"Let's rehearse it one last time." – said Louisa McMahon.
Her daughter sighed and left the half-eaten toast in her hand back on the table. "I do not speak with adults. I buy my books, robes and wand and get straight home. I do not use magic. I do not tell anybody that I know spells. I do not go to Knockturn Alley. I do not know anything about aristocrats or the McMahon family. If I talk with kids and being asked, my parents are Muggles."
"What is your name?" – asked the older witch mercilessly.
"Catherine Plantier." – answered Catherine with a frown.
"Très bien," – nodded Louisa – "Greg and I are going to go first and open the wall towards Diagon Alley so you can pass. We are also going to buy your potion ingredients, quills, parchment, and other necessities. You come straight home after you are done! Go now and put some nicer clothes suitable for outside."
"Am I going to get an owl?" – Catherine asked hopefully.
"We have at least 10 owls in the castle. Just pick one and take it with you." – said the Duchess while casually browsing through The Secrets of Magical Glamour magazine. On the cover of this month's issue there was a beautiful witch, surrounded by a halo of sparkling stars. Catherine thought that whatever kind of magical cosmetics this model had used, she couldn't even come closer to the stunning beauty of Catherine's own mother. The Duchess appeared to be in her 20s, tall and slender, moving around with the grace of a dancer – elegant and captivating. Her wavy golden hair resembled a bouquet of sunrays in the summer. The flowless radiant skin and her unforgettable features made Louisa McMahon a source of light in her own right. She lifted her bright green eyes from the magazine and raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner. Catherine turned around and left for her room, thinking that inheriting solely her mother's eyes was not so bad after all. Who would want to be stared at everywhere they go? 'I guess mom can't really help it though.' – she concluded – 'In the end she is half-Veela'.
Catherine was leaning against the wall in the back alley next to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Her breath was frantic and shallow. She felt her heart pounding erratically against her chest. A lump formed in her throat, making swallowing an impossible task. Tremors seized her body, setting it into uncontrollable quivers. With a desperate determination, the young witch fought to regain control. Yet, her mind seemed veiled in a shroud of white mist, obscuring coherent thoughts as if they were distant figures in a foggy landscape.
What had happened? Everything had been proceeding according to the plan. Catherine had used Floo powder to get to the Leaky Cauldron, where her mother and Greg were already waiting. As Louisa opened the brick wall that concealed the entrance towards Diagon Alley, Catherine stepped through and was immediately enveloped by the vibrant, clamorous crowd. Countless faces, an array of unfamiliar scents, and a multitude of objects assaulted her senses. The young witch found herself utterly overwhelmed, a sensation she had never anticipated.
In the midst of the bustling chaos, she lost sight of her mother and brother. Isolated in this unfamiliar environment, Catherine's emotions reached a breaking point. She hadn't foreseen that the situation would affect her so profoundly. With no clear direction and her senses in disarray, her only instinct was to retreat. Yet, even as she attempted to flee back to the safety of the Leaky Cauldron, her legs refused to cooperate, leaving her stranded in the middle of the tumult.
"Are you okay?" – she heard a sweet, girlish voice beside her. Catherine lifted her head and met the gaze of a smiling redheaded girl standing nearby. Approximately her age, the girl possessed a delicate demeanour that one might aptly describe as 'cute'. Her emerald-green eyes were quite friendly, and she was holding a package wrapped in golden paper with the logo of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Catherine nodded and opened her mouth which did not result in any sound coming out. "You look pale. Would you like some of these?" – the redheaded girl asked with concern, reaching to her pocket, and taking out a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.
Catherine extended her trembling hand and took a light pink bean while her new companion was chatting merrily. "I have never tried these before. They say they really contain one of every flavour! It is so hard not to buy everything you see, but of course who would have that kind of money, right? My parents are Muggles, and this is really my first time being around so many witches and wizards. It's like a dream but it is also a little scarry, right? That's what I told my friend Severus as well, although his mom is a witch, so he has a huge advantage already. I am Lily Evans by the way! What is your name?"
"Ca-fff-in..." – the black-haired girl said choking.
"Caffin?" – Lily asked with confusion.
"No! Sorry, I'm Catherine. This bean tasted like soap!" – Catherine said trying to clear her throat.
"Hahah, I had one that tasted like black pepper earlier, but this is worse!" – chuckled Lily.
Catherine smiled, her mind racing to find a conversation topic that wouldn't bore the first person who seemed eager to befriend her.
"Do you study at Hogwarts?" – she finally asked, mentally bashing herself for the idiotic question.
"Ah, yes, this is going to be my first year. I am so excited and a tad fearful since I do not know a lot about the wizarding world." – the other girl replied with a hint of apprehension.
"You should not worry about that." – said Catherine firmly – "A lot of students come from Muggle families, and they learn everything so quickly. I am also Muggle-born." – she added, suddenly remembering her own 'backstory'.
Lily's face beamed with happiness. "Really, Catherine? This is so great! Will you be my friend at Hogwarts, then? I mean, I do have Severus, but he's a boy and also, he doesn't quite understand what it means to feel like you may not belong to all this." – she said, tilting her head towards Diagon Alley.
