Disclaimer: the world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers and I don't own any of it.
'It's a girl!' said the midwife and handed over the little weeping baby girl to her mother, Isobel, who gently wrapped her hands around her and smiled, her eyes filled with tears of joy.
'Look at her,' said the new mother to her husband, Robert, 'she's breathtaking!'
Robert caressed the newborn's cheek. 'She's truly beautiful,' he agreed with his wife.
All at once, the baby stopped crying and opened her eyes, beautiful green eyes. 'Her eyes are just like my grandmother's, Minerva!' said Isobel, smiling at her baby girl.
Robert frowned. He thought her eyes were marvellous, but he knew his wife was trying to persuade him to name their daughter after her grandmother, Minerva, and though the name Minerva was quite pretty, as a minister, he wanted his daughter to have a Christian name, Maria, perhaps. But Minerva, which was the name of the Roman goddess of wisdom, felt strange to him.
He decided to overlook Isobel's obvious attempt to convince him to agree to the name and said: 'then your grandmother's eyes must have been the most beautiful eyes.'
Despite wanting a Christian name for his daughter, Robert eventually caved in. His wife told him that she wanted to name their daughter after her grandmother because she was tormented by her family's absence at her daughter's birth and naming the baby Minerva would make her feel closer to them.
It was hard to say no to that because Robert was the reason Isobel gave her family up. Due to her family's disapproval of their relationship, Robert and Isobel chose to elope, angering both sets of their parents and now Isobel's family refused to stay in contact with her, which broke her heart.
Additionally, he grew to like this special and unusual name, although explaining to the members of the congregation why they chose that peculiar, none-Christian name for their daughter was extremely difficult.
While he avoided explaining his daughter's unusual name to the people at the church, Isobel was busy hiding another unusual thing about little Minerva McGonagall. Hours after being born, Minerva had already shown signs of magical abilities.
Isobel first noticed it when Minerva dropped her binky and instead of crying, she reached a little chubby hand to the side of her crib and the pacifier flew into her palm.
Isobel was astonished for about five seconds until the crisis that would come with her daughter being a witch occurred to her. Robert McGonagall, who was as a muggle as a man can be, had no idea his wife was a witch.
Isobel wanted to tell Robert she was a witch but didn't want to mar the bliss of their wedding. She knew it was selfish and timorous of her but the thought of losing Robert, the man she fell in love with so badly that she decided to give up her use of magic and her own family, was petrifying.
So, she decided to hide Minerva's magical abilities as long as she could. She had to, she couldn't lose Robert.
For a few days, Isobel was able to conceal her daughter's abnormally strong magical powers until one time Robert entered Minerva's bedroom and saw their family cat carrying Minerva's favourite toy and putting it on her lap. Little Minerva cheered with laughter and started playing with her toy.
When Isobel discovered what had just happened, she grabbed Minerva into her dressing room and locked the door.
Robert didn't know what was happening, because not for a moment had he thought the cat was doing his daughter's magical command.
Since that incident, Isobel started to lock her and Minerva up in the dressing room for hours every day, causing poor Robert to be very concerned.
When he told his friends about the rather unpleasant situation, they told him that post-partum depression was not uncommon for new mothers to go through and that soon Isobel will feel better.
'I guess you're right, I just wish she'd talk to me and let me be with Minnie, I miss them, both,' Robert would say to his friends.
But it had only gotten worse.
Isobel became withdrawn and cold. She would hide in the dressing room for whole days, trying to make sure Robert couldn't see any magic.
'Lord, I thank you for my wonderful new daughter and my beautiful wife, but I need your help,' Robert was praying, hoping God will help him figure out what was wrong with his wife. 'Help my beloved Isobel to overcome whatever demon which is holding on to her and causing her to be cold and distant. I beg for your help. Amen.'
He stood up, glanced at the locked dressing room and sighed.
When he found out his wife was pregnant with their firstborn, he was more than thrilled. He had never been happier in his life.
But now, he barely got to see his daughter. He missed her smile, her laughter, her little baby hands, her beautiful green eyes... But he didn't know what he could do but pray to the Lord to help him.
