At first glance, Kathy Potter looked like a normal 3 year old girl, with bright red hair and green eyes she took very much after her mother, well in her appearance. Personality wise James was thrilled his little angel was a budding marauder in disguise.
Lily was putting the youngest Potter to bed on the night when it happened. James was in the living room trying to persuade Kathy she wanted to put on some pyjamas (not an easy task) when he happened to glance out of the window. Without thinking he grabbed his daughter and through her into the fireplace with some floo powder, shouting Hogwarts. The last thing Kathy could remember about her dad was his panicked shout to her Mum: "Lily...It's him."
Kathy and her younger brother Harry became orphans that night, and would not meet until 10 years had passed.
The Hogwarts Letter!
8 Years after that fateful night, Kathy, now 11, woke her guardian Minerva with a scream: "It Came!!! Auntie Minnie – my Hogwarts' letter has arrived!"
Minerva smiled hearing the excitement in the young girl's voice. It hadn't occurred to her that she would get so excited to receive her Hogwarts letter considering she had lived in the castle ever since her father had sent her over the night that he died. "Congratulations honey," she replied, entering the living area in their joint quarters, "I suppose we had better sort out a date to take you to Diagon Ally and collect your books."
"And an owl. You promised I could have an owl." Kathy turned the full puppy dog eyes on Minerva.
"We agreed for your 12th birthday Kathleen, not for getting an acceptance letter." Minerva smiled down at her young charge, "You'll only have to wait a few more weeks and patience..."
"I know patience is a virtue." Kathy finished, rolling her eyes.
After convincing Kathy to sit and eat some breakfast before they set off, and leaving Peri the house elf keeping an eye out for mischief, Minerva headed to see Albus before they left. she didn't have to wander far, finding him stood in a corridor on the way to north tower, conversing with Sir Cadagon. "Minerva," He smiled, eyes twinkling, "what a lovely surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure of our company at this early hour?"
"Kathy received her letter this morning. She wants to go straight away to get her books. You could have delayed her owl by a couple of hours." Minerva grumbled, not fond of waking up too early during the holidays.
"Well my dear, that wouldn't have been very fair, all the owl's leave the school at the same time." Albus couldn't help but grin at the expression on Minerva's face.
"The owl didn't need to leave school though; it flew from one side of the castle to the other." Came her exasperated reply.
"Fair point," Albus conceded, no point angering the feisty Scots woman to much at this hour he thought to himself, "What can I do for you then?"
"You can accompany us to Diagon Ally to shop, I am not the only adult listed as her guardian. She will enjoy having you spend some time with her, you know how much of a daddy's girl she was. And I am not taking her out alone, you remember the last time I tried to take her anywhere."
Albus grinned at the memory, "Well, I happen to need a trip out to London myself. I can also stock up on Sherbet Lemons whilst we're there." Minerva rolled her eyes, thank heavens for teeth cleaning charms, he'd have rotted his away years before without them.
Despite having been brought up in the wizarding world, Kathy had never been to Diagon Ally or to Muggle London either, most likely because Minerva didn't trust her not to wander off and get lost, and the awe she felt after falling out of the fire place at the Leaky cauldron was immense. If fact, she was so startled by the amount of people at the bar (all of whom seemed to know who she was) and the variety of food on display she forgot to move out of the way meaning that when Minerva followed her through the floo they both ended up in a tangled knot on the floor.
"Kathleen Lily Potter!" Minerva exclaimed loudly, "How many times do I have to tell you, after you have floo'd anywhere, move away from the fireplace so you don't get in the way of anyone else."
Once they were both on their feet, Minerva pulled out her wand and Scourgified them both from the amount of dust, and tried to smooth Kathy's hair into some form of tidiness. No matter how smart Kathy left the house, she always managed to mess her hair up and get dirty in about 30 seconds.
Minerva tutted lightly, "You'll do I suppose, but how you always managed to get so messy is beyond me." At this point Albus emerged from the fireplace and bounced on the balls of his feet cheerily.
"Time for a quick tipple before we hit the shops do you think Minerva?"
"Oh yes please Uncle Albus!" Kathy answered, "Can I have some of the smoking stuff?"
Albus chuckled, while Minerva looked scandalised, "You may have a pumpkin juice young lady. Fire whiskey is for Witches who are of age and sensible. You are neither."
