titled "Before the Beginning", follows Minerva through her formative years,from 1936 through 1945, the end of both the Muggle war and Grindelwald's freedom, and the rise of a new Dark Lord.

The milieu, the protagonist and most of the characters belong to Jo Rowling. The plot is my own.

Thanks to my most excellent Scots, Brit-picking, and history-savvy beta, Ewan Munro. I owe him much more than thanks. Here's to you, Ewan! Most patient beta a girl ever had.
Ratings: 1st-2nd Years [ - ]
Category: Historical
Characters: None
Warnings: Character Death, Mental Disorders, Violence
Challenge:
Serie: None
Chapters: 37 Completed?: Yes
Wordcount: 114912 Viewcount: 119102
Published on: 02/12/07 Updated On: 08/30/08

1. Quidditch by spiderwort [ - ] (1870 words)
Minerva McGonagall loved Quidditch, but did she play, or was she just a fan? A look at a warm afternoon in a Scots glen in the summer of 1936 answers that question.
2. A Letter and Memories by spiderwort [ - ] (2168 words)
As a witch of impeccable lineage, Minerva should have no trouble getting into Hogwarts, but still she worries...
3. Making Plans by spiderwort [ - ] (1500 words)
It's time to get Minerva ready for school. Everybody wants to help: her father (who hasn't a clue what a girl needs), her 'auld nursie' (who tries to set him straight), and her best friend Gig (who has problems of her own.)
4. Hogsmeade and Beyond by spiderwort [ - ] (1972 words)
At this age, Minerva is not yet the cautious pedagogue we meet in the Potterverse, and a trip for a country lass to the bustling village of Hogsmeade is a treat indeed. There are robes to fitted for, books, to buy, and--oh yes--she simply must try out her newly refurbished broomstick.
5. Flight by spiderwort [ - ] (2020 words)
Alone in the hills, Minerva has a frightening encounter, and the mysteries it generates will haunt her for a long time.
6. Family Matters by spiderwort [ - ] (2261 words)
Our heroine eavesdrops on some of the family ghosts and helps her friends with a simple (!) task.
7. The Cavern by spiderwort [ - ] (1724 words)
The three youngsters explore a cave and find--treasure! But what is its origin?
8. Trapped! by spiderwort [ - ] (1838 words)
Petey's curiosity and daring get him in trouble, and his friends pay the price.
9. The Hole by spiderwort [ - ] (1563 words)
A voice hisses in the darkness--"Ach! Vass iss?"--and freezes the girls in their tracks. Do they dare reveal themselves to whoever it is that lives in The Hole?
10. The Vision by spiderwort [ - ] (1509 words)
The strange , mirror-like wall shows Minerva an uncanny, violent scene.
11. Search Party by spiderwort [ - ] (1930 words)
When Petey cannot be found, Laird McGonagall receives visitors who make a surprising accusation. And Minerva sets out to the McGonagall Crypt to take possession of her wand.
12. The Crypt by spiderwort [ - ] (3204 words)
Not everyone gets their wand from a store. Scots mages of any lineage at all retrieve theirs from the graves of their ancestors. It is not a question of thrift, as the Sassenachs would have you believe, but of the increase inpower of a well-used artefact.
13. Rowdie by spiderwort [ - ] (3024 words)
Ever wonder where Minerva got her feist and gumption? Look no further than her favorite ghostly relative.
14. Minerva's Vigil by spiderwort [ - ] (3703 words)
Poor little lass thinks she's a werewolf, and no one can talk her out of her lonely vigil on a full moon night.
15. Hogwarts by spiderwort [ - ] (2623 words)
Finally Minerva starts school. Will it be everything she's dreamed of? Is anything, ever, for any of us???
16. First Days by spiderwort [ - ] (4349 words)
Just starting school and already she's criticizing the floorplan, the uniforms, and the curriculum! But the teachers know so much, and there's so very much to learn...

(Thanks to my Beta Ewan Munro for pointing out some logical inconsistencies in this chapter, as well as the usual canon and grammatical errors. I hope I've covered them all.)
17. Tryouts by spiderwort [ - ] (3186 words)
Minerva gets her chance to show her fellow Gryffindors what she can do on a broomstick, but there's a nagging question at the back of her mind that only a certain ghost can answer...
18. Good News and Better News by spiderwort [ - ] (4266 words)
Minerva has to make a painful decision, but she has no trouble making the sacrifice.
19. The Reckoning by spiderwort [ - ] (3643 words)
In which we meet Minerva's relatives, the good, the bad, and the merely irksome.
20. Ma by spiderwort [ - ] (2998 words)
Her mother comes home from the hospital--finally. It's what Minerva's always wanted deep down--a normal life with two normal parents.
21. More Lessons by spiderwort [ - ] (3121 words)
What's home-schooling like for a young witch?
22. A Fairytale by spiderwort [ - ] (2928 words)
Twelve year old Minerva, just awakening to the existence of romantic love, imagines how her parents met.
23. Rowdie's Secret by spiderwort [ - ] (6232 words)
Minerva's nasty cousin Cuthbert makes her sufferwith insinuations about her favorite cousin, Rowdie Flynn. Under Cuthbert's influence, she is challenged to a wizards duel by the Head Boy, but help comes to her from several surprising quarters.
24. Friends in Need by spiderwort [ - ] (3235 words)
Petey's back, and he tells his friends about his new school--Durmstrang..
25. The Muggle Grandmother by spiderwort [ - ] (3054 words)
There is an disturbing question in Iffie McGonagall's mind. Only her own mother can answer it.
26. Up the Beech Tree by spiderwort [ - ] (3700 words)
Minerva hears a disturbng conversation between her parents, but all seems to end happily, until later that night....
27. Revelations by spiderwort [ - ] (2582 words)

28. A New Teacher by spiderwort [ - ] (3194 words)

29. Letters by spiderwort [ - ] (4037 words)
Minerva is half in love with her new teacher, but she's getting more and more irritated with Magnus MacDonald...
30. Runaway by spiderwort [ - ] (3310 words)
Oops! petey's in trouble again. And not only Minerva wants to find him.
31. Homegoing by spiderwort [ - ] (2935 words)
Minerva's first year, and this story, are almost over, but around the corner looms... well, what would you think? Just can't leave it on this Polyanna note, can we?
32. A Burden Imposed by spiderwort [ - ] (4961 words)

33. The Mourning by spiderwort [ - ] (3295 words)

34. Final Reckoning by spiderwort [ - ] (3228 words)

35. The Duel by spiderwort [ - ] (4754 words)

36. Second Vision by spiderwort [ - ] (5261 words)

37. Farewells by spiderwort [ - ] (3734 words)
Dear faithful readers,

I'm sorry for the delay in getting these last two chapters out. There was a technical glitch in one which would not allow it to post, and it took the longest time to find it. (Turned out to be the word c-o-a-l-e-s-c-e, so, writers, be warned.)

Anyway, "Farewells" is the last chapter in "Childhood's End" but there are two more books in the trilogy, "Three Orphans" and "Double Justice" so stay tuned.

Love you all,

Mary Ellis (Spiderwort)