He walked out of the manse, heading towards the church, as it was Sunday.
When Isobel had heard the door being shut, she unlocked the dressing room and walked into her and her husband's bedroom with little Minerva in her arms.
She laid Minerva down on her bed and started singing her a lullaby, hoping she'd fall asleep so she herself could get a few minutes of rest.
But instead of closing her eyes and falling asleep Minerva caused Robert's bagpipes to start playing and the little witch started to chuckle with joy at the sound of her father's bagpipes music.
'Minnie! I've told you not to do such things!' Isobel said with frustration, knowing that well-explained arguments won't work with a little baby.
She glanced at her daughter, who was still laughing, and a smile appeared on her face. 'You truly are the cutest,' she said and kissed her daughter's cheek.
Even though Minerva's magic caused a lot of problems, Isobel couldn't help but feel proud. It's always a witch's greatest pride for her children to be witches and wizards. She didn't wish Minerva wouldn't be a witch, she wished the situation was less complicated. But most of all, she wished to use her own magic as she used to before marrying Robert.
That rush of manipulating nature with nothing but her talent and her wand. Causing things to fly, to burst in flames or summon objects.
Isobel missed Hogwarts, where she was an outstanding student, excelling in all her subjects, especially in Charms.
Oh, how she missed the banquets at the Great Hall, the fascinating classes and playing Quidditch. She even missed the stress of taking the O.W.L.s and the N.E.W.T.s.
But this period of her life was over now, and she couldn't dwell in memories. She had to focus on how to make sure her family stays whole.
'What are we going to do about you, my little witch?' Isobel asked Minerva, who was now playing with a toy she summoned from the floor. The little baby looked at her mother and smiled.
Isobel sighed. Why everything has got to be so complicated? She wondered.
She grabbed Minerva in her hands and laid her in her cot and decided to give up on singing her a lullaby, so, she started to rock the cot gently until the baby started to doze off.
When Minerva was finally snoring, Isobel checked the clock and saw she had a few hours until her husband ought to come back home from the church, so she decided to go to sleep as well. She lied down on her bed and closed her eyes, immediately falling asleep as she hadn't slept for days, but though sleep came easily, Isobel's dreams tried very hard to keep her uptight and stressed out.
Isobel found herself sitting in a large, dimly lit dungeon with walls made of dark stone and high benches on either of her sides. In front of her were even higher benches, occupied by shadowy figures. She examined her chair and saw that its arms were covered in chains. She looked up once again, and as her eyes adjusted the dim light, she could see the shadowy figures more clearly. There were about fifty witches and wizards, wearing plum-coloured robes with elaborately worked silver 'W' on the lefthand side of the chest and all staring down at her with scolding faces.
The Wizengamot. she thought. I'm being judged.
'Mrs Isobel McGonagall, you are accused of violating the laws of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy,' said an honourable-looking wizard in the front row whom Isobel identified as Hector Fawley, the Minister for Magic.
'No! I only told my husband because our daughter is a witch! What choice did I have?' Isobel tried to justify her deeds.
'Not only did you tell your husband, Robert McGonagall, but you also haven't stopped him from telling your entire village about your and your daughter's magic. Reverand McGonagall, who is the minister of the village, has a great effect on the villagers' beliefs. You are directly responsible for this coarse violation of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, and therefore condemned for 5 years in Azkaban.'
Isobel gaped in horror. That can't be happening, she'd never been more horrified in her life. 'You can't send me to Azkaban! I didn't do anything! Who would take off my daughter? She's just a baby!' she protested, tears flooding her eyes.
'Silence! You should have thought about it before breaking the law!' called the Minister. 'Those in favour of conviction?' he preceded.
Everyone in the room raised their hand. Between the members of the Wizengamot Isobel identified Griselda Marchbanks, who examined her on her Charms N.E.W.T. She recalled how Professor Marchbanks flattered her Drought Charm and told her that she had been the best student she examined that year. But now her face was filled with disgust and fury as she looked at Isobel, and it hurt badly.
