Chapter One
Katie absentmindedly tapped her quill on the desk, staring off into space as Binns rambled on and on about the wars. She really should have been paying attention, she knew that; however, her mind was on other things, more important things then stuff she'd heard a dozen times prior.
Namely, the current war that was going on behind the walls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Of course, there were hundreds of witches and wizards who weren't aware or didn't believe that this war was going on, but Katie wasn't stupid. She knew Cedric Diggory's death the year prior hadn't been an accident, and what with Professor Snape's body being found three weeks after - well, that was no accident either.
"Hey," came Angelina's voice from beside her and she looked over at the other girl. "You okay?" she mouthed, and Katie just shook her head, twisting her quill around and around in her hand, the glint of the family band on her ring finger momentarily distracting her before she quickly shook her head, and instead tried to focus on what Binns was saying.
When history of magic ended, Katie slowly gathered her things, shoving them back into her bag before getting up. She was supposed to head to Transfiguration after, but instead she found herself up in the Owlery, sitting on the small bench on the balcony, her small tawny owl sitting on her shoulder. She was still sitting there when Fred and George Weasley entered an hour later, talking loudly. They quieted when they saw her sitting there.
"McGonagall wondered where you were at," Fred said, sitting down on her right side, as George sat down on her left. "We told her you were sick."
"Thanks," Katie told them softly, still staring out at the sky.
"You still haven't heard from him?" George asked grimly, and Katie shook her head. "You'll hear from him soon."
When Marcus Flint had first asked Katie out three years ago, she'd originally said no. He was a Slytherin, after all, she was a Gryffindor, and they played for rival Quidditch teams. There was also the fact his father had died in Azkaban after serving you-know-who before his disappearance, and Katie's parents were aurors who helped put the elder Flint in prison in the first place. Their match would have been terrible, she'd thought.
Somehow, though, over the course of her fourth year, Marcus had worn her down, and they'd gone out for lunch during a Hogsmeade weekend. Katie, much to her surprise, found she enjoyed spending time with Marcus, so they went out again the next Hogsmeade weekend. And the next. Before long, they were spending most of their time together, and Katie found that they had quite a bit in common, despite their backgrounds. Her father wasn't happy with her relationship, but even he agreed that Marcus wasn't his father, and so they didn't complain too much.
Then just the year prior, Harry Potter had come out of the Triwizard Tournament third task, clutching Cedric Diggory's dead body and claiming that you-know-who had returned, and she and Marcus had just looked at each other, knowing things were about to change.
They had separated for the summer, her going back to her family and he going to visit his uncle - and he'd come to her home in late August, clutching his left forearm, telling her it was either he take the mark or be killed. She'd begged for him to go to Dumbledore, hoping the older man could help, and Marcus had given her his family ring and disappeared. She hadn't seen him since.
She'd come back to school in September for her NEWTs year, hoping to talk with Dumbledore and learn whether Marcus had had the chance to speak with him, but the headmaster seemed to go out of his way to avoid her. It was probably her imagination, but she soon gave up. She'd confided in the Weasley twins her fears, and they'd attempted to cheer her up. But it was now nearing Christmas, and she'd heard nothing.
"Katie," Fred said now. "If he was - if he was dead, or captured, you would have heard."
"Would I?" she questioned, looking at her owl and stroking his wing. "Dumbledore refuses to talk to me. It's like he knows I want to speak with him, and he just leaves before I even get the chance to get near him. The papers are denying you-know-who's return, so it's not like they would mention Marcus has disappeared after being given the dark mark." Katie dropped her head, letting her dark hair fall in front of her face, hiding the tears that slid down. "Marcus' mum died last year, so it's not like I can write her, and his uncle's the one that forced him to get the mark in the first place." She looked back up, and when she next spoke, her voice came out broken. "What am I supposed to do?"
Fred and George looked at each other over her head. "We don't know," they said together.
Days passed, and Katie ate less and less with each meal. She was aware Fred and George watched her nervously, and McGonagall too, but she just had no appetite. How could she eat when the man she loved was who knows where, his life in danger?
That weekend was a Hogsmeade visit, and the Weasley twins coerced her into going down into the village with them, threatening to write to her parents if she didn't. She'd gone, but was barely active, silently following behind the twins as they went into the various shops.
It was towards the end of the visit, when they were down by the shrieking shack, when there was a crack and Marcus Flint apparated in before her very eyes. Katie stared at her boyfriend in shock for a minute before his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed to the ground.
