Minerva looked in the sleeping face of the small child in her arms. For a week she'd taken care of this child, going from home to home, begging anyone to take her, but all refused, and now here she was in front of the only option left. They had wanted to exhaust all options before coming here. The ministry knew that Logan Gray hardly wanted anything to do with the wizarding world. Leaving her here would be like cutting her off from the life that she needed to be a stable witch. She couldn't help but feel just a bit like Dumbledore on the day that they left Harry at Number Four Pivot Drive. Then it had been necessary, but it most certainly not necessary with her, despite her parents and her past. Minerva knew better than to judge the poor girl for her lineage.
She had reached the house that she as meant to drop the child in, and sighed. Now was time for the act. She had to pretend that even she hated the child in order to guilt the man behind the door to number seven-twenty-four Elder Lane into taking the child she knew he didn't want. It was a shame really, the poor girl reminded her so much of a boy with a lightning bolt scar, the black hair and green eyes only adding to the resemblance.
Minerva made her way up the steps and knocked curtly on the door, silently apologizing for the fate that she was about to sentence the little girl in her arms to.
Mr. Logan Gray of number seven-twenty-four Elder Lane had long since given up on the wizarding community to pursue a normal, muggle life with his wife, Alice Gray. They were extraordinarily proud of their little three bedroom home, with their little girl Amy. They were proud knowing that the neighbors though them absolutely average except in the way of Mrs. Gray's cooking.
Mrs. Gray stayed home with Amy while Mr. Gray went to work in his law practice day in and day out, bringing home the money his family needed to live luxuriously in their nice well kept home, and to give his darling daughter Amy everything she'd ever need. There was never a sweeter child than his dear Amy.
It was his newfound normalcy in the muggle world that made the wizard knocking at his door so surprising. He'd denounced the wizarding world long ago, and the ever familiar robes were unsettling. Standing before him was a witch in deep green robes that brushed the step leading u to his house. She stood there immobile staring at him blankly as if he had been the one knocking on her door. There was a disinterested, and slightly disgusted, look gracing the old wrinkled features of the gray haired woman. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and her mouth was a pale, tight line. Her large had was slightly bent in the top the way his mothers hat would often look after traveling.
"Mr. Logan Gray?" She asked uninterestedly, an aura of ominousness about the woman that put Logan on edge, but he tried not to show weakness to the vile witch. Her eyes never wavered in their hard, unblinking, cold stare as she stared into his eyes, like she wasn't even seeing.
"You're brother and sister-in-law were killed one week ago, and we have no one left to give the child to for permanent care. Knowing the nature of her parents we fear that putting her in the care of anyone who isn't a blood relative would be fatal to her." She said the words as if she hadn't just told him his only brother was dead and that he was now being entrusted with the care of his orphaned niece. How could he say no? Had his mother still been alive she would've been ashamed of him for saying anything different, but he didn't want the child of his evil brother and sister-in-law. Suppose it grew up to be just as evil as they were. It was born to the two most evil beings since the Dark Lord himself, how else could it possibly turn out, evil was in it's blood.
He said nothing as the child was roughly shoved into his hands. "There is no choice in the matter Mr. Gray, you are the only family she has. With any luck she'll end up a squib, but it is unlikely with parents as powerful as hers were." The child in his arms began to wail in irritation at the sudden jostling it got when it was handed over to it's uncle and Logan groaned in frustration.
"Fine, I'll take the child," he said. The woman gave no indication of having heard him and left without a word.
"Wizards," he grumbled. Born a squib, Logan always just assumed the muggle world was where he belonged, and after being immersed in it for several years he saw no need for magic and had begun to frown upon the very community that had raised him.
He slammed the door and his wife was standing right behind him.
"I don't want it." She hissed at him, holding their infant in her arms.
"And you think I do, but I can't let it just die, it's still my brother's child. Wouldn't you want someone to do the same thing for little Amy?" he asked. "We can give her a evil-free home, maybe it won't be... like them."
"It better not be, I don't want magic in my house Logan."
"And there won't be any, at least not anytime soon, and if she does develop magical abilities we put her in a home, she should be able to take care of herself by then, but for now we have to keep her." He shrugged, but the calm exterior he displayed was nothing like his interior. He was angry that his brother had been stupid enough to get himself killed and left his child as his responsibility. It was just like his selfish brother to do something like that.
He looked down at the slowly settling child in his arms. His green eyes were like that of his brother, her raven hair mimicking his sister-in-law's. The child was actually quite cute, but knowing that it would end up like it's parents if it ever developed magical powers completely eliminated any possible cuteness from his mind. He'd never see the settled thing in his arms as anything other than a walking nightmare in the making.
The small child laughed and reached for his tie which he hadn't removed after he got back from the firm and grasped it between it's grubby fingers.
Logan drew the tie from her grasp and went to find a place to set her down grudgingly, wondering what on earth he was meant to do with the little atrocity.