'And may I add,' said a wizard from afar, 'that due to Grindelwald's current revolution, your crime, Mrs McGonagall, is even worse. As we're trying harder than ever to preserve the Statute of Secrecy, you go around, telling muggles about the Wizarding World, shame on you.'
Several witches and wizards nodded in agreement, though the rest, with the wizard who spoke among them, sent rather resenting looks in Hector Fawley's way as he said: 'very well said, Tiberius.'
Isobel connected a few dots and realised that this must be Tiberius Ogden, the Wizengamot member who was Blair Ogden's uncle.
Blair, a girl that attended the Slug Club with Isobel, was invited to the Slug Club because Professor Slughorn wanted to have connections with a Wizengamot member and of course because he wanted to receive a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewiskey for Christmas.
And as for the resenting looks, Isobel assumed that not all the Wizengamot approved of the way Fawley delt, or better say, didn't deal with Grindelwald's threat, as Fawley was known for being rather passive when it came to Grindelwald.
'The Wizengamot have voted unanimously, Isobel McGonagall is convicted and will be sent to Azkaban for five years for violating the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy,' announced the Minister.
This is it, I'm going to Azkaban, she thought in terror, when suddenly she wasn't in the courtroom anymore, but in the manse's sitting room, and instead of Hector Fawley, Robert stood in front of her, shouting.
'How could you not tell me? I thought you loved me! You tricked me into marrying you, you filthy witch! You stole my child and bewitched her as well, didn't you? That is what you did when you locked yourself with Minerva in the dressing room! And I suppose Minerva is a witch's name as well. YOU DISGUST ME! TAKE THAT BABY WITCH AND LEAVE! I DON'T WANT TO SEE EITHER OF YOU!' Robert screamed so loudly the manse shook.
Isobel had never seen him like that, nor did she think she would ever. Robert was a kind, sweet and loving man who only wanted to make his wife happy and serve the Lord. He's never yelled or was rude to anyone. He might have been somewhat strict and stern, but It was completely unlike him to be screaming like that.
'I'm sorry my love, please forgive me for lying to you. I had no choice! I couldn't lose you!' Isobel sobbed, begging for her husband's forgiveness.
'I said GET OUT!' His voice rose once again and he approached the door and opened it, pointing at Minerva and then the door, signalling Isobel to leave along with Minerva. Since she was so shocked and afraid, she didn't know what else to say, so without further ado, she grabbed Minerva and walked through the doorstep.
She turned around to look at her husband. 'Robert, please,' she cried desperately, but for no help. Robert shut the door loudly and Isobel woke up, cold sweat and warm tears on her face.
'It was just a dream,' she muttered, trying to relax. But it was so realistic. Who knows? Maybe if you do tell Robert it will come true, said a nasty little voice in Isobel's head.
Remember what you learned in your fifth year in Divination class: dream interpretation is the most important means of divining the future, this dream has got to have a meaning.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the voice and rose from her bed. She looked at the clock and saw that Robert was supposed to come home in half an hour, and as a new determination to make sure Robert won't find out fueled her due to her horrific dream, she decided to tidy up the dressing room, managing a proper place for her to sleep and hiding bottles of water and food. She considered taking out her wand from its hiding place and using it to make the place more comfortable but decided against it. If she wanted to hide Minerva's magic, she couldn't use her own.
As weeks passed, Robert became more and more concerned. Isobel hid Minerva from him for longer and longer periods and talking to her through the dressing room's door didn't seem to have any effect on her.
Every time he had heard Minerva crying, Robert's heart ached. It was so hard to be apart from his child for so long. He almost couldn't remember how she smiled, how she laughed or even how she looked.
He kept praying to the Lord every day, asking him to cure his wife and help him get through to her, but to no avail. Isobel kept pushing him away, refusing to talk to him. But sometimes, late at night, he could hear her cry in misery and he knew she missed him, too.
'Father, I know it's all a part of your plan, but it's getting too hard to handle. Please, Lord, help my wife,' Robert stood alone in the church, right after everyone left after Sunday's prayers. It's been three months since Minerva was born, and Robert didn't get to see her almost at all since that day. He was still unable to understand what went wrong.