Fred and George rushed for a teacher, only finding Hagrid, who lifted Marcus up. The moment he was touched Marcus let out a cry of pain, a cry of pain that went right to Katie's heart.
The small group rushed to the school, aware of the attention they were gathering as they rushed. They got to the hospital wing and Hagrid, as gently as he could, deposited Marcus on a bed and hurried out to get Madame Pomfrey, who'd gone to dinner. Fred and George offered to stay, but Katie sent them out, well aware that when Marcus was no longer in pain he'd be ashamed to have been seen like that. So she and Marcus were left alone, and she slipped her hand into his.
"I'm right here, Marcus," she whispered, brushing his hair away from his forehead. Marcus let out another groan, his back arching from the pain. His grip on Katie's hand tightened, but she didn't let go, not even when it felt like her fingers would fall off.
Madame Pomfrey finally entered, and she hurried over with a vial of potion, forcing Marcus' mouth open and dripping it down into his throat. It took a moment, but soon Marcus relaxed, his body sinking onto the bed and his eyes fluttering closed. Katie withheld a sob of relief as Madame Pomfrey looked at her kindly.
"The headmaster wishes to speak with you," the healer told her. "He's waiting in my office." Katie looked at Marcus, whose breathing was calm now as he'd passed out from the exhaustion and relief from pain, and she gently stroked his face.
"I'll be right back," she said softly, kissing him on his forehead and releasing his hand, slipping through the still hospital wing to the back office where the headmaster waited. Whether he'd been there the entire time or had flooed in from his own office she didn't know, but the man hadn't gone past her, in either case.
The headmaster was seated behind Madame Pomfrey's desk, his fingers linked together on the wood. He saw Katie and his grim face didn't change, instead gesturing for her to take a seat. She did so, nervously biting her lip. He'd been avoiding her for three months, and now all of a sudden wished to speak with her, and she knew that couldn't be good.
"Miss Bell," Dumbledore said, his voice firm. "What I have to tell you stays in this room. It does not even go to the Weasley twins, are we understood?" Katie was frozen, and couldn't react one way or another. "If you cannot answer me, Miss Bell, I cannot be honest with you and will have to ask you to instead go back to Gryffindor tower while Madame Pomfrey and I take care of Mr. Flint."
"I - okay. I won't tell Fred and George." Her leg was shaking with her anxiety. Even with her reassurance, Dumbledore eyed her hesitantly, before he let out a small sigh and began to speak.
"Over the summer, Mr. Flint came to me with quite a strange tale. He claimed his uncle had forced him to get the dark mark from Voldemort-" Katie flinched, but the headmaster didn't seem to notice. He continued to speak, his voice colder than she'd ever heard it. "I have heard this story many times, however, so I sent him away." Katie jerked her head up, staring at the headmaster in disbelief. He'd been hers and Marcus' only hope, and he'd just sent him away? Dumbledore sensed her shock, and continued, on to a seemingly different subject. "I'm sure you are aware that Professor Snape was killed this past summer?" He didn't wait for a response. "During the last war, Professor Snape turned against Voldemort and began to spy for me, getting me enough information that I was - with help from the Order of the Phoenix, which I will get to in a moment - able to save lives that otherwise would have been lost. Unfortunately, upon his return, Voldemort killed him, and therefore we lost our spy."
"What does any of this have to do with Marcus?" Katie demanded, after a lengthy silence, glaring up at the headmaster. "Marcus - Marcus is hurt, and you're rambling on about a man who is dead and has nothing to do with us!"
"If you wait, Miss Bell, I will get to it." Katie sat back in her seat, angrily crossing her arms. Dumbledore continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Mr. Flint came back to Hogwarts towards the end of the summer, quite bruised up, but with information on Voldemort's movements. Using his information, we were able to save the lives of Amelia Bones and a young lady named Nymphadora Tonks, both of whom have now joined the fight against Voldemort and his followers." He eyed Katie over the rims of his glasses. "Marcus has replaced Severus Snape as our spy," he said, finally getting to the point.
Katie's heart dropped down into her stomach. "He - he'll be hurt."
Dumbledore nodded grimly. "This is a possibility, yes. Actually-" he looked toward the door. "It is the reality. Marcus is doing the light side a great service, at a disservice to himself. He will need someone by his side to help him. I understand the two of you are in a long term relationship?"
