august 25, 1971
Minerva held her daughter's hand securely, paddling through the hoards of witches and wizards who were, much like her, out to buy their children school supplies before start of term. There was a chilly excitement in the air, the type that always came about right at the end of August.
Taking a sharp right to avoid a shopkeeper who was wrestling with a rather large toad, Minerva and Maggie clambered into the Magical Menagerie, the staunch smell instantly filling both ladies with a sense of resignation.
"Mummy, it smells in here." Maggie tried her best to whisper but found it difficult amidst the hoards of screeching owls.
"We're just going to see if there's a good pet for you here that's it, pumpkin. Then we'll go see about an ice cream, how does that sound?" Minerva soothed her daughter.
Maggie nodded her affirmation and began perusing around the shop, flinching at a rather large owl who had tried to nip at her.
"Perhaps not an owl?" Minerva bit her lip.
"I've got some people to write to," Maggie argued quietly.
It was a lie and both women knew it but nevertheless, Minerva nodded her agreement.
"I think a cat would suit you, don't you think?" Minerva grinned at her daughter knowingly.
Maggie laughed her assent and walked over to the cramped cages full of kittens, purple frogs, large rats, bats, ravens and numerous owls. The purple frog caught Maggie's eye for a moment but after considering how difficult it might be to cozy up with a frog, moved past it.
As Maggie was trying her luck with a plain but sleek black cat, a trio of young women walked into the menagerie. Soon after them followed two older women who were dressed immaculately in robes that Maggie knew all too well to be from the highly expensive section of Madam Malkin's.
The first woman looked strangely familiar to Maggie, almost as if from a distant memory or perhaps she had seen her in an old photograph once. Something about the dark gleam in her eye made Maggie abandon the cats and slowly move to stand behind her mother.
"Minerva," the woman drawled, her voice giving the impersonation of a thick but poisonous honey. It was pleasant to hear but Maggie knew at once that whatever came out of this woman's mouth was not kind.
Maggie looked up to her mother who had tightened her lips at the arrival of this brigade.
"Druella," Minerva nodded chastely.
"Fancy seeing you here," Druella continued with a smirk as she drifted down the aisles of the shop.
Maggie noticed the way the three young women followed her obediently.
"It is not uncommon for witches to shop at Diagon Alley," Minerva lifted her eyebrow, gently gripping the tuft of Maggie's robe collar protectively.
The other woman, who appeared to be around the same age as Druella stepped closer and examined Maggie as if she were a vermin in a trap. Maggie resisted the urge to fully immerse herself behind the protection of her mother.
"Is this yours?" the woman asked, her voice so shrill and obnoxious that Maggie almost jumped.
"She is my daughter, Walburga." Minerva corrected hotly, her ears now turning pink.
"Ah, almost there Minerva, almost there," Walburga gave a nasty smile. She snapped her fingers once toward one of the young women. In an instant the blonde one came forward. "We haven't all day, Narcissa! Regulus and Sirius are at the Quidditch store waiting for us. Pick one and let us go. It reeks almost as bad as the stench of half-bloods in this cursed place."
Maggie's head jerked up toward her mother, eyes bulging and waiting for the outburst that was sure to be unleashed. Half-blood was a very bad word in the McGonagall home.
"Better to have a stench than to perpetuate the risks that come with inbreeding," Minerva added crisply, her tone calm and even.
Maggie felt her chest swell with pride. She did not know what connotation her mother insinuated with the inbreeding comment but it made her heart leap to see her mother's strong wits overpower these rude women.
Druella's smile fell from her face. "I'd watch your words if I were you, Minerva." She warned coldly.
"They are precise and always carefully selected," Minerva agreed with a bright smile. She turned toward the three young women. "Andromeda, Narcissa I hope your holiday has been satisfactory."
The young woman whom Maggie had learned was named Narcissa sighed uninterestedly and replied, "Exceptional." With a displeased glance around the shop she added, "They all look spotty, mother. I don't think I'll have one after all. Let's go. See you in class, Professor."
Druella and Walburga ushered the two other girls out of Menagerie, choosing to ignore Minerva and Maggie completely as they exited. The tallest young woman with jet black hair lingered behind from the rest of her family and eyed Minerva and Maggie amusedly.
"Aren't you going to ask what I'm up to these days, Professor?" the young woman asked giddily, stepping a tad too close for Maggie's liking.
Minerva kept her eyes locked on a set of bats on display. They were twirling and performing short dances.
"There are certain matters of which I do not wish to become knowledgeable and your ideological pursuits are one of them, Bellatrix."
The young woman clenched her jaw, clearly not pleased at her response. With a sneering look toward Maggie, she left the shop finally, leaving just Minerva and Maggie alone once more.
The shop keeper finally emerged from behind the store. He was a ratty looking man with balding hair and milky blue eyes.
"Found a pet have you?"
"The black cat in the corner, please." Maggie answered. She cast a cautious look toward her mother. "Mum, who were those people?"
Minerva paid the shop keeper for the cat and gently rubbed Maggie's back. "That was the Black family, sweetheart."