The Beginning
She's going to be alright, Leanne thought, she's going to be alright.
"I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back," Katie said with a smile, and Leanne nodded.
They'll fix her at St Mungo's.
"Let's go," Katie said strangely once she returned from the bathroom.
"Go where?" Leanne asked with a slight frown.
"Back to Hogwarts," Katie said, "I've got something I have to give to Dumbledore." And with that, she walked out of the pub, Leanne clamoring behind her.
She'll be back at Hogwarts soon.
"Katie, why do we have to go back to Hogwarts now?" Leanne asked.
"Because I've got to give something to Dumbledore," Katie replied. Leanne frowned.
"What do you have to give to Dumbledore?" she asked.
"This," Katie said, gesturing to the package.
"Where did you get that?" Leanne asked.
Katie wouldn't want you to get yourself into this state over nothing, she thought, because it is nothing. Right?
"Can I see it?" Leanne asked, reaching for the package.
"No!" Katie replied.
"No?" Leanne asked, "Why not? Katie, what is it?" She tried to grab the package from Katie, but to no avail. Katie pulled, and the wrapping ripped. Leanne saw her hand touch the contents of the package, and then…
No! Leanne shut her eyes tight as if that would somehow squeeze out the memory of Katie flying in the air. It didn't work.
Katie flew up about six feet in the air and then she screamed. It was horrifying. Leanne screamed too.
Leanne sat bolt upright, breathing heavily. It was a dream, she repeated, just a dream. She closed her eyes tight, hoping that she would be lured back into sleep. But after laying there for a while she decided to get up. She went and sat in the window seat in the dormitory. The moon was high in the sky. It was a full moon tonight, Leanne thought, and she could almost hear the cry of werewolves which sounded a lot like Katie's screams in her mind. Maybe they were the same thing.
Katie.
Leanne didn't want her thoughts to stray to Katie, but it was no use. The events of that day were too important to ignore.
"Katie," Leanne said.
"Yes?" she replied.
"What is it?" Leanne asked.
It kept playing over and over again in her head.
"Who's it for?" Leanne asked.
"Dumbledore," Katie answered.
"Why do you have something for Dumbledore?" Leanne questioned, "Katie? Katie!" she turned Katie towards her, and she had a glazed look in her eye. That's how she knew something wasn't right.
"Katie give me that right now," she said.
It couldn't be possible.
"Ahhhhhh," she shrieked as she flew up in the air.
"Katie!" she yelled.
"Katie!" she yelled. Then she put her hand over her mouth. She really hoped she didn't wake any of the other girls in her dorm. But none of them had stirred. She sighed in relief and went back to looking out the window.
"Leanne?" she heard from behind her.
"Hannah?" she turned around, "Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to wake you!"
"It's okay," Hannah said, with a sigh, "What are you doing up at three o'clock in the morning?"
"Katie," was all she simply replied, which Hannah understood. She sighed.
"You know, if we lived in normal times, this would be the part where you were up all night because of some boy, and I'd have to comfort you with chocolate and hugs," Hannah said, her voice a mix between wistfulness and disgust. Leanne laughed.
"Well, it's too bad that we don't live in normal times then," Leanne said, with a small smile. Hannah sighed.
"Pretty moon out tonight," she remarked casually.
"Yeah," Leanne said sourly.
"Leanne, Hannah?" another voice asked from behind, "What are you two doing up? It's three o'clock in the morning!"
"We're admiring the moon," Hannah replied as though it were obvious.
"And do you usually admire the moon at three o'clock in the morning?" Susan asked.
"On occasion," Hannah replied with a grin. Susan walked over to them.
"Scout over," Susan said, and both girls moved over to make room for her.
"Oh, so now because you're here, it's okay for us to admire the moon at three o'clock in the morning?" Hannah asked with a sly smile.
"I figured since I'm up I might as well," she replied. Then, looking at the moon she added, "It is pretty."
"Yeah," Hannah said softly while Leanne merely nodded.
"So why are you up?" Susan asked Leanne, "I know Hannah's up because she's crazy, but why are you up?"
"I am not!" Hannah protested. Susan ignored her.
"Katie," Leanne replied again in the same bored tone.