"We - we are engaged to be married at the end of the summer," Katie stuttered, twisting her ring around her finger again, and again. "But my parents are - are aurors. The - you-know-who wouldn't want me as a death eater, and I can't-"
"My dear, that is not what I'm suggesting." His voice was soft now, gentle, as he eyed Katie from across the table. There was a pause, as if he was adjusting his thoughts. "What is your plan for your future?"
"Oh. Um." Katie thought for a minute, aware of the headmaster's intent stare. "I - my parents want me to be an auror, like they are," she said, but she shook her head. "I guess I've always been interested in becoming a healer. I know I need at least Exceeds Expectations on five of my NEWTs, and I think I've been doing well enough to get them." She paused again, looking at the headmaster. "Why are you wanting to know?" she asked doubtfully.
"The Order of the Phoenix is, at best, a vigilante group that I began to take down Voldemort and his followers," Dumbledore said, seemingly changing the subject.
"Okay?" Katie said slowly.
Dumbledore looked back at her. "We only accept those who are out of school. However, we do need more healers, or, at least, healers in training. If you would be willing to take your NEWTs in January, I could, potentially, get you into a fast track healer's program, so that by the end of the school year, you would be a fully licensed healer. This would benefit not only you, and the Order, but Marcus as well."
Katie stared at the headmaster, bewildered. "I - I'll have to think about it," she said finally, rising from the seat. "If that's - that's okay."
Dumbledore simply gave her a quick nod. "That's perfectly fine," he said, and rose from his own seat. "We will speak again next weekend?" After receiving a small nod from Katie, he swept out of the office and out of the hospital wing entirely.
Marcus didn't wake up for two hours, but Katie didn't leave his side once. Madame Pomfrey tried rushing her out closer to curfew, but she'd just looked at the older woman, who had finally relented. Katie briefly wondered if Dumbledore had run the healing program by the school nurse first, or if he'd come up with it on his own and kept it to himself until the opportunity arose to bring it up to her.
When Marcus finally opened his eyes, he looked surprised to see Katie sitting by his side, reading a book that she promptly shut when she noticed he'd woken. "Hey," she said softly, taking his hand in hers and smiling. "How are you feeling?"
"What-" He looked around, confused. "Where am I?"
"Hogwarts," Madame Pomfrey declared, bustling back in. "You were found in Hogsmeade by Hagrid. He carried you here." Marcus closed his eyes, dropping his head back on the pillow. "Now, I must ask what spells were used on you. I've given you a general pain relief, but it won't last long and I'd rather give you something specific to what is causing the pain." Marcus hesitated, and Pomfrey pursed her lips. "Come now, I don't have all evening. I am quite sure people will be wondering where you are soon."
Marcus looked away from Katie when he spoke. "The Cruciatus, to begin with," he said in a quiet tone, and Katie tightened her grip on his hand, reassuring herself he was still there. "For an hour. I failed to-" He stopped, looking back at Katie, then back at the nurse. "I displeased him," he finished. He squeezed Katie's hand once before releasing it. "I am well now, I have to get back to my uncle's house. He's waiting for me to return."
Madame Pomfrey clearly wasn't pleased, but Marcus was no longer a student and she had no reason to hold him, so she gave him pain relief potions before he left, Katie walking out with him.
The pair didn't say a word to each other until they'd reached the front doors. "Please owl me," Katie said quietly, taking both of her hands in his. "I've missed you. I didn't even know if you were-" She couldn't say the word, but judging by the look on Marcus' face, he knew what she meant, for he softened, brushing her hair back and burying his face into her shoulder. Katie held him, not wanting to let go. "Dumbledore told me everything," she whispered. "And he's given me an option to help." He pulled away. "Just - I'm going to take his choice," she said. "I'll be taking my NEWTs next month and I won't have to stay at Hogwarts any longer. We'll be able to see each other more."
"Is that what you really want?" Marcus asked her softly, looking her in the eyes. "Is that what you want, or are you only doing it for me?" '
"Of course I'm doing it for you," Katie breathed. "But I want to. I still want to marry you."
Marcus pulled away from her completely, and she looked at him in confusion. "I don't know if that's still possible," he confessed, and Katie's eyes burned with tears. "I will see. And I will write you, I promise. But I have to go, Uncle Lux will be waiting for me by now."
And then he was gone, leaving Katie staring at the doors as they locked themselves after him, before turning and slowly making her way up to the Gryffindor tower.
