The following is a story of one woman's road of protection. This story centers around one Healer and her three closest patients.

Summary: During 1995 and 1997 Healer K. McGonagall fought every thing to keep her three girls safe from the world that had damaged them in the first place. Did it help? Did the girls regain thier minds? Read and find out.

minerva's-kitten

PS. In this story the names of the patients of the Psychiatric Ward have thier names changed to protect them and to differitiate thier selves now as opposed to who they used to be. I know that probably doesn't help a mind altered patient to change thier name but hey this is fiction!!

Also note that there are some ages manipulated.

No flames for i will quickly extinguish them.

Now that I have finished ranting.........ON with the SHOW!

For Love of a Child

Chapter 1: The Deputy Attacked

Katherine McGonagall was just finishing her night rounds when she heard a loud commotion from the entrance. As she headed down the main hall of the psychiatric ward of St. Mungo's she saw her best mate; Kendra Dumbledore, screaming at the nurse.

"I'm telling you I can take her out! I'm her grandmother you idiot child!!" Kendra shouted.

"It's past curfew and that patient is not allowed out of the isolation ward," the nurse snapped.

"Abigale what's the issue now?" Katherine asked.

This new little nurse was constantly getting on Katherine's nerves.

"This woman thinks she can come any time of the night and take high risk patients out," Abigale Waters stated.

"Oh Katherine thank god it's you," Kendra sighed.

"Kendra what's wrong?" Katherine frowned at her friend's tear stained face.

"Minerva was attacked at Hogwarts. She's down stairs and….well he's been banished. I want Rachel," Kendra said hurriedly.

"Come on she's still up we'll go get her," Katherine replied taking her friend's hand.

"What!?" Abigale exclaimed.

Katherine sighed and turned to the nurse behind the glass.

"Abigale who's in charge here?" Katherine asked.

"You ma'am," Abigale replied.

"Good at least you know that much," Katherine sneered, "and next time someone asks to take out Rachel you know that if the last name is Dumbledore or McGonagall they have my explicit permission understand!"

Abigale nodded lamely as the two old witches headed off to the isolation ward of the floor.

They stopped in front of room 112 and each took a deep breathe.

"She's not going to like hearing this," Katherine stated.

"She deserves to know why her parents aren't coming tomorrow," Kendra stated.

Katherine nodded and typed the code to the room. The door slid open and the two women entered the white room covered in pictures that looked like a young child had done them.

In the corner of the room on a small bed sat a woman of forty with black hair and blue green eyes. In her eyes and in the way she sat you could tell she did not have the mentality she should. This was evident when the woman saw the doctor enter and squealed excitedly jumping at the woman and wrapping her legs around her waist.

Because of the woman's height and personal strength she was able to keep them both up and even some how situate the short and slim woman on her hip as she would a little child.

"Granny I missed you so much," the girl replied.

"I've only been gone three hours silly," Katherine laughed.

"I still missed you," the girl replied and saw the other woman, "Hi grandma!"

"Hey baby," Kendra smiled a little sadly.

"Rachel baby we have something very important to tell you," Katherine replied sitting in a chair in the room.

Kendra sat on the bed.

"What?" Rachel asked as she started toying with the necklace around her grandmother's neck.

"It's about daddy and mummy dear one. Do you remember daddy telling you he had to hide from the ministry and he can't see you right now?" Katherine asked.

"Yeah…but he comes at night before I go to bed sometimes. You let him in," Rachel stated.

"Aye I do…well baby…well mummy isn't going to be able to come at all," Katherine replied.

"Why?" Rachel frowned looking into her grandmother's emerald orbs.

"She got hurt very bad by some very bad people. She's in the hospital," Katherine explained gently.

"Here?" Rachel asked.

"Yes this hospital. Now you can't see her all the time…but tonight grandma and I will take you down to see her. But you have to be very very very quiet okay?" Katherine asked.

Rachel nodded and wrapped her arms around her granny's neck.

"Rachel you have to walk. Granny can't carry you all the way down," Kendra stated.

Rachel stood pulling her granny up with her.

"Come on let's go," Rachel stated.

Katherine and Kendra smiled leading the girl out of the psychiatric ward and down two levels to the Spell Damage Ward.

"Visiting hours were over at eight," the nurse at the desk replied.

"I'm Healer McGonagall. I'm here to see Minerva McGonagall," Katherine snapped, "I don't care what time it is."

"But…I…I could loose my job if I let you in," the woman stammered intimidated by the woman's fierce glare.

"I don't care! What room?" Katherine snapped.

"She's in 322 Katherine," another nurse replied walking up to the station.

"Thank you Helga," Katherine winked and headed off with Rachel clinging to her and Kendra following behind.

"Madam Frost we aren't supposed to…"

"Anna, Healer McGonagall is responsible for a fourth of the budget for this Hospital. She's a board member and the head of the psychiatric ward. Plus her husband is your Head. She can do what ever she bloody well pleases around here," Helga stated walking off.

Katherine, Kendra, and Rachel quietly entered Minerva's room and saw the deputy headmistress lying on the white bed in a white hospital gown with her black hair spread out over the back of the pillow. Kendra took a seat on the right of the bed and took the pale woman's hand while Rachel sat on the foot of the bed and stared at the woman with tears in her eyes.

Katherine stood at the foot of the bed behind Rachel looking over Minerva's chart.

"Four to the chest!? Bloody Hell Kendra!" Katherine swore.

"Katy is she going to be okay?" Kendra asked.

"She's got my blood in her…I believe so. The question though is if someone as worried about appearances as Minerva can handle the scars that are going to be left behind," Katherine sighed.

She wrote a note on the chart and put it back down before going over to the chair on the left and sitting in it just staring at her daughter.

About an hour later Rachel had crawled up the bed and was lying next to her mother sleeping. Kendra stood to leave and sighed.

"Katy are you really going to let her stay all night?"

"Her mother nearly got taken from her by a pious bigot bitch Kendra. I'm not making her leave right now," Katherine stated.

Kendra nodded and quietly left the hospital knowing Katherine would be spending yet another night at the hospital instead of in her home. It seemed that since Rachel had been placed in the same place their daughters were that all Katherine did was work.