'Amen,' he said as he finished praying and left the church, heading towards the manse, his mind clouded with endless thoughts and hopes.
He opened the door and went towards the bedroom, expecting it to be empty as usual, but to his surprise, he found Minerva in her cot, playing joyfully with a little toy while Isobel was sound asleep in their bed.
Robert approached Minerva and took her out of the cot, happy almost as much as he was exactly three months ago, on October the fourth. 'How are you, Minnie?' he asked his little girl, who now looked curiously at him. She raised her hand and grabbed his nose, which apparently was funny to her because she started laughing. Robert's eyes filled with tears of joy. 'Oh Lord, thank you!' he said and hugged Minerva tightly.
He sat down on his side of the bed, holding Minerva, who was now fascinated with his Clerical Collar.
She looked up to him, her green eyes filled with curiosity, and Robert knew she will grow up to be a very intelligent woman. He smiled at her and she smiled back, and Robert could feel his heart melt. 'You are the cutest thing I have ever seen, my darling,' he said and kissed her forehead.
Isobel overheard Robert and started to wake up. She opened her eyes lazily and glanced at Robert, at first smiling as she was still too sleepy to think of the complicated situation, but once she realised Robert was holding Minerva and in the risk of seeing her do magic, she jerked out of bed very suddenly and, panicking, took Minerva out of Robert's hands, leaving him startled and hurt.
'Isobel! Why would you take her away from me? Do you not trust me with her?' Robert asked, desperation in his voice.
Isobel didn't answer, what could she reply to that? Of course she trusted Robert, but she couldn't risk him seeing Minerva performs magic.
'Izzy, dear, please tell me what's going on. I want to help you. I don't know what's happening but I won't be upset, I just want to know,' Robert questioned patiently and tried to approach Isobel, but she walked backwards, trying to avoid him.
Robert decided to back off a little, giving his wife the space she clearly needed right now.
'Izzy, I don't want to push you, but please, tell me. It's getting harder and harder for me to be away from you and Minnie; I don't know what's going on but I want to help you. I-' he sighed, 'I miss you.'
He's so kind to me even after I prevented him from seeing his daughter for so long. How could I do this to him? Isobel couldn't hold it anymore; she started sobbing, warm tears falling down her face and she sat down on the bed, still holding Minerva.
'I don't want to rush you, Izzy, you can tell me at your own pace,' Robert approached her and this time she stayed put.
She looked up at him and said: 'no, it's not fair to you. You've always been so honest with me and you deserve my honesty. No more lies and no more clandestineness.'
Tears flooded Isobel's eyes as she laid Minerva in her cot and sat down on the bed again, this time signalling Robert to come and sit beside her. He's so kind, that dream was unrealistic. He won't leave me, wouldn't he? She thought to herself hopefully as he sat down.
Isobel looked Robert in the eyes, took a deep breath and said: 'I'm a witch, and so is Minerva.'
Robert looked at his wife with confusion on his face. 'Er, a witch? What is that supposed to mean?'
'It means I'm able to do magic, and so is Minnie. That is why I've been hiding her. Her magic seems to be exceedingly strong for her age and I didn't want you to find out because I was too frightened I'd lose you if you found out.'
'But magic isn't real, Isobel,' Robert replied flatly.
'It is, love, but there is a Statute of Secrecy that prevents witches and wizards to use magic in front of mugg- non-magic people,' she corrected herself since she knew Robert didn't know what muggles were.
'So you are a witch? Like the witches that people used to burn in Medieval times?'
'Well, yes, but the Witch Hunt was completely pointless since the muggles, which are none-magic people, rarely caught an actual witch or wizard and even if they did catch one, burning them would have no effect whatsoever since the witch or wizard would just perform a basic Flame-Freezing Charm and then pretend to suffer from the fire while only experiencing a gentle tickling sensation,' Isobel spilt out the information she learned in History of Magic class on her third year at Hogwarts.
Robert appeared even more confused.
