chapter 2
02 07 1976
Light flooded the room as Poppy opened the blinds, waking Minerva.
They checked on the baby, noting happily that she was still sleeping quietly. Her cheeks were rosy, her long lashes fluttering, she was the picture of peace.
“The dreamless sleep should’ve worn off by now,” Poppy noted.
“She must be tired,” Minerva replied.
Poppy threw her some clothes, jeans, a top, and a casual cloak, before getting dressed herself. Minerva transfigured a pink jumpsuit and dressed the baby in it carefully.
“What do we do?” She asked Poppy.
“Our first step is to eat some breakfast and feed the baby,” Poppy replied. “Actually, no. The first step is to name her, so we can call her something better than ‘the baby’.”
“I-I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about baby names before.” Minerva shared softly.
“What about Kinsley? Because she’s your kin, and I’ve always liked that name.”
“Kinsley. I like that.” Minerva smiled.
“She needs a middle name,” Poppy added. “Your choice.”
Minerva looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms. She had a head of short, curly brunette hair. She stirred softly and blinked her eyes blearily - big, beautiful, amber eyes.
“Kinsley Amber McGonagall. If we can keep her, that is.”
“That’s gorgeous.” Poppy smiled.
They headed down to the kitchens, tickling the pear and letting themselves in.
“A baby?” Pepper cried, rushing forward and throwing the pan she held over her shoulder.
Pepper was one of the youngest elves, and she always had lots of energy. Hence, she was named Pepper, like a Pepper-up potion.
“A baby that needs milk,” Minerva said sternly, watching the elf rush off in search.
Meanwhile, Poppy had corralled the elves into making the two older witches breakfast, and all of the little creatures were scampering around making up a meal while simultaneously peeking at the child in Minerva's arms. Once breakfast had been made, (porridge with blueberries, which smelt absolutely heavenly), and baby milk had been found, Minerva and Poppy bid the elves goodbye. Not before they swore the elves to secrecy, that is.
“What now?” Poppy asked as they sat across the table from each other in the Great Hall.
Not many professors stayed at Hogwards over the summer break. There was Poppy, who didn’t have anywhere else to go and much preferred the familiarity of Hogwarts over staying alone in a house anywhere else.
Sybill Trelwaney, too, had nowhere else, but she usually boarded herself up in her loft unless something pressing like the spirits drew her away.
Hagrid was always in his cottage on the grounds of the school, and the ghosts including Professor Binns floated around, but other than that the only person who stayed at Hogwarts was Irma Pince, too scared to leave her precious library and content enough to stay with the books anyway.
“Now, I go to find the parents and make absolutely certain they don’t want this child,” Minerva stated.
“How are you going to do that?” Poppy asked.
“Don’t worry about that, dear.” Minerva smiled thinly. “I’ll be back by dinner.”
Minerva set off to the gates of Hogwarts, and once outside them she apparated. Minerva decidedly did not look at the Willow Tree she landed in front of, and instead shifted into her animagus form immediately and ran off toward town. Her plan was simply to look inside all of the houses in search of baby items that weren’t being used, and then to interrogate the parents until she worked out if she had the culprits or not. She decided that since it was a Sunday, most family members should be home, and therefore, she would get answers the easiest.
House Number 1 was easily entered through the front door, which someone had left open. It contained a family of five, eating pancakes from a huge stack in the middle of the table. The children looked to range from 6-12 in age, and there was no evidence of an infant in sight.
House Number 2 was marginally harder to get into, but a cracked open window was no match for a flexible cat. The only person home was a barmy old lady who seemed to want to keep Minerva for a pet, and she escaped as quickly as she could.
House Numbers 3 and 4 were empty, which was unusual, but the calendar in 3 and the note to a house sitter in 4 signified a family holiday, which crossed them off the list as well.
Thankfully, in House Number 5 Minerva found her target. A crying woman in serious conversation with what looked to be her husband was the first sign, and the pile of baby items in the corner of the room was the second. Minerva crawled back out of the bathroom window and scarpered around to the front of the house where she promptly changed back into human form and knocked on the door. A heavy silver cross adorned the door just above the knocker, and Minerva kept that fact in the back of her mind as she awaited a response.
“Coming!” Yelled a male voice, and heavy footsteps approached.
The door flung open, and a tall, clean-shaven man stood holding it.
“Hi. What do you want?” He asked.
“Good morning,” Minerva said primly. “I have some questions. You should let me in, otherwise, I think you’ll find word of your recent, er, baby situation, being spread everywhere,”
The man paled and gestured her in, closing the door quickly.
“What do you know?”
“I think we should take a seat, don’t you?” Minerva asked, and she walked herself into the dining room, taking a seat across from the woman already there.
“What’s going on?” She asked. “Matthew, who is this woman?”
“This woman has a few questions about the baby you just recently gave birth to,” Minerva responded for him.
The woman gasped.
“The first thing I want to know is, did you give birth between now and two days ago?” Minerva asked. “Don’t lie to me. I will know.”
“I-I don’t have to r-respond to any of your questions.” The woman stuttered, as her husband sat next to her.
“Respond to my questions or I’ll call the police and put you in askab- jail for infanticide.”
“Y-y-yes. I gave birth yesterday morning,”
“And what did you do with said child?” Minerva asked.
“I… I don’t have to answer that.” The woman said defiantly.
“You do and you will.” Said Minerva harshly. “Don’t make me ask again.”
“WE LEFT IT IN THE WOODS.” The man yelled suddenly. “We did a home birth, and the baby came out perfectly fine, healing my wife and her stomach in the process. She doesn’t have a fucking baby bump, and it’s been 24 hours! It’s not natural.”
“That kid is an abomination.” The wife added.
“Probably sent from Satan himself.” The husband agreed.
“Thank God we got rid of it when we did.” Smiled the wife.
“I think I’ve heard all I need to hear,” Minerva said carefully. “Thank you for your time.”
And with that, she got up from the table. The couple started to protest, obviously having questions of their own, but the events of the last two days were wiped with a quick “obliviate.”. The couple would think they put the child up for adoption, not wanting the stress of a baby.
Minerva walked slowly toward her precious Willow, hoping she would never have to see it again. She did not look back. She didn’t take in the town one last time. The place held bad memories now, and she was glad to be rid of it. Minerva apparated back to Hogwarts from the safety of the Willow branches and made her way quickly to the infirmary.
“Poppy!” She yelled.
“Yes??” The mediwitch bustled out, holding baby Kinsley in her arms.
“How would you like to be Kinsley's godmother?” Minerva grinned.
“They didn’t want her? She’s ours?” Poppy gasped, sounding sad for Kinsley and happy for them at the same time.
“She’s ours!”