2
"You must be joking! This is a simple hat, it cannot possibly cost this much!"
An elderly-looking witch threw an astounded and at the same time stern glance in the direction of a chubby little man, who was showing her a pointed black hat, very similar to the one she was wearing. They were standing in front of a shop, which had a 'proud' sign above the wooden door that read:
"PLUMPSBERRY & CO.
We know the meaning of 'quality'"
Some of the goods were lying on the oak table, right outside the shop. The afore-mentioned hat was among them.
"A 'simple' hat?!"
Exclaimed the chubby little man, his face bearing a look of outraged innocence.
" 'Plumpsberry & Co.' do not sell 'simple' hats. We have the best hats in Great Britain, maybe even in the whole world. Our products are made of the finest material…"
"Yes, yes, yes… Nonetheless, the price is too high. And it is still only a hat. For Merlin's sake…"
The woman stopped mid-sentence, the look on her face suddenly changing from stern and annoyed to confused and slightly dazed. She turned her head to the left and scanned the street. Her eyes narrowed when she saw a suspicious-looking person who made their way through the crowd. The person was wearing a black cloak that covered its owner's body from head to toes. The bowed head was completely hidden from view under the hood. The stranger walked quite quickly and the elderly witch soon had to turn her head to the right to be able to observe the mysterious person until he or she once again became undetectable in the crowd. The woman who was still looking in the same direction with a frown on her face was jerked out of her apparently disturbing thoughts by the suddenly grave voice of the chubby little seller.
"It is hard not to glance behind your back at a time like this, is it not?.."
The witch turned her attention back to the seller. The man that seemed to be beaming with energy and optimism only a minute ago was now pale and sweating. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the drops of perspiration from his forehead.
"So, ma'am, are you buying this hat or not?"
The seller finally managed to regain his business tone. The lady threw one last glance in the direction of the notorious garment.
"No, thank you. I think I'll wait until you reduce its price, realizing that nobody in their right mind will give 'that' much for this piece of clothing."
With that Minerva McGonagall, and the elderly witch was none other that the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts, vanished.
A second later the stern-looking woman reappeared in Hogsmeade. She still had a few things to do here before she could go back to the school. She was anxious to see Albus Dumbledore and tell him about the mysterious person she saw today. Actually, there wasn't much she could tell about the person specifically, but there was a lot more she could tell about the feeling that washed over her when the stranger walked by.
Her animagi-form was a cat by no accident. Minerva McGonagall possessed certain qualities and talents that made her similar to that particular animal. For example, she could sense things that people around her couldn't. The witch had learned long ago to trust the cat inside her and pay attention to her feelings.
The feeling she'd had today was a very confusing one. At first it felt as if someone familiar, someone she knew quite well was approaching her. And the moment she laid her eyes on the figure in a long black cloak, she experienced waves of great power, a mixture of light and dark energy, combination of infinite love and devastating sorrow, of dismay and determination come from the stranger and pass through her. The witch knew that the stranger was not evil. She felt it. She also knew that whoever the person was they would play a great role in her own life and in the lives of many others. Strange but the 'contact' with the mysterious person had somehow filled her with new strength and optimism.