'Sorry, that is irrelevant,' she apologised. 'All you need to know is that witches and wizards exist and Minerva and I are among them,' she said and whipped the tears off of her face, trying to hold it together for Robert.
'I'll show you,' she said and knelt under the bed, searching for something.
When she finally found it, she stood up, holding a small, carved box and as she opened it her eyes started tearing up again. She wiped her tears and took out of the box a wooden stick and presented it to Robert, her hands trembling slightly.
'Is- Is that er, a- a wand?' Robert asked, dreading the answer.
'Indeed, it's my old school wand which I didn't get to use since we eloped,' she shared, looking at her wand fondly. She missed it a lot.
'Are you- are you going to use it?'
'Only if you want me to, love, only if you want proof.'
Robert gaped. 'I- Well, I- I don't know.'
'Let me show you, it will be a very small charm, nothing dramatic,' she promised and in return, Robert swallowed and nodded slightly.
'Accio toy,' Isobel said and waved the wand in the shape of a bow and one of Minerva's toys flew from the floor straight into Isobel's outstretched hand. She felt the excitement rushing through her body. The Summoning Charm was nothing complicated, but she'd missed using magic so much that even that simple charm almost made her tear up.
Robert gasped, his eyes wide open.
'You really are a witch,' he finally managed to say and Isobel nodded.
'I'm sorry I lied to you my love, but you see, I couldn't have told you until we got married because of the International Statute of Secrecy that I mentioned before, the one which forbids magic people to tell muggles about the wizarding world. If I told you back then I'd be sent to jail. And as for why I didn't tell you after our wedding... well, I dreaded the idea of losing you, but it was selfish and foolish of me and I'm sorry, so so sorry,' Isobel looked into Robert's eyes once again, looking for anything that might reveal to her how he felt.
'Izzy... I still love you and I will always love you no matter what happens, but I think I need some time to process everything you told me,' Robert confessed and Isobel exhaled in relief, her eyes twinkling through the tears.
'I understand, I'll leave you be.'
'I think I'll go out for a walk, to clear my head,' Robert got up from the bed and approached the door.
'Just don't tell anybody, okay? It's very important, I could go to jail for it,' she shivered, recalling her horrific nightmare.
'Don't worry, I won't tell anybody,' Robert said and left the manse.
As he walked on the outskirts of the little Scottish town, Robert tried to organise the thoughts that were blasting in his mind.
It was hard to grasp reality when Robert's whole belief system collapsed. The only thing that felt clear to him was that he still loved Isobel.
But could he forgive her for lying to him? She knew how much he hated dishonesty but she still chose to lie to him even after the risk of being sent to prison was lifted once they got married.
He felt like their whole relationship was built on lies. Now that he came to think about it, there were many things he didn't know about his wife, like where exactly did she go to school? She only told him it was an exclusive only-girl boarding school in England, but why did he never hear the name of the school? Or why didn't he ever meet any of her friends? Surely she'd want to stay in touch with some of them...
How could I not notice it? It is all so clear now.
His heart ached from the thought of his relationship being a hoax. He knew Isobel loved him, but he felt like he didn't know her anymore.
If you don't know her then maybe you should ask her about her past, suggested the voice of reason in his head.
Robert decided to head back to the manse when Deuteronomy 18:11-12 popped into his mind: "or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you." and Exodus 22:18: "Do not allow a sorceress to live."
If God had forbidden magic, how could he take a part in it as a Christian Minister? Magic is considered Satanic and it went against all his beliefs. So not only did Isobel lie to him which is against his beliefs, but she also practices witchcraft. How can he look past that?
When he reached the manse the sun has already started to set down and the red-twilight sky made everything seem somewhat devilish.
He stared at the door for a few minutes, considering what he should say when he goes inside, but nothing good came to his mind. He was supposed to be good with words after all the sermons he gave in the church but his mind was blank.
He opened the door and walked in. Isobel was standing in the kitchen, cooking a proper dinner for the first time in the last three months, while Minerva was in her cot in the sitting room, sound asleep.
Isobel turned around when she heard the door close and smiled at Robert, but he could see in her eyes that she was worried. 'How was your walk, love?'
