Chương 5: Chapter 5: Shopping… with a Friend (1)
"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?"
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