"Oh yeah I heard about that," Susan said, "What happened?"
"Well, we were at Hogsmeade, and Katie went to the bathroom. When she came back, she said we had to leave immediately and go back to the castle, 'cause she had a gift for Dumbledore. I was suspicious, obviously, but we started going back to Hogwarts. Then I start asking her about the gift that she had in her hand, and she wouldn't let me see it. I tried to tear it away from her, but it ended up breaking the wrapping that it was in and touching her hand. And then…" Leanne's voice cracked.
"And then…" Susan gently prodded after a minute of silence.
"And then," her voice was wobbly, "She rose high up in the air, and you could see that she was in pain. She was screaming and screaming and then she fell."
"She fell?" Susan asked shocked and scared at the same time.
"How high in the air was she?" Hannah asked curiously.
"Hannah!" Susan scolded, "This is not the time to be asking that question!"
"Why ever not?" Hannah asked.
"It's okay," Leanne said, and then turned to Hannah, "It was about six feet." Susan mouthed six feet in amazement.
"Awesome!" Hannah replied.
"Hannah!" Susan scolded again. Hannah looked at her.
"What am I, your Crup?" she questioned. Once again, Susan chose to ignore her.
"So then what happened?" Susan asked.
"Harry, Ron and Hermione were there, and so was Hagrid, so we took her back to the castle. Then McGonagall questioned us and I told her the same story that I told you guys. She said that the necklace was cursed, and whoever had given it to Katie had meant it to harm someone. She said that it if Katie had touched the necklace with her bare hands, instead of her gloves, that she would've been murdered instantly. She said that Katie had been put under the Imperious curse. And she also said that whoever had given Katie the necklace was obviously attempting to murder Dumbledore. And that's what happened," Leanne concluded. Susan gaped at her, her mouth wide open, the word murder, being mouthed over and over again. Hannah's eyes were wide. Then she sighed.
"Who do you think did it?" Susan asked, "Tried to murder Dumbledore, I mean."
"I dunno," Hannah said, "Someone who hates Dumbledore, I suppose." Susan rolled her eyes.
"Loads of people hate Dumbledore, you ninny," she said fondly, "He's the most powerful wizard in the world right now." Hannah shrugged.
"Yeah, but still," she said.
"Oh Merlin," Susan said, "It could even be a group of people working together-we'll never figure it out!"
"Well, we weren't going to figure it out in one sitting," Hannah pointed out, "Besides, it's not like there's a group of people that want to kill Dumbledore."
"Yeah," Susan said wistfully, "That would make things easier." Leanne, who had remained quiet the entire time, burst out laughing, "What?" Susan asked as Hannah joined her.
"There is," Hannah choked out between laughs, "It's called the Death Eaters."
"Oh yeah," Susan said, comprehension dawning on her, "I forgot about them! Is that bad?"
"In the times we live in now," Leanne said solemnly, "I'd say it's pretty good."
"Both my grandparents and my aunt got killed by them," Susan said, shaking her head, "And I can't even remember them."
"It's okay," Hannah assured her, "You just had a momentary spasm. It happens to everyone." Susan smiled a little. Leanne sighed.
"What?" Susan asked.
"I just feel horrible. About Katie, I mean," Leanne said, "I feel like I could've prevented it somehow."
"It's okay," Hannah said, "It was inevitable."
"You couldn't have," Susan cried.
"How was it inevitable?" Leanne asked.
"Because we're in a war," Hannah remarked, "And to think, this is only the beginning."
A/N-Wow, that turned out way different than I expected it to! But I really like it, all the same. The stuff in italics is Leanne thinking back on the day she had. This is for Black Rose Blue's Friendship Boot Camp with Prompt #13. Murder, ladyoftheknightley's Bechdel Test Competition, thefirstservant's Chinese Moon Festival Competition (with the Friendship slice) and ladyoftheknightley's School Subjects Competition (with Herbology). According to Harry Potter Wiki, Leanne is in the same year as Harry Potter, so she would share a dorm with Hannah and Susan. I actually have a collection of forty-nine drabbles on Katie/Leanne coming out soon, so be sure to check that out! *shameless self-plugging* Thanks for reading!