'It's hard to enjoy the view when there are so many things on your mind,' he admitted. 'I wanted to ask you a few questions if you please.'
'Of course, I'd be more than willing to answer all of your questions. Maybe we should do it over dinner? It'll be ready in 10 minutes.'
'Very well, I'll lay the table,' he said and grabbed two bowls from the cupboard.
When everything was ready Robert and Isobel sat down at the table and Isobel poured Scotch Broth into Robert's and then her bowl and the two started to eat.
'So what did you want to ask me, love?'
Robert gulped from the broth, took a deep breath and said: 'During my walk, I realised there is a lot I don't know about you and that hurt me more than everything because it made me feel like I don't know you. So, I want you to tell me everything about you that I don't know because you were forced to hide it due to this Statute of Secrecy thing. After that, there will still be things I'll have to sort out, but I want to start with getting to know you, the real you.'
Isobel smiled slightly and laid her hand on Robert's. 'You do know the real me, Robert. Only parts of my story are unfamiliar to you, but they will be. And once I tell you everything you'll see that you knew me all along.'
Robert smiled back at his wife but was still reluctant to fully believe her, as he was a very doubtful man who liked when things were proved to him. He didn't even fully believe in God until he had proof- when he met Isobel and found out what love is, and as it said in 1 John 8-21: "God is love."
Isobel took another gulp of her broth and started describing her life as a witch.
'As you might have reckoned, I didn't actually go to an exclusive only-girl boarding school in England. In fact, the only thing that's true about it is that my school was exclusive, exclusive to witches and wizards. I studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for seven years- since I was eleven until I was eighteen and it has been amazing,' her eyes became blurry as though her mind travelled to someplace else, a brilliantly magical place.
Isobel kept on telling her story, sharing with her husband stories about her time at Hogwarts and describing the magical castle.
She told him about Quidditch and how she was Ravenclaw's Chaser and Quidditch captain, which, Robert reckoned, was one of her favourite things at Hogwarts because while talking about it, her eyes became even more blurry than before and she'd forgotten what she was saying every few seconds, getting lost in good memories.
'You know, I played against Joscelind Wadcock, who's now a famous Quidditch player who's playing for Puddlemere United and holds the record for the highest number of Quidditch goals in the British League! We obviously lost, but it is still exciting to think I played against one of the most famously gifted Quidditch players in Britain.'
She talked about her teachers and Headmaster and of course, didn't forget to mention how she was an outstanding student, particularly excelling in Charms, as it was one of her biggest sources of pride and it was the first time her partner got to hear about it.
She also mentioned other matters in the Wizarding World such as Hogsmeade, Gringotts, Diagon Alley and even historical events.
'Just last year, a girl that went to school with me became the first witch ever to fly across the Atlantic Ocean on a broomstick! Her name's Jocunda Sykes, I remember her quite well, she was a blonde Gryffindor student, very talented,' Isobel told Robert and became a little worked up, clearly excited about the fact that she went to school with this incredible witch that made history.
Robert was a good listener; he waited until she finished her sentence before asking a question (which he had a lot of, as expected), he gaped and gasped when was necessary and he seemed genuinely interested in everything she had to say, but Isobel noticed the discomfort he felt when she described what she learned at Hogwarts. When she mentioned Divination it even seemed like he was disgusted and repulsed.
When she finished telling him about her seventh year at Hogwarts she started telling him about her dilemma with their relationship.
'You see, my parents didn't want me to date a muggle. They'd hoped I meet a nice wizard at school and we'd get married eventually, but... I couldn't help but fall in love with you. I fancied you for years and when you started to show interest in me I knew I could never say no to your persuades. I never told my parents we were together from the fear of losing you because I knew they wouldn't have approved.'
Robert nodded as he finally realised why her parents were so disapproving of their relationship and why they still refused to be in contact with their daughter.
As Robert listened to his wife's stories he realised he'd already heard most of them, except that Isobel told the stories in their muggle-version, disguising any magic and replacing it with things a muggle like him could comprehend.