The trio headed for the bar, "Good Morning Tom, How're you?" Albus greeted merrily.
"I'm very good. The usual?"
"Yes please, and a Gillywater for Minerva, and a Pumpkin Juice for madam here."
Tom served the drinks to the table with a toothy smile in Kathy's direction, before heading back behind the bar to be interrogated by Doris Crackford. "Is that the Potter's daughter?"
"Yes," he said, "Kathy. Couldn't look more like her mother if she tried. Such a shame what happened."
"How old is she now?" someone else quizzed from the bar.
"I'm 11," came a very indignant response from the table, "and it's rude to talk about people like they don't exist!"
Albus nodded to Kathy in response to her outburst, "Nearly finished dear?"
Kathy downed her drink, nodded and followed Albus as he stood up and headed for the back entrance. As soon as she was out of earshot, Minerva turned to the crowd at the bar, "How can you talk about her like that? After everything she's been through? We came here to buy her school supplies, and she was so excited and you have to talk about her parents and bring up all the negative memories. Well I hope you're all proud of yourselves." Minerva gave them a glare that many remembered from their own school days.
"Where to first then little one?" Albus asked.
"I'm not little; I'm 11 now, nearly 12!" Kathy sulked, before brightening when she saw the window of Flourish and Blots. "Look at all the books!" she gasped in awe.
"Robes first missy, then we can get the rest of your supplies." Minerva came up from behind, startling them. "Whilst you're in there, I'm going to go and run a few errands of my own. Albus keep a sharp eye on her!" and with that she swept off in the direction of Gambol and Japes.
"Right," Albus said, his eyes twinkling, "better get started; don't want to get into trouble when she gets back."
They headed into the shop to find a lady and her son already there.
"Hi," the boy said, "I'm Lee. Lee Jordan."
"Hi LeeLee Jordan, I'm Kathy Potter. Nice to meet you."
"Wow, Potter you say?"
"Yup. You a first year too?"
"Yeah. Can't wait, bet it'll feel weird for you, Mum said you grew up at Hogwarts."
"Yeah I did, but It'll be nice to have people my own age around. I get bored when everyone's in classes on my own."
"I'll bet. I know what you mean about people your own age. I'm an only child so don't have many friends." Lee looked worried.
"You'll make lots of friends LeeLee, look, we're already friends right?"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"cool!"
The adults watched amused as the two children chatted, from quidditch teams to Hogwarts school houses ("I want to be a Gryffindor." "Wicked. Me too!") whilst Madam Malkin and her assistant tried their best to get the two fully outfitted, not an easy task when everyson often Kathy would wave her arms about to make a point. Eventually though they were finished, and with a quick wave goodbye at her new friend, Kathy left the shop, followed by Albus.
Minerva was waiting for the two of them outside Flourish and Blots, talking to a lady with bright red hair who had 4 boys with her.
"...Arthur is looking after little Ron and Ginny, I felt I had my hands full enough with the twins without bringing little one's along."
"Good morning Molly," Albus greeted the plump, flustered looking witch warmly, "Charlie, Percy." He nodded to each boy in turn, "and you too must be Fred and George?"
"Yes sir," answered one twin.
"We're starting Hogwarts in a month!" the other told Albus matter-of-factly.
Minerva laughed at the two young boys, at least until Molly said "Yes, and you'll have to keep your eyes on them. Full of Mischief and Pranks."
"Cool. I'm Kathy!" Kathy greeted the twins interestedly, seeing potential partners in crime in the making.
"George," said one and the other finished with "Fred."
"Kathy, I don't mean to rush you, but I need to get back to Hogwarts soon." Minerva smiled, concealing well her sudden image of a new set of marauders': Kathy, Fred, George and the boy that exited the robe shop after her.
"If you're in a huge rush Minerva, I can take Kathy to get her books and wand and she can come back and play with the boys this afternoon. I'll make sure she's back at a decent time."
"Excellent idea Molly." Albus smiled, pretending to ignore Minerva's horrified face, it would be fantastic for Kathy to get to know some friends before she starts at Hogwarts. Maybe she could stay over with you at the end of August and travel on the Hogwarts express with everyone else."
"Of course she can!" Molly smiled, not seeing Charlie's grin and Percy's look of mistrust aimed at the young red-headed lady, "it'll be a pleasure."