Catherine was struck by a pang of guilt for deceiving Lily about her birth status. However, she empathised with the other girl's sense of not belonging. Catherine's own pure blood did nothing but caused her pain and loneliness. It still felt surreal that she was talking to someone who was not part of her family. If she could help Lily, who was so nice to her, to feel less stressed about the wizarding world, Catherine held no regrets about bending the truth. With that sentiment, she bestowed a warm smile upon Lily and nodded in affirmation.
"Yes, let's be friends! I need to buy some stuff too. Would you like to come with me?"
After a quick visit to Madam Malkin's, Catherine was also equipped with robes, cloak, gloves and a hat. As she waited for her friend, who was purchasing potion ingredients from the Mystic Brews Apothecary, Catherine couldn't help but think about how uncomfortable these magical garments seemed compared to Muggle clothes. After that, they went to purchase their magic wands.
While Mr Ollivander measured Lily and helped her try different wands, Catherine had the strange feeling that he was looking at her direction quite often. Eventually, the redheaded girl ended up with a twenty-six centimetres willow wand with phoenix feather core which was supposed to be good for charms.
Mr Ollivander's tape measure was already quite busy measuring Catherine when the wizard bent down a little and said with a vague smile. "I sense that the young miss already has some experience with magic. I wonder which of my wands will suit you best." Catherine blushed a little but decided to remain silent.
After trying at least twenty wands, she started to feel frustrated. It was well-known that there was supposed to be some sort of a connection between a witch and her wand but none of the wands she had tried so far showed any response whatsoever. While Lily managed to conjure some sparks when trying different wands, Catherine had no such luck. Mr. Ollivander paused thoughtfully for a moment, his face then lighting up with excitement as he quickly disappeared from view.
Catherine let out a sigh and looked around, but Lily was nowhere to be seen. Frustration grew as Catherine wondered, 'Where did she go? Why is it taking so long?'
Eventually, Mr Ollivander returned with yet another wand. "Let's see, this one I made a long time ago and it turned out to be very stubborn. Twenty-eight centimetres, ancient oak, phoenix feather – it is a wand that demands respect, and it is hard to yield."
Catherine took the wand and waved it. She felt a warm sensation and the room was filled with colourful flames, levitating in mid-air.
"Wonderful!" – exclaimed Mr Ollivander – "It is hard to find the right wand if you get used to wandless magic as a child. I am happy there is a serviceable one for you."
Catherine shrugged, paid for her purchase, and left the store, hoping that Lily was still waiting for her. The wizard behind the counter smiled and bowed. 'This will do for a few years, until we meet again, Milady. Then, hopefully, I will have something truly special for you.' – he thought to himself.
Back in Diagon Alley, Catherine looked around for her friend and immediately spotted her just a few metres away from the store, talking to a pale lanky boy with black, slightly long hair. There was something in that boy that instantly irritated the young witch. Maybe it was the way he postured himself like he owned Lily or maybe it was the way he looked at Catherine when she approached them.
"Oh, Catherine, you're finally done. It took you a while." – said Lily cheerfully – "This is my friend Severus Snape. Severus, this is Catherine… umm, sorry I didn't ask you about your last name…"
"Plantier." – said Catherine dryly. It would be a while before she could refer to herself like that without feeling anger.
"So, you're Muggle-born as well?" – asked Snape, his voice expressing a defined note of condescension.
"I am," – answered Catherine, her eyes flashing – "and yet, I still understand how rude it is to ask such a question in the wizarding society. Ah, but this must be taught just in decent wizarding families."
Catherine saw with satisfaction that Snape became even paler and ugly red spots appeared on his face.
"Severus, really, don't be rude!" – said Lily and turned towards Catherine – "He doesn't do it on purpose. Let's go and get our books now, shall we?"
Catherine looked at Snape who was staring at her with murder in his black eyes and she was more than certain that it was on purpose but nevertheless, decided against arguing with Lily. They reached Flourish and Blotts and entered the maze of bookshelves.
Catherine quickly picked up her schoolbooks and was browsing with curiosity through a big blue volume named 'Antidotes and Aversions: Countering Dark Potions and Treacherous Poisons.' Suddenly a shadow fell on the pages. She turned around and saw Snape who was smiling slyly.
"This type of books usually does not contain pictures, you know?" – he said mockingly. Fed up with his stupid remarks, Catherine quickly looked around. Unexpectedly a heavy book on Giant Wars flew from the topmost shelf landing straight onto Snape's head. He fell on the ground from the sudden impact.
"Oh, dear," – said Catherine – "this is a rather unusual method to get knowledge into your head. Maybe it will be safer if you try to actually read the book." She smirked and left to pay for her purchases.
When all of them went back on the street, carrying the heavy bags full of books, Catherine noticed that Snape still looked a little dizzy. She thought that maybe she had gone too far and considered that she should apologize. However, at this moment the boy grabbed Lily's hand and said looking at the other girl with disdain.
"Lily and I will go and look at the quills. She had already promised me to do it, so go and bother someone else."
"Severus!" – Lily protested – "Catherine, don't listen to him!"
Catherine shook her head. "It's fine, I need to leave anyway. I think I spent more than enough time with him. See you in a few days, Lily!"
With that the young witch took her bags and left without looking back. In the end, it turned out to be a rather pleasant day. She had met her first friend and acquired a wand. Well, she certainly could have done without encountering this snarky, slimy boy, but regardless, it was all worth it!