He understood what she meant when she said he knew her all along.
When she finally finished it was already well into the night and they were both exhausted after this eventful day.
'Thank you for sharing your stories with me, Izzy, and now I do understand what you meant when you said I knew you all along, but... as I said, I still have some matters to sort out, religious matters, in fact. I can't just believe it is not wrong to use magic when the Bible specifically says it is. I don't know if I could ever accept that,' Robert shook his head.
'Of all the matters there are this is the one that bugs you the most? I wasn't religious when you married me, why do you care so much all of a sudden?'
'Well, Isobel, I was never very enthusiastic about the fact that you aren't religious, but it goes beyond that; now it affects my own actions, as it says in the Bible that you can't let witches live! I obviously could never act on that,' he added when saw the fright on Isobel's face, 'but still, it is all too much and it puts me in a great religious conundrum.'
'If only I was a witch, your best solution would be to leave me, wouldn't it? But I'm not the only witch, your own daughter is a witch, Robert. I reckon you'll have to work through this,' she pointed out to him.
'I also wouldn't have wanted to leave you anyway...'
'Robert, I understand why this is hard on and I chose a muggle life when I married you, therefore, I won't use magic unless absolutely necessary and I'm truly sorry, but Minerva is going to use magic and go to Hogwarts just like I did because you cannot expect her to hold her powers inside. She's exceedingly strong and will become a very powerful witch one day and you need to be prepared for it,' Isobel said softly.
'But what if she doesn't go to Hogwarts-'
'-No, you cannot prevent her from receiving the education she deserves, it's not going to happen, Robert, she will go to Hogwarts and she will become a certified witch,' Isobel said firmly, not leaving a place for discussion.
'Additionally, if you don't teach a witch or a wizard how to control their magic it could lead to destructive results,' she warned.
Robert became rather quiet for a few seconds and then said: 'It's getting really late, I suggest we go to sleep now and work things out tomorrow.'
'All right.'
The couple started heading to bed when suddenly Minerva started crying. 'I'll get her,' said Isobel but before she could Robert said 'no, please, let me. I've missed her first three months, I want to be as close to her as possible.'
'All right, go ahead, love,' she smiled, kissed Robert's cheek and watched him as he went towards their little daughter and then headed to bed.
Robert took Minerva out of the cot and held her tightly, softly rocking her from side to side to calm her down. 'Shhh, go back to sleep Minnie,' he whispered, but Minerva just wouldn't fall back asleep.
He started walking around the sitting room, rocking Minerva and singing her the old Scottish lullaby his parents sang him when he was a baby.
Eventually, when Minerva fell asleep, Robert laid her back in the cot and knelt down to look closely at his sleepy daughter.
He now recalled the day she was born, it seemed only yesterday but at the same time like it was ages ago.
As he was watching Minerva he felt his heart warm and he once again recalled the verse "God is love".
This sure is love, then it must be God, he thought to himself, there is no way this pure little baby is considered evil.
He stood back up and walked towards the bedroom, finally feeling like himself again.
He wore his sleepwear and got into bed, where Isobel was already snoring and there was nothing evil about her, either.
He thought about his and Isobel's love story: how his heart was captivated by young, beautiful and high-spirited Isobel, the day they decided to elope, their honeymoon... it was all a part of God's plan after all, wasn't it? And those verses were in the Old Testament and he wasn't Jewish and the Old Covenant, the Laws of Moses only apply to the Jewish people.
And with these comforting thoughts, he wrapped his arms around Isobel, lying next to her, and decided that he must let go of these few verses that have been bothering him to have a happy life with his wife and daughter.
Eventually, Robert got used to the fact that his wife and children were witches and wizards, but not unlike glass, once you've broken it, trust can never be fully repaired again and you will always find little cracks and slits that may don't look harmful, but with the right amount of pressure would be the cause for the next time it breaks.
And though Robert never stopped loving Isobel, he never fully trusted her ever again. It wasn't visible most of the time, but any time they fought, Robert would pull out those same old verses, showing Isobel that he haven't fully forgiven her, but she couldn't really blame him.