Fred and George were waiting for her in the common room, but she quietly bid them goodnight and a promise to talk to them in the morning, before going up to her dorm and nearly collapsing onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Even knowing you-know-who had returned, she hadn't, she supposed, really thought about what it would really mean. Cedric had died, and he was six months older than her, and then Professor Snape had died - but she hadn't thought past that, thought to what would be needed before the wizard came back out into the open. Healers and aurors, certainly, but the idea of a spy had never crossed her mind. She didn't think it had really crossed many people's minds, because to betray you-know-who meant certain death, and not many witches or wizards were that brave, at least not the ones that willingly got the mark or were forced to, like Marcus.
She rolled over onto her stomach, letting a groan of frustration out into her pillow so that it was muffled, before rolling back onto her side. Tomorrow, she'd find the headmaster and let him know she was willing to join the Order and go into the healer training program, but for now, she closed her eyes and let herself drift into a fitful sleep.
The next morning she'd barely made it out of her dorm before the twins ambushed her, each taking one of her arms and leading her back up to the Owlery.
"I'm not really supposed to tell you," Katie said at once, earning a glare from each of them. "Dumbledore said!" she protested, but Fred crossed his arms. "I - I can tell you part of it," she said finally, knowing they weren't going to let her leave unless she confessed something. "I'm taking my NEWTs next month and joining an early acceptance healer's program." They gaped at her, and she let out a little laugh at their surprise.
"You mean-"
"You're leaving us?"
Katie sighed, sinking onto the bench. "I have to," she said, after a moment. They looked disapproving. "I can't tell you why, but I have to. I'm needed."
They looked at each other. "Fine," Fred said. "You have our permission."
Katie laughed again. "I wasn't aware I needed it!"
"Of course you did," George said with a grin. "You need our permission for everything."
"Going to class-"
"Skipping class-"
"Okay, stop," Katie interrupted, before the two could really get going. Once they started, she knew it would be awhile before they would stop. "You know," she said, suddenly realizing something. "Angelina's going to kill me, this means she'll have to find another chaser."
"No!"
After talking to the twins, Katie headed to Dumbledore's office, realizing after reaching it that she didn't know his password. She stood there, uncertain, for a few minutes before the gargoyle started moving and Professor McGonagall came down the stairs. She spotted Katie and smiled. "Ah. Just the girl I was coming to find. Professor Dumbledore wanted to speak to you."
"Thanks Professor," Katie said quietly, starting up the steps. She got up three before McGonagall called her name, and she turned.
"Congratulations on your engagement, I understand."
Katie forced a smile. "Thank you, Professor," she repeated, going up the rest of the stairs, hesitating briefly before knocking on the headmaster's office door. Following his quiet response, she opened it, surprised to see not only the headmaster, but the new potions professor, Slughorn, and the new defense teacher, Professor Fenwick. She hesitated at the door.
"You may have a seat, Miss Bell," Dumbledore said calmly. He looked at the other two professors. "We will finish our meeting at a later time." They both nodded, and left, leaving Katie and the headmaster alone.
"I - I understand you wanted to see me, headmaster?" Katie said, fidgeting a bit in her chair, her nerves nearly boiling over.
"I am aware I told you that you had until the end of the week, however, there are circumstances that have popped up, and I do need an answer sooner rather than later. Have you thought about it?"
"I'll do it," Katie informed him, crossing her legs and then promptly uncrossing them. "For Marcus - I'll - I'll do it."
"Excellent," the headmaster said, rifling through some of the papers on his desk. "You will need to take the NEWTs in-"
"Potions, transfiguration, herbology, charms, and defense against the dark arts," Katie interrupted, blushing when Dumbledore eyed her. "I - I've done the research, before. It's the only reason I continued in potions with - with Professor Snape. He didn't like Gryffindors much," she added, biting her lip when she was done speaking.
"Yes, well," Dumbledore said calmly. "He didn't like students much, in fact." He folded his hands together. "Miss Bell, this is your last chance. Are you absolutely sure that this is what you want? Taking your NEWTs and leaving Hogwarts early, not to mention joining the Order, does put you in a certain amount of danger you wouldn't normally be in."
"I'm sure," Katie said firmly, thinking of Marcus collapsing in front of her the night before. She swallowed. "I want to help."
"Excellent," The headmaster said. "Just excellent."
