Echoes of Yesterday
By Misha

Disclaimer- Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling and is not mine, however much I might wish differently. However, I am not making any money off of this, so please do not sue me!

Author's Notes- This is a short angsty story focusing on Professor McGonagall and her memories of James and Lily Potter. I borrow back-story and some characters from my other stories, particularly, "Tears of Remembrance", "I Will Remember You", "Living Reminder", and "Memories of the Heart", though their may be mentions from other stories of mine as well. Sorry, I have a habit of creating a certain series of events and using that in most of my stories. It's just easier that way. Well, that's all for now, enjoy!

Pairings- Minor James/Lily, Harry/Hermione, Severus/Lily, and a hint of Draco/Harry.

Summery- She looked at him and she saw echoes of days long gone. She only hoped that this time the story would have a different ending.

Spoilers- Minor ones for all four books.

Rating- PG

Minerva McGonagall gazed at the trio sitting companionably in the Gryffindor common room, discussing something or other.

She looked at all three, but only saw one.

And like every other time she looked at him, she wanted to cry. Seeing this boy was like looking straight back into the past.

It was like James had come back to life, but with one exception.

Harry Potter looked so much like his father it was almost scary, but his eyes... They were all Lily.

Minerva saw them both in Harry. The charming, mischievous boy, the bright and loving girl.

They lived on in this boy who was an incredible mix of them both. So much like James, but with bits and pieces of Lily thrown in for good measure.

Sometimes it hurt to see Harry and to remember James and Lily.

Losing the two of them hurt deeply and she's not sure that she ever really recovered.

They had both been favorites of hers, though she didn't mean for them to be. She had always tried hard not to favor some students above the others, but with them she couldn't help it.

There was just something about both Lily and James that endeared them to her early on. And as they graduated and were no longer her students, they became her friends, instead.

In fact, Lily had decided to become a teacher once Harry was older. She and Professor Flitwick had discussion it and had decided that when Lily was ready, he would retire and she could take over.

All the other teachers had agreed that it was a wonderful idea, since Lily had been one of the best Charms students that Hogwarts ahd ever seen. not that she had been bad at any of her other subjects-in fact, she had always excelled at Potions and Arithmancy, and had high marks in all the rest of her classes.

In some ways, Hermione Granger reminded Minerva of Lily. That girl would teach some day, Minerva was sure of it.

Of course, Lily had never gotten to teach and Charles had never retired. He couldn't find someone he deemed worthy.

Minerva knew that he would probably teach until he died, unwilling to give up the position to anyone other than Lily.

She didn't blame him. It was hard letting go.

All of them had that problem. Everyone who had loved Lily and James were still haunted by their deaths, no matter how many years went be.

Minerva could see her pain reflected in the faces of those around her. Most of the staff of Hogwarts had known Lily and James in some way, and many of them had been close to the couple and very obviously still grieved for them.

Like Albus, who had taken Harry under his wing to give him guidance, but also to keep that connection to his own beloved grandson.

Minerva bit her lip, wondering when Albus was going to tell Harry the truth, that he was his great-grandfather. Albus' argument for not telling him was that it would unleash some bitter truths and that he wanted to wait until Harry was old enough to understand.

Minerva's personal opinion was that it would be difficult for Albus to share his personal memories of a favored grandchild who had been kill so young and so needlessly. Even with his adored great-grandchild.

Albus had been horribly fond of Lily as well, but it was not the same. She was not of his blood.

Other teaches mourned their loss too, of course, but only one other showed his grief with every moment of every day.

Severus.

Minerva saw the way he sometimes stared at Harry, transfixed, caught between hatred and fascination.

And she knew why too. She was not blind.

She had seen the way that Severus used to gaze at Lily back when they were young. Seen how he had followed her every move. And how he had hated James Potter with a passion for having her, for being allowed to love her.

And Minerva saw how history was repeating itself in the way that Draco Malfoy gazed at Harry Potter and glared at Hermione Granger, for being at the side of the Boy Who Lived. For having his love.

If you knew what to look for, it was not hard to see the signs of unrequited love.

And in Severus Snape's case, it was obvious that that love had never gone away.

Minerva expected that that was why he was so cruel to Harry, because the boy was so much like his father, but with echoes of his mother thrown in. She could imagine that it must be painful for Severus to see Lily's eyes staring up at him from James' face.

Perhaps even harder than it was for Minerva to see Harry and to see them both in him and to miss them all over again whenever she looked at their son.

And it wasn't the just the way he looked.

There were so many other little things that reminded him of his parents.

Even his relationship with Hermione mirrored that of his parents.

Lily and James had been friends first and lovers later. James had been a good student, but relaxed and often mischievous. While, Lily was at the top of her class and worked hard in all her subjects, very conscientious about school. They worked very well together, evening the other out.

Just like Harry and Hermione.

The similarities included others around him, as well.

Ron and Harry's friendship reminded Minerva of the friendship between James and Sirius.

That was one thing that Minerva was very grateful for, to know that Sirius was innocent, that he had not betrayed his best friend and lead him to his death.

Though, it disturbed her to no end that little Peter Pettigrew was capable of such treachery.

Neville Longbottom always reminded her a little of Peter, though she hoped that history would not repeat itself in that way. The thought was too horrible to bear.

Draco Malfoy reminded her of Severus, always stalking around with insults and jealous looks.

It was truly frightening how similar everything was. It was like the story being set up to repeat itself.

She only hoped that this time the story didn't have the tragic ending that it had before.

Minerva looked once more at James and Lily's son and closed her eyes against the silent fear.

She could not bear it if he were taken from them in the cruel way as his parents.

But it was possible. So much rested on the hands of this one boy. Who was to say that the price to save them all, would not be his life?

But... if it were, then victory would always be hollow to Minerva. It would have been gotten at too high a price, just like before.

When victory had come at the price of Lily and James lives.

Minerva could not bear it if this time it came at the price of their son's life. If Harry Potter followed Lily and James into their graves and she lost them all, because at least as long as Harry lived, so did a piece of Lily and James.

Please, she silently begged whoever was listening, whatever happens, please do not take him from us. We have lost so much. Do not lest us lose him too.

With that thought in her mind, she looked at trio one last time before walking away.

In her mind she hoped desperately that the echoes of her yesterday that she saw in Harry Potter were only echoes and that this particular piece of history was not doomed to repeat itself.

The End