A/N: Yay for no Deathly Hallows spoilers. Well. This is a little fic to go along with my theory that Professor McGonagall and Neville's Gran totally went to Hogwarts together. This is set in the summer before Neville's (and Harry's, and Ron's, and everybody else's really) first year. It's probably sometime in June/early July, since Neville has not quite turned 11 yet.
Catty and Birdy
"Good morning, Minerva, I'm glad you could find the time to come by," an old witch by the name of Augusta Longbottom said, opening the front door.
"Hello, Augusta. Good to see you again," the woman called Minerva replied, she wore long robes of emerald green and her long dark hair back in a tight bun. "Where is that grandson of yours?" she asked, looking around, not seeing the round-faced ten-year-old anywhere.
"He's with Algie and Enid, for the day," Augusta said. "Accio Tray," she said, waving her wand. An ornate silver tray with a few small sandwiches and a pot of tea skidded to a stop on the small table in the sitting room. "So, how are things at Hogwarts?" she asked as she poured herself a cup of tea.
"Thriving. Hagrid told me this morning a new unicorn foal was born last night. Which is always something to talk about during summer, there's never much going on."
"You surely don't stay there all summer, Minerva?" Augusta asked, raising a sharp eyebrow.
Minerva shook her head, sipping her tea. "But I do visit once in a while, I don't like being away too long."
Augusta's eyebrow lowered back to its normal position.
"Should I be expecting another Frank Longbottom trotting into my Transfiguration classes next year?" Minerva asked suddenly.
Augusta didn't smile or laugh, neither did Minerva. It had been a serious question. Augusta's son Frank had been extremely talented.
"I'm not sure yet," she admitted coolly. "I haven't seen any really remarkable magic come out of him, but I haven't given him his wand yet." She gestured to a small chest of drawers, on top of which sat an old wand.
Minerva looked at it skeptically. "Wouldn't it be wiser to let him have his own wand the first time?" she asked.
Augusta had expected this bit of criticism; she had, after all, known Minerva McGonagall since she was eleven years old. "I think Frank's wand will work admirably for young Neville."
Not altogether reassured, Minerva changed the subject. "What does he look like? I only ever saw his baby pictures."
The birdy woman across from her reclined a little in her chair. "He looks like Alice. He looks nothing at all like my Frank, I'm afraid, though his hair is much darker than Alice's right now. He might not be anything like either of them, though. He hasn't shown much inclination towards magic. But we know he is," she trailed off fondly. "Algie had him by his ankles out the window. I had told him not to try anymore harebrained schemes to get magic out of Neville, but that brother of mine, well, you've met Algie." Minerva nodded. "Well, I called for tea and he dropped Neville. He should've died, but he bounced, I was quite overjoyed. Glad that my only son's only son was not a Squib. Algie bought him Trevor, his toad. We were proud. Hopefully he'll flourish a little more after a bit of schooling."
Minerva finished the last bit of her tea. "I think Neville should train up to be a good student," she said. "And an admirable Gryffindor," she added thoughtfully.
"Don't go easy on the boy, Minerva!" Augusta exclaimed, though she was smiling a little.
She stood, straightening her spectacles and smoothing her robes. "Well, I must be going. I have a new colleague to meet at Hogwarts in an hour or so, but it was good to see you, Augusta," she said as she reached the door.
"It was nice to see you, as always, Minerva